It always impresses me how people who speak Spanish, French, etc can pick up so many different languages so easy. I know they have a lot of things in common, but I had a rough time getting basic Spanish and French down. Granted my study habits back then weren’t the best. I may pick it up to try just for boredom again one day.Impressive. Interesting interview
It's especially effective if you toss a kid in an immersion program when they are little. It's crazy how fast a person can get conversationally fluent. I have a 9 and 7 year old that can speak Mandarin, French, and Spanish way above grade level. Meanwhile, I know like 4 Mandarin characters, can speak French because I lived there, and can say the word "taco" in Spanish.It always impresses me how people who speak Spanish, French, etc can pick up so many different languages so easy. I know they have a lot of things in common, but I had a rough time getting basic Spanish and French down. Granted my study habits back then weren’t the best. I may pick it up to try just for boredom again one day.
We might be kin.I have some relatives that have trouble speaking English and they were born and raised in western Kentucky.
From what I've heard, once you learn one new language, it's easier to learn another new language. Also, imagine living in Kentucky and Tennessee speaks a different, similar language while Ohio speaks another, little more different language and California and New York speak languages completely unlike yours but because of their economic and media power you hear their languages all the time. You'd probably know more than one language too.It always impresses me how people who speak Spanish, French, etc can pick up so many different languages so easy. I know they have a lot of things in common, but I had a rough time getting basic Spanish and French down. Granted my study habits back then weren’t the best. I may pick it up to try just for boredom again one day.
It always impresses me how people who speak Spanish, French, etc can pick up so many different languages so easy. I know they have a lot of things in common, but I had a rough time getting basic Spanish and French down. Granted my study habits back then weren’t the best. I may pick it up to try just for boredom again one day.
I was talking with a young man about a year ago who moved from western KY to SLC for work. He said he couldn't even order at the drive thru. They didn't understand a word he said. I told him to be thankful he wasn't from eastern KY as it would have been way worse.I have been in Utah for 46 years, and people always ask me where I'm from, like I'm from a different country, instead of from Western Kentucky. Guess I will die with an accent.
I have a cousin that has taught himself several languages, I'm not even sure how many. He eventually earned a PhD in German, Last time I talked to him he was learning Hungarian, for fun. He's an interesting guy, he used to listen to German operas driving around eastern KY.It always impresses me how people who speak Spanish, French, etc can pick up so many different languages so easy. I know they have a lot of things in common, but I had a rough time getting basic Spanish and French down. Granted my study habits back then weren’t the best. I may pick it up to try just for boredom again one day.
That’s awesome. Some people are just very intelligent naturally and it helps that he actually enjoys learning it.I have a cousin that has taught himself several languages, I'm not even sure how many. He eventually earned a PhD in German, Last time I talked to him he was learning Hungarian, for fun. He's an interesting guy, he used to listen to German operas driving around eastern KY.
I know. When I talk to people from the north/East/west coasts they think I’m from Alabama or something. I’m like I live in the very southern tip of Indiana/Louisville KY. I’m not that bad!I have been in Utah for 46 years, and people always ask me where I'm from, like I'm from a different country, instead of from Western Kentucky. Guess I will die with an accent.
I’d agree reading music is a skill like that. I could never get that down either.I have a son who speaks 4 languages if you count reading music as a language (I do). I think some people have a knack for languages but also recognize that it is a matter of effort. Every baby has the potential for making every possible human sound but that ability is lost if not used at an early age. Our environment does have an impact on us truly being fluent in every language.
Yup. I had interest in languages, but not until I was older. I can speak conversational Spanish and German. I can read (not speak) some Portuguese, because a lot of the written is similar to Spanish (cannot do French for some reason), and I took some Latin in HS. I spent some time in South Africa, so I spoke some Zulu, but have forgotten a lot of it. But I am not fluent in any of these by any means. I dabbled in Hindi, Persian, Arabic, and Russian/Serbian. I grew up in Hawaii, so we learned Hawaiian in school; I know some words, but that's it. Now I do speak Hawaiian Pidgin, lol.It's especially effective if you toss a kid in an immersion program when they are little. It's crazy how fast a person can get conversationally fluent. I have a 9 and 7 year old that can speak Mandarin, French, and Spanish way above grade level. Meanwhile, I know like 4 Mandarin characters, can speak French because I lived there, and can say the word "taco" in Spanish.
Maybe more than once.We might be kin.
Family trees are easier to trace when there's only one branch.Maybe more than once.![]()
It's extremely difficult for a monolingual adult to become fluent in a second language. Foreign language as a high school elective is a waste of time and money. IMO, Spanish should be taught starting in pre-school. By the way, a person fluent in Spanish and English will understand approximately 85% of written Italian and Portuguese and 40% of written French so, with that base, it's a snap to add a 3rd and 4th language.With all the wasted time in our school curriculum, I never understood why a second language wasn't mandatory. I'm not talking about taking a random class in high school, but an actual attempt to teach young kids a second language. Some people will say "why?". The better question is "why not?" Not saying it should take time away from math, science, history and English, but we all know there was a ton of wasted time in school. It's just really difficult to learn a new language when you get older.
He is a quick learner. He started playing basketball at age 12 and was on his own in Germany by age 15 pursuing ball.If you can speak 6 languages, you can put a ball in a hole.
Yea im good with the only language i know.. Eastern Ky redneck hillbilly English.. Zero desire or need to learn anything else..I am often reminded how different I am from others. Learning another language would never be something fun to me.
Yea im good with the only language i know.. Eastern Ky redneck hillbilly English.. Zero desire or need to learn anything else..
I have yet to master the English language (50 years in), know some broken Texican, and as a kid was fluent in Pig Latin. Wish my brain operated a little more internationally. Instead, I have a numbers brain. Guess that is all part of what makes us each unique.I am often reminded how different I am from others. Learning another language would never be something fun to me.
I dated a German girl when I was stationed there. She told me that they had an English class every year she was in school.With all the wasted time in our school curriculum, I never understood why a second language wasn't mandatory. I'm not talking about taking a random class in high school, but an actual attempt to teach young kids a second language. Some people will say "why?". The better question is "why not?" Not saying it should take time away from math, science, history and English, but we all know there was a ton of wasted time in school. It's just really difficult to learn a new language when you get older.
I think to become fluent you need to kind of think like that..for instance, you should think of an apple when you learn the foreign word for apple instead of thinking of the foreign word for the English word "apple". Just trying to think of the foreign word for each English word you want to say results in halting speech(too much time in between words).I think almost exclusively in strings of words. In order to learn another language, I would have to override the way that I think. I wonder if it's easier for people who think in pictures or emotions to learn a second (or more) language.
i laughed so hard with you on this.I have yet to master the English language (50 years in), know some broken Texican, and as a kid was fluent in Pig Latin. Wish my brain operated a little more internationally. Instead, I have a numbers brain. Guess that is all part of what makes us each unique.
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