Learning A Foreign Language

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:29 am

Have any fellow clarets managed to learn a foreign language fluently (or at least conversationally) whilst still being based in the UK? And by that I don't mean you did a French GCSE 15 years ago and can ask for a beer when you're on holiday in Brittany

If so how did you learn and what did you find were the best tools for doing so? I'm currently learning Portuguese as a means to interact a little better with my other half's family and non-English speaking friends. I've just got back from Lisbon and after doing an hour on Duolingo every day since our last trip there 9 months ago, I'm at a stage where I can at least get the gist of what's being said around me but I still can't really join the conversation in any meaningful way.

Any tips or pointers would be appreciated.

Danieljwaterhouse · Post by **Danieljwaterhouse** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:31 am

I watched The Simpsons in French on You Tube to help me. I knew most of the episodes and so knew the English conversations.

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:39 am

Danieljwaterhouse wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:31 am
I watched The Simpsons in French on You Tube to help me. I knew most of the episodes and so knew the English conversations.

Good shout, I've actually sat through a whole season of Pepper Pig in Portuguese on Netflix, it's utterly tedious but at least basic enough that I can follow. I've found it's quite difficult to find decent stuff to watch in Portuguese, either the content just hasn't been dubbed into that language or the films are gritty dramas set in Rio where everyone is speaking mainly in Favela slang at 100mph

I'll take a look for some more shows I've already seen though.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:22 am

SammyBoy wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:29 am
Have any fellow clarets managed to learn a foreign language fluently (or at least conversationally) whilst still being based in the UK? And by that I don't mean you did a French GCSE 15 years ago and can ask for a beer when you're on holiday in Brittany

If so how did you learn and what did you find were the best tools for doing so? I'm currently learning Portuguese as a means to interact a little better with my other half's family and non-English speaking friends. I've just got back from Lisbon and after doing an hour on Duolingo every day since our last trip there 9 months ago, I'm at a stage where I can at least get the gist of what's being said around me but I still can't really join the conversation in any meaningful way.

Any tips or pointers would be appreciated.

Watching kids stuff (And even films) is a brilliant way to do it. The kids stuff especially. As its teaching very basic things and you can quickly pick it up

I actually went to college to Study Russian. (Blackburn College, night school). By no means fluent. But can read the alphabet and can ask where the train station is, the pub and order a pint - oh and tell them I love Burnley FC - Do I need any more?

In all seriousness the best advice is regularly using it / immersing yourself in it. Throw yourself in at the deep end. Maybe go to restaurants related to that language and try it there (although not always the case that a brazillian or portuguese restaurant will have portuguese speakers these days!)

There are also lots of groups and courses online where you can use it. Skill share is meant to be good.

RalphCoatesComb · Post by **RalphCoatesComb** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:30 am

Rosetta Stone did it for me but the only way to learn a language properly is to immerse yourself in conversations with people. Obviously, Skype, WhatsAp etc are good for this. Rosetta Stone has a feature where you are tutored via video link but, it's not the cheapest option.

Goo luck with it all

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:31 am

Speaking is obviously the most difficult skill to develop when not living in the country of the language you're learning.
What speaking activities are you doing at home? How are you using the materials you have with regards to speaking?
Clearly you are trying to do some simple grammar & vocabulary work on Duolingo and trying to find materials for reading and listening (watching videos with subtitles in the original language at the beginning I'd say helps and then gradually try to fade them out or watch 10 minute bits without subtitles, just to build up some mental stamina and concentration. It can be hard keeping fully concentrated for 1 hour watching things when you hardly understand anything but the more you do the more you'll get used to it. Subtitles help with this. It also gives you lots of new language and different ways of saying things, ways that maybe in English we don't necessarily say in that way).

When I try and learn a new language I always keep this in mind. What is the function of the language I am studying? When & in what situations do I need to use this type of language: am I describing something like a picture? or am I telling someone a little anecdote or story from a past experience? Do I just want to give a simple reply about how good something is? Do I want to agree/disagree with someone and then explain why? etc etc.

Once you've built up enough basic grammar structures and vocabulary then you can get through any situation really and start to slowly contribute to conversations. If I were you, I'd get online and get in a group and start practicing with people who are at your level to get some confidence and experience before your next trip.

Bosscat · Post by **Bosscat** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:57 am

RalphCoatesComb wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:30 am
Rosetta did it for me

https://youtu.be/AB3fncWyVN4

Brisliam · Post by **Brisliam** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:02 am

I've done many Spanish lessons both in Latin America and at home. Ive probably spent about 6 months of the last 10 years in Spanish speaking countries where my knowledge was best but given as they weren't consecutive months, I lose it.

When I was last in Spain a lot of it came back and I could get around but unless immersed in it seems impossible to become a level beyond basic conversational.

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:08 am

Speaking is definitely the hardest, I find I spend ages mentally constructing what I want to say and by the time it's done the conversation has moved on. Reading is probably the easiest, and listening is somewhere in the middle.

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:11 am

Brisliam wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:02 am
When I was last in Spain a lot of it came back and I could get around but unless immersed in it seems impossible to become a level beyond basic conversational.

Quite a few of my girlfriends mates have never lived outside of Lisbon and are ridiculously good at English, I suppose they've been learning for the best part of 20 years though since they were kids.

Tribesmen · Post by **Tribesmen** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 11:16 am

RalphCoatesComb wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 10:30 am
Rosetta Stone did it for me but the only way to learn a language properly is to immerse yourself in conversations with people. Obviously, Skype, WhatsAp etc are good for this. Rosetta Stone has a feature where you are tutored via video link but, it's not the cheapest option.

Goo luck with it all

Yep I did it with Rosetta Stone aslo , i spent 2 years at it six days a week and still hopeless .

Need to be in the country really but hey i knew that .

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:02 pm

I speak French and German almost fluently and since living Spain I have got to the stage where my Spanish is classed as very good by most Spaniards. I took French and German for A-level then went on to study them at Birmingham Uni: however there is only one real way to learn a foreign language fully and that is once you have got the grammatical basics and a decent vocabulary you need to spend time amongst speakers of the language . This will allow you "to get the ear" for the language and in my opinion is the only real way to learn a foreign language.

dibraidio · Post by **dibraidio** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:19 pm

I reckon there are several stages when you're learning a language.

The first is where you can ask for a beer or a coffee and get your meaning across.
The second is where you can have a conversation with someone. In a one to one situation like that you have time to think, the person opposite you might even prompt you or correct you.
The third is understanding two people talking to each other. You get no respite there.
The fourth is when you can understand a film with sound effects and background noise and still follow the dialogue.

I agree with vino blanco, you need to train your ear, you can't learn that in a book, it's the process of your brain translating the sound you hear into the portugeuse words that you know and you can only do that by listening BUT before you can get to that you need to have plenty of grammar and vocabulary under your belt so that you have something for your brain to recognise.

I learnt French as an adult before DVDs and the internet so there wasn't much to go on, I used to watch films on TV5 which had subtitles in French and I'd write down all the words I didn't know. Then I'd spend almost as long as I'd spent watching the film looking up the words in the dictionary. After months of doing that my ear adapted and everyone was amazed that in a matter of months I went from speaking no French to working entirely in French.

Maybe you should find a forum for a Portuguese club and build up your slang that way.

Perhaps you could ask your girlfiend to only text you in Portuguese. That would give you the opportunity to do a lot of translating what she says and what you want to say. Get your brain used to expressing itself in Portuguese. I've been doing that with my partner for years and her English has improved no end because of it.

Pstotto · Post by **Pstotto** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:24 pm

"They speak foreign don' t they, abroad?" (Elsie Tanner)

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:06 pm

dibraidio wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:19 pm
Maybe you should find a forum for a Portuguese club and build up your slang that way.

Hadn't thought of that, good idea. Her Dad supports the Brazilian team Bahia so they're probably the obvious choice, failing that there's good old Sporting Lisbon.

dibraidio wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:19 pm
Perhaps you could ask your girlfiend to only text you in Portuguese. That would give you the opportunity to do a lot of translating what she says and what you want to say. Get your brain used to expressing itself in Portuguese. I've been doing that with my partner for years and her English has improved no end because of it.

We've actually started texting each other in Portuguese and it is quite helpful, although I tend to only enjoy it when I'm using Whatsapp desktop at work and have have Google translate ready on the side to double check stuff. We also discussed maybe only speaking Portuguese over dinner but I'm not sure that I'm even at that level yet, my reading and to a lesser extent listening are substantially better than my speaking right now. It's also tough as we're usually pretty knackered at the end of the day but I might just have to battle through it.

KateR · Post by **KateR** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:13 pm

Vino blanco wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:02 pm
I speak French and German almost fluently and since living Spain I have got to the stage where my Spanish is classed as very good by most Spaniards. I took French and German for A-level then went on to study them at Birmingham Uni: however there is only one real way to learn a foreign language fully and that is once you have got the grammatical basics and a decent vocabulary you need to spend time amongst speakers of the language . This will allow you "to get the ear" for the language and in my opinion is the only real way to learn a foreign language.

I have lived in quite a few countries and went to night school to learn Arabic, however the majority of the population speak English, in fact when I spoke to one Saudi he gave me a very disdainful look and said "why are you speaking my language, in English and refused to engage.

When I lived in Russia I started to learn basics and had a Russian driver and we cut a deal where every day going/coming to/from work he would teach me a Russian word and I would teach him an English one. After several months I asked how he could speak English well and converse and yet I had a few words and phrases. He then told me he studied English all through school but hadn't used for years, yet having our conversation and hearing me on the phone brought it back. All the Russians employed spoke fluent English at the business level. I think doing what you say in regard to the European countries is right about immersing oneself. In Russia the phrase often used used was he speaks Russian very well because of the long haired interpreter, took me a bit to understand but they obviously benefited immensely from this.

I am very envious of people who speak several languages well, it seems like a gift to me, same as musicians and painters, both of which I am lacking at also

RalphCoatesComb · Post by **RalphCoatesComb** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:02 pm

Paul Daniels using "Linkwords"

http://www.linkwordlanguages.com/the-magic-of-memory/

timshorts · Post by **timshorts** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:14 pm

I didn't realise just how much flemish / dutch I understood without really trying just by attending auctions there for many years and reading the catalogues etc, until I went to one in Germany and found that I had no fing clue what the guy was on about.

Colburn_Claret · Post by **Colburn_Claret** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:35 pm

Reading and writing a foreign language are fairly easy. Speaking it marginally harder. The real problem with any foreign language is understanding the spoken word.
Try foreign radio stations, foreign TV, start with childrens programmes to make it easier still, and work your way up.

Volvoclaret · Post by **Volvoclaret** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:47 pm

Don't bother, just speak English very loudly.

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:08 pm

A really rewarding thing to do. I’ve been learning Spanish on and off for a few years. I’ve been going on holiday there from a young age so already had a decent understanding of a lot of the words and sentence structures which helped.

I have an audiobook course by Michel Thomas which is great. It’s a little old school but you’re basically immersed in a class with two other students of different ability levels. I used to have it in the car on my commute and it was very rewarding to learn during what is usually wasted time.

When I go on holiday to Spain I can speak the language fairly well but really struggle to understand the other person - picking up words but not fully understanding. When I go on holiday I usually converse with a Spanish chap I know who has very limited English and I find that’s a great way to learn. Often people in other countries speak English too well and conversation defaults into English.

Garnerssoap · Post by **Garnerssoap** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 7:21 pm

A week in banus and you’ll pick up some Portuguese

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:24 pm

We've actually started texting each other in Portuguese and it is quite helpful, although I tend to only enjoy it when I'm using Whatsapp desktop at work and have have Google translate ready on the side to double check stuff. We also discussed maybe only speaking Portuguese over dinner but I'm not sure that I'm even at that level yet, my reading and to a lesser extent listening are substantially better than my speaking right now. It's also tough as we're usually pretty knackered at the end of the day but I might just have to battle through it.
[/quote]

Don't worry about using Google to double check stuff. It'll confirm your initial thoughts or not. Be careful with Google Translate though, it isn't perfect. I use www.wordreference.com as a site but it only translates individual words but I prefer this way.

Regarding the speaking bit, you'll never be ready for it until you start doing it!! You'll feel like a plonker at first, make loads of mistakes and sound awful, but until you get at it you'll never progress. Sounds like you've dedicated time to reading and listening and are seeing some benefits. Speaking is the same. Start off simple with simple conversations about the day, work, dinner, get into the habit of asking questions. etc. That way you get listening practice and more vocabulary when ya girlfriend replies. Then the more you repeat these experiences and the phrases the more it'll come second nature. Obviously, ask her how to say things if you don't know.

Grammar is important but also lexical phrases are just as important in speaking. "HOW WAS YOUR DAY" is a phrase you always say like this, I CAN'T SWIM/COME/COOK DINNER/DO THIS/DO THAT, etc. who cares about the grammar! If you come home every night for a week and say this when you see ya missus and she replies then I'm sure you'll be able to come on here in a week and teach us all how to say it. Then you can start changing the vocab "HOW WAS THE MEETING WITH THE BOSS THIS MORNING?" HOW WAS THE DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT? HOW WAS WORK? , ETC. and having more complicated conversations. You've got the benefit of being at home where you can practice in private in the comfort of home with ya girlfriend. Give yourself time too, do little bits often rather than lots in a couple of hours a week.

Learning a language for me is one of the hardest things to do in life and baby steps are needed and it can take years but with the right techniques and lots of courage anyone can do it. I don't believe previous posters saying it's impossible, it is a learned skill therefore anyone can do it. I guess the difficulty is in shifting your mind to think in a different way. Keep at it, you'll love it once you start to get it.

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:25 pm

and don't forget to pick up plenty of swear words too. Always good to know when someone is giving you ****!

Claretmatt4 · Post by **Claretmatt4** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:26 pm

Also been at the duloingo for a while now although in truth my interest is waning. I do feel it is a bit gamified, nothing replaces learning the language for real in a foreign country. I stopped worrying about using the app and started writing down for real to help. I also got a speaking CD online although haven't used it yet.

Trouble with the app as well is you can't turn off autocorrect or stop the suggestions popping up - which defeats the point of remembering. Maybe it's different on non android.

I'm going to Greece in June for a friend's wedding so learning Greek for that reason. I will probably attend some night classes next year to help!

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:28 pm

Claretmatt4 wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 9:26 pm
Also been at the duloingo for a while now although in truth my interest is waning. I do feel it is a bit gamified, nothing replaces learning the language for real in a foreign country. I stopped worrying about using the app and started writing down for real to help. I also got a speaking CD online although haven't used it yet.

Trouble with the app as well is you can't turn off autocorrect or stop the suggestions popping up - which defeats the point of remembering. Maybe it's different on non android.

I'm going to Greece in June for a friend's wedding so learning Greek for that reason. I will probably attend some night classes next year to help!

Try the CD. I get much more out of an hour of that than Duolingo.

Croydon Claret · Post by **Croydon Claret** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:50 pm

I'm at about the same level as you but with Norwegian. I find that I learn more in an hour watching English TV shows with Norwegian sub titles, than I could from a book in a month. If you can do the same it will really help you

I find that I know most of the individual words but seeing how phrases are constructed properly has been super helpful. For me this has been the only way that I've transitioned from memorising things parrot fashion to actually beginning to understand the mechanics of the language. But I've barely scratched the surface in reality

There's definitely a mental block in trying to actually speak in a foreign language to people who speak English like a native. It feels like I'm using a language that is foreign to them and it all seems a bit daft. They do appreciate it when you try though so it's worth persevering

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:24 am

I am having a go with Scots Gaidhlig at the moment, although struggling to understand why I need to be able to say things like,

Hello friend. I do/do not have underpants on.

Had not realised the intimacy of the Highlands!

superdimitri · Post by **superdimitri** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:04 am

When learning some Dutch I found it incredibly helpful watching a Dutch film with English subtitles.

Get some Portuguese film/TV with a Portuguese soundtrack and English subtitles. Streaming services may be limited outside the country but if you can buy/download some local media with Portuguese soundtracks and English subtitles you'll learn while enjoying it too.

I guess a good start would be finding some Portuguese or Brazilian films. They should be available with English subtitles.

Woonderbah · Post by **Woonderbah** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:12 am

Another way to judge how far you're into a language is by inadvertently realising that you're thinking in that language.
It's surprising how the brain can just switch over to another language.

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 11:51 am

Croydon Claret wrote: ↑
Wed Jul 22, 2020 12:50 pm
There's definitely a mental block in trying to actually speak in a foreign language to people who speak English like a native. It feels like I'm using a language that is foreign to them and it all seems a bit daft. They do appreciate it when you try though so it's worth persevering

I can absolutely relate to this, I find that as a native English speaker I'm hardwired to other nationalities pandering to me by speaking English, so when I do have a go at speaking Portuguese it feels sort of like I'm going against the natural order of things and I become really self-conscious.

Also as limited as Duolingo is in terms of attaining fluency, one thing I did notice from my recent trip was that my vocabulary is much expanded nowadays because of it, repeatedly bashing in the same phrases on the app just makes words stick. This meant that when conversations were happening around me, even though I wasn't understanding it completely, identifying words and getting a feel for how it was being said meant I could subconsciously sort of piece together the narrative, and most of the time my girlfriend confirmed I was on the right track.

Stayingup · Post by **Stayingup** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:00 pm

Vino blanco wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:02 pm
I speak French and German almost fluently and since living Spain I have got to the stage where my Spanish is classed as very good by most Spaniards. I took French and German for A-level then went on to study them at Birmingham Uni: however there is only one real way to learn a foreign language fully and that is once you have got the grammatical basics and a decent vocabulary you need to spend time amongst speakers of the language . This will allow you "to get the ear" for the language and in my opinion is the only real way to learn a foreign language.

Yes
You have to live in the country to learn and be in a non English speaking environment. I found that lessons learni g grammar helped me a lot with my French.

If you can converse in French then I imagine Spanish would not be too difficult for you. Am I right in thinking there is one more tense in Spanish than French?

Vino blanco · Post by **Vino blanco** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:59 pm

Staying up, you are right, in spoken Spanish they use three past tenses, tenia, tuve and he tenido mean I used to have, I had and I have had, whereas the French in spoken French would use only j'avais and j'ai eu. So the Spanish are distinguishing between a continuous action in the past (I used to have) and a completed action in the past (I had). The French do use a preterite past tense but only in written literary French.
The Spanish also use phrases like the English 'I AM doing doing this' by saying 'estoy haciendo esto', which is similar to English but not seen in other languages like German, French,Italian etc: eg ich gehe in German means I go, I do go, I am going, or in French je vais means I go, I do go or I am going.

Dyched · Post by **Dyched** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:01 pm

Just started with learning German today with Duolingo. Decent tips on here already but anyone know anymore. Gonna get some post it notes tomorrow and stick them around the house.

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 11:20 pm

Dyched wrote: ↑
Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:01 pm
Just started with learning German today with Duolingo. Decent tips on here already but anyone know anymore. Gonna get some post it notes tomorrow and stick them around the house.

I’m still on with Duolingo, mainly because I’ve almost completed it and it’s so gamified I can’t bear to stop before it’s done. However, I think I’m going to move onto Busuu afterwards, it’s about £6.99 a month but looks quite a bit more interactive than Duolingo and less about just bashing in translations. There’s a free version so it might be worth having a look at that first.

Also, Anki is another good app, it’s essentially flash cards but great for learning vocabulary.

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 11:27 pm

IanMcL wrote: ↑
Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:24 am
I am having a go with Scots Gaidhlig at the moment, although struggling to understand why I need to be able to say things like,

Hello friend. I do/do not have underpants on.

Had not realised the intimacy of the Highlands!

Oh God... so now we're going to get Madge and you without any underwear.

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 11:31 pm

Dyched wrote: ↑
Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:01 pm
Just started with learning German today with Duolingo. Decent tips on here already but anyone know anymore. Gonna get some post it notes tomorrow and stick them around the house.

I found duolingo a good way to ‘pick up and play’, so to speak. But it took a while to really learn much. And as most of it is written rather than spoken, what you learn isn’t as practical. Once you’ve dipped your toes in it might be worth looking at an audio disc or interactive online course.

KateR · Post by **KateR** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 11:41 pm

superdimitri wrote: ↑
Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:04 am
When learning some Dutch I found it incredibly helpful watching a Dutch film with English subtitles.

Get some Portuguese film/TV with a Portuguese soundtrack and English subtitles. Streaming services may be limited outside the country but if you can buy/download some local media with Portuguese soundtracks and English subtitles you'll learn while enjoying it too.

I guess a good start would be finding some Portuguese or Brazilian films. They should be available with English subtitles.

I remember when we were going to watch Last Samurai in Amsterdam when it first came out, hubby was smart enough to ask before he bought tickets that the movie would be in English, she smiled and said yes, hope you enjoy.

Unfortunately, when they started speaking Japanese in the movie the subtitles were in Dutch, not helpful and there was a fair bit of Japanese spoken but still enjoyed the movie.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:00 am

I tried to learn French some years ago as I was going to be visiting Paris, near France.

I used a combination of TV programmes, cassettes (that's how long ago!) and booklets. It seemed to work. I was able to book a bed and breakfast over the phone in French. It felt like scoring a goal at football, such was the sense of achievement. I was therefore reasonably confident I could get by in France.

However, that confidence wasn't justified. First I thought I'd buy myself a sandwich. I went into a shop and asked 'Bonjour monsieur, vous avez des sandwiches si'l vous-plait?'

He was supposed to reply 'Ah oui monsieur, avec fromage, jambon (with cheese or ham)'. He didn't, and I couldn't understand what he said so I ended up with une pomme (an apple).

The final nail was when I rang up a friend who was staying in a posh hotel. I asked the hotel telephonist in my best French if I could speak to my mate and in a rather pompous voice he replied 'would you prefer to speak English sir'. I gave up!

SammyBoy · Post by **SammyBoy** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:31 am

Hipper wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:00 am
However, that confidence wasn't justified. First I thought I'd buy myself a sandwich. I went into a shop and asked 'Bonjour monsieur, vous avez des sandwiches si'l vous-plait?'

He was supposed to reply 'Ah oui monsieur, avec fromage, jambon (with cheese or ham)'. He didn't, and I couldn't understand what he said so I ended up with une pomme (an apple).

Fair play for seeing it through to the bitter end, even if you did end up with an apple. Think I’d have defaulted back to English as soon as I got the first blank look

Devils_Advocate · Post by **Devils_Advocate** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:37 am

Hipper wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:00 am
I tried to learn French some years ago as I was going to be visiting Paris, near France.

I might be going to Paris next year so do you know how near to France it actually is as if Ive time I might pop over?

NCClaret · Post by **NCClaret** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:43 am

My basic Latin from school and in particular French - I'm taking 50+ years ago now - with vocabulary, especially learnt by rote standing me in good stead on my various trips to France over the years. Since retirement, I thought I'd put my long standing ambition to learn Spanish into good effect and bought Michel Thomas' Spanish - this is excellent - I've also used DuoLingo. However, the best thing I did was source a Spanish class in my area. I did this for a year and went from zero competency to having a decent working knowledge of, and command of basic Spanish. Well worth the effort - good luck in your studies.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:29 pm

FactualFrank wrote: ↑
Sat Nov 21, 2020 11:27 pm
Oh God... so now we're going to get Madge and you without any underwear.

I am sure you will understand that practice and practical application are essential ingredients, to learning a language FF!

:

AfloatinClaret · Post by **AfloatinClaret** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:55 pm

Vino blanco wrote: ↑
Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:02 pm
...you need to spend time amongst speakers of the language...

Back in the 1990s a friend went to Spain for a couple of years, working in Pamplona and living up in the mountains close to the French border - the heart of the Basque Country - when they returned his eldest son was eleven and heading to secondary school (part of the reason they came back) and not surprisingly became the school's star-pupil in both Spanish and French.
When his sister Elaine went up to the same secondary school four years later, the French teacher recognising the name enquired if she too was fluent, to which Elaine explained that as she'd only been seven when they came home she 'only remembered the odd word'. The teacher moved on to speak with other kids, before returning to Elaine and continuing his conversation/questions, the final one being: "I thought you said that you'd forgotten the languages?"
Apparently, he'd recommenced their conversation in Spanish, switched mid-way into French and without conscious thought or missing a beat, Elaine had responded in the same; they're from Durham mind, so obviously the family's English isn't too clever.

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 3:06 pm

Dyched wrote: ↑
Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:01 pm
Just started with learning German today with Duolingo. Decent tips on here already but anyone know anymore. Gonna get some post it notes tomorrow and stick them around the house.

Das ist eine ausgezeichnete Idee.

Dyched · Post by **Dyched** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 3:29 pm

ClaretTony wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 22, 2020 3:06 pm
Das ist eine ausgezeichnete Idee.

I had to google that as I have none of those items around the house

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:05 pm

Dyched wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 22, 2020 3:29 pm
I had to google that as I have none of those items around the house

I'm always concerned using any German on the board given I am aware of at least two posters who speak the language fluently.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 4:42 pm

Devils_Advocate wrote: ↑
Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:37 am
I might be going to Paris next year so do you know how near to France it actually is as if Ive time I might pop over?

It might have been the wrong Paris I went to. That could explain alot:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071282/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_83

MT03ALG · Post by **MT03ALG** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 6:16 pm

I bet you checked the gender of Idee, Tony !!

MT03ALG · Post by **MT03ALG** » Sun Nov 22, 2020 6:25 pm

Having studied German and French at grammar school and college, I went to Germany initially for one year as a MFL Assistant but stayed for three years in the Black Forest. Despite studying German for seven years before arriving in Germany, it took me at least six months to understand my fellow footballers in the Black Forest League because of the local dialect. In those days at grammar school you were taught the grammar of the language but had little chance for conversation. The only real way to learn to converse in a foreign language is to converse with native speakers.