Do you have a knack for learning languages?

[ClearAsCrystal]

uh pretty well said there.

 

 

 

I really wish I did. I am fluent at my native language (Spanish) but only understanding, speaking, and reading it...NOT writing it.

 

I am mediocre with French.

 

Currently, I am learning sign-language. This I can do. You just have to learn signs and how to put "words" together. Minus articles and such. So easy.

 

BUT I am not a very expressive person (with my face and body) so its hard for me to do the required facial expressions and body movements...I'm just no comfy with it yet.

 

I have always wanted to learn other languages and have really tried at it. But I can see that my progress is so much slower than other people (don't compare ..you say) but it's hard not to with that. I really do believe that you either have a knack and tongue for it....or you don't.

 

Some people can just pick one up so easily and it frustrates me. I even try different methods. By tape, reading it, having it spoken to me...all that and nothing. I get it ..but it requires immense amounts of attention and patience so it takes so much longer.

 

I think that is why sinn language is worlds easier ...its signs and no reading, no writing, no talking with weird sounds.

 

 

When it comes to foreign languages...I hit a low point :disappointed:

[alyssa]

I absolutely do not! :D

 

I'm Filipino and most of my family speaks Tagalog, and I can only understand some words and phrases. I definately can't write it or speak it. I can barely speak English! :laugh3:

 

I have no problems with writing English, but when I have to speak, I'm very unexpressive and... well... I trip over my words and such all the time. If I were to explain all of this just by speaking to someone, I wouldn't be able to. I have to lay out all my thoughts in type first or something, haha. I used to be extremely shy. I still am, but not so much anymore. I used to hate talking to any strangers, or even teachers and some of my friends. So, yeah, my speaking abilities are kinda... bleh.

 

As you can imagine... it's wayy tough to learn another language. I don't like trying to pronounce stuff in different languages because I usually look like an idiot.

[chuck kottke]

Wow, Im impressed! I think even trying to tackle a foreign language is an accomplishment! I did try to learn Latin once, but it was tough (especially when everyone else in the class has had three years of Latin already!) I often think some people's minds are better at learning foreign languages because of the way they're wired. Maybe they just have a way of getting their minds into that language's frame of mind? Plus, the sublties are tough, and if you loose confidence while trying to tackle another language, it can be pretty unnerving! I had a horrible time with Latin! Too much, too fast!!

If everyone would just learn Spanglish, the new international standard...:laugh3:;)

-CK

[Oenona]

No, unfortunately I don't have any knack. I suppose you have to feel like doing it, so in this case you'll make an effective effort. Anyway, what you said is true... I mean, there're some lucky persons who have a gift for learning new languages and others simply suck.

For example, I had an English teacher that was from NY (and she lived there) but was able to speak in Catalan and Spanish PERFECTLY. She even said set phrases that we all knew. If we hadn't known she was from NY, we wouldn't have realized she wasn't Spanish.

I met another boy who after being 2 years here in Spain knew the language but you noticed at first sight that he wasn't from here, 'cos of his accent.

So, it depends on the person, I guess, and not on the knacks... *what a shame! :disappointed: *

[reg]

no, french is quite easy to learn for me!:D :smug:

[burningmonk]

I like learning languages. I'm usually pretty good at it too

[Oenona]

^ that's true!!! :P

[Ted]

I do and it is what is going to shape my future career. I did GCSE Spanish and German and got A* on both...I am now doing them both for A-Level and I am really enjoying it and I am definitely doing those two languages at least at university and maybe Italian will get thrown in the mix at some stage. I think it is so satisfying being able to communicate with people succesfully when you are in their country and long may it continue!

[iccp]

i do like to learn languages, ive been trying to learn french i suck at it :(

[reg]

french is easy because some of the phrases and words sound and are spelt english:D :smug:

[Lera]

I believe I don't. I don't know. My English teacher says I do, but what does he know?.. Haha. Well, I'd like to learn English well first and then try French, maybe. My sister is a language machine, she knows English and learns French and Italian.

Ow and it would be lovely to learn German too :wink:

 

Thanks God I don't need to learn Russian. To tell the truth, my Russian is bloody perfect.

[burningmonk]

I want to learn at least 9 languages. I'm already fleunt in two, I did French at school and was decent enough at it; but I want to get better. And of course, Iris is teaching me Catalan :nice:

[Petit Prince]

I don't, had to do three languages at school though. I never liked it but I know it's useful. Anyway, I really don't wanna learn another one.

[indanomati]

well........ for me , i wan to learn French, Spanish & italian. i took french for 2 years at school & i liked it a lot, so i hope i can finish it. & there is also Psanish i'm clueless at it, but i just love how spanish ppl talk & also italian, the thing is i know to speak little romanian [my mom is from Romania] & i undersatnd it when i hear it. and i know to understan a bit hungarian, thats it. oh, & there is of course, Arabic & English.

but i know how to count numbers in Isralian, italian, japanese, french, arabic, romanina, hungarian, mandarine. not a big acomplishment :D , i know , but i like to learn language stuff. i'm thinking of taking a course in French or Spanish this summer, though.

[peng]

english is my forien language for me. well i try mandarin too but it doesn't work. i sucks at leaning language...i rather do maths

 

sometime when i read posts in here i have to use a dictionary...poor me :(

[Lera]

Ha well sometimes I use my ABBYY Lingvo too...Especially when it comes to huge philosophic Reilly's threads :uneasy:

[Reilly]

Im fine with learning them, but remembering them over a few years without using them constantly, well thats a different matter.

 

I've learned both French and Gaelic and then went on to forget both languages only a couple years later. I was fluent in French as an 8 year old and forgot mostly everything by the age of 11/12. I was basically fluent in Gaelic and have gone back to basics since leaving high school. Its shit.

 

Im going to learn Spanish next, lord knows how long it'll stick in my head.

[Reilly]

Ha well sometimes I use my ABBYY Lingvo too...Especially when it comes to huge philosophic Reilly's threads :uneasy:

 

Heh sorry :P

[Lera]

Heh sorry :P

I'm not blaming you :tongue: If I don't learn new words I'll never learn the language :smug:

[Space Cadet]

I have a knack for picking up codes and alphabets, but languages give me trouble. I'm really good at understanding grammar, but to actually learn words is torture- they just don't stick.

 

Which is a bit odd, because I've been told I have an unnaturally large english vocabulary and a knack for picking up dialects. For instance, I drive certain other english students crazy because I can read and understand Shakespeare without having to think about it. The language just sounds normal to me.

[anitafranc]

My father said I do. He would speak in French and I would understand most of it and that was before I took French clases.

I only speak Spanish, English and a little French. But I'm better at writing, reading and speaking english than most people in my country. I have classmates that have been learning English for as long as I have and their pronunciation and grammar are just awful.

I wanna learn at least four more languages. After I'm done with French. I wanna take Italian, Portuguese, German and Japanese

[manc_ill_kid]

I have English, French and Russian and wee bits of German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Cantonese. After a while it gets difficult to stop thinking in them

[Byron369]

I'm really good at learning languages, but don't find any time for it.

 

'Till now - I know Croatian, English, a bit of German & Japanese.

I studied Italian for a year...

[*Ali*]

I've been told that I'm good at languages (appears to be somethng that runs in the family) and I find them quite easy, so I love them! I've studied Latin, French and Spanish so far in my life and am taking Spanish to uni with me :-D

[psychosaiqa]

when i was young, i had quite a knack for languages, i could figure stuff out just by context clues. so i was born in america, but english wasn't my first language. my family's bengali and up until the age of 4; i didn't really speak any english until my sister started teaching me. now, my best subject is english and i read and write better than any of my "white" friends :P i find it quite ironic, yet funny...there's a commercial on tv right now for a language leraning program hahaha :laugh4: i took french in high school, but i didn't really ever learn anything, but i can read it pretty well, same with spanish.i've been picking up bits and pieces everywhere since i live in texas. and i can still speak bangla pretty well...but i cant read or write it for the life of me.