Language learners thread

[D.Eodice]

Im jumping into Spanish.
I live in a somewhat Spanish speaking neighborhood, so shouldn't be too difficult to practice.

Will be using the FLR Method
http://www.flrmethod.com/

Good luck to you man. Make sure you incorporate other methods too. Look for Spanish television and radio stations so you can practice listening when you're not around other native speakers.

 

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[Mattie]

I only been learning Dutch for a few weeks. Some of these words are huge to me, and tongue twisters, and almost like having a wad of bubble gum in your mouth with trying to say the words. I wish I could just push button and download dutch in my brain and speak instantly. lol I'm learning though.

 

[H. Palmer]

I only been learning Dutch for a few weeks. Some of these words are huge to me, and tongue twisters, and almost like having a wad of bubble gum in your mouth with trying to say the words. I wish I could just push button and download dutch in my brain and speak instantly. lol I'm learning though.

Toch hardstikke goed dat je het probeert! Kanjer!

 

[Mattie]

Toch hardstikke goed dat je het probeert! Kanjer!

I had to cheat! Google Translator!

Yet hardstikke good that you try it ! whopper

Why you don't use Google to translate. Ha ha! Yes I do Try. And also could go to Burger King and get a Whopper!

 

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[Mattie]

Make sure you incorporate other methods too. Look for Spanish television and radio stations so you can practice listening when you're not around other native speakers.

Since this a necessary process of listening to stuff, I might as well listen to same stuff I already study even though I don't understand to a degree/ I can still listen to something useful instead of programming my brain with slush. Ha Ha...go to Netherlands University before I know what they're actually saying. lol

Was listening to how to make an ebook in dutch yesterday.

 

[Ninjakid]

Here's a plan for any radical language learners. Learn your target language using resources in a language that isn't your native language. One that you already know of course, assuming you're very proficient with a language that isn't your mother tongue.

 

[Mattie]

Here's a plan for any radical language learners. Learn your target language using resources in a language that isn't your native language. One that you already know of course, assuming you're very proficient with a language that isn't your mother tongue.

Think the point behind listening to it, is learning the sounds, speaking the sounds, and just like when you have a kid, everyone's speaking the language, but the kid doesn't understand what you're saying. If you're talking about the matrix, you've been programmed since someone started talking to you, reading a book, singing, you heard the sounds, and got the mindset, formed beliefs, and have the sidewalk mentality/slowlane/fastlane.

1. You have your class/listening to the CD They give you and you don't understand any of it, just listen and read along, and parroting. One chapter at a time gets boring after about three times. Then you have a DVD that says it in dutch and click on word tells you what it means, and then going through the DVD.

2.They recommend you listening to TV. Radio. Which I choose to listen to same subjects I'm in on you tube with subtitles.

3. They recommend you use other programs that are available if you find. Which I do, audio language on You tube, other dutch language sites that have pictures, sounds, and grammar. Movies with subtitles in English. The Michal Thomas CD's, and a Dictionary.

4. My objective is to be fluent speaking dutch and grammar and writing skills. A. It's mandated to live in the Netherlands or get out. B. Writing Novels and short stories in Dutch gives me another Market. And for being a Counselor/Speaker.

I suppose if I have to program myself, I rather make the choice of filling my brain in dutch with stuff I know is more relevant, then radio show hosts, watching television programs all day, and getting in bad habits. At least I can look at the visuals. And frankly Dutch does use English sometimes in their speeches and Advertisements. So It's not like I'm in the dark. And some words are very close to English.

 

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[Michał Kóska]

I use Anki to learn Spanish- it is really cool.

 

[Durete]

I work with a lot of different nationalities on a daily basis, and found still the best way to learn a language is not by language courses. but by going to that country and live there for 3 months, while you don't know anybody there. That's how I learned german.

That being said, for those that like to speak multiple languages, I would suggest first learning the languages of one family. as that's easier than learning different families.

Here are SOME of the language families that you can see in europe:

West germanic languages: German, Dutch, English, swiss, austrian, flamish
North germanic languages: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Latin languages: French, Italian, Spanish
Baltic languages: Russian, polish, latvian, estonian, lithuenian.

Languages that do not belong to any of the above families: Greek(A language on it's own), finnish(A mixture between north germanic and baltic, evolved to be it's pure own languages with words longer than any other language has.)

 

[Ninjakid]

Update: A spoke Korean to someone today, and they said I sound like a native speaker.
A guess that's a good sign.

Think the point behind listening to it, is learning the sounds, speaking the sounds, and just like when you have a kid, everyone's speaking the language, but the kid doesn't understand what you're saying. If you're talking about the matrix, you've been programmed since someone started talking to you, reading a book, singing, you heard the sounds, and got the mindset, formed beliefs, and have the sidewalk mentality/slowlane/fastlane.

1. You have your class/listening to the CD They give you and you don't understand any of it, just listen and read along, and parroting. One chapter at a time gets boring after about three times. Then you have a DVD that says it in dutch and click on word tells you what it means, and then going through the DVD.

2.They recommend you listening to TV. Radio. Which I choose to listen to same subjects I'm in on you tube with subtitles.

3. They recommend you use other programs that are available if you find. Which I do, audio language on You tube, other dutch language sites that have pictures, sounds, and grammar. Movies with subtitles in English. The Michal Thomas CD's, and a Dictionary.

4. My objective is to be fluent speaking dutch and grammar and writing skills. A. It's mandated to live in the Netherlands or get out. B. Writing Novels and short stories in Dutch gives me another Market. And for being a Counselor/Speaker.

I suppose if I have to program myself, I rather make the choice of filling my brain in dutch with stuff I know is more relevant, then radio show hosts, watching television programs all day, and getting in bad habits. At least I can look at the visuals. And frankly Dutch does use English sometimes in their speeches and Advertisements. So It's not like I'm in the dark. And some words are very close to English.

I have a friend from Mexico who has never been outside of her home country, yet speaks pretty much perfect English.

I asked how she got so good at English, to which she replied, "I just watch a lot of English TV".

So I'm pretty convinced by immersing yourself in a language with media, you can become really proficient.

 

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[Mattie]

I work with a lot of different nationalities on a daily basis, and found still the best way to learn a language is not by language courses. but by going to that country and live there for 3 months, while you don't know anybody there. That's how I learned german.

Hmm...that didn't work for me. It's just noise when I got listen to everyone talk dutch. And usually if they want to talk to me they speak in English. I suppose maybe where no one speaks English at all, that might work faster. I don't know. Even if you try to figure out what they're saying sometimes when I first got here, I usually ended up wrong. I had to detach myself from the English logical meaning of a word. Like Been is a physical part of the body. I have been. Ben is a name in English. Ben (am or are) in dutch. Man is just a man. (English) Man is husband (Dutch) Lets is lets (English) Lets is anything in (Dutch). So you can see you could get things totally wrong at first here, because some words look the same, but have a different meaning. lol

 

[Durete]

Hmm...that didn't work for me. It's just noise when I got listen to everyone talk dutch. And usually if they want to talk to me they speak in English. I suppose maybe where no one speaks English at all, that might work faster. I don't know. Even if you try to figure out what they're saying sometimes when I first got here, I usually ended up wrong. I had to detach myself from the English logical meaning of a word. Like Been is a physical part of the body. I have been. Ben is a name in English. Ben (am or are) in dutch. Man is just a man. (English) Man is husband (Dutch) Lets is lets (English) Lets is anything in (Dutch). So you can see you could get things totally wrong at first here, because some words look the same, but have a different meaning. lol

Almost there.
Man in dutch can also just be a man. doesn't have to be husband.
Lets anything in dutch? I never heard that word, and I'm dutch, lol.

Anyways, what did help me was my boss putting me on the service desk. so I had t speak german from day 1, as I got a hundred phonecalls a day and people non stop at the desk.

I had a computer with internet next to me, so sometimes I would just google a word, or ask them to explain their issue in another way.
Also I could ask my boss anything in german. and she would explain it in dutch to me.

So I did have some "Safety nets" however most was learned by trial and error....lots of error
But in the end I was fluent in german after 3 months...something that 8 years of german at school could not do.(I had an F at german at school...yup that bad)

 

[Mattie]

and I'm dutch

Well that explains it! I keep hearing from a German friend and Dutch friends it's easy to learn each others languages because they're close to the same language. So I can understand why that would be easy in a few months. lol

For the word Lets-Anything. Well just telling you what it says on my list of dutch words from the Delftse Methode. Although I just started another class today on Futurelearn.com

 

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[Durete]

Well that explains it! I keep hearing from a German friend and Dutch friends it's easy to learn each others languages because they're close to the same language. So I can understand why that would be easy in a few months. lol

For the word Lets-Anything. Well just telling you what it says on my list of dutch words from the Delftse Methode. Although I just started another class today on Futurelearn.com

Actually I would disagree with this:

Some words look alike, heck some words are the same, but they have different meanings, the grammar/verbs and how to build sentences is all different.

Besides English and German are closer related than Dutch and German.
(English, Dutch and German are all west germanic languages, whereas English and German have a lot of common "Rules" where dutch is just exceptions on exceptions on exceptions.)

Let's is not a word Maybe some slang in a small place but even can't imagine that. however if you replace the L with an i you get the word " iets"
something: iets
Everything: Alles
Anything: Wat dan ook
Some: Enige

In old Dutch iets was used more often, but nowadays it is only used for "Something"
You could argue that iets is sometimes used for "Some" Although it isn't used that often anymore as we use "Een beetje" for some.

 

[Mattie]

I hear them say it's easy. I'm not sure that it is. Hmm...well I do know I looked the reviews up on that book I'm using at a Dutch Professor said it sucked. I supposed I'm stuck with it, but do use the other stuff to supplement. I do like the class on futurelearn.com and just did that in one two days for week one, but will go over a few more times. And the book again of course.

 

[David Wills]

I am Spanish Native, if someone wants to practice in exchange of English conversations contact me xx

 

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[Peta of JamRock]

Just saw this thread. Nice to see all these language-learners here on TFLF.

After dry and torturous experiences while studying Spanish in prep (think private elementary) and high school, I thought I was just a dunce when it came to learning a second language. Then I did Basic Japanese as a college elective and it blew my mind just how much I was learned and speaking - and enjoying every minute of it. We spent a lot more time listening and speaking Japanese than we did reading and writing(the romanji versions, anyway), which was the complete opposite of what I had endured from ages 5-18 with Spanish. That approach really made a difference. As fancy as both my schools projected themselves, we never had a session where we listened to Spanish on the radio or cassette player. We never even had a language lab!

So far, I've been practising my Spanish using Duolingo because language learning software is completely out of my budget for now. It's not perfect, but I've been making more progress with it than I had in all those high school lessons. I tend to do at least one session with it before I start work in the mornings. I still need to work on listening and speaking more, so I'm on the hunt for free podcasts or even Youtube videos. Any that you can recommend will be gratefully accepted.

Happy learning!