Language website

Vanity | 1-1-2023 | Self

[EEGator]

Has anyone learned a foreign language as an adult using an online website? I’m looking to learn a foreign language via online “schooling” and was hoping to get some FReepers feedback. Thank you in advance.

[coalminersson]

Hmmm

[EEGator]

Thank you.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I have taught students to fluency and in one state they won the National Spanish Language Exams competition (1st and 2nd place). I could teach you to fluency and am completely fluent myself. The ONLY way I would ever return to teaching Spanish would be a guarantee of respect and DOING what I asked the student to do to learn the language.

I don't play around and will not tolerate kickback. Probably found that out with previous dialogs we have had. Sometimes in life to acquire what you want, you have to sacrifice.

[FamiliarFace]

That’s pretty cool. I used to compete in HS. I did pretty well.

Unfortunately, I got out out practice once I had my own children. Time to exercise those brain cells!

[Retrofitted]

I use Duolingo for Spanish and Navajo and it works very well (after three months, about ten minutes a day, I was able to navigate Mexican shops and restaurants easily).

To get the most out of Duolingo, there are podcasts, videos, and the like that supplement the grammar and vocabulary lessons. Be sure to take advantage of those if you go the Duolingo route -- they really make learning easier (and get you that much-needed "ear" for the language). Good luck!

[Myrddin]

Duolingo discontinued the forums, although they are still archived.

That's disappointing. I use the Android app for most of my activity. My wife has an iPhone 14 and uses the Apple app. The new "path" approach showed up on Apple in early 2022. It finally migrated to Android. All of my languages were well down the road under the old format and the "path" is a mess for those in progress. That's why I added Italian. I wanted to experience the "path" from a fresh start. So far it is fine. I'm inclined to reset my Scot's Gaelic and restart with the "path" format since I let too much time elapse since my last activities in Gaelic.

[Larry Lucido]

Santa speaks the language of all children.

Seinfeld - Kramer working as Santa Claus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYC4TVd6Sg&t=31s

[Myrddin]

It sounds like Duolingo might be a good addition to my own mashed-up course.

I like Duolingo very much a pretty balanced approach. I like Pimsleur as a starting point to listening and speaking. Both approaches have merit.

[BozoTexino]

I took Latin in Middle school (public!). I worked in restaurants and bars for years and learned ‘kitchen Spanish,’ which includes a lot of slang in Texas. My minor in college was Spanish. Now I use Duolingo daily. I’m getting better but will take the suggestions of watching Spanish language television shows in order to work on speed of comprehension.

[JBW1949]

Nope...We speak Mountainese....

[Jane Long]

I’ll take your word, on the Venezuelan telenovelas….since you are “the boss lady” ;-)

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

👍

[Myrddin]

The school in Monterey would be a great experience, but at 66 it is unlikely to be part of my life experience. During my years at First Virtual Holdings, I had the pleasure of working with Nathaniel Borenstein. He is the person responsible for creating the MIME specifications that permit embedded images and sounds to be passed via the network. He had studied Hebrew growing up. Sufficient for his bar mitzvah reading of a Torah passage. He decided to step it up with a university course in Tel Aviv, Israel. It was full immersion. Nothing but Hebrew spoken or written in class. Certainly a trial by fire. He succeeded with much effort.

[Faith65]

Following.....

[Jane Long]

A wonderful experience, and, memory!!

[Ezekiel]

Also listening to music in the language is good. That was how I started learning Polish.

BOBBY VINTON-MY MELODY OF LOVE

♥ 😘

[EEGator]

Is that a derivative of redneck?...

[Fiji Hill]

The guy who runs Polymathy, a Youtube site devoted to Latin, recently visited Rome. Speaking only Classical Latin, he asked passersby directions. Most of those he talked to couldn't understand him. He had better luck when he went to the Vatican and spoke in Liturgical Latin.

His site also features videos of Italians who are trying to revive Classical Latin.

[dfwgator]

Uhhh, nie!

[dfwgator]

Just beware, in the Duolingo stories, they like using a lot of same-sex couples as protaganists.