Learning New Languages

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GrinningManiac

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Jun 11, 2009
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Cakes said:
Immersion is the only way. None of that learn-by-yourself shit, you need to get out there and surround yourself. I knew no French whatsoever, went to a French school for middle and high school and now I'm practically fluent.

I wouldn't recommend Hindi by the way. What do you actually intend to use it for? And keep in mind, it is very difficult to learn a language like that from an English background. Not to discourage you or anything, but I think you'd be far better off learning a Germanic or Romance language, unless full immersion is practical in your situation.
I want to learn it for two reasons:

1) India's a rising power (that's the excuse I give people)
2) I just want to, damnit! (the real reason)
 

himemiya1650

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Jan 16, 2010
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The best way to learn a language is to use it, so get a pen pal or something and just send letters back and fourth. At one time I knew French and Spanish, its very similar since they're both based off of Latin. However I forgot them since I never used them. I also know Japanese, I remember that well from all the unsubed anime I watch. Also I guess another thing that works well is to watch TV in that language first subbed and then un-subbed
 

SeanTheSheep

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Jun 23, 2009
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Snork Maiden said:
Unless its a programming language I suck ass at learning languages. I don't enjoy it, and its one of the things that I'm really *really* not very good at. I got only just scraped a B in German GCSE, but that was through learning a lot of words which I didn't really understand and just repeating them.

I learnt some Hiragana, but I didn't have the willpower to keep it up. I'd love to be able to learn another language though.
Holy effluence!
Is that a Moomintroll avatar?

OT: I did three years of mandatory French in school and hated it more than you would imagine, but in my second year I was given the option to learn Spanish, German or Latin.
I don't see the point of learning a dead language, and German is an extremely harsh sounding laguage, so I chose Spanish, and I enjoyed that quite a bit, though I can't claim I liked the teachers much.

The best way to learn is supposedly living in a country that speaks said language, but if you're unwilling to move to another country, then use something that has visual and audial prompts, and learn the rules for the language, not random vocabulary.
 

zehydra

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Oct 25, 2009
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I'm learning Japanese, and it's awesome. I've begun to realize that English, as a language is kind of lame in multiple areas. But alas, it is my native language and easiest for me to speak. I also know spanish.
 

Cakes

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Aug 26, 2009
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GrinningManiac said:
I want to learn it for two reasons:

1) India's a rising power (that's the excuse I give people)
2) I just want to, damnit! (the real reason)
1) Prominent as India may be, English is very well represented in business, and is considered a prominent part of higher education. Unless you plan on chatting with the average Indian walking down the street, there's no need to know Hindi.

2) Which is fine, I just think that in terms of usefulness and ease there are better alternatives. If you're absolutely intent on either Arabic or Hindi, go with Arabic.
 

Low Key

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May 7, 2009
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NekoiHiokans said:
GrinningManiac said:
NekoiHiokans said:
I took 3 years of French in high school. I love how on the Rosetta Stone boxes it says you'll never have to memorize anything ever again. But if you DON'T memorize whatever it's teaching you, you'll just forget it...I swear, they say the weirdest things on these boxes.
Would you reccomend them? Did they work?
No, my boyfriend was trying them but he said he learned more French by just casually glancing through my Advanced French book then using the program.
I did the Spanish one and I'll admit they do start off rather slow and tedious, especially if you already have a slight grasp on the language. Rosetta Stone is for people who don't know word one in a second language.
 

leviathanmisha

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Jun 21, 2009
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Low Key said:
NekoiHiokans said:
GrinningManiac said:
NekoiHiokans said:
I took 3 years of French in high school. I love how on the Rosetta Stone boxes it says you'll never have to memorize anything ever again. But if you DON'T memorize whatever it's teaching you, you'll just forget it...I swear, they say the weirdest things on these boxes.
Would you reccomend them? Did they work?
No, my boyfriend was trying them but he said he learned more French by just casually glancing through my Advanced French book then using the program.
I did the Spanish one and I'll admit they do start off rather slow and tedious, especially if you already have a slight grasp on the language. Rosetta Stone is for people who don't know word one in a second language.
Well, since my bf couldn't stand the Rosetta Stone, guess who's stuck playing teacher...that's right...me...
 

Low Key

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May 7, 2009
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NekoiHiokans said:
Low Key said:
NekoiHiokans said:
GrinningManiac said:
NekoiHiokans said:
I took 3 years of French in high school. I love how on the Rosetta Stone boxes it says you'll never have to memorize anything ever again. But if you DON'T memorize whatever it's teaching you, you'll just forget it...I swear, they say the weirdest things on these boxes.
Would you reccomend them? Did they work?
No, my boyfriend was trying them but he said he learned more French by just casually glancing through my Advanced French book then using the program.
I did the Spanish one and I'll admit they do start off rather slow and tedious, especially if you already have a slight grasp on the language. Rosetta Stone is for people who don't know word one in a second language.
Well, since my bf couldn't stand the Rosetta Stone, guess who's stuck playing teacher...that's right...me...
Well...at least you two are spending time together as a couple.
 

leviathanmisha

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Jun 21, 2009
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Low Key said:
NekoiHiokans said:
Low Key said:
NekoiHiokans said:
GrinningManiac said:
NekoiHiokans said:
I took 3 years of French in high school. I love how on the Rosetta Stone boxes it says you'll never have to memorize anything ever again. But if you DON'T memorize whatever it's teaching you, you'll just forget it...I swear, they say the weirdest things on these boxes.
Would you reccomend them? Did they work?
No, my boyfriend was trying them but he said he learned more French by just casually glancing through my Advanced French book then using the program.
I did the Spanish one and I'll admit they do start off rather slow and tedious, especially if you already have a slight grasp on the language. Rosetta Stone is for people who don't know word one in a second language.
Well, since my bf couldn't stand the Rosetta Stone, guess who's stuck playing teacher...that's right...me...
Well...at least you two are spending time together as a couple.
True, but the moment he starts making fun of my accent, I'm going to kick him!
 

Banana Phone Man

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May 19, 2009
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The best way is to live in the said country. My friend went an lived in Norway for a few years and came back being able to speak it perfectly. I want to learn it too someday.
 

adderseal

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Nov 20, 2009
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I can speak French and English and have a conversational level of Spanish (Can understand newspapers, TV shows sometimes and can speak it fairly well) and next year I'm off to uni to do Spanish and Portuguese (from scratch.) The 3rd year is spent abroad in Spain, so the whole immersion thing should get me to fluent.
 

El Poncho

Techno Hippy will eat your soul!
May 21, 2009
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I do want to learn a language, just not in a classroom. When i'm older i'll go to the specefic countrys language I want to learn.
 

Marter

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Oct 27, 2009
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Practice makes perfect. Try and think in the language you are trying to learn, and try to think of a way to say everything in that language before saying it in your native tongue.
 

Julianking93

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May 16, 2009
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I learned Italian and German just by being around those types of people and using English to German/Italian dictionaries.
 

zHellas

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Feb 7, 2010
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CloggedDonkey said:
Well, I want to learn Russian and German, but there where too few people who signed up at my school for German and we didn't get Russian. I'll be able to learn both in a year though.
I learned German... Well, at least enough to read & give directions(not well...), describe things, and read semi-complex sentences.

Took like 2 German Classes.

I might take Russian I and Russian II in my Senior year of High School.

EDIT: I'm not good at speaking it, but I AM great at reading it.
 

The87Italians

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Jun 17, 2009
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I'm taking german in highschool, and I love it. It's the most intimidating language you can take at my school, and the most fun to yell at someone in.
 

Assassin Xaero

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Jul 23, 2008
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GrinningManiac said:
How do you learn languages, and what ones have you learnt?
Not very well. After 6 years of spanish mostly the basics, cuss words, and death threats stuck. Besides that, I can read/write Basic, C#, HTML, some CSS, English...
 

Dege84

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Jun 3, 2010
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Here in Romania - The end of choice, as I like to call my beloved country :p, we start studying a foreign language (or used to) since second grade, English or French, depends on the school. Later, in sixth or seventh grade we used to start on the second language, again English or French, depends on what you've been studying since then. There are schools that teach german also. From highschool you can carry on studying both in some cases, or just one of your choice. I also understand Italian now just by watching italian TV when I was younger. I'll agree with the others saying the best way to learn a language is actually going or living there for a while. Alternatively one can take private classes at language centers and such. Almost all methods work, depends on each individual. I plan to learn German, one way or another.
 

Tinneh

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Oct 10, 2009
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NekoiHiokans said:
GrinningManiac said:
NekoiHiokans said:
I took 3 years of French in high school. I love how on the Rosetta Stone boxes it says you'll never have to memorize anything ever again. But if you DON'T memorize whatever it's teaching you, you'll just forget it...I swear, they say the weirdest things on these boxes.
Would you reccomend them? Did they work?
No, my boyfriend was trying them but he said he learned more French by just casually glancing through my Advanced French book then using the program.
But Michael Phelps says they work, they must work!

Maybe your boyfriend was doing it wrong!