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Language learning tips.. |
 Posted: Mon Mar 2, 2009 7:10 pm |
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Anyone got any decent tips or advice? (apart from the obvious immerse yourself in the country  )
I find using podcasts mixed with written text alongside helps tons, but i stick labels on everything in whichever language (tempat tidur for example is currently stuck on my bed  ) and put up sheets with words and pictures on my walls where i see them tons. To test myself i draw cartoons in situations and leave words or full sentances out for myself to fill in later.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 2, 2009 7:13 pm |
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| Find a small, local bar with no other tourists.
Talk to locals. You'll learn all kinds of new phrases! |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 2, 2009 7:14 pm |
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| a lot of the advice will depend on the target language though! | |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 2, 2009 10:44 pm |
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| check out Michel Thomas's method available in 11 languages, amazing, will have you conversing in sentences within days, phenomenal! I went to my local library and downloaded the whole cd set free. His method tries to avoid learning from books, just conversation. I'm also reading Harry Potter, one in English, one in Spaznish, again borrowed from the library, I've learnt loads from it | |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 2, 2009 10:45 pm |
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check out Michel Thomas's method available in 11 languages, amazing, will have you conversing in sentences within days, phenomenal! I went to my local library and downloaded the whole cd set free. His method tries to avoid learning from books, just conversation. I'm also reading Harry Potter, one in English, one in Spaznish, again borrowed from the library, I've learnt loads from it
Hahaha my Dad uses Michel Thomas... I gotta say I didn't find it that effective. X |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 2, 2009 11:58 pm |
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| learning "set phrases" will get you practically nowhere if you actually want to learn the language properly though.... | |
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| Posted: Tue Mar 3, 2009 12:00 am |
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learning "set phrases" will get you practically nowhere if you actually want to learn the language properly though....
Yeah but Michel Thomas is different, it's very good I just never spend enough time at it to learn more than a couple of words. Non e possible perme cosi  |
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| Posted: Tue Mar 3, 2009 3:06 am |
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| I'm eager to hear some advice for this too. I'm at the bottom of my french class at Uni having never studied it at school. I listen to a free podcast on itunes which is updated everyday called "Francaise Facile" its basically just the news from the french perspective in 10 minutes. It's not very "facile" in my opinion but if I listen to it enough I can get the jist of whats being said and look up words I don't know. | |
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| Posted: Tue Mar 3, 2009 5:05 am |
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| i find going to the country and talking to the locals was the best way i learnt more. For me, i never wanted to learn hindi but i seemed to pick up alot while iw as there, cause iw as mainly with locals
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| Posted: Tue Mar 3, 2009 10:12 am |
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I'm eager to hear some advice for this too. I'm at the bottom of my french class at Uni having never studied it at school. I listen to a free podcast on itunes which is updated everyday called "Francaise Facile" its basically just the news from the french perspective in 10 minutes. It's not very "facile" in my opinion but if I listen to it enough I can get the jist of whats being said and look up words I don't know.
Ah that podcast is awesome, heard that before! Agreed though, it's only "facile" if you're not a beginner 
But just listening to stuff like that and picking out what you know is a great way to build up your conversational skills with what vocab you have x |
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| Posted: Tue Mar 3, 2009 11:40 am |
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| keeping up to date with the news in a foreign language is a good way, particularly if a similar story is running in the english press. it can help you get the jist (and therefore improve your vocab)
I had no use for the german word for CC bill, but because I had it in a news article I did a report on, I can't get rid of the damn word.... |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:40 am |
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| I advise reading lots; newspapers , books etc.. also watch films in french and not only french films, often you can change english films to have french subtitles for example so it is really helpful (though obviously you do have to make yourself read the subtitles!). You could also see if there are any ads in local papers or on Uni message boards where people want to teach French (or you could post an ad yourself saying you want to learn French), sometimes you can do a free swop; you help them with english they help you with french. Even just a 10min conversation once a week will help because it's more natural than being in a classroom, plus you can hear the native language so can copy the accent better. Like the others said, you can't beat going abroad and immersing yourself in the language- if at Uni look into taking an ERASMUS year abroad if you can, I did, it was brilliant- best year of Uni! Also in the summer you could take a 2-4 week language course or work abroad in France- research into what area you want to go to/have neve been too as obviously you will have free time so should get the most out of it by seeing and doing all you can in the area. As well as enjoying yourself- learning a language should be fun and is also about learning about the culture so that you can understand the people better. | |
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| Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:59 pm |
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| I'm listening to Coffee Break Spanish at the moment. Its free to download from Itunes. Its pretty good but i find the presenters fairly annoying. There is also coffee break frnehc and german and some others i think. Its jst 15minute lessons. I listen on the way to work | |
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