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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

#31

Post by shuzchen »

eric_bullington wrote: post #24
freehunter wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I lived in Germany for just under a year. My great-grandparents spoke nothing but German, and my grandparents were about 50-50. Even being steeped in German my whole life and living there for a year, I only passed the B2 level test after I got back from Germany. Today, I could probably pass the A2, just because I don't know anyone anymore who I can speak German with at any deep level. C1 in 5 months without liv…

See my response, but I think it's possible. When I first saw this post, my first instinct as a professional (and nationally-certified) translator and polyglot (fluent in 4 languages at some point of my life) was to brush it off. But I see he places appropriate emphasis on vocabulary acquisition, which many language learners fail to do. It's possible, at the very least. I did this in about 4-5 months at age 17 while l…

I agree with the parents that doubt the veracity of these claims. There is so much more to a language than just vocabulary and grammar that I can't imagine anybody picking up on their own in 4-5 months. For example, in Japanese, there are many levels of formality that affect the vocabulary you select as well as the way you say something. And it's not just a matter of using one level with a particular person, how formal you are is very dynamic, and can change back and forth in the same conversation. Also, it's pretty much impossible to reach a native level productiveness of giseigo and giongo (different types of mimetic words) without being born and raised there.

However, if you're a language maven, then I can see how you can obtain high fluency in a short amount of time (although even the mavens I came across had issue with giseigo/giongo production, figure that out). But don't assume the same technique a maven uses will apply to your everyday person. I've studied Japanese for going on 14 years now (8 of those years being intense study: masters program, study abroad) and the more that I learn the more that I realize that I don't know.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#32

Post by pavel_lishin »

keiferski wrote: post #8
nik_0_0 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Then, instead of a crazy person, you look like an asshole.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#33

Post by surferoso »

downvote me please, but why is this on HN? I am currently learning Swedish just because we moved here for work, but English is the language we ALL speak at work, no matter where we come from. most HNers would need to learn a language if they get a job overseas for daily survival outside of work, @ work I bet 100% will be speaking English.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#35

Post by Scaevolus »

countersixte wrote: post #28

http://www.memrise.com is another spaced repetition alternative to Anki. You'd need another tool to practice your grammar, but for vocab alone it works great.

Memorizing vocab in that way is less efficient than SRSing whole sentences, where you get semantics, contexts, and grammar at the same time.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#36

Post by _pferreir_ »

acqq wrote: post #16

I just don't believe his claim: "C1 fluency in French in about 5 months" if he started from 0 unless he didn't do anything but learning the language in the target country. C1 is a damn high fluency: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Re... "Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvi…

I totally agree. 5 years living in France would be already very difficult, 5 months is just impossible. Unless OP has a special gift for languages, in which case the whole post about the method becomes irrelevant.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#37

Post by mdaniel »

surferoso wrote: post #33

downvote me please, but why is this on HN? I am currently learning Swedish just because we moved here for work, but English is the language we ALL speak at work, no matter where we come from. most HNers would need to learn a language if they get a job overseas for daily survival outside of work, @ work I bet 100% will be speaking English.

My guess is because it falls under the topic of "brain hacking".

Plus, I hear your point about pragmatics, but I am also appreciative of the exercise of learning the language as part of expanding ones horizons. "Walk a mile in his shoes" kind of deal, which only gets lip service unless one has actually needed to switch mental, cultural and linguistic contexts.

I also honestly think that more Americans are not bilingual (or perhaps even interested in such a thing) because of the lack of opportunity to use that skill.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#38

Post by pavel_lishin »

brucejaywallace wrote: post #14
mtjl79 wrote: post #9

As 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.

I also noticed this....it also gets easier depending on the language.... I'm learning Spanish right now, and for example, Portuguese and Italian can at times be very similar

I learned a fair bit of Spanish in high school, already knowing English and Russian. A lot of the language constructs were similar to Russian, so they just clicked easily in my mind.

Lost most of it by now, of course. I can call a guy an asshole, and I can buy him a beer, but the bit in the middle where I apologize - that, I can't do :P

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#39

Post by acqq »

eric_bullington wrote: post #24
freehunter wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I lived in Germany for just under a year. My great-grandparents spoke nothing but German, and my grandparents were about 50-50. Even being steeped in German my whole life and living there for a year, I only passed the B2 level test after I got back from Germany. Today, I could probably pass the A2, just because I don't know anyone anymore who I can speak German with at any deep level. C1 in 5 months without liv…

See my response, but I think it's possible. When I first saw this post, my first instinct as a professional (and nationally-certified) translator and polyglot (fluent in 4 languages at some point of my life) was to brush it off. But I see he places appropriate emphasis on vocabulary acquisition, which many language learners fail to do. It's possible, at the very least. I did this in about 4-5 months at age 17 while l…

I think you're a good counter-example for what you claim. You knew the basics before -- how much was this "basics"? Couldn't it be at least four years of foreign language classes in school?

Second, you were 17. Third, you were fully immersed in the country of native speakers, probably spending all the time in language learning. Fourth, you say you were evaluated to be very talented for learning languages, do you know where you were at this curve (were you in the top 1% or so)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_deviation

Fifth, which exactly diploma did you get then? If you were accepted to the French university, I believe you passed B2 and not C1.

Please do be more precise, I'd really like to know the truth.

Re: I Learned to Speak Four Languages in a Few Years: Here’s How

#40

Post by _pferreir_ »

eric_bullington wrote: post #24
freehunter wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I lived in Germany for just under a year. My great-grandparents spoke nothing but German, and my grandparents were about 50-50. Even being steeped in German my whole life and living there for a year, I only passed the B2 level test after I got back from Germany. Today, I could probably pass the A2, just because I don't know anyone anymore who I can speak German with at any deep level. C1 in 5 months without liv…

See my response, but I think it's possible. When I first saw this post, my first instinct as a professional (and nationally-certified) translator and polyglot (fluent in 4 languages at some point of my life) was to brush it off. But I see he places appropriate emphasis on vocabulary acquisition, which many language learners fail to do. It's possible, at the very least. I did this in about 4-5 months at age 17 while l…

It doesn't cost me to believe that (if you are good and dedicate a lot of time to it) you can get to B1 or B2 in 4-5 months. C1 is a completely different story though. I work for an international organization and people around here are naturally predisposed to learn new languages. It's amazing to see how much you can learn from native speakers, however C1 would require many more hours of interaction than 5 months can provide.
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