Learning another language.

[LCFCtotheprem]

At uni and have a lot of time free so I thought I’d try and learn Spanish. Did it at school for a year but can’t teally remember much. Using the Duolingo app, and need to start reading and listening to some Spanish. Quite useful as my housemate does Spanish as her course, so hopefulll she can help me out

[Buce]

1 hour ago, LCFCtotheprem said:

At uni and have a lot of time free so I thought I’d try and learn Spanish. Did it at school for a year but can’t teally remember much. Using the Duolingo app, and need to start reading and listening to some Spanish. Quite useful as my housemate does Spanish as her course, so hopefulll she can help me out

 

Be aware that Duolingo Spanish is Latin American Spanish, not Castillian.

[Manwell Pablo]

2 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Be aware that Duolingo Spanish is Latin American Spanish, not Castillian.

 

They went bust a few weeks ago mate we know. 

[peterborofox]

My girlfriend is Polish and I like to try and learn as much of the language as possible.

 

It's bloody difficult though especially the way words change depending on gender and lots of other shit.

 

I'll never ever be fluent but I'd like to get better than what I am now. I know a lot of basic words and sentences but when I hear people speaking Polish to each other (at breakneck speed btw, English is a slow language in comparison) I don't understand a word barely.

 

Some people are better at languages than others are and will never be able to grasp it. I wish we did languages better at school but we're let's be honest arrogant about speaking English. In later life I've really come to regret it a bit

[LCFCtotheprem]

40 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Be aware that Duolingo Spanish is Latin American Spanish, not Castillian.

Oh ok, I didn’t realise. Want to learn Castilian, I imagine they are similar?

[Webbo]

12 minutes ago, LCFCtotheprem said:

Oh ok, I didn’t realise. Want to learn Castilian, I imagine they are similar?

It's like American and British English, some word may be pronounced differently but if you understand 1 you'll understand the other.

[Buce]

30 minutes ago, LCFCtotheprem said:

Oh ok, I didn’t realise. Want to learn Castilian, I imagine they are similar?

 

Similar, yes.

 

 

[LCFCtotheprem]

Ok, thanks. I’m going to be learning Spanish using podcasts and other methods as well

[Webbo]

Just now, LCFCtotheprem said:

Ok, thanks. I’m going to be learning Spanish using podcasts and other methods as well

Buenas suerte.

[Stadt]

Bono estente

[Webbo]

5 minutes ago, Wookie said:

Bono estente

Chris Waddle

[Strokes]

3 minutes ago, Webbo said:

Chris Waddle

Boutros boutros.

[martyn]

3 hours ago, LCFCtotheprem said:

Oh ok, I didn’t realise. Want to learn Castilian, I imagine they are similar?

There are nuances. Try saying "quiero coger el tren" in Spain vs Latin America and find out the difference!

 

I find Mexican/Colombian Spanish is easiest for the English speaker to comprehend as the s and z sounds are similar

 

Castillan Spanish is a bit trickier to understand.

 

Argentine Spanish is very difficult.

[fuchsntf]

1 hour ago, martyn said:

There are nuances. Try saying "quiero coger el tren" in Spain vs Latin America and find out the difference!

 

I find Mexican/Colombian Spanish is easiest for the English speaker to comprehend as the s and z sounds are similar

 

Castillan Spanish is a bit trickier to understand.

 

Argentine Spanish is very difficult.

I make it easy..I decide I wanna walk

[Captain...]

On 07/02/2018 at 14:19, LCFCtotheprem said:

At uni and have a lot of time free so I thought I’d try and learn Spanish. Did it at school for a year but can’t teally remember much. Using the Duolingo app, and need to start reading and listening to some Spanish. Quite useful as my housemate does Spanish as her course, so hopefulll she can help me out

Try Coffe break Spanish podcast for beginners and showtime Spanish and News in slow Spanish podcasts for intermediate.

 

Just practice lots and lots and lots, it's not difficult just hard work.

Edited 8 February 2018 by Captain...

[LCFCtotheprem]

2 minutes ago, Captain... said:

Try Coffe break Spanish podcast for beginners and showtime Spanish and News in slow Spanish podcasts for intermediate.

 

Just practice lots and lots and lots, it's not difficult just hard work.

Ok will do. Thanks for the advice. Finding learning words and phrases ok, just the grammar etc difficult 

[Webbo]

14 minutes ago, LCFCtotheprem said:

Ok will do. Thanks for the advice. Finding learning words and phrases ok, just the grammar etc difficult 

When I was learning Spanish (I'm still not great) I used to buy Spanish magazines and try to read them. Keep the dictionary with you and you'll learn new words.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

Give me Latin every time.

[Webbo]

1 minute ago, DANGEROUS TIGER said:

Give me Latin every time.

When do you ever speak to someone from Latvia?

[Jattdogg]

On 07/02/2018 at 13:07, Wookie said:

Bono estente

Behn di lun

[MC Prussian]

I'm all for turning this forum into something more German. We could all use a bit more order.

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

On 2/7/2018 at 15:47, peterborofox said:

My girlfriend is Polish

 

Mrs Sheen?

[Kopfkino]

I'm looking to pick up learning German again (I remember more than I realised yay), is it better to learn in English or in German? I've used Udemy for other stuff and so have been searching for a German course on there and one is taught in German but can use subtitles. Would this end up making it a bit confusing/harder or would it actually help with picking it up? Thoughts?

[Carl the Llama]

1 hour ago, Kopfkino said:

I'm looking to pick up learning German again (I remember more than I realised yay), is it better to learn in English or in German? I've used Udemy for other stuff and so have been searching for a German course on there and one is taught in German but can use subtitles. Would this end up making it a bit confusing/harder or would it actually help with picking it up? Thoughts?

The key to learning any language is immersion so I'd go with the German version.  I'd also recommend watching a lot of films in English with German subtitles:.

[CarbonVirtine]

I don't find language learning easy because it requires 3 things that I don't particularly enjoy; hard word, dedication and making mistakes. That said, it has its rewards alongside its frustrations though I'm still very much in the 'magic words' stage. That is, I say something that has little or no meaning to me but it seems to mean something to someone else -  hey presto, I get the cup of coffee I wanted! Also, be realistic. I've realised that as good as I may get that I'll never be fluent, I'll never be able to speak 'foreign' as I speak English, I'll never develop the 'feel' for a foreign language that a native speaker has - but I'll be more than happy with my 'magic words plus' level.

 

I think it important to identify the way in which you learn best and focus on that. I'm not a book learner, I learn through using the language, so I find listening and speaking more effective (for me) than sitting down with a 'language learning' book. Put a book in front of me and I'll switch off within 10 minutes - it's just not real to me, all too abstract. Yet I know of people who love book learning and much prefer that route. 

 

Certainly a knowledge of grammar can help but don't get hung up on learning it if it's all Chinese to you anyway. Generally speaking (and as mentioned before), Brits didn't/don't learn grammar at school so taking that route is going to be slow because you're learning 2 different things at the same time! You don't need to know what a subjunctive is to use it. I've learnt more about grammar as a result of language learning rather than using it as a means to learn - if you know what I mean.