Tips for learning other languages?

[TonyF]

Ever since I was a young teenager, I've always wanted to learn another language or two. Some of my family is bilingual and trilingual and my grandmother's ex-husband fluently spoke five languages. (He was actually a language teacher)

I took Spanish throughout high school and some of it didn't quite stick, but I've retained the basics. I'm also interested in learning German and, if my brain can handle it, Russian.

I have some books on those languages that were passed down by my family but reading can only go so far.

If anybody has any tips or unconvential methods, I'd appreciate it.

[NotSoInnocent]

I don't have any tips, but I know that pronunciation of any new language can be hard. I learned Spanish years ago and was told that, for a gringa (white girl), my pronunciation is really good. (I think it was probably the many years of choir and the emphasis on correctly pronouncing some of the Latin and Italian songs that we sang over the years. My brain automatically translates the written words into the sounds that they make.)

I've also been learning ASL (American Sign Language) for the last 3 years... but only in bits and pieces.

[TonyF]

I agree, for Spanish, pronunciation is a big thing for me. I think I have it down for the most part, but there's always room for improvement.

Other snags I run into with Spanish is verb conjugation and understanding it. A few of my co-workers converse in Spanish and it's tough understanding them because, to me, they speak so fast. I don't have that fast speaking part down yet, as I often trip and stumble over my words so I speak it slower, which they probably think I'm being stupid or condescending.

[firecat88]

Here's a tip for learning any language: Watch TV shows in whatever language you're wanting to learn.

Example 1: When I took a Spanish class in high school, we watched Plaza Sesamo (Spanish version of Sesame Street). It did help a lot. Also, I've been slowly learning Japanese by watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles (and listening to songs from said anime). If you go with listening to the music, make sure you have both the English and the other language's lyrics so you can compare and see which words match where.

Example 2: My mom, when she first came to America, learned English by watching soap operas and listening to music in English. To this day, her favorite soap has always been Guiding Light and her most favorite song is still Bridge Over Troubled Water (apparently, her English teacher would play that song all the time).

[Lachrymose]

I'm a bit of a language nerd.

I took Spanish for 6 years in grade school, a semester of Italian and Japanese in college, and tried teaching myself French, Irish, ASL...hmm...I'm probably forgetting some.

Anyway, I did well in Spanish. Verb conjugation was never difficult for me.

I'm trying to teach myself German at the moment, and let me tell you...Spanish has nothing on it.

Not only do the endings of the verbs change, but also the endings of the adjectives and nouns change based on whether or not they are the subject, object, indirect object, etc. Also, there's an additional gender, neuter, thrown in.

It drives me crazy because I want to learn it so bad, but it's pretty difficult for me.

At least it's not Latin, I guess..lol..

I hear Russian, besides learning a new alphabet, is a bit like German with the endings. I could be wrong though.

Forgot to add: I'm using a program called Tell Me More for German. It was pretty expensive at around 500.00, but it includes 10 levels. I started out with Rosetta Stone, which worked okay in the beginning, but I find that I have many grammar and usage questions that Rosetta Stone couldn't answer since it basically just throws you in the water without any explanations. Works well for some people, but not for me.

[Greenday]

If you already know Spanish, Italian would probably be easier than others.

German and Russian are very different from Spanish.

I'm not really sure how to go about learning a new language these days if you aren't taking classes like I did. Rosetta Stone, IMO, is crap. It doesn't teach you the alphabet making learning a language ridiculous. I wanted to learn Farsi since I get Rosetta Stone free while at work but it's too hard to learn without even learning the alphabet.

[Bright_Star]

To speak another language effectively then you also need to THINK in that language.

[AdminAssistant]

I hear Russian, besides learning a new alphabet, is a bit like German with the endings. I could be wrong though.

You're right.

German, like Russian, is a case language. However, German only has 4 cases whereas Russian has 6. BCS (Bosnian/Crotian/Serbian) has 8. Ukrainian has 7.

I took a German reading class last summer, and I liked the language. I managed to BS my way through without really "getting" the cases though. A lot of my friends study Russian and other Eastern European languages...I don't know how they do it. Like my friend who speaks fluent Latvian and Russian and is learning Ukrainian...crazy!

I picked up reading French pretty easily, once you get all the many rules and the many exceptions to those rules down, it's not too bad. However, I cannot understand a lick of spoken French because they mumble and the words all run together.

ETA: Like the others, I would suggest watching films, tv shows and listening to music in that language. (My favorite German films are Goodbye, Lenin and Mephisto if you're looking for suggestions.)

[Andara Bledin]

Also, I've been slowly learning Japanese by watching anime in Japanese with English subtitles (and listening to songs from said anime).

I've been doing the same.

It's to the point where I can often tell when they've decided to change the words for the translation. Some of the changes they make leave me baffled.

^-.-^

[Frantic Freddie]

To speak another language effectively then you also need to THINK in that language.

To a great degree that's very true,but for general conversation it's not really necessary.

[AdminAssistant]

Oh, another thing, if you go to school or are near a big university, they frequently have groups that get together for the sole purpose of speaking in foreign languages. Here they'll let in interested non-students, especially those with some experience with the language. That might be an idea for when you get a bit more practice.

[Andara Bledin]

That's an excellent suggestion, AA.

Bossman is learning French (he's in France right now, actually), and he has a group that he gets together with about once a week that just comes together to practice their French with each other.

^-.-^

[BeeMused]

At an university you might find a foreign student, you help them with English, they help you with their native language.

For those of you learning German... I can help with grammar or vocabulary questions, just pm me.