SpringBreeze

Thank you for the video!!! It was very interesting. I'm glad people are starting to revive old languages. We are losing so much history with the blending of cultures. I myself wanted to study aramaic and akkadian at one time. I actually got a book for akkadian. But I never did anything with it.

I agree with you. And for me that's the best part about learning a new language. I love when my language teachers verge off onto cultural discussions. When I was taking French in junior high, my teacher used one week out of the year focusing on French cuisine and French vocabulary related to food and restaurants. At the end of the week, she had a French food day. We all were responsible for bringing a french recipe that of course our parents cooked. And she brought in a fondue machine where I had my first taste of chocolate fondue with fruits and cheese fondue with different breads. It was the sweetest day. And I still remember it today. In college, I got to watch a French movie in French class that took place in Algeria. It was an eye-opener.

Do any of you watch telenovelas to learn Spanish? I did that a few years ago, and it really improved my Spanish. The best part is that I learned more colloquial Spanish than school Spanish. I think to be a good Spanish speaker, you must be good with both. Anyway, telenovelas was a nice addition to Spanish class.

My favorite method is watching telenovelas from Latin America with either the caption or subtitle feature on. It's entertainment mixed with education. You can't beat that. ;D But I have to say it's a close tie to listening to Latin American music while reading the lyrics.

No. But I think one summer in Spain would solve the problem. I'm close to speaking it fluently. I just need that extra push and full immersion into a Spanish culture.

I look for anything that can be a lesson. For example, if you go to a Latin American restaurant, taking time to read and translate the menu helps. There are a lot of words you'll see repeated like arroz, pollo, and frijoles. That repetition helps the words stay in your memory. Reading and translating ads in magazines, information and directions on the back of products is another way to learn Spanish.

They are actually related. They are both part of the Romance languages / Latin languages group. They both developed from Latin. French, Romanian and Portuguese are in the Romance language group too. One time studied Italian and Spanish at the same time, and omg, was that an ordeal. On tests, I'd mix the two up because they were so similar.

Hmmh... that's a good question... I've never thought about it... Hmmh... L'amour — Love La fleur — Flower Le papillon — Butterfly Silhouette — Outline, contour When I think of more, I'll definitely add them to the list.

I remember it used to be so difficult when the teacher would talk all in French. I used to hate it. But slowly I realized the wisdom in it. When I began to understand, I was so excited. It was a huge accomplishment. And the best part is it (the understanding) just snuck up on me.

What are your favorite French singers or bands? I love oldies. So, I like to listen to Edith Piaf and Enrico Macias. Back in the days, I also loved listening to Patricia Kass on my way to French class. It always helped get me into the mood. I also think it helped me a bit with my accent.

I visited France. But it was only for 3 days. So, it didn't improve my fluency at all. I tried to do a study abroad in Cannes. But it didn't work. I couldn't get the scholarship for it. I still wonder how much better my French would be today, if i had gone.

I've struggled so much with the tenses. I was good with conjugation but knowing when to use it was another thing. For example, I knew passe compose and imparfait very well. But I didn't always know when to use one of the other. I also struggled with the conditional tense.

Interestingly enough, I've seen Korean, Chinese and Japanese scripts before. I've actually seen them several times and have even watched movies and music videos from these countries. And yet I can't recognize them. But I can at least say what region they come from.

I love those dreams!!! I'm usually fluent in them. Everything I worked for becomes real in those dreams. And then of course I wake up and see I'm just as challenged as I was before I went to sleep. Hmmh... hahaha Anyway, I guess those dreams are showing us our potential...

Qamra started a thread called: "Recognizing languages without knowing them". I thought the topics was interesting since I never really paid attention that I was actually doing that. I mean I knew I was doing it. But I never acknowledged that I was doing it. And while I was commenting on Qamra's thread, I realized I also can recognize a couple foreign, non-Latin alphabet scripts without having ever studied them -- Russian and Arabic. What about you?

I started in elementary school. I can't remember what grade I was in but I remember I was really young. Funny enough, I didn't remember much of what I learned a year later. But I guess it started a pattern. This is a very interesting question. I had forgotten I had started that early in my life. Maybe that is what sparked my love for languages and cultures. Cool! Thank you!!!! Oh and we, students, had a choice too. I chose Spanish. ... I can't believe I forgot that. <scratching my head>

Interestingly enough, I can. I'm not sure if it's because of how many languages I've been exposed to in the media or if it's something else. I can now recognize Arabic, Portuguese, Russian, and Hebrew. And I've never studied any of these languages. I love how global people around the world are turning. I think this may be the first time so many people have been exposed to other cultures at one time.

I definitely think so. I've traveled a lot in foreign countries and have met a lot of natives that tried to speak to me in English. I even see it on the internet. If you look at blogs, many people in other countries are blogging in their language as well as in English and commenting on blogs written in English. I'm always surprised to see this. In forums, you'll find a lot of non-english native speakers commenting in English on American forums. I think technology more than tourism is behind this trend.

I'm fascinated by different cultures and thus different languages. I also love to travel to foreign countries. So knowing basic words in different languages definitely helps. With all that said, I've actually studied 5 and attempted to study a 6th. I'm not fluent in any. But I can read well and interact sufficiently with 2 of them. It used to be 3, but I didn't keep up.

What was the first French speaking movie you saw? My first french movie was Jean de Florette with Gérard Depardieu. I went on to see the sequel Manon of the Spring (Manon des Sources) a few months later. I was that hooked and then, emotionally scarred. I cried and cried at the injustices. I was very young then. But I think that movie helped shape my opinion of and desire to learn French. What about you???

That's so true... And so annoying because I sit there saying, I should be able to understand you. I find the easiest accent to understand is the American teacher accent. Hahaha... They usually speak slower and clearer and they use less colloquial wording. But they are also the worst to learn from when you're trying to adopt a more French accent.

"Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait." I think of this quote every time I think about all the classes I could have taken, all the A's I could have gotten, and all I could have accomplished when I was younger if I knew what I know today. So basically, I'm thinking about this quote all the time. ;D I also like this quote: "Il n'y a qu' un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé." -Georges Sand.

Since you have a lot of free time, I recommend you immerse yourself in several modes of study. TV shows, music, and movies are very important and probably the funnest way to learn. I mean you can sit there for hours listening to French without even thinking about it. Just make sure you choose entertainment that you like. It'll make it much easier to focus on and do repeatedly. Despite all that, there's nothing like formal training. Grammar, vocabulary, and proper pronunciation is key to learning a foreign language well. And you can only learn that in a classroom with a teacher, giving you chapters to study, homework, tips, and corrections. I believe when it comes to languages, in-class lessons are best. Online lessons can be great, but you miss that one-on-one interaction which is very important in learning how to speak French well. How else will you know you are saying a word wrong or using the wrong word in a sentence. Teachers can also help with colloquialism.

I studied it when I was younger because it was a school requirement. I had a choice between Spanish and French. And so I chose French. When I got older, I chose it because it was the second most important language in international business and relations. I also thought it was very beautiful and romantic. I wanted to do a study abroad in Montpellier, France when I was in college. Unfortunately it never happened. I study it still today because there's something very attractive about it. Also, sometimes I end up having to translate French works. French is just really useful to know.

Has anyone here watched Latin American telenovelas to learn Spanish? Several years back, I got hooked on this telenovela called Pasion de Gavilanes. First my TV offered subtitles. And, then it stopped. I was so disappointed. But I was also so hooked that I continued to watch it. So I was forced to really try to understand Spanish. And it worked. I saw my fluency in Spanish improve big time by the end of the show. What about you?