Voytek

I've never used memrise but I view 50-75 new cards in my Anki decks every day for Spanish, English and Swedish.

Could any of you check my Swedish pronunciation?

Please. Here is my recording:

https://www.speakpipe.com/voice-recorder/msg/xu6hyi5tg0sgwz22

Here`s the word list:
snö, hel, byta, bita, fluga, kung, prata, mat, matt, hål, kylskåp, skön, kön, björn, gräs, svärd, magnet, ben, sten, resa, ögonbryn, övrmorgon.

On 24.09.2016 at 1:43 AM, Dragonfly said:

I am a Swede! I could do it tomorrow if you want  What words? 

It`s good to know that there`s someone from Sweden. Perhaps, in the future I`ll ask you to help me by chatting with me via Skype. For now, I`m at level A2 with my Swedish so it`s too soon.

I got those minimal pairs from forvo.

This method:

https://sendvid.com/v7r7ffmv

Forvo (a site with recorded words-mp3). You have to be registered to download files (it`s free):

http://forvo.com/

An images searcher;

http://images.google.com/search?q=Type+your+search+here&tbm=isch&sout=1

Anki:

http://ankisrs.net/

Dictionary:

http://www.spanishdict.com/

I want to ask somoeno who is a Swedish native speaker to read and record a few minimal-pairs (similar sounding words) for me. So any Swede here?

Does anybody know any book (or a course, a film etc.) about teaching English without knowing students native language? I mean students who begin studying English or are at most at level A2.

Muchisimas gracias, amigo!

I`m going to try this application (on android) for Spanish learning and I`ll let you know about my impressions.

Where can I test my Spanish level for free? I`m looking for at least a descent online test.

http://phandroid.com/2014/07/09/best-android-apps-for-learning-spanish-japanese-languages/

I just found it!

Quote

Transcribe a novel, in your case assuming you are a native English speaker, from Spanish to Spanish (copy the novel).

As you do this, phrase by phrase, translate literally from Spanish to English

Once you have this translation, it will become apparent, say 98% of the time, that something is wrong if indeed it doesn't make sense in English. That being the case you accommodate the words that most likely will be the correct translation. Again, 98% of the time you will be right on that translation.

With this you will get to think in Spanish by understanding it in English. (Weird uh?)
But you will also will write stuff in Spanish without knowing grammar, just because that's the way it is written. You begin to acquire the written form by copying.

Once you understand the phrase, read Spanish out loud. If you don't know how a word is pronounced, then go to any online dictionary or translator and input the word and click on the speaker icon.

Do not be tempted to translate using an online translator, by doing that, even if it was a good translation, will not really help you. You need to do the exercise. Falling for this it would be the equivalent of reading on how to develop muscles by lifting weights, you are going to understand that perfectly, but I hope you don't expect to develop any muscles just by reading....

Once you have the correct Spanish pronunciation, read it out loud.

Start again.

Once a week watch a movie, either a Spanish movie or a movie that has the Spanish audio track. By doing this you will develop you listening skill and what Rusty explained in his reply will ensue, no doubt, but because it is a movie, which you will couple the action of what you are seeing with the actual spoken language, all will begin to make sense faster than just trying to understand a conversation, and trying to equate certain phrases that are pretty much the same in both languages, as Rusty also explained.

I recommend a novel of about 400 to 500 pages. I know it sounds like a lot, but actually it isn't. It has to be a novel that you would pick up if it were in English. In other words, something of your interest and that will keep up that interest in the novel. If you pick something for kids, thinking that the language level will be easier, most likely it will bore you to death and will not do anything. If that happens, most likely you will blame my system.

The movie also has to be one that you will not mind watching over and over, because you are not going to see another one until you understand all of what has been said in the movie.

If you do this, there is no way you will be able to say that you don't understand Spanish, after going thru a 500 pages novel and movie.

Once you understand Spanish and can write complex phrases (read Subjunctive, usage of para/por etc) you will not be able to explain why you chose those words, other than "that's the way it is done". Then you can take on Spanish grammar, but then if you don't know your grammar and pretty much you express and write the way you do, because "that's how it is supposed to be" then I would recommend you to either, start English grammar and once you understand your grammar start the Spanish one, or do not start anything grammar.

This is not my method, I just found it at another internet site and I`m curious, what do you think about it.

Is there any? If not, I think that is a good idea to create it.

Edit:

Got it! Where have my eyes been.

I`m learning both languages (Sapnish and English) and I see many similarities in grammar (tenses) and in vocabulary (cognates). I guess, I see them in grammar due I`m a Pole. In Polish language we`ve got only three tenses. Any way, thereby I`m fluent in English, I`ve a lot less problems with learning Spanish, especially with the memorization of vocabulary.

@Blaveloper

Dziękuję, kolego!

Actually, I`ve started to use SpanishPod101 but after a couple of days I lost motivation to use it because, like you just wrote, it looks like a scum... But I`ll give it a try once again. I`ll definitely try InnovativeLanguage. Thank you once again.

What do you think about Lang-8? Have you try it?

8 minutes ago, Blaveloper said:

There are plenty of Android apps to learn one or multiple language(s), but I can't stress enough the importance to use real world content.
Apps are fine for absolute beginners, but once you moved beyond B1 level you should read/listen to the news, product reviews, podcasts, books, comics, etc. in that language while it's NOT a learning material.

The main reason is that language learning apps provide simple, unreal sentences.
This is OK for people who just start learning a language, but a big no-no for people more advanced like that.
And non-learning apps are more commonly available for free too.

I say all of this because people often overestimate this, and seeing how you explained your learning process in another topic, I assume your Spanish is already beyond A2 at the very least.

Actually, I`m only at A2 level and I still need to work on basics but your philosophy makes sesne for me fully. I watch `Pocoyo` (animated serial for small children) every day and when I finish this series I`m going to watch `Dora Exploradora` and `Los Simpons`. Any way, do you, or someone else, know any valuable application for Spanish learning for Android?

8 minutes ago, Blaveloper said:

Yeah, and I gave up after just looking at the lesson material.
Good thing I had a 14 day money back guarantee, I would have been fucked for 4 years otherwise.

Yes, I still have plans to move to Japan, but I'll just stick with my web- or game developer career instead, preferably self-employed.

Yeah, studying English at university sucks but I want to have a diploma because it might help me to get a job, but, actually, I`ve heard that if you have degree it`s enough to get a job in Japana or Thailand. of course,m you must be fluent.

On 19.04.2016 at 11:13 PM, GennevierAnderson said:

When it comes about learning an Asian language I have been always interested in learning Japanese, but I just can't find that possible at the time being. I can't even understand their alphabet, and the way they read and write is exactly the opposite of how I am used to. How much time do you think it would take me to learn their alphabet? Also I've realized that they do not have a standard one like the Latin alphabet for example, they can write a word using a single symbol, how is that even possible?

If you really want to learn Japanese, you should try this, mate.

http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-7516-9780824835927.aspx

On 28.04.2016 at 8:09 AM, Blaveloper said:

I haven't, I'm a web- and game developer.
However, since lots of other people are web- and/or game developers too, I'm struggling to find a job for 4 years now (and ongoing).
For that reason I decided to study to become an English teacher through home studies (but with an internationally recognised bachelors degree afterwards).
And I'm hoping to work in Japan after getting this degree.

I didn't start yet, since my application is still pending as we speak.

Really? I have been studying English Philology from 8 months to teach English in Japan (or maybe in Thailand) too.

I`m studying English to improve it from fluency to proficiency and Spanish to be fluent and at the same time I`m learning Japanese writing system (Kanji) and I don`t have any problems with this all. As somebody wrote earlier, it`s important to don`t mix languages from the same family (unless you finished learning one or you get fluent) and I think it`s a good idea to get fluent in particular language (B2) and than move to another. My Japanese learning is an exception because I`m learning only Kanji, which is also a good method to improve your memory and foster your imagination. Besides, knowing Kanji is essential to study Japanese. It`s good to learn languages successfully, e.g. when you get fluent in English it`s good to start learning Spanish (due similarity) and than another roman language (Portuguese, French, Italian or Romanian). Also, if you know German, it`s not so hard to learn Danish, Swedish, Norwegian or even Dutch. And so on. Look for similarities, unless you want to learn language only for practical reasons. I do it for passion, but I want to improve my English becasue I`m planning to teach this language abroad...

All suggestions would be much appreciated.