Posted on 01/01/2023 9:29:20 AM PST by EEGator
I loved it. I’m developing a primary education program that will incorporate it.
Japanese is the only language (plus English) to which I can claim conversational fluency and basic reading ability. All three of my daughters are better than me, having grown up there and learned the language the easy way.
You’re to be commended for that.
I took the Russian course at Monterey. Never forget that not long after we started the class a guy from NSA came to talk to us.
He said to study hard, get drunk on Friday and Saturday and dry out on the beach on Sunday to get ready for Monday :)
Another recommendation for DuoLingo from me! I studied Spanish for 6 years in HS and college plus have Spanish speaking family members so I grew up with it (but we rarely speak it). I am also Italian (grandfather) but he never taught us Italian because he said we’re American now, but I always wanted to learn. I have spent the past 1 3/4 years learning it with Duolingo. I can now read and write it, can speak it, albeit slowly, and can understand it also when spoken clearly and relatively slowly - but even with all of my Spanish education and real life experience, I’d rate my speak/understand Spanish pretty much equally with my Italian which is much newer! I do use the premium feature.
I’ve completed the Italian course and have moved on to reading books in Italian and listening to Italian radio (Duolingo has links).And I’m now about 10 chapters into learning French! Oh and BTW, the more I practice the Italian, the more I think in both languages, but less so if I slack off for a few days. It’s the lilt of a true Italian native that is the most difficult to catch on to because the app speaks very precisely but that’s not real life! Working on that now.
I haven’t gotten that far along; I started in November. I’m reading Short Stories in Italian by Olly Richards and I can understand the plot without resorting to translation, so I’m happy. I do know someone who is essentially a native Italian speaker (she and her mom talk to each other in Italian). When I’m brave enough and feel like I’ve had enough comprehensible input, I’ll start talking to her.
Oh, Italian Uncovered is the same guy. I am someone who need explicit grammar, so I’m supplementing, but I’m very happy with the process. It really takes the pressure off to tell yourself that you don’t have to actually produce anything until you’re ready. Just being a sponge is my kind of learning!
Ooh, then you can habit stack.
I’m doing the language lessons followed by evening mediation.
Thanks so much!
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