I'm currently learning German through Duolingo, GermanPod101, and (thank you!) and it's going okay. I believe my problem to full apprehension is conversation and I abhor it.
I'm fairly fluent in Spanish (6 years throughout middle school and HS) and currently replaying Pokemon Y in Spanish to sharpen up my conversational vocabulary and grammar. Unfortunetely, I've never actually had the oppurtunity to immerse myself through studying abroad/travelling so I feel like I would not be an effective speaker in a Spanish-speaking country.
Do you think that level of immersion is necessary for full apprehension and understanding of a language? What are some ways you immerse yourself?
I can't recall if it was GermanPod101 or another German language learning podcast but they reviewed the cultural effects on the language and how it differs. I like to look at langauge with a more logical and mathematical approach, so learning about those cultural nuances helps me understand the root of a language's grammatical structure and etymology.
Lastly, do you think that there is a general negative attitude in the US towards non-English languages?
I can only think of handful of times where people were genuinely interested that I was learning a new language on my own. More often then not, people will reply that it's a waste of time. I'm not sure if I'm just coming off as a pretentious a-hole or I'm speaking with too many jerks, but people almost feel threatened by it.
I don't want to learn languages to stick it in other peoples' faces. I want to know more languages so I can learn more about the world without the barrier of language in my way. That, and how much you can learn about a culture based on their language and dialect. Linguistics is fascinating as hell.
quixotic_unicorn15 karma
Hi Judith,
I'm currently learning German through Duolingo, GermanPod101, and (thank you!) and it's going okay. I believe my problem to full apprehension is conversation and I abhor it.
I'm fairly fluent in Spanish (6 years throughout middle school and HS) and currently replaying Pokemon Y in Spanish to sharpen up my conversational vocabulary and grammar. Unfortunetely, I've never actually had the oppurtunity to immerse myself through studying abroad/travelling so I feel like I would not be an effective speaker in a Spanish-speaking country.
Do you think that level of immersion is necessary for full apprehension and understanding of a language? What are some ways you immerse yourself?
I can't recall if it was GermanPod101 or another German language learning podcast but they reviewed the cultural effects on the language and how it differs. I like to look at langauge with a more logical and mathematical approach, so learning about those cultural nuances helps me understand the root of a language's grammatical structure and etymology.
Lastly, do you think that there is a general negative attitude in the US towards non-English languages?
I can only think of handful of times where people were genuinely interested that I was learning a new language on my own. More often then not, people will reply that it's a waste of time. I'm not sure if I'm just coming off as a pretentious a-hole or I'm speaking with too many jerks, but people almost feel threatened by it.
I don't want to learn languages to stick it in other peoples' faces. I want to know more languages so I can learn more about the world without the barrier of language in my way. That, and how much you can learn about a culture based on their language and dialect. Linguistics is fascinating as hell.
View HistoryShare Link