What is the best way to learn a new language?

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by Dan, 22 Apr 2012.

  1. Dan Chief Detective at GM Police HQ - Jagex #1 Fan!

    A friend of mine has offered to teach me a new language, so I thought, as a lot of the people around here have learned English and speak fantastic English, I'll ask some of you guys for help.

    Mainly I want to know what I really need to learn first. I know languages are different etc etc, but like I suppose what I'm trying to say is, what phrases do you use the most?

    In my language classes, at the minute we're learning how to talk about being environmentally friendly. But lets be honest, how much is that going to come up in a normal conversation?

    Should I learn adjectives so I can describe things, I really don't know. My aim is to be able to speak like you guys speak English. Mumble regulars, people like Free, Hooch, Squall just to name a few, even Bobo and Skele :V. You guys can hold conversations in a different language and that's so cool, like you have no idea how much I wish I could do that.

    So, what do I learn first and what do you guys use most in normal conversation?

    I know this is vague as fuck, but I really want to try and make an effort and become fluent in a new language. So yeah, I'd appreciate if you guys could help :P And if you have any tips on how to improve, like do I just try and be around people that are speaking it and try and engage in conversation when I can? I really have no idea. I suppose what I'm looking for is a sort of crash course so I can hold a basic conversation. Or should I just start slow and work up a good vocab in that language?

    Inb4 people rage cause I didn't say they spoke good English, calm down, just using some people as examples :P

    But yeah, any input is greatly appreciated. <3 I love you all in advance :P
     
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  2. Gaw discord is my friend now

    It's worth giving Memrise a go. I've been using it to much success recently, it's really quite good.
     
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  3. imFree (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

    Well i started off learning English when i was little , mainly watched Cartoon Network and learned the pronunciation from there .Of course i could read out what the word meant out of context of what was happening. Anyone can learn how to spell something , in my opinion the fastest way to learn a language is to listen to it.

    also, gaw's thing doesnt seem that bad.
     
  4. The MC Official GM PropHunt Manager

    You will want to learn basic verbs, how to operate those verbs in various common tenses (basic past, present and future to start), how to use the verbs with different subject pronouns (I, you, he, she, they).

    After you're confident with that, you'll be adding nouns to construct basic sentences; building up your vocabulary. It is also worth learning how to form and recognise questions.

    It is also helpful to learn basic phrases. All languages, like English, are packed with idioms and colloquialisms which are used in everyday conversation. (Example: "Ça va?" is the french for "How are you?" but "Oui, ça va" is also a colloquial answer to that question "I'm fine/Yeah i'm good/etc")

    Once you're comfortable with basic verb use and have a decent vocabulary of nouns, verbs and colloquialisms, you should feel comfortable having basic conversations and can consider moving on to the more complex parts of the language in order to develop fluency.

    - - -

    Generally, the best way to become better at a language is to use it; for example, learning french by moving to France and talking to locals all the time would be far more effective than learning french in school.
     
  5. Bagman Some cunt on the internet

    Expose yourself to the language as much as possible and try to use it every day.
    Also going to a country where they speak the language and having a prolonged stay, being forced to adapt, helps immensely (this is however the most expensive option).
    In general just be proactive about using it/reading it/hearing it
     
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  6. Zetsumei Spaceman

    OMFG LEARN ERISH FIST yoUr sooooo dont no how, to spalll

    llk, m
     
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  7. Akiba Terminus Ut Exordium

    Learn japanese like a weeapro(weeaboo professional)
     
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  8. Learn Swahili with me Dan
     
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  9. loll Master Exploder

    ^Best way to do it without dosh.
    With dosh, obviously get a private teacher, but it's expensive as hell.
     
  10. Dan Chief Detective at GM Police HQ - Jagex #1 Fan!

    Thanks for all your suggestions.

    I've been using that Memrise website for a day or so now, and I've learned quite a few words.

    Only problem that I've encountered so far is that it's difficult to put sentences together using that website, though maybe I just haven't looked into it enough, or maybe someone hasn't created a course for Afrikaans that involves sentences :P

    Like for example, the only verbs I've learned is love and go.
    So for example, if I wanted to say, I love you. It would be, "Ek lief jy."
    But that's not exactly how it's put together in Afrikaans, you would say, "Ek is lief vir jou." Which literally means, I have love for you.

    I reckon the only way to really get over this is to be around people speaking the language, but did any of you have problems like this when learning English?

    Regardless, the Memrise site is perfect for expanding my vocabulary which is exactly what I was looking for as now my friend can just help me form sentences.

    Anyway, appreciate all of your suggestions, thanks guys.
     
  11. Cactus The key is to never give up

    I don't know if I am being a douglas here but (mainly as I don't speak Afrikaans).
    Are you sure in Afrikaans they don't say "I have love for you".

    The reason I say this is because in French they said "J'ai faim" which is "I have hunger".
     
  12. nlspeed Rex Omnium Imperarum

    Heh, I typed out a massive response saying that, Google'd 'Ek is lief vir jou', and apparantly it does mean 'I love you'.

    Still, in Dutch, 'love' is 'liefde', but 'Ik vind je lief' means 'I think you're nice / cute / sweet'. 'I love you' is 'Ik hou van je'. If I had to make a guess, 'Ek is lief vir jou' would mean 'I'm nice to you' ('Ik ben lief voor jou').

    But, as I said, according to the very few sites I saw, 'Ek is lief vir jou' seems to actually mean 'I love you', so, what do I know... :P
     
  13. if you want to learn afrikaans just listen to jack parow

     
  14. Dan Chief Detective at GM Police HQ - Jagex #1 Fan!

    Nope, you're being a douglas :P

    I asked my friend who was born in South Africa, how you said it because I was trying to put together a sentence, and I asked if it was, "ek lief jy."

    But she said it wasn't, it basically means the same thing, except they say, "ek is lief vir jou." And I think jou is the same as jy, which means you. You just use them differently, so if I was to say, "I like you" I'd use jou, but if I said, "you go cycling" I'd use jy.

    I think it is that you use jou when you're giving an opinion or something. I don't really know, I haven't looked that deeply into it.
     
  15. nlspeed Rex Omnium Imperarum

    It's probably like Dutch - and most Germanic languages I assume? 'Jij bent goed' = 'You are good'. 'Ik vind jou goed' = 'I think you're good'. So, 'jy' is nominative, while 'jou' is accusative.
     
  16. Cactus The key is to never give up

    oh ok, then I have no idea :p

    but i would like to point out:

    I was born in South Africa, Johannesburg :3


    :dwiz:
     
  17. Dan Chief Detective at GM Police HQ - Jagex #1 Fan!

    Orly? I didn't know that :P

    Are your parents South African?
     
  18. Cactus The key is to never give up

    No we just moved there for 18-24 months for my dads work :)
     
  19. nlspeed Rex Omnium Imperarum

    That's kind of cool though. :P
     
  20. Dan Chief Detective at GM Police HQ - Jagex #1 Fan!

    Ahh fair enough, were they able to pick up any of the language in that time? I doubt they'd be able to remember now :P

    Still, being born in South Africa is pretty cool. I'ma learn the lingo and become a pro.
     
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