| Learn Spanish Courses in Spain | Pimsleur french graduate |
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 #16 (permalink) Thu Jun 01, 2006 16:01 pm How learn language with pimsleur |
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| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
Hi Torsten
To be honest... i believe that people who say the french are rude... or tend to generalise about these type of things have had a bad experience... met a french man who wasnt so polite, and just except that as being the culture. Honestly... i met one or two rude people along my trip... some guy in Amsterdam pulled a knife on me, the first person i met!!! i got away fairly easily though... but its just the minority who are like that... I'm not going to say Amsterdam is full of horrible people because of that one situation, because thats just not true! |
I'm very glad you say this, Michael because it shows that stereotypes are just what they are -- oversimplified images we obtain by listening to others who in turn have heard something from somebody else. It's better if create an opinion based on your own experiences and facts rather than hearsay. That's why travelling and speaking to people who live in other countries is so useful. Which brings us back to the importance of language....
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| Yes, my confidence grows as i become better with the language. And its different elements to the language.. like at first, i could speak better than what i could understand. Now, i can understand a lot more, but it still takes a while to say the right words. I do believe itll all come together one day... and to be honest, i need to start reading more, so my spelling improves! But one thing at a time... i believe once i can understand more clearly... i will be able to get into more conversations, and that will improve my talking skills. It all goes hand in hand. |
Michael, I also think that speaking is the most complex of the four language disciplines and it usually requires a higher level of knowledge and a combination of skills. Speaking means, you have enough 'pre-fabricated and readily accessible language chunks' -- so you can express your thoughts. On top of that you have to be able to pronounce those phrases quickly and precisely enough. Having a spoken conversation also requires a quick reaction -- so you must understand what you counterpart says and at the same time produce an answer to their question. That's why I would not bother with speaking too much -- just concentrate on the input, listen and read as much as you can and you will see that your subconscious mind picks up new phrases constantly. The more language you put into your head, the easier it will become for you to produce output.
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| To be honest... one of the reasons i come to this website... this forum, is to hear other people talk about their experiences... how they find pimsleur, how they learnt a new language... techniques, methods etc... i like to hear that people have worked hard, and become fleunt... hearing that i think is the biggest way to boost my confidence... because if others can do it, why cant i? Its just about work ethic then. And other stories can inspire me to work harder... its great to hear. |
I think a language is just a habit. And to change your habits or establish new ones, you need the support of other people. You need somebody you can talk to and exchange experiences. Otherwise it's much harder to keep the learning process going. So, I'm glad you have found our website and I look forward to talking to you on a regular basis.
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| I guess my main exposure is simply tv... and movies... its great... i large variety of movies with locations etc... it just gives me an ear for an accent. I do know a few irishmen down here... actually, there are a few irish pubs, and plenty of good people behind the bar. |
Speaking of TV and English accents -- what TV shows are there on Australian TV? I mean, here in Germany about 80% of all shows and films are American but 99% of them are dubbed which I find quite strange. Why not show those films in the original version and put subtitles on? What do you think about this? (we had a discussion about this question here: Dubbed version of American movies?)
Talk to you soon,
Torsten
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Torsten
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| #17 (permalink) Fri Jun 02, 2006 15:44 pm How learn language with pimsleur |
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Hi Torsten
I couldnt agree with you more! To build up your own opinions from your own experiences is so important. And yes, being able to know the language brings you to a more intimate position. To learn cultures and traditions etc.
That is so interesting what you say... and i have heard it before... i think in one of the other posts, someone (could be you) was saying that even when asleep, you mind in still working, and subconciously you are still going through the new words/phrases etc. I do try to speak a bit every now and again, but not too much... you are right, learning through hearing and reading is the best way to progress... once that starts to take shape, the rest will follow a whole lot easier.
TV shows in Australia??? Well there is still a lot of American TV, coupled with Australian Drama shows... we dont get many foreign movies... we have one channel which shows foreign shows at night, so a french movie may be on on everage once every 3 nights... the french news (along with all the others) is on every weekday on this same channel. The french (or other language) movies arent dubbed, but have english subtitles.
Talk to you soon,
Michael |
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Heropsychodreamer
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 28 May 2006
Posts: 17
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| #18 (permalink) Fri Jun 02, 2006 18:09 pm How to learn French with pimsleur? |
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| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
Hi Torsten
I couldnt agree with you more! To build up your own opinions from your own experiences is so important. And yes, being able to know the language brings you to a more intimate position. To learn cultures and traditions etc. |
Exactly. I, too, have often fallen into the trap of transferring the experiences I had with one person onto an entire nation playing the generalization game. The solution really is to collect as much information about the other culture, mentality and traditions as possible. Also, based on experiences, language shouldn't be the purpose (unless you want to become a linguist) but rather serve as a means to achieve a purpose. I started learning Russian when I was 6 mainly because my father was a Russian teacher and my parents wanted me to be good at school. I always had good grades in Russian but it wasn't until I was 15 that I started learning the language in earnest. (because that's when I met a real Russian for the first time...)
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| That is so interesting what you say... and i have heard it before... i think in one of the other posts, someone (could be you) was saying that even when asleep, you mind in still working, and subconciously you are still going through the new words/phrases etc. I do try to speak a bit every now and again, but not too much... you are right, learning through hearing and reading is the best way to progress... once that starts to take shape, the rest will follow a whole lot easier. |
I think the psychologists call it the 'alpha-state of the mind'. This the phase you are in when shortly you after you wake up, you are not really awake yet, but the subconscious section of your brain is already absorbing information. So, when you develop the habit of putting new words into your head right after you wake up, you will expand your vocabulary faster. As a matter of fact, the subconscious mind is the most powerful part of the brain when it comes to storing new words in your mind. Have you ever tried to have Pimsleur or another tape play in the background while you are doing something else? Even (or especially) when you don't concentrate on the tape, the words will go into your head. That's how you learned your mother tongue. You were not aware of the fact that English was spoken 24 hours around you. The language was just there -- you were constantly surrouned by English. If you gradually change your language environment from English to French, your mind will absorb the French vocabulary as it absorbed the English vocabulary....
Speaking of French vocabulary -- I was driving today morning to the city of Jena and I have lots of tapes in my car. One of them is Let Be Must The Queen (strange title!) by Guesch Patti. I listened to some of the songs which I like quite a lot and I thought about our conversation. Do you know Guesch Patti? What do you think of her music?
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| TV shows in Australia??? Well there is still a lot of American TV, coupled with Australian Drama shows... we dont get many foreign movies... we have one channel which shows foreign shows at night, so a french movie may be on on everage once every 3 nights... the french news (along with all the others) is on every weekday on this same channel. The french (or other language) movies arent dubbed, but have english subtitles. |
So, the Germans seem to be one of the few nations that dub almost every single film, movie or interview. We spend so much tax money on teaching our children English at state school and then we don't even trust them to understand a cartoon...
So, if you watch of a lot of US TV shows, you must be pretty familar with American idioms and slang. What about Aussie lingo? Are there any specific Australian phrases that only you would understand?
Have a good weekend and speak to you soon,
Torsten
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Torsten
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| #19 (permalink) Sun Jun 04, 2006 7:29 am How to learn French with pimsleur? |
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Hi Torsten
For me, growing up, i never wanted to learn another language... it was never a big deal for me, and not a big deal as an Australian... so i believe. I learnt a bit of Italian and Japanese during my school days, but never really got into it... and i never made an effort to learn Polish off my family. I do regret it now, i could be 1 or 2 langauges up already  But better late than never... i've got a long life ahead of me, so we'll see how it goes. I guess growing and having the potential to travel in europe etc, helps me to understand the benefit in knowing the language... because to know the language, i reckon that culture would go hand in hand. I'm learning a bit about french culture inadvertantly... but am enjoying that!
I will try to do some French Study in the morning... though i can make no promises... this will be a challange for me, as i'm a grumpy morning person... haha... i prefer to sit and watch TV! I'm a real good night studier, but will give it a go! Maybe for me it can be a simple thing like learning a short list of words in the morning. I will give anything a try! I havent tried putting something on in the background either, though i'm getting some french music and maybe that could be a new thing.
I dont know Guesch Patti? I've never really heard much french music, if any... but will make an effort to try and start.
I am fimiliar with American slang... and yes, there is certainly a lot of Aussie lingo that the english or americans wouldnt understand.
Funny thing... i'm watching more and more american movies in french now... and i am starting to understand a fair bit of what they are saying... i am not using sub titles so i can purely focus on the words. But watching a proper french movie on out international movie channel, i didnt understand much at all. Like i dont think they spoke much faster, but i just didnt understand a lot of the words... that was surprising... maybe i will grandually pick up more in time!?
Anyway, best to be off
Talk soon
Michael |
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Heropsychodreamer
I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 28 May 2006
Posts: 17
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| #20 (permalink) Thu Jun 08, 2006 11:53 am Aussie lingo |
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| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| For me, growing up, i never wanted to learn another language... it was never a big deal for me, and not a big deal as an Australian... so i believe. I learnt a bit of Italian and Japanese during my school days, but never really got into it... and i never made an effort to learn Polish off my family. I do regret it now, i could be 1 or 2 langauges up already But better late than never... i've got a long life ahead of me, so we'll see how it goes. I guess growing and having the potential to travel in europe etc, helps me to understand the benefit in knowing the language... because to know the language, i reckon that culture would go hand in hand. I'm learning a bit about french culture inadvertantly... but am enjoying that! |
You are absolutely right here, Michael. Learning a second or third language makes sense only if it serves a purpose. There are people who learn languages for the sake of the language itself. They want to study the structure and history of the language. Then, there are people who want to communicate with other people. They want to find answers to questions, maybe they want to advance in science and technology and most of the sources on that subject are written in a certain language. There can be lots of reasons why people would learn a second language and as you grow up your reasons change.
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| I will try to do some French Study in the morning... though i can make no promises... this will be a challange for me, as i'm a grumpy morning person... haha... i prefer to sit and watch TV! I'm a real good night studier, but will give it a go! Maybe for me it can be a simple thing like learning a short list of words in the morning. I will give anything a try! I havent tried putting something on in the background either, though i'm getting some french music and maybe that could be a new thing. |
So, is your French training program coming along? If you watch TV in the morning, why not watch a French show or film?
| Heropsychodreamer wrote: |
| I am fimiliar with American slang... and yes, there is certainly a lot of Aussie lingo that the english or americans wouldnt understand. |
Can you give us some examples of Aussie lingo? I'd be interested to see how our moderators and users respond to Australian slang and how much of it they might know...
By the way, have you taken a look at the other discussions that are going on here? What do you think about our Received Pronunciation?
Talk to you soon,
Torsten
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary |
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Torsten
Learning Coach
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 10059
Location: EU
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| Learn Spanish Courses in Spain | Pimsleur french graduate |
