FabSwingers.com forum: Learning languages

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

What do you find the hardest bit?

For me it’s how quick native speakers talk and how slow my brain works translating words as I read/ hear/ say them.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The pronunciation of words. I even struggle with it in Punjabi. I know what I want to say in my head but it seems to lose it's way when going to the mouth

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ackdaw52Man
over a year ago

Chesterfield

Probably syntax/grammar.

I'm sure I have a hilarious accent in their language, too!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"The pronunciation of words. I even struggle with it in Punjabi. I know what I want to say in my head but it seems to lose it's way when going to the mouth

Pronunciation is super hard. I just accept that I’ll always have an accent

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Probably syntax/grammar.

I'm sure I have a hilarious accent in their language, too!"
god that killed me learning German in school

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Tried to leash Swedish

Realise no need. Know English. Best language. Why learn new words when current words good enuf

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"Tried to leash Swedish

Realise no need. Know English. Best language. Why learn new words when current words good enuf "

. I imagine Spanish is probably more useful to know. Given more people speak it? But I hear your logic

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"The pronunciation of words. I even struggle with it in Punjabi. I know what I want to say in my head but it seems to lose it's way when going to the mouth

Pronunciation is super hard. I just accept that I’ll always have an accent"

It's not just the accent, it's getting the damn words out without being a stuttering mess

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Tried to leash Swedish

Realise no need. Know English. Best language. Why learn new words when current words good enuf

. I imagine Spanish is probably more useful to know. Given more people speak it? But I hear your logic"

I mean mandarin or Hindi is the ones to do on pure numbers

But shamelessly, English #1

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *naswingdressWoman
over a year ago

Manchester (she/her)

High standards. I don't get far enough fast enough, I get annoyed with myself, and I stop.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Being arsed to start to learn one in the first place. I never really felt the need to bother.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *icecouple561Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

East Sussex

Feminine and masculine words. I really struggle with that

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ost SockMan
over a year ago

West Wales and Cardiff

"What do you find the hardest bit?

For me it’s how quick native speakers. "

When I learnt Welsh, they made us listen to recorded conversations between speakers at twice the speed, or even more.

It was so hard to pick up more than the odd word or phrase. That wasn’t the point though. Regular practice like that and real-world conversations didn’t seem fast.

It was a neat way to train your brain differently

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *edGrayCouple
over a year ago

Swindon

The verbs in any Latin based languages. I always get them mixed up...

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Cyrillic alphabet

All the recognisable letters are in the wrong place and with the wrong sound

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *naswingdressWoman
over a year ago

Manchester (she/her)

"Cyrillic alphabet

All the recognisable letters are in the wrong place and with the wrong sound

I found it a really easy jump from Greek

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ndycoinsMan
over a year ago

Whaley Bridge,Nr Buxton,

Greek is easier than it first seems,there is more Greek in English than we realise.Even if you screw up the masculine/feminine/neutral,you won't be misunderstood.In written form screw ups are technical errors rather than meaning changes,which is why it is difficult to have double entendres or word plays in Greek.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *heGateKeeperMan
over a year ago

Stratford

"Probably syntax/grammar.

I'm sure I have a hilarious accent in their language, too!"

This is is for me because the literal word for word substitution doesn’t work for that reason.

Next year I’m probably going to try and get a tutor or use on of those services where you find a native and just chat to them

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Not needing to use it, so no practice conversations to cement the learning and get confident with it.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ittycock400Couple
over a year ago

Bristol

"Not needing to use it, so no practice conversations to cement the learning and get confident with it.

Definitely. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. Speak to native speakers, watch movies in the language and listen to music and podcasts. Read websites and news pages in the language you are trying to learn.

Otherwise, at best, a few key phrases will stick. You need to get to the point where you don't need to translate to English.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *oddess NailaWoman
over a year ago

London & Edinburgh

I speak 5 languages, 4 of them fluently as a ‘native’ though I stumble quite often over words that I know in one language but can’t remember in another!

Been thinking about learning Arabic or Spanish next but ideally with a native speaker.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I have the attention span of a gnat, but I struggle with hearing/listening.

If someone walks up to me and slowly asks for 10kg of carrots and directions to the swimming pool, I should be able to help in a few languages, but native level I've only got two languages.

Welsh and English.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I speak 5 languages, 4 of them fluently as a ‘native’ though I stumble quite often over words that I know in one language but can’t remember in another!

I am also a polyglot and often forget words in one language but remember it in five others. Such an annoyance as I’m feel I look daft at times around monolinguals.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ung nine inchMan
over a year ago

leeds

Mrs been uk from Bangladeshi 10yrs still her English is broken but must say white men love her

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Not needing to use it, so no practice conversations to cement the learning and get confident with it.

Same here. I tried Spanish, and can retain the information if I’m not practicing. So it just keeps dropping off.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *orthernJayMan
over a year ago

DXB / SG / Thailand Krabi

Speaking/listening is much easier than trying to read/write, Thai is one example where the written language is a complete none starter for none native speakers; that said, I learnt to get by within six months as long as I ask natives to slow down very early in the conversation, which they’ll all happily do

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

Post new Message to Thread