pandachan

To say that something is 'fort de café' is to say that something is excessive or a step too far.

I respect them- if they feel that they are capable of learning several languages at once, more power to them! Me, I don't think I could do that. Learning a language from scratch takes a lot of dedication and practice, I would rather concentrate my full attention on one language rather than spread it out over a few languages. Not to mention the inevitably of mixing up the languages!

Well, I always had French classes in school and the only other resources I used were French online newspapers and dictionaries. For Japanese, I had some classes but these days I mostly rely on Memrise. I really love it, it's helped me improve a lot and it's so easy to use. It almost doesn't feel like learning and you don't need to spend more than twenty minutes or so a day studying. I also watch anime which helps with pronunciation.

Never actually heard of it but I just googled it. It looks pretty credible to me, Dr. Pimsleur has an impressive background. I'm just shocked at the prices! Maybe I'll give the free trial a go, but I couldn't see myself actually being able to afford the real thing. It's a shame because it seems like it really works.

I've always been amused by the idiom 'mutton dressed as a lamb' which refers to an older person who dress like they're still young, and refuse to let go of their youth in general.

The first French movie I watched must have been 'Les Choristes.' We watched it in French class. I liked it but French cinema wasn't what made me love the language initially, as apart from that movie, I wasn't really exposed to it. It definitely gave me an insight into French culture though. We later watched 'Amelie' and 'La Haine' which I loved.

At my level, I couldn't learn Japanese that way. I just wouldn't be able to read the text as I barely know any kanji yet. It sounds like a great idea though. It must really immerse you in the language, which of course is always the easiest way to learn. I watch anime in an attempt to immerse myself in the language, and I have picked up some phrases and vocabulary, but it's not easy to learn that way. If I didn't already have a basic knowledge of it from taking Japanese classes, I would be lost.

Hello everyone! I am a girl who loves languages and hopes to pursue a career in translation/interpretation one day! I'm really trying to improve my language skills over the summer before I start university (I study French and Japanese at the moment). I'm hoping this website can help me with that. :party: (these square smilies are.. interesting)