Studying Foreign Languages

Old ladies, old men, please, take your bantering somewhere else.
 
I spent 5 years at high school learning French. It was my favourite subject and the only A* that I got. I used to be semi-fluent in French, but not any more. I would say I'm fairly confident in reading French, though!

I can speak English, French and Cantonese. I'd love to learn Japanese, it seems like a really cool language.
 
I'm currently studying Japanese since I'm required to take two years of it. I can read Hiragana and Katakana now, but my vocab sucks xD. At the moment, I'm also struggling with the grammar and the prepositions confuse me, but oh well~

These sites are pretty cool ^^

Kana Invaders

Memrise
 
Mandarin Chinese.

It was a pain. I was better with the spoken part than with the written ones, even with Simplified characters it was still @_@. The characters still blur before my eyes.

Then the tones. The four tones, good god.

English is also technically a foreign language. Except I grew up speaking and writing it more than I did with my native language.

Now in college I might take an European language course.
 
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I can barely speak English properly (one of the perks of being Scottish, but don't worry: we just make up our own words anyway), but since I started my Masters I've been trying to get myself a working knowledge of reading and speaking Russian.

Because it turns out Russian archives are, would you believe it, in Russian. Crazy, I know, but I kinda want the delicious information contained therein and I'm too fucking poor and stingy to get stuff translated for me.
 
Lady Bernkastelf said:
You picked Norwegian, instead of the language of its far superior sister to the east, Sweden?... ;-;

It's alright, I forgive you. At least you picked a Masterrace, I mean, Scandinavian language, which is better than anything else :)
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What the fuck are you on about?

I learned English from an early age through different mediums such as TV, music, cinema and reading. Learning a language through topics that are of interest to you beats language classes any day of the week.

I've used the same tactic as I've been learning Italian on my own for the last year and a half. I've learned by reading articles from sport sites like corrieredellosport.it, tuttomercatoweb.com and gazzetta.it. Listening to podcasts from Radio 24. Using Quizlet's app on my phone for going through flash cards. Studying texts on Lingq.com and I started reading the first Harry Potter book, but found out I'm not on a high enough level yet to read novels in my target language.

I had German in school for six years. Like most I lost what I knew and I hated the classes. A few years later I picked it back up through the same ways as described with my Italian and after a few weeks I could read Dan Brown's Inferno and understand most of it, it was a great experience!

I would like to learn Mandarin, Italian and Arabic and reach "fluency" in all of these languages.

Other resources:

Lingosteve's Youtube Channel
Laoshu's Youtube Channel
 
I am always immensely surprised that foreigners want to learn Swedish. :lol:

Don't get me wrong, it is not as if I dislike my mother tongue, but given the small number of Swedes in the world I would happily have grown up speaking one of the more globally prevalent languages.

In regards to my own linguistic abilities, I would say my English is fairly sound, my Swedish is quite good and my German is good enough.

Unfortunately, my skill at writing in German has stagnated a bit lately due to a lack of practice, although I have found time to attend a German "Kaffeestunde" which at least allows me to maintain some ability to speak fluently and German literature is easy enough to find at the library.
 
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From living in Canada I know just enough French to say the following.

"Hello. My name is Robert. I do not speak French. Where is the Hospital?"

That, and a few miscellaneous words, is all I confidently remember of French. I can hold a broken conversation in French too, though my accent apparently, quote, "sounds like a dying pig fucking a frog." Take that for whatever it's worth.

EDIT

Oh, and the most important French words of all. Say this to a woman you really care about.

"J'aime, belle fleur."
 
Asuras said:
Took four years of French in high school, left for college with little recollection of the language.
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The struggle is real. I hate public school language programs, they don't teach you anything.
 
In high school I was pretty much forced to take spanish since it was the last language course available since I decided to wait too long lol. I'm spanish so...I pretty much aced the class because hax.

I did however learn portuguese through a friend and have semi-good understanding of the language. Not the best, but I guess enough to defend myself.
 
I have done much researching on the best way to learn new languages, so allOW ME TO SHARE WITH YOU THE GREAT WONDERS THAT I HAVE DISCOVERED ON MY JOURNEY TO LEARN JAPANESE, AND HOPEFULLY LEARN KOREAN, GERMAN, AND ARABIC SOON!*wooh glitter everywhere*

-Anki is awesome. The interface isn't too appealing, but it gets the job done, and it gets it done good. I forgot the exact name of this type of system, but basically it's like advanced flashcards. Instead of just studying the same words over and over again like normal flash cards, it only reviews the cards that you actually need to go over. So instead of wasting your time on reviewing a word you already perfectly know, it spaces out the cards that need to review the most and the least.
Here's a tutorial video on the main basics of Anki (even if you're not learning Spanish, it's still relevant): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ccduvnGZ0
There may be a better totural video, but that video worked fine with teaching me. You have to pay for Anki on a mobile device, but it's free on the PC.

-Have you discovered Memrise, my dear friend? I wouldn't use it as my #1 source, but it was always my 2nd or 3rd way of learning a new language. The courses are made by the community, meaning you have a lot to choose from. It's not only for learning languages, too! (You can also get it on mobile)

-There's Busuu as well. I never used Busuu, but I don't think it's half bad. Try it! (I think it's on mobile as well)

-AND BEHOLD, IF YOU ARE LEARNING JAPANESE, THEN ALLOW ME TO SHARE WITH YOU MY #1 SOURCE THAT HAS TAUGHT ME THE WAYS OF LIFE AND BEYOND (okay maybe that's an exaggeration but wutevr), I PRESENT TO YOU: HUMAN JAPANESE!
It has a nice layout, it's available on many different technology thingies, it's got quizzes/tests, it goes beyond just the language and into the culture and geography as well, it has grade A explanations, and if you master the first part then you can download a second part as well. The only thing is that it costs money, but it is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better and way cheaper than anything Rosetta stone can ofter (BTW, I don't recommend Rosetta Stone, but that's just me). I got it on my iPhone for $10, but like I said, it's available on many different technology thingies, including the computer. What I normally did was I learned the next things that Human Japanese had to teach, then I would make my own notes (which I'll talk about in a few paragraphs), and then I would branch onto my other sources, like Memrise, and update the new stuff I learned in Anki.
Human Japanese is bae <3
and even though this sounded like an advertisement or something, no, I am not sponsored by anything in this post... xD

[And also, here's an awesome website with games for learning Japanese.]

Anywhoozies, now I'm gonna talk about some mobile apps:
-LextTalk is AMAZING for practicing conversations. It has a dozen different languages. You can talk to almost anyone.
-Also, for Japanese, I recommend Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese. I compare it to Human Japanese, except it not's as expansive and I have to admit that the interface isn't so pretty, but still, it's smart! It was my 2nd/3rd source. I'm pretty sure it's free too.
-Again for Japanese: Kanji Flow and Imiwa? are good for searching and stuff.

And lastly, I have a tip on writing notes: USE MNEMONICS! In fact, some people may already be using mnemonics without realizing it.
For those who didn't know already: definition of mnemonic:
" /nəˈmänik/
noun 1. device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something.
adjective 1. aiding or designed to aid the memory. "
(look it up on Google to see a better layout of the definition)

[Here's a good website for a Japanese example on mnemonics.]

Mnemonics are especially good if you're learning a language that doesn't use the Roman alphabet. It was nearly impossible for me to learn Japanese without mnemonics, but that's just me. Just use whatever floats your learning boat and doesn't hurl a cannonball towards your mighty ship of knowledge. I'm terrible at explaining, to I think it would be best if you Googled the wondrous uses of mnemonics by yourself.

And lastly, MAKE SURE YOU'RE HAVING FUN. If you're going to feel stressed out and bored when learning a new language, then you're never gonna learn anything! HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

-I feel like there was more I meant to say in this, but oh well, I dun gud anyway. Sorry for any mistakes, I was pumped while writing this. And also, sorry for having a lot of Japanese stuff in this, I haven't started on any other language than Japanese. Hopefully I'll get to Korean or German soon.

And might I just add that it took me an hour and a half to write this post because my internet is so TERRIBLE OH MY LORD HELP MY INTERNET IS THE WORST
 
Kaufmann's mantras in a new video. Highly recommended for anyone who is/wants to learn a language:

 
I happen to be very good with languages. Unfortunately, I have not really put that ability to good use. In all honesty I should have studied to become an interpreter.

When I was in high school I decided I wanted to become a foreign exchange student in Japan, so I taught myself Japanese. It was my thought that if I taught myself Japanese my parents would see my dedication and desire thus forcing them to let me go. As it turned out they were going to let me go, but I ended up being too afraid to travel so far from home. u_u .... I taught myself by fist looking up the grammar. Once I learned that, which was the hardest part, I began learning vocabulary. I would look up words online and then write them out with their English word next to it. Then I'd study study study till I thought I'd die. Of course I used every opportunity to watch anime to practice as well.

My favorite language is not really foreign per say. It is American Sign Language. I took a couple classes in high school and continued my education into college. I can sign fluently, but have never really done much with it other than interpret for some that come into my work. It is my favorite language because it is so beautiful. The deaf community have an entirely separate culture, and it is awesome.

I encourage everyone to learn at least one new language in their lifetime. :)
 
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Very cool to see someone else who knows ASL. I'm certainly not fluent in it but I have a strong working knowledge through a hearing impaired friend. He was always much better at reading my lips than I could every convey through sign, but it was a great impetus for him to be able to really communicate to us without writing.

As per learning foreign languages, I think the key to true fluency is being completely immersed in a specific culture for an extended period of time. I spent a couple months in Haiti and their French is vastly different than the high French I learned in schools. I think we often underestimate the living creature that language is. Cultural contexts and terms of phrase are hard to adjust to even in my native English tongue. For me, a deep cultural immersion into the actual people and emotions and life style of a specific area was critical for truly understanding and communicating with them "fluently." I feel like the beauty of learning a language is so you can then learn the beauty of a culture.
 
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I have studied and am almost fluent in English and I can manage my way around in German and French thanks to school as well. I can also talk a little Frisian due to help of my friends, but it's damn difficult. Apart from that, I'm doing a self study on the Swedish language with help from my Swedish friends. Same goes for Polish, although I barely make progress in that....=\
 
Growing up in Canada and being half French, I grew up semi-bilingual. My father made an effort to teach me French at the same time they were teaching me how to talk in English. Add that in with mandatory French classes until the end of Grade 9, I knew it well enough to know what people were saying and I could read it pretty well and although I wasn't very comfortable with speaking it (I have enough of a hard time speaking English most of the time, let alone another language) I could if pressed. My comprehension of it has deteriorated a lot since I left school and stopped using it every day though, but I'm hopefully going to start taking classes to re-learn it soon.
 
Any Koreans? :D

Korean is actually pretty challenging despite the alphabet being made up of only consonants and vowels. The honorifics, syntax, and verb-endings can be quite troublesome.

Vocabulary will also be difficult if you don't have any Chinese/Korean background. Korean is different from English and the Romantic languages. I recommend watching Korean dramas/movies, talking to fluent Korean friends, and heck, go for the Korean music. I totally recommend watching Taegukgi.

Oh, I can't speak/write in Korean. I got some lessons from mum and let's just say she kind of gave up on me (because I gave up.) ;'D The above information was just me copying the notes I wrote down a while back. I understand Korean fairly well, mostly because my parents speak Korean and I watch a ton of Korean stuff. (Also, mini-facepalm because my baby/toddler/kiddie videos have me screaming in pure Korean. I am so disappointed in myself right now.) Good luck to anyone who wants to learn Korean!
 
Although I'm Canadian I know practically no French.

I was so bad in class that back in elementary school I would have to go to a seperate room with an EA to take the french tests.
But not just that, I did so with 5-6 other students who I was allowed to work/collaborate with to answer the questions along with the EA.
And on top of that even the teacher would always fill in all of the answer for us ahead of time except for one word.

So I was essentially in a group of six students + an EA, working together, to figure out one word in french per question.
And I still only got through French with a 50... So when I got to High School they basically replaced my mandatory French Credit with a Learning Resources one.
Because they knew damn well that expecting me to get a french credit in high School (where they expect you to be fluent) was basically guaranteeing that I'd never graduate.
 
Swedish (mother tongue), English, and then a minimal amount of Spanish and German.

Sidenote: I'm still surprised whenever somebody want to learn Swedish. We're such a tiny country and such a useless percent of the Earth's population that it's ridiculous. Still, it's pretty flattering, actually.

Learning German and French, along with Italian and maybe Japanese, is on my bucket list. Took Spanish three years while I was still in school, and then German for an extra year after that. I really wanted to learn French from the start, but I went to a shit school with shit teachers, so it was all pretty much that. Shit. I did read a bit of French beside my English studies, because the teacher was responsible for both subjects. Plus, I was the only kid in class who gave a damn, so she (the teacher) held me in high regards, and I got to borrow a bunch of books and coursework, including the Oxford Companion to The English Language. That was in... 7th or 8th grade. Spanish got boring after a while since we kept changing teachers (public schools, man), and German had this teacher that just sucked the energy right out of you. And I had reached that state of not-giving-a-shit that's typical for a total asshole about to fail school.

Language is among my favourite subjects. There's just something so cool about them, and the practical application of being able to communicate with other people in their native language is really neat. And the nuances and differences between different languages, as well as spoken geographical differences within a single language, is fascinating to study. Accents and expressions that can be found in a specific area is probably the single most fascinating thing about any language ever. (Scottish and Australian accents kill me, ain't nothing that can beat that)

But French and Italian, those two languages. I'm dying to learn them, mostly because they sound cool as hell.

Then there's Dovahzul and Sindarin/Quenya, because I'm a goddamn nerd.
 
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