How To Learn A Second Language, Ideas, Thoughts On Which To Learn?
by Bubblegum Apotheosis 5 Replies latest jw friends
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cedars
It depends on each person individually. I personally find it really hard to grasp other languages. Even though I have a compelling reason to become fluent in one language in particular, I'm making painfully slow progress. Therefore, if you're anything like me, you would need a seriously good motive to learn the language in the first place in order to see it through. It isn't simply a case of "pick a language, any language".
That said, if I ever have children I would urge them to learn a language at a very early age. I feel this is something I should have taken more seriously myself as a youngster - becoming bilingual. If you get your child to learn more than just their native language, you are equipping them with something that will never lose its value for the rest of their lives. There is ALWAYS a demand for translators, and if they find themselves unemployed for any reason, they always have translation work to fall back on.
Cedars
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talesin
French and German are easier if English is your first language. I learned a bit of Chinese (Cantones), which was fun, but I would think be best with a tutor. Perhaps you could arrange an exchange with a first-generation person who wants to improve their English skills. I did this with a Lebanese woman once. She was already fluent in Arabic (farsi?) and French, and had studied English. So she taught me Arab cooking, and we conversed in English. It was a lot of fun, and a great barter.
tal
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Bubblegum Apotheosis
@talespin, I like the idea of learning from a tutor, I attended a foreign language congregation in Santa Maria for one day. Publishers who had been studying the language for two years, were still unable to make simple sentences, and commented in English.
This turned me off from attempting to learn this particular language, too many people could not communicate in this tongue, this problem plagued even some of the married brothers, whose wives who spoke the language! :(
@cedars: Your Blog at "Freeminds" is awesome, you have a gift with the pen, Dogpatch is another great writer there too, he raises the bar pretty high with his ability. It's nice to write with people of a high caliber, you two must have a blast there!
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soft+gentle
bubblegum, the Routledge Colloquial language learning series are awsome. And if you add a self help grammar book too, you will make even more progress.