Author Topic: Anyone multilingual, or likes to learn languages and stuff? (Read 3316 times)

fomalhaut · « **on:** October 20, 2011, 04:12:58 PM »

i thought i'd drop off some resources just for those interested in starting, or getting back into a language. Personally I'm balls deep in learning German, in Baden-Württemburg for the next year dicking around in Uni and stuff. Ich sei B2.2 oder (HA!) C1.1 bis der Abschloss der Schulejahr, wenn ich heftig genug studiere. Vielleicht...

Estudio Catalunya... si

Foreign Service Institute - Top of the chain is terms of pure effectiveness, trained diplomats it did
http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php

Memrise Spaced Repetition Software, perfect for learning vocab. I've learned about 1,000 words in the past 3 1/2 weeks, decent enough i suppose. Uses the metaphor of a garden and other dumb shit to trick your brain into learning and having fun, too. Like Call of Duty for vocab, lol.

http://www.memrise.com

also, Anki. same thing as Memrise, but a program, and much better in real terms, you can record your voice for pronunciation and has lots of other cool tools that memrise lacks.

www.ankisrs.net

Any of y'all into languages and stuff? It'd be cool if there was a bunch and we could help eachother or whatever, i'm more than happy to share what I know of intermediate/advanced German to any who are starting to learn or such, but that's as far as my knowledge goes.

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:27:38 PM »

I speak Japanesu

KanjiBox, Kotoba! and Midori on your iOS device are a Wu Tang-level combo.

CajoleJuice · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:29:56 PM »

Quote from: The Business on October 20, 2011, 04:15:35 PM

Cain't understand you go back to your country

white power

Himu · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:30:36 PM »

i wanna become fluent in japanese and pretty good at spanish

Robo · « **Reply #4 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:32:36 PM »

Quote from: CajoleJuice on October 20, 2011, 04:29:56 PM

Quote from: The Business on October 20, 2011, 04:15:35 PM
Cain't understand you go back to your country

white power

fomalhaut · « **Reply #5 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:36:24 PM »

Quote from: Stringer Bell on October 20, 2011, 04:30:36 PM

i wanna become fluent in japanese and pretty good at spanish

why and why? i always like to know what drives people to their linguistic interest.

and Spanish is easy peasy with the Memrise thing alone. The grammar is so easy imo that it needs almost no explenation, but that's just me.

no hablo un panuelo... i don't have a hankerchief... oh alright, cool, thanks for letting me know that dude

Himu · « **Reply #6 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:37:59 PM »

spanish because it's a sexy language and I have a history with it already, and it'll be more practical in the states and in the future. Japanese, because my jappa games ain't comin' to no Ingles countries any time soon abloo bloo. Really, I just want to get better at them. I have a moderate grasp at Japanese. I took 3 years of Spanish in school and forget every bit.

Mupepe · « **Reply #7 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:38:21 PM »

Quote from: fomalhaut on October 20, 2011, 04:36:24 PM

no hablo un panuelo... i don't have a hankerchief... oh alright, cool, thanks for letting me know that dude

que?

creo que eres confundido

fomalhaut · « **Reply #8 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:42:07 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on October 20, 2011, 04:38:21 PM

Quote from: fomalhaut on October 20, 2011, 04:36:24 PM
no hablo un panuelo... i don't have a hankerchief... oh alright, cool, thanks for letting me know that dude
que?

creo que eres confundido

i have no idea what i said really, but i know grammatically it's probably right. Hablar (which i just assumed to be "to have") and El Panuelo is a Hankerchief or something along this lines.

I clearly don't study Espanol y Castillan

si manana Me enctontrar con una Castillana Chica

Quote

spanish because it's a sexy language and I have a history with it already, and it'll be more practical in the states and in the future. Japanese, because my jappa games ain't comin' to no Ingles countries any time soon abloo bloo. Really, I just want to get better at them. I have a moderate grasp at Japanese. I took 3 years of Spanish in school and forget every bit.

The poster above def ref'd some great resources for Japanisch, i've heard them being referred multiple times before. Also, you can also check out the dude who became legit fluent in like 500 some odd days. He basically put himself into a Japanese egg and Hulked through it and emerged a real -San

here it is!

http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/

the guy is legit awesome, a real inspiration

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:44:18 PM »

True story: my spanish class required us to bring a picture of a family member, pass it around, and tell the class about the person - in Spanish. I brought a picture of myself as a child because I couldn't remember all the pronouns and female/male stuff, and gave my speech.

she gave me a D $:-\$

Mupepe · « **Reply #10 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:44:54 PM »

haha hablar is to speak. tener is to have.

No tengo....

Himu · « **Reply #11 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:45:22 PM »

Quote from: fomalhaut on October 20, 2011, 04:42:07 PM

The poster above def ref'd some great resources for Japanisch, i've heard them being referred multiple times before. Also, you can also check out the dude who became legit fluent in like 500 some odd days. He basically put himself into a Japanese egg and Hulked through it and emerged a real -San

here it is!

http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com/blog/

the guy is legit awesome, a real inspiration

this is actually on my bookmarks.

Mupepe · « **Reply #12 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:45:29 PM »

Quote from: Phoenix Dark on October 20, 2011, 04:44:18 PM

True story: my spanish class required us to bring a picture of a family member, pass it around, and tell the class about the person - in Spanish. I brought a picture of myself as a child because I couldn't remember all the pronouns and female/male stuff, and gave my speech.

she gave me a D $:-\$

You should have given her your D. Eh? Eh?

Bebpo · « **Reply #13 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:49:32 PM »

Himuro, did you ever think about teaching English abroad? If you immerse yourself in the culture, you'll pick it up pretty quick.

fomalhaut · « **Reply #14 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:50:33 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on October 20, 2011, 04:44:54 PM

haha hablar is to speak. tener is to have.

No tengo....

oh no shit?

real talk i've always assumed, my whole life, that when the signs said "no hablo/se hablo Espanol" it was a idiomatic way to say that Spanish was spoken there, like a "hold"

I knew tener was to have (i study Latin during summers), but just like there are two "to be's" i figured it was the same

Could you explain to me real simple like Estar and Ser? Catalonian has the same I think except Fer is Ser, and the concept to me is still beyond me and the girl i'm meeting tomorrow barely knows ANY english. so no hope of a good explenation :'(

CajoleJuice · « **Reply #15 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:54:16 PM »

lo siento pero mi pene es muy grande

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #16 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:54:28 PM »

Quote from: Howard Alan Treesong on October 20, 2011, 04:27:38 PM

I speak Japanesu

KanjiBox, Kotoba! and Midori on your iOS device are a Wu Tang-level combo.

I need to start using apps like these. I can read/understand enough Japanese to get through Tales of Vesperia at the moment, but my kanji (I've been having to rely on some of my old kanji dictionaries from high school to understand some of the dialogue) and conversational skills are abysmal. I don't plan on moving there or anything, but it would be awfully nice to be more proficient.

demi · « **Reply #17 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:56:46 PM »

Memrise looks fun. I'm gonna bookmark it.

Mupepe · « **Reply #18 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:57:54 PM »

ser is passive and estar is active.

como soy un hombre. y estoy aburrido

I am a man. and I am bored

What I am. What I'm doing

I believe that's pretty much correct. diunx or someone else can correct me if I'm wrong.

demi · « **Reply #19 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:58:00 PM »

Quote from: Mr. Gundam on October 20, 2011, 04:54:28 PM

Quote from: Howard Alan Treesong on October 20, 2011, 04:27:38 PM
I speak Japanesu

KanjiBox, Kotoba! and Midori on your iOS device are a Wu Tang-level combo.

I need to start using apps like these. I can read/understand enough Japanese to get through Tales of Vesperia at the moment, but my kanji (I've been having to rely on some of my old kanji dictionaries from high school to understand some of the dialogue) and conversational skills are abysmal. I don't plan on moving there or anything, but it would be awfully nice to be more proficient.

lol. this sounds fun. playing a game already in english.

Mr. Gundam · « **Reply #20 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:58:48 PM »

Quote from: demi on October 20, 2011, 04:58:00 PM

Quote from: Mr. Gundam on October 20, 2011, 04:54:28 PM
Quote from: Howard Alan Treesong on October 20, 2011, 04:27:38 PM
I speak Japanesu

KanjiBox, Kotoba! and Midori on your iOS device are a Wu Tang-level combo.

I need to start using apps like these. I can read/understand enough Japanese to get through Tales of Vesperia at the moment, but my kanji (I've been having to rely on some of my old kanji dictionaries from high school to understand some of the dialogue) and conversational skills are abysmal. I don't plan on moving there or anything, but it would be awfully nice to be more proficient.

lol. this sounds fun. playing a game already in english.

Send me a 360 for secret santa.

demi · « **Reply #21 on:** October 20, 2011, 04:58:58 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on October 20, 2011, 04:57:54 PM

ser is passive and estar is active.

como soy un hombre. y estoy aburrido

I am a man. and I am bored

What I am. What I'm doing

I believe that's pretty much correct. diunx or someone else can correct me if I'm wrong.

Diunx shouldnt comment on spanish... disgusting mulatto

fomalhaut · « **Reply #22 on:** October 20, 2011, 05:04:24 PM »

Quote from: demi on October 20, 2011, 04:56:46 PM

Memrise looks fun. I'm gonna bookmark it.

it really really is, lots of fun positive affirmation to it. I don't know where i'd be without it

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #23 on:** October 20, 2011, 05:27:29 PM »

I don't really feel the need to be fluent in a 4th language, but it would be cool if I can pick something up.

Spanish is nice becaue it covers so many countries, but I don't really like it. And Spanish are so loud.

Cerveza mas fina · « **Reply #24 on:** October 20, 2011, 05:30:25 PM »

Dos cervezas por favor.

Do I need to learn more?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I'm a poet and I know it

[close]

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #25 on:** October 20, 2011, 05:56:10 PM »

Quote from: dcharlie on October 20, 2011, 05:28:43 PM

I'm going to use the "if it wasn't for my job" cop out but the big shameful thing is that my Japanese has gone down. Hard to believe i was a few % off level 2 about 6 years ago. Now i'd be lucky to scrape level 3 (which i at least passed before), ~~it's one of the few upticks redundancy might have - i could actually get some time to study~~ sorry, forgot that i'd be babysitting and job hunting if that happened. lol

I passed JLPT2 when I was over there. I've decided I'm gonna shoot for JLPT1 by the December 2012 test. I've started doing kanji, vocabulary and reading review every day when I go to the gym and I'm still at about 90% retention through N2. After a few weeks of that I'm gonna start introducing N1 and trying to read more Japanese in my day-to-day life. It's really tough, but I realized I'm on the edge of losing it completely, and I'd rather fight back the other way and pass N1. (Once I pass N1 I might forget everything, of course.

)

CrystalGemini · « **Reply #26 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:57:45 AM »

Cantonese was my first language, English, American Sign Language... Took a quarter of French to understand the pronunciation of design terms but not really to speak. Also took two quarters of Mandarin and spent six weeks overseas so now I have the fluency of a 3 year old.

T-Short · « **Reply #27 on:** October 21, 2011, 01:11:25 AM »

Languages are fun! I've got a predisposition for learning pronounciation and accents, so sometimes I seem to be perceived as being more fluent in the languages that I don't know too well.
I'd say I'm fluent in swedish and english, I speak basic japanese after some self studies, and ok brazilian portuguese which has all been learned through listening, with some grammar help from the limited spanish I knew from high school.
I really love accents though.

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #28 on:** October 21, 2011, 02:20:51 AM »

Hyoushi's English is just intimidatingly good.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

and that cheeky little bum! oh my

[close]

fomalhaut · « **Reply #29 on:** October 21, 2011, 02:23:20 AM »

Quote from: Wrath2X on October 20, 2011, 05:53:43 PM

I know most arabic tongues and english, obviously. I wanna learn Spanish so I can get away with acting mexican.

Viva la Mexico Cabron

i am definitely going to take Arabic next semester to get me started for a life of self teaching thereafter, MSA of course but the tongue I want to learn will probably be Egyptian or Levantine.

fomalhaut · « **Reply #30 on:** October 21, 2011, 08:50:17 AM »

for the 'there is' aspect of haber, would it be "habe una chica/un guardia/un whatevera" - there is a girl/guard?

and how would the past tense with this be formed? german does the same too, but the grammar is probs way different. Ich habe etwas gemacht - I have done something.

in german the there is, is "es gibt" (it gives)

Met with the Spanish girl today and time just flew by! for 4 hours we was a talking, i think i did a decent job of expounding on a lot of English nuance. I made sure to make sure my trilled R was ok (this sounds like a euphamism), and it's good yay. It's very hard to explain your own language, though

Brehvolution · « **Reply #31 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:52:26 AM »

Yo quiero Taco Bell.

usted es un coño, hijo de puta

Mupepe · « **Reply #32 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:55:02 AM »

cono? eres un cubano? dios mio.

Brehvolution · « **Reply #33 on:** October 21, 2011, 10:58:22 AM »

culpa traductor Google

Mupepe · « **Reply #34 on:** October 21, 2011, 11:04:20 AM »

it's a word. So you're not incorrect. but it's mostly used by cubans

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #35 on:** October 21, 2011, 11:59:59 AM »

Quote from: dcharlie on October 21, 2011, 12:42:44 AM

Quote
I passed JLPT2 when I was over there. I've decided I'm gonna shoot for JLPT1 by the December 2012 test. I've started doing kanji, vocabulary and reading review every day when I go to the gym and I'm still at about 90% retention through N2. After a few weeks of that I'm gonna start introducing N1 and trying to read more Japanese in my day-to-day life. It's really tough, but I realized I'm on the edge of losing it completely, and I'd rather fight back the other way and pass N1. (Once I pass N1 I might forget everything, of course.

wowzers - nice. Advice from everyone seems to be "fug N2 and go straight to N1"

there's a few guys on the floor going to do N1 next year and i've joined in. One of the guys has passed the old level 1 and the N1 and we've roped in some Japanese help, plus the father in law is offering lessons too so i'm thinking of writting next year off so i can get N1, RR, and -maybe- start the study for CFA.

The amazing thing is now that we have magic touchscreen PCs in our pocket at all times with scanning cameras and the like, plus humongously comprehensive open-source kanji and dictionary applications. It's a LOT easier to drill your way to success than it was even in 2001 with a AA draining 電気辞書

bork · « **Reply #36 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:02:59 PM »

Quote from: Howard Alan Treesong on October 20, 2011, 04:27:38 PM

I speak Japanesu

KanjiBox, Kotoba! and Midori on your iOS device are a Wu Tang-level combo.

Kotoba! is great; will check out KanjiBox and Midori.

I also use Kanji Flip and JapaneseFlip, which are Kanji and vocabulary JLPT flashcard applications.

Raban · « **Reply #37 on:** October 21, 2011, 12:32:42 PM »

Quote from: Howard Alan Treesong on October 20, 2011, 04:27:38 PM

I speak Japanesu

KanjiBox, Kotoba! and Midori on your iOS device are a Wu Tang-level combo.

This is incredibly helpful!

Bebpo · « **Reply #38 on:** October 21, 2011, 05:51:34 PM »

I'm like Oscar, in that I don't really need to get my Japanese to a number since it won't mean much other than like gamerscore for languages, but rather I just need to keep my Japanese good enough to read news sites, interviews, play jrpgs and j-games in general, watch the occasional unsubtitled movie/anime, and occasionally actually speak/write to a Japanese person. Just practical level Japanese and by simply doing all this it tends to stay at that practical level.

I could get back to studying and be able to blow through those kanji kanji print newspapers, but ehhh, what does that bring me in life? Would rather use that time to learn a new language like C++ or French/Italian, or cooking.

fomalhaut · « **Reply #39 on:** October 21, 2011, 09:31:29 PM »

thanks for the explanations, AWESOME-O. I pretty much understand that quite well now. I'm really hoping this will apply in Catalan as well.
I met some Catalanians tonight at a party, but was way too emberassed to say i'm studying it as i could only say "Em dic Mathew" "Vinc a Phoenix" lol

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #40 on:** October 21, 2011, 09:36:12 PM »

Is that Lil Debbie in your avatar?

fomalhaut · « **Reply #41 on:** October 22, 2011, 05:21:40 AM »

yup!

etiolate · « **Reply #42 on:** October 23, 2011, 03:55:10 AM »

I've taken two years of french, but have not used it enough to be conversational in it. I started taking Russian in my last year of college and would like to continue it.

chronovore · « **Reply #43 on:** October 23, 2011, 11:04:53 PM »

When I started learning Japanese, it washed away what little Spanish I learned in high school. Like, literally, when I try to say a sentence in Spanish, I sometimes conjugate the verb into Japanese structure. $:-\$

fomalhaut · « **Reply #44 on:** October 24, 2011, 06:10:53 AM »

ouch, that's crazy.

i hit a roadblock today with german, ho-ly crap. It's like i can suddenly not formulate thoughts anymore, my lord. i even switched to english speaking with my roomate. hopefully its just a bad day and not my brain overloading

fomalhaut · « **Reply #45 on:** October 24, 2011, 10:48:05 AM »

Quote from: AWESOM-O on October 24, 2011, 07:14:18 AM

Are you living in Germany, or do you just have a German roommate?

living in Germany, just a 1/2 K from Switzerland, yep

they all speak decent english, and i'd say by now my german is a bit better than their english, but it's just so easy to switch to my mother tongue when short on time and angry

fomalhaut · « **Reply #46 on:** November 03, 2011, 01:36:31 PM »

man i high fived myself big time today

chatted me up a German cutie, she said i speak awesomely good, and to hit a girl up sometime ^_^

progress

Mupepe · « **Reply #47 on:** November 03, 2011, 01:41:19 PM »

Go invade her asshole it's like Poland.

fomalhaut · « **Reply #48 on:** November 03, 2011, 02:16:58 PM »

it's like when they realize i'm American they want to recreate the Berlin airlift. I got some supplies for yo azz

Mupepe · « **Reply #49 on:** November 03, 2011, 02:27:06 PM »

bork · « **Reply #50 on:** November 04, 2011, 12:59:55 PM »

Quote from: chronovore on October 23, 2011, 11:04:53 PM

When I started learning Japanese, it washed away what little Spanish I learned in high school. Like, literally, when I try to say a sentence in Spanish, I sometimes conjugate the verb into Japanese structure. $:-\$

My problem was that Spanish words started popping up in my Japanese. I'd be talking about a bike and say "bicecleta" (sp) instead of "jitensha" and "biblioteca" instead of "toshokan."

fomalhaut · « **Reply #51 on:** November 04, 2011, 05:14:38 PM »

how intense is your guys love for Japanese culture to endure the challenge of learning a linguistically isolated, notoriously difficult language? This is in NO way like those implied 'ur wasting ur time' i still get from family when they hear i'm still learning stuff, i just really want to know. as I myself have trouble seeing the end result sometimes, lose site of the finish line. German, like Japanese (though far easier) is no global language, so there's always this tick in the back of my head that makes me feel like i'm 'wasting' my time for not have chosen Spanish or even French.

sometimes a man just needs positive reinforcement :p

chronovore · « **Reply #52 on:** November 05, 2011, 05:04:28 AM »

It's not a love... well, no, I guess it is. Hm.

I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles which was about 50% asian, and most of that was Japanese Americans. Just an overwhelming amount of early Japanese input. The cartoons on the Japanese channel (KWHY TV, Channel 22, before it was purchased by SelecTV) were so much cooler than the American stuff. Things exploded! People died! Robots! It was great. It overwhelmed my brain.

So I wanted to see all this crazy cool stuff in person, and determined to learn the language. In school, I was useless at it. Generally, I as frustrated by all the 2nd and 3rd generation Japanese-American kids who had a lot of "kitchen Japanese" from their parents, and were getting easy A's while I struggled. It wasn't until I was immersed in it here, that I had any luck with the language. And by then, it was clearly not a waste of time.

fomalhaut · « **Reply #53 on:** November 25, 2011, 03:06:59 PM »

my progress has been so nice

i'm listening to Fettes Brot now, yay
i was told i have a C1 vocabulary by my professor, bah! i don't believe her though to be completely honest

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Author Topic: Anyone multilingual, or likes to learn languages and stuff? (Read 3316 times)