[QUOTE=Ast_risk;39002420]I started French on Duolinguo today, and so far I am pretty good at understanding written French. When she speaks, though, oh my God. Pronouncing is hard too. Now I know how the Japanese feel with English.[/QUOTE]
The main problem I have with Duolingo is when you have to write out a sentence read out to you in French, mostly when what they read is plural but you write out a singular answer, or visa versa. It's easy enough when the subject is feminine as "la" and "les" are fairly distinct, but when it's masculine telling if it's plural or not can be a challenge. It's strange that French has all these verb conjugations when it just ends up sounding the same anyway.
[QUOTE=SteveUK;39011426]The main problem I have with Duolingo is when you have to write out a sentence read out to you in French, mostly when what they read is plural but you write out a singular answer, or visa versa. It's easy enough when the subject is feminine as "la" and "les" are fairly distinct, but when it's masculine telling if it's plural or not can be a challenge. It's strange that French has all these verb conjugations when it just ends up sounding the same anyway.[/QUOTE]
There's no easy way to remember, but in conversation it's pretty easy to understand what someone is saying so long as they use the right stems to verbs with [I]some[/I] kind of ending. With imparfait vs futur vs conditionelle it becomes more important, but there are some pretty distinct sounds to listen for there too (EG: J'aimais vs J'aimerais). Things do often end up sounding the same within tenses though lol. That's as far as verb conjugations, but the sound difference between Le and Les is fairly easy. Le sounds like "Luh" while les sounds like "Leh". Until a year ago I didn't distinguish myself, and used the sound "Leh" for both masculine and plural.
[QUOTE='Rain [Amber];38923193']Wow, I started using Duolingo today for German and it is simply superb. Is there another free site like that for Swedish and/or Japanese? The way the lessons etc are done I learn much easier than just reading phrases over myself[/QUOTE]
Someone pls ;-;
[QUOTE='Rain [Amber];39014484']Someone pls ;-;[/QUOTE]
As far as i know? No, sorry. Free online resources are short. For languages less studied, Swedish, and those more difficult to create teaching courses for, Japanese, there are none available. It looks like if you want to learn these languages you'll have to shell out some cash. I'm sorry i can't help such a big poster in the thread. I'll see what i can dig up in the way of free things (supplementary, not complete) and cheap, courses for this.
[editline]29th December 2012[/editline]
I noticed you said you've started using it for German. I wouldn't recommend learning more then one language at once for new learners. Once you progress a bit further into German, say, to a B1 level. I would then give you the thumbs up to learn another language. Although you'd have to finish German before starting another one.
I'm wondering how good people find Duolingo for learning a language from scratch. I've tried to use it to brush up on the rusty finer points of my Spanish having already studied it for a few years, and it's just been frustrating. It's rejected quite a few valid translations (e.g. compañero as "classmate").
[QUOTE=Greenandred;39016743]I'm wondering how good people find Duolingo for learning a language from scratch. I've tried to use it to brush up on the rusty finer points of my Spanish having already studied it for a few years, and it's just been frustrating. It's rejected quite a few valid translations (e.g. compañero as "classmate").[/QUOTE]
You know when you get a question wrong you can submit your answer as a correction?
French people are so badass. They eat dinner with a side of PAIN.
[QUOTE=The Aussie;39015405]As far as i know? No, sorry. Free online resources are short. For languages less studied, Swedish, and those more difficult to create teaching courses for, Japanese, there are none available. It looks like if you want to learn these languages you'll have to shell out some cash. I'm sorry i can't help such a big poster in the thread. I'll see what i can dig up in the way of free things (supplementary, not complete) and cheap, courses for this.
[editline]29th December 2012[/editline]
I noticed you said you've started using it for German. I wouldn't recommend learning more then one language at once for new learners. Once you progress a bit further into German, say, to a B1 level. I would then give you the thumbs up to learn another language. Although you'd have to finish German before starting another one.[/QUOTE]
I think I speak for everyone in the thread when I say I greatly appreciate you taking so much time to make decent replies and find resources <3
[editline]30th December 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=SteveUK;39018803]You know when you get a question wrong you can submit your answer as a correction?[/QUOTE]
Hng, that seems like it could be very helpful or very fucking annoying judging from who is "correcting" things
[QUOTE='Rain [Amber];39024711']
Hng, that seems like it could be very helpful or very fucking annoying judging from who is "correcting" things[/QUOTE]
Submitting a correction doesn't mean it will suddenly be accepted, it's not a wiki. Though that does mean that your answer will still be "wrong" for a while.
[QUOTE=SteveUK;39025000]Submitting a correction doesn't mean it will suddenly be accepted, it's not a wiki. Though that does mean that your answer will still be "wrong" for a while.[/QUOTE]
Oh, that is very cool then
Does anybody else here study Latin? Dead language jokes are allowed.
Rain, the only way i could find is LR. I dug up [url=http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=6188]this[/url] online about it. It's for Japanese. Another person in the thread reckons that they used it to get a high level in German and Swedish too. I was a big fan of LR a few months ago. But now i'm hesitant to recommend it.
LR (Listening Reading method) is sort of a "Holy grail". In a way it is. But i demands persistence, concentration and willpower for many, many hours. I've researched it a length and am very hesitant to try it. If you do end up doing it, please talk to me about it. Here it goes.
The good news:
It's free, entirely free. It's fast as fuck. It doesn't matter what language you're learning. Will get you thinking in that Language fast. Awesome pronunciation, good vocab range. Excellent listening skills.
The bad: You need to pretty much clear your schedule. Success is paired closely with time spent. For the first week of so, you probably need to be spending 5 or more hours a day on it. After that, stuff should start making sense. You can scale back after that. Bring in other sources and such. An hour or two a day. I don't know what will happen if you drop LR completely. Keep the pressure up too. Don't drop off, it'll fuck everything up. The problem is that the "inventor" left the method rather open to interpretation, and left out much to do with important things. Based on her insistence of immersion and exposure, and me being sure at some point she said that you gotta blitz the first few days, i think i may be right.
I found an excellent source for you specifically. [url=http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=6188]This person[/url] has prior experience L-R'ing German and Swedish, and aims to LR Japanese. I can't say i recommend this though. If you have more questions, sign up to How to learn every language, and PM Volte about it. Since the original "inventor" disappeared, he's, from my experience, the one that knows the most about this shit. Also, required reading, yes, the whole thing. [url=http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6366]Here[/url]. It might take you a while to read. The people there are most enthusiastic about languages than i, they don't bite.
[editline]30th December 2012[/editline]
In fact, i just my try LR'ing some German before i start the school year.
[editline]30th December 2012[/editline]
I wonder how good i'd be a French if i didn't spend hours dishing out advice to you guys...
[QUOTE=The Aussie;39026176]I wonder how good i'd be a French if i didn't spend hours dishing out advice to you guys...[/QUOTE]
Why don't you fucking find out?
[QUOTE=The Aussie;39026176]Rain, the only way i could find is LR. I dug up [url=http://forum.koohii.com/viewtopic.php?id=6188]this[/url] online about it. It's for Japanese. Another person in the thread reckons that they used it to get a high level in German and Swedish too. I was a big fan of LR a few months ago. But now i'm hesitant to recommend it.
LR (Listening Reading method) is sort of a "Holy grail". In a way it is. But i demands persistence, concentration and willpower for many, many hours. I've researched it a length and am very hesitant to try it. [b]If you do end up doing it, please talk to me about it.[/b]
[/QUOTE]
Alrighty
My parents bought me Complete Dutch for Christmas. I'm on my way to being a Nederlander speaking Nederlandish in Nederlands :v:
As always, don't recommend relying on that course solely. But, from what i've heard, Teach Yourself! is an excellent series of Language learning books. TY Complete Dutch is, of course, unique. Some courses in programs are weaker then others.
This might help you too Amber. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3y8v0Ftk0Q]Linky Linky[/url].
[editline]31st December 2012[/editline]
You won't get to a B2 level like the site promises though. Low B1 sounds much more likely.
[QUOTE=CMB Unit 01;39028531]My parents bought me Complete Dutch for Christmas. I'm on my way to being a Nederlander speaking Nederlandish in Nederlands :v:[/QUOTE]
Garry heeft mij huis te bouwen verboden. :(
Luister aan 'Wespen op de appeltaart'
[editline]30th December 2012[/editline]
Mijn familie zijn van het Nederlands. Ik mijzelf woon in Engeland.
[QUOTE=Cypher_09;39029410]Garry heeft mij huis te bouwen verboden. :(
Luister aan 'Wespen op de appeltaart'
[editline]30th December 2012[/editline]
Mijn familie zijn van het Nederlands. Ik mijzelf woon in Engeland.[/QUOTE]
Cool.
It's cool being able to get by in English, German, Dutch and Japanese. :)
I've heard listening to audio books/lessons (like Pimsleur lessons or even proper books once you're more advanced) when you sleep or just around the house etc. a lot of the time can "supposedly" help. Any truth to that?
Not when you sleep but even passively listening helps. I listened to Pimsleur chinese on my ipod during my summer job and picked some stuff up.
[QUOTE=The Aussie;39001039]Pimsleur is an excellent program for learning to [i]speak[/i] a language. If you aren't interested in writing or reading, and still want to use other programs to help your learning, i'd recommend giving Michel Thomas a try. Now, be warned, i'm not 100% sure on this. I am aware of the quality of the courses in OTHER languages. Be wary when it comes to Arabic. From what i've heard, the best courses are the ones done by Mr. Thomas himself. Stay away from the new versions and get the ones done by him. He teaches Egyptian Arabic too. Not Levantine or MSA. Buy from eBay if possible, the site is rather expensive. Good Luck! If you can't find an old version. There are other routes to getting it for little to no cost. One of which includes your local library.
For the multitudes of people asking about "Free online resources for -Insert language here-", i can only say that it is rather difficult to find these. They will never take you to a satisfactory level that a paid program would, or they will take you there in an extended amount of time.
Also, Y'all need to vist this site more often!
[url]http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/default.asp[/url]
It's pretty much where i've pulled 99% of my info from. I'm learning all the time, but when someone asks something i don't know, i'll spend the next hour typing up a response for you guys. I spent half an hour on loo's response up there. I'm no expert, in fact, i should probably put more of what i learn into practice! But from the little i've put in so far, i jumped from a mid C to a solid A in a semester, and amazed my teacher, a polygot of 8 languages, because of my rapid speaking progress. I've had my accent complimented by natives too, it makes me pretty happy.[/QUOTE]
How many of them are no longer spoken? Like Sumerian :v:
Fuck learning to write that shit, I don't have any clay around.
[QUOTE='Rain [Amber];39033749']I've heard listening to audio books/lessons (like Pimsleur lessons or even proper books once you're more advanced) when you sleep or just around the house etc. a lot of the time can "supposedly" help. Any truth to that?[/QUOTE]
Nope. 100% false.
[editline]31st December 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=Disseminate;39033775]Not when you sleep but even passively listening helps. I listened to Pimsleur chinese on my ipod during my summer job and picked some stuff up.[/QUOTE]
What he said.
Teehee, was playing Little Inferno today in German and could read half the notes. Best feeling ever :'3
i want to learn russian
Any useful links other than the links in OP?
One thing I would like is to regularly talk (or at least type until I feel confident enough) in French with someone who's a native speaker, or has around the same level of proficiency.
It'll probably help more than the Duolingo robot woman.
[QUOTE=coleguy;39026121]Does anybody else here study Latin? Dead language jokes are allowed.[/QUOTE]
Non.
Etiam, quid volos? Non loquierunt Latine... Et non loquim bene Latine :v:
[QUOTE=SteveUK;39068735]One thing I would like is to regularly talk (or at least type until I feel confident enough) in French with someone who's a native speaker, or has around the same level of proficiency.
It'll probably help more than the Duolingo robot woman.[/QUOTE]
I ran into a French person a while ago on Steam, it was cool talking about cultural differences and how they view different European backgrounds etc.
[QUOTE='Rain [Amber];39073313']I ran into a French person a while ago on Steam, it was cool talking about cultural differences and how they view different European backgrounds etc.[/QUOTE]
yeah, source games are great to find people that speak your target language.
[QUOTE=SteveUK;39068735]One thing I would like is to regularly talk (or at least type until I feel confident enough) in French with someone who's a native speaker, or has around the same level of proficiency.
It'll probably help more than the Duolingo robot woman.[/QUOTE]
Italki is for a long term skype partner. There's plenty of french people to talk with. If you just want to talk to a random french teacher, then Verbling is suited for that. It's chat roulette for language learners.
[editline]3rd January 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=thelurker1234;39074610]yeah, source games are great to find people that speak your target language.[/QUOTE]
Especially russians :v:
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.