# Languages



## olonny

Antiloop said:


> *Do you like learning languages?*
> Mostly no. It's boring to learn all the damn words, rules, exceptions and so on, especially if you don't feel invested. However, it is satisfying learning or looking up a single phrase that you'll find use of or has encountered in music or something.


That's actually a very very important thing to bear in mind. I'm a Spanish and English teacher and there's something that I've recently learned that I wasn't aware of when I was a student myself. Most of the times people think that you actually need to study a language, memorize and study it the same as you may study History, for example. However there's been quite a lot of methodological approaches (The lovely 'Communicative approach' <3 ) that suggest languages are learned through communication, and there is no absolute point in memorizing and going through rules and grammar just for the sake of it. You have to bear in mind your purpose. What's your purpose of learning a language, understand a song? Being able to watch a tv series/show? Being able to read a book in that language? Not only is this way/this reason far more motivating, but its results are way better.


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## Hiryuuka

I currently speak 4 lamguages. In descending order of mastery: Dutch, English, French and German.
I love languages, they're wonderful. It's mind-boggling how simply speaking a different language affects people and society.
My native tongue is Dutxh, but I don't like speaking it - sonething about the pronunciation just rubs me the wrong way. English, on the other hand, is a gentle, fluent language that can be rough and course if you want it to be.
I'm currently learning Japanese, because I find it to be a fascinating language. In a way, it's very simplistic, ywt also complicated - it's kind of hard to explain.
My favourite language is English, for the reasons mentioned above.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk


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## olonny

Hiryuuka said:


> I'm currently learning Japanese, because I find it to be a fascinating language. In a way, it's very simplistic, ywt also complicated - it's kind of hard to explain.
> My favourite language is English, for the reasons mentioned above.


Japanese is indeed a fascinating language. The idea of the Japanese language, its 'roots' are simple, but it gets more confusing and complicated as you get inside its grammar. Especially with all the things you have to infer just with a termination, for example =/ 

English is indeed the most beautiful and gentle sound ever created erc3:


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## RedGanon

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
I speak fluent English and German and a bit of Japanese
*Do you like learning languages?
*Yes, especially if it's hard, I like challenges. I've been studying Japanese for 2 years and Mandarin for 1 year.
*What's your mother tongue? *
German
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
I use German on a daily basis, English is not too far from it compared to other languages. 
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Spanish, Dutch, Italian
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Japanese is my favourite and it's very different^^


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## HAL

Antiloop said:


> Perhaps Finnish and Estonian too, but every Finn I've ever talked to knew Swedish anyway.


That's quite interesting. So Finnish people can speak Swedish, but not vice-versa? Is there a reason for that?


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## Hiryuuka

HAL said:


> That's quite interesting. So Finnish people can speak Swedish, but not vice-versa? Is there a reason for that?


I speak neither, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's because Finnish is a ridiculously convoluted language.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk


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## johnnyyukon

Persephone said:


> *How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
> 
> *Mandarin Chinese (fluent)
> Cantonese Chinese (fluent). They're as different as separate languages. You can believe me or not- not interested in justifying.
> English (fluent)
> German (Intermediate- will move to Germany soon)
> Latin (fluent)


Wow, that's impressive.

Heyo, so I know what how the movie translates this Latin, but everything I found online, I wasn't getting the same translation. I love this scene and was wondering if you could translate? or anyone? Fairly short. Beginning of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but you don't gotta.


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## WilliamWaltz

olonny said:


> *How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
> *Do you like learning languages?*
> *What's your mother tongue? *
> *Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
> *Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
> *Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*


I can speak 3 languages; English, spanish, German.
Yes, I do like learning languages, infect this is the thing which every one wants to do.
English is my mother tongue.
Not exactly but in some cases.
I wanna learn Portuguese .
Yes, i like spanish very much and it's different from my mother tongue.


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## olonny

emberfly said:


> Which to me doesn't seem very personally-relatable or fun (mass *poverty*, drug wars, *strong Catholic religion and tradition*s, *corrupt governments* (I already have one of my own, I don't want another one, thanks)).


The thing is, I'm not sure you'd like the Spanish culture and political fauna either. Even though we've developed differently, we are all Latin and sadly we share some background and understading of life you'd find very similar within Spain and Latin America. Strong Catholic religion? In schools children are studying creationism at the same time as they're explained Darwinism. Really don't know how they can do it. Corruption you said? We've got not only one but TWO imposed kings (one that 'governs', the other one who's retired but he's still called king and we pay him anyway) and we didn't vote for the monarchy but it was rather imposed back in 1969 by the dictator back then. Not to mention all the corruption within all the political parties including the one that now rules AND that also affects the current president. 
So maybe Latin America doesn't sound that bad any more :laughing:


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## Cosmic Hobo

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
Four. English, French (fluent), some Italian & German. A year of Bahasa, which I've forgotten most of. Some basic Latin. I can read Cyrillic, have picked up a few Russian phrases; can (with revision) read bits of Arabic script; and say 'How d'ye do?' in Swahili. No hablo español.

*Do you like learning languages?*
Not particularly. I have a bad habit of buying or borrowing "Teach Yourself ~" - and then getting bored. (Is there much point in, say, trying to teach myself Czech or Turkish if I'm not in Prague or Istanbul?) Besides, a lot of language teaching is misguided; it's about grammar and rules and rote learning, rather than acquiring a language through input. The best sites for language acquisition I've come across are: http://www.antimoon.com/ and http://l2mastery.com/, based on Stephen Krashen (Books and Articles by Stephen D Krashen).

*What's your mother tongue? *
English.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?*
*Nyet.*

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Dutch. Silbo Gomero and Xhosa. Not "really like" - but Russian, Swahili, Arabic and Spanish would all be useful.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
English or French.


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## FourLeafCloafer

olonny said:


> The thing is, I'm not sure you'd like the Spanish culture and political fauna either. Even though we've developed differently, we are all Latin and sadly we share some background and understading of life you'd find very similar within Spain and Latin America. Strong Catholic religion? In schools children are studying creationism at the same time as they're explained Darwinism. Really don't know how they can do it. Corruption you said? We've got not only one but TWO imposed kings (one that 'governs', the other one who's retired but he's still called king and we pay him anyway) and we didn't vote for the monarchy but it was rather imposed back in 1969 by the dictator back then. Not to mention all the corruption within all the political parties including the one that now rules AND that also affects the current president.
> So maybe Latin America doesn't sound that bad any more :laughing:


I always thought that the Spanish rather liked their kings because the the first one sort of ended fascism when he came into power.

Or maybe that's just what we hear here in the Netherlands.


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## olonny

stultum said:


> I always thought that the Spanish rather liked their kings because the the first one sort of ended fascism when he came into power.
> 
> Or maybe that's just what we hear here in the Netherlands.


That was indeed the way it used to be. Monarchy used to be a well-respect kind-of-sacred entity. Five years ago you wouldn't find any Spanish media that'd say anything out of the line about the monarchy and the average Spanish person honestly thought paying for a king and his family was a reasonable thing to do. 
Now, things are falling apart and we've discovered many scandals we didn't know back then: that King Juan Carlos I used taxpayer money for his elephant hunting trips, that one of her daughters and her husband have been involved and accused of laundering money from an NGO they worked for. And so many other things we probably don't know yet. 
In a country where the unemployment and poverty rate is much higher than desirable this kind of news were devastating for the image of the monarchy. Even now we're beginning to reconsider the role of the king back when the dictatorship was over, that maybe it was all a set up.
See, we've thought for the past 30 years that we are as democratic and well developed as the rest of Europe but in order for that to be true we should have accepted and promote some changes in politics and the Constitution. Things which haven't been done for the past 36 years. 

Sorry for the boring long story. Even if I normally do that as well, I still find fascinating that people have genuine interest in things that happen in a foreign land.


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## Notus Asphodelus

I speak English on a daily basis except when I am at home with my family. My mother tongue is vastly different from English as it has no present or past tense. :laughing: One can only figure out when something is happening by adding the the time of the day such as yesterday, today, an hour ago; etc..


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## GoosePeelings

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
Finnish, English, some Swedish, some French and a little bit of Spanish. Mostly the first two.
*Do you like learning languages?* Depends on the language.
*What's your mother tongue? * Finnish
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? * I use both Finnish and English on daily basis.
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?* Japanese and/or German I guess.
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?* nope


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## olonny

LuvGen said:


> I speak English on a daily basis except when I am at home with my family. My mother tongue is vastly different from English as it has no present or past tense. :laughing: One can only figure out when something is happening by adding the the time of the day such as yesterday, today, an hour ago; etc..


And what language is that? Could it be Chinese? As a grammar aspect, it sounds easy to study!


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## FourLeafCloafer

olonny said:


> That was indeed the way it used to be. Monarchy used to be a well-respect kind-of-sacred entity. Five years ago you wouldn't find any Spanish media that'd say anything out of the line about the monarchy and the average Spanish person honestly thought paying for a king and his family was a reasonable thing to do.
> Now, things are falling apart and we've discovered many scandals we didn't know back then: that King Juan Carlos I used taxpayer money for his elephant hunting trips, that one of her daughters and her husband have been involved and accused of laundering money from an NGO they worked for. And so many other things we probably don't know yet.
> In a country where the unemployment and poverty rate is much higher than desirable this kind of news were devastating for the image of the monarchy. Even now we're beginning to reconsider the role of the king back when the dictatorship was over, that maybe it was all a set up.
> See, we've thought for the past 30 years that we are as democratic and well developed as the rest of Europe but in order for that to be true we should have accepted and promote some changes in politics and the Constitution. Things which haven't been done for the past 36 years.
> 
> Sorry for the boring long story. Even if I normally do that as well, I still find fascinating that people have genuine interest in things that happen in a foreign land.


Well we, (that is, the Dutch, I see myself as both Dutch and German depending on the situation) we mostly just laugh a bit about them and have a good time on kingsday ( AKA queensday after William took up his mummy's job) 
They are more a national source of gossip with a lot of symbolic value, really.


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## olonny

stultum said:


> Well we, (that is, the Dutch, I see myself as both Dutch and German depending on the situation) we mostly just laugh a bit about them and have a good time on kingsday ( AKA queensday after William took up his mummy's job)
> They are more a national source of gossip with a lot of symbolic value, really.


That is actually a healthy way of having (or dealing with) a monarchy


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## Lacryma

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
*I can speak four: English, French, Romanian and Spanish

*Do you like learning languages?
*Yes, I love learning new languages although it can seem pretty daunting at first, I like learning how others communicate and express themselves.

*What's your mother tongue? 
*I'd say it's English or Romanian

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? 
*Well I sort of consider English my mother tongue although I use three languages on a daily basis (English, French and Romanian).

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?
*I already started learning Japanese and can understand and speak a little, but I'm at a very basic level still.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Japanese, I just find it's a very beautiful language phonetically and very pleasing to the ear. I also like the manner in which the non-spoken is used to communicate (this applies to other languages just as much though).


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## Notus Asphodelus

olonny said:


> And what language is that? Could it be Chinese? As a grammar aspect, it sounds easy to study!


It's Malay but I do speak Chinese too ( although writing it may take forever for me to master).


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## olonny

LuvGen said:


> It's Malay but I do speak Chinese too ( although writing it may take forever for me to master).


wow, I didn't know that about Malay, nice to know!


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## Maryll

@missleana: that's impressive . When you learn simply by reading/listening to that language, how much vocabulary do you learn? How does that work in general, especially in the beginning?


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## missleana

@Maryll Well thank you  I usually start by learning the basics, such as personal pronouns and how they "work", grammatical tenses and so on. (Hope I got those words right haha) I quickly get a "feel" of that language and after that watching tv shows, reading and hearing that language gets me excited, since it helps me to get deeper into that language, the culture, the people.

So I learn the vocabulary mainly by speaking and listening or otherwise interacting with people. Seeing a word once when reading usually makes me remember it. So then it's easy to just connect it to something I already know. Hope this makes sense!


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## johnnyyukon

johnnyyukon said:


> Wow, that's impressive.
> 
> Heyo, so I know what how the movie translates this Latin, but everything I found online, I wasn't getting the same translation. I love this scene and was wondering if you could translate? or anyone? Fairly short. Beginning of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but you don't gotta.


I just realized this is Romanian


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## Maryll

missleana said:


> @_Maryll_ Well thank you  I usually start by learning the basics, such as personal pronouns and how they "work", grammatical tenses and so on. (Hope I got those words right haha) I quickly get a "feel" of that language and after that watching tv shows, reading and hearing that language gets me excited, since it helps me to get deeper into that language, the culture, the people.
> 
> So I learn the vocabulary mainly by speaking and listening or otherwise interacting with people. Seeing a word once when reading usually makes me remember it. So then it's easy to just connect it to something I already know. Hope this makes sense!


Yes, thank you, that's actually what I wanted to know


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## Saira

Thank you, @missleana! Your knowledge is impressive, too. I love Finnish, though it's so unique that I'd need lots of time just to get the basics... There's no other language I could compare it to so it would be impossible to reconstruct it.

I'm pretty sure I'm an ISTP (as it says under my avatar), though there's a possibility I'm some other TP type. I dunno, I didn't spend much time thinking about it.


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## johnnyyukon

missleana said:


> @Maryll Well thank you  I usually start by learning the basics, such as personal pronouns and how they "work", grammatical tenses and so on. (Hope I got those words right haha) I quickly get a "feel" of that language and after that watching tv shows, reading and hearing that language gets me excited, since it helps me to get deeper into that language, the culture, the people.
> 
> So I learn the vocabulary mainly by speaking and listening or otherwise interacting with people. Seeing a word once when reading usually makes me remember it. So then it's easy to just connect it to something I already know. Hope this makes sense!


I also find it helpful to memorize whole phrases or idioms. You can learn like, what prepositions go with what verbs and in what cases more easily. At least for me. Also how some verbs are conjugated.


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## Spider2YBanana

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
I am a native English speaker and have learned Spanish and Latin in a formal academic setting. My Spanish is fairly strong while my Latin leaves a lot to be desired. I am also trying to teach myself Portuguese and French at the moment.

*Do you like learning languages?*
Yes! I feel that learning languages in very central to understanding other cultures. Plus I enjoy the challenge inherent in trying to communicate in different languages.

*What's your mother tongue? *
I am a native US English speaker with a Midwestern dialect.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
I use English in most of my personal relationships and all of my professional relationships.

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
I would really like to learn Chinese, particularly Cantonese. (My father is Cantonese.) I would also like to learn Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, and Tagalog at some point. Since I'm Asian American and I am very involved with advocacy for Asian American issues, I feel that learning these languages could help me to better understand these cultures.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
My favorite language is English without a doubt. I think it's beautiful and very descriptive though this is a sampling bias. I do love listening to Spanish speakers and speaking Spanish. It is such a sensual and vibrant language.


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## missleana

@Saira thank you! Yes it's true that it's pretty hard to learn, not even all the native speakers get the pronouns etc. right!
But Finnish could be you next challenge, that would be impressive indeed 
Oh ok. I don't know why but on this topic the personality types won't show under the user names. On ENFP-topics I do see them. Weird.
@johnnyyukon Yes that's a great point too. I actually do that, sort of have these "example phrases" that I tend to use when wondering which preposition to use. I also like learning new sayings, too. I think that's all about really diving into that language. I don't just want to speak it like "how hi are you good i'm good too" I need to get a broader feel of why they have this saying, how are their jokes like, where do they come from and all of that if it makes sense 

It sometimes makes it hard with prepositions that in my native language I'd say some things differently. Luckily I think I've learned to see the differences pretty well, "being IN time" or "being ON time" and so on.


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## Hiryuuka

Is there anyone fluent in japanese on these forums, by any chance? I'd like to have someone to skype with and practice my Japanese, particularly my sentence structure (so that I don't say the japanese equivalent of I is hunger) and reading Kanji. Send me a PM if you think you could help me out, please!

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk


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## olonny

missleana said:


> So I learn the vocabulary mainly by speaking and listening or otherwise interacting with people. Seeing a word once when reading usually makes me remember it. So then it's easy to just connect it to something I already know. Hope this makes sense!





johnnyyukon said:


> I also find it helpful to memorize whole phrases or idioms. You can learn like, what prepositions go with what verbs and in what cases more easily. At least for me. Also how some verbs are conjugated.


There is a theory in learning called the VAK learning style. This theory talks about the idea that learners might have three different ways of learning:
VISUAL: they learn through visual aid, not only images but especially through reading. These are the kind of (annoying xD) people who can read something and remember it right away.
AUDITORY: They need to hear in order to learn. 
KINESTHETIC: These learners need to touch, move, jump and do it themselves so they can learn.


It is very interesting to know what your stronger learning style is. Everyone is able to learn through the three styles, however we also have a preffered style. I myself are extremely auditory. Especially when it comes to English, there are several words I recognize when I hear them, I know how to use verbally but I'm unable to know how to write them. I'm terrible at spelling, especially in English (not in my mother tongue, Spanish, however) I know over the years I've picked a lot of words thanks to hearing them, not reading them. I talk to myself A-LOT :laughing: not only do I need to say the words out loud when I'm learning, but I also need to speak out when I'm writing something, which sometimes is a little bit of a problem when doing exams for example


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## olonny

Spider2YBanana said:


> *How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
> I am a native English speaker and have learned Spanish and Latin in a formal academic setting. My Spanish is fairly strong while my Latin leaves a lot to be desired. I am also trying to teach myself Portuguese and French at the moment.
> 
> *Do you like learning languages?*
> Yes! I feel that learning languages in very central to understanding other cultures. Plus I enjoy the challenge inherent in trying to communicate in different languages.
> 
> *What's your mother tongue? *
> I am a native US English speaker with a Midwestern dialect.
> 
> *Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
> I use English in most of my personal relationships and all of my professional relationships.
> 
> *Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
> I would really like to learn Chinese, particularly Cantonese. (My father is Cantonese.) I would also like to learn Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, and Tagalog at some point. Since I'm Asian American and I am very involved with advocacy for Asian American issues, I feel that learning these languages could help me to better understand these cultures.
> 
> *Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
> My favorite language is English without a doubt. I think it's beautiful and very descriptive though this is a sampling bias. I do love listening to Spanish speakers and speaking Spanish. It is such a sensual and vibrant language.


Interesting. How come you learned Latin? I mean, I learned Latin in High School but that was because a. my mother tongue, Spanish, comes directly from that language and b. I chose the 'language' side of the studies in my last two years of High School (pre-university courses) so instead of having the typical Maths and Economy, I studied Greek and Latin. 
English is indeed the most beautiful language ever created. I don't agree with you, however, because I find English to be the most sensual and vibrant language of them all and not Spanish. Maybe that's because I hear Spanish all the time


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## missleana

@olonny That's so funny how we all have our own preferred learning styles!  I have a friend who's mostly auditive, too. She speaks fluent Spanish but has no idea how to write it! I use the auditive style sometimes but mostly visual. Even though English is not my native language I'm pretty good at spelling and often see that the word looks wrong, knowing it's spelled wrong. Though through my ENFPness or something else I often miss the last letter or write down a wrong word when rushing forward. So that I end up having a WHOLE on my sock, or I HERE something and TV is of and my life is though and so on... Often leading people to think it's just because I didn't know how to spell the word correct. Which pisses me off since I do the same thing in every language, including my native one, too.

But I talk to myself a lot in different languages, especially English to reduce/minimize my accent


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## olonny

missleana said:


> @olonny That's so funny how we all have our own preferred learning styles!  I have a friend who's mostly auditive, too. She speaks fluent Spanish but has no idea how to write it! I use the auditive style sometimes but mostly visual. Even though English is not my native language I'm pretty good at spelling and often see that the word looks wrong, knowing it's spelled wrong. Though through my ENFPness or something else I often miss the last letter or write down a wrong word when rushing forward. So that I end up having a WHOLE on my sock, or I HERE something and TV is of and my life is though and so on... Often leading people to think it's just because I didn't know how to spell the word correct. Which pisses me off since I do the same thing in every language, including my native one, too.
> 
> But I talk to myself a lot in different languages, especially English to reduce/minimize my accent


We also have to bear in mind how *insert here the meanest cruelest word you can think of* English spelling and writing is. HONESTLY, COME ON.


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## Spider2YBanana

olonny said:


> Interesting. How come you learned Latin?


My undergraduate adviser told me that I should take Latin... It was a terrible idea. I hated the classes and it's not very useful for what I like to study. Like I said, I probably would've taken Chinese or Japanese instead.



olonny said:


> English is indeed the most beautiful language ever created. I don't agree with you, however, because I find English to be the most sensual and vibrant language of them all and not Spanish. Maybe that's because I hear Spanish all the time


See I hear English all the time so I don't find it that sensual. There are obviously sensual words but the language itself is pretty standard in my eyes. Again this is my sampling bias being a native English speaker. I speak Spanish with only a few of my friends so it's still an exotic language in my eyes.


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## Saira

missleana said:


> Oh ok. I don't know why but on this topic the personality types won't show under the user names. On ENFP-topics I do see them. Weird.


Have you tried clicking on the smiley face under the avatar? Personality types show under the usernames only in subforums that deal with MBTI, Enneagram and Socionics.


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## missleana

@Saira THANK YOU, worked


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## Samantha_MT

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned? *

--*From school:* I am fairly proficient in Arabic (more Egyptian dialect than anything else), I know some Spanish (formal), and I took Ancient Greek for a semester.
--*Self-education:* I can figure out hieroglyphics (fuck short hand aka “hieratic”). I know a smidgen of Italian, Russian, and Romanian. All from traveling and/or independent study.
--*Other:* Also, if you are counting this… I grew up learning ASL (I’m not deaf though, I went to a school with a large hearing impaired population). 

*Do you like learning languages?* Oh yeah, I love to travel and I like to ‘try’ to speak the native language. I feel like an obnoxious tourist otherwise. 

*What's your mother tongue?* English.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?* No. 

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?* I might like to learn Elder Futhark, Cuneiform, or Gaelic.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?* Not really.


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## cerenach

Oh. This is cool

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
*Only two with any real seriousness. Two others I've been routinely exposed to but I'm barely functional in them.

English - native
French - high-school, IB requirement, CEFR B (intermediate)
Japanese - bits and pieces from exchange students. According to an old study book, I have the reading skill of a 2nd grader. 
Spanish - This is a lie. My mother speaks it, put me in a Spanish speaking preschool, made me take it in middle school, and even bought me tapes. I can barely remember anything. I have failed her. ;_; 

I've dabbled in Russian, German, and Portuguese with no major success.

*Do you like learning languages?
*Yes! I can't study it as much as I used to but Duolingo + Memrise at least keeps me from losing too much ground. 

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?
*I already have too many that I jump between. I've looked into Arabic and Chinese but they have different dialects which intimidates me for some reason. I'm also interested in learning ASL at some point. 

*Have you got a favorite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?
*Nope. I dabble wherever my interest goes.


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## Reluctanine

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*

In order of fluency:

English - Able to write, read, speak, listen
Chinese - Able to write, read, speak, listen
Foochow - Able to listen to complex sentences
Hokkien - Able to listen to complex sentences
Thai - Able to listen to some simple sentences and speak
Japanese - Able to listen to some sentences
French - Able to listen to some sentences
Norsk - Able to listen to some words
Malay - Able to listen to some words
Korean - Able to listen to some words
Tamil - Able to listen to some words

*Do you like learning languages?*

Yes, I do!!!

*What's your mother tongue? *

Chinese. Hokkien and Foochow are dialects I picked up from my relatives.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *

Yes, it is!

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*

This year, I’ve started studying Norsk. And I’ve also started strengthening my Thai. I plan to pick up German and ASL further down the road of this year. 

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*

Huuuuuhh. Never thought of this before! Well, French is very romantic. German is forceful. Japanese is very well-mannered. Thai is sweet. Chinese is clear. English is fun. Norsk is hilarious. Malay makes you hungry and dance. Tamil puts your head in a roller coaster. Korean is super speedy. Hokkien is utilitarian. Foochow is food, cos Grandma’s fishballs.

I think I like English the best since I’m most comfortable with it! They each have their own endearing quirks though.


----------



## olonny

Reluctanine said:


> Well, French is very romantic. German is forceful. Japanese is very well-mannered. Thai is sweet. Chinese is clear. English is fun. Norsk is hilarious. Malay makes you hungry and dance. Tamil puts your head in a roller coaster. Korean is super speedy. Hokkien is utilitarian. Foochow is food, cos Grandma’s fishballs.


This is such a cool description. I've honestly never heard of Hokkien and Foochow before. I guess we sometimes assume in China they speak Chinese and that's it, but definitely that's not it!


----------



## Word Dispenser

olonny said:


> Being an English and Spanish teacher I'm really interested in hearing what your motivations for learning new languages are, so I would like to raise some new questions:
> *
> - which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
> - For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: *was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*
> - in your language classes: *what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*
> *- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *
> *- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*
> 
> ( @_stultum_ @_sharlzkidarlz_ @_pivot_turn_ @_Saira_ @_Maryll_ @_missleana_ @_Reluctanine_ @_cerenach_ @_Word Dispenser_ @_Mbaruh_ @_Harizu_ and basically any other who's interested in answering and adding any input about languages)
> 
> :happy:


I'm someone who loves learning anyway, but the languages I've learned have mainly been self-taught, and I have a really great teacher to supplement my learning of the current language which I'm becoming fluent in. They are as enthusiastic as I am about language, and we learn from each other quite a lot.

Oddly, I don't think I've had any bad language teachers. My French teachers growing up in school were always really great, and as a result, I was really interested in learning more.

I don't think there's any true type connection to learning languages-- As long as the person has an interest in learning it, and is willing to put in the time, they will excel. I think the rate in which they do so is proportionate to the interest involved. (And if you as a teacher show your passion for the subject, it can be really infectious.)

I also wouldn't say that any language is more difficult or easier than any other. They are actually all rather similar in their own ways. Once you get the structure of your sentences down pat, and the important stuff like, "He, she, it, they, we, us, this, that, there, here," it seems to fall into place.

I think the most important thing after all that is practice.

Hope that helps. :kitteh:


----------



## Mbaruh

olonny said:


> Being an English and Spanish teacher I'm really interested in hearing what your motivations for learning new languages are, so I would like to raise some new questions:
> *
> - which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
> - For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: *was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*
> - in your language classes: *what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*
> *- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *
> *- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*
> 
> ( @stultum @sharlzkidarlz @pivot_turn @Saira @Maryll @missleana @Reluctanine @cerenach @Word Dispenser @Mbaruh @Harizu and basically any other who's interested in answering and adding any input about languages)
> 
> :happy:


Hey olonny, not sure if I'm the right person to answer your questions, but I'll try my best:

I never really learned the Russian langauge. Its basics were kind of instilled into me when I was young and that pretty much remained my level to this day. 
If you talk about learning in the sense of learning in school, it's not very helpful comparing my English and Hebrew, as English was taught as a foreign language. I'm not familiar with the teaching program in the US, but I would guess it's like comparing Spanish and English.
As for the languages I would like to learn, but never did- it would actually be really helpful if I had some sort of classes to go to. It would provide me with the framework needed to get started. 

Instead of answering the second part, I'll say this: it very much depends on the teacher, and his way of teaching. In my school years I had several English teachers, and things I liked or disliked were different with each.

All my teachers were fairly good one's, but my last English teacher was also an awesome person in general, and we still talk from time to time.
I find that there isn't much difference between a native vs. a non-native teacher. The only possible difference is that on the one hand, a teacher who grew up in the same society would be more in touch with the student's needs when learning and what points need to be highlighted, and on the other hand would be more prone to making mistakes as it's not his mother-tongue.

Isn't that what MBTI is all about? people having inherently different ways of perception and processing. I would assume they would require different teaching methods for optimal results. As for which type has it the easiest, we would first need to understand what defines the common teaching system.


----------



## olonny

Mbaruh said:


> Instead of answering the second part, I'll say this: it very much depends on the teacher, and his way of teaching. In my school years I had several English teachers, and things I liked or disliked were different with each.
> All my teachers were fairly good one's, but my last English teacher was also an awesome person in general, and we still talk from time to time.


yes, I totally agree with you, the teacher is crutial even if you have the same lesson plan. And the teacher's motivation as well. 


Mbaruh said:


> Isn't that what MBTI is all about? people having inherently different ways of perception and processing. I would assume they would require different teaching methods for optimal results.


That's exactly what I've been thinking all along and what I've always wanted to research but never find anywhere. I've learn several interesting ways of teaching to different kinds of learners but nothing related to the MBTI and I was really interested in that.

Thanks for answering!


----------



## olonny

Word Dispenser said:


> I'm someone who loves learning anyway, but the languages I've learned have mainly been self-taught, and I have a really great teacher to supplement my learning of the current language which I'm becoming fluent in. They are as enthusiastic as I am about language, and we learn from each other quite a lot.
> 
> Oddly, I don't think I've had any bad language teachers. My French teachers growing up in school were always really great, and as a result, I was really interested in learning more.
> 
> I don't think there's any true type connection to learning languages-- As long as the person has an interest in learning it, and is willing to put in the time, they will excel. I think the rate in which they do so is proportionate to the interest involved. (And if you as a teacher show your passion for the subject, it can be really infectious.)
> 
> I also wouldn't say that any language is more difficult or easier than any other. They are actually all rather similar in their own ways. Once you get the structure of your sentences down pat, and the important stuff like, "He, she, it, they, we, us, this, that, there, here," it seems to fall into place.
> 
> I think the most important thing after all that is practice.
> 
> Hope that helps. :kitteh:


yep, definitely motivation helps a lot. If the students see that you really love what you're doing and you're not just there to pass your time they'll apreciate it.
Luck you with your teachers! Thanks ^^


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## Harizu

*- which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
easiest: Spanish
most difficult: so far, French (in fact, I'm still leraning it)

- For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class:* was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*
The only _modern _language I learned in school was Spanish and either the teachers were amazing and motivated me even more or I was motivated ebough on my own; I learned all the other languages on my own (except English, which I did both on my own and in school).
I think the reason why I find it really hard to laern French is because I don't like the sound of it. I'm very sound-oriented, and it's a lot easier for me to learn a language if I like the way it sounds.

*- in your language classes: what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*
English and Spanish: I liked all the conversation part. Learning grammar by heart was a pain because I have a hard time learning things by hard, not because I don't have a good memory, but rather because I wanted to skip to the practice already (impatient me).
Latin and Ancient Greek: translation, translation, translation. And seeing how those two languages are connected and how connect to all the other indoeuropean languages (root words and the structure of the sentence, I mean). And speculating about all the various possible interpretations of a sentence (which is way more common in Greek than in Latin, since Latin is quite a cathegorical and pragmatic language while Greek is open to various interpretations and possibilities to us, since we have a totally different way of seeing tenses nowdays which more often than not is closer to that of Latin than to that of Ancient Greek). Again, the biggest pain was laerning grammar by heart).

*- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *
The only native teacher I had was the Spanish teacher I had in 7th grade, which was also the worst one I've ever had. That's not because she was not good at explaining stuff or beacuse I didn't understand her- it's because, for some reason, she seemed to hate me. Even when I did really good, she gave me a D at best (and I mean, even on written classworks when I scored something like 90 on 100). Therefore I soon lost my will to interact with her in any way and I took an oppositive attitude towards her and didn't do homework anymore and I didn't go to school when there were Spanish classworks and such.
The best teachers I've had were probably the Spanish one in 8th grade and the English one in 6th grade.

*- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*
Well, I know people of any types who are good at languages or suck at them.
For example, my father is an ENTP like me but he sucks at them; my mother is an ESFJ and she is quicker at learning languages than I am, while I have an ESFJ friend who sucks at them. 
Of course, people with different brain patterns have different ways of learning; but once you understand the way your brain works, it will be a lot easier to learn languages.


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## Blue Soul

I speak three: Swedish, english and german. Not counting norwegian/danish cause that would almost be cheating. 

Know some random words here and there.


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## olonny

Harizu said:


> *- which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
> easiest: Spanish
> most difficult: so far, French (in fact, I'm still leraning it)
> 
> - For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class:* was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*
> The only _modern _language I learned in school was Spanish and either the teachers were amazing and motivated me even more or I was motivated ebough on my own; I learned all the other languages on my own (except English, which I did both on my own and in school).
> I think the reason why I find it really hard to laern French is because I don't like the sound of it. I'm very sound-oriented, and it's a lot easier for me to learn a language if I like the way it sounds.
> 
> *- in your language classes: what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*
> English and Spanish: I liked all the conversation part. Learning grammar by heart was a pain because I have a hard time learning things by hard, not because I don't have a good memory, but rather because I wanted to skip to the practice already (impatient me).
> Latin and Ancient Greek: translation, translation, translation. And seeing how those two languages are connected and how connect to all the other indoeuropean languages (root words and the structure of the sentence, I mean). And speculating about all the various possible interpretations of a sentence (which is way more common in Greek than in Latin, since Latin is quite a cathegorical and pragmatic language while Greek is open to various interpretations and possibilities to us, since we have a totally different way of seeing tenses nowdays which more often than not is closer to that of Latin than to that of Ancient Greek). Again, the biggest pain was laerning grammar by heart).
> 
> *- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *
> The only native teacher I had was the Spanish teacher I had in 7th grade, which was also the worst one I've ever had. That's not because she was not good at explaining stuff or beacuse I didn't understand her- it's because, for some reason, she seemed to hate me. Even when I did really good, she gave me a D at best (and I mean, even on written classworks when I scored something like 90 on 100). Therefore I soon lost my will to interact with her in any way and I took an oppositive attitude towards her and didn't do homework anymore and I didn't go to school when there were Spanish classworks and such.
> The best teachers I've had were probably the Spanish one in 8th grade and the English one in 6th grade.
> 
> *- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*
> Well, I know people of any types who are good at languages or suck at them.
> For example, my father is an ENTP like me but he sucks at them; my mother is an ESFJ and she is quicker at learning languages than I am, while I have an ESFJ friend who sucks at them.
> Of course, people with different brain patterns have different ways of learning; but once you understand the way your brain works, it will be a lot easier to learn languages.


Your experience sounds a lot like mine, I can relate to most of what you say. Am also charmed through my ears lol and French does not sound appealing to me. Learning grammar is probably the toughest part, but I cannot relate to it though. I think it's my Ni somewhere that I understand grammar just by hearing it or reading it once. However you can explain what a word means a thousand times that I would still ask for its meaning the 1,001 time lol


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## TimeWillTell

In my experience, things that motivated me to learn languages : 
genuine interest in socializing with natives (it s way harder to cultivate relationships with people in languages that are not their mothertongue), genuine interest in their cultural production, genuine interest in their society.


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## olonny

WikiRevolution said:


> In my experience, things that motivated me to learn languages :
> genuine interest in socializing with natives (it s way harder to cultivate relationships with people in languages that are not their mothertongue), genuine interest in their cultural production, genuine interest in their society.


 That is indeed the perfect motivation, what every single language teacher is wishing for their students to feel. I'm sure you made/still make a wonderful language student, I was that way as well when I was an English student. Unfortunately, that's like a 20% of every language student. But in most cases, especially teenagers and children in a society in which the target language is a foreign language, there is not such genuine interest. There could be, on the other hand, some other external motivations such as a goal (an exam) or some family preassure for them to get great marks. However valid those motivations could be, you're right in pointing out that only when the person is trully interested in learning more about the society itself would they be able to learn the language as well.


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## Tzara

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
Lets see..
I know English German and Turkish very well.
Then, I can communicate in Finnish, Azeri and Russian but I'm not great at it.
And I understand Spanish, Dutch, Flemish and most north western Asian and eastern Balkan languages but cant speak at all.
With small bits and pieces of Japanese and Italian. (I'll build up on it sooner or later)

*Do you like learning languages?*
Umm.. Somewhat. I took Italian, Russian and Esperanto and didnt like it much/didnt learn much anyway, but learning Finnish was fun.

*What's your mother tongue? *
I'm not sure. I would say either Turkish or English.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
Well.. in the past 6 months I have only communicated with foreigners :kitteh: So yea.

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
EEEVVVRRYYYTHING!
Well.. I would, but I have different priorities.
In my defence, learning is fun.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Gaelic.


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## ElliCat

olonny said:


> Being an English and Spanish teacher I'm really interested in hearing what your motivations for learning new languages are, so I would like to raise some new questions:
> *
> - which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
> - For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: *was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*
> - in your language classes: *what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*
> *- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *
> *- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*


1. Easiest: Spanish. Most difficult: Japanese. 

2. Japanese is pretty consistent, which is a good thing, but I struggled with all the kanji. It was fun at first, but once you have to learn 20 new characters every week it just got overwhelming. I never had a huge motivation to learn it in the first place (basically it was the only option I had if I wanted to take a second language) so I think that affected my ability to learn vocabulary too. I don't remember ever having much of a problem with the teachers - well, except for one teacher in high school who was pretty useless - so I honestly think that the only thing I needed was the desire to keep learning. 

3. I don't know, I guess I don't think about the worthiness of activities in terms of "enjoyable" and "unenjoyable". I understand that it's all necessary if I want to really master the language. A good teacher makes even the least enjoyable tasks tolerable.

4. Great language teachers are passionate about what they do. They are patient, and create a good atmosphere in which it is okay to make mistakes and to joke around. They engage with the students, regularly asking questions and taking feedback. They incorporate silly things like props in activities, and get us to sing and dance to children's songs as language practice. 
Bad language teachers are unsure about their subject, clearly want to be elsewhere, don't bother to create a good relationship with the students, and aren't open to feedback, believing that they are the expert and that students should just get out if they don't want to be there (sometimes "just getting out" isn't an option). 
Native teachers are excellent in the higher levels because they let you get used to hearing the accent and conversing with them in real time. They can reassure you about some mistakes that even natives make, and they can teach you bits of slang and cultural tips from their homeland. The downside is that unless they've been trained specifically to teach it as a foreign language, they might not be able to explain things very well (I find that when helping friends with English, although I'm not a teacher). 
Non-native teachers are probably less intimidating at a beginner level, because often their accent is more understandable (assuming they come from the same country/language background as you). They've also had to learn it as a second language so they know the possible pitfalls and can explain things in a way that might make more sense to you. Downside is if their own language skills aren't that great (might be more of a problem in high school than at a tertiary level, where I am now) it can really mess you up further down the track. 

5. I would say it's simply a matter of individual aptitude, and that MBTI will influence the methods in which you learn. As a Fi user I love to learn about the cultural aspects - I find it enriches my understanding of the soul behind the language, and if I can relate it back to myself, my motivation to learn grows even bigger. Ne means I make a lot of my own connections without relying on perfect explanations from teachers, and I'm less afraid of bullshitting when I write (sometimes it doesn't work but often teachers can figure it out). If you have an INFP in your class, and if they're really there because they're interested, you can expect them to be independent and hard workers who are self-motivated. Reading and writing shouldn't be a problem. Their weak spot will almost definitely be speaking, and big group conversation activities won't help them because chances are they'll sit back and listen while everyone else talks over the top of them. Frequent, brief conversing with partners or groups of 3 is more helpful, as is letting them repeat words and sentences after you say it. Not that I want to speak for all INFP's, but this is just based on my own experiences and observations of INFP classmates.


----------



## Saira

*- which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*

Easiest: English, because I'm surrounded by it from all sides. Spanish wasn't that hard, either, and Italian and Portuguese came much easier because I already had a basis.
Hardest: German, I had it in school but hated learning it. If I liked it, I guess it would have been easier.

Objectively, I think it depends on your mother tongue. To me, Slavic and Romance languages are quite easy, but for someone not familiar with Slavic grammar, those languages would be very difficult to learn. I had hard time learning the subjunctive in Spanish just because there's no such thing in my mother tongue.
*
- For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?

*All of it. After 10 years of studying German in school, I only know the basics. The classes, the teachers, the books - all were very boring, plus, I had no motivation to learn it because I didn't like it. On the other hand, I always loved English and had likeable teachers, so I loved learning it. I had trouble learning Spanish in the beginning because I lost all motivation at the time, back then I didn't see any opportunity in my life where I'd use my knowledge of Spanish.


*- in your language classes: what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*

General atmosphere is very important to me. Nice and intelligent teachers, interesting subjects, opportunity to speak and debate and not just listen or write. I need active classes, I need to be challenged and to be able to express my opinions. The worst approach is ex cathedra teaching - when everything is about the teacher and the subject, the lessons are like math formulas, and the students can't debate in that language.

*- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *

I had all kinds of (language) teachers. The best were very supportive to the students, very patient and always willing to listen. They encouraged discussions of any kind. It is important to speak as much as you can, correctly or not, to allow your brain to rewire itself to use the new language. That's impossible if you don't speak and if you focus too much on the rules.

The worst teachers were those who didn't encourage speaking, but only taught grammar like it was some math formula, and insisted only on repetition. I think a good language teacher should be only a guide who'll help students to chose their own learning pace and create their own systems. I love the corpus linguistics, where students learn everything, from vocabulary to grammar, from "real" texts.

On the subject of native/not native teachers: A native teacher who's good at his job is always the best option. But, a non-native who has excellent knowledge of a language and is an excellent teacher, is in my opinion better than a native with bad teaching skills.

*- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*

I honestly have no idea. It would be logical to think Js would need some system etc. and NFs would focus even more on their motivation, but that could be just generalization.

@_olonny_ Have fun with your students! I think that your love of languages and the willingness to learn more about teaching languages makes you a great and fun teacher.  You seem like one of those teachers I loved learning from. If I start practicing my Spanish again, I'll definitely message you, if you don't mind.


----------



## olonny

ElliCat said:


> 5. I would say it's simply a matter of individual aptitude, and that MBTI will influence the methods in which you learn. As a Fi user I love to learn about the cultural aspects - I find it enriches my understanding of the soul behind the language, and if I can relate it back to myself, my motivation to learn grows even bigger. Ne means I make a lot of my own connections without relying on perfect explanations from teachers, and I'm less afraid of bullshitting when I write (sometimes it doesn't work but often teachers can figure it out). If you have an INFP in your class, and if they're really there because they're interested, you can expect them to be independent and hard workers who are self-motivated. Reading and writing shouldn't be a problem. *Their weak spot will almost definitely be speaking*, and big group conversation activities won't help them because chances are they'll sit back and listen while everyone else talks over the top of them. Frequent, brief conversing with partners or groups of 3 is more helpful, as is letting them repeat words and sentences after you say it. Not that I want to speak for all INFP's, but this is just based on my own experiences and observations of INFP classmates.


This is a very interesting input. Since I'm an extroverted I've always loved speaking activities and actually my favourite parts in English exams were the speaking activities, so recently I've discovered myself focusing on creating speaking activities for my students. Luckily the ones I have now are as talkative as I am (or even more sometimes :laughing but it is indeed true that I have to be careful with the introverted ones


----------



## olonny

Saira said:


> @_olonny_ Have fun with your students! I think that your love of languages and the willingness to learn more about teaching languages makes you a great and fun teacher.  You seem like one of those teachers I loved learning from. If I start practicing my Spanish again, I'll definitely message you, if you don't mind.


That would be great! I haven't taught Spanish as much as English but every time I teach Spanish I learn something new about my own language, maybe something I didn't know, I hadn't noticed or I didn't think it would be so difficult. So yeah, I'd love to help you whenever you want. 
And you have said very interesting things that are absolutely true. Some teachers, but also some students, just want to focus on grammar, vocabulary, why they're doing things wrong and they do not care about communication which in fact is what languages are for. The worst part is when you're having fun with your students, they are communicating and they're opening up to you but their parents complain because "you haven't done what's in the book" :dry:


----------



## Obscure

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
*English, French, Arabic, Armenian, and learning German

*Do you like learning languages?
*Yes c:

*What's your mother tongue? 
*Armenian (Western)

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? 
*Yep but I use English cause well most of my day is in uni and involved with uni matters and I'm majoring English Lit so weee^^

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?
*Well I'm learning German sooo I wanna also wanna learn: Russian, Japanese, Hebrew, and maybe Greek

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?
*English, German, and Armenian


----------



## cerenach

olonny said:


> Being an English and Spanish teacher I'm really interested in hearing what your motivations for learning new languages are, so I would like to raise some new questions:
> *
> - which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
> - For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: *was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*
> - in your language classes: *what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*
> *- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *
> *- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*
> 
> ( @stultum @sharlzkidarlz @pivot_turn @Saira @Maryll @missleana @Reluctanine @cerenach @Word Dispenser @Mbaruh @Harizu and basically any other who's interested in answering and adding any input about languages)
> 
> :happy:


Some were easier or more difficult in different ways. Japanese was really easy as far as sentence structure and pronunciation goes but the writing system made interacting with the language more difficult than with, say, Spanish or French. I couldn't just pick up a book and sound out the non-kana characters. Also, I think that Japanese required a more in depth cultural review than the others. French was probably the most difficult pronunciation-wise due to a lot of #aesthetic based phonetic conventions. Spanish, in my opinion, combines the best of both French and Japanese in that it's highly phonetic and also uses a familiar writing system. I'm just really lazy about sitting down and improving in it despite some nagging from a particular parental unit. 

The thing that annoys me the most about most introductory language classes is that, even at the college level, they tend to be very fluffy. There are lots of cute projects like "make a PowerPoint in the target language about some hypothetical exchange program and all the fun things you did while in target-language-speaking country". Other than that, I wish there had been more opportunities to speak and write the language casually and not always in graded contexts. Also, I'm kind of a foodie so more opportunities to explore region related cuisine would've been right up my alley. >.>

My Japanese "teachers" were exchange students who also wanted to improve their English. A language share. There wasn't much structure to our lessons and I really liked that. I mostly self-studied and used them for practice and correcting mistakes and vice versa. 

My French and Spanish classes were both formal. None of the instructors were native speakers and in the case of one of the French teachers, it was difficult due to her thick Mississippi accent getting in the way a lot of the time. 

I don't know how much type affects ability but I do think it has an impact on _why_ someone might find learning a language interesting. In my case, I like learning languages because I like having access to otherwise obscured information. Even in languages that I'm loosely familiar with, having the basic knowledge to piece together and communicate (even if in a broken way) gives me a broader range to interact with the world than someone who is strictly monolingual.

As an aside, I often like to joke about how terrible (read "lazy") my English has become from dabbling in all these other languages.


----------



## ScarlettHayden

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
*English and Spanish.
*Do you like learning languages?
*I used to love it as a child and still enjoy it to this day. I've tried learning many languages over the course of my life, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Japanese, and Thai. At the moment I am passively learning Japanese and Korean. French I naturally understand fairly easily along with Portuguese and Latin, but interestingly enough not Italian. I also took a year of German in school which is helpful at times.
*What's your mother tongue? 
*English.
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? 
*No. Though I am half-Mexican so Spanish could easily be my mother tongue, I was just raised in England with my mother instead.
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?
*Japanese. I'm waiting for the day I'm fluent. Korean would be nice too. I always wanted to learn Russian to a good level but there is not much media in Russian which makes it much harder. If I was more inclined I'd probably invest in Chinese too.
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Every language is unique to me, I can't say I have a favourite. Though English is probably my least preferred, but I hear that's common that people like other languages more than their native one. Since the more languages you know the greater room you have for creative self-expression. As long as the receiving party understands what you're on about, lol.


----------



## ScarlettHayden

Oh! And don't forget Sindarin, lol! Fictional languages are the best.


----------



## ElliCat

olonny said:


> This is a very interesting input. Since I'm an extroverted I've always loved speaking activities and actually my favourite parts in English exams were the speaking activities, so recently I've discovered myself focusing on creating speaking activities for my students. Luckily the ones I have now are as talkative as I am (or even more sometimes :laughing but it is indeed true that I have to be careful with the introverted ones


Yeah look honestly, if you're a teacher they feel comfortable with, they might speak a bit more than they normally would anyway. For me it's more of an issue when I'm plunged into a new class full of people I don't know and don't care to get to know, which has been most of my language classes in the last 5 years.  

Either way, focusing on more speaking activities in class is really good, because it means that they have more opportunities to do it. I think once we get to the point where we can write quite well, it becomes more intimidating to speak because we know that no matter how well we write, what's going to come out of our mouths is a pile of mush (which is also a problem with our native tongues, not gonna lie). XD 

As long as you give them an opportunity to show off their strengths when it comes to assessment (so having some reading comprehension exams and some assignments, where they have time to think before they write). Otherwise yeah, I think you're doing really well!



olonny said:


> And you have said very interesting things that are absolutely true. Some teachers, but also some students, just want to focus on grammar, vocabulary, why they're doing things wrong and they do not care about communication which in fact is what languages are for. The worst part is when you're having fun with your students, they are communicating and they're opening up to you but their parents complain because "you haven't done what's in the book" :dry:


Ugh whyyyyyy. -_- I wonder how many of those parents have ever learned another language? One of my relatives was a language teacher in a primary school and they used to have parents telling them that learning another language was a waste of time and the kids should be playing sport instead. Needless to say my area was very monolingual. 



cerenach said:


> I'm just really lazy about sitting down and improving in it despite some nagging from a particular parental unit.


I'm really lazy about sitting down and doing anything _because of_ nagging from a particular parental unit. Not one of my best traits, I have to say. But it gets better once you move out. XD 



> As an aside, I often like to joke about how terrible (read "lazy") my English has become from dabbling in all these other languages.


This is a huge problem for me! I'm a native English speaker in an international environment, and I was always really good at English too, so I get a lot of "hey Elli what's a word for....?" kinds of questions... But I've been living here and trying to pick up the main language for a few years so even if I were good at answering questions on the spot, there's also the problem that my English has been "tainted" by the locals here too!


----------



## The_Truth

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned? / **What's your mother tongue? *

As far as mother tongues go, my situation is rather unusual. 

I live in an English-speaking country, my mother is Mexican, and my father was Chinese. I lived in China for 1.5 years when I was younger, and my Chinese grandmother was adamant that I became fluent in Mandarin (my Dad had been teaching me prior). My mother and I have spoken in Spanish for as long as I can remember, and she was also adamant that I know Spanish. She didn't learn English until her teens, so we would be closest if we both shared a mother tongue. My parents spoke English to each other, and I used English to speak to anyone that wasn't in my family (unless I was in China). I had a lot of friends when I was a child, and my father made sure my English stayed sharp while we lived in China, so I was never delayed with English skills or confused between languages, as many people assume.

Aside from that, my school requires Latin and I'm in my fourth year of studying it. I'm also currently taking my third year of French. I'm good at both, and I really enjoy them, but I wouldn't say I'm fluent in French. Obviously, since Latin is a dead language, one cannot be "fluent" in it, but I think I can read and write in it quite well. 

*Do you like learning languages?

*Yes, I think they're fascinating, and the most transparent window into other cultures. 

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?* 

Well, as mentioned previously, I'd say I have three mother tongues. I use English on a daily basis, but I also use Spanish every day, since I talk to my Mom everyday. English and Spanish are very similar, especially since English has a heavy influence from Latin (through Old French), and Spanish is a romance language. The only major differences I can think of off the top of my head are gender-specific nouns, phonetic spelling, and two verbs that mean "to be" (ser y estar).

Mandarin, however, is a completely different animal. Obviously, the writing is entirely different. Mandarin has a bunch of pictographic characters and is often written vertically from top down. More importantly, the tone you use to pronounce words create entirely different meanings in Mandarin. The word for "horse" and "mother" are the almost same word, except pronounced with different tones. If said in a higher tone, you're saying "mother." If said in an almost angrier sounding tone that falls and then rises, you're saying "horse." Tones still bug me when speaking Mandarin, because I don't use it every day, and anglophones, as well as hispanophones, use tones of voice very differently compared to Mandarin speakers. 

The grammar in Mandarin is different and _way _more logical and consistent than English or any Latin-based language. For example, verbs _never_ conjugate and there are no genders attached to nouns or any of that. Also, whatever you're "topic" is in a sentence, that always goes first in that sentence. So if you ask someone for an eraser, you'd say "an eraser, may I borrow one?"

Another huge thing is verb tenses - they don't really exist in Mandarin, at least not in the same way that they do in English, Spanish, French, and Latin. Mandarin indicates when an action has/will have happened relative to when it takes place, instead of indicating when it happened/will happen relative to the time in which we're speaking. English and romance languages express the former with the perfect tense (i.e, I have, had, will have, would have).

There's numerous other differences regarding Mandarin, but I don't want to write an essay on the topic 

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*

I'd really like to learn Arabic because I've recently become interested in Islam and I'd like to talk to native speakers (especially those who live in western countries) and read the Quran.

*Have you got a favorite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?

*Interesting question. It's really apples and oranges to me. I enjoy writing in English, and I think I can speak the most eloquently in Spanish. Mandarin is the most logical. French is fun to speak. I feel the most comfortable with English and Spanish.


----------



## olonny

@The_Truth your story is very cool, three languages as native languages!! I must say I envy you!!! Besides, really, you speak the three most important languages in the world, you're like the master of the languages! hahaha 
I've found a lot of people from different backgrounds who didn't think of the benefits of raising a child bilingual (or trilingual!) and I think it's a shame, it's an incredible oportunity to be able to speak more than one language from the beginning!


----------



## The_Truth

olonny said:


> your story is very cool, three languages as native languages!! I must say I envy you!!! Besides, really, you speak the three most important languages in the world, you're like the master of the languages! hahaha
> I've found a lot of people from different backgrounds who didn't think of the benefits of raising a child bilingual (or trilingual!) and I think it's a shame, it's an incredible opportunity to be able to speak more than one language from the beginning!


I think it's debatable whether Mandarin is a "native language" for me, but I am very thankful for knowing it.  I'm very thankful for my upbringing and that my parents made me learn their native languages. I think being raised like that made me who I am today. Us ENTPs love to explore ideas, play with concepts, and communicate them. I think knowing multiple languages (and, by extension, multiple cultures) from a young age has made my mind develop to be more adept at doing that. Each language almost gives me a different personality in a sense, so I think it's helped me see things from multiple perspectives at once too.

Yes, if you're able to, definitely raise any children you have with multiple languages. I can't imagine life only knowing one language.


----------



## olonny

The_Truth said:


> I think it's debatable whether Mandarin is a "native language" for me, but I am very thankful for knowing it.  I'm very thankful for my upbringing and that my parents made me learn their native languages. I think being raised like that made me who I am today. Us ENTPs love to explore ideas, play with concepts, and communicate them. I think knowing multiple languages (and, by extension, multiple cultures) from a young age has made my mind develop to be more adept at doing that. *Each language almost gives me a different personality* in a sense, so I think it's helped me see things from multiple perspectives at once too.
> 
> Yes, if you're able to, definitely raise any children you have with multiple languages. I can't imagine life only knowing one language.


Apparently that's a thing:
Multilinguals Have Multiple Personalities | The New Republic


----------



## leafling

How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
Five, although that answer is stretching it because I haven't practiced the 5th language in a while and have forgotten most of it.
English (native) / Portuguese (native) / French (intermediate I guess?) / Spanish (intermediate) / Russian (basic)

Do you like learning languages?
Yup, that's what I studied at university!

What's your mother tongue? 
English & Portuguese

Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?
Nope, I speak both on a daily basis. And I write in English here, of course.

Is there a language you would really like to learn?
Japanese! I know a few basic expressions and words so far. Learning how to read, too.
I would love to learn ASL one day as well.

Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?
No, I can't say that I have. I've come to really love every language I've learned, each has it's own unique sounds, expressions and characteristics!


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## olonny

leafling said:


> How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
> Five, although that answer is stretching it because I haven't practiced the 5th language in a while and have forgotten most of it.
> English (native) / Portuguese (native) / French (intermediate I guess?) / Spanish (intermediate) / Russian (basic)
> 
> Do you like learning languages?
> Yup, that's what I studied at university!
> 
> What's your mother tongue?
> English & Portuguese
> 
> Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?
> Nope, I speak both on a daily basis. And I write in English here, of course.
> 
> Is there a language you would really like to learn?
> Japanese! I know a few basic expressions and words so far. Learning how to read, too.
> I would love to learn ASL one day as well.
> 
> Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?
> No, I can't say that I have. I've come to really love every language I've learned, each has it's own unique sounds, expressions and characteristics!


I see you're a language student so it would be interesting if you could also answer this questions, if you feel like it 

*- which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?
- For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?
- in your language classes: what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?
- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it?
- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*


----------



## outofplace

How many languages can you speak/have you learned? *3*

Do you like learning languages? *Not really*

What's your mother tongue? *French*

Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *I rarely speak my mother tongue*

Is there a language you would really like to learn? *No*

Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue? *No*


----------



## The_Truth

olonny said:


> Apparently that's a thing: *link*


Yes, I've read about this on Quora and I was really happy I wasn't the only one!  Each language is stored in my brain as like a certain persona that has to do with the culture of the speakers and their history, and how native speakers talk. I always retain my core self (I don't become a totally different person), but I'll become much more systematic, precise, and logical when speaking to my Chinese grandmother on the phone, or when I'm at a Chinese restaurant. I'm a lot more show-offish, outgoing and warm when I speak Spanish, mostly because I relate it to my mother, but it also reflects a lot of Latin American attitudes. I think the most distinct change is my sense of humor. I'm only sarcastic in English. 

I like how the article mentions people relate escaping self-blame to American English. This is something the Chinese don't like.


----------



## zanah0dia

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?* I can read, write, and speak fluently in English and Japanese. I used to be proficient in French and Mandarin but am horribly out of practice and only remember bits and pieces. I also studied Latin for a bit.
*Do you like learning languages?* I love it! 
*What's your mother tongue?* English.
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?* My at-home language is English, since that's the one my family speaks. (One parent has a different language as their mother tongue but the other doesn't speak it so we use English.) Most jobs/volunteer positions I've held have involved translating between English and Japanese and using both equally. I've also just recently come back to the US after a few months living in Japan so I'm still readjusting a bit to using English as my main language instead of Japanese.
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?* I've always wanted to study Swedish and Korean. I'd also like to get better at Spanish; I can understand when spoken to but can't speak to save my life.
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?* I've loved all the languages I've studied.... I don't think I could pick a favourite


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## Reluctanine

@olonny Aw, thanks for being a great teacher and thinking about these kinds of things!

*- which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*

Easiest would have to be English for me. I can’t exactly say which is the most difficult, because there were different levels of fluency requirements for the languages I’ve learnt. But if I had to choose, it would be Chinese. I had to take exams for it, along with English. 

- For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: *was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience whould have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*

YES!!!! Teacher plays such an important role. All my chinese teachers when I was younger were horrible. One of my earliest memories was being forced to miss snack time because I couldn’t remember the names of shapes in Chinese. A lot of Chinese teachers I’ve encountered make learning horrible because they harp on your mistakes instead of being encouraging. By comparison, the English teachers made learning quite fun and were quite humourous. There were some boring ones too, but I think the influence of the openess of the culture has to do with it as well. I took an outside course for French and the teacher was kind of neutral. So that didn’t affect me either way.

If the subject being taught was more interesting, I think I would have liked learning Chinese more. 

- in your language classes: *what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*

I like listening the most I think. Next would be reading. The least would be talking. Writing in english is easy and fun. Chinese is tough.

*- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *

Nowadays, I just go to youtube and listen to natives speak for my language learning. I touched on teachers above, and I think the same rules for teachers apply the same to language teachers. Make classes fun and students naturally get interested. 

I prefer native teachers. The non-native teachers have different accents and it makes me wonder if I’ll be able to understand natives when I talk to them.

*- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*

I think languages come easily to infps because we listen very well. There was that study about how infps activate the listening part of their brain more or something. 

Yes, I think different types need different ways of learning. After attending the french course for a while, I realise I learnt faster and better on my own. Just give me the appropriate material and I absorb quickly. Instead of learning from a teacher or with other peers, I think I would have learnt a lot more if I was given time to read books and watch youtube videos on repeat and take notes. That's basically how I learn nowadays.


----------



## AlanMonTap

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
I can speak 3 languages: Spanish, English and French.

*Do you like learning languages?*
Yes. If they're interesting and useful, yes.

*What's your mother tongue?*
Spanish.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?*
No, I use spanish on my daily basis. Yes, spanish is different than english.

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Probably german. Italian too, but it's not really useful...

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Yes, romance languages (latin languages). Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, etc...


----------



## FourLeafCloafer

The German dialects stop at 3:29 (And the German language area dialects at 4.53)(Although they are very much worth listening to if you understand even a bit of German)

My parent's local dialect is at 2:20

And here's part 2:


----------



## TimeWillTell

Schatzy! Du rockst hammer!

First sentence was in first video was Hochdeutsch right?


----------



## FourLeafCloafer

WikiRevolution said:


> Schatzy! Du rockst hammer!
> 
> First sentence was in first video was Hochdeutsch right?


I love the guy too :laughing:. His comedy parts are great as well. He even translated some of them into English, rhymes and all!

And yes, he starts in hochdeutsch, the one that everyone understands. I can't acutally understand some (most) of the dialects.


----------



## tezepro

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
3 - Czech, English, Russian
*Do you like learning languages?*
I love it !
*What's your mother tongue? *
Czech
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
Well, currently I live in the Czech Republic, so I use Czech language for about 70% of time. The rest is English.
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Every language in the world ! But mainly Spanish, French and Korean. And get better in English.
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
I don't have a personal favourite. Every language is interesting in some way


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## AyumiFey

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
Polish as first language. Learned English. Also some German in high school which I mostly forgot already. 
And basics of some computer programming languages but it's not about it, I suppose.

*Do you like learning languages?*
Yes, I find it interesting. While I'm not learning any at the moment, I would love to do so in the future. I would like to start again and continue German and also look into new ones. Though I think it's more interesting when you have some kind of goal, when it comes to you wanting to learn it and not because you have to, like in school.

*What's your mother tongue? *
Polish.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
I speak Polish, my mother language, on daily basis. 
Though I mainly use English when surfing the internet, as it's the primary language of most sites that I visit. 
Which goes to say, that I'm more used to speaking Polish, but on the other hand more used to using English when writing. 
Yes, I would say they are different. 

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Japanese, Korean. I also once really wanted to lean Italian, so probably this one too. Also, like I said, I would like to continue learning German.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
I don't think I have any favourite ones. I enjoy English. I'm also used to hearing Japanese and Korean and also enjoy them. I think any that I find interesting and would want to learn could fall into the favourite category.


----------



## AyumiFey

olonny said:


> Being an English and Spanish teacher I'm really interested in hearing what your motivations for learning new languages are, so I would like to raise some new questions:
> *
> - which (the more objectively you can think of) are the easiest one and most difficult language you have learned?*
> - For those of you who didn't learn, didn't manage or didn't enjoy some particular language learning or class: *was it because of the teacher? Lack of motivation? What in your experience would have been needed in order for you to be motivated or find an interest in that class?*


I only learned two languages, both in school, which are English and German, as I said in my previous post. I have been learning English since I was 6 so it's hard to remember how it was at the beginning but I didn't really put much thought into learning it, so it's hard to say if it was hard or easy. German I only learned for the duration of high school, so 3 years. At that time my English was already quite good (was in an advanced English class) and seeing how German is kinda similar to English, it was not that hard. Though according to my German teacher, who learned German first then English, German > English was easier to learn that English > German. 

I really started learning English when I started to be more active online and visiting English speaking sites, which prompted me to learn English more. Some basis already and the willingness made learning English then so easy and so fast my middle school teacher was so shocked when my grades improved so much in such short time. My grades went from 3 at the end of my first year in middle school to 6 in the last, third year. (Here in Poland the best basic grade you can get is 5. 6 is only when you do more, know more than is required).




olonny said:


> - in your language classes: *what was the thing(s) you enjoy the most and the least?*


I enjoyed writing short stories about various topics. Like when we had to write an urban story in groups (which kinda ended with me writing something different from what we talked about in group and getting the best grade) or when we were preparing to our exams at the end of high school and one of the topics was to be about the 18th birthday (which I managed to make into a murder story. I was really into The Birthday Massacre long time ago and their song Happy Birthday came to my mind then and surprise, we have some 18th birthday massacre here). 

Some translations that we were doing in our English classes were also cool. We would have some English poems into Polish and then have different people translate parts of it and then read out loud and compare the different translations. I really enjoyed those. 

Also when it comes to my German classes. I and 3 of my classmates, had some extra German classes, which we ourself asked our teacher for, in our last year. And there also the thing I enjoyed was translations. And those would usually be German songs that I and my friends enjoyed. So we would spend time listening to music and learning what the song lyrics mean. 

Ah when doing the next question and thinking about elementary school English teacher made me remember some things I loved from there. We had penpals from other countries. Our school was affiliated with schools with many ones countries. I remember exchanging letters with people from Japan, United States, Spain, Germany. There were even more I think. We would also send them some Polish things and they would do the same. The best I think were the Ghibli movies we got from Japan. They had English subtitles and we would watch them during the classes. We got few of those and it really stuck in my mind till now. Even if my English was not really good back then, such things made it all enjoyable. 




olonny said:


> *- any experience on great language teachers? Or really bad ones? What do you think about native teacher vs. non native, what's your experience about it? *


What I wrote for the last question would count for my two best teachers. Both the English one and the German one (both were in high school). I really liked their classes and they also liked me and I fondly think about those. Though I think I never really had bad ones, my teacher in middle school was also great. Elementary school also (who was also the mother of one of the girls in my group). 

All the mandatory teachers I had were Polish. I had one teacher from New Zealand in elementary school for one year for extra classes who only spoke English and didn't really know any Polish. We had to communicate in English and use the dictionary for words we didn't know. That was definitely different but also a way to learn the language. 




olonny said:


> *- When it comes to MBTI, do you think there's a type to whom languages come more easily or are not easy at all? Could it be some sort of connection? Do you think different types need different ways of learning and thus different teaching techniques?*


I'm not really good at understanding the different types, so I have no idea if there is connection between the different types and the difficulty of learning the language. But I do think that there are people who do need different ways to learn better. Each person can have different ways that they can learn better and faster, that will make the learning more interesting. I know that for me it was the wanting to read better sites that were in English, when my English was still not that good. For other people it can be something different and I'm in no position to make the connection between those two.


PS. I only just now realised how long this has gotten. I should really control myself sometimes. When I start writing about a subject that I enjoy, languages in this case, I tend to get wordy sometimes and I don't know if that is good or bad. Also sorry I made it into two post, wanted to keep those two questionnaires separate.


----------



## AdInfinitum

Hm, I would like to learn Korean. Does anyone actually know a site where I could learn it from? It doesn't matter whether it is free or not, I can adapt to it.


----------



## piscesfish

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
I speak English fluently, Hebrew pretty close to fluently, and I've dabbled in Spanish and Latin 

*Do you like learning languages?*
Depends on the language (though I'm good at learning languages!). I really enjoyed Hebrew, though.

*What's your mother tongue?* 
American English

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?* 
Nope. All English, all the time 

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Hmm, maybe Welsh? I tried it a few years back when I visited Cardiff; it's really tough, but cool!

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Probably Hebrew; it's really personal to me and once one gets past the obvious different-alphabet barrier, it's not that difficult a language to learn. But of course, I like English, too!


----------



## Delicious Speculation

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
Native English speaker with a BA in Spanish/Linguistics. I've also studied Hebrew and Korean and I speak some broken German.

*Do you like learning languages?*
Yes! I love figuring out and analyzing patterns. Languages are all about patterns.

*What's your mother tongue?* 
Good ol' American English.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?* 
No, I use English all day at work. One of my coworkers is Portuguese, though, so when she speaks Portuguese and I speak Spanish we mostly know what the other is saying. I also used Spanish when I worked retail in college.

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
I'd like to get better at Hebrew and learn Russian. My dad is a polyglot and Russian is his specialty.

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
Out of all the languages I've studied or spoken, I like Spanish the best. Aside from learning the language itself, I've studied the linguistics of Spanish and I find it interesting from an academic standpoint.


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## Hiryuuka

NobleRaven said:


> Hm, I would like to learn Korean. Does anyone actually know a site where I could learn it from? It doesn't matter whether it is free or not, I can adapt to it.


Try lang-8, it's where I'm studying Japanese.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk


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## Gman1

Most interesting language is perhaps Mandarin, and also the hardest.


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## Red_Rose87

How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
I have learned to speak french at an intermediate level as well as beginner russian.
Do you like learning languages?
Love it. It's probably one of my favourite hobbies. 
What's your mother tongue? 
English.
Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? 
Nope. I hope to move to a non-English speaking area in the future though.
Is there a language you would really like to learn?
Russian or German.
Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?
My favourite language is French. I love the way it sounds, and I love the culture attached to it. ( I've travelled extensivly in both Québec and France.)


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## Killbain

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?* English, Russian, French and some Welsh and Scots Gaelic
*Do you like learning languages?* Yes
*What's your mother tongue? *English
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *No
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?* Mandarin
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?* Although every language has a beauty and uniqueness, I think English is the best language there is.....try writing a rock song in any other language!


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## Ausserirdische

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?
Portuguese and English.
Do you like learning languages?
I think so.
What's your mother tongue? 
Portuguese.
Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? 
Yes to first, no to second.
Is there a language you would really like to learn?
Lots :v
My top priority would be Japanese tho.
Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?
Japanese and Spanish, I love the way they sound.
*


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## Hidden from Sight

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?*
I speak and understand English at a native level. I speak and understand French at a level between beginner and intermediate; I still have plenty to learn. I know enough Cyrillic and Russian phonology to pronounce and transliterate Russian writing, but my vocabulary and grammar is too limited for me to do anything meaningful with the language.

*Do you like learning languages?*
I do, at least concerning French.

*What's your mother tongue?*
English.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?*
No for both, but I'd love to travel abroad one day.

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
Russian, hands down.

[BI]Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?[/B]
I feel that I haven't had enough lingual experience to provide a define answer, but I'll go with Russian due to my weird fascination with it. Icelandic also deserves a special mention due to its difficultly.


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## TTIOTBSAL

First language - French 

Studied - English, Spanish, Italian, German 

Used in daily life - French, but as I'm always alone, I think I can add English to some extent. I immerse myself, a lot is in English here, even my phone is set to English. 

Favorite - English

I'd like to learn other languages, and I like learning in general, but I'd rather speak these I know (more or less) already perfectly. A true unexplainable passion for English.


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## Jagdpanther

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned? *
English at a fluent level, Spanish at an intermediate level, and some Russian, even though I need time to work more on Russian, I learn it by myself.
I also know some Ancient Greek and Latin.

*Do you like learning languages?*
Of course yes <3

*What's your mother tongue? *
French ! Seeing that even native speakers can't speak their own fucking language just makes me want to smash them against a wall.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
No.

*Is there a language you would really like to learn?*
German, Icelandic and Norwegian. <3 Perhaps Finnish or Faroese...

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
I guess my favourite is Icelandic. It seems hard, but I guess it's easier than expected. I had that with Russian.


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## Yotty

How many languages can you speak/have you learned? Korean, English, Japanese, Spanish. Learning Italian, and will eventually pick up Mandarin Chinese again.
Do you like learning languages? YES.
What's your mother tongue? Korean.
Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? Yes-- I use English frequently, though I use Korean at home.
Is there a language you would really like to learn? All of them, but after Italian and Mandarin, I might aim for Russian. French too. And German. And *never shuts up*
Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue? I enjoy all of them.


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## xForgottenOne

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned?* Dutch (native), English (fluent), French (intermediate), German (beginner), Swedish (beginner)
*Do you like learning languages?* Yes, but not at school. I hated German class haha. 
*What's your mother tongue?* Dutch.
*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)?* No, I still live in this stupid little wormhole! And yes to the second question.
*Is there a language you would really like to learn?* I'm currently teaching myself Swedish, but there are a lot of other languages on my 'list'.
*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
I love French, it sounds so beautiful... Also, I really like English, because it's so practical to speak it. I can communicate with people all around the world!


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## Milya

*How many languages can you speak/have you learned? *
Finnish, English, some Swedish and Danish.

*Do you like learning languages? *
Yes.

*What's your mother tongue? *
Finnish.

*Is your mother tongue different than the one you have to use on your daily basis? Is it different from the one you use here (meaning, English)? *
I use mostly English on daíly basis, and some Danish (I live in Denmark).

*Is there a language you would really like to learn? *
Japanese. It would also be cool to learn some dead or a fictional language (e.g. Quenya, Old Norse). 

*Have you got a favourite language(s)? Is it different to your mother tongue?*
For expressing myself, English.


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## Ermenegildo

Persephone said:


> Latin (fluent)





> ^Fluidity in the Latin context. I can't speak it, of course (who can anyway? Except priests?)


*Nancy Llewellyn:* It has been estimated that there are only some 3,000 people in the world right now who can really carry on a conversation in Latin, and it is difficult to get more than few hundred of them together at a time, even at international conventions put on by the Academia Latinitati Fovendae or the Accademia Vivarium Novum.

http://www.academialatinitatifovendae.org
https://vivariumnovum.it

*Robert Patrick:* So, the traditional Latin classroom for at least 100 years in the US has focused almost entirely on the “learning system” in which students who are good at that sort of thin g (linguistic, logical, 4 percenters) learn a great deal about the language. Worse, they and their teachers think that they are “learning Latin” when in fact, at its very best (for a very few) they are learning how to decode Latin into English — SO THAT they can understand. If you have to turn a language into your own in order to understand it, then you really have not acquired that language at all. You may have learned a great deal about the second language, but you have not acquired ability in it. This has been true for me about my Latin for much of my career, and it is true for most of my colleagues in the US. And, a PhD in Latin did not change that. In fact, all by itself, the doctorate in Latin only qualifies me to do more “teaching about Latin” to those very few who might find that fascinating. 











Luigi Miraglia L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO






*Evan der Millner:* Not true at all - all academics and teachers in Italy know what _restored pronunciation_ should sound like, but they choose, for a variety of socio-cultural reasons, to continue using the mediaeval pronunciations (of which, as you point out, there are several variants), which has little in common with the way they know the Romans actually pronounced Latin. There is only one restored classical pronunciation, with virtually no disagreement among the scholars about how to render it. So no, no-one would be disgusted. There are various reasons for this. 'too difficult' is a main one, as using restored classical means building up a vast and detailed knowledge of which vowels are long or short by nature - in the mediaeval stress based system, this is not necessary, you only need to remember where to put the accent. Memorising all the correct vowel lengths is a definite barrier to uptake of restored classical, but if you want to read Roman poetry, you need to use it, as the Romans used vowel length and syllable length to construct their poems.

http://www.txclassics.org/old/PronunciationGuide.pdf






If I think about it, Latin teachers should speak Latin, and I find the Italian pronunciation much more attractive than the _restored pronunciation.
_
*“Living Latin* (_latin vivant_ in French or _Latinitas viva_ in Latin itself), also known as Spoken Latin, is an effort to revive Latin as a spoken language and as the vehicle for contemporary communication and publication.” 

*Contemporary Latin: Living Latin*


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