learning a second language

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:02 pm

I constantly find myself with a spare hour or so these days with nothing to do. I could play more guitar but i think a little restraint is a good thing, i've lived and breathed it for 3 years so ai need a little variety.

Anyway twidling you thumbs in a Uni room is really boring so I'm thinking of putting the time to good use by learning another language. Specificaly i want to re-learn German, i learnt it years ago at school but my vocabulary has slowly been dissolving over time. I'd like to re-learn it. Not fluently but just enough to get by if i ever find myself surrounded by Germans.

I was going to get a book/cd thing to help me but there are simply loads on the market, can anyone recomend a particular line of books or publisher etc.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:08 pm

P.S. if this goes well i might try to learn the basics of another language, im thinking bulgarian since i constantly find myself working with bulgarians lately.

As an open question to everyone:

"What language would you like to learn, or have you always wanted to learn?"

NicDots · Post by **NicDots** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:33 pm

My family is a family of polyglots. I think between my brother, my mother and my father, there must be at 17-20 languages spoken and I mean pretty much fluently. My dad is one of those Europeans that know a dozen languages fluently. My grandparents were the same. My mom knows Mandarin, Japanese and Korean in addition to English. My brother, who is studying to be a minster, knows all the dead languages like Hebrew, Greek, and Latin...he's working on his Farsi and Arabic now.
Me? I know smatterings of lots of languages because of my family, but nothing really substantial. I think what I know the most of is Spanish (simply because I'm surrounded by Mexicans), German, Korean and Mandarin. By "smatterings" I mean I can order food, ask people how they are, and ask where the bathroom is.

Post by **Trigger** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:34 pm

Great idea, I did A-level Arabic a few years ago. I chose it because it helped with my interest in Arab history.

Stewie · Post by **Stewie** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:41 pm

Rice, I just started this year with learning German at school, I have it one hour a week. But German is very easy for the Dutch's, because the words are similar

I already know Dutch, French, English and Latin.. I am now learning German, and in 2 years I will learn Spanish. These languages are all being teached at school.

Paul Wolfe · Post by **Paul Wolfe** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:04 pm

I'd like to learn Spanish (the Mexican equivalent) because so many folks in hotel work (my job) speak Spanish and it'd be very helpful to be able to communicate directly with my co-workers.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:15 am

xx123456

siro_angel · Post by **siro_angel** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:58 am

Alex wrote:I speak English and Swedish fluently, and can make myself understood in German. I would like to learn Mandarin or Japanese one day. I am very fascinated by those two cultures, and the people. Not huge on the food though.

lesson one in japanese:

Ta Ga Chi = Tractor

Domo Arrigoto = Thank you a lot

Hai = Yes

Iie = No

Kono ama = You bitch

aishite imasu = I love you

There ya go.. some japanese for you Alex

Simon

Sarab · Post by **Sarab** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:07 am

I knew about Domo Arrigoto meant; heard it on Styx's song Mr. Roboto!
I took French in high school, but retained very little. I probably can speak it again, if I were refreshed. I'd like to learn Spanish as well, as I have quite a few friends who speak it, and like to talk to them in Spanish as well as English. I'd also want to learn Greek, as my best friend is Greek, and she only taught me a few words. I'd like to one day surprise her mom, and have a conversation in Greek.
When she would talk to my friend and I, it was sometimes in Greek. I'd give some sort of answer, and she would have a shocked look on her face, as she remembered I didn't understand a word she said.
What was weird, is that it was an answer that corresponded to the question! [/i]

Post by **Trigger** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:40 pm

I was working for an Italian couple this week they were both retired, I asked them if they have many Italian friends because when I got to the local Italian restaurants they have a great community feeling.....drinking eating dancing etc!
They said, Why would we want to hang around with them? they are all bastards they can't govern themselves and Italy is full of gangsters they are ignorant stupid arses!

I guess I won't bother learning Italian!

I will take what they had to say as a warning, I will stick to Arabic.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:21 pm

xx123456

siro_angel · Post by **siro_angel** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:24 pm

Alex wrote:
siro_angel wrote:There ya go.. some japanese for you Alex
Konichiwa, Simon-san.

Domo arigato!

Dou-itashimashite

Simon

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:04 pm

Trigger wrote:I was working for an Italian couple this week they were both retired, I asked them if they have many Italian friends because when I got to the local Italian restaurants they have a great community feeling.....drinking eating dancing etc!
They said, Why would we want to hang around with them? they are all bastards they can't govern themselves and Italy is full of gangsters they are ignorant stupid arses!

I guess I won't bother learning Italian! I will take what they had to say as a warning, I will stick to Arabic.

i can imagine that kind of response, coincidentaly though i think italians are probably the nicest people i have ever met

so how good is your arabic? i mean could you have much of a converstation etc.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:12 pm

Stewie wrote:Rice, I just started this year with learning German at school, I have it one hour a week. But German is very easy for the Dutch's, because the words are similar

I already know Dutch, French, English and Latin.. I am now learning German, and in 2 years I will learn Spanish. These languages are all being teached at school.

Wow, they like languages in Belgium evidently

When i was learning German years ago i found it fairly easy, its similar to english in a lot of ways too, the problem i think most english people have with foreign languages is that they normaly involve the masculine/feminine thing (which i find kinda bizzare

) and the sentance structure takes a little getting used to. If the structure was just like english i think i would have no problem speaking fluent german.

My German used to be pretty good but "use it or loose it!" lack of practice has rendered me incapable of anything beyond useless rambling...

Ich habe mein hose verloren! Does that even make sense

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 3:14 am

xx123456