I've been trying to slowly teach myself French for a few years now since I travel there semi-frequently. I'm at the point where I can basically exist in France (well, Paris) without really having to resort to using English too frequently. I'm far far far from fluent (as several French speaking members here can attest to!)
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Learning Languages..
Collapse
X
-
Originally posted by Faust View PostTo me the best criteria for learning the language is what kind of literature has been written in it. So German wins. But I love the sound of Italian - it's such a beautiful language.
And I agree - if you don't immerse yourself, you will probably forget it. I really want to move to Paris for a couple of years to learn French. Alas, it's not a possibility for me :(
[and it naturally comes in handy for shopping and, more importantly, eating throughout Italy]
Comment
-
-
REALLY appreciate the input thus far guys, definitely why I asked here
I'm still 'in the process' of learning Spanish though and have quite a ways to go. Has anybody ever doubled up on learning languages before? or is it usually best to try and nail down one fairly well before moving to another? I'm almost thinking that if I go with Italian I might mix a few things up (as some things intertwine with Spanish).
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by interest1 View PostLikewise. I think I could be content living almost anywhere in Europe, but Paris tops my list. 2 years of high school French & several pocket language guides later..
No matter how often I may go, it still pulls on my heartstrings every time I leave.
*And not just because my aunt & uncle, who live there, were both pastry chefs for 20+ years.. and force me to eat & drink things such as THIS, every night.. ;)
As much as I like your criteria for language-learning, E, I prefer to judge a country based on the intensity of their cuss-word burn factor.
I'm a firm believer that the more creatively you can tell someone to go "%*&#^!!" their mother/sister/self/god, the more likely you are to whip your 'new tongue' out & use it.
Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde
StyleZeitgeist Magazine
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by orphée View PostThe unquestionable place of German literature in Western civilization nothwithstanding, Italian literature is nothing to be sniffed at. From Dante's Divine Comedy - which, if the reader is up for the challenge of 14th century Italian, is a matter of relishing each and every phrase as an utter thing of beauty and profound social and religious commentary - to Machiavelli and even some of the more recent sci-fi/fantasy Italian authors such as Evangelisti with his epic tales of the Spanish Inquisition with sci-fi trappings, there is much to be gained from a good delve into what the Italians have been writing. A good deal of it also lays the foundation for Italian cinema, i.e. Pasolini.
[and it naturally comes in handy for shopping and, more importantly, eating throughout Italy]Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde
StyleZeitgeist Magazine
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by merzimmersion, watch movies spoken in your native language, subtitled in a foreign language or get fucked."He described this initial impetus as like discovering that they both were looking at the same intriguing specific tropical fish, with attempts to understand it leading to a huge ferocious formalism he characterizes as a shark that leapt out of the tank."
Comment
-
-
I'm just beginning to delve in to learning Japanese. Starting with the written language(s) and then hopefully moving towards conversational speaking. I'm hoping to have a decent grasp on at least the written within a years time as I'm planning a trip to Tokyo.
Comment
-
-
^^ When I came to college I thought I'd take the Japanese to fill the language requirement, but have actually become very interested in learning the language. I've been studying Japanese for about 2 years now, so at this point giving it up would be a huge waste. Am now in my school's Advanced Japanese (which inaccurately implies proficiency). I lived with 2 native speakers last year which was really helpful as I learned a fair bit about conversational speaking, something that you simply cannot pick up in a classroom / language lab setting. Next semester I'll be studying in Tokyo and living with a Japanese family, so here's to hoping I'll get much better while there. I'm actually now considering teaching English in Japan after I graduate to take some before I go to graduate school (assuming, of course, that I actually do).
I'm interested in hearing the experiences of other non-native Japanese speakers here. There have to be more.How do you guys like the fit of my new CCP suit?
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by Heirloom View PostI speak Swedish, English, understand well and speak a bit of farsi, speak a teeny bit of german, and on tuesday my dutch class begins.
Originally posted by Heirloom View Postif you learn spanish, adding italian and portugese would be easier. however, with german you would be able to branch out into dutch and flemish.
I speak reasonably good French, not so good Italian and my Spanish is completely self-made (however I could survive in Argentina). I don't think I will ever make more out of my Spanish; I'd rather improve my Italian.
The only languages in which I read literature are Dutch, English and German. I get in touch with a lot of old Italian poetry, but I always need a dictionary.
Once I started to read Querelle de Brest in French, but I gave up after 20 pages... I really had no idea what I was reading. Genet turned out to be a bridge too far.
Ages ago I studied Polish for two years in university, both in Amsterdam and Warsaw, and last summer I could still communicate reasonably well. I'm fascinated by Warsaw, but I would NEVER want to live there though.sicut lilium inter spinas
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by mortalveneer View Postanyone on here speak catalan?
I'm nearly fluent in spanish, and use it for some of my research, but my catalan has deteriorated since I left bcn, my only contact being books and the fact that I run my facebook in it...
Comment
-
-
Originally posted by dmash View PostUp until about a year ago, I always thought Spanish was the main language across the entire country. Wasn't even aware that Catalan was used for street signs and stuff in BCN.
And I noticed they have their own language on street signs in the Valencia region.sicut lilium inter spinas
Comment
-
Comment