I mostly just scream whatever I've been learning lately at my dog while I walk her. I live in the outskirts of Las Vegas and she's a husky, so I get about an hour to myself and the old girl with only two, maybe three people looking at me sideways as they walk by while I yell compliments at her in French, or sometimes just the days of the week.
Anonymous :
22 days ago :
No.2058
>>2064
>>2058
that's fine, just happy you're learning your chosen language brotha - hokkien, I assume
I work at a bar here in $country. My ability in my target language has dramatically improved in my opinion. It is the first time while I've been living here that I have been required to try and get by with my ability in the local language and that has been a real driver of improvement.
I accept this is not helpful to you, sorry.
>>2058
I work at a bar here in $country. My ability in my target language has dramatically improved in my opinion. It is the first time while I've been living here that I have been required to try and get by with my ability in the local language and that has been a real driver of improvement.
I accept this is not helpful to you, sorry.
that's fine, just happy you're learning your chosen language brotha - hokkien, I assume
I'm considering getting a language app (HelloTalk, Tandem, etc.) to find myself a language learning partner. Does anyone have any experience with these?
Anonymous :
19 days ago :
No.2618
>>2633
>>2618
You are welcome to create a Spanish thread, we had one for a while before the recent influx but it was not very active. Maybe now it would be more successful.
I've got to the point where I can understand 90-99% of what I listen and read in Spanish, and now I feel the urge to produce the language myself. For writing I've used Wired-7 (imageboard) and Discord (where I can also join voice chats). (Chatting with ai models is pretty useful, too.) I feel extremely awkward doing it, but apparently I'm understood just fine.
This board would be even more amazing if it had a Spanish thread, but I'm unsure if it allows it.
>>2618
I've got to the point where I can understand 90-99% of what I listen and read in Spanish, and now I feel the urge to produce the language myself. For writing I've used Wired-7 (imageboard) and Discord (where I can also join voice chats). (Chatting with ai models is pretty useful, too.) I feel extremely awkward doing it, but apparently I'm understood just fine.
This board would be even more amazing if it had a Spanish thread, but I'm unsure if it allows it.
You are welcome to create a Spanish thread, we had one for a while before the recent influx but it was not very active. Maybe now it would be more successful.
Anonymous :
16 days ago :
No.3151
>>3551
>>3151
>Why Spanish anon? And how long did it take you to get to that level?
Damn, it's been some time since I visited this time.
The reason I learned Spanish is pretty fortuitous: it's not a language that's taught in my country, and I never interacted with it before starting to learn it, essentially. This happened when a friend of mine gifted me a bunch of books, some of which were in Spanish.
My method consisted of a lot of reading and focusing almost exclusively on vocab (lernt through Supermemo, basically Anki but older). I was intimidated by grammar, so at the beginning I only learnt the basic rules and then forgot about it for several months. But thankfully as I was "reading" a lot (it was more than anything like deciphering a code, the key being the RAE dictionary). As I was totally ignorant of the language, I consumed things that apparently are challenging even for native speakers (the reason being the usage of baroque language --v.g. the novel Adán Buenosayres-- or vocab/slang specific to a certain culture --Martín Fierro, for example). This made it quite hard at first, but as a result the "jump" in knowledge was astronomical for a beginner.
Listening was always the hardest part, in part because I'm not naturally inclined to consuming audiovisuals, podcasts, etc., so I had to change my consumption habits to adjust to my learning project.
Following the core of the "AJATT" method, I was listening almost from the moment I got up to the moment i went to sleep, although not always paying attention (partaking in what's called "passive immersion). This only stopped when I was reading, activity to which I tried to dedicate the most (at least when it came to paying full-attention to my 'immersion'). It wasn't consistent, but I'd say I read 3-4 hours on average (I was a sophomore with a lot of time on my hands).
I realized I was understanding most of what I read and listened after around a year and a half. It was weirdly abrupt and sudden.
However, I'd lie if I understand 100%, or even 90% CONSISTENTLY. There are certain dialects or culture-specific language I don't know too well (I was watching El Marginal the other day, and it was painfully obvious I was struggling to understand several features of the language used by Buenos Aires' "villeros" (somewhat derogatory term, but i hope the point gets across). These moments are not necessarily satisfactory, but then I realize it's a sign I'm still learning.
The most surprising thing for me was the relative straightforwardness of the language learning process. It was pretty routinary, and I didn't have to put superhuman efforts into the process: as long as I put in the hours, I was going to be able to understand the language sooner or later.
Speaking/writing (aka outputting) is a whole different thing. The same can be said for English: I understand it just fine, but there's always going to be a gap between my ability to understand and my writing/speaking capabilities, I feel. I can't get rid of a sense of discomfort every time I speak or write in both languages.
-----
That was more or less it.
Japanese is such an interesting language -- and a pretty challenging one too, I imagine. Good luck and have fun. Learning a language can be extremely satisfying.
Thankfully we live in an age where we have an enormous quantity of resources at our disposition.
(By the way, Kanji seems so intimidating as an outsider, but I imagine they are a pleasure to learn. They are art in its own right, more or less).
>>3589>>3151
Hello fellow Japanese learner :)
What are you reading? I've recently been working through コンビニ人間 as my first novel-- it's ok as a work of fiction, but I have found it pleasantly approachable from a grammar and vocabulary perspective. I would like to eventually read some older, venerated JP lit like Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, but I've heard that there's a pretty steep comprehension dropoff between the Japanese of the past 30 years vs older writing. I'm curious about what's on your radar--
Since the beginning of this year I've been learning Japanese. I'm just doing the typical things I found online, Anki, Tae Kim and reading native content. I'm also using songs, and little by little, I'm finally starting to understand the particles and the sentences structures. I'm not scare of kanjis anymore, but i still struggle with them
>2618
Why Spanish anon? And how long did it take you to get to that level?
Anonymous :
11 days ago :
No.3551
>>3552
>>3551
that's a lot of work, what was the reason you decided to learn the language?
>>3151
Since the beginning of this year I've been learning Japanese. I'm just doing the typical things I found online, Anki, Tae Kim and reading native content. I'm also using songs, and little by little, I'm finally starting to understand the particles and the sentences structures. I'm not scare of kanjis anymore, but i still struggle with them
>2618
Why Spanish anon? And how long did it take you to get to that level?
>Why Spanish anon? And how long did it take you to get to that level?
Damn, it's been some time since I visited this time.
The reason I learned Spanish is pretty fortuitous: it's not a language that's taught in my country, and I never interacted with it before starting to learn it, essentially. This happened when a friend of mine gifted me a bunch of books, some of which were in Spanish.
My method consisted of a lot of reading and focusing almost exclusively on vocab (lernt through Supermemo, basically Anki but older). I was intimidated by grammar, so at the beginning I only learnt the basic rules and then forgot about it for several months. But thankfully as I was "reading" a lot (it was more than anything like deciphering a code, the key being the RAE dictionary). As I was totally ignorant of the language, I consumed things that apparently are challenging even for native speakers (the reason being the usage of baroque language --v.g. the novel Adán Buenosayres-- or vocab/slang specific to a certain culture --Martín Fierro, for example). This made it quite hard at first, but as a result the "jump" in knowledge was astronomical for a beginner.
Listening was always the hardest part, in part because I'm not naturally inclined to consuming audiovisuals, podcasts, etc., so I had to change my consumption habits to adjust to my learning project.
Following the core of the "AJATT" method, I was listening almost from the moment I got up to the moment i went to sleep, although not always paying attention (partaking in what's called "passive immersion). This only stopped when I was reading, activity to which I tried to dedicate the most (at least when it came to paying full-attention to my 'immersion'). It wasn't consistent, but I'd say I read 3-4 hours on average (I was a sophomore with a lot of time on my hands).
I realized I was understanding most of what I read and listened after around a year and a half. It was weirdly abrupt and sudden.
However, I'd lie if I understand 100%, or even 90% CONSISTENTLY. There are certain dialects or culture-specific language I don't know too well (I was watching El Marginal the other day, and it was painfully obvious I was struggling to understand several features of the language used by Buenos Aires' "villeros" (somewhat derogatory term, but i hope the point gets across). These moments are not necessarily satisfactory, but then I realize it's a sign I'm still learning.
The most surprising thing for me was the relative straightforwardness of the language learning process. It was pretty routinary, and I didn't have to put superhuman efforts into the process: as long as I put in the hours, I was going to be able to understand the language sooner or later.
Speaking/writing (aka outputting) is a whole different thing. The same can be said for English: I understand it just fine, but there's always going to be a gap between my ability to understand and my writing/speaking capabilities, I feel. I can't get rid of a sense of discomfort every time I speak or write in both languages.
-----
That was more or less it.
Japanese is such an interesting language -- and a pretty challenging one too, I imagine. Good luck and have fun. Learning a language can be extremely satisfying.
Thankfully we live in an age where we have an enormous quantity of resources at our disposition.
(By the way, Kanji seems so intimidating as an outsider, but I imagine they are a pleasure to learn. They are art in its own right, more or less).
Anonymous :
11 days ago :
No.3552
>>3553
>>3552
I guess it boils down to
having a lot of free-time (university in my country is a joke)
Boredom, and wanting to do "something hard"
getting in contact with the language through books, and the desire to read them
That was the initial "push" that made me start the process. But as time went on I developed a love for the language that I didn't feel when I was learning English, for example. Its writing system is logical, its grammar is incredibly flexible/versatile (leading to rich and nuanced poetic usage), and its a language that has a huge history. Besides, the diversity of dialects is extremely interesting (I've grown fond of the rioplatense variety in particular).
And, on a more mundane, the vast majority of things I consume are in Spanish now (music, news, books, videos, series, and some internet spaces here and there) and some of my online friends are Spanish speakers.
>>3551
>>3151
>Why Spanish anon? And how long did it take you to get to that level?
Damn, it's been some time since I visited this time.
The reason I learned Spanish is pretty fortuitous: it's not a language that's taught in my country, and I never interacted with it before starting to learn it, essentially. This happened when a friend of mine gifted me a bunch of books, some of which were in Spanish.
My method consisted of a lot of reading and focusing almost exclusively on vocab (lernt through Supermemo, basically Anki but older). I was intimidated by grammar, so at the beginning I only learnt the basic rules and then forgot about it for several months. But thankfully as I was "reading" a lot (it was more than anything like deciphering a code, the key being the RAE dictionary). As I was totally ignorant of the language, I consumed things that apparently are challenging even for native speakers (the reason being the usage of baroque language --v.g. the novel Adán Buenosayres-- or vocab/slang specific to a certain culture --Martín Fierro, for example). This made it quite hard at first, but as a result the "jump" in knowledge was astronomical for a beginner.
Listening was always the hardest part, in part because I'm not naturally inclined to consuming audiovisuals, podcasts, etc., so I had to change my consumption habits to adjust to my learning project.
Following the core of the "AJATT" method, I was listening almost from the moment I got up to the moment i went to sleep, although not always paying attention (partaking in what's called "passive immersion). This only stopped when I was reading, activity to which I tried to dedicate the most (at least when it came to paying full-attention to my 'immersion'). It wasn't consistent, but I'd say I read 3-4 hours on average (I was a sophomore with a lot of time on my hands).
I realized I was understanding most of what I read and listened after around a year and a half. It was weirdly abrupt and sudden.
However, I'd lie if I understand 100%, or even 90% CONSISTENTLY. There are certain dialects or culture-specific language I don't know too well (I was watching El Marginal the other day, and it was painfully obvious I was struggling to understand several features of the language used by Buenos Aires' "villeros" (somewhat derogatory term, but i hope the point gets across). These moments are not necessarily satisfactory, but then I realize it's a sign I'm still learning.
The most surprising thing for me was the relative straightforwardness of the language learning process. It was pretty routinary, and I didn't have to put superhuman efforts into the process: as long as I put in the hours, I was going to be able to understand the language sooner or later.
Speaking/writing (aka outputting) is a whole different thing. The same can be said for English: I understand it just fine, but there's always going to be a gap between my ability to understand and my writing/speaking capabilities, I feel. I can't get rid of a sense of discomfort every time I speak or write in both languages.
-----
That was more or less it.
Japanese is such an interesting language -- and a pretty challenging one too, I imagine. Good luck and have fun. Learning a language can be extremely satisfying.
Thankfully we live in an age where we have an enormous quantity of resources at our disposition.
(By the way, Kanji seems so intimidating as an outsider, but I imagine they are a pleasure to learn. They are art in its own right, more or less).
that's a lot of work, what was the reason you decided to learn the language?
>>3552
>>3551
that's a lot of work, what was the reason you decided to learn the language?
I guess it boils down to
having a lot of free-time (university in my country is a joke)
Boredom, and wanting to do "something hard"
getting in contact with the language through books, and the desire to read them
That was the initial "push" that made me start the process. But as time went on I developed a love for the language that I didn't feel when I was learning English, for example. Its writing system is logical, its grammar is incredibly flexible/versatile (leading to rich and nuanced poetic usage), and its a language that has a huge history. Besides, the diversity of dialects is extremely interesting (I've grown fond of the rioplatense variety in particular).
And, on a more mundane, the vast majority of things I consume are in Spanish now (music, news, books, videos, series, and some internet spaces here and there) and some of my online friends are Spanish speakers.
Anonymous :
11 days ago :
No.3577
>>3605
>>3577
They do fine, just have to walk them before sunrise or at night. Besides, it was either her moving in with me or my retard mom putting her down after realizing huskies are pretty high energy lol.
>Owning an Arctic dog in one of the hottest metropolitan areas in the developed world
Literally, unarguably animal abuse
>>3151
Since the beginning of this year I've been learning Japanese. I'm just doing the typical things I found online, Anki, Tae Kim and reading native content. I'm also using songs, and little by little, I'm finally starting to understand the particles and the sentences structures. I'm not scare of kanjis anymore, but i still struggle with them
>2618
Why Spanish anon? And how long did it take you to get to that level?
Hello fellow Japanese learner :)
What are you reading? I've recently been working through コンビニ人間 as my first novel-- it's ok as a work of fiction, but I have found it pleasantly approachable from a grammar and vocabulary perspective. I would like to eventually read some older, venerated JP lit like Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, but I've heard that there's a pretty steep comprehension dropoff between the Japanese of the past 30 years vs older writing. I'm curious about what's on your radar--
Anyone learning Finnish?
>>3577
>Owning an Arctic dog in one of the hottest metropolitan areas in the developed world
Literally, unarguably animal abuse
They do fine, just have to walk them before sunrise or at night. Besides, it was either her moving in with me or my retard mom putting her down after realizing huskies are pretty high energy lol.
No, they absolutely do not do fine you retard. Try living year round with a full-body covering of double-layered fur on you and see how it feels.
>inb4 muh air-cundishuning
Blowing air has a completely different effect on flat human skin designed to sweat as opposed to an animal bred for literal subzero temps. You could not even come close to making that dog comfortable for at least 8 months out of the year.
Your Husky is 'high energy' because it was bred to run through 20 miles of snow a day and you stuck it in a fucking sweltering air-conditioned box for most of its life, alternating with occasional ten minute walks through mind-numbing suburban hellscape in which it interacts with nothing but concrete, cinderblock, asphalt and the occasional desiccated plant.
You even have the brain-dead cadence of a Vegas resident, bravo.
Anonymous :
11 days ago :
No.3613
>>3615 >>3616
>>3613
They should try speaking American
>>3617>>3613
Brainy take.
You are in a town that is plurality if not nearly majority Latino and it didn't occur to you how to 'practice learning a language'? Umm maybe by interacting with human beings and not your stupid fucking dog you twat?
Someone is mad
>>3610
No, they absolutely do not do fine you retard. Try living year round with a full-body covering of double-layered fur on you and see how it feels.
>inb4 muh air-cundishuning
Blowing air has a completely different effect on flat human skin designed to sweat as opposed to an animal bred for literal subzero temps. You could not even come close to making that dog comfortable for at least 8 months out of the year.
Shit man, you're right. I should have just let my mom put her down rather than walk her at night.
>>3613You are in a town that is plurality if not nearly majority Latino and it didn't occur to you how to 'practice learning a language'? Umm maybe by interacting with human beings and not your stupid fucking dog you twat?
Every time I speak French at the Mexican dudes running the taco stand they refuse to respond to me. I think they're hiding something.
Anonymous :
7 days ago :
No.3959
>>4001
>>3959
Thank you for the rec - this is perfect for me. I am also around N4 and want to read classic literature.
For any other Jap learners out there interested in older literature like Meji era, I recommend ‘breaking into japanese literature‘ and Murray’s other work. He wrote bilingual books which include famous Meji authors such as Soseki and Akutagawa. Even thought I am only around N4 it made it possible to read through it without taking an entire week due to constantly having to consult a dictionary myself.
I learned Japanese by throwing everything I know about language out the window and go through textbooks (Genki series and Quartet), learned kanji right from the start with Wanikani and vocabulary through Memrise which is kinda like Anki. I’m still very much a beginner but I don’t use textbooks anymore, the only main obstacle is vocabulary. I mostly read slice of life, NHK Easy, Graded Readers and when I read novels I first consult a JP-JP dictionary and can usually figure out the meaning from that, else JP-EN. So now it simply comes down to reading, reading and more reading.
Anonymous :
6 days ago :
No.4001
>>4032
>>4001
No problem. Graded Readers also has some classic stories translated for beginners if you want to read the real old classics such as snow woman and the bambo cutter. You can find most Graded Readers on Anna's Archive.
>>3959
For any other Jap learners out there interested in older literature like Meji era, I recommend ‘breaking into japanese literature‘ and Murray’s other work. He wrote bilingual books which include famous Meji authors such as Soseki and Akutagawa. Even thought I am only around N4 it made it possible to read through it without taking an entire week due to constantly having to consult a dictionary myself.
I learned Japanese by throwing everything I know about language out the window and go through textbooks (Genki series and Quartet), learned kanji right from the start with Wanikani and vocabulary through Memrise which is kinda like Anki. I’m still very much a beginner but I don’t use textbooks anymore, the only main obstacle is vocabulary. I mostly read slice of life, NHK Easy, Graded Readers and when I read novels I first consult a JP-JP dictionary and can usually figure out the meaning from that, else JP-EN. So now it simply comes down to reading, reading and more reading.
Thank you for the rec - this is perfect for me. I am also around N4 and want to read classic literature.
>>No.2618
I'll join
>>4001
>>3959
Thank you for the rec - this is perfect for me. I am also around N4 and want to read classic literature.
No problem. Graded Readers also has some classic stories translated for beginners if you want to read the real old classics such as snow woman and the bambo cutter. You can find most Graded Readers on Anna's Archive.