![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Deneb on June 4, 2005, at 22:38:40
Since I want to travel a lot during my life, it would be a good idea for me to learn many languages...problem is, I'm really bad at learning new languages!
The only language I can say I'm totally fluent in is English. I can speak Cantonese, but my vocabulary is limited...wish my parents used bigger words. :-) I can understand some Mandarin but I cannot speak it to save my life. :-) My Mom speaks Mandarin really well but she never uses it on a regular basis. I actually learned to understand some Mandarin by watching shows on TV with my Mom when I was little. :-) What a strange way to learn. I've since forgoten nearly everything though, but it never sounds totally foreign to me...probably cuz it was learnt during my language learning years.
I should really learn French, but unfortunately I've never been exposed to it as a child...so I will be learning it as an adult. I can only speak a few words of French. I can read a little bit more (cuz English and French are so similar), but I cannot understand hearing French at all. Lots of people speak French here in Ottawa. I never did like French class, but now I regret not paying more attention.
I'm jealous of my cousin's children. They are being exposed to so many languages...English (cuz it is everywhere), French (cuz they live in Quebec), German (cuz their mom is German), Cantonese (cuz their dad's family speaks Cantonese), and Mandarin (cuz they went to Chinese school for a while).
I think it would be cool for me to learn how to write in the Chinese language (strange how there's only one way of writing yet so many different ways of speaking...). I don't know anything...I think it will be very difficult to learn. I wish my parents taught me...now it will be next to impossible. :-(
Languages don't come naturally to me. I wish I could have the brain of a 2yr old for a while so I could learn some new languages. :-)
Deneb
Posted by rainbowbrite on June 4, 2005, at 23:17:59
In reply to Learning languages, posted by Deneb on June 4, 2005, at 22:38:40
if you want to travel... go to a country that doesnt speak english and stay by your self for awhile, that is the ABSOLUTE best way to learn another language IMO....and fun too!!
Posted by deirdrehbrt on June 5, 2005, at 8:02:44
In reply to Learning languages, posted by Deneb on June 4, 2005, at 22:38:40
Deneb,
I spoke French when I was young, but lost most of it. I'm trying to learn it again, and want to study it in college. One method that I have been trying, and which seems to help is DVD's. Many DVD's have alternate language tracks and subtitles. You can watch the DVD in English and watch the subtitles in French, or watch the entire movie dubbed in French, or Spanish or whatever. Just look at the special features section on the back of the box to see what language features are available.
Bonne ChanceDeirdre
Posted by Minnie-Haha on June 5, 2005, at 22:26:05
In reply to Learning languages, posted by Deneb on June 4, 2005, at 22:38:40
I wish I'd learned more than one language when I was a kid. It really pisses me off that public schools here in the USA don't teach a second language from Kindergarten on up. Spanish would be my first choice. Latinos are the fastest growing group here... it just makes sense to me. With those juicy little kid brains, all wired for language. What a waste!
I learned German in highschool, which I've mostly lost (though I can understand a bit when I hear it). Then I studied Spanish when I went back to school at 42. But I've lost most of that too! (Only 4 years later, though I understand a lot, if it's not spoken too fast -- always a problem -- and I can still speak a little.) I was really sick when I got up into the 300- and 400-level classes, and was just struggling so badly. I even did a 10-day immersion course down in Mexico (they are GREAT, if you get a chance), but I was even more sick then. (My doctor actually didn't want me to go.) Still, after 5-6 days, I started thinking in Spanish. That's when you know it's clicking.
Pick one and study it. You can do it! I plan on going back to study Spanish someday. I'm also interested in Russian, for some reason, and French too. We'll see...
Posted by Dinah on June 7, 2005, at 7:46:13
In reply to Re: Learning languages, posted by Minnie-Haha on June 5, 2005, at 22:26:05
My son's been taught Spanish since pre-school, but unfortunately he's like me. Some sort of deficit in spoken foreign language area of the brain. That's why I chose Latin as my language electives. Maybe one deay it will kick in for him since he started so young.
I think immersion programs would work better for him, but they don't offer that at his school.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Social | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.