Learning a second language

jsmoke

jsmoke

jsmoke

Soldato
Joined
17 Jun 2012
Posts
11,259
Is it just me or would others struggle with learning a second language, most mainland Europeans it seems can speak varying degrees of English and most seem to speak it very well. I think it would all just be gobbledygook to me no matter how much I practiced. I think because us British have never really been expected to ever learn any other language that our brains just refuse to process that kind of thinking.
 
It's not exactly difficult, we had the option to learn 3 other languages at our school when choosing subjects.

Languages aren't difficult to learn, it just of course, takes time.
 
Last edited:
it's easier in a way for Europeans because they are more likely to hear English phrases in their ordinary life, will want to listen to american music or watch american films without dubbing.

But it's no easier for them, they just have more of a reason to.
 
jsmoke said:
Is it just me or would others struggle with learning a second language, most mainland Europeans it seems can speak varying degrees of English and most seem to speak it very well. I think it would all just be gobbledygook to me no matter how much I practiced. I think because us British have never really been expected to ever learn any other language that our brains just refuse to process that kind of thinking.
Click to expand...

Es very facil aprender otro idioma.
 
if you want to learn new language , you should use that language constantly in your normal life. I had just little bit English when i came united states. But now , i can speak two languages as my main language.
 
Telescopi said:
it's easier in a way for Europeans because they are more likely to hear English phrases in their ordinary life, will want to listen to american music or watch american films without dubbing.

But it's no easier for them, they just have more of a reason to.
Click to expand...

This. If most of the TV you watch is in English then you're always learning it and some of it is going to sink in.
 
Considering learning Polish. There's a lot of poles in the area, and i know some who will let me practice my likely god-awful pronunciation on them to get it right, so it seems to make sense. :D
 
If you're genuinely interested in the language and the natives who speak it you'll enjoy learning and because you're enjoying it the results will come quicker.

I went to a language school a couple of times a week to learn Danish (in Denmark) and started to really pick it up after a couple of months. To make quicker progress I asked my work mates to speak to me in Danish as much as possible. I've never been able to learn things instantly but had to rely on persistence and bloody-mindedness to get through. I wanted to learn and so I did.

I've forgotten almost everything now that I picked up and I regret I didn't carry on learning the language when I moved back to the UK.
 
I wish someone had told my French teacher at school that we weren't really expected to learn another language ... would have made my life there a lot easier ...

To learn another language you need to be willing to put the work in but you also need to have a reason to want to learn it otherwise you'll be unlikely to keep putting the effort in. That reason could be that you want to learn it to help you in business (probably why a lot of people from other countries learn English) or because of a hobby or interest you have ...
 
i remember doing french, english, german, spanish all at school :P forgot all of the foreign ones now though haha - know enough to ask for directions, order food and drink and ask for the toilet in each now lol! 4 years out of school, wow!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom