Learning a second language

[itishe]

I'm trying to learn Hebrew. I have lots of materials, such as books, the internet, radio, taped conversations, etc. but I can't seem to learn a second language. It was this way with Spanish too.

I need a new approach. If you learned a language how did you do it and tell me about your method and if you liked it. I've taken the highschool approach with Spanish and while I learned alot, I couldn't say I cared for it much. I was thinking I could spend an hour a day listening to Hebrew radio and learning vocabulary for half hour after. Eventually I'll be able to match up words.

 

[howardalex]

I say learn the grammar first, the basic stuff at least, learn how to conjugate a verb, word order

vocabulary will come with time + practice

also, spanish is just about the easiest to learn, good luck with it

 

[seanchai]

Hebrew? Unbelievably hard to learn, let alone teach yourself! Go down the temple and inquire within. That's pretty much my only advice. Through the CDs, books, etc. you will probably learn some good phrases but it's really not the way to go IME. I taught myself some of my Irish over the course of a year from books and CDs... then I moved to Ireland and spent two days a week for six weeks in class and learned 10x what I had learned before. Really no substitute, except maybe moving there.

howardalex, gde v rossii ty' zhivyosh'?

 

[sparky0000]

howardalex is no Russian. I think he says he shops at A&F. Not exactly very Russian (they don't even know what the h*** that is). Immigrants from Eastern Europe are screwed up. Trust me. I have dealt with plenty. The girls are a terrible mix of the worse from both cultures.

I would post something in Russian (NO, I AM NOT RUSSIAN), but last time I did I was called a f***** troll. How was I supposed to know that "light blue" and "gay" were the same word

 

[Kev07]

i hate learning a second language, but the best way is just to be around people who speak it

 

[Skilla_Staz]

but the best way is just to be around people who speak it

Not true. I have had hispanic co-workers, and friends, and I must say, I've learned very little from them. Classes, and people who are able to INSTRUCT you in how to speak the language are far superior.

 

[Adone]

In September, my father asked me if I would like to learn Russian and he bought me this course (a audiocassette and a book) made by Assimil. It takes no more than 15-20 minutes a day (but you have to do it EVERY SINGLE DAY, at least for the first few weeks) and it's awesome. I had to stop after 5-6 weeks because I had to study for my exams and I was out of town, and then I've always kept procrastinating, but I still remember everything I learned (I immediately got the sentence written by seanchai and I can easily read in Cyrillic alphabet while I had never even read a Russian word before September).

Look it up on the internet, its cost is around 70$, but you can also find it for free on emule (before buying it, I would study from the copy downloaded for free for a couple of weeks).

 

[Fluffy]

learn the grammar, watch movies in the language, read stuff, go there for 3 months

 

[howardalex]

howardalex is no Russian. I think he says he shops at A&F. Not exactly very Russian (they don't even know what the h*** that is). Immigrants from Eastern Europe are screwed up. Trust me. I have dealt with plenty. The girls are a terrible mix of the worse from both cultures.

I would post something in Russian (NO, I AM NOT RUSSIAN), but last time I did I was called a f***** troll. How was I supposed to know that "light blue" and "gay" were the same word

I live in the UK, not Russia, the russian thing is to do with another member of the forum, s'an in joke

as for languages I speak, sadly only french, german and english

 

[howardalex]

learn the grammar, watch movies in the language, read stuff, go there for 3 months

if you do go there, learn the very basics and put yourself in the advanced class if you are naturally okay with languages - you'll worry your nuts off and revise 'til 3 in the morning for the first couple of weeks but you'll be fluent by the end of it

 

[Rudra]

Russian is not a second language you should chose because it is extremely hard. You will never master fluency without living in Russia and after even after half a decade of living in Moscow you will still sUck. This is if you want to communicate. If you want to read - go ahead... one of the greatest literatures on earth. Russian you could chose if you are skilled at learning languages, if its your 5th or 6th, if you know how to do this professionally and pragmatically. But as second language - no....

Chose Spanish, French, German... whatever. Go to a teacher or join a group. Learning at home alone is only for professionals or prisoners. Otherwise it is mostly a waste of time.

Additionally, try to read as much as possible - this is very important. Reading constantly repeats everthing you already know - words, structures, grammar. Additionally it gives you an intuitive grasp of grammatical phenomena you dont know yet. If you get across them in your grammar book, you will already have seen them in action. This is highly helpful. There is enough abbreviated adaptes stuff out there even for Suaheli....

In grammar based languages, you wont get by without studying grammar, but again - only with reading. Otherwise it will bore you to death and back. Watch movies (DVDs with subtitles). Get in touch with native speakers. Best would be a chick from the country. Try to go there. Every day in the country will give you more than a week of learning. Listen to music, audio plays, check out the lyrics and texts at the same time. You can get everything on P2P...

 

[Centaurion]

I know norwegian, english, german and turkish fluently. Some bits and pieces of farsi and can write and read latin. My approach was to start with learning some really basic grammar and then just reading tons of children's books. I didn't care if I understood every single word as long as I understood the context. I went from reading children books to comics and then to some light literature. It worked for me.

 

[ElStud]

Ich sprechen fliessend deutsch.

 

[EdHunter]

Ich sprechen fliessend deutsch.

Nein, Herr Stud. Du sollst sagen, "Ich spreche fliessend Deutsch."

 

[howardalex]

Ich sprechen fliessend deutsch.

Du kannst mich mal

 

[MuayThai]

I know norwegian, english, german and turkish fluently. Some bits and pieces of farsi and can write and read latin. My approach was to start with learning some really basic grammar and then just reading tons of children's books. I didn't care if I understood every single word as long as I understood the context. I went from reading children books to comics and then to some light literature. It worked for me.

That is incredible, if you don't mind me saying. I hope to learn at least 3 languages in the next 10 years, hopefully more.

 

[ElStud]

Du kannst mich mal

Haha, lustig!