So how do *you* learn a language?

[frogbeastegg]

The org's full of multi-linguists. Those of you speaking English as a secondary language are damned good at it, and have always had my respect. So how do you do it?

I want to improve my French. There's a series of books (Les Rois Maudits) which I want to read, and they haven't had a proper English translation. I have copies of the French omnibus editions and a massive French dictionary; with a bit more ability I should be able to begin stumbling my way through them.

My ability is all over the place. I do far better with French that is spoken/written for me than when I need to return it. I did 4 years of pathetic tuition at school and was quite good at it, and reached a point where I could read a fairly simple novel or news report and was able to manage very well when I spent a week in Paris. 12 years later and here I am, some of the ability retained, some lost, and some surprisingly improved. To break it down into the four categories they graded me on in my school days:

Speaking. I can manage some. My main problems are the accent, and getting the words I want. I can recognise and comprehend a reasonably large variety of words, I just can't find the word when I want to use it myself. The accent is purposefully designed () to give English speakers with a sharp, precise accent like mine trouble. Furthermore, over the years I've lost the feel for how it is meant to sound.

Writing. I can't. At all. The spelling combined with my trouble finding the words ...

Reading. I'm still quite good. Except when I'm entirely stuck. It seems like either I know enough to put together an approximate translation, or I can't understand a single word. For example, I can understand the entire introduction of the first book in Les Rois Maudits, barring a few words which I can guess at. The entire next page, nope.

Listening. About the same as reading, provided the speaker doesn't talk too quickly.

My options are limited. I don't want to learn tourist level French so the cheaper DIY language kits are useless. Most classes in my area are aimed at complete beginners and are too simplistic, the rest are formal courses of study for qualifications. I can't afford to buy one of those non-tourist level DIY language kits, like the Rosetta Stone series. I thought I might take advantage of the enforced multi-lingual games and DVDs we get in the UK, and combine French audio with English subtitles to see what I can absorb. Heh. Turns out that in many cases the English version is delayed for the European translations, which are then not included on our discs.

Any suggestions?

[Arjos]

Remember some friends, who basically couldn't get a word, becoming quite fluent after a couple of months living in the US...

Simplistic ones are very very boring, but in the end they get the job done, I couldn't stand my english lessons as they were very simple, but I must say they worked...
Listening for me was by far the best way, since I was little my dad got english cartoon network from the satellite and that was it ^^

About the subtitles, avoid the english ones and keep the french ones, it's better to have the brain getting the pronunciation and the proper writing...
Even if you don't get what they are saying it should help improve your reading and writing, maybe even something like the french news with many accents could be the closest to "living" in France...

[Drunk Clown]

English television and games. That's how I learned English.
When I was twelve, my English was better than most of my classmates who are now 17.


I would recommend English subtitles while watching French Channels/movies etc. Doing so you link the French with the English words.

You could also start watching French news. Their pronunciation is top notch and easy to follow. If you encounter difficult words of which you do not know the meaning, write them down and look them up afterwards.
I'm doing the same thing with German.

[LeftEyeNine]

At a comparably (to those all over Turkey) young age of 10, I had attained a school known for its intense language education and I owe the basis of English of which, as well as with any language, getting a grip of the grammar was the most crucial part to the education I could acquire in that school.

But when I'm asked about acquiantances or relatives about what to do about improving their children's English skills, I generally reply that a language can not be learned without a teacher (so as to make them abandon any scam kits that claim to teach you some alien language all by yourself at home) and that I had improved my English through playing computer games, watching movies, writing poems (I hid those to the dark corners of my conscious) etc.

Learning a language to me is being able to live by it -not using a couple of phrases or barely being able to understand what you are told partially- hence my thought of it being no different to being a learner of music.

If you don't like it and feel obliged to, you'll never overcome a certain limit. As long as you're in love with a language, you'll always find a way to interact with "her" -just like how you'd behave were it somebody you like.

Bottomline: Being exposed to the language you're eager to learn will find its way into your linguistic capacity.

[Major Robert Dump]

Google translate

[Andres]

If you want to learn a language, you need to use it. Preferably daily. The best would be to simply go to France for a few months and speak nothing else but French.

Alternatively, if you have a friend whose native tongue is French, then talk to him/her every day or write him/her e-mails on a daily basis.

Another way is to join a few forums in the language of your choice that are related to things that really interest you. Interact with the people there. Force yourself to post regularly and read the replies you get. I learned the basics of French at school, but at leaving school, I wasn't good at speaking it.

I learned that during my job, where about half of the clients speaks only French. You'd be amazed how you can go from basics -> fluently speaking in just a few months.

Reading books is a good way to improve on your knowledge, but if you know only the basics, then I wouldn't recommend reading books. Reading is also pretty passive, you need to use the language yourself if you want to make progress fast.

It takes a certain degree of self-confidence. You need not to be afraid of making a lot of mistakes or even to be confronted with people who don't have a clue what you're saying; allthough most people are very forgiving and helpful if they know you're not a native speaker and will certainly appreciate your efforts, even if they are very clumsy in the beginning.