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Do you find it easier to learn a language from someone that has an accent that matches the language you're trying to learn? For example, if you're learning English do you prefer the person you're learning from to have an English accent? Or would it not make much difference to you? I didn't think it would matter, and when I first began to learn Spanish I was learning from an English person. My accent in Spanish was then difficult to understand to native Spanish speakers. However, when I learned more Spanish from my friend that is Spanish I found my accent became better in Spanish too and therefore it was easier for me to be understood. I also found it easier to understand when Spanish people are talking to me (rather than English people speaking Spanish).

If you could speak just 5 languages, including your native language, what would they be? Ok, maybe you don't plan on ever learning 5 languages, but in your dreams, what would they be? And if you already have more than 5, which 5 would you keep? My list is: 1) English (native) 2) Thai (I spend so much time there) 3) Spanish (haven't used it actively for a while, but I hear it all the time) 4) Russian (I'm very attracted to these people) 5) Mandarin (It's sort of my flavor of the week right now)

I've come across this sad article in National Geographic: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/01/language_diversity_index_tracks_global_loss_of_mother_tongues/ It looks like the number of languages in the world is on a steady decline. I find that incredibly sad. Do you think this trend will stay and there will be even less languages in the future?

I find Duolingo very effective! It is definitely my favorite language learning app. It makes it so easy and is such an interactive experience, that you barely feel like you're learning a new language. It's great how there are so many options available to us nowadays, and at little or no cost! Duolingo will teach you the basics of a language, but I highly doubt it will make you a master of conversation at that language. When you're done with the program, I would highly recommend you spend time with a native speaker, or watch tv in that language, or something of the sort to get you familiarized with how to speak properly in that language, now that you know the basics.

Is it the accent? The pronunciation? The sentence structure? For me it's the pronunciation. It's not enough to learn the words or know the system of writing, I guess. You also need to speak the language in a way that native speakers can relate to or understand. There are certain words that will take on another meaning when pronounced differently. That's why pronunciation is very important. You might inadvertently offend native speakers if you mispronounce a word with both positive and negative connotations.

Excellent advice! What I've done in the past is reading manuals for beginner learners in my target second language (not necessarily for children). I can only say it has been effective. Another thing that helped me when learning being using books for tourists. Usually they list the most popular and useful phrases for everyday life, which can be invaluable when interacting with native speakers for the first time. e.g. Greetings, how to ask for directions, asking for common meals at the restaurants and the like. This has been my personal experience. I can only agree with what you mention; a children's book is also quite valuable, especially if you have someone who already speaks fluently to clarify your doubts. Textbooks for infants are usually used by a teacher in the educational process so it does not hurt to have a personal mentor.

Hi! Professional English-Spanish translator here. Yes, I've studied a degree in translation and interpreting. I have no strong interpreting skills but I've done many translation jobs since some years ago. There's something I'd like to add to your post - speaking two languages isn't enough. Any aspiring translator should've very strong writing skills in their mother tongue and they should be able to do a lot of research in order to deliver a high-quality job, as well as not to miss the author's message in the source text. While I've had successful moments in my translator career - I've also had big failures. Working as a professional translator is about a non-stop learning process that's rewarding eventually. My fifty cents.

No, it's not a good idea to use a Google translate translating your sentences. Sentences have their own though produced by combining the words that are in that sentence. These thoughts only humans can understand. Google translate doesn't understand these thoughts, and so they are not able to accurately translate the sentence. I only use Google translate when I am translating single words, when I am only looking for the meaning. That's all.