Learning Foreign Languages

[shooter45]

I am currently learning German in school and am interested in learning a third language out of school perhaps over the summer. Any advice on methods to use or products that I could use? I am looking to learn a more obscure language such as Arabic. Thanks for the Help

[murphquake]

dunno anything about learning arabic, date an arab girl maybe? works for spanish ;-) then again maybe not my spanish sucks...
for those interested in brushing up or picking up a bit (i think they have french, spanish and eye-talian) goto http://www.parlo.com and sign up for the email lessons... they free and not too shabby
HTH!
-bill

[Jeff Rambo]

Originally posted by murphquake:
dunno anything about learning arabic, date an arab girl maybe? works for spanish ;-)

I learned quite a bit of Farsi & Armenian that way. That was atleast one plus to the relationship.

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Sincerely,
Jeff Rambo
SOCNET Administrator
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jrambo@specialoperations.com

[Zulu6]

there is a book called BERLITZ. its actually a packet complete with tape,books,and practical exercise. they have them in a variety of languages. as for learning arabic if your in the military go to your language school and simply ask for some assistance in obtaining maybe some tapes or get special tutor for the subject. Sahlem.

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Prepare to cross over................

[Jims]

Go where they speak it.

[MADMIK]

How about sign language? Some schools (from HS to university) offer sign language as part of the foreign language credits. I learned fingerspelling and some signs from a deaf guy at my old company.

[Tiberian]

I third the long-haired dictionary. And, if you're able, go someplace for the summer where they speak nothing else.

Practice, practice, practice.

[NWPTrainer]

Originally posted by murphquake
dunno anything about learning arabic, date an arab girl maybe? works for spanish ;-) then again maybe not my spanish sucks...
for those interested in brushing up or picking up a bit (i think they have french, spanish and eye-talian) goto http://www.parlo.com and sign up for the email lessons... they free and not too shabby
HTH!
-bill
My Cantonese Vocab is growing exponentially....
I learned Spanish the same way...and spent some time down South.
The best way I know of to teach yourself a foreign language is the method used by the 19th century Brit explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton. (It was attributed to him anyway...)
Go out and get a good grammar for the language to figure out how the sentence structures work, and a dictionary. Memorize 5-10 words per week. Start with pronouns and verbs (cause you can get by with them, albeit roughly.) When you have got three or four hundred words you can get by in English, and it's the most complex vocabulary in the world...Although Pronunciation is harder in some like Cantonese and Arabic. So, concievably, in five or six months you could be conversational.
Once you've got a hundred words, get a kids book in that language and read it...cover to cover. Use a dictionary if you have to, but try to figure it out with context first.
Once you can get through some kiddie books, move on to a newspaper and try carrying on conversations with native speakers. Even if you butcher the pronunciation, they'll usually be flattered that you are trying.
You'll be conversational before you know it.
Three caveats:
1) Don't try this with French...The Frogs hate anybody that tries to speak their language and doesn't do so flawlessly.
2) With Asian Languages, and Arabic the reading part is hard, because you have to learn the alphabet as well. There I would try just conversing.
3) Remember that most Chinese-Americans speak Cantonese. They may or may not speak Mandarin. I tried my mandarin in a restaurant in Boston's Chinatown and the waiter looked at me like I was fucking stupid for a minute then not-so-politely informed me that he was Cantonese.
Although Mandarin, or Putongwha is the official dialect in the PRC, it's not the most common in the south, and the majority of Chinese immigrants have always come from there.
My girl is from Hong Kong (naturalized Citizen of the US), and she had to learn Mandarin in College, but she speaks Cantonese natively.

[Volaine]

Some great posts...

I'm happy to see someone else enjoys BERLITZ as much as I do. I just returned from a month long sojourn in Italy, and I speak no Italian. What saved me was a little pocket-sized book from BERLITZ. The book was outstanding (color-coded, practical, easy-to-use, economical, etc.)

When I returned, I looked at the CD/audio tape options of learning Italian and ended up choosing a Berlitz model that again, seemed the best deal. Now, I was a bit predisposed to BERLITZ for saving my ass in Italy, but I am not disappointed with "My learn Italian" audio tape edition from BERLITZ, either.

Two outstanding thumbs-up to the company.!

I also absolutely agree that you MUST live or travel to a country that speaks your particular language of choice. You MUST hear how they speak it, and you MUST be inundated with the foreign surroundings. We are not 4 years old anymore.

Never learn a language that you cannot hear. That means stay away from a book that has no audio tape, or CD. Don't learn a language if you don't know someone who speaks it. Don't learn a language unless you love the countries that speak it.

I realize some of you want to learn Arabic so you can become a international agent, multi-skilled and multi-lingual. Respected and feared, and happy to have a girl in EVERY port.

BUT, if the only thing motivating you to learn a foreign language is that you will one day be a global ninja, then I'm gonna go on record that you are gonna have a hard time learning the language. Pick one because you love the people, the culture, the history, the landscape..etc.

Pick one language from a country you won't mind living in for three to six years. Pick a language that has books you want to read it in. Newspapers it is printed in. Speak it to people you want to laugh and argue with.

Arabic is outstanding... don't let my boot voice knock it. But it is also overhyped. It is the German of WWII. It is the French of 'Absolutist Europe.' Personally, I think Arabia is dusty and dry... and I'll take olive oil and Italian ass over it any day.

Hence.. I study Italian.

Good luck mates, ciao! :D