Learning a new language

[gjbingham]

Re: Learning a new language

Your lessons are wasted on me Jeffy. I understand your feelings completely. I cannot approve of anything related to Vietnam, but that was not my war, and was truely a horrible page in history that people like you (apparently) still live with today. I'm sorry for that.

You can speak all you want about the Islamic cultures. I believe in my heart that the majority of them are good and well meaning people. Lunatics such as Hitler and Osama Bin Laden are the scourge of society. I'm a strong believer that killing in the name of your God, whoever your god is, is not really what your god intended. Am I sad that we are in Iraq? I'll let you guess. Opinions are like AHs - everybodys got one, nobody thinks their's stinks. While I may not agree with you, but you are entitled to your opinion.

Best I stop.
Teach!

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Learning a new language

Mate, I'm probly WAY out of line, but when I was conscripted to kill Vietnamese people, I was taught diddly-squat language/culture: Didn't matter, since we worked in a free-fire zone,eh.
And you wonder why you (AND most Australians), find me 'different'.!!
Jesus bloody wept!!

teach.

Jeff, had some good friends who fought there and ended up in the bush on Lake Superior.....all good people, thanks for what you did.... war is hell. XJ

[jeff]

Re: Learning a new language

George,
Not wishing to pick a fight here, but seems to me that Islamic cultures may have been underestimated yes?
Mate, I'm probly WAY out of line, but when I was conscripted to kill Vietnamese people, I was taught diddly-squat language/culture: Didn't matter, since we worked in a free-fire zone,eh.
And you wonder why you (AND most Australians), find me 'different'.!!
Jesus bloody wept!!
Sir George of Longview, immersion is the way to go. You can catch 'em young an' train em' in the language, and the nuances of culture should come easy.
Best I stop.
teach.

[gjbingham]

Re: Learning a new language

Anchio sai! - Italian? I'm getting my languages mixed up. Anway, me too, XJ! To really learn a language well, you need to immerse yourself in it. The Navy does six month courses for engineers and architects heading overseas so that they can converse with the local contrators better.

They speak their intended languages 6 -8 hours per day for those six months. It works pretty well.

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Learning a new language

some people pick up stuff really quickly,
others take a lifetime

...i'm stuck in between
but I'm happy

X

[james]

Re: Learning a new language

Hi Elizabeth,

I am hoping to do 20-30 minutes a day; one lesson. My thinking is that even if I only find 15 minutes, it's worth having the daily repetition. I'm approaching this like daily exercise -- I think most trainers will say something like, "if you can't find 15 minutes to exercise, maybe you should think about how you are spending your time." :-)

James

[egalecki]

Re: Learning a new language

How much time per day are you allotting to the rosetta stone lessons? The Italian set has always attracted me but I couldn't figure out how much time it would take per day.

I had CD's for Italian, and I think they're ok for vocabulary, but I had to do verbs by conjugating them on paper. Not much of an auditory learner, I'm afraid.

[james]

Re: Learning a new language

...

It's an unfortunate fact that learning is kids stuff. It gets a little more difficult the older you are.

That's sure true. But, I have read numerous articles which say that learning a second (or third) language as an adult has been shown to ward off Alzheimer's -- a very good thing. None of those senior moments.

The Rosetta Stone arrived a couple of days ago, and 48-hours in, I am very impressed. I uses a microphone and speech recognition to help with your accent, and it is very interactive -- and it is is going to be teaching articles, verb conjugation, masculine/feminine, vocabulary, etc. through interesting exercises -- without rote memorization.

I started Italian using CDs and cassettes in the car, and had no idea what I sounded like. Imagine my surprise the first few times I tried to talk to an Italian on vacation -- sometimes they knew what mean, and more of time time that would look blankly back, as if so say "what is he going." :-)

I'm taking David's advice (hopefully) and try to do a lesson a day -- a little bit every day.

James

[Inishta]

Re: Learning a new language

Inish,
What a daunting list of langeages.
Sadly, Australian remains unlisted.....
teach.

That would require someone who is fluent in both Aussie and English to volunteer and you know what they say about that practice. Maybe another job for the woofer...............

It would, however, make a valuable addition to the new FB video slot and undoubtedly get a nomination for BOTM.

[gjbingham]

Re: Learning a new language

There's only 5 forms of conjugation for each of those verbs, (I, you, you unfamiliar, they, them). For these: to be, to have, and to want, that's just 15 variations you need to learn. A couple of hours work, huh?

To need is similar to the meaning of want but isn't a bad one to learn either. There's probably 10 or 15 others that you use regularly that are irregular conjugations. I can't think of a single one right now.

[jeff]

Re: Learning a new language

Inish,
What a daunting list of langeages.
Sadly, Australian remains unlisted.....
teach.

[Frances]

Re: Learning a new language

so the advo is conjo irrego verbs and memo vocabo?

...hmmm, I dunno, but maybe my aussie still needs some work....

[egalecki]

Re: Learning a new language

Her answer was to learn to conjugate the verbs "to be", "to have" and "to want" and one can get by quite well. Unfortunately these are irregular verbs.
Wiley

All the really good verbs are irregular...

[Wiley]

Re: Learning a new language

For what it's worth, a couple of years ago my wife and I met an young English woman who was working at a British Pub on The Charente River in France ("Les Gabariers" at Saint-Simeux). We were doing the canal boat thing and asked her how hard was it for her to make the language transition (as she had said in conversation that she spoke not a word of French before arriving six months previous). Her answer was to learn to conjugate the verbs "to be", "to have" and "to want" and one can get by quite well. Unfortunately these are irregular verbs. The "to be" is obvious, however, if you can learn to conjugate "to have" and "to want" simply adding the infinite of whatever verb for whatever action you wish and you can make yourself understood. Much easier than memorizing alot of conjugations of other verbs at least to start off or for short stays in country.

I'm sure that it helped that she was both young and good looking. But the advice sure made sense.

Wiley

[Inishta]

Re: Learning a new language

James ...........lots of good advice already given. Have a look at this site

Language course

It is useful for developing vocabulary and of course the all important pronunciation. The Lite version is free so it is well worth having a look.

Rosetta Stone is really good. It's an unfortunate fact that learning is kids stuff. It gets a little more difficult the older you are. The only advice I would give is never be afraid of getting it wrong. Most people are generous when it comes to your making mistakes and will help with corrections. The attempt will be appreciated. It is amazing to realise that it is possible to spend a lot of time with someone who does'nt speak your language, nor you theirs, and have a great time doing it.