Anyone Successfully Learn A New Language?
- Thread starter Hale.Pane
- Start date
I'm the furthest thing from a tourist resort, and all the locals around here keep telling me I speak great Thai. I personally think they're full of shit, and just trying to be nice. Then again, I can get by in Thai just fine, so I'm probably not giving myself enough credit, as per-usual.
Besides, you're learning a Latin based language, so that's easy. Once you have to learn a new alphabet, then it's a new language.
Besides, you're learning a Latin based language, so that's easy. Once you have to learn a new alphabet, then it's a new language.
I got very far with Japanese. Conversational within the spread of stuff I was learning, you know. I couldn't run around and talk about just anything. I could write it, read it, and speak it perfectly within those walls. Then I quit practicing and it slowly expired from my brain. Some of it still lingers and I'm sure I could pick it right back up with some effort.
It's a life-long pursuit for adults I think. A continual process. It has to be used constantly. I have several of my relatives who have and are learning English. Goes both ways. My grandma still goes to twice-weekly lessons.
It's a life-long pursuit for adults I think. A continual process. It has to be used constantly. I have several of my relatives who have and are learning English. Goes both ways. My grandma still goes to twice-weekly lessons.
I know some words, but no, I suck at learning languages. In grade 8 the teacher gave me a P in French class but made me promise that I would never come back.
It took me about 7-8 months to feel comfortable enough in Ukrainian to where I felt I could express everything I wanted to say decently. After two years of living there, I felt like I was very proficient.
I haven't spoken it much since 2008 though and you definitely lose it if you don't use it when you learn the language later in life.
The best way to really become fluent is to live in a place where you use it constantly. When you start thinking and dreaming in that second language, that's when you can start to feel good about where you're at.
I haven't spoken it much since 2008 though and you definitely lose it if you don't use it when you learn the language later in life.
The best way to really become fluent is to live in a place where you use it constantly. When you start thinking and dreaming in that second language, that's when you can start to feel good about where you're at.
Learned as an adult you mean?
I learned 3 foreign languages as a kid and I am very thankful for that, because I think children learn much faster than adults.
I've been half assing trying to learn Thai for the last year, but my brain resists it vehemently. Maybe if Thai were to be my first foreign language I'd have more motivation and ease, but I can't do it. There is also Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Chinese that I would like to speak which we much more helpful to me.
I've also taken the inability to learn Thai as a clear indication to gtfo and to some place were I can't wait to learn the language.
I learned 3 foreign languages as a kid and I am very thankful for that, because I think children learn much faster than adults.
I've been half assing trying to learn Thai for the last year, but my brain resists it vehemently. Maybe if Thai were to be my first foreign language I'd have more motivation and ease, but I can't do it. There is also Spanish, Japanese, Polish and Chinese that I would like to speak which we much more helpful to me.
I've also taken the inability to learn Thai as a clear indication to gtfo and to some place were I can't wait to learn the language.
I suck at learning languages. I am learning Mandarin at the moment. Have tried different courses and apps, but I forget the vocabulary pretty easily. Recently I starting using a website called Memrise, which lets you learn languages and imprint them into your memory using stories, mems and pictures. I have to say it seems to be working for me as I can remember the Chinese characters as well the associated sounds much more easily than before. I downloaded the app on my ipad, so I learn about 5-10 mins a day. If i could learn like 3 words a day from it, in a year, I should have around 1000 words to utilize.
Learning spanish. Go to a spanish class twice a week. I hate those tenses, but once you know them it should get easier I guess. For vocabulary I recently started to use the anki app for my tablet. You can download pre arranged flash cards for a lot of languages there. Anki - powerful, intelligent flashcards
Also reading a lot of spanish websites with topics that interest me like the spanish ESPN version or other sports related websites. This way you can learn a lot of new words without really trying. I also watch spanish movies, although it sucks that the subtitles don't really match with the actors' voices. Still good way to get used to the sound. That's how I managed to understand English pretty well, by watching a ton of NBA games. You really have to read and listen to stuff you actually like, otherwise you will loose interest very soon.
Also reading a lot of spanish websites with topics that interest me like the spanish ESPN version or other sports related websites. This way you can learn a lot of new words without really trying. I also watch spanish movies, although it sucks that the subtitles don't really match with the actors' voices. Still good way to get used to the sound. That's how I managed to understand English pretty well, by watching a ton of NBA games. You really have to read and listen to stuff you actually like, otherwise you will loose interest very soon.
I've been learning French for the past 9 months and took lessons for about 4 months from a native speaker. I'm at this weird phase where I can hear and recognize a lot of words (as opposed to everything just sounding like gibberish), but I'm still trying to translate everything into English in my head, so I only comprehend bits and pieces. Reading is pretty easy now though.
+1 for Memrise for building vocabulary and learning key phrases. I probably should be using them more.
+1 for Memrise for building vocabulary and learning key phrases. I probably should be using them more.
Ah. The story of memrise is great. Their founder trains memory champions.
Speaking Mandarin is very difficult because it's tonal. Reading and writing is very straight forward though. It's just learning characters.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9nyG3uTF4c&t=33m37s"]From Dental to Bubble Tea level up scenario - YouTube[/ame]
^^^^Start at 33: 37 ^^^^^Check this guy out because he speaks really well for a laowai. His "mission" vids are hilarious if you understand other languages.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCjSQCroNGY]Beginners learning Chinese.AVI - YouTube[/ame]
I use quizlet.com and make flashcards to memorize Chinese words. It seems to work really well for me. I know over 1000 words, and my goal is to know 2500 by the end of 2014.
However I'm only memorizing pinyin. My ability to memorize Chinese characters has been complete shit. I'll check memrise out.
I find the tones super easy. Especially since when I want to say something, my mind's eye shows me the pinyin with tone markings. It's memorizing the Chinese characters that is hard.
That's interesting! I'm sure you can double it quickly if you learn the characters behind the pinyin.
i.e. 老师，老实: lǎoshī, lǎoshí
ah shit.. tonal languages would be the death of me.
I speak English and German fluent, also Swiss German
Some French (abysmal)
Some Spanish
Goals are to tidy up my spanish, add Italian (which I can understand and make sense of basic reading), and Japanese (because ... because!)
::emp::
I speak English and German fluent, also Swiss German
Some French (abysmal)
Some Spanish
Goals are to tidy up my spanish, add Italian (which I can understand and make sense of basic reading), and Japanese (because ... because!)
::emp::
I've been in Thailand for about 4 months now and I haven't even tried to learn Thai. I spoke to several expats that learned and the general consensus was (from English to Thai at least):
~8 months = barely able to hold a conversation
~2 years = fairly fluent
I only plan on being here a year so it's just not worth the hours in my opinion, I'd rather learn programming.
Of course many places in Thailand are popular tourist destinations, so there's still plenty of English everywhere. It's on the street signs, advertisements, hotels, electronics, malls, airports, keyboards, ect. English must be a pretty good language to know if you had to only choose one.
Although, some of the non-English speaking Thai girls are pretty enough that I almost reconsidered...
~8 months = barely able to hold a conversation
~2 years = fairly fluent
I only plan on being here a year so it's just not worth the hours in my opinion, I'd rather learn programming.
Of course many places in Thailand are popular tourist destinations, so there's still plenty of English everywhere. It's on the street signs, advertisements, hotels, electronics, malls, airports, keyboards, ect. English must be a pretty good language to know if you had to only choose one.
Although, some of the non-English speaking Thai girls are pretty enough that I almost reconsidered...