Trying to learn different languages... on my own :/

[Dark_Angel]

Well, I have decided to take it upon myself to learn a variety of foreign languages. I have decided to start with German (please dont ask me why, truthfully I have no real clue why that one first) but finding it a tad tough. I have heard that once you break thru the barrier of your brain remembering that there is different words floating about in there that mean "no" for example, then it becomes easier... so after you learn a bit of one language, learning more of that language and then others becomes easier. Is this remotely true?

At the moment I grabbed a couple of audio CD's with German basics, and have to admit so far it seems kind of fun. Anyone have any tips?

 

[Dark_Angel]

At the moment I am thinking of learning the basics, and then maybe searching around some forums for a German person to speak with using voice on MSN for example. Perhaps that way he/she could learn a little English and I could learn some German.

I have to admit, I have long had an interest in other languages but just recently something has just made me start. I never expect to be perfect in it, but I would love to be able to hold a conversation with someone from a different country. If I ever decided to go traveling I would so much prefer to speak their own language

 

[Dark_Angel]

Pimsleur - easily the best way to learn.
I started the first five lessons of the Italian course and I can still remember everything after 4 months because the Pimsleur is easy.

They are who I am using currently. I just listened to lesson 1... the very basics. Pretty much the lesson revolved around asking a German woman if she spoke English, and she said no, and asked if you spoke any German.

I was thinking of actually leaving the whole conversation on repeat when I go to bed. I have heard that it helps if you hear it when you are sleeping. Or is that a lot of rubbish?

*edit* awww... I didnt realize I had 666

 

[Dark_Angel]

Learning another language will always make it easier for other languages. Personally doing Latin at school was a great help for learning languages. I'm quite fortunate with having been brought up on more than 1 language so I tend to find picking up languages fairly easy.

The important thing is understanding the language, and most importantly the grammar. Once you've mastered that, it's just a question of vocabulary - and that just comes with practice. My grammar in 3/4 languages is pretty good, I just need more vocab and more practice... but it's not getting any better over time unfortunately

Big thumbs up from me though for taking the time and effort to learn another language.

I have been reading a few message boards (well, I was last night) and have to admit that its very addictive to learn a different language. At the moment I am finding that if I have trouble remembering the words until I heard them spoken in German, and then bang, it floods back to me without having to be told the meaning. Hence the reason that currently I am walking around my house randomly greeting people that arent there in German :/

I have started to use language tools in google to type in the odd word to, for example hello and other one word things, and then make notes of them in note pad alt and tabbing to them every so often so that it sinks in.

I was thinking of watching some multi language films to, and setting it to German. Maybe that will increase my understanding as I get to see when words are used and under what levels of stress and so on in the voice.

Thanks for the words of encouragment people