Rooks57

The simple appeal of just having one language completely overlooks our natural inclinations towards special deviations. Look at English, there is the original British English, Canadian English, American English, Australian English, and multiple other variations. Each one not only sounds different but can completely different slangs and even changes the meanings of the words. My mom jokes about the time her friend asked her for a rubber, she's from England, at work and was shocked. In America, a rubber is slang for a condom while in England it means an eraser. A lift is an elevator in UK. So even if you picked one language, it would end up deviating to fit the people and the culture. Besides, there are just words and phrases that are unique to each language that never completely transfer in translation. The lost of uniqueness of those language would be tragic and immense.

Peach is kind of used like honey as an endearment for someone that is sweet, beautiful, or excellent. If your in a pickle, you're in a tight spot. Apple of (one's) eye is someone who is beloved by another person. The apple never falls far from the tree suggests that kids end up being like their parents with much difference. As American as apple pie implies that something is quintessentially Americana or shares it's values or culture. How do you like them apples? Is usually a taunt that refers to an undesirable state or situation, though it can be neutral in some contexts. Cherry-picked, means the best selections has already been taken. To not give a fig is to be unconcerned or unbothered. Peaches and cream is saying that everything is okay, but I've only heard this said sarcastically. When someone is full of beans, it means they're talking nonsense or their full fit. Dangle a carrot is basically the illusion that you dangle a small prize to get someone to do something. Think of a donkey following a carrot on a string while pulling a cart. Cool as a cucumber is someone that is unfazed by tough situations. Pass an olive branch is to make peace or call a truce. Pea-brained or melon head implies that someone is stupid or slow-witted. Like two peas in a pod implies that people are extremely close. Hot potato is a controversial or difficult issue. A couch potato is someone who spends excessive amount of time in front of the television or computer. Small potatoes implies insignificance. Hoping something will bear fruit is hoping that something will bear results. Forbidden fruit references Eve's fall and suggests something that is attractive but forbidden. Fruits of one's labors is the results of one's efforts. Becoming a vegetable is when someone is rendered physically disabled or to virtually cease mentally activity, usually when people go comatose.

It's really important to know numbers though I would go up to a thousand if you can because some airports go over the ninety-nine number. It's also important to know how to say not just whole numbers but decimals so you can pay for food or fare. I hadn't thought of watching the lottery drawings, that's brilliant. I usually just have an audio on my iPod that replays it.

I gave up French after high school. My school wouldn't let me take the exam to get into my French class and I wasn't confident enough in it to risk taking the test when I had a year longer of Spanish. And my college had such an awful language program with lazy teachers that I didn't take the French exam the next year. Then I just ran out of time with all the homework they gave me and work that I couldn't manage learning French by myself on top of Spanish.

I think one of the weirdest word in English is 'bass' and 'bass', they're spelled the same but they don't mean the same thing and they aren't pronounced the same. Bass, beys, is used in music for low in pitch or the lowest pitch or range. Bass, bas, is a fish in the families of Serranidae and Centrarchidae. Then you have words like crane where there are three meanings: bird, machine to lift objects, and the verb to arch your neck in unnatural position. Usually the difference is between the noun and verb like point: sharp end of an object and the act of pointing a finger. Leaves can be the plural of leaf or the act of leaving. Rose is a flower or the action of getting up. Foil for wrapping food or to sabotage a plot. Right can reference a direction or correctness. Type is how we write on a computer or subsection of category or class, it can also refer to the letters used in typography. Run is also a strange one. The verb can refer to moving quickly on your legs, managing (like a business), working (like your car engine), or offering a service. But the now can refer to a running competition (like a 10k run), a period of time, or a journey. Break can mean destroy something into pieces, disobeying the law, becomes known (like breaking news), or ending something (like a relationship). A break as a now can me a rest period, an opportunity that helps you achieve success, or a time of major changes in one's life.

I can't say that I've learned a language by watching the shows alone but I can definitely pick up words out when I hear them because they are repeated. I've even found myself saying some words in Korean instead of English to my mom because she would understand them. But I don't think I've watched enough dramas to pick up the language that well. Acting it out though probably helps with memorizing because you're moving you body with the words. I'll have to try it out now, thanks for post.

I'm not sure why it's an issue to write down on notecards. I find that i learn better when I write it down because you practice writing it instead of just memorizing what it looks like. I do find that I don't like the tablet I have because transferring words and their meanings to the flashcard app is annoying and time consuming. I have better luck transferring on my computer then sending it to my tablet. When writing down text whether it's from a book, newspaper, graphic novel (manga and manhwa), and even subtitles from shows, I put a star next to the slang words. I do this for two reasons, one is that slang definitely ages quickly as mentioned above. Also, I'm learning Korean and you have to be careful about how you talk to people who are older or of higher status than you out of respect. Most Asian languages seem to be like that as far as I know. I reserve slang for very casual informal language and not part of the speech I use in most conversation with people I don't know closely. Also, I write formal language in black and informal language in blue, because pens in those colors are cheap.

I think that you have to be careful about what genre of music you're picking. With rap, hip hop, and some r&b, you would learn more Ebonics than English. Not to say that isn't fun to listen to but Ebonics but it has its own unique grammar rules that won't be technically correct in standard English. You would have to be careful about how much you pick up because you might end up sounding Iggy does when she raps. People have called her out for sounding like a Southern black woman instead of an Australian who raps and how racist it is. So it's kind of a hard finding the balance between using some relevant slang and full on Ebonics. Country is also another one that is fun to listen to but they really emphasis the Southern country slang that isn't used in most context. Though it's closer to standard English than Ebonics but most of the country doesn't really talk like that. Those are the only genres where I would be aware that you're broaching unique slang that isn't really used in normal conversation. But you should listen to whatever you like and every little bit helps.

Whenever I get lax about studying Korean, I just go watch a K-drama or music video. It never fails to recharge me. I really want to go to a k-pop concert, sing-along to the songs, and know what I'm saying. The K-dramas always remind me that I want to go see South Korea in person and eat all the food. K-dramas never fail to make me hungry. With that reminder, I'll be motivated. Plus, I always end up with either new words or expressions that I need to look up for context. It gets me excited to think about going to South Korea without a translator since I'll probably have to go on a budget. With my goal and budget in mind, I focus harder.

I was reading some blogs about language learning and everyone's personal tricks to learning. I came across this one writer who suggested finding the music that you like in the language you're learning. His reasoning is that you loosen up and have fun just practicing learning the lyrics like you would a song in your native tongue. Also, you learn how the words change with certain emotions, where people naturally put the emphasis. I thought it was an interesting suggestion. I have found that because I listen to k-pop because I genuinely enjoy it that I have an easier time picking out words when people speak. In that way, I'm having an easier time with verbal part of Korean than I did when I learned Spanish in high school. Do you add music as part of your strategy? Do you think it helps? Or not? Do you think singing would actually help?

I have found that when I'm translating texts that I will translate verbatim because I'm still just starting to learn the language. But then I'll read it through and realize that a set of words actually created a phrase that means something unique from the literal translation. The only reason I know that is because I've watched dramas and I've seen and heard them use the phrase, and occasionally the comment section explains the context. I was wondering if anyone does the same thing when you start out and mistranslate phrases verbatim and then the translated sentence doesn't make sense, or sounds really odd? Phrases and expressions are always fun to learn but never fail to trip me up when I'm learning a language.

I watch a lot of dramas on Viki and I kind of accept that most of the subtitles aren't perfect because of how fast they are doing them. Though I have to say that they seem better than the ones I watch on old translated movies. But it really depends on the quality of the website or movie and what they can really afford. I think that it's inevitable that some of the meaning is lost because how a culture speaks is unique had has words or phrases only found in that culture and they don't translate over regardless. So I accept that what I'm reading is often the more analytically 'correct' version of the original dialogue.

I didn't know that Bing had a translator. I've only used Google Translator. As bad as it is, I don't understand why she would have trouble with the translation if you matched the languages up unless she speaks a specific dialect. My mom uses Google Translate for business and no matter how butchered the translations are, they still translate for people speaking three different language to work together with only the occasional mishap. You could try simplifying you sentences for the translator so minimize how awful it is but other than that I've only used G.T.

I have to agree that most apps aren't designed to be used alone. I've always used them as a way to study while I'm waiting in line or in a quiet moment between errands. Apps have never been a foundation of my language learning. They are like the frosting flower on top of the cake, pretty but mostly decretive. I do find that I study more words than when I had to carry around note cards.

I'm rarely use Google Translate but my mom has to use it to translate the emails she gets for work. She often finds herself in-between two people who don't speak the same language and needs to translate something. The ending could be a garbled mess but she's been able to use for work. I personally wouldn't trust it to translate a novel, but most analytical texts, it seems to handle well. Mostly because the words used in the business world don't have a ton of synonyms that could confuse you. Unlike more conversational words, take 'oppa' from Korean. It literally translates into big brother, but girlfriends will call their boyfriends that, without context, it would be translated wrong. I think Google Translate is fine to get the gist of a sentence or paragraph, but expect the finer details to be utterly lost or destroyed.

My language bucket list includes Spanish, French, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Gaelic, Farsi, and Portuguese. The Gaelic is a weird one but half of my family comes from Scotland and I would like to be able to read some of the old books and letters they left behind. So I don't really need to speak Gaelic but read it. I want to travel South America, so I want to learn Spanish and Portuguese. Of course, I would love to go to France to see the art, architecture, and eat the food. Farsi is probably a strange one but it's probably the second most common language where I'm living, I meet more people who speak Farsi than Spanish. Which is weird for California.

I prefer to listen to Korean music because I think it sounds really pretty when they sing ballads. Ann's Even If It's Only A Memory and 4Men's Baby Baby are some of my favorite songs. Though I like the k-pop bands like Big Bang, 2NE1, Girls' Generation, Navi, B2ST, DBSK/TVXQ, 2PM, and EXO. It's really fun to listen to. I also like to listen to Japanese rock but I can't seem to listen to j-pop, it's just to sweet. I have songs in Greek and a couple of other languagnes but mostly they are in English, Korean, or Japanese.

I wouldn't mind learning another language for work. I'm kind of doing that but indirectly. I want to take a year off to travel and paint, but I plan on selling the paintings for more than I'm getting for my illustrations right now. But mostly, I like learning languages just for fun. Though, I don't think it's a bad thing for people to learn a foreign language sometimes just that skill can allow people to upgrade their life and open them up to new opportunities.

I think the rule is you have to master like ten thousand of most common words to be able to comfortably talk. The problem you might have with newspapers is that they have a word count they have to keep to so instead of writing casually, they use more specific words to keep the word count down. I still think reading newspaper and even magazine articles are great ways to practice reading and expanding the words you know. You also get to learn more eloquent words to used when writing and speaking.

I'm not sure about Slavic languages but when I was in high school I had no issue learning the structure of French because it was so similar to Spanish. My mom worked with a couple where her friend spoke Spanish while his girlfriend spoke a dialect of Portuguese influenced Spanish. So they would get into arguments and then have to stop and speak in English because they didn't quite understand what the other said. Most of the Romantic languages are derived from Latin so I can understand how you came to that conclusion. So I do agree that some languages are really variations of the same language.

I live in America and unless you go to a private school, foreign language classes are reserved for high school. I can't help but think that it's a shame that we don't start younger when our minds are more flexible. What do you think? Do you wish you would have started sooner?

I'm only fluent in English but I'm trying to become multilingual by brushing up my high school Spanish and learn Korean. Then I want to learn Japanese and French. I wish the pubic schools I went to had started my foreign language classes sooner than high school, it's such a practical skill.

I took three years of Spanish and two years of French very seriously because I wanted to travel Europe and look at art and architecture. But my teachers didn't really teach us well. None of us could used the words properly in even a simple conversations. I got really good at writing in high school but I still couldn't recognize certain words. My dad made fun of me because I didn't understand a guy asking me if I wanted to buy a soda in Spanish. So, while I was serious, it was for nothing since I couldn't apply it to real life.

I tend to focus on the meaning of a name over whether or not it's in English. Most of my favorite names are not in English. I usually end up naming my pet fish fun pretty names like Kamala and Kairavini. Though lately I've been really into foreign last names for first names for my future pet cat or dog. It's really about finding a name that fits the personality of your pet. While I don't have kids yet, I don't mind the idea of naming my kids a foreign name.

May I ask how you learn specifically? Do you spend an hour everyday or more to master a language in a year? Any advice, I'm trying to learn Korean and want to get a good start on it so I can travel to South Korea? Thanks.