Tim Bennet.
Entirely Average Member
- Location
- S of Kendal
My experience is quite the opposite.
learning a new language
- Thread starter montage
- Start date
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numbnuts
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
The bit in my brain that you learn languages is missing 
mark barker
New Member
- Location
- Swindon, Wilts
I'm the same, a total mental block when it comes to languages. I tried to learn Russian when I was traveling and my ex picked it up really quickly, but I failed totally! I've also tried Punjabi and although my 3 daughters have learnt enough to hold a conversation, I still can't mutter a coherent sentence!The bit in my brain that you learn languages is missing
Ghost Donkey
Guest
Classroom learning is great. I learned Greek that way and was fortunate enough to have a very good teacher. The only downside is some of my fellow learners didn't put any work in outside the class time which slowed things down a bit but that is to be expected. We had afew wierd moments like when one student asked the teacher if she could write down and bring to he next class every greek work and phrase which might be useful in Greece and how to pronounce each work so she could take it on holiday with her. I had to bite my lip and stop myself throwing a dictionery at her.
Choose a language you might use as a good incentive. When I've use dmy greek language "skills" abroad people are generally happy to see you put in the effort. One greek shopkeeper kept reverting to englisj when I didn't usderstand him and went back to greek again afterwards so I could keep trying :-)
Choose a language you might use as a good incentive. When I've use dmy greek language "skills" abroad people are generally happy to see you put in the effort. One greek shopkeeper kept reverting to englisj when I didn't usderstand him and went back to greek again afterwards so I could keep trying :-)
oliglynn
Über Member
- Location
- Oxfordshire
I learned some spanish from a book with CD i bought called teach yourself spanish. http://www.langtoninfo.co.uk/showitem.aspx?isbn=0071502467
Found it really good for learning, can take it at your own pace, and though it doesn't assume you know anything of the language at the start it doesn't repeat itself too much, and goes at a good pace if you want it to.
Belive they also cover other languages with similar titles.
Found it really good for learning, can take it at your own pace, and though it doesn't assume you know anything of the language at the start it doesn't repeat itself too much, and goes at a good pace if you want it to.
Belive they also cover other languages with similar titles.
Shadow
member
- Location
- edge of the south downs
That is brilliant
No, it is groaningly awful!
Kurdish is the easiest but probably not the most useful!
+1 to HM above. What would you like to learn? Where might you travel to? French/Spanish tend to be the most popular and they are widely used outside of their home countries.
U
User482
Guest
If you want to learn Spanish, I recommend the Michel Thomas audio series. Borrow it from your library and copy it onto your Ipod...
It was very helpful for my recent trip to S. America - I spoke virtually no Spanish at all beforehand, and I was up to simple conversations by the end.
It was very helpful for my recent trip to S. America - I spoke virtually no Spanish at all beforehand, and I was up to simple conversations by the end.
i recommend Rosetta Stone. I ordered the trial cd. it came with 4 languages on it i think (the languages are grouped in relation to how hard they are to learn i think). funnily enough Arabic was on my cd along with french, italian and spanish. (someone told me it's a basic language so is easy to learn)
Anyway, bearing in mind that i did french for 3 years and can only remember "bonjour" from it, i did the trial cd. it was a half hour lesson, just basic stuff but to this day (over a year later) i can still remember everything that was on the cd.
it's done by picture association. They show a picture and say the word. you repeat it. then they show you another picture etc etc. then they start putting them together and before you know it, you're speaking phrases. It supposed to be the way you learn when your a child (when you didn't have another language to tell you what a word meant) and the United Nations staff use this method as apparently its the quickest way of learning.
i thought it was brilliant. trial cd was free so just google Rosetta Stone and order one. i've never had sales staff hassling me, so you don't have to worry about that. i'm still planning on ordering the full set. note to self: get around to that sometime!
Anyway, bearing in mind that i did french for 3 years and can only remember "bonjour" from it, i did the trial cd. it was a half hour lesson, just basic stuff but to this day (over a year later) i can still remember everything that was on the cd.
it's done by picture association. They show a picture and say the word. you repeat it. then they show you another picture etc etc. then they start putting them together and before you know it, you're speaking phrases. It supposed to be the way you learn when your a child (when you didn't have another language to tell you what a word meant) and the United Nations staff use this method as apparently its the quickest way of learning.
i thought it was brilliant. trial cd was free so just google Rosetta Stone and order one. i've never had sales staff hassling me, so you don't have to worry about that. i'm still planning on ordering the full set. note to self: get around to that sometime!
laurence
Veteran
- Location
- in the aeroplane over the sea
i'm learning BSL. the CD that comes with the course is rubbish though.
automatic_jon
Guest
I made a fair fist of learning arabic a few years ago, got a GCSE an everything 
But yeah, stick to one you feel is going to be of some us to you, that way it'll be easier to stick at if it gets tough.
But then what do I know, I can barely speak English.
But yeah, stick to one you feel is going to be of some us to you, that way it'll be easier to stick at if it gets tough.But then what do I know, I can barely speak English.
mangaman
Guest
I made a fair fist of learning arabic a few years ago, got a GCSE an everything
But then what do I know, I can barely speak English.
I'd say stick to Spanish. You've already got a GCSE.
It is a fairly easy language and widely spoken.
I have a gcse and wanted to push on. I found group lessons at the college were rubbish - expensive and full of people - they often brought in new people halfway through the term - and you have to work at the pace of the slowest.
I've paid for some private 1:1 lessons. Cheaper than a year at the college.
He quickly recognised my level and recommended all sorts of things - he recommends radio podcasts to download he knows I'll like eg TDF ones at the moment / lends me books and we have become friends - we watched a couple of Spain's world cup games together.
The listening to Spanish regularly, reading, the occasional lesson to brush up on grammar/vocab/accent etc has progressed me massively.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Try saying "Ich leibe dich" with any degree of romantic nuance and without any hint of aggression.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
Me too. I stop speaking English when I arrive in France for cycle touring trips and rely upon my French as taught 36 years ago and improved through 'going native' every time I go. By no means can I ever be described as being fluent but I can cope with transactional French and have basic conversations. The French have been very encouraging and supportive of my efforts without exception.
