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Advice on learning new language...
#1

Advice on learning new language...

Any suggestions on learning a new language? Rosetta Stone or a language school? Also, if I devote a serious amount of time to it, how long would it take for me to learn it. I know that there are some self taught bi-lingual people on the forum. Just wondering your take and more importantly your experiences...

Breeze

Breeze
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#2

Advice on learning new language...

I just got an email for the Black Friday sale at Rosetta Stone. Individual Levels are selling for $179.00. Combined sets are greatly reduced, so if anyone wants to grab one, hit rosettastone.com today.

"The best kind of pride is that which compels a man to do his best when no one is watching."
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#3

Advice on learning new language...

Rosetta Stone AND Language School
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#4

Advice on learning new language...

Hello, Breeze.

I didn't have much money, however Spanish was extremely important to me. Extremely important. I knew that I wanted to travel to Spanish speaking countries someday, understood that Spanish would become a major language spoken in the US (this was back around '94 or so) and I was always attracted to Latin women (partly reinforced by those old flyers with pictures of beautiful women that The Latina Connection used to send out).

Here's what I did: I lived alone so I was free to do as I wished. I used index cards to label things around the apartment in Spanish. I watched the dance show Caliente on Saturdays and anything else on Telemundo or Univision at other times. I kept my car radio tuned to a Spanish station. When I wasn't listening to the radio, I listened to FSI tapes. I played those same FSI tapes while I was sleeping. I dated the president of the Spanish club at my community college (who now owns her own company teaching Spanish to English speakers). I took classes at that same community college and aced them all, conversational and "normal" classes. When I had a little bit of extra money, I found private conversational Spanish tutors and studied with them. I went to Latin dance clubs and restaurants just to be around the music and culture. I tested myself by going to live in Mexico with a family for a few months while also attending a language school.

Basically, I created a mini language immersion experience for myself.

Now, I'm no longer fluent as I do not speak the language everyday anymore. But I was certainly fluent back then. I was told by many native speakers that I had even captured the accent. Got asked where I was from a lot. I give credit to the FSI tapes because of how they structure their lessons. The programmatic series starts you from scratch. They literally have you doing Spanish baby talk until you are comfortable making the sounds of that language. Sounds silly, but it works. I'm not sure if I can post links or not, but you can find FSI language courses through google. They're now free online whereas I had to pay quite a bit back then.

And even though I'm nowhere near as fluent as I once was, I still am able to communicate and understand Spanish (and even some Portuguese). Reading, writing, listening and speaking are the 4 components of language acquisition (someone correct me if I'm wrong). For example, chatting via text or a messenger program is no problem. I can also still understand large parts of Spanish conversations in passing that are not directed towards me (passive comprehension). I have a little more difficulty speaking now since I'm so far out of practice.

Yes, it's probably overkill. It's definitely NOT for everyone. I'm a language enthusiast AND an introvert so it was totally worthwhile for me. I'm going to begin learning other more exotic languages in the same manner that I learned Spanish. My problem is choosing just one at a time...

Anyway, I hope that helps a bit.

To answer your questions about how long it would take - it depends on the language you're learning compared to your native language, your age (neuroplasticity) and how much work you are willing to put into the learning process. Spanish is pretty easy for an English speaker to learn and I was "relatively young" when I started. I was comfortable with the language after about 6 months of constant study AND practice. Fluency did not come for me until about 2 years in (though that's by my own judgement).
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#5

Advice on learning new language...

Just go somewhere and spend a lot of time there. Start banging girls that don't speak english. Also, post flyers at the local colleges and universities saying you need some help learning x language. Should be a good way to meet girls.
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#6

Advice on learning new language...

Not Rosetta stone, at the end of it you can say loads of really useless shit like the "book is on the table" and "the dog crossed the road". Great. Learn the most common words and then link them together to make sentences, it might not be perfect but you'll have a good understanding of what each word means and be able to say MUCH more than if you learn phrases like most courses teach you.
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#7

Advice on learning new language...

Pimsleur. Don't use anything else.
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#8

Advice on learning new language...

Quote: (11-27-2011 12:42 AM)Arcais Wrote:  

Pimsleur. Don't use anything else.

Pimsleur is not as good as Rosetta stone which is good (it's how I'm learning Persian), but there is no substitute for forcing yourself to speak the local language. You will fuck up and the women will find this adorable. They'll want to help you. If people speak English to you, don't respond. Tell your friends to speak only in the local language. Force yourself to think in your L2 (target language). Do NOT be afraid to fuck up. This is the most important thing. After four weeks in the Czech Republic, I could carry out my daily errands without speaking a word of English, even with the Vietnamese shopkeepers whose Czech was horrible.

If you are not a language natural like me, I suggest checking out Benny's Language Hacking guide at http://www.fluentin3months.com/

I had a chance to meet Benny recently after he spoke at a local conference on expatriation, and he basically had to teach himself all the techniques I know innately. You CAN learn any language, but do NOT learn it in a classroom (unless the communicative approach is used, in which your native language will not be allowed -- how I teach English to my students), do NOT learn it from a textbook, or any other medium that requires you to think in your native language first.
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#9

Advice on learning new language...

Quote: (11-27-2011 01:58 PM)The Geographer Wrote:  

Quote: (11-27-2011 12:42 AM)Arcais Wrote:  

Pimsleur. Don't use anything else.
You will fuck up and the women will find this adorable. They'll want to help you.

I agree with this 100%. Plus I think they like the fact you are trying and that you don't give a fuck if you sound like an idiot.
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#10

Advice on learning new language...

Quote: (11-27-2011 02:12 PM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

Quote: (11-27-2011 01:58 PM)The Geographer Wrote:  

Quote: (11-27-2011 12:42 AM)Arcais Wrote:  

Pimsleur. Don't use anything else.
You will fuck up and the women will find this adorable. They'll want to help you.

I agree with this 100%. Plus I think they like the fact you are trying and that you don't give a fuck if you sound like an idiot.

My experiences have provided no evidence to the contrary. Once I was in Austria with some very cute girls, using the formal verb structure rather than informal, and they said "it's SO cute that you're polite!" I immediately switched to informal, and they dug it.
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#11

Advice on learning new language...

Thanks for the opinions and suggestions. I'm about to get into this heavily. I figured tapes while I am driving will be a nice start. Language school or just spending more time uptown will do it.
Breeze

Breeze
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#12

Advice on learning new language...

Quote: (11-26-2011 12:38 PM)IntBM Wrote:  

Hello, Breeze.

I didn't have much money, however Spanish was extremely important to me. Extremely important. I knew that I wanted to travel to Spanish speaking countries someday, understood that Spanish would become a major language spoken in the US (this was back around '94 or so) and I was always attracted to Latin women (partly reinforced by those old flyers with pictures of beautiful women that The Latina Connection used to send out).

Here's what I did: I lived alone so I was free to do as I wished. I used index cards to label things around the apartment in Spanish. I watched the dance show Caliente on Saturdays and anything else on Telemundo or Univision at other times. I kept my car radio tuned to a Spanish station. When I wasn't listening to the radio, I listened to FSI tapes. I played those same FSI tapes while I was sleeping. I dated the president of the Spanish club at my community college (who now owns her own company teaching Spanish to English speakers). I took classes at that same community college and aced them all, conversational and "normal" classes. When I had a little bit of extra money, I found private conversational Spanish tutors and studied with them. I went to Latin dance clubs and restaurants just to be around the music and culture. I tested myself by going to live in Mexico with a family for a few months while also attending a language school.

Basically, I created a mini language immersion experience for myself.

Now, I'm no longer fluent as I do not speak the language everyday anymore. But I was certainly fluent back then. I was told by many native speakers that I had even captured the accent. Got asked where I was from a lot. I give credit to the FSI tapes because of how they structure their lessons. The programmatic series starts you from scratch. They literally have you doing Spanish baby talk until you are comfortable making the sounds of that language. Sounds silly, but it works. I'm not sure if I can post links or not, but you can find FSI language courses through google. They're now free online whereas I had to pay quite a bit back then.

And even though I'm nowhere near as fluent as I once was, I still am able to communicate and understand Spanish (and even some Portuguese). Reading, writing, listening and speaking are the 4 components of language acquisition (someone correct me if I'm wrong). For example, chatting via text or a messenger program is no problem. I can also still understand large parts of Spanish conversations in passing that are not directed towards me (passive comprehension). I have a little more difficulty speaking now since I'm so far out of practice.

Yes, it's probably overkill. It's definitely NOT for everyone. I'm a language enthusiast AND an introvert so it was totally worthwhile for me. I'm going to begin learning other more exotic languages in the same manner that I learned Spanish. My problem is choosing just one at a time...

Anyway, I hope that helps a bit.

To answer your questions about how long it would take - it depends on the language you're learning compared to your native language, your age (neuroplasticity) and how much work you are willing to put into the learning process. Spanish is pretty easy for an English speaker to learn and I was "relatively young" when I started. I was comfortable with the language after about 6 months of constant study AND practice. Fluency did not come for me until about 2 years in (though that's by my own judgement).
Agree with you
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#13

Advice on learning new language...

derekthepolyglot.com

check it out for yourself. I have a Russian journey documenting my experiences.

I taught myself Spanish. And now Portuguese
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#14

Advice on learning new language...

Quote: (11-16-2018 07:25 AM)ameliaharry654 Wrote:  

Quote: (11-26-2011 12:38 PM)IntBM Wrote:  

Hello, Breeze.

I didn't have much money, however Spanish was extremely important to me. Extremely important. I knew that I wanted to travel to Spanish speaking countries someday, understood that Spanish would become a major language spoken in the US (this was back around '94 or so) and I was always attracted to Latin women (partly reinforced by those old flyers with pictures of beautiful women that The Latina Connection used to send out).

Here's what I did: I lived alone so I was free to do as I wished. I used index cards to label things around the apartment in Spanish. I watched the dance show Caliente on Saturdays and anything else on Telemundo or Univision at other times. I kept my car radio tuned to a Spanish station. When I wasn't listening to the radio, I listened to FSI tapes. I played those same FSI tapes while I was sleeping. I dated the president of the Spanish club at my community college (who now owns her own company teaching Spanish to English speakers). I took classes at that same community college and aced them all, conversational and "normal" classes. When I had a little bit of extra money, I found private conversational Spanish tutors and studied with them. I went to Latin dance clubs and restaurants just to be around the music and culture. I tested myself by going to live in Mexico with a family for a few months while also attending a language school.

Basically, I created a mini language immersion experience for myself.

Now, I'm no longer fluent as I do not speak the language everyday anymore. But I was certainly fluent back then. I was told by many native speakers that I had even captured the accent. Got asked where I was from a lot. I give credit to the FSI tapes because of how they structure their lessons. The programmatic series starts you from scratch. They literally have you doing Spanish baby talk until you are comfortable making the sounds of that language. Sounds silly, but it works. I'm not sure if I can post links or not, but you can find FSI language courses through google. They're now free online whereas I had to pay quite a bit back then.

And even though I'm nowhere near as fluent as I once was, I still am able to communicate and understand Spanish (and even some Portuguese). Reading, writing, listening and speaking are the 4 components of language acquisition (someone correct me if I'm wrong). For example, chatting via text or a messenger program is no problem. I can also still understand large parts of Spanish conversations in passing that are not directed towards me (passive comprehension). I have a little more difficulty speaking now since I'm so far out of practice.

Yes, it's probably overkill. It's definitely NOT for everyone. I'm a language enthusiast AND an introvert so it was totally worthwhile for me. I'm going to begin learning other more exotic languages in the same manner that I learned Spanish. My problem is choosing just one at a time...

Anyway, I hope that helps a bit.

To answer your questions about how long it would take - it depends on the language you're learning compared to your native language, your age (neuroplasticity) and how much work you are willing to put into the learning process. Spanish is pretty easy for an English speaker to learn and I was "relatively young" when I started. I was comfortable with the language after about 6 months of constant study AND practice. Fluency did not come for me until about 2 years in (though that's by my own judgement).
Agree with you

Yeah, I too agree with you and I guess you've explained everything in this reply.
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#15

Advice on learning new language...

The advice will vary depending on which language you are learning. For Spanish or another Euro language, I recommend Benny Lewis’ Language Hacking Guides (I have the book for Spanish), Idahosa Ness’ Mimic Method, Fluent U, and Memrise/Anki if you want a flash card app for cramming vocabulary.
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#16

Advice on learning new language...

Rosetta Stone is not how you learn quickly. Most people who use it do so as an excuse to avoid dealing with their approach anxiety and fear of rejection/making mistakes. You learn language the same way you learn game. Start by memorizing some lines and going out to practice those lines with strangers. Increase the number of lines and situations you use them in. You will pick up on patterns and, eventually, be able to break down lines well enough to mix and modify them on the fly. You will only learn by talking to people and practicing. To that end, I recommend starting with the Mimic Method if your target language is one Idahosa has a course for. Look into his program and you will see why.
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