Whenever you are free, you should learn a new language as it will make you more creative and critical in your life. You will experience a great change in the way you think, reason, look and understand things. Language is the most effective way to learn and understand a new culture. In other words, language is the door to a culture. The uniqueness of each language and culture will surely enrich your understanding of the world at large. Nothing is more beautiful than finding harmony or unity in diversity.
I have discovered very lately that I have become very courageous and critical in everything. Afer much reflection, I come to conclusion that it is none other than the languages that I speak and write that make me who I am right now. I speak 8 languages but can write in 3 languages.
Therefore, I would like to encourage everyone here to study languages as many as possible. There is no doubt that you will be a very different person afterwards. The amout of money you will make will have to do with your language skill after all. It is a reality.
I agree 100%! Learning different languages and about different cultures is a huge way to grow and become a better person. You can learn so much from other people and cultures. I speak two languages but eventually I would love to learn more! Other cultures facinate me. I speak english and spanish, but one day I would love to learn an african language and urdu and arabic. My friends are slowly teaching me. I think language is the key to unity and prosperity. Assalamu alaikum! (if that's how you spell it) ( a Pakistani greeting menaing peace be with you!)
wow
can you give tips
Do you have any tips for people who just aren't very good at learning languages? I try and try; I really do. Two years of Spanish, a year of Italian, and three years of Japanese--and I still haven't figured it out. How do you learn this stuff? It just falls right out of my brain.
just some tips that might help you......
1) develop your sensitivity and audio ability; meaning to say that listen to the native speakers well in the first place. do not limit yourself to a single techer either. try to learn from every native speaker of the language you are studying.
2) you need commitment; meaning that you have to practice what you learn every day. therefore, a good teacher is the one who gives quizes as many times as possible. it tests your commitment in a way.
3) try to translate articles or essays or stories from one language to another. you will learn very fast in this way. it is much easier to learn languages nowadays because materials are available everywhere, even online. for example..........try to visit...... www.translation2.paralink.com and begin to practice what you have started learning.
try learning a language in context. for example, if you're at a mexican restaurant, don't be afraid to ask how you might order something in spanish. Or ask for directions to the bathroom. lol. this is how we learn our first language, afterall.
The Sky is Falling, Recreate it for a Better Day
Another thing you can do is join a linguist group online, a lot of times people help one another out with learning languages. If you're a fan of the iPod, you can download and subscribe to podcasts for certain languages. A free one for French is "The French Pod Class". The downside is that the guy has long intros and cheesy music sometimes.
Languages are good, but the first sentence of your second paragraph has almost nothing to do with the rest of your entry.
I think he's saying he noticed changes in his life, and they're the result of learning foreign languages.
Good Hephaestus. What are you, stalking me? Anyway, you missed the point.
yes.......you have said it very well and beautifully. the languages I speak and write have changed me to a great extent.....
Great thoughts!! I definitely need to go back to learning more Spanish. I loved learning Spanish in high school and definitely need to get back in the habit of learning it, especially since I visit Guatemala almost every summer and I would love to communicate more effectively. I was able to understand the English language better after studying Spanish, also.
MikeyEli,
yes, I really encourage you to refresh your Spanish from now on. you will never regret it. moreover, you will also feel at home when you go to Spain because you not only speak the language of the Spaniards but you also begin to think the way they do. it is an amazing feeling to have this kind of experience. one more thing that might help you learn spanish is to watch TV4. watch the spanish movies and listen to the news.
I find French easiest of all the languages I have studied so far. I like to way it sounds too. I feel like I am speaking the first class language something like that. anyhow, it is just a feeling.
good luck! :P
That is a lot of languages, care to tell which ones? I've tried learning French on my own and never stuck with it. I'd like to learn as many languages as possible because when I actually have the money, I'd like to travel.
I know English, Burmese, Kayah, French, German, (Greek and Latin= old languages), Tagalog, Italien.
Which language are you trying to pick up next? Spanish seems like it would go hand in hand with tagalog and possibly french.
yes, I should go for Spanish this time because it is spoken in many parts of the world.
I always wanted to learn langauges but it is so hard to learn anything on your own. I started learning spanish when I was just a little girl but really never got very far.
Estuiando cada dia, y habia una beano dia.
~Maybee Sinclair~
GO ME----Plant A TREE !!!!!
I agree completely. I currently speak English and a fair amount of French and am learning Arabic in my free time... good job and keep up the polyglottalism (is that even a word?)