True2marie

What is the most difficult language to write?

Because of the use of symbols, I think Japanese is hard to write.  I think that languages that use the same letters as your native tongue are easier to learn how to write in.  You are already familiar with them.

In some countries, children are taught second languages early. So, by the time they get into high school, they only have to add onto already established knowledge.  To me, this is the best way platform for learning a language. Why?  I often see age as a deterrent to learning a foreign language.

What is the easiest language to learn?

To me, I always thought it was Spanish. Yet, I am wondering if this is just for ethnocentric reasons. Spanish is the main language taught in American schools and also a culture shown regularly on TV.

I heard Castilian for the first time while residing in Puerto Rico.  It's definitely different than what I heard my Mexican friends speak on the main land.  The accent is different and pace much faster.

My only way to describe Castilian is to compare it to English.  The way an English speaker sounds in the west varies from the way an English speaker sounds in the south.  They both speak English, but the pace, accent and slang differ.

Meetup.com is a site where people can join a club, group or event in his or her area. They are broken down into different subjects. I have checked out ones for music, dance and scrabble.  Have any of you seen anything dealing with the Spanish language at Meetup.com?

Link: http://www.meetup.com/

This morning I was watching HLN and they were covering the premier of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug".  I was laughing the entire time because the newscaster had on funny ears and after a segment gave a lesson on how to say a phrase the way an elf would. 

Link: http://www.hlntv.com/video/2013/12/13/how-speak-elvish-jennnifer-westhoven-elf-ears

I just looked at this site.

I had no idea that iTunes had other languages besides English for learning. I know they had music in a wide range languages because I've downloaded songs under their "World Music" section.

Very interesting.

your family calls you and thinks they have the wrong number because your accent is so thick.

A wrong way to learn Spanish is by focusing on textbook-courses only.  You avoid learning slang and/or street language, so when speaking with an average Joe you use words unfamiliar to him.

To me, there has to be a fusion of both book knowledge, practice and one-on-one contact with native Spanish-speakers.

Do you try to think in a foreign language.

I read that the ability to think in a foreign language gets a person closer to being fluent in it. I don't know how true this is. I have never 'forced' myself to think in another language.  I mainly attempt to muster up the words to use when communicating with others in it.

At times, when I speak in my second language, I feel unlike myself. I think it's because I realize the beauty of being able to communicate with a culture outside of my own.  Do you feel like a different person when you speak in a foreign language?

What are the five best learning language tools? According to Life Hacker, they are Anki, Memrise, Duolingo, Pimsleur Method, and Livemocha.  Visit link: http://lifehacker.com/five-best-language-learning-tools-1448103513.

The one rated the highest is Duolingo which involves memorizing words and phrases. Would you use this method?

In order to learn Spanish, I mixed several learning methods.

One was the use of flash cards with specific words listed on them. I also had a study partner, someone to practice communicating the language with and to help with pronunciation of words.  For me, this was a winning combo.

Oh - wow. 

I had to read the subject line twice before I caught the second 'the'.  I have seen statements in the past that indicate the brain skips over or dismisses words depending on their arrangement, but I have never seen this one. 

Very interesting.

Gaming is a great way to learn a new language for anyone who's into this form of entertainment.  Children who enjoy video games definitely would have a positive response.  They could play and learn simultaneously.

I know I have an accent although I (personally) can't hear it.  In the past, I have worked in customer service and callers have mentioned my accent to me. A few attributed "my sound' to people in the Asia-Pacific region.

Considering that I was born in America and English speaking, it's funny.  I did live in the Philippines and also Puerto Rico for a few years as a minor.  So, I am assuming my accent is a meld of three different regions.

About now, I am pretty sure there is an 'app' for just about everything. So, naturally, I ran across an article discussing a few for foreign languages. Fortunately, most of them are free (yes!).  Here's a list: Busuu, KTdict, Mind Snacks, Sign 4 Me, Babbel, VerbalizeIt, and Jibbigo. 

Link to article: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-foreign-language-apps-20130719,0,1142864.story#axzz2n1xHU76K

Memorization is key to learning any language. When you attempt to acquire a new one, what technique do you use to retain words?  For me, I write them down.  This act helps me learn the words more quickly.

The only way I know of learning Spanish is through hard work. You either take a course or emerge yourself in a Spanish-speaking only environment.  :nerd:

Of course, their are a lot of 'weird' methods promoted all over the Internet.  One of them is the belief an individual can learn Spanish in his or her sleep through the usage of CDs.  Although this method sounds in enticing, I don't believe it actually works.

You can learn Greek online for FREE at Livemocha.com.  Here's the link: http://www.livemocha.com/learn-greek/aprender-griego

This site offers visitors to learn the Greek language at different levels (beginning and intermediate) and to communicate with native speakers. 

If you're a native of America (or Canada), you may wonder why so many English speakers only speak this language. Below is a very entertaining video that provides viewers with the answer. You also come to understand how difficult mastering English is for individuals from other regions of the world.

http://youtu.be/1w6uQIXC1aI

Did you know that some words cannot be translated in English?  Nope, they aren't words from dead languages. They are actually ones from languages still in use today.  Here's one of them is tartle.  In Scottish, it means 'the act of hesitating while introducing someone because you’ve forgotten their name'.

Link to list: http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/20-awesomely-untranslatable-words-from-around-the-world/

I read somewhere that English has more words than any other language. I tried to find a concrete number over the Internet.  The data I unveiled indicated it has around $171,476 words.  Do you know of any other language that has more?

Castilian is one form of Spanish spoken around the world. It's much faster than the Spanish I learned in high school. I have yet to master it. 

Do any of you speak Castilian?

YouTube Voice Sample: http://youtu.be/hm4HbI7pZ6g

This weekend, a version of Obama Care is to launch in Spanish. The site is called CuidadoDeSalud.gov.  It will allow Spanish-speaking people to sign up online for health insurance. What are your thoughts?

Link to news report: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/spanish-language-insurance-site-to-launch-this-weekend/2013/12/06/728ca0b8-5eb9-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html