I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
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Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#2alljapaneseallthetime.com basically recommends same techniques: listening first, then verbal. He even goes to the extreme of listening to the foreign language 24/7, even in your sleep. Have kanji (or hanzi, or arabic) posters displayed in your bathroom. Turn the radio on when you're in the shower. Listen to podcasts when you're at work and subway. Keep those podcasts on while you're sleeping so you hear it first thing when you wake up.
Immerse yourself completely, and it'll almost be the same as listening in that foreign country.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#3This is great -- although IMO not a replacement for programs like Rosetta Stone, as this method requires significantly more dedication.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#4English/Spanish here. My wife is Cuban and did not speak much English when I meet her so it was a Huge motivating factor. ;) Italian and Portuguese will be next for me as once you know Spanish you automatically know big chunks of other Latin based languages.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#5Another great resource is Pimsleur. I've used their courses to learn Italian and German.
It's a half hour of audio each day. The key is that you speak out loud. You can do it while cooking or driving, or any other activity that is routine and non-verbal.
They teach you to pronounce phrases very well, and you learn the basic structure of the language. Once you can say "I would like a glass of wine", you can easily learn to say "I would like X".
When I got to Italy, people thought I had been living there for a year.
There are only two things you MUST do:
1. Do a lesson every day. 2. Speak out loud, in a normal conversational tone. The program is teaching you to have conversations.
I love these courses so much that I'm compelled to gush about them whenever language learning is mentioned. They won't make you a native speaker, but you'll quickly reach a level where you can advance rapidly.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#6Another great resource is Pimsleur. I've used their courses to learn Italian and German. It's a half hour of audio each day. The key is that you speak out loud. You can do it while cooking or driving, or any other activity that is routine and non-verbal. They teach you to pronounce phrases very well, and you learn the basic structure of the language. Once you can say "I would like a glass of wine", you can easily lea…
I'm only a few lessons into Pimsleur but it is quite interesting. I understand the concept of speaking out loud, but I hope normal conversational tone is not required! I do these on the bus, which means I can mouth the words and speak in a quiet voice, but talking makes me look like a crazy person!
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#7Another great resource is Pimsleur. I've used their courses to learn Italian and German. It's a half hour of audio each day. The key is that you speak out loud. You can do it while cooking or driving, or any other activity that is routine and non-verbal. They teach you to pronounce phrases very well, and you learn the basic structure of the language. Once you can say "I would like a glass of wine", you can easily lea…
I'll add my endorsement. Pimsleur was the most enjoyable audio learning experience I've had while commuting, because I actually learned something that has kept with me.
They use spaced repetition and native accents. I hear what I should say in my mind when I want to say it instead of trying to think of words on paper I've learned. Of course, it has its limits (you don't learn to read or write), and only gets you the basics of a language, but it really helps you nail them in a way that makes you feel like you're naturally learning a language like a child does.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#8Another great resource is Pimsleur. I've used their courses to learn Italian and German. It's a half hour of audio each day. The key is that you speak out loud. You can do it while cooking or driving, or any other activity that is routine and non-verbal. They teach you to pronounce phrases very well, and you learn the basic structure of the language. Once you can say "I would like a glass of wine", you can easily lea…
I'm only a few lessons into Pimsleur but it is quite interesting. I understand the concept of speaking out loud, but I hope normal conversational tone is not required! I do these on the bus, which means I can mouth the words and speak in a quiet voice, but talking makes me look like a crazy person!
Just get a pair of iPhone earbuds (with a microphone). That way you can pretend to be on the phone.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#9As an American who speaks multiple languages, the thing for me was learning the first. When you learn another language you get a true understand of your own language that other people don't understand who are not bilingual.
After you learn a second language, others get much much easier and the learning curve is much shorter.
Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How
#10Great tips! Another fascinating (Creative Commons-licensed!) framework I have heard about recently is Language Hunters. http://www.languagehunters.org. Their methods involve playing games with native speakers, in person or via Skype. They claim someone can reach fluency in a few months.