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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Scoobs Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5449 days ago 27 posts - 31 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Persian | Message 1 of 14 29 November 2010 at 8:51pm | IP Logged | ||
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I've been reading through some of the posts about teaching languages and there's advice on how to teach/how to learn. It's bugging me now because my methods are starting to seem pointless.
For me, I need grammar to be able to read, but I get so boggled down with it that it detracts from the effectiveness of reading, same with vocabulary. So if you don't learn by learning grammar rules, or by learning vocabulary, or by learning vocab in lists, or in context, then how do you learn? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Mountain Goat Diglot Newbie Denmark Joined 5152 days ago 10 posts - 15 votes Speaks: Danish*, English Studies: Pashto Studies: Urdu | Message 2 of 14 29 November 2010 at 9:30pm | IP Logged | ||
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You learn by a combination of the things you listed. Do you have a good, comprehensive "Teach yourself [Target language]" book? Have you gone through it? Have you downloaded an SRS program or are you using another method for vocab learning?
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| Impiegato Triglot Senior Member Sweden bsntranslation. Joined 5219 days ago 100 posts - 145 votes  Speaks: Swedish*, English, Italian Studies: Spanish, French, Russian | Message 3 of 14 29 November 2010 at 11:59pm | IP Logged | ||
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I learn primarily by studying grammatics, watching movies, reading books and looking at vocabulary lists, so it is kind of the traditional way of language learning. I also try to go to the countries in which the language is spoken as often as I can. I have never taken a course online so far. Those of you who have learned the language online, what do you think of that learning method compared to conventional ones? Talking to native speakers is also good of course, even if it is in your own country. Edited by Impiegato on 29 November 2010 at 11:59pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| BTom Diglot Newbie United States findalanguageteacher Joined 4961 days ago 10 posts - 12 votes Speaks: Hungarian*, English Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, Swahili | Message 4 of 14 30 November 2010 at 5:16am | IP Logged | ||
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Different methods work for different people.
I met people who enjoy learning from books, and others who just dive into the conversation, preferably in a foreign country. It also depends on what's available, if you have the time and money to travel, etc. I believe that the internet has opened many new options, people are willing to chat and teach online, and there are many sites which promote it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Scoobs Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5449 days ago 27 posts - 31 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Persian | Message 5 of 14 30 November 2010 at 5:43pm | IP Logged | ||
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I've recently got a Teach Yourself Complete Spanish, but I've been doubting its usefulness because well, it is kind of 'phrasebooky' as some may say. I just seem to spend most of the time looking for resources as well:\ I've been trying to supplement my learning by reading harry potter 1 in Spanish, but I'm having to look up literally every word, and then check the English version for the actual meaning.
I just don't think I've learned anything in the 6 months I've been studying. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| arturs Triglot Senior Member Latvia Joined 5057 days ago 278 posts - 408 votes Speaks: Latvian*, Russian, English | Message 6 of 14 30 November 2010 at 6:23pm | IP Logged | ||
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My so called regular learning routine (the one where I actually at home sit and learn a specific language) looks like this:
1. Doing one chapter of Teach Yourself of the target language (or other similar course, like Assimil, which I will be using for Japanese starting from January) - this takes me about 40-50 minutes with my method of learning with Teach Yourself. 40 minutes for European languages such as Swedish, Dutch and Danish, 50 minutes and more for Arabic. An overview of Teach Yourself routine is here 2. Doing phrasebook drills - If I have the audio it's even better. Some could call this useless, but it fits my learning style at the same time those are phrases and not boring vocabulary. This takes about 10-15 minutes. 3. Then I go through the same chapter of TYS by reading only the dialogues aloud. 5 minutes maximum. 4. The next part is grammar stuff. I don't like the "learning only grammar" concept, but I do think grammar is still important and you should incorporate a little bit of grammar once in a while, but not overdo it. 5. Listening to dialogues of the TYS chapter - each dialogue 4-5 times. I also learn languages with audio materials on my way to university and back home - for example one unit of Pimsleur on the way to uni and the same unit when I'm going back home. So that means that I listen to the same unit twice a day and I know it very well. Edited by arturs on 30 November 2010 at 6:24pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Mountain Goat Diglot Newbie Denmark Joined 5152 days ago 10 posts - 15 votes Speaks: Danish*, English Studies: Pashto Studies: Urdu | Message 7 of 14 30 November 2010 at 9:06pm | IP Logged | ||
Listen, Spanish has an enormous amount of material available so you'll need to limit yourself at one point. Spanish is a very popular language so there will be tons of suggestions about good Teach Yourself books, and of course there is the FSI course that everyone is recommending. So, find a resource that covers all the grammar and has a basic vocabulary of around 1000 words. It's also a plus if it's entertaining and easy to read (unless of course you're a grammar nerd). Once you've gotten hold of a GOOD resource from which to learn from, you should go through it. Make a goal for each day. If you have a lot of time available, do a lesson a day. If you don't have time just do less. As long as you do a bit every day. You don't have to understand all the grammar, the point of the first read through is just to get an overview of the language and build a basic vocabulary of around 1000 words. Remember, going back and forth in the book is not illegal. If it's a good book you'll WANT to go back in order to look up grammar and other stuff you've forgotten. Once you've gone through it once, you'll have an overview and know where to look when the need arises. There are many methods for building your vocabulary. You should find one that suits you, but I recommend you try out SRS. Download Anki and start building a Spanish deck. Every time you find a word you don't know, add it to the deck. You can also add basic phrases that you find important. Again, your learning material will contain good basic vocabulary and phrases that you can add to Anki as you go through it. In fact, since Spanish is so popular I'm sure somebody else has already created a Spanish-English deck. You can download it and improve on it if you don't feel like starting from scratch. If you review your Anki deck every day you should acquire the vocabulary over time. If you don't like SRS, you should try out some of the other methods listed on the forum. Anki works very well for me though. Once you've gone through your learning source you should've acquired a good basic vocabulary. Then it's time for reading. Find something that interests you and start reading. Anything that interests you is good (Harry Potter is fine). Remember, every time you find a word you don't understand, look it up and type it into Anki. That way it will pop up in your reviewing sessions and you won't forget it. At first it will be really tough, there will be many words that you don't know. It will gradually get better though as you recognize words from before. You should also look the grammar up every now and then, but don't get too bugged down with it. IMO it runs you dry (Unless you're one of those that love grammar :-)). I refuse to believe that you have learned nothing during the past 6 months. If you've been reading Harry Potter and looking up words, as you say you've done, you must have acquired a LOT of words. Once you've got a basic vocab down and know some sentences you should also start speaking to people. Again, Spanish is a very popular language so finding people to talk and practice with shouldn't be a problem. Hope this helps. ;) EDIT: Also, listen to Spanish music and watch Spanish TV and movies. Spanish has such a huge amount of material it's not even funny. Finding something you like with English subtitles shouldn't be a problem. Edited by Mountain Goat on 30 November 2010 at 9:11pm 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Splog Diglot Senior Member Czech Republic anthonylauder.c Joined 5455 days ago 1062 posts - 3263 votes Speaks: English*, Czech Studies: Mandarin | Message 8 of 14 30 November 2010 at 10:19pm | IP Logged | ||
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I certainly have specific techniques I employ, and these are well documented in my
posts here, and particularly in my videos. Standing back, though, and looking at the big picture, the main thing I have learned is that: Reading a lot makes you good at reading. Listening a lot makes you good at listening. Writing a lot makes you good at writing. Speaking a lot makes you good at speaking. They do have some influence on each other, of course, but overall, if you want to become good at all four skills you have to do a lot of all four things. Edited by Splog on 30 November 2010 at 10:20pm 10 persons have voted this message useful |
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