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When I was finally able to study French at uni, I was old enough to take it seriously. I was even able to top the class, which luckily wasn't too big, a couple of times. However, I think I could have taken it that little bit more seriously. When I look back, I can sort of understand why my French lecturer always seemed to push me harder. He always maintained I could do a lot better and would tell me I wasn't putting as much into it as I could. Instead of listening, I took it to heart! Stupid, really. The man was just really passionate about his work and wanted me to perform to my greatest potential. I actually miss him and wish I could learn from him now as an adult.

I have to agree with you, it varies from person to person, for sure! And I too have always favoured the traditional classroom setup. I find that in as much as I'm very keen and want to learn, I appreciate having a teacher who comes down hard on me and cracks the whip LOL I think with the advancement of modern technology, things have certainly got a lot better for foreign language learners because it means I can supplement what I learn in the classroom with various and free online resources. I honestly can't wait to be able to go back to learning some more French and Italian to see if this method will help expedite and enhance my learning process

Wow, you're one of the lucky few I've heard saying that! Way to go. I think it's such a blessing and seriously wish it were that way for me too. I don't know if I'm right in my estimation, but I would imagine if you're able to nail the speaking part so easily, it would then be a lot easier for you to then work on your written skills? I'm actually very curious about this and hope that you can shed some light on this, based on your personal experience

I have personally never used Duolingo, but hear a lot of good things about it. I think a few members here have even said they too like it a lot. I've been on the site to have a bit of a nosey, and I must say I too like the interface. It's so nice but at the same time a little playful. I also like the fact that they say they offer bite-sized lessons, which would be just right for someone who's easily overwhelmed or even those who prefer to take their time. It's definitely one worth bearing in mind for future reference

If I'm being honest, I don't think there's any very difficult language I've ever learnt, and this is obviously based on my abilities. I learnt French and Italian and I thought they were both ok, not too difficult to learn. Italian for me was even easier than French. Out of all the languages I know, regardless of how fluent I am in them, I think my mother tongue, Setswana is the most difficult. But I learnt that as a child, so that wasn't ever an issue. But I have always thought that if I were learning it as a grown up as well as a foreigner, it would be a very difficult language to learn.

@Ghostwriter....wow, that's certainly a huge incentive for which to learn a foreign language! I don't believe how big of a difference there is in salary. I mean, I do and I don't, if that makes sense. I think even people who would normally not have much of an interest in learning a new language would soon see things differently, once presented with those prospects. I bet it doesn't just stop with the lucrative wage, it must also mean a wider range of perks. Good work if you can get it....well, once you've armed yourself with those language skills!

Like most people, I didn't give up all defeated. The reason I stopped had a lot more to do with the fact that life took over and I simply had too much going on to continue because so many other things needed my undivided attention. These days with the advance of modern technology, it's obviously a bit easier because we can access so many different resources for free. But there's still the small matter of time, or the lack of time because many of us are grappling with the reality of lack of jobs, we're too busy trying to keep our heads above water, every waking minute. One day I'll definitely pick up where I left off.

I guess I can see the thinking part, but would never ever have given any thought to talking out loud to myself LOL When you really think about it, as strange as it does initially seem, it does make some sense, because it gives you the chance to do some practicing and vocalising it means you're able to pick out mistakes and work harder to correct them. I just never thought about it in that sense at all.

@gracerph....it's a pleasure! But as you can see here, a lit of initially thought there was just one universal sign language LOL We obviously learn something every day, right? So basically, like you say, if you learn one form of sign language from one country, it doesn't cover you for the rest. But what I'd be interested in knowing, is how similar they all are, because surely they must have a lot more in common than 'regular languages? I have a feeling that they're probably more mutually intelligible, but it'd be great to know definitively.

I was reading an article earlier on on how best to go about learning a foreign language when I came across what I consider a rather, dare I say, strange tip LOL The article encourages you to have a one-way conversation with yourself in your chosen foreign language to practice your oral skills. IDK, but I'm not sure this is something I'm very keen on LOL I think I'd seriously struggle to keep a straight face, not to mention I'd also feel silly. Have you ever done something like that, did it work? If not, would you consider doing it?

Hehe @Norm A....I like the way you say "...especially one as easy as English." I think because it's easy for you, possibly because you've spoken it for most of your life, it appears very easy. But in my experience, language complexity differs from person to person. For instance, I found French fairly easy to learn, but I know some people who feel it's hard. Yet they are able to pick up a language such as Afrikaans, just like that, a walk in the park. But for me, Afrikaans is seriously hard LOL -and I bet you'll say it's fairly easy. So really, it's all relative, dependent on many different variables.

Wow, that would be a great incentive to learn a language. However, realistically speaking, I don't think I'd be able to learn enough to be where I needed to be in time to take up the job. I think I'd personally feel a bit more comfortable and confident if I'd learnt the language prior to seeing the advert, and I was merely needed to brush up on my language skills. Imagine how awkward things could get if you became completely unstuck right in the middle of say, a board meeting LOL

OMG I thought America would be a lot more progressive than that!! That's also the case here in Botswana, and I think it's such a shame really because as we all know, learning a foreign language is best done at an early age; the earlier the better really. If I ever have kids and I can afford to, I'll be sending my kids to private school because they start foreign languages very young. It's heartbreaking because the kids whose parents can't afford to send them to all these posh schools are missing out on so much!

@Norm A.....I guess that's why that one guy tried to wing it I think it was in South Africa a couple of years ago or so. I can't quite remember what the occasion was, but I think it was meant to be sombre and a very important event, and this poor guy just kept repeating the same signs over and over again. It was so bad that he was actually rambled and apparently he blamed it on a bad case of nerves!

Right now I'm not in the process of learning any foreign language because I have my hands full trying to survive. That right now is my top priority. However, when I do decide I'm embarking on such an exercise, I give it my all. I mean, you have to, otherwise there'd be no point at all. I guess it also depends on what you're looking to achieve, what level of the language you want to reach. But I strongly believe you need passion, dedication, drive, commitment and focus in order to realise your dream of becoming fluent in your chosen language. That's part of the reason why I've parked my language learning for now, because I know if I were to do it now, I wouldn't be able to dedicate as much time and attention to it as it deserves.

I really have no problem with this at all. There are so many gorgeous foreign names out there with lovely meanings that I wouldn't hesitate to pinch for my future kids LOL But I know some people here frown down upon that, because they have it in their heads that all kids should have traditional names, which I really don't like. The names here are common, as in it's the same names that keep being recycled and I'd rather have unique names for my kids. Plus the names here aren't easy for foreigners to pronounce, so I'd be looking for names that are universally easy to pronounce so that when my kids travel the world people are able to say their names with ease. I've also observed that in some instances, your name can play a role in blocking you getting opportunities. Right or wrong, if you have a typical Setswana name that's a right mouthful to pronounce, it can work against you. It may be hard to believe, but I lived it in the UK. And although I'm proud of my Setswana name, I found things became a lot easier for me when I started using my middle (English) name. You just do what you gotta do to survive in this weird old world, I guess.

Thanks for sharing, @Tamer....this truly sounds like an interesting project! I'd be interested in taking part, but I'm not sure I have the right credentials. I mean, I did English and Setswana (my language) Linguistics at university and I work as a news translator, but that hardly qualifies me as a 'linguist', as that's a pretty lofty position LOL I'm not sure you'll find the right candidates here, but I wish you the best of luck in that regard

@Linda Gringa....you make very good points about the disadvantages of learning from children's books. However, I think this would depend very much on how 'young' you go. I personally don't think it would be wise to go for books geared towards say 3-4 year olds LOL That would just be a little silly LOL I would think maybe looking at older kids' books like say 12+(early high school age and up) would make more sense because although they are not exactly adults, you expect the language they speak to be a lot more grown up and not likely to be 'baby talk'. The vocabulary probably wouldn't be as broad, but IMHO it would be ideal for someone starting out in their journey of learning a new language, someone looking for a way to ease themselves into a new language.

@Lingua Franca.....what worries me about some of these recruiters though is that quite often they'll say just being a native speaker is enough, the only pre-requisite. Having lived in the UK for as long as I did, I'm a little wary of that because not everyone speaks formal and for lack of a better phrase, "internationally acceptable' English. Believe it or not, once I settled into my life in England and made many friends in the North, where there are many regional dialects, my friends would rib me for my "posh English". They would wind me up for speaking proper English, "the Queen's language". On many occasions, they'd even ask me what certain words meant because they wouldn't normally be part of their wider vocabulary. So I've always thought these recruiters need to be cautious with this sort of thing, because just because someone is a native speaker, doesn't mean they have a good grasp of the language as we know it on an international standard.

This is how I got my job as an au pair in Italy. When I started my search, I knew I really wanted to go to Italy, to experience the culture and learn the language. The father contacted me and put it to me that his family spoke little to no Italian, would I be interested in teaching the kids some English while I learnt some Italian from them and other people around me. I jumped at the opportunity and it worked great. That's why at the end of my 3 months there, I could speak some decent Italian

I only read recipes in English, but I think that's a really neat way of enhancing your language skills, especially if you're some sort of a foodie and enjoy cooking. I agree with darkchild, finding something you really enjoy through which you can build your learning process could actually spur you on to keep learning more. However, I would steer clear of Google translate, because in as much as it can be decent, there's been countless times when it's led me down the wrong path completely LOL

It's been a while since I did any serious foreign language studying, but back when I did, there weren't anywhere near as many resources. I used to rely mainly on the traditional classroom scenario, text books and conversations with friends whose native language was French. Now if I were to take up my French again, I would definitely go down the online route; apps, videos, podcasts and online sites. I mean, modern technology has really made it possible for everyone to access an endless amount of resources without ever setting foot outside their home

Aww it's very sweet and romantic I'm sorry to hear it didn't work out with your dream girl. I personally don't know if I would want to go down that route, because it's extremely hard. But then they do say love conquers all. When I was in Italy, I tried to date this Italian guy, but I spoke very little Italian and he spoke no English whatsoever. We would hang out with this friend who spoke broken English, and she would translate all the time. For me, it took away that spark and naturally, that relationship never did go anywhere. I don't think either one of us was interested enough to learn the other's language LOL

The longest time I've spent in a foreign country is 13 years in England. While obviously there was no language barrier as Botswana's official language is English, when I moved to live up North (after spending a year in London) it did feel a little bit like I was learning new languages because there are just so many regional dialects there, such as Liverpudlian, Scouser, Brummie and Geordie which can themselves sound like totally different languages LOL It didn't help matters that I started working in contact centres, because I had to learn FAST to understand all these different types of regional dialects, including very broad Irish and Scottish accents.

I agree with you, Norm A....for me, the main value of learning the language from a native speaker would be for the accent. But, and it's a huge but, I would also be wary of learning from someone with a regional dialect with a very strong accent. Plus you'll find that native speakers don't always speak the most formal version of the language, that's why we have regional dialects. So for example, if I were learning English right now, I'd not only want a native speaker, they'd also have to have recognised formal qualifications.