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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| jsg Diglot Newbie Canada Joined 4499 days ago 30 posts - 59 votes  Speaks: English*, Mandarin Studies: French | Message 1 of 3 25 July 2012 at 2:47pm | IP Logged |
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Hello everyone, my name is James, and I'm a Languaholic.
Growing up in Canada, I was unfortunate enough to have the French language forced upon me beginning at about Grade 3 in 1981. At first I really enjoyed French but a string of very poor teachers turned my vague interest in French into a blinding hatred by the time I entered high school. Not only did this completely ruin French for me, but also left me with the false idea that I hated foreign langages and that as a language learner I was hopelessly bereft of talent. Fastforward twenty-two years to the summer of 2011. I was watching TV when a commercial for Rosetta Stone appears on screen. I was only very slightly interested until this caucasian, blonde woman suddenly annouces, "Xianzai wo hui shuo Guoyu -- Now I speak Mandarin!" Not that I could make any of that out at the time. Since then I've also learn her pronunciation wasn't that good either. Anyway, I have always had a great love for martial-arts films and have always found the Mandarin language to be beautiful and musical but also hard and war-like, if that makes sense, and when my wife who was sitting next to me at the time said, "I've always liked the sound of Mandarin," it got me thinking. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I had a deep desire to be able to understand, and that thinking ignited a fire inside to learn. Then I started researching online what methods were available to begin learning Mandarin. I discovered Michel Thomas Mandarin on Amazon and read a lot of favourable reviews that persuaded me to take the plunge and try it. Of course I loved it. In spite of a number of things that bothered me about it, it was the perfect introduction for a complete beginner. After I completed that I ordered Pimsleur Mandarin 1-3 and finshed those and loved them. Finally I learned of the FSI program and have been working through that. I've consumed about 50% of that program now, and still going strong. I'm thinking of trying Assimil as well since I've heard a lot of good about it in general, but I don't know if the Mandarin in particular is very good, I'll need to research that. I've recently learned that I can understand quite a bit of what I hear watching Mandarin TV and movies. Not so much of the topic specific terms of course, but quite a lot of the chit-chat. Enough that I can get the broad strokes of what's happening when I'm watching a movie. I find the Mandarin soaps are the easiest to understand and so I've fallen in love with them. I would never dream of watching a soap in English hahaha. This adventure in Mandarin has also opened my eyes and ears to a growing love for languages in general. And my succeess with this allegedly "hard" language has begun to build into a confidence that I could possibly learn other languages too. Now I'm planning to try my hand (mind) at Italian this coming winter using Assimil after I have completed the rest of FSI Mandarin. I have a funny feeling that I will be successful at this as well. Maybe all this time I've actually had an affinity for language? Maybe the educational system of my youth jilted me? I do know for sure that I feel a profound sadness for all those wasted years. I guess that's all for now, I just wanted to get down some information about myself and break the ice with all of you. Thank you for reading. I suppose I should add that I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to approach this journal or what form it will take, I will leave that for future days. Edited by jsg on 25 July 2012 at 11:08pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| KayJane Newbie United States Joined 4510 days ago 21 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Persian | Message 2 of 3 25 July 2012 at 4:32pm | IP Logged |
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Hello, James!
I would have to agree with you when it comes to foreign language education. Thankfully, you were able to discover an affinity for language learning, though. Good luck in your studies! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| nuriayasmin70 Diglot Senior Member Germany languagesandbeyoRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4513 days ago 132 posts - 162 votes Speaks: German*, English Studies: SpanishB1, Portuguese, Czech, Hungarian | Message 3 of 3 25 July 2012 at 6:17pm | IP Logged |
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At school I also disliked French because of the teachers but I liked English and developped an interest in languages quite early. Funnily my daughter likes French more than English and it has little to do with the teachers. So good luck with your further language studies.
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