Thread: Learning a language

I learn a lot of Lang. When I was younger. Can't speak it, but understand it well~ !! ^_^ My Grandma does Pig Latin ~

>.<;; Its easy to learn when young yes, but there's a fall back. If you stop using it. Your brain will think its trash. And discard it.

my native languaje is spanish, now that I live in the US I speak english everiday, I have been living lil over a year in here. I took english classes for a couple of years before I came here, so I wasnt like all lost, but still I have many things to learn.
so my pointers when you are going to learn a new languaje:
- are u learning it just 4 fun? or is something that u need?
- time u have to learn the new lanjuage
- ovbiously taking the classes, but, in my opinion you first should focus more on pronunsiation, I have many problems with pronunsiation.
- and finally grammar and spelling.
so 4 me, when u learn a new languaje u should learn to speak it first and then to write it, like when we learned our native languaje. but I dunno, everyone has different ways of learning things.

i started learning spanish when i was about 6-7 years old
but i stopped when i was about 17. 2 years later i can understand it but cant really speak fluently like i used to.
i wish i didnt
i want to learn other languages too like japanese.
but i know i would need to put more time in it than i have.
so i guess ill just have to wait

Originally Posted by pyoro-pyoro

It's always easier to learn when you're younger I heard.

Yeah, teachers at my high school always use to say that they should've started language lessons in Elementary school, since it's easier to ingrain things in their head - They are after all learning the 'proper way' to speak English during that time as well. I think in other counties in my area you can start Spanish in 5th grade, but in my old one it's still 8th grade for any language ~~;

That being said, when learning a language I find writing down vocabulary and attempting to write new sentences when I learn a new grammar structure helps alot. I've also started making tests and quizzes for myself ^__^;;
After I test on it, I find if I think in that language for some time of the day, and actually speak it as well (drives my roommate batty sometimes) I wont be prone to forget it.
With kanji though, the recalling back only helps me recognize it. When learning new kanji sometimes I forget how to write some of the older ones ~.~; Therefore I also have a monthly memory test to make sure I don't forget

I'm kind of interested in how people's experience learning English. You don't hear as much about it online and I'm just a bit curious =]

I tried to learn chinese when i was 9 yrs old and after one term i stopped.
Reasons because it was too hard or just too boring.
Also the fact that i was the oldest out of a class with children around the age of 3. It was just embarrassing.
At the moment i am learning Japanese and i find it quite enjoyable. Chinese was too hard, japanese is a bit easier to me.

@DB - i would think tht since you're in japan and learning japanese (assuming tht u converse with the japanese all the time in their native tongue) then u shouldnt really go rusty cuz u're using it almost everyday. There's something called the immerison technique where u live in the country where the language spoken is the one you're tryin to learn. Thus, you doing tht already. So it's reasonable to think tht once u're comptent in understanding, speaking, writing japanese. Then u'll be practicising it almost everyday coz u're using it to speak with others as well. So learning aint the problem, it's applying it in ur everyday life which will be the one prooblem u need to get over.

Well, many many years ago I embarked on learning a new language. BUT, when is it that I should tell myself to stop studying and move on? If I don't keep studying it, then surely I will get rusty and find myself back at the basics.

I suppose anyone taking on a new language, you really need to consider how far you want to take it before getting involved. Learning a new language consumes about 3 hours of my time every week.


If you study a foreign language, study hard and try to master it, if you do not wish to continue, keep on revising and speak it with the person of the same language ^_^.

I am currently studying French, and I've been studying it for the past 2 years, always getting 90% above! w00t!! ^^ I study more than 3 hours per day and write a lot @_@ but it's worth it ^_^ I chose French for Senior Level as well, but I might consider taking it after that, too