Learning a language

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Stretching' the old grey matter by learning Spanish Actually really fun!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I would love to learn like Swedish or German. Language is kind of fun, yes I am a nerd.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I would love to learn like Swedish or German. Language is kind of fun, yes I am a nerd.

I learned German for a while, actually a very logical language I found it very easy to understand, less so to actually speak it

 

[fla4fun]

I am working on French myself. Spanish would have been more practical but I love how French sounds. What is amusing to me is coming across words I have heard in songs or movies and going “Oh, so that’s what that means!”

 

[goofytinkerbell]

Good for you guys! I've tried learning French several times (it's a big requirement for a LOT of jobs here) but I just can't seem to catch on

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Also learned the basics of French and got quite good... I actually think it is THE most romantic language in the world

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

It kind of makes me sad that they say (or at least when I was actively studying language when the dinosaurs roamed) that the older you get, the harder it is to learn language. I was such a nerdy teenager that foreign language was my hobby. I took one class of French and found it difficult and ending up taking Spanish because it was easier. I also took Spanish in college. I still know enough Spanish to get in trouble, it helps me understand a lot of Portuguese and Italian. I have been to France, and still cannot understand or speak French for anything besides the most basic of phrases. In college I did hang out w/somebody from Sweden and tried to pick up a little bit of that. I am still interested in learning that. I never really knew anything beyond basic phrases though. I signed up for German class in college but when they handed us a vocabulary list of like 60 words on the first day and said you have 2 days to learn them, I went and dropped the class.

I am kind inspired to check into studying more now!

 

[Vatrahaki75]

Stretching' the old grey matter by learning Spanish Actually really fun!

I may need to do this for work. Are you using an online program or brick&mortar class?

 

[fla4fun]

I may need to do this for work. Are you using an online program or brick&mortar class?

I can’t speak for NIC, but I am using a mix of things for my French. I started by downloading free apps and audio books to see what method would work best for me. One of them was a free lesson from Pimsleur, which has been around for ages. I found for me, that particular format forced me to actually think in French, as opposed to just memorization.

So for Christmas, the main thing I asked for was the complete set of CDs for French 1. They have an online version as well, but it’s easier for me to listen in the car with a CD than my iPad or phone. I am using an app to supplement vocabulary, and a verbal translation app to work on pronunciation. So far, the mix is working pretty well. It’s slow, but I can see progress every week, and that keeps me going. I spend an average of 5-7 days per lesson because I want to be sure I get it right, even though they say you can move to the next one once you get 80% of the material. I figure, with my luck, that missing 20% would be very important.

I think, since people can be very different in the way they learn new material, that it is important to explore different types of lessons to see what works best for you.

 

[mommasita]

Love this. It is harder, but not impossible as we age to grasp a new language. For me it’s not speaking them on the daily, so it’s easy to forget. I speak English and French every day, but since my in-laws passed very little Italian, so when I do speak it at work, it’s rusty.

 

[GAN]

I've used duolingo in the past - a few times a week for 20 mins and you pick it up. I was just brushing up on Italian and then did French for a trip ..I was surprised how much French I had picked up in a short period of time. Of course, many times I'd find myself speaking a mix of both combined ..that always got a laugh.

 

[DisGirlAllie]

Highly recommend Duolingo for anyone looking to learn a language! I'm currently reviewing French and Latin, and learning Norwegian.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Using Duolingo myself! Finding it really comprehensive and easy going - all it asks of you is ten minutes of your time a day, although I've been enjoying it so much I'm actually been averaging 30 - 40

 

[RogueX]

I took French and Spanish in school and know a handful of words in Arabic and Japanese. Over time I've forgotten most of what I've learned, but when I've had a seizure sometimes I remember the words more. So strange.

 

[Meriweather]

I've used duolingo in the past - a few times a week for 20 mins and you pick it up. I was just brushing up on Italian and then did French for a trip ..I was surprised how much French I had picked up in a short period of time. Of course, many times I'd find myself speaking a mix of both combined ..that always got a laugh.

I use duolingo......5 minutes a day, everyday if I can. And sometimes do more lessons.
It's easy to do and kind of fun.
I am doing Spanish.

 

[ford family]

I use duolingo......5 minutes a day, everyday if I can. And sometimes do more lessons.
It's easy to do and kind of fun.
I am doing Spanish.

I've been using Duolingo for Spanish and it's ok but it teaches mainly Latin American Spanish and uses American English so it has less value for a British person learning the language to use in Spain.

ford family

 

[kanerf]

Kids have a natural affinity for language which makes it a shame that most schools do not bother to introduce foreign languages until high school when the affinity for language learning has begun to dim. I lived in Germany for 13 years and while I picked up a rudimentary understanding of the language I was not fluent. I had a friend though who was Puerto Rican and had married a French girl. His kids, who attended German schools were quadra-lingual speaking English, Spanish, French and German with equal proficiency. It was scary, they could switch back and forth depending on who they were talking to. This is a natural ability that all children could pickup if the parents and schools would concentrate on it.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I took French in school, but don't really use it now, so I've lost a lot. I remember a few phrases, of course, but mostly I have better luck reading it than actually speaking it.

Thanks to working with little kids, though, I can count to ten in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese!

 

[LovesTimone]

Bonjour! So for me its French...as Paris is our favorite city in the world, and... I have used Babbel, and Youtube... Our first trip, I practiced and practiced just a few basic phrase's... which we did get by on, Yet... I want to know more... I will say that I retained most of what I learned..

We are heading back to the city of lights next year for our Anniversary... So I am back at it trying to learn and understand more... I'm going to check out Duolingo.

Au revoir...

 

[GAN]

Bonjour! So for me its French...as Paris is our favorite city in the world, and... I have used Babbel, and Youtube... Our first trip, I practiced and practiced just a few basic phrase's... which we did get by on, Yet... I want to know more... I will say that I retained most of what I learned..

We are heading back to the city of lights next year for our Anniversary... So I am back at it trying to learn and understand more... I'm going to check out Duolingo.

Au revoir...

Yes. In Europe, the expectation is that we(Americans) should put a little effort into learning some of the language. Any effort at all is likely to be repaid 2x in help or assistance from a local. They may ignore you otherwise....