*Linguists -> Polyglots. Duolingo is OK and offers a variety of languages, though take most of their reviews with a thumb-sized grain of salt. Their main strength is nudging you towards regular practice, and that's far more important than talent or motivation. Your resolve might waver, but you have a streak to uphold, so you'll log in and go through a few exercises. It's habit forming. Perhaps the most positive example of something being gamified. They're also great for forums and immersion training in some of the languages (Spanish, Portuguese, German and French IIRC). My flatmate and his girlfriend use Italki, which they swear by, but I never tested myself. Really, though, learn anywhere, but practice through immersion as fast and as often as you can. Read stories for kindergarteners and move forward. Watch something that interests you in that language. If you know some nature documentary/Godzilla movie by heart, look if it's available in the language you want to learn. If you're into "let's plays" or cartoons, look for those. You know the drill. Change the language in your OS/browser/whatever program you use most often once you'll feel you know it well enough to switch back if need be. Something I do to keep memorised words fresh is to say them aloud when they come up. Example: when I dress in the morning and pick up my trousers, I'll say "spodnie, pants/trousers, die Hose, los pantalones… etc." Try that for counting, getting change, groceries etc. Those are the words you're likely to need since they come up every day. There's time to know what 'encomiast' means, but it's far lower on the priority list than things you eat. Same goes for grammar. I know most of those weird "needn't have had who hadn't have needed" constructs, but day-to-day I rarely need more than conditionals and simple tenses.
Hello, I decided to respond here because I do not work as a linguist, but I am a polyglot. My first language was Russian, then English, then Ukrainian. I started learning Spanish, Ancient Greek, and Latin in elementary school. I started Mandarin Chinese in middle school. And I later picked up Sign Language. Oh. I also like to program in several languages. I also read hieroglyphics to expand my belief system. It sounds like a lot, but honestly, once you pick up a language, try to find a dictionary in that language, whether it is digital or paper. Try to connect words with adjectives and adverbs and have a little bit of fun making absurd sentences. Language is fun and constantly evolving. Some apps that have helped me learn are udemy, sololearn, rabbit, memrise... and tapes from the local library. Try to learn about things that are important to you, things you would like to know where they are at if you travel. Some pointing and repetition of the word, can translate in any language. Last of all, if anyone knows how to learn Egyptian Arabic easily, please recommend it to me.
Thank you. Right now I'm trying to learn Spanish, something I should have done twenty years ago and didn't and now I'm coming to regret it. But thank God there's plenty of tomorrows to fix that. I'm doing a few things now to work on it that kind of involve immersion but not really. Youtube- I'm not doing any sewing or bookbinding at the moment as I nurse a minor hand injury, but I've found a few good channels on there. Once I pick up making stuff again, I'm gonna watch videos as I work. Kind of a two birds with one stone kind of thing. Netflix- I've been watching their cartoons with spanish audio and english subtitles and I'm also watching native spanish shows and movies with english subtitles. It's hard because people often mumble or talk too fast and I just know that the subtitles often aren't literal translations, so it's a bit flawed. It helps in picking up minor phrases and words, like "bruja" means witch or "lo siento" means "I'm sorry." I asked Dala the spelling on both those words, by the way, which leads me to the next one. People in my life- My wife took a few years of spanish in school, so I ask her questions and if she knows, she'll tell me. She's not anywhere close to fluent, but I say simple phrases to her to try and learn words. I talk with her the most, because I don't have to be embarrassed about trying. I also know a couple of native spanish speakers but I'm pretty nervous trying with them yet because my spanish is still beyond awful and I don't want to frustrate them. One if them though, I ask questions like the differences between ayuda and ayudame or en serio and verdad and they try to explain things to me. Truth be told, it's all very confusing sometimes and I'm pretty intimidated about asking them questions, let alone asking more directly if they'll passively help me learn. Tomorrow I'm visiting one of them and I'm gonna try and work up the courage to ask for more help. Nothing big, but questions like "What's the word for this" or "How do I say this sentence?" Labels- Multilingual labels are everywhere. Appliances, work signs, products for the house, etc. I try to read the spanish sections whenever I pass them to pick up vocabulary. Reading and Writing- I'm gonna try to pick up a few children's books and/or comics in spanish to start out. I think once a week too, I might write lists of words I know and sentences I can make with them.
Claro, y no hay cómo aprenderlo sino aprenderlo. Unas palabras/correcciones: - Muchos --> muchas. ("Gracias" is feminine plural.) - To be patient: tener paciencia. - Muy --> muchas. Muy is an adverb, meaning "very." You want mucho (muchas in this case, since it's describing a feminine, plural noun), which means "many." - Sentence: frase. - In: en. - "I don't know what many of them are yet.": no sé cuáles son.
I'm also trying to learn Spanish! Although I'm going through a structured 8 week course. I tried the teach yourself thing a few times and found it hard to get into good habits. If you're ever looking for another speaking buddy, let me know! I know I could use the practice.
Never be embarrassed about learning. That's the only way to improve your skills or do anything that isn't 100% procedural, likely saving a lot of time and effort in the process even in those cases. If the people you know won't find your request as flattering (I would, though), they will likely appreciate the fact you're trying. Also, you're unlikely to waste their time in any noticeable way. It looks like you're asking rather utilitarian, basic questions they should be able to answer on the fly, not some "how do I do a nominative termination of the second declension of a plural again?" bollocks that takes time to unfurl. But that's the easiest way with the worst outcome being someone saying 'no'. You presumably had to ask Dala out at some point, and that ought to have been scarier. You can do it.I talk with her the most, because I don't have to be embarrassed about trying. I also know a couple of native spanish speakers but I'm pretty nervous trying with them yet because my spanish is still beyond awful and I don't want to frustrate them.
I'm pretty intimidated about asking them questions, let alone asking more directly if they'll passively help me learn.