Norm A

If you're just listening to the native speakers and not studying the language on the side, then you really won't make as much progress as you otherwise might have made. I think the best way to learn it fast and easily is to expose yourself to the native speakers while you are studying the language at the same time.

I have just started reading a book by one of our local authors about the modern legend of a woman who died on her wedding day in a car crash, and now haunts a stretch of road on the highway. It's quite an interesting read, and it's really helping me to increase my vocabulary. I still think I would enjoy the story more if it was in english...

I totally agree that to learn a new language fast and well, we do need to be proactive. I use some small cards on which I write some of the more difficult words that I learnt the previous week. This helps me when I have time to spare or Im standing in line somewhere, I'll take them out and practice those words. It's a really simple and effective way to retain more of what you learn.

I've always believed that it is possible to be fluent in as many languages as you have time and energy to learn. I think learning all those languages will definitely serve you weill in your future, I'm just not sure in what order you should learn them, or even if it matters. I agree with Kimseokjin that it might be a good idea to start with Chines since it is spoken by more people.

That happens with a lot of people. I think it has to do with the fact that when we speak a foreign language it isn't just about knowing what to say, it's also about saying it the right way and with the right accent and this can negatively impact on your confidence.

English first obviously. Then French, Spanish, Chinese and Latin. I think. I'm sure if you ask me the same question tomorrow, I'll probably have changed the list somehow. I just love all languages, and I'm influenced by so many things. Like whenever I am going to travel to some place, then suddenly the native language starts to seem really appealing to me.

OH don't laugh at yourself... Until I read your post, I also thought that sign language was universal. Wow. It does look all the same to us who don't know all the signs when we see it on television. It's wonderful and mind boggling to know that there are actually so many different versions of it, Just amazing. And I wonder why I've never thought to learn sign language... I think it's worth considering for my next language.

I live in South Africa right now and it's really great that we have eleven official languages, and most of them are taught in the schools. My daughter is only five and she already speaks four languages. When she gets older I obviously will try to get her to choose more languages to add that are not being taught at their schools like maybe Latin, French and German.

A year to learn a language? Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't it take much less time than that to learn a language, especially one as easy as English? Maybe the nanny just did not have the time to get proper lessons, in which case then it's great that she managed to learn from the children she was caring for. I'll bet they also picked up quite a lot of the language she speaks considering just how fast kids pick up languages.

I definitely would if the pay would make it worth my while. That is as good a reason as any to learn a new language and I know there are many people whose main motivation for learning a new language is so that they can get a better job somewhere else.

Learning a new language is just part of my weekly routine now. I do my weekly lesson same time on the same day every week. It's something that I also totally look forward to so there is no chance of me missing it or it feeling like a chore. I love my weekly lessons and I will never stop them. The languages that I'm learning will constantly change, but that time slot is reserved for learning languages for the rest of my life.

I just had an experience a couple of weeks ago where I went out on a date with someone who doesn't speak a word of English or any of the other languages that I know. It was a very frustrating evening. Especially since I really liked the guy and I could feel a sort of connection between us. The fact that we had to communicate mostly in sign language the whole evening kind of turned me off, so no, I would never marry someone who doesn't speak my language.

I just love learning new things and languages enable me to connect with people from all over the world. It's amazing when you can visit a country and be able to speak in their native tongue. That is what really excites me about learning new languages. It makes for far more exciting travels and experiences.

I learn a new language every year and I spend the rest of the time perfecting my accent. This is an ongoing thing for the six languages that I've learned so far. I never stop trying to improve my accent, but learning the language itself only takes me about three to six months. Of course this is just the basics of the language. It takes me about that amount of time to grasp the basics.

I totally agree with you. English and Spanish seem to be the easiest languages to learn, but I also feel that the person's motivation for learning the language counts for a lot in how easy or how hard they find it to learn that particular language.