Anyone here learning or have learned a new language?

Links234

So, AH! Thought it might be interesting to know if you good folks have, or are picking up, a new language? If so, what are you learning or have you learned, how hard do you find it, and what was your inspiration or reasons for learning?

I'm learning Japanese

It's been something I've wanted to do for years, because I picked up a little when I was heading to Japan for a trip, enough to get by over there, and took some classes after that but didn't really keep up with it. I'd been wanting to start learning again properly for ages, and I finally kicked myself up the bum this year, got some new books and started visiting a lot of very cool sites that have helped hugely. Instead of just trying for some spoken Japanese, I'm going full on and learning the Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana! These were huge stumbling blocks before and I never had a good grasp on them at all, but there's an awful lot more resources out there now for helping you learn them than there was years ago.

It's mega difficult, but I do seem to be managing pretty well and I'm sticking with it, even though it does seem to be taking ages. One trouble I'm having that I didn't quite expect was when trying to speak it, I get a bit shy and feel worried about saying the right thing, etc. So getting confident speaking Japanese is another thing I'll be trying to work on, but I'm really happy with myself so far

How about you AH?

Donkey Oaty

がんばってください！

Sir Arthur Daley

Im contemplating learning Latin as things are so backwards, in the height of remoteness and the people are mad where i am working at the moment and the accent is so hard to understand it just might work.

4zn76tysfajdxp

WikiHow wrote: »

Im contemplating learning Latin as things are so backwards, in the height of remoteness and the people are mad where i am working at the moment and the accent is so hard to understand it just might work.

Where are you working? Ancient Athens?

mosstin

Links234 wrote: »

So, AH! Thought it might be interesting to know if you good folks have, or are picking up, a new language? If so, what are you learning or have you learned, how hard do you find it, and what was your inspiration or reasons for learning?

I'm learning Japanese

It's been something I've wanted to do for years, because I picked up a little when I was heading to Japan for a trip, enough to get by over there, and took some classes after that but didn't really keep up with it. I'd been wanting to start learning again properly for ages, and I finally kicked myself up the bum this year, got some new books and started visiting a lot of very cool sites that have helped hugely. Instead of just trying for some spoken Japanese, I'm going full on and learning the Kanji, Hiragana and Katakana! These were huge stumbling blocks before and I never had a good grasp on them at all, but there's an awful lot more resources out there now for helping you learn them than there was years ago.

It's mega difficult, but I do seem to be managing pretty well and I'm sticking with it, even though it does seem to be taking ages. One trouble I'm having that I didn't quite expect was when trying to speak it, I get a bit shy and feel worried about saying the right thing, etc. So getting confident speaking Japanese is another thing I'll be trying to work on, but I'm really happy with myself so far

How about you AH?

Bless. You just wanted to tell us how good you are at Japanese, didn't you?

Links234

Donkey Oaty wrote: »

がんばってください！

ありがと　＾＿＾

strobe

Seems like an awful lot of effort for something that isn't gonna get me drunk or stoned or sexed up. But best of luck with it.

Links234

mosstin wrote: »

Bless. You just wanted to tell us how good you are at Japanese, didn't you?

But I'm not very good

mosstin

Emmalynn Unsightly Needlepoint wrote: »

Where are you working? Ancient Athens?

Well Latin would have been dick all use there either.

arybvtcw0eolkf

German here, I've only started in the last few weeks and to be honest I'm struggling but I'll stick it out.

I'm finding the hardest part is to have the confidence in speaking it with my German friends, but they're very good and very patient, and I feel like I'm getting there.

Mr. Nice

Emmalynn Unsightly Needlepoint wrote: »

Where are you working? Ancient Athens?

Yes, Athens where the Athenians spoke Latin - anything but damned Greek, damn those Athenians to hell.

wazky

German, so I can effectively communicate with Der Fuhrer.. I mean Enda

.Henry Sellers.

I'm fluent in talking bollocks, does that count?

MadYaker

French. Did it in school and college. I'm not quite fluent but I can get by in day to day conversations no problem.

Micky Dolenz

Learning Italian, about 6 months now and can just about have a conversation, albeit very basic. It helps that I live here so it's kinda forced upon me. Know some French too so that helps, when I am done learning Italian, I'm so going back and learning French properly. Such a beautiful spoken language.

sopretty

I loves languages.

The one I'd be interested in learning (for some curious reason that I can't explain) is Russian. It just sounds ominous or something lol.

I don't think I'd have the head for Japanese. Too much of a learning curve.

The latin languages are easy to build on once you're proficient in one.

I'd actually also like to study Latin! The origin of so many words is Latin. It'd be pretty cool.

Sir Arthur Daley

Emmalynn Unsightly Needlepoint wrote: »

Where are you working? Ancient Athens?

West coast of Ireland, I can see what puts the wild in The Wild Atlantic Way route now.

Antar Bolaeisk

السلام عليكم

Learning a bit of Arabic, may as well when I'm out here. Focusing on being able to speak some first and then will try tackling the writing.

Also brushing up on my Python.

Links234

Everlee Better Rider wrote: »

I'm finding the hardest part is to have the confidence in speaking it with my German friends, but they're very good and very patient, and I feel like I'm getting there.

Yup! That's what I find as well, trying to hold conversations with any Japanese friends and I just kinda clam up Worried I'm gonna butcher whatever it is I'm trying to say, or just come out saying something really stupid. I'm really terrible for it, and it's quite a hurdle to get confident speaking another language.

4zn76tysfajdxp

mosstin wrote: »

Well Latin would have been dick all use there either.

Mr. Nice wrote: »

Yes, Athens where the Athenians spoke Latin - anything but damned Greek, damn those Athenians to hell.

Nobody spoke Latin in Greece after the Romans came then, did they?

sopretty

Links234 wrote: »

Yup! That's what I find as well, trying to hold conversations with any Japanese friends and I just kinda clam up Worried I'm gonna butcher whatever it is I'm trying to say, or just come out saying something really stupid. I'm really terrible for it, and it's quite a hurdle to get confident speaking another language.

I've come out with some accidental bloopers in my time...... I don't let it phase me... Well not in a casual situation anyway!

I remember once in Italian class and the teacher asked whether any of us knew what the verb for undressing was.
Genius that I was, I had some experience of hearing this from my boyfriend. So I go, ye, I know - It's 'Spogliati!' That literally means 'Get undressed' or 'Get your kit off' hahaha. While the teacher was impressed with my knowledge, she wasn't impressed when she asked how I knew lol.

feargale

mosstin wrote: »

Bless. You just wanted to tell us how good you are at Japanese, didn't you?

Gawd there's always one! I'd hate to tell you anything about myself on boards. If I said I was out last Sunday catching rabbits with the ferret, somebody would probably post that I was trying to identify with the hunting set out of sheer snobbery.

czechlin

WikiHow wrote: »

Im contemplating learning Latin as things are so backwards, in the height of remoteness and the people are mad where i am working at the moment and the accent is so hard to understand it just might work.

I did Latin for 2 years at school, it was interesting. I've started to learn Spanish recently and find it a bit handy.

rwg

Heads up, dont learn php, predicted to be obselete within 5 years

czechlin

I'm always amazed by people, who learn Japanese, Chinese, Korean etc. I never got into those languages, they seem so hard, so fair play to you all.
I've started Spanish a few weeks ago and it's going well. I want to improve my German too as it's gotten very rusty. I'm ok with English at the moment. Would love to learn French and few other languages but don't have the time for it now

The One Who Knocks

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Learning Italian, about 6 months now and can just about have a conversation, albeit very basic. It helps that I live here so it's kinda forced upon me. Know some French too so that helps, when I am done learning Italian, I'm so going back and learning French properly. Such a beautiful spoken language.

Buona fortuna!

Ho cominciato a imparare l'italiano 3 anni fa, secondo me che è una bella lingua. Dove si vive in Italia? Quale parte?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Links234 wrote: »

Yup! That's what I find as well, trying to hold conversations with any Japanese friends and I just kinda clam up Worried I'm gonna butcher whatever it is I'm trying to say, or just come out saying something really stupid. I'm really terrible for it, and it's quite a hurdle to get confident speaking another language.

I really don't mind making a balls of something, and I'm always thanks for corrections, my fear is an answer I don't understand and I'm left looking like a clown!.

feargale

.Henry Sellers. wrote: »

I'm fluent in talking bollocks, does that count?

Only when talking to another bollocks :pac:

sopretty

The One Who Knocks wrote: »

Buona fortuna!

Ho cominciato a imparare l'italiano 3 anni fa, secondo me che è una bella lingua. Dove si vive in Italia? Quale parte?

Vivevo a Perugia è dopo ad Assissi.
è una lingua bellissima e un paese bellissimo.

rwg

The One Who Knocks wrote: »

Buona fortuna!

Ho cominciato a imparare l'italiano 3 anni fa, secondo me che è una bella lingua. Dove si vive in Italia? Quale parte?

Si

mixery

learning Italian atm. such a sexy language.

sopretty

mixery wrote: »

learning Italian atm. such a sexy language.

Well you've learned how to get a girl to undress today anyway hahahaha

Micky Dolenz

The One Who Knocks wrote: »

Buona fortuna!

Ho cominciato a imparare l'italiano 3 anni fa, secondo me che è una bella lingua. Dove si vive in Italia? Quale parte?

I live in Roma, south of the city.

Yeah, it's a lovely language. The motorists are nuts but the weather makes up for all. Already 20+, warm and sunny.

Sir Arthur Daley

sopretty wrote: »

Vivevo a Perugia è dopo ad Assissi.
è una lingua bellissima e un paese bellissimo.

Qual è il clima?

Crumpets

Learning German

mixery

sopretty wrote: »

Well you've learned how to get a girl to undress today anyway hahahaha

ive also learned German & English(not my first language), but preferisco italiano .

The Narrator

For anyone interested in learning languages, there is a free interactive site called Duolingo which offers ''courses'' for French, Italian, Spanish, German & Portuguese.

Also offers courses on learning English through others languages, for anyone looking to learn English.

Oat23

I wanted to learn Japanese. I wasn't smart enough so I learned Korean instead.

Rhotheta

Learning German and Italian. My German is at an intermediate level and my Italian is very basic.

sopretty

WikiHow wrote: »

Qual è il clima?

Dicemo che quando sono tornato in Irlanda, ero cosí abbronzata, mia Mama non mi ha conosciuto al aeroporto! L'inverno, sí, e molto freddo, ma non piove spesso come quí.

Eileen Down

After eight years of living and working in Spain I'm still struggling to make myself understood. I'm aware what the problem is though.... I'm as thick as caca de buró.

sopretty

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I live in Roma, south of the city.

Yeah, it's a lovely language. The motorists are nuts but the weather makes up for all. Already 20+, warm and sunny.

I'm not that jealous. At all. Nope.

Mr Pseudonym

Rhotheta wrote: »

Learning Italian and Italian.

I didn't know you could count languages several times. In that case, I speak English, English, English, English, and I'm brushing up on English.

Micky Dolenz

sopretty wrote: »

I'm not that jealous. At all. Nope.

I don't know, near got burnt at the weekend. Had to roll out the factor 50

sopretty

Eileen Down wrote: »

After eight years of living and working in Spain I'm still struggling to make myself understood. I'm aware what the problem is though.... I'm as thick as caca de buró.

Have you tried any grammar classes? I can't pick up a language by just hearing it. I have to see it written and learn the rules lol. Then I come on in leaps and bounds. Would never be able to pick a language up from just hearing it.

sopretty

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

I don't know, near got burnt at the weekend. Had to roll out the factor 50

Feck off.
We don't need your type here :P

Gosh, what I wouldn't give for a pizza ai funghi!!!!!

OneArt

I speak German as a second language and I still have trouble with cases and pronouns. Learned it in school and college and now I live here, also have to teach beginners in English through German sometimes. Once you get past the nitty-gritty grammar points in German though, it's an okay language to learn especially if you speak it every day. It is amazing how many English speakers are here though and can only order drinks or food, despite having been here for a long time.

I'm picking up my Spanish again. Only did a year of it but in comparison to German, it's piss easy. It'll probably get more difficult as I go along. I figure it's best to learn another widely-spoken language. I'd love to learn Russian as well, but I don't know how my mouth would cope with forming the words.

population

I'm a fairly fluent Italian speaker at this point having lived in Naples for the guts of 5 years, however I am still learning the language in the sense that I think if a language is not your mother tongue, you learn something new all the time. I have also been studying French for about a year as I work in Paris on occasion and wanted to feel a little bit less lost in conversation. My French is very much a work in progress.

nervous_twitch

I speak French and once upon a time had very good Spanish. Then I lived in Spain. I think you have to love a country's culture to make a real go of learning their language.

4zn76tysfajdxp

I honestly never expected so many people to say Italian.

sopretty

OneArt wrote: »

I speak German as a second language and I still have trouble with cases and pronouns. Learned it in school and college and now I live here, also have to teach beginners in English through German sometimes. Once you get past the nitty-gritty grammar points in German though, it's an okay language to learn especially if you speak it every day. It is amazing how many English speakers are here though and can only order drinks or food, despite having been here for a long time.

I'm picking up my Spanish again. Only did a year of it but in comparison to German, it's piss easy. It'll probably get more difficult as I go along. I figure it's best to learn another widely-spoken language. I'd love to learn Russian as well, but I don't know how my mouth would cope with forming the words.

I found German really 'harsh' or something in school. Granted, I only studied it in First Year in secondary school, but it just didn't appeal to me.
I was in love with French.
I studied French & Spanish in college, but dropped out.
I then ended up on a course to learn Italian, based in Italy. Worked in Italian companies here for a while then and got translation one-to-ones with a lecturer, with an emphasis on financial translation. Loved translation, would hate interpreting!
Lol.
The only one I can speak fluently though is Italian.

I just imagine that if I gave someone an instruction in Russian, everyone would jump into line and salute me or something haha! I suspect it's difficult to learn though.