Learning a new language

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

What languages can you speak and what languages would you like to learn?

I took Latin, Spanish, and German in high school. I don't remember any Latin or Spanish but if I had a few weeks to brush up on my German I could at least make small talk if I went there.

I'd like to learn Finnish and Japanese. These are both places I'd like to visit someday.

Welche Sprachen möchten Sie lernen?

[Fynn]

I’m a Polish-English bilingual. My third strongest language is German - my MA program was actually English and German translations, but I haven’t used it in a couple years now. Karifean can attest how rusty I’ve gotten :p

I also briefly took Spanish during high school but have done nothing with it so it’s pretty much like I never studied it, and I took a year of Japanese philology at university. I can read kana well and can remember quite a lot of vocab and grammar, but kanji were a nightmare and I’m doing my best to repress that memory.

As for which I’d like to learn? Lots, honestly. I’d like to seriously try Japanese again, French seems nice, and Russian is another language that fascinates me. That’s just to name a few.

[WarZidane]

Since I'm from the Netherlands, Dutch and English are my two primary languages for obvious reasons.

I know a bit of German, enough to get by, thanks to a mixture of high school, some similarities between our languages and the fact the German border is about 40 minutes away.

And lastly I have some minor knowledge of Japanese through self-studying using interwebs materials. Similar to Fynn, I can read kana and know a decent bit of vocab and a tiny bit of grammar. Kanji however is the brick wall in my path until I can find an actual teacher because self-studying just wasn't working out for me with kanji.

I'd like to learn more Japanese. Beyond that I'm okay with not knowing more languages. :p

[katsuki_]

I would like to learn Japanese so I can play lots of JRPG imports! ^.^

Also would like to learn Italian so I can visit Italy and exist on my own and not as a helpless tourist.

[ham]

I speak English and Vietnamese. I'd like to improve my Vietnamese so I can learn more about my own culture. I'd also like to learn how to speak Japanese so I can read recipes and talk to chefs who frequently cook all types of Japanese food.

[maybee]

わたしラーニングジャパニーズ.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

わたしラーニングジャパニーズ.

しかし、それをタイプするために翻訳者を使いましたか？

[maybee]

Sort of? I used a Japanese dictionary and an online translator. I'm also watching a YT series on learning Japanese.


ことにすると.

The website says that this means "maybe, possibly " is that correct?

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

I have no idea lol

I used a translator to ask if you used a translator

Fluent In Any Language TM

[Vincent, Thunder God]

I was supposed to learn French as a Canadian - did many early courses in school in French but dropped it fairly early on - I can still pick up some words and my pronunciation is still OK but I probably wouldn't be too fluent reading text and the Quebecois speak way too fast for me. The rest of my family is super-bilingual though so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage sometimes.

Like others have said I'm also currently trying to learn Japanese - just started on hiranga with a free online course but I'm dreading the kanji eventually.

When it comes to reading books from different languages I read the translated versions but it's fascinating to see the difference in language even in English when you read books from different countries (especially if it's from an older era). I've read a bit of In Search of Lost Time and also Kafka - currently starting a book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez as well - you can definitely tell by the words used and flow of the language when it's a translation.

Also fascinating to see how different languages evolved with different sets of logic. I'm already getting mixed up with hiranga because the symbols can be very similar for very different syllable/vowel sounds. I should learn more about the history of why the symbols evolved the way they did - I think they were based on Chinese symbols originally from what I've read. Mostly I just want basic understanding of speech and/or text to try to play the original dubs of games - it would be cool to play the early FF's in Japanese text too. I think I read that there was a Japanese game that was hiranga only (forget which one - should look it up), so I could start with that.

[Fox]

I am also of the weeb variety who is learning Japanese! Been doing it steadily for about 4 years now. I'm fairly competent with simple conversation and short sentences, but listening at native speed with longer sentences is still very difficult, and I am a slow, slow reader! Other than that and English, I got nothing. I actually find other European languages very difficult because of their similarities to English, so my brain gets confused when differences appear.

At least with Japanese it's so different my mind can just switch to moonspeak mode and doesn't get the two mixed up.

My best learning tools:

Anki: Basically flashcard software, I mainly use the ankideck android app There are some good prebuilt decks, and by constantly adding new stuff I come across it helps me practice everything regularly. I do that for at least 30 minutes a day.
Human Japanese: Fantastic program for beginners, comes in PC and app form. Clearly builds up and explains vocabulary and particles with exercises to improve reading and listening skills too. There's a beginner and Intermediate version, but they're really beginner and upper beginner.
Satori Reader: Subscription service from the makers of Human Japanese. Lots and lots of articles, stories, conversation transcripts to practice reading. All vocabularly has interactive annotations, everything is recorded in audio and you can download that audio to listen on the go. Brilliant way to practice.
HelloTalk: Language exchange app. Nothing beats chatting with natives! The free version has everything you need including text chat, voice chat, transliteration and translation options.


I also have a Japanese teacher I see once a week and a local conversation practice group I attend each Saturday... when I can wake up... which this year so far has been never. >_< いつも寝坊しまう

皆、頑張ってくださいよ

[Mr Gashtacular]

I have been trying to learn Russian for a while now but I'm having difficulties. my partner is a russian speaker and i still have difficulties. i dont really put the time in and just learn random words I find funny. I was a natural at French as a teen and I think i'm going to try pick it up. i dont have any particular plans to visit france but i do like the language. might learn german as i wouldnt mind living there when brexit happens would like to learn japanese because id like to visit, but again, several attempts have stagnated

[maybee]

I have no idea lol

I used a translator to ask if you used a translator

Fluent In Any Language TM


ユーのポテトサラダ!!!!

[Jiro]

Add plus one to the weeb crew. I've adjusted my goals down from fluency just to being a polite tourist. I still have done basics from that one semester I took ages ago, but it would be nice to have rudimentary conversation skills if / when I visit again.

Similar with a bunch of other languages, tbh. I keep trying to pick up a little Swedish, a little Finnish, a little Spanish, etc just to, if nothing else, wish people an elaborate happy birthday in their native tongue.

[Vincent, Thunder God]

When I was a kid my Dad tried to teach me some German because we met one of the survivors of the Bismarck, but I don't think I was very good - I think he'd taken a course in German though, so he knew some.

[Sarisa]

I took a few years of Spanish since it was the only foreign language my high school offered at the time, but I haven't retained much of it. Learning new WORDS was fun, having to learn verb tenses and conjugation was not so fun and made me hate the class since they heavily focused on it from Spanish 3 upwards. I can read Spanish alright in the sense that I usually get the gist of signs around the stores, but my ability to work with the spoken language is terrible. I've always wanted to learn Japanese, but have been afraid to take classes as my sister dropped it after one semester saying it was too difficult. But really I'd be happy with any language I could easily make sense of; I've always thought being an interpreter sounded like an easy enough well paying job for those who are fluent.