turtledove

I've definitely used mind maps a lot for languages, and I find them very useful once you've worked out how to lay them out. It took me one or two messy mind maps to get the hang of fitting things efficiently onto one page, but once you're got it, it's a really easy and efficient way to take language notes. I also remember things better when I've mind mapped them.

Learning 5 languages at a time seems seems very challenging. Maybe some people can manage it, but I don't know if I could! I think that if you're learning 5 languages at once you may not be able to achieve full fluency in the language, and if I'm learning languages, that's really my aim. I'm finding it pretty hard to manage French and German at the same time, forget taking on three more new languages!

Everyone has their own ways to learn vocabulary. Some people just remember it after seeing or hearing it once (lucky people), some use flash cards and set apart time to learn them, others use websites and some use posters or sticky notes so that you can look at the words all the time. Some people are just really good at guessing the meaning of the words on seeing them! I personally like using websites like Duolingo. What do you do to learn and remember German Vocab?

I specifically can't wait for Russian to be released! I'm about to start the Swedish and Norweigan courses which is going to be great! I'm really happy that Duolingo are expanding from the more well-known languages to become even more multicultural!

Agreed, it totally depends on the individual and the opportunities they've had during life. Some people are exposed to many different languages from a very young age, and have an advantage over others from the very beginning. Some people are so passionate about languages that they strive to keep up as many languages as they can at one time. Other people are just happy with being fluent in one language. Different people have different opinions on languages, and for some people, the number of languages they can learn is limitless!

I'm not sure why, but German always had a certain appeal to me ever since I started learning it. We had compulsory German lessons in school from the age of 12, and at the time it seemed like a revelation to me. I had an absolutely great teacher, who would make the language really fun and interactive during lessons. I somehow found German easier than French from the very start, and just loved it: the pronunciation, the vocabulary and at the time I enjoyed the lessons. I even went on a foreign exchange trip to Germany, and as if I didn't like the language enough, I started to like it even more. Finally, for my GCSEs (first major exams given in the UK), I ended up taking French and German, and I still love German to this day.

I think that with languages, the earlier you start, the better. The mind is a lot more pliable and receptive when you're younger, and it becomes less receptive as you grow older. My parents spoke to me in English when I was young, and I learnt my mother tongue about 7 years later. I learnt another language purely by watching films in the language from a very young age, and now although I can't write it, I can speak it pretty fluently. I know many people who start speaking to their children fluently in a foreign language from a very young age (even one or two), and the child gradually picks up the language easily. They may not be comfortable with the grammar or vocabulary that isn't used colloquially, however they can communicate easily with others who speak the language, which is a great skill they pick up at a very young age.

Paper back novels will always have their own charm: you can hold them, have the satisfaction of turning the page yourself and they have they're own unique smell. I tried to stay off e-books for a very long time, but after I got a kindle, I never went back. E-books are more convenient and more portable, and you don't even have to worry about lighting when using an e-book. E-books are also better for tracking your progress through the book and how long you take to read the book. You can even search up new vocabulary more quickly and easily! I think that paper back novels will always have they're own place, but with the new-found convenience of e-books, the real book copies will probably become more rare.