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Languages!

I don't have a time machine or anything, but I like dictionaries and grammar tables. It's unambiguous and straight-forward. Texts in the language is fairly easy to find, since I have internet.
 
Ylva said:
I don't have a time machine or anything, but I like dictionaries and grammar tables. It's unambiguous and straight-forward. Texts in the language is fairly easy to find, since I have internet.
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It's just that not everyone learns and retains easily by just reading. Some people actually need to use it in a practical sense... and with that they might need to use it a lot.
 
Michel Thomas audio courses and movies. I am not primarily hearing-oriented, though. Hearing a word is seeing it, to me, so if I can't imagine the foreign word I'm hearing, I can't hook it up with any meaning. Which means the above mentioned audio-based learning techniques come relatively late in the process for me.

Wish I could rid myself of the forcibly learned tendency to hear the words I see, however, or pronounce them in my head. Do you have any experience removing habits that were forced on you and never did much good, or do you know of a thread where it is discussed?
 
King_Oni said:
It's just that not everyone learns and retains easily by just reading. Some people actually need to use it in a practical sense... and with that they might need to use it a lot.
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I need the reading skills, and do well with them, but aural training is a must for me--for myself, I feel I haven't truly learned a language if I can't actually speak it.
 
balder said:
Does anyone have a "formula" that works well for us to learn fast a language we don't use daily? My knowledge in English comes from the fact that I study Computer Science, so my whole world is written in English. Even Spanish, that is very alike to Portuguese, doesn't interest me very much. I tried to learn German, but after a while I lost interest for not using it. Lately I have been interested in French, but I don't know what to do to keep my mind interested...
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I use songs to learn new languages. I listen to them, learn the lyrics and try to translate the lyrics.
I also use pics on things with the word for the things on it and put them on stuff in my room.
When my knowledge gets better I start watching movies where they speak the language (usually with subtitles in that language too) and read books/magazines.
 
That bit with the subtitles – thank you! I had experimented with understandable audio/new language subtitles and new language audio/understandable subtitles, but so far I've never actually tried to combine my hear-see tendency with movie-watching.

As for staying interested in French, listening to Vanessa Paradis should do the trick.
 
In addition to my native, that I feel being particularly good and clever with, I do [decide appropriate adverb] in English, and that's basically it. Through my school years I've studied some German and Swedish and have recently studying Norwegian by myself. I't actually pretty easily attained after knowing few other Germanic languages already. Yesterday I finally didn't notice after switching eng to nor, maybe that means that I'm not low level apprentice anymore. Italian and Russian could be interesting also. But I in fact have strong disbelief about that I'd never really be able to master any other language as well as my native. It's so dear to me and I've learned using it for almost 27 years and I'm already too old to learn anything for other than my own amusement and the list ensues and. Sigh.

I'm really interested in grammar and often knowing etymology of certain words will help learning and identifying them in means of better remembrance for later, but might use languages more intuitively than I'd like to. After all I like being playful with my ways of expression, but it can't be done until some level of competence is gained. And I'm too verbal for wanting ever really break grammar rules and ending up being unclear as a result. I learn well while mumbling myself and exaggerating some on pronunciation from very beginning with every new word I'm facing, but I need great deal of confidence about my abilities before really being able to speak out aloud. It feels totally weird - and courageous but also pointless - that some people can start discussing almost right away knowing they'll make mistakes.
For what I've heard I started talking at normal age but with well structured sentences, and that's something I won't be giving up easily.
 
Ahhhh languages!! I LOVE them! I'm fluent in English, mostly fluent in ASL, have a working understanding of Spanish with a smattering of Latin and Japanese and a teeny bit of French. I absolutely love languages. I was an early speaker and reader as a kid, and I absolutely love language and take so much joy in words. I used to get lost in dictionaries and I collect words like baseball cards. I also love learning the roots behind words. Where a word comes from...it's magnificent!
 
I speak a rare language, so I'm told. Hmong-Green, English and Pig Latin (if that counts, lol). I'm actually terrible at learning new languages, but I would like to learn Mandarin, Japanese, French and Italian :)
 
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I'm not as proficient as I used to be but I can still fumble a way through a conversation in my language of choice (probably better than in English ;)) The language is, sign language! I chose it once I moved and transferred high schools, because it was the only language I hadn't had exposure to (I told my ASL teacher the first day I wasn't any good with the languages where speaking was required) plus I'm a person who understands the true power of silence, and to be able to utilize communication when silence is the only available option is huge!!
I not only excelled at this language, I fell in love with it!! The deaf have a beautiful culture (I recommend anybody in the Washington D.C. area take a trip to Gallaudet University. It. Is. Beautiful.) and a beautiful language. I would like to be able to, at one point, translate songs into sign and "sign sing" to my friends and family because everyone hates my verbal singing! Haha!

I have stumbled across a site where you can learn ASL for free and it looks pretty fantastic. I'm going to do more exploring later and actually start up later, but if anybody is interested in anything Sign Language, learning it or learning about the Deaf, here you are!!
 
balder said:
You got interested in Italian because you learned Latin?
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I have been reading an author who originally wrote in Italian. Since I experienced such a big difference in reading works written in latin, vs, written in translation, I thought there might be a difference in regards to reading these other books too. Also, I secretly hope to visit Italy someday.
 
I would love to learn another language. I really only speak English and understand a tiny bit of Spanish and thats about it. For a while I wanted to learn Russian but now I would like to learn Swedish. I probably never will since I don't have the time to commit to it but maybe one day.
 
Mellotron said:
I would love to learn another language. I really only speak English and understand a tiny bit of Spanish and thats about it. For a while I wanted to learn Russian but now I would like to learn Swedish. I probably never will since I don't have the time to commit to it but maybe one day.
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I've wanted to know Russian ever since a classmate in a philosophy class said that when reading Brothers Karamazov in Russian instead of English, "Alyosha is far more a saint, (I forget which second character) is far more a villain."
Since Alyosha is, even in English, the only fictional character I know of who convinvingly is saintly (other authors may have tried; they didn't succeed. Alyosha is the only character with whom it is convincing) I was like, in russian, it must be simply amazing.
By the way, if you're reading it in English, get the translaiton by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volohonsky. It is the most amazing translation, a little "different" than English as normally used (maybe a llittle more similar to how we Aspies will choose the word order and word choices ) yet better at conveying meaning than most typical wording.
The part about it being more similar to Aspie language is speculated, not proven.
 
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I can hold a conversation in English, American Sign Language, and Spanish. But I can understand some when I read Italian and German, and I like picking up phrases from random languages. Mashi-soyo is "delicious" in Korean.

You're welcome.
 
Hi everyone,
Language has been my life's favorite freetime play. Love reading and learning.
In order of fluency: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, German and Italian. One day will find time to learn Mandarim,
rafa
 
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