View Full Version : Learning another language
SidewinderINC
02-03-2009, 22:02
After going to belgium again at the weekend I've really started to feel bad about going to other countries and not being able to speak the language.
So I'm determined to learn some other languages, starting with Dutch.
Does anyone have any experience of learning other languages (outside of school / college) and does anyone know of any good resources, free or paid for?
Cheers
Sinc.
Greenlizard0
02-03-2009, 22:21
Of course, sometimes it can't be helped but having somebody there live to interact with you and provide corrections always helps. We had a French girl living with us last year, and my French (untouched for years) improved a lot during her tenure.
I've heard lots of good things about the Rosetta stone as well.
Apparently it was the only "document" found to translate Ancient Egyption Hyroglyphics to Hebrew. Then Hebrew to Latin which meant that people all of a sudden could understand what was on the walls of Pyramids. Interesting factiola..
SidewinderINC
02-03-2009, 22:45
Michel Thomas?
French, German, Spanish, Italian :(
Or £5k for lessons.
cleanbluesky
02-03-2009, 23:21
http://www.gumtree.com/london/london-skills-language-swap_1583_1.html
learn french, its the second most common language IIRC and french phrases have come in far more use than anything else when in europe and former colonies
SidewinderINC
02-03-2009, 23:25
http://www.gumtree.com/london/london-skills-language-swap_1583_1.html
learn french, its the second most common language IIRC and french phrases have come in far more use than anything else when in europe and former colonies
French is a language that I will not be learning.
All the belgians I have met do not like speaking french and would rather I spoke to them in english than french if I cannot speak dutch/flemish.
My travels take me to the netherlands and belgium more than anywhere else.
AboveTheSalt
02-03-2009, 23:48
You don't plan to learn French, so there is little point in my seconding "Michel Thomas" for you.
Having worked in both Belgium & the Netherlands, I have never felt the need to speak anything other than English. I really can't see any more point in trying to learn either Dutch or Flemish than Welsh or Gaelic.
SidewinderINC
03-03-2009, 00:01
You don't plan to learn French, so there is little point in my seconding "Michel Thomas" for you.
Having worked in both Belgium & the Netherlands, I have never felt the need to speak anything other than English. I really can't see any more point in trying to learn either Dutch or Flemish than Welsh or Gaelic.
The primary language in Wales is English, The primary language in Scotland is English.
I don't feel the need to speak anything other than english, but if we only did things because we needed to then we'd all be a bunch of boring people.
I want to learn Dutch so that I find it easier to get around day to day. reading menus, notices/signs and other things.
I also found myself feeling quite rude when I was out there at the weekend.
TBH Dutch would be pretty far down my list. From talking to colleagues when I've been in The Netherlands they freely admit that they need to be able to speak English because their language is not that widely spoken in comparison to English.
If I were learning a language I'd go for Spanish because the level of English spoken in Spain is by and large at a lower level than the rest of Europe.
I often have ideas about learning another language because I'm often working abroad in our foreign offices but in order to do everyone justice I'd need to learn French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portugese, Swedish, Danish, German & Japanese.
Dude, I learned a lot of Mandarin through pimsleur audio cds. You can buy them (ho ho ho) or get them for free at your local library generally. I can still remember pretty much all I learned and I stopped listening to them last year. It's a really good base :)
Good luck :D
If it's for work, then learn the most useful one.
I enjoy French, and I'd love to learn it properly. Those Rosetta Stone packages look interesting.
My foreign housemates at uni used to amaze me ; my finnish chum learned english alongside finnish, my german chum was brought up with german (duh! :p), italian, french, english, austro-bavarian etc etc...
It's amazing how easily they pick up the languages due to being taught consistantly throughout their upbringing! :)
I learnt Spanish and Arabic and although it was 10 years ago a lot of it has stuck so it does very much depend on how well you're taught. Though it helps that I've spent a lot of time in countries that speak those languages. I think I have an advantage of having been immersed in several languages as a child though.
Languages that would interest me would be russian and italian (though the latter is relatively simple).
The best way to learn is to spend time there after some basic 1-1 lessons, but you really need to put the ground work in, and force yourself to read, think and practice the language day in and day out. It's almost a full time job.
Von Smallhausen
03-03-2009, 16:00
I am picking at Spanish at the moment.
Que quieres beber Will ?
Una cerveza por lamor de dios! Radpidamente!
SidewinderINC
03-03-2009, 20:00
Cheers for the library advice Pheebs! didn't even think of that!!! will head to my new local library and check it out :)
Thanks to all others for the advice of "don't learn dutch" which hasn't been listened to at all :)
Due to the influx of Poles to Oxon, I'm thinking of learning the basics of Polish.
You know, "hello", "how are you" and "would you like to speak to a solicitor?"
SidewinderINC
03-03-2009, 20:17
Due to the influx of Poles to Oxon, I'm thinking of learning the basics of Polish.
You know, "hello", "how are you" and "would you like to speak to a solicitor?"
Got a chuckle from me here ;D
Von Smallhausen
03-03-2009, 21:43
Una cerveza por lamor de dios! Radpidamente!
Si senor.
Me gustarra tomar un inebra con tonica por favor.
Von Smallhausen
03-03-2009, 21:44
Due to the influx of Poles to Oxon, I'm thinking of learning the basics of Polish.
You know, "hello", "how are you" and "would you like to speak to a solicitor?"
Do not say kurova masch in front of a Pole.
It means ****ing hell.
I really should get round to learning Italian as our main supplier is based there and I travel over there a fair few times.
Learn whatever language you want to :)
Rosetta Stone is supposed to be an awesome way of learning a language. I can't help but balk at the prices a little though.
More and more recently i've found myself thinking about learning a language. I was allright at it at school, just not particularly interested in the languages we were being forced to learn. I'd hope that because I'd be choosing to learn the language out of interest that I'd be much more motivated and successful :)
I'm a little surprised at those of you saying things like "French is 2nd most spoken" and so on. You guys are way off the mark :)
Most spoken language in the world is Mandarin (why do people always forget China and the amazing numbers of chinese people there are?), second up is Arabic, with English just sneaking in at 3rd, and Spanish in at 4th.
French, a language which I believe is still the official "language of diplomacy", is way down the list at 13th.
Japanese, a language I'm interested in learning, comes in higher than French :)
The more time I spend here the more I'm interested in picking up some Hawaiian too, it's a lovely language, has a certain pleasing rhythm to it.
The more time I spend here the more I'm interested in picking up some Hawaiian too, it's a lovely language, has a certain pleasing rhythm to it.
And only 23 letters in the alphabet!
Von Smallhausen
04-03-2009, 21:42
All this Hawaiian speak reminds me .....
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Von Smallhausen
04-03-2009, 21:44
How about Vongnum, p.i ?
An example of a native Hawaiian speaking (no idea at all what she's saying)
guFxo49ieuc
FrostedNipple
04-03-2009, 23:59
I heard from someone that they prefer you to speak good English than a poor representation of their language. This is because English is becoming massively prominent as a universal language (if it isn't already) and they would rather the opportunity to be able to use and refresh their English skills. Of course there is no harm in learning a new language. Just don't start speaking bad German in France, they give you funny looks lol.
And only 23 letters in the alphabet!
According to Lana, there are only around 12 letters in the alphabet :)
An example of a native Hawaiian speaking (no idea at all what she's saying)
Also according to Lana she first talks about who her parents are, where she is from, who her teachers are and where she goes to school (that's all she managed to get from the clip)
According to Lana, there are only around 12 letters in the alphabet :)
*stands corrected*
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