Language learning

[Cathryn]

That’s more or less, with a much too long-winded story, how I initially learned Norwegian and Swedish - not simultaneously, I hasten to add.
I was good at French at school and was ‘encouraged’ to take German,at which I was ‘scheiße’.
The best way to learn a language, IMO, except for Tail End Charlie’s theory, is to live, work and play in the country where that language is spoken.
Lessons, again IMO, are tiresome until you become half decent and by then, you’ll understand enough, and be interested in, brushing up your proficiency.

I'd LOVE to live abroad, I'd love it. Husband is reluctant but he's promised me a year in Annecy when the Dude goes to uni.

Question about Scandi languages - can they understand each other/speak each other's languages easily enough? I've always wondered about Swedes living in Norway or vice versa. How similar are the languages?

 

[slowmotion]

Of course apparently the best way to learn a language is to take a lover in that language.

I'm afraid it didn't work for me. All I can say in Dutch is "I love you" and "eyelashes".

 

[Drago]

I don't know about scandi languages, but Mrs D the 1st reckoned Italian was quite similar in places to Greek and she could understand some if it wasn't rattled out too quickly.

Back in the day I went out with a Finnish girl (my friends sisters au pair) and she told me they had some system in Finland for teaching the language that could have you speaking it passably within weeks - still wasn't enough to persuade me to move there with her though!

 

[Dayvo]

I'd LOVE to live abroad, I'd love it. Husband is reluctant but he's promised me a year in Annecy when the Dude goes to uni.

Question about Scandi languages - can they understand each other/speak each other's languages easily enough? I've always wondered about Swedes living in Norway or vice versa. How similar are the languages?

Danish, Swedish and Norwegian are closely related, with Norwegians being in the fortunate position of understanding the other two better than the Danes or Swedes understanding the others.
Finnish is a different kettle of fish completely.

 

[vickster]

Danish, Swedish and Norwegian are closely related, with Norwegians being in the fortunate position of understanding the other two better than the Danes or Swedes understanding the others.
Finnish is a different kettle of fish completely.

Finnish is bonkers as a written language...all those aaaaaaaaa s ....no idea how it’s spoken though

 

[mistyoptic]

Danish, Swedish and Norwegian are closely related, with Norwegians being in the fortunate position of understanding the other two better than the Danes or Swedes understanding the others.
Finnish is a different kettle of fish completely.

You need to learn in the correct order. With a base of good Polish you can have an amazing Finnish

 

[mistyoptic]

Finnish is bonkers as a written language...all those aaaaaaaaa s ....no idea how it’s spoken though

On our Portuguese course one lass was Finnish. She taught English in Solihull somewhere. Spoke fluent German too. Some folk can just “do” languages 🙁

 

[Dayvo]

You need to learn in the correct order. With a base of good Polish you can have an amazing Finnish

Hmmm, my Finnish mate doesn’t understand Polish.

 

[Dayvo]

You need to learn in the correct order. With a base of good Polish you can have an amazing Finnish

Aah, sorry, a joke! 😉👍

 

[vickster]

On our Portuguese course one lass was Finnish. She taught English in Solihull somewhere. Spoke fluent German too. Some folk can just “do” languages 🙁

I can, just too lazy these days though
I Was looking at questionnaires in Greek and Czech earlier I can’t deal with Arabic, the text right to left thing makes my head spin

 

[Eric Olthwaite]

Ooooh.....that looks sexy. Does it mean something cool?

For those of a certain age, it's what Gerald the Gorilla ("he bloody does eat daffodils") said in a 1980s (?) Not the Nine O'Clock News sketch. As sexy as it may look now, and may have sounded then, what it actually means is - "Life is a cucumber, a woman is a bicycle" (more innocent times).

 

[Chislenko]

I started about a year ago on Duolingo doing French. I have a grasp of the language through O-level and several visits there (where I would only speak French).
After a few months I fancied something to do aswell and chose Welsh. I'm under no illusion that I'll ever be able to hold a conversation but am really enjoying it. Some of the pronunciations though!! And the random changing of letters.
I enjoy trying languages, I've bummed round Europe with only a few words of the several countries I've visited, but everyone I've met has been appreciative.
I've learned a bit of Urdu aswell ages ago, and used it on occasion.
I think I found out about Duolingo (or Dewi Lingo ) from @HobbesOnTour, so many thanks to him for that.

Os t'isio unrhyw help efo Cymraeg.

 

[Chislenko]

There are some pretty fit German blokes out there...better than some of those short arsed Southern Europeans

Just imagine if a bloke had made a similar remark on here about "fit women"

 

[Drago]

I'm sure she was referring to their level of cardiovascular fitness

 

[mistyoptic]

Os t'isio unrhyw help efo Cymraeg.

Cwrw is one of the few important words I know