Learning another language

Kitty
Kitty Posts: 2,844
edited August 2010 in The Crudcatcher
So, I've decided to act upon my wish to learn Greek, always wanted to and with my Grandparents living on and off in Cyprus it would be nice to speak it when I go into the village.

Anyone got any recommendations for what to use books wise or software? Is there any that are particularly good?

So far I've just been playing with free ipod apps.

Comments

  • I want to learn italian :(, same question as kittys but replace greek with italian pleaseee :), sorry for semi hijack :P
  • CraigXXL
    CraigXXL Posts: 1,852
    Best method is to learn the language by a native speaker either in the country of choice or find a willing tutor i.e Greek restaurant waiter. You will learn much faster and what is useful.
  • BlackSpur
    BlackSpur Posts: 4,228
    The Rosetta Stone stuff is meant to be quite good.
    "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs
  • Splottboy
    Splottboy Posts: 3,695
    My Welsh born friend Big Spiro, married a Greek girl. Her family ran the Corfu by Night.

    Tried to learn the lingo, But..Momma and Poppa got in the way, big time.

    Divorced now.
  • Whytepeak
    Whytepeak Posts: 2,616
    Best is to go to a country where the language you want to master is spoken, then you will learn effectively. Failing that, find someone who can teach you, not necessarily a teacher, just someone who knows the language, that way you can ask them for definitions and rules.
    Also, don't try and learn it all at once, you can spend all day 'learning' 100 words, but the chances that you will remember them all are slim. Instead just learn a few words a day, then you won't forget them....

    I'm guessing you don't have a photographic memory?
    Now that we are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. ROMANS 15:1
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    i learnt spanish by living there, but i guess you don't want to move to cyprus for 3 years :lol:
  • Tartanyak
    Tartanyak Posts: 1,538
    BlackSpur wrote:
    The Rosetta Stone stuff is meant to be quite good.

    This. But it's nothing without a teacher. Find one. The rosetta stone stuff'll help you with the vocabulary though.
  • jpstar
    jpstar Posts: 561
    I do French at school, and I must admit, when I go to France it improves no end. The best way really is to immerse yourself in it, you have no other option than to speak what you know, and people normally correct you if your slightly wrong.
    Failing that use the multi-language British method: Look at person, point at something, speak loudly and slowly, repeat until accomplished.
  • jay12
    jay12 Posts: 6,306
    when i moved from Poland to here it was quite easy becasue a) i was young, b) in school everyone spoke englis so that made a lot of the difference. a teacher that speaks it fluently is the next best thing really. also, learning a language takes time. took me about 3 years to speak fluently and i'm still learning words
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    jpstar wrote:
    I do French at school, and I must admit, when I go to France it improves no end. The best way really is to immerse yourself in it, you have no other option than to speak what you know, and people normally correct you if your slightly wrong.
    Failing that use the multi-language British method: Look at person, point at something, speak loudly and slowly, repeat until accomplished.

    yeah i find the shouting loudly and hand signals is the best method for getting them to understand :lol::lol::lol:
  • Kitty
    Kitty Posts: 2,844
    Yeah, I won't be going to Cyprus any time this year and I've not got much time/money to get a teacher so needs to be a book/software for now.
  • Nothing beats the " One beeeeer. Si vu play!" The pidgeon french just makes it more authentic! Though for added bonus points the use of "por favor" is recommended. Of course this only really works in France and Spain.
    MmmBop

    Go big or go home.
  • CraigXXL wrote:
    Best method is to learn the language by a native speaker either in the country of choice or find a willing tutor i.e Greek restaurant waiter. You will learn much faster and what is useful.

    ^ Put up a notice in the local uni. There'll always be someone wanting to improve on their english. Sometimes a shared interest is a far greater currency than money.
  • Gazlar
    Gazlar Posts: 8,084
    or find a part time class? i've tried to teach myself languages and I have a positive start but like people have said its nothing without someone to practice with, and I get into bad habits too. I tried to learn welsh, but Mrs G only speaks a bit of Welsh so that wasn't much good and I ended up learning some kind of North/South hybrid language. Then I tried Dutch which I ended up like Shteeve McClown
    Mountain biking is like sex.......more fun when someone else is getting hurt
    Amy
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  • Tartanyak
    Tartanyak Posts: 1,538
    gazderry wrote:
    or find a part time class? i've tried to teach myself languages and I have a positive start but like people have said its nothing without someone to practice with, and I get into bad habits too. I tried to learn welsh, but Mrs G only speaks a bit of Welsh so that wasn't much good and I ended up learning some kind of North/South hybrid language. Then I tried Dutch which I ended up like Shteeve McClown

    Dutch is almost impossible to practice anyway. Go anywhere, speak Dutch, Dutch person replies in English. Even if you say not to, they tend to. The longest conversation I've ever had in Dutch was with a Turkish guy.
  • kaytronika
    kaytronika Posts: 580
    See, you say go to the country and you'll learn it along the way... But there's loads of chavs in England who can't string two words together...


    I'm going to Holland in two weeks... 70% of the country has a good conversational knowledge of English apparently... That's probably more than the local yobs.
    --
    '09 Carrera Fury
    '94 GT Timberline FS
    '89 Saracen Tufftrax
  • MissBint37
    MissBint37 Posts: 1,503
    I need to be able to teach in a second language before I can go for my ISIA in snowboard. (High level instructor qualification.)

    I used to be fully conversational in Russian but not sure whether they class that as a 'European' language or not.

    I have been thinking about learning German though, would be very useful!
    Ride it like you stole it!
  • Tartanyak
    Tartanyak Posts: 1,538
    It's rather useful for taking apart German engine.

    Aren't there more snowboardy things in Austria rather than German? If you learn vanilla German, you could have problems there! One of my mates speaks Flemish, not Dutch and both of us can understand him but can't reply. Because we're laughing at his silly Belgian accent. <giggles>

    Where you off to Kay? I'm actually gonna be in Holland from Sunday until the end of teh month. Then again in September for a while.
  • mrfmilo
    mrfmilo Posts: 2,250
    Learn German :wink:
  • Tartanyak
    Tartanyak Posts: 1,538
    Ich habe ein wienerschnitzel in mein lederhosen.
    Is dein tochter achtien?
  • mrfmilo
    mrfmilo Posts: 2,250
    Tartanyak wrote:
    Ich habe ein wienerschnitzel in mein lederhosen.
    Is dein tochter achtien?

    :lol::lol:
  • Tartanyak
    Tartanyak Posts: 1,538
    A shiny gold star to anyone who recognises the film they're from.
  • MissBint37
    MissBint37 Posts: 1,503
    Tartanyak wrote:
    Ich habe ein wienerschnitzel in mein lederhosen.
    Is dein tochter achtien?

    Oh dear :lol: Even my crappy German is up to that!

    I love Switzerland and in Valais they speak German.
    Ride it like you stole it!
  • kaytronika
    kaytronika Posts: 580
    Tartanyak wrote:
    Where you off to Kay? I'm actually gonna be in Holland from Sunday until the end of teh month. Then again in September for a while.

    I'll be spending about 5 nights in Soestduinen apparently
    and working in Elst.

    Should be interesting
    --
    '09 Carrera Fury
    '94 GT Timberline FS
    '89 Saracen Tufftrax
  • Tartanyak
    Tartanyak Posts: 1,538
    Amersfoort isn't a bad place if you've not been. You're relatively near there. I'll be in the East, in Zutphen this month, then next month all the way ooop north in Groningen.

    If nowt else, it'll be interesting like you say :D
  • agg25
    agg25 Posts: 619
    Try Livemocha, you can speak to people from the countries that speak the language, use pictures and a variety of media. It's free!
    I've also used pimsleur mp3s which are pretty good.
  • Rosetta Stone is the one.

    I'v ebeen learning Latin, French, Italian and german.

    Loads of torrnets out there to get it.

    You leearn from it like you learn your first language by repetition and association and the grammar rules are picked up as you go along.

    I'm trying to learn Rhyl.
    The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
    momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    my mum lives there
  • BlackSpur
    BlackSpur Posts: 4,228
    Tartanyak wrote:
    It's rather useful for taking apart German engine.

    Aren't there more snowboardy things in Austria rather than German? If you learn vanilla German, you could have problems there.

    A lot of people in the german speaking countries can speak 'Hochdeutsch' as well as their local dialect. You'll struggle to learn a regional dialect without living there for a fair while!
    "Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling." ~James E. Starrs
  • agg25 wrote:
    I've also used pimsleur mp3s which are pretty good.

    Yeah pimsleur are pretty much the standard. Agree with all the above though. On it's own a course isn't quite enough. Not for an adult.

    Another thing I tried (not for long, I keep getting bored), is using native websites to the country of the language you want to learn. Say if it's japanese, google.jp, or youtube.jp, etc. Once you begin to get it, I'd register on some bike forums or whatever else you're interested in, in that country. Which puts it firmly into your day to day life and gives you a bit of a challenge.

    Also, post it notes, all around the house. With the names of everything. If you incorporate it into your life enough, you're going to learn in. I remember a comment from a middle eastern woman, on how she learnt English watching coronation street..