Verba

I think it is entirely up to you if it will be difficult or not. You said you just want to learn the basics in Mandarin to entertain your girlfriend. In that case, it may not be as demanding as the way you want to learn the Japanese language. I cannot see any confusion with the objective you have in mind. Perhaps it will be difficult if you will learn both seriously. I think it will be even fun. Anyway, if you do get confused in the process, you can always drop Mandarin.  

Hi Kurdapia. I think there is none as I have looked it up in Google. You really only have to describe the feeding process in a romantic way. For instance, you can say, She lovingly puts food in his mouth as he lies down helpless. Or anything to that effect that will describe the partner's feeding gesture. I know what you mean by mechanical but some Filipino words really do not have a direct translation in English the way we want them to sound when it is said in our native tongue.

For me, it did help me a lot not only in learning Japanese but other languages as well. This was what a colleague did this to his classes when they were learning Spanish. I learned a Japanese song when I was a small child that was the theme song of a favorite TV program of all kids my age in my country and I guess worldwide. My siblings and I could sing it perfectly well. But now I have forgotten it apart from its tune. LOL!

Same thing happened to me. I signed up for an ASL class with ASL students as my teachers many years ago. They were really deaf-mute students so it was a hands-on experience for me. It was beneficial for me since I could really practice my sign language with them. But when I stopped working in that University, I also stopped the class. And I failed to continue since I did not have that privilege anymore and I got busy with raising my own family. 

I have been teased about my accent but not mocked. Anyway, I also tease other people about their accents especially when they try to speak my language. But my friends and I do it with people we are good friends with. I have never teased others I am not comfortable with since I do not want them to do that to me as well. 

For me, it is even a good way to remember the proper accents that native speakers have when speaking their language. So I do not have any problem with it as long as it is not done in an insulting way. 

It is not cool to use deep Filipino words because they're not used in casual conversations anymore. Imagine you're talking to a friend, of course, the talk will be very informal, then you would suddenly blurt out Filipino terms that s/he does not hear anywhere. It will be awkward and funny to hear. Even in formal conversation, as in the classroom, during Filipino class, I could not remember my Filipino teacher using really deep Filipino words. Or recitations in Filipino class did not really require us to be using those words unless needed in the subject. 

When I read your post kurdapia, my first impression was oh yeah, it could be possible to think more logically when you process your thoughts in another language. Because of the difficulty of doing so, you use your rational side which may then affect your decision making. Sadly though, I cannot try this as I just know one foreign language and that's English. I often use it when I'm deep in my thoughts for any problem solving I have to make. I do not seem to notice any difference in my decisions. Turns out my personality comes out in my decision making. My values, my beliefs. Is this the emotional side of me? I do no think so. I want to believe I come up with logical decisions since I decide when I am no longer emotional. But perhaps, thinking in a foreign language will give me a more emotionally detached solutions even when I'm emotional. I want to try it but as I've said, I only know English and I am already used to it. So I will not know any difference in my thoughts.

Okay, so I asked my husband just to be sure if French is widely spoken here. And he said it is as there is even a radio program here in French. Also, there is an oil and gas French company here which is Totale. So in that sense, there are many French people here. But then there are also other companies here that hail from other countries. But in terms of job opportunities, it is still knowing Arabic and yes, English, that will give you an edge. 

I hope I was able to address your concerns well.

I'm not sure If I understood your post correctly. I believe you said French is widely used in Arabic countries and it gives you more job opportunities based on your conversation with people in a small Arabic town in your country. If this is what you meant, I beg to disagree because my family and I are based here in Qatar. French is not really widely spoken here. Knowing French here will not give you more job opportunities than when you know Arabic. I have been here for 8 years and I cannot speak both languages but I managed to get a job. I've been in 3 jobs in my eight years here. They don't mind if you cannot speak Arabic because they can speak and/or understand English except for the really old Arabic people. In fact, many Arabic youths are studying in English schools. They want to learn English too. Some locals hire native English speakers to tutor their children. But it is true that international schools here have French as a subject. I am just not sure if all or most of them have French. 

I even think that knowing Arabic will give you an edge over the others because you can do jobs that require communications with Arabs, both in writing and speaking. I often come across jobs that have as a requirement "knowledgeable in both Arabic and English". But I have yet to see a job here that requires French fluency except of course for a French teaching post or a tutorial job. 

I agree with you. But even some Filipinos do not know that. As to the differences, I think Tagalog has more difficult words. I remember a friend from Lucena City who would say words I don't even understand. I was born and raised in Metro Manila. But then, I am not even sure if the language I know is the official Filipino language. I just know that both my husband and I, having been from the same city in Metro Manila, understand each other perfectly well. We do not use words unfamiliar to each other. But friends like the one from Lucena, or others from Batangas, Bulacan, they sometimes use words I've just heard for the first time so I have to ask what it meant. At times, I know what they mean; it's just that it's used differently where I'm from.

I don't know her reasons but for me, if a friend wants to learn my native language, I'd gladly oblige. However, it also takes time and energy. Right now, I am so busy at work and at home so I rarely find time to even teach myself French. I reckon that must be her reason too. Or she probably thinks you can learn it online as there must already be loads of free online courses especially about Spanish. 

Why don't you get into a deal with her? What does she like that you can possibly do for her? Maybe that will do the trick. 

For next year, I intend to focus and persevere in learning French. I've been trying to but the enthusiasm is waning. At times, I feel so up to it. Sometimes, I just don't have the interest to do it. So I'd like to do it in 2016. Hopefully, I can always keep up the positive attitude to just do it and drop the excuses. 

But my plan B if ever I can't keep on is to study Spanish. It is a language I learned in the University and we have borrowed words from them. So it is much easier for me to learn it.

To answer the question of Trellum, I think people learning 5 languages at the same time are just so amazing! If they can do it, then they should go for it. For sure, time will come that their efforts will pay off. They can teach the language in the future and earn money. They can land a job that needs one of the languages they're learning now. Or they can just simply converse with friends speaking those languages. Who knows, they might end up with a partner who's a native speaker.

I don't see any negative consequences, just all productive outcomes that will benefit them if not now, then in the future. So if you're fascinated with learning languages, carry on! 

6 hours ago, NATASHA said:

I have never heard of this word and I presume you mean to "make love" but not sure. What language are you translating from because you can go online to bing translator and find what you are looking for there

Subo is a Filipino word that means to feed. But she wants to find out if there is a translation of the word in a romantic term, as in a couple feeding each other. 

To answer the question of kurdapia, I think there is none. You can only describe the feeding in a romantic way, I guess. It can perhaps go something like, the groom and bride lovingly share the slice of cake as their first food together as husband and wife, or something like that. I don't know. I cannot think of any Filipino translation of subo other than feed. 

Well, I just always bear in mind that I should really start somewhere even if it would mean a lot of blunders for me speaking the language. Anyway, I reckon native speakers of the language I'm learning will surely forgive me for mispronouncing their words. I'd love for them to correct me so that I would learn. I ask colleagues or friends to do so. Just this morning at work, I greeted a French work mate Bonjour! But when she just looked at me, I asked her matter of factly if I did not say it right. She said I did but she was just a bit spaced out. Lol! So I asked her Cava? And she did say something about not feeling upbeat but I've already forgotten it.  

I also learned to sign but stopped for lack of practice. I was actually getting better at it. However, when I left that work place where there was a need for it, I also stopped which I regret now because I could be of help to the deaf-mute community. 

I am also trying to learn French. The first time, I attended classes. Now, I am doing it on my own, at my own pace. But my schedule is really hectic. I cannot just keep still to focus on learning it. I just keep going back to the basics since I am able to return to my lessons after several weeks have gone by. 

For me, I can say that I am done studying a language when I have already achieved my objectives. For instance, I just want to learn for the sake of understanding the language, not necessarily speaking or writing it. So I will stop when my comprehension has reached the level I aim for. Or if I want to join in some conversations in the language I have to learn then I would go as far as learning to be conversant in it. If it is for a job then I would have to really learn it further, like being able to read it as well and yes, write it.

Oh my! There is no answer to this yet! I'm just really eager to know. When I made my husband listen to it, he said it seemed like a prayer to him. His wild guess was Pope Francis as he said he sounded like him. LOL! But his language is Spanish as he is from Argentina. However, he can speak other languages when I searched in Google, like Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Piedmontese (spoken in Piedmont, Northern Italy). He is also conversant in Latin. So...  My daughter said it sounded dull so it must not be a European language. I was looking at the language profiles of all the respondents here so that I would know which languages to cross out. LOL!

Where did you get that audio file, anyway? Maybe your source can be a clue to us all. 

20 hours ago, linguaholic said:

Thanks for all the replies. Yea, the theme is very asian, that's true. I just really wanted to get something else than the standard theme. I might change it to something more neutral in the future. It's kinda unique, though, isn't it ? :=)

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Yes, something more neutral would strike more balanced. But it is more organized to look at and yes, tidy. It is easy on the eyes as you can see what you have to vote for right away. Then with just a click, you can readily access contents that you have not yet read. There are more features too that can make access easier and better for users. 

Although, in my home country, English is the medium of instruction in schools, I am still more confident in writing than in speaking the language. This is because we are too conscious about our grammar and pronunciation which are really obvious when you speak. Thus, I get too aware of any possible mistakes I might make. That really impedes me from speaking more confidently. However, now that I am in an international English school where I work with a lot of native English speakers, I tend to be more relaxed in speaking. I learn from them in how I should say things their way. Also, they are not as grammar conscious as we are. 

It was not a problem to me at all because I am from the Philippines. Since we were colonized by Spain for centuries, we have so many Spanish words in our language. In the University I studied in, we were required to take Spanish classes from freshman to senior years. As such, we know their alphabets and their way of sounding out letters and/or words. I even understand tidbits of conversations my Spanish colleagues have in their native tongue. 

Hello Cerescat. I definitely do not study the way you do. But I know I should because the more senses you're engaging in learning, the better and faster learning becomes. I just follow a course online, mostly, speaking and listening. I have not progressed beyond lesson 1. I know I should push myself more. I just do not have enough urgency right now since my need for the language is in the future and it might not even materialize. Time and other priorities are also the hassles for me now.

Anyway, for me, I'd rely more on application, like conversing with a native speaker. So if there is immersion, I will be faster at learning a language. Though I must also do a bit of your methods as they will make me prepared in my immersion process. 

I think for me it is just the confidence level. At times, I speak English so fast and fluently. But at times, I get a bit self-conscious especially when I talk with native English speakers. It is because I can never really catch their accent so when I do speak in their accent, I feel so unnatural and trying so hard to do it. However, when I am in my fluency mode, I feel so confident talking even to native speakers. I even get complimented for choosing the right term in my conversations or for having an enriched English vocabulary. 

I am trying my best to keep at learning French because I might use it in the future when my family and I migrate to possibly a French-speaking area, not necessarily in France. Anyway, since it is not an immediate concern, I find myself procrastinating learning the language which is really sad, I know. So I need an urgent reason to learn a language to really push me to that direction. I cannot learn a language for fun. Otherwise, I won't have the proper motivation to do it. 

Oh yes, especially when I am telling my kids off. I use our native tongue so that other people won't know what we're talking about.  They're both fluent though in English since they study in an English School but they can understand Filipino. My eldest can even speak it though not as fluid as when she speaks English. As for me, I feel more comfortable speaking in my language when I get too stirred up especially when I want to keep the conversation between my family and me.   I get cautious though when I speak our language in the presence of other nationalities as it might sound rude to them.