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French study or Italian ’going native’ | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Advice Center |  | |
| cezah Newbie Belgium Joined 5700 days ago 19 posts - 21 votes Studies: French, Italian | Message 1 of 8 20 October 2008 at 11:15am | IP Logged | ||
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Hello,
I live and work in Brussels and am studying hard trying to learn French (still beginner), I'm finding it particularly dificult to hear the language. Anyway my grilfriend here is Italian but Im holding out on trying to learn Italian (even though I know I can hear it better and would be easier for me to learn as I would be living with a native speaker). I know that the 'golden rule' is to learn one language at a time, particulalrly two languages as similar as Italian and French. I spend about 4 evenings a week at French classes, and then my spare time on French vocab etc. Do you reckon that I could cut back on the French and spend more time on Italian and develop both languages at the same time 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| ExtraLean Triglot Senior Member France languagelearners.myf Joined 5805 days ago 897 posts - 880 votes  Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: German | Message 2 of 8 20 October 2008 at 2:18pm | IP Logged | ||
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I reckon so. There's nothing stopping you. If it starts to become hard to keep them separated make a choice then. But there is no reason why you can't whisper sweet nothings into your girlfriends ear, in both languages ;).
Thom. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Sennin Senior Member Bulgaria Joined 5845 days ago 1457 posts - 1759 votes 5 sounds | Message 3 of 8 20 October 2008 at 2:47pm | IP Logged | ||
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If you ask me, just continue your French studies. It may seem harder to understand in the beginning, because of the slurred pronunciation, but you will overcome this.
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| TheElvenLord Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5891 days ago 915 posts - 927 votes 1 sounds Speaks: Cornish, English* Studies: Spanish, French, German Studies: Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 4 of 8 21 October 2008 at 4:42am | IP Logged | ||
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I find it VERY difficult to learn one language at a time. I think that I will always be learning 2 languages or more or none!
TEL 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cezah Newbie Belgium Joined 5700 days ago 19 posts - 21 votes Studies: French, Italian | Message 5 of 8 21 October 2008 at 4:52am | IP Logged | ||
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I guess I should stick to the French; its very tempting to start on the Italian though, it sounds so much more accessible to the ear. Perhaps I shall be learning patience as well as a language.
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| Leopejo Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Italy Joined 5920 days ago 675 posts - 724 votes Speaks: Italian*, Finnish*, English Studies: French, Russian | Message 6 of 8 21 October 2008 at 6:09am | IP Logged | ||
I am... biased, but you could also try Italian out. Then, if and only if you find it to be too confusing, nothing stops you from returning to full-time French only. As a native speaker myself, it is difficult for me to know, but my impression is that French and Italian are much less mutually confusing than Spanish and Italian. If your French reading ability is better than your listening, you could also try, for example, Assimil: L'italien sans peine or some other Italian course for French speakers. You'd be able to see the differences by yourself on the parallel texts, and their notes probably point out the confusing elements. That said, I am in a similar situation, but am not brave enough to start the potentially confusing second language... :-D 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Topsiderunner Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6729 days ago 215 posts - 218 votes Speaks: English*, French Studies: Italian, Arabic (Written) | Message 7 of 8 21 October 2008 at 6:50am | IP Logged | ||
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Go for it! Only you'll know if you have the time and dedication to study both. French and Italian are close enough to be self-reinforcing but different enough so that it's rare that you will mix up words.
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| FrancescoP Octoglot Senior Member Italy Joined 5761 days ago 169 posts - 258 votes Speaks: Italian*, French, English, German, Latin, Ancient Greek, Russian, Norwegian Studies: Georgian, Japanese, Croatian, Greek | Message 8 of 8 21 October 2008 at 7:33am | IP Logged | ||
Word, I just can't get enough! But it takes a certain experience. Unless you're familiar with your limits and know the way your mind works the risk is ending up in a big mess. So let it be French, perhaps with a little passive exposure to Italian on top of it, given the... hem... favourable circumstances 1 person has voted this message useful |
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