[Help] Learning Another Language

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I'm not paying for it. I'm pretty certain I'm using the app. I start each session usually with 5 hearts and if I make a cock -up they remove a heart. I can watch an occasional advert to top up a heart but once I've made 5 mistakes that's my lot until the next day (I think)
You get gems and when your hearts are gone you can replace all 5 hearts with 450 gems if you have them.

I'd be very happy to not have to keep waiting. Are you using it in a browser?

Yes, is it easier to download an App?

 

[Gwylan]

Yes, is it easier to download an App?

Yes. I use Android and it doesn't take up too much memory. It works pretty well

 

[Billy the Fish]

I found Michel Thomas good for grammar and structure. Duolingo is good for vocab although after a while I find the format incredibly boring.

All of this is just building blocks, the only way to learn to converse is to actually do it!

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Yes. I use Android and it doesn't take up too much memory. It works pretty well

Thank you, and thank to everyone else for all your advice. Just started the Duolingo package.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I'm playing with Duolingo at the moment, I don't recall seeing hearts and gems and I'm on a 383 day streak?! Can I now speak spanish? No, mi no hablo espanol muy bien

 

[Algernon]

Hearts top right
Gems bottom right
I must be doing something wrong.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

How strange. I'm using it on the app and on the browser - I've never seen any hearts or gems. I always make more than five mistakes a day - often just by mistyping something or pressing 'check' too early - but never had to wait till next day.

I used to do exercises just after midnight but I was so tired I'd make about 10 mistakes in about 15 minutes - that would have ruled me out for the rest of the day if I were on your set-up.

Are we definitely talking about Duolingo? I can't understand why my experience is so different from yours

If you use Duolingo with an IPad or IPhone, then you just get five lives/mistakes.
When you use a browser ie Chrome, it doesn’t use lives.

 

[Algernon]

If you use Duolingo with an IPad or IPhone, then you just get five lives/mistakes.
When you use a browser ie Chrome, it doesn’t use lives.

Well that explains that then.
Thank you.

 

[Gwylan]

Hearts top right
Gems bottom right
I must be doing something wrong.

View attachment 121845

I have never seen anything like that

EDIT: Just seen Thunder Bolt's answer - that explains it.

You don't see those if you use the App on Android either

 

[BrickTamland]

Echo much of what’s been said. Duolingo is good for increasing your vocabulary, but it won’t help you so much when it actually comes to speaking with native speakers. Watch as much tv in the language as possible. Begin with English subtitles, just to get used to the sounds. Then move to subtitles in that language, then eventually no subtitles at all. Also put subtitles on all of your English tv as well (easy on Netflix, perhaps not on normal television) as this will subconsciously build up your vocabulary and reading skills. Finding some music in that language helps too. Try and immerse yourself as much as possible for about an hour a day, depending on how quick you want to learn, and how good you want to be.

Don’t be scared to speak and make mistakes. Find some language cafes (can even be online, especially in current circumstances). There’s no substitute for just getting out their and speaking.

 

[Gwylan]

Echo much of what’s been said. Duolingo is good for increasing your vocabulary, but it won’t help you so much when it actually comes to speaking with native speakers. Watch as much tv in the language as possible. Begin with English subtitles, just to get used to the sounds. Then move to subtitles in that language, then eventually no subtitles at all. Also put subtitles on all of your English tv as well (easy on Netflix, perhaps not on normal television) as this will subconsciously build up your vocabulary and reading skills. Finding some music in that language helps too. Try and immerse yourself as much as possible for about an hour a day, depending on how quick you want to learn, and how good you want to be.

This is good advice, although I'd be wary of some programmes. I speak French reasonably well, yet when I watch something like Spiral, the way that the cops and the criminals talk (lots of slang) completely baffles me, yet I can understand the lawyers/politicians very well. If you pick a programme where everyone speaks in slang/thick accent, you may find it disheartening - try to imagine a non-English speaker trying to learn from Rab C Nesbitt or Derry Girls.

One thing that you could do is read a foreign newspaper, particularly tabloids. You can generally find them online and they're a great help. You'll need a dictionary at first but after a few months, you'll pick it up

 

[BrickTamland]

This is good advice, although I'd be wary of some programmes. I speak French reasonably well, yet when I watch something like Spiral, the way that the cops and the criminals talk (lots of slang) completely baffles me, yet I can understand the lawyers/politicians very well. If you pick a programme where everyone speaks in slang/thick accent, you may find it disheartening - try to imagine a non-English speaker trying to learn from Rab C Nesbitt or Derry Girls.

One thing that you could do is read a foreign newspaper, particularly tabloids. You can generally find them online and they're a great help. You'll need a dictionary at first but after a few months, you'll pick it up

True, but that is also advantageous if you really want to know how actual people speak, rather than just the ‘proper’ form

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I find this series of videos are very good for learning German. The teacher is very engaging.

https://youtu.be/uw07VGCV5q4

 

[Jim in the West]

I’ve spent years learning French, Spanish and now Greek (!). I’m pretty fluent in French, my Spanish is ok once I’m actually in Spain, and my Greek is ropey, to say the least. My observations are:

- learning a language to a decent level takes A LOT of hard work (we often marvel at “foreigners” who can speak English really well. In almost all cases they started at a very early age, and have put in loads of effort over the years).
- you make the quickest strides when you absolutely HAVE to speak the lingo. I lived with a French family in Paris for three months, and they refused to speak English with me (for my benefit). It worked, but it was VERY tiring.
- listening to stuff in the language is a great help, even if you don’t understand much.
- test yourself regularly.
- have a teacher. I’m having Greek lessons via Zoom at the mo. My motivation is not always great, but I find that a looming lesson is a great incentive to learn!

And if you like podcasts, my favourite is the Coffee Break series. They are produced by a multi lingual Scots guy, and he’s done courses in Spanish, French, Italian and German, and is now doing one in Swedish.

 

[Bakero]

I'm in my late fifties and have spent the past thirty or so years saying I either need to learn a language or cramming before I go away to speak some of the local language when in France, Spain etc.

I'm guessing if I were to learn a language prior to retiring and travelling a little around Europe but mainly South America I'd be best learning Spanish?

Anyone got any tips on the best way to do this?

I'm working from home at the moment so could probably give an hour a day to learning, what are the best resources / ways of learning conversational Spanish please.

This dictionary is good - https://www.spanishdict.com/

You can save vocab into sets then test yourself on it. Make sure that when you note down any vocab in your book you put it in context. Don't write out lists of words with translations. If you can personalise the context, all the better. Set manageable goals for learning vocabulary.

I used to use this for leaning grammar - https://studyspanish.com/grammar Was pretty good as I remember.

Not sure level you have now, but if you are intermediate + Español con Juan is excellent. I mainly use his podcasts but he also has a youtube channel. As a teacher I can really appreciate his methods. He knows what he's doing. Best of all, the podcasts all have transcripts (which you don't have to pay for).

The Notes in Spanish pods are good too. Made by a couple that live in Madrid; he's English, she's Spanish. I've only used the advanced ones but they have them from beginner up. Podcasts are free, you can buy the transcripts.

Get yourself a teacher if you can, even if it's online. It'll give you that essential speaking practice and correction that you'll need before you have the confidence for a language exchange.

Buena suerte!

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'm in my late fifties and have spent the past thirty or so years saying I either need to learn a language or cramming before I go away to speak some of the local language when in France, Spain etc.

I'm guessing if I were to learn a language prior to retiring and travelling a little around Europe but mainly South America I'd be best learning Spanish?

Anyone got any tips on the best way to do this?

I can thoroughly recommend watching Narcos on Netflix with the subtitles on hijo de puta

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Mrs Earle has been learning Spanish with Duolingo during lockdown from a base of her A Level Spanish. She has the 'paid for' course but didn't pay, but that's another story. It's doing a good job, but we have also concluded that she needs someone to talk Spanish with on Skype or similar. That's been suggested by others on here, but the question is how to find someone?

 

[schmunk]

I can thoroughly recommend watching Narcos on Netflix with the subtitles on hijo de puta

Plata o plomo, indeed.

 

[Gwylan]

Mrs Earle has been learning Spanish with Duolingo during lockdown from a base of her A Level Spanish. She has the 'paid for' course but didn't pay, but that's another story. It's doing a good job, but we have also concluded that she needs someone to talk Spanish with on Skype or similar. That's been suggested by others on here, but the question is how to find someone?

There are a few on here

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/skype-language-exchange/

Let us now how she gets on with them

I used a site called The Mixxer and was pretty disappointed with it as my teacher went missing after making initial contact - although that's something that could happen with any of them, I suppose.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Mrs Earle has been learning Spanish with Duolingo during lockdown from a base of her A Level Spanish. She has the 'paid for' course but didn't pay, but that's another story. It's doing a good job, but we have also concluded that she needs someone to talk Spanish with on Skype or similar. That's been suggested by others on here, but the question is how to find someone?

I'd agree, 50 odd days in for me and vocabulary is fine but I come unstuck if I try and strike up a conversation!