Where you are makes a difference?

[Peninha]

Sure that where we are (learning French in France for example) makes a difference regarding the language we are learning, but do you think that is only the speaking part that is made easier or the reading and writing as well?

[AmYy]

Everything gets easier when you're surrounded by native speakers of the language you're trying to learn. Also if you're in the country where everyone uses the language, you will make a much better progress than being somewhere else. That includes listening, reading and talking in that language all the time and surely that's the best way to improve in every aspect. I think reading and writing would go easier that way as well because you'll always be reading titles and advertisements in that language all around you.

[Lasonax]

Being exposed to a language is definately the best way to learn, and surely the same would go with writing and reading aswell. Unless you were studying an asian language and knew no characters whatsoever that is...

It would probably be possible to learn anyway, but considering there are several thousand of characters in Japanese/Chinease, it would probably not be possible to learn their writing system just by living there. If it's a country that uses letters that you are familiar with however, I think it could be possible. Eventually you would make the connection between the spoken word and the script, and it would thus all connect. All parts of a language are connected, reading/listening/speaking/writing, are all connected. Learning to do one of them will help you out in the other ones aswell. I'm personally focusing only on passive knowledge in japanese (reading/listening), but even so: I still learn some writing and speaking, even if i do not try to do so. It's because it's just so that, you would have to actively try not to learn how to do the other things to not learn atleast some of them.

[hoodoowytch]

I tend to think it matters a fair bit where you live. If you are learning Swahili then I suppose it would most certainly be easier to learn if you lived with people's in Africa that spoke Swahili.  It's the same with learning Sign Language from any part of the world. If you immerse yourself into Deaf Culture then you will learn the language more fluently.

Also, one thing I learned very quickly is if you do not use the new language often then you will forget it. If you don't use it you'll lose it. 

[wander_n_wonder]

I totally agree that it helps a lot to hear the language being spoken in order to learn faster.  That's why being in the place of the language actually is useful.  I think it would influence all (reading, writing, speaking, listening) mainly because you gain more familiarity as compared to when you are not staying in that place.  Familiarity is the most important factor, plus a good level of practice.

[Rosa]

I certainly think that where you are does make a difference. One would definitely learn more quickly from being around others that speak the language you are learning. However, I think that reading and writing would still need a lot of attention.

[Trellum]

Yeah, I bet that learning dutch in Holland is easier.  I actually didn't find the language any easier to learn when I was there, I thought it was so hard!  Hearing people speak dutch... made me shiver.  But I bet that if  take a course over there and get to hear it and practice it on a daily basis... that will surely make a difference for me  

I will have to wait to see for sure tho   I'm sure learning another language is way easier when the person gets to be in the country where said language is spoken.  Sadly not many people have that choice. In the end what really counts is the passion and interest of the person to learn the language

[Canadien]

As others have pointed out, it definitely helps you learn the language a lot easier if you are immersed in a region where it is spoken as a first language. I think that being immersed helps with all aspects of the language learning process. Your reading is improved by reading and seeing the language on shop signs, in the newspapers, on the television. Your speaking is improved by being forced to converse with others and to be around others who are constantly speaking the language. And finally, your writing would also be improved as you'd likely have to write in the language if you were in the country it was spoken.

When I traveled to Italy on a school trip, I found that in just the short two weeks that I was there, I had already learned as much, if not more, than what I learned in the few months prior to the trip that I was learning Italian. Unfortunately I never maintained my Italian and it's fallen by the wayside, but going to the country it was spoken was extremely helpful.

[skywatcher]

If I have the cash, I'd be more than willing to spend time in a country using the language I want to learn. I agree with the others that learning with native speakers is one of the best ways to learn the language (both in terms of speaking and writing).

Sure, adapting into the culture will be hard, but it'd be a good way to learn the origins of the language, why the language is spoken that way, and even relate the language into the culture. Being exposed to people who speak the things you want to learn all the time is a nice way to 1.) see how things are pronounced, 2.) see the flow of the language, 3.) study the expressions and the gestures when speaking with others; as in, basic things that wouldn't make a difference in other places, but are really important to understand the language in that certain place.

[Gelsemium]

I just read a post from g2narat saying she was in the country and that she learned the language in two months, so I guess that says it all, it makes a huge difference because we are learning 24 by 24 and not just a couple of hours per day.

[trenchant]

I'm inclined to believe that being fully immersed in that country makes a difference in every aspect of learning that language.

Having been in Taiwan for about a month, I really feel that helped improve not only my Chinese speaking abilities, but also my writing and reading, simply because I saw the language everywhere I went, and those skills were forced to be in use every day.

[Peninha]

Yeah, I can totally relate with with what you say trenchant, I was in Tokyo for one month and it drove me nuts to see everything in Japanese, I was wishing I had studied it before...

[sidney]

I think nothing really beats immersion, because you will be surrounded by people that speak the language fluently, so aside from learning the language much quickly, you will also pick up the correct pronounciation in no time. I think it's just the same way that we have learned how to speak our native language, because we are surrounded by people who speak them when we were young.

[whnuien]

When I first started learning English seriously my teacher was a British. I had been learning for years before that with a local teacher who kept on translating words back into our native which did not help me.

So I believe that teacher is very important too. What language they speak, how well there are with the language I'm learning, and their method of teaching obviously.

Writing and reading will indeed with no doubt improve our speaking skills and confidence when communicating using the language we are currently learning.

[babyleans]

believe it or not, most people in my country have a very difficult time reading and writing their local languages because more emphasis is put on learning English and the national language Swahili. so they can speak their languages naturally but they cant write or read it, but they can write/read english but cant speak it very well. so i would say you have to be in an environment that encourages the learning of all aspects of that language.

[Jrh2]

I think it would be a lot easier to learn a language if you are surrounded by the language as it will be easier to pick up if everyone is using it. Trying to learn french whilst in the UK is a lot harder than if I was in France as wherever I go the people and writing are all in English so I have to find time to practise french rather than just hearing it whilst doing other things as it would be in France. 

[g2narat]

Sure that where we are (learning French in France for example) makes a difference regarding the language we are learning, but do you think that is only the speaking part that is made easier or the reading and writing as well?

I think it makes a difference. I wouldn't say you have to be in a certain country to learn their language but it certainly does help. Being immersed in a particular place will ensure that you know how locals speak their language. I think it would help overall, not just with speaking. For example, if you're in France, you can also see French words and books everywhere, so that would expose you to the written language as well.

[003]

Exposed yourself to all where language is being used, because only in that way that you really could get familiarized with the language and the words, and everything else related to the language in all possible ways.

[Gelsemium]

Sometimes it's easier said than done 003, if we are not in a country where the language we are learning is spoken we really can't expose ourselves easily. We can look for schools or communities or even activities where that language is spoken though.

[karean]

It's true that every aspect of learning a language gets easier when you immerse yourself in the culture. However, I think that reading and writing may not be as enhanced because accessing different materials can easily be accessed over the internet. I personally can't think of the added value when you go to the place in these aspects.

[Baburra]

I think it helps most with speaking the language and maybe only a little when it comes to reading or writing the language. It probably helps a lot more than not being there at all, though, since you'd hardly be forced to adapt and read if you were elsewhere. I think being immersed in the country of origin of the language you're trying to learn is helpful to all facets of learning of said language, but I don't think it's entirely necessary or that one who is immersed would have that much advantage over someone who isn't because in the end, it's initiative that helps a person learn most rather than the circumstance he or she is in.

[Rosyrain]

I think it is much easier when you are absorbed into the culture where the language is that you want to learn to speak.  If you live it, you will catch on much quicker than if you are in your own native area and just trying to study the language.

[johnnear]

Humans are creatures of habit and we adapt to change that's why we are on top of the food chain. If you're American and you happen to live in Japan for a couple of years then you are sure to adapt and absorb the cultures and customs of the place where you live and that includes the language. If the people around you speak, write and read Japanese all the time then you will, in some point in time, learn how to read, write and speak Japanese. It really helps a lot in language learning to be surrounded with people who know that language.

[nashvilleshelby]

Amy it is great to know that you surrounding yourself with the language actually helps you to learn it. So I know that I am on the right path. I am planning a trip to Spain and I want to learn all that I can. Before I go..

[FosterTXT]

I also think that your reading and righting skills will be improved when you are living in a place where there native language is the one that you are trying to learn. I think being surrounded by the language would help overall.