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Multilingual and Polyglot Wannabe Thread MK II

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ICH HASSE PRSOM :mad:
Anyone else here skipping the reading and writing parts of learning a language? Aside from English, French and German for me, there's no need when I'm learning Norwegian for example which was going to be Swedish as I'm sure you'll all remember however an opportunity arose that I couldn't pass up :colone:

But yes, anyone else skipped reading and writing or just me? :lol:
Original post by tehFrance
Anyone else here skipping the reading and writing parts of learning a language? Aside from English, French and German for me, there's no need when I'm learning Norwegian for example which was going to be Swedish as I'm sure you'll all remember however an opportunity arose that I couldn't pass up :colone:

But yes, anyone else skipped reading and writing or just me? :lol:

I've tended to skip speaking and writing with Danish and concentrated on reading and listening for a long time, mainly reading. I feel like it's been the facilitating factor for my fluency when speaking improving so ****ing dramatically over the course of four 3-day weekend lab courses over the past six weeks. You would not believe the difference in my confidence and fluency now.

Edit: In case I didn't explain that very well, I mean that it meant I had most of what I needed when really starting to have proper conversations with people about academic and general stuff - way less of those stumped moments, and way less being embarrassed due to thinking I sounded stupid.
(edited 9 years ago)
My computer finally seems to be working again! I can finally go on memrise again! :woo:
Original post by Ronove
I've tended to skip speaking and writing with Danish and concentrated on reading and listening for a long time, mainly reading. I feel like it's been the facilitating factor for my fluency when speaking improving so ****ing dramatically over the course of four 3-day weekend lab courses over the past six weeks. You would not believe the difference in my confidence and fluency now.

Edit: In case I didn't explain that very well, I mean that it meant I had most of what I needed when really starting to have proper conversations with people about academic and general stuff - way less of those stumped moments, and way less being embarrassed due to thinking I sounded stupid.

Really so reading and listening could be better for one in the long run when it comes to learning a language? That's an interesting take :smile: It's nice to know that someone else has done something similar to what I'm doing :lol:

I will say that I think Pimsleur is great now, having put the time into it and just thought sod the reading and writing (there are reading parts to the course that I do but not with a great intensity), it's a lot easier to use as I only want to learn to talk to people, I don't intend to write or read Norwegian papers :lol:

(As an aside, assuming you watch 'Bron', do you understand the Swedish without the need for Danish or other subtitles? I'm just curious as to how it's aired on the telly in Denmark [and Sweden]).

Edit: I will eventually take a proper course in Norwegian or Swedish (I intend to learn both one day) to I can read and write but it isn't required for a few years yet, English, French and to a less extent German are. I do have to ask, are Westminster Uni's language courses good?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by tehFrance
Really so reading and listening could be better for one in the long run when it comes to learning a language? That's an interesting take :smile: It's nice to know that someone else has done something similar to what I'm doing :lol:

I will say that I think Pimsleur is great now, having put the time into it and just thought sod the reading and writing (there are reading parts to the course that I do but not with a great intensity), it's a lot easier to use as I only want to learn to talk to people, I don't intend to write or read Norwegian papers :lol:

(As an aside, assuming you watch 'Bron', do you understand the Swedish without the need for Danish or other subtitles? I'm just curious as to how it's aired on the telly in Denmark [and Sweden]).

Edit: I will eventually take a proper course in Norwegian or Swedish (I intend to learn both one day) to I can read and write but it isn't required for a few years yet, English, French and to a less extent German are. I do have to ask, are Westminster Uni's language courses good?

I just find it makes more sense to absorb grammatical patterns and vocabulary for a good while before trying to produce the language myself. If you haven't seen how something is expressed in the language, all you're going to be doing is translating from your own and thereby using the phrase favoured by your own language. For example, even things like 'I think...' - if you hadn't got much exposure to Danish, you'd use the verb 'to think', which expresses something entirely different and no-one would understand what you were trying to say. Instead, they use 'to believe' when expressing the idea 'I think...'.

I've only ever watched things like Broen and Borgen and Forbrydelsen by downloading them, but I would expect the Swedish parts have Danish subtitles on Danish TV. That's not to say you don't have a good idea of what they're saying much of the time (though it would depend on who's watching).

I've never heard of Westminster Uni's language classes. I can only imagine they're pretty much the same as any other evening language class taught by experienced teachers/native speakers (from what I could see when glancing at their web page).
Does anyone feel like being awfully altruistic and helping a poor GCSE student with a last minute German CA? :tongue:

If anyone would be able to read it and tell me my mistakes, I would be very very grateful! :biggrin:


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Vionar
Does anyone feel like being awfully altruistic and helping a poor GCSE student with a last minute German CA? :tongue:

If anyone would be able to read it and tell me my mistakes, I would be very very grateful! :biggrin:


Posted from TSR Mobile


PM me what you've written and I'll have a look at it :smile:
Original post by super_kawaii
PM me what you've written and I'll have a look at it :smile:


Aaaaaaah thank you very very much :biggrin:


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by thatitootoo
:emo: I'm ashamed that I can't speak French. Whenever I hear it, it just "feels" like a language that I was meant to be fluent in...it kills me lol

I'll have some fun with Russian this summer though! I have enrolled myself on a beginners course (I did the exact same "beginners course" for German one year ago - now I have the AS exams coming up :wink: haha)

But as always, whether the language course runs or not is dependent on numbers, apparently I'm the only person who has enrolled for the course so far...:frown: Hmmm, if it doesn't run I'll look into joining the beginners French course - which I presume is statiscally more likely to run...c'est la vie :tongue:
Don't start until June, am I right? Still time for recruitment.
Original post by Vionar
Aaaaaaah thank you very very much :biggrin:

Posted from TSR Mobile


Hallo Vionar. Wie geht es dir? :biggrin:


Original post by Octopus_Garden
Don't start until June, am I right? Still time for recruitment.


Octopus :biggrin: Es freut mich sehr, dich hier zu treffen! :biggrin:
Ja, du hast recht. Die Abendkurse wird im Juni anfangen! Hast du Lust teil zu nehmen? :wink:
:rofl:

Anyone want to listen to just how awful my speaking mock went? It's so bad I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Edit:

Link here: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0VcGy8hHzU6
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Obiejess
:rofl:

Anyone want to listen to just how awful my speaking mock went? It's so bad I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Edit:

Link here: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0VcGy8hHzU6


I actually have a recording of one of mine from a while ago! Gonna listen to yours now.

Okay, I'm listening while I type... Some errors I noticed

1) remember devenir takes etre as an infinitive.

2) Never pronounce -cial, -tion with a 'sh'. It's a a sharp 's'.

3) make sure everything agrees! Eg '... l'histoire ont' was wrong

4) never say 'no' in English! If you make a mistake just say 'pardon'

5) think about what you want to say before you start otherwise it sounds a bit off

6) don't pronounce your ts at the end, unless its feminine or something

7) pouvoir in any form is followed by infinitive! Make sure you always sound that

8) certains/des gens, don't use them both together.

9) sont!!! Don't say that d :biggrin:
-----

Television:

1) emission - say 'see-on' not emisshon
2) gens/jeunes pronounced quite differently
3) besoin is pronounced 'bu-soo-an'
4) temps. Don't pronounce s! And on ils you do it too
5) sont devenu(e)s!!!!! Not ont
----

Marriage:

1) ne pense pas needs subjunctive which you know, but don't always use

*Stopped listening for mistakes*

You did some things well, like sounding natural at times, but work on thinking before you speak, remember agreements, considering your age though, it is quite good!


Edit: Looool "Do you do sports?"
"No no no no no no!!! "
(edited 9 years ago)
Every A-level MFL student desserves someone like Fish in their lives :tongue:
Original post by L'Evil Fish
I actually have a recording of one of mine from a while ago! Gonna listen to yours now.

Okay, I'm listening while I type... Some errors I noticed

1) remember devenir takes etre as an infinitive.

2) Never pronounce -cial, -tion with a 'sh'. It's a a sharp 's'.

3) make sure everything agrees! Eg '... l'histoire ont' was wrong

4) never say 'no' in English! If you make a mistake just say 'pardon'

5) think about what you want to say before you start otherwise it sounds a bit off

6) don't pronounce your ts at the end, unless its feminine or something

7) pouvoir in any form is followed by infinitive! Make sure you always sound that

8) certains/des gens, don't use them both together.

9) sont!!! Don't say that d :biggrin:
-----

Television:

1) emission - say 'see-on' not emisshon
2) gens/jeunes pronounced quite differently
3) besoin is pronounced 'bu-soo-an'
4) temps. Don't pronounce s! And on ils you do it too
5) sont devenu(e)s!!!!! Not ont
----

Marriage:

1) ne pense pas needs subjunctive which you know, but don't always use

*Stopped listening for mistakes*

You did some things well, like sounding natural at times, but work on thinking before you speak, remember agreements, considering your age though, it is quite good!


Edit: Looool "Do you do sports?"
"No no no no no no!!! "


Guess the grade!
Original post by thatitootoo
Every A-level MFL student desserves someone like Fish in their lives :tongue:

:lol: I enjoy listening to French exams because I understand what they're saying :colone:

Original post by Obiejess
Guess the grade!


I've no clue with grades... Because I've heard some terrible people get good grades...

I don't want to guess in case I come across as really mean. But I'd be surprised if it was an A tbh

My mock was one mark of full marks but it wasn't great at all imo, so I don't know how the marking works tbh. If you want to hear it I'll upload it on vocaroo, it's not great though. My actual exam was much better imo.
Original post by L'Evil Fish
:lol: I enjoy listening to French exams because I understand what they're saying :colone:



I've no clue with grades... Because I've heard some terrible people get good grades...

I don't want to guess in case I come across as really mean. But I'd be surprised if it was an A tbh

My mock was one mark of full marks but it wasn't great at all imo, so I don't know how the marking works tbh. If you want to hear it I'll upload it on vocaroo, it's not great though. My actual exam was much better imo.


Please upload.
I got an E. 26/50
Original post by Obiejess
Please upload.
I got an E. 26/50


I'd have thought it at least a D tbf.

How do I upload?
Original post by L'Evil Fish
I'd have thought it at least a D tbf.

How do I upload?


http://vocaroo.com/?upload
Original post by Obiejess


I've tried that...

I have you on Kik don't I, I'll check if that works

Nope, pm me your number and then I'll whatsapp it and then delete your number if you want

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