Every now and then I put the Duolingo app on my phone and pretend to learn Italian. Usually, just before I board the plane for Italy. I have a research trip planned there in September and thought I might get in a little earlier this time. I'm not sure why I think this will be any different from any other time I tried to learn Italian. But Imma confidento!
This time will be different!
I don't need to be fluent or anything like that. I am literally just trying to learn restaurant-Italian, maybe with a little bit of taxidriver-Italian thrown in for good measure. I remember the last time we were there, having dinner in a restaurant in Bologna, when a French couple came in. They couldn’t speak a word of Italian. The waiter didn't speak any French and I had to help them order from the menu. That was weird. I normally assume that everyone in Europe speaks… European. Or something.
I've been doing Duolingo Italian for 1108 days in a row (and counting), and there's no way I'm close to fluent. I can muddle my way through a conversation and make myself understood, but I'd be messing up my questos and my quellos, etc.
Everyone has their learning strengths, but my biggest barrier is having someone to talk to on a regular basis to practice. I feel much more confident on the written side.
I did a few classes a couple of years ago, and I think they help a lot, but they moved too fast for me.
Anyway, from what I've heard, peeps really appreciate any effort you've put in to learn their language.
I found Duolingo helped bolster my Schoolboy French to workable Tourist French. Combined with knowing some actual French folks hereabouts I understand my accent is pretty decent, so much so I had French folks just launching into lengthy diatribes I had little to no hope of understanding. Lucky the French like Aussies!
I've been plugging away at French with Duolingo for the last few years, one lesson a day every day (I'm nothing if not a sucker for that gamified streak maintenance). While I don't think I even have school student French yet, I've had moments this year where I realise that my fluency has come on in leaps and bounds, usually when I read a sentence and realise I know its gist without having to stop and think through each word.
This has also made me realise the value of just plodding away at it consistently, and slowly building up that vocabulary of words through repeat exercises. Regular, tedious practice makes you better at something! WHO KNEW??
I'm native english speaker, and learned a second language later in life, and I found it really helps to know how to shape your tongue and lips, because it makes your words come off your tongue easier. That might be obvious thing or not, as I said, I learned later on in life. This might be sound even stranger, but I did this by first watching native speakers on you tube, then speaking to myself in the mirror. Once the language flows off tongue in a more natural I found it's much easier to learn. Sort of like how learning a song is often easier than memorizing a written speech even if they have same number of words.
I've been doing Duolingo Italian to maintain my tourist-level Italian. It's good, but I do question the utility of phrases such as "My sister is in prison."
Itsa me, insomniac.
I've been doing Duolingo Italian for 1108 days in a row (and counting), and there's no way I'm close to fluent. I can muddle my way through a conversation and make myself understood, but I'd be messing up my questos and my quellos, etc.
Everyone has their learning strengths, but my biggest barrier is having someone to talk to on a regular basis to practice. I feel much more confident on the written side.
I did a few classes a couple of years ago, and I think they help a lot, but they moved too fast for me.
Anyway, from what I've heard, peeps really appreciate any effort you've put in to learn their language.
Yeah, that's been my experience with the Italians. Not so much with ol' Frenchy.
Don't talk to me about trying to converse with the fucking French. Paris is great...except for the French.
I found Duolingo helped bolster my Schoolboy French to workable Tourist French. Combined with knowing some actual French folks hereabouts I understand my accent is pretty decent, so much so I had French folks just launching into lengthy diatribes I had little to no hope of understanding. Lucky the French like Aussies!
I'm personally more fond of Chinese, particularly Szechuan
I genuinely thought JB was willing to once more venture into eating pasta carbonara following some kind of bad experience.
I've been plugging away at French with Duolingo for the last few years, one lesson a day every day (I'm nothing if not a sucker for that gamified streak maintenance). While I don't think I even have school student French yet, I've had moments this year where I realise that my fluency has come on in leaps and bounds, usually when I read a sentence and realise I know its gist without having to stop and think through each word.
This has also made me realise the value of just plodding away at it consistently, and slowly building up that vocabulary of words through repeat exercises. Regular, tedious practice makes you better at something! WHO KNEW??
French is SO hard. Imma just learna the language of da pizza!
Bon chance mon ami!
I did Latin last year, which is great if you want to tell people which god is going to throw a thunderbolt at you, but was a little lacking otherwise.
I literally cracked it open again today to resume my German.
Well you know what they say "Tell someone you love them today, because life is short But shout it at them in German, because life is also terrifying".
I’m stealing that
Not mine, but its pretty wide spread
I think Google Translate has a better chance of success ☺️ Welcome to the dark side JB 😂😂😂😂
Ps I am fluent in 4 languages and can manage in a few more. Best chance for a foreign language over here is English though
I'm native english speaker, and learned a second language later in life, and I found it really helps to know how to shape your tongue and lips, because it makes your words come off your tongue easier. That might be obvious thing or not, as I said, I learned later on in life. This might be sound even stranger, but I did this by first watching native speakers on you tube, then speaking to myself in the mirror. Once the language flows off tongue in a more natural I found it's much easier to learn. Sort of like how learning a song is often easier than memorizing a written speech even if they have same number of words.
I've been doing Duolingo Italian to maintain my tourist-level Italian. It's good, but I do question the utility of phrases such as "My sister is in prison."
There is a method to the madness. Apparently it makes words memorable, although talking about prison in general is unlikely.
Other classics include 'My horse does not eat rice' and 'Our ant has died'.
"My hovercraft is full of eels' or (from Spike Milligan) 'The potato of my brother has been struck by lightning'
That makes sense... I guess that one sticks with me because out of all la mia famiglia, mia sorella is the least likely to wind up in prigione...