I really love learning new languages. I used to be quasi-fluent in Swahili, and haven't spoken it for several years. I really want to relearn it, but I lost my textbooks.
What are your favorite language resources (outside of a class), and do you have specific preferences based on language? They are uber pricey, but I keep looking at the Rosetta products because they seem so interactive.
Anyone ever watched the Destinos program to practice their Spanish? I would love to get a hold of those so I could refresh my basic Spanish, too.
My youngest brother and I used to listen to Pimsleur's Level One Japanese cds, while driving around. They were a lot of fun, but I definitely need basic grammar explanations for Swahili so I can read, write, and construct new phrases spontaneously.
Thoughts, experiences, suggestions?
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by porcelain girl: Anyone ever watched the Destinos program to practice their Spanish? I would love to get a hold of those so I could refresh my basic Spanish, too.
Aren't those on late at night on PBS? I bet you could get them through pbs.org, and maybe from your library.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I've been using Rosetta Stone to re-learn German and I love it. It's interactive, which is great, and it's total immersion -- instead of learning the German equivalents of English words you learn the German words for things, actions, and concepts. I was somewhat skeptical of how well they could introduce more complex concepts with just pictures, but the designers must be very creative folks, because they manage it.
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
Oh my goodness, I just found the Destinos DVDs from the publisher and the entire series is $450!.
I bet they have played it on PBS, rivka.
That sounds great, dkw. Immersion + pictures + interactive is definitely what I need to learn.
My personal language goals (because I am empowered by public proclamation) is to be fluent in Swahili, and conversationally proficient in Spanish, French, and Japanese.
Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :
May I ask why, concerning Swahili?
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
Because it sounds super cool?
If you have time and want an actual travel-based immersion deal, there's something called the critical language scholarship where the US government will pay you to go learn a language that they consider to be somehow important...
Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
That is a very cool program. I wish my wife had known about it, as she speaks 5 languages already, and was a Spanish major/Japanese minor who wanted to learn Arabic....
I got her a copy of Rosetta Stone, and she likes it so far.
Posted by suminonA (Member # 8757) on :
quote:Originally posted by porcelain girl: My personal language goals (because I am empowered by public proclamation) is to be fluent in Swahili, and conversationally proficient in Spanish, French, and Japanese.
From someone who has the experience of having learnt three foreign languages (and that not in their infancy!), to the "conversational" proficiency: Practice is the only way.
I recommend "the real experience", at least for all the "not dead" languages. I mean, living among people that speak (only) a foreign language helps a lot “improve” your proficiency very fast (and very reliably).
Tout d’abord, j’ai passé quelques années en France, alors, j’ai appris la langue sans aucune autre sortie
El español, al aprenderlo después del francés, ha sido bastante mas fácil. Aun así, viviendo en España, o en cualquier país hispánico, es una gran ayuda.
English, well, that’s different. I read books, I watch movies and I participate in discussion forums. You’ll be the judge if that’s having a good result.
Anyway, I see learning languages as a great way of opening new avenues for communication (with a lot of people and cultures), so I wish you much joy in fulfilling your language goals.
A.
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
quote:Originally posted by JonHecht: May I ask why, concerning Swahili?
I first took Swahili at VCU in my freshman year because they wouldn't let me continue in French without a placement exam. I went to go take the exam, and no one was there to administer it. I got irritated and picked up the course catalogue and was shocked to see Swahili being offered. I had no idea what Swahili sounded like, where exactly they spoke it. I had never heard of anyone learning it before. I immediately dropped French and signed up.
It was my best rash decision ever. Swahili is probably my favorite language. It is just beautiful to me. I love the sounds and the rhythm. I took it for a year, and my teacher offered the possibility of staying with her mother in Tanzania so I could "learn to cook Swahili." I was also going to drive around the countryside in a van with my new Ugandan friend, Moses.
There are many East African immigrants in Richmond and Northern Virginia, so I had a lot of opportunities to practice.
I ended up moving to California instead of going to Africa, but I never forgot my East African friends, nor lost my love of the language. I don't know how to explain it, it's just in me!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I checked -- PBS definitely has shown Destinos in the past, via Annenberg learning courses. And they will have them again this summer.
quote:Originally posted by suminonA: From someone who has the experience of having learnt three foreign languages (and that not in their infancy!)
What's your native language?
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
I'm an English speaker and for the first time this summer I went somewhere other than the tourist-ized parts of Mexico (to France, Italy, Greece). And I stayed with a Brazilian family in Italy for a few days. In France I was frustrated because people I was with knew French and could get by but I was left in the dark/tethered to them, and they could use it to talk behind my back! I think it became real to me that there are places where it's normal to say something in not english, where using French or Italian or Greek or what have you is not simply being obnoxious and is the norm.
I want to be able to get by with French, and less so Italian, German. I'm already in Spanish 5 at school so I'm more or less conversant in Spanish, I could definitely "get by" if I were dropped in spain or something. My plans for learning those languages, at present, consist of a French one book that I am slowly working through individually, which is a questionable replacement for actual conversation or class in French.
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
So this thread has just given me a fantabulous idea. My mom has recently expressed interest in re-learning spanish, and something like Rosetta stone could be a good christmas gift! HMMMM I don't know what level she would be at.. I'd say that she'd fly through early Spanish's hm... And also it would be an idea for my parents of a gift for me, some french-learning thing.
So the point of this post: What would y'all recommend as the "best" language learning programs?
Posted by suminonA (Member # 8757) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted:
quote:Originally posted by suminonA: From someone who has the experience of having learnt three foreign languages (and that not in their infancy!)
What's your native language?
I'm still not "ready" to reveal that on this forum (see my first landmark a year ago). But if you think it's very relevant for you, I'll sent you a PM.
A.
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
quote:Originally posted by suminonA:
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted:
quote:Originally posted by suminonA: From someone who has the experience of having learnt three foreign languages (and that not in their infancy!)
What's your native language?
I'm still not "ready" to reveal that on this forum (see my first landmark a year ago). But if you think it's very relevant for you, I'll sent you a PM.
A.
Why would you not want to reveal your native language?
Posted by suminonA (Member # 8757) on :
quote:Originally posted by porcelain girl: Why would you not want to reveal your native language?
It may be just a silly thing, but deep down I think it really doesn't matter what my native language is, for the purpose of this forum and for my ability to communicate with all the others here. Just like my gender. I make special efforts to not reveal it, being on the same level of "relevance".
A.
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
My native language, culture and gender seem like such integral parts of me, I have a hard time separating them out of the parts of me that might be relevant to the forum.
I think that in lots of ways, they are relevant.
But then, I probably have a lower relevancy threshold.
Posted by suminonA (Member # 8757) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tante Shvester: My native language, culture and gender seem like such integral parts of me, I have a hard time separating them out of the parts of me that might be relevant to the forum.
Yep, there may be where the difference is. You'd see the exact same thing from me (on this forum), whatever the gender and native language. My culture is very much a part of me, but what is important for me is what I am and not what you might think about me because any of my "influences". (BTW, I did explain as weel as I could those influences.)
As I said in the first landmark, I'n not Real (Hatrack-wise), therefore such details (e.g. gender) remain irelevant. Again, IMO.
A.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote:I make special efforts to not reveal it, being on the same level of "relevance".
I can't help feeling like it would be unnecessary to make special efforts to avoid revealing something truly irrelevant.
Posted by suminonA (Member # 8757) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: I can't help feeling like it would be unnecessary to make special efforts to avoid revealing something truly irrelevant.
Then I’ll help you: language is a tool, that can be easier to use for certain “jobs”. English has the beauty of being invariant, most of the times as to the gender of the speaker. So, in order to avoid the exceptional cases, for someone who doesn’t “master” the tool by many standards, I have to be careful. (The way I can talk on this forum would be impossible on a French one, BTW).
To cut to the chase: the gender is irrelevant from my point of view, but it might be relevant from yours (your choice). So, in order to not bring up something that you might use to misjudge me (based on prejudice) I still have to be careful not to reveal it here. Misjudge me if you want based on the fact that I’m “genderless” (my choice), but I don’t want anyone to misjudge me because of one gender or another (which was not my choice).
A.
Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :
If you really think this forum is prejudiced against non-native English speakers I can't imagine why you're still here.
Posted by suminonA (Member # 8757) on :
quote:Originally posted by El JT de Spang: If you really think this forum is prejudiced against non-native English speakers I can't imagine why you're still here.
I don't think that at all. (That's one of the reasons why I'm still here.) I've said it from my first landmark that I'm not an English native speaker.
But I still think that there is a possible prejudice based on gender, country of origin, age and the like. So, in order to avoid it, I have to avoid revealing them.
A.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
I'll go look for your first landmark (which I may have read but don't remember). I was just curious because I think it's interesting to know where people are from and so forth, but I don't think I find it relevant enough to have you tell me privately if you don't want to share that publicly.
Posted by Risuena (Member # 2924) on :
For those of you who are interested in Rosetta Stone, it might be worthwhile to check with your local library. My library offers Rosetta Stone programs online to anyone with a library card.
Posted by Qaz (Member # 10298) on :
I like Rosetta too. I already knew some Spanish but Rosetta has me thinking in it.
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
quote:Originally posted by Risuena: For those of you who are interested in Rosetta Stone, it might be worthwhile to check with your local library. My library offers Rosetta Stone programs online to anyone with a library card.
Ooh! I completely forgot that the library has language references available. Of course that may be because I have avoided the library in shame due to my obscene fine occurred when refusing to return a text book until I had finished it. Fudge.
I found some mini-swahili lessons on youtube that were originally used to teach missionaries (don't know what denomination) the basics in order to survive.
Posted by porcelain girl (Member # 1080) on :
I was reading in Blayne's Mandarin thread and it reminded me that a few days ago on NPR they were discussing how many people use Skype to learn and practice foreign languages.
Anyone have experience with that?
Posted by The Flying Dracula Hair (Member # 10155) on :
So guided by an Amazon review for a Rosetta Stone product, I've been learning German privately with Pimsleur, Rosetta Stone, and a small grammar book (Barron's German Grammar) - Pims for speaking and RS for listening and booklet to fill in the blanks.
I think it's worth mentioning that this is proving to be a winning combination.
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