Language Study

[Adrock 0]

I have a question for all those who have attempted some sort of intensive language study. I enjoy the language (Greek) and spend 5 hours per day in classroom instruction, but have a hard time studying at night.

I do the assigned homework and make flashcards for vocabulary. I talk to myself while walking around the house (yes it sounds funny but I think it works) and listen to Greek music.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for things that worked for them while studying any language? Thanks!

Addie

[NWFlyer 2]

This may be a little more difficult for Greek than for Spanish, but when I was taking Spanish classes, I would read articles on ESPN Deportes. Usually I'd read writeups of Mariners games - I figured "I know the basic story, so it should be easier for me to read/translate." It was a subject that interested me, so I would go to the trouble to read and look up words I didn't know or understand.

Maybe you can find some online newspapers or magazines?

If all else fails, go out for Greek food a lot. That's never a bad thing (I lived there for 3 years as a kid and still have very fond memories of the food and wish I could find anything close to authentic here).

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Acensky 0]

When I was learning German and Russian I would watch movies, and if they had subtitles I would put those on english the first few times. That helps a lot.

Heather.

Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

[Adrock 0]

Thanks for the suggestions! I try and do both, and I watch the Greek news almost every day (too bad there's no option for subtitles on there).

Anyone else? I need serious help, especially when it comes to verb conjugations!

[windcatcher 0]

when I was getting really interested in Spanish, my teacher gave me some kids magazines to read. Try and get some children's books to read, or pop in a cd of children's songs in the language. I can still remember some of the songs from a Spanish cd I listened to.

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[weegegirl 2]

Turn off dropzone.com. There's a starter! Good luck on your test tomorrow!

[Adrock 0]

Quote

Turn off dropzone.com. There's a starter! Good luck on your test tomorrow!

Yeah, tell me about it. Posting about language was an attempt to justify time spent on dz.com. Guess you saw right through it, huh!

Thanks for the luck, I'll definitely need it!

[weegegirl 2]

Well, I just finished working a very loooooong 12 hour day. Mondays should NEVER be that long! So do your work... study hard... and you and I are going out drinkin this week!

[Lindsey 0]

I read The Three Musketeers and a couple other novels in French years ago. Now all I can say in French is "green beans" and a few phrases that stuck in my psyche. I lived in German House in college, where we only spoke German. I remember more German than French, but 15 years later, my German's pretty rough. At the time, I was pretty fluent though.... Either way, USE the language and you'll learn it!

linz

Quote

I have a question for all those who have attempted some sort of intensive language study. I enjoy the language (Greek) and spend 5 hours per day in classroom instruction, but have a hard time studying at night.

I do the assigned homework and make flashcards for vocabulary. I talk to myself while walking around the house (yes it sounds funny but I think it works) and listen to Greek music.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for things that worked for them while studying any language? Thanks!

Addie

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[coconutmonkey 0]

Another thing is trying to translate music lyrics on the radio and just about anything else you're listening to at the time. Helps you identify the words you want to know when you hit a roadblock and the music adds a second memory path for the word.

Hearts & Minds
2 to the Heart-
1 to the Mind-
Home of the Coconut Lounge, Spa, & Artillery Range

[kansasskydiver 0]

Addie when I learned portuguese it was a do or die situtation. Though it was still hard. The ONLY way you're really going to learn the language is to speak it, listen to it, dream it. You're not going to learn from the books. A perfect example is children. They can talk and associate words with things YEARS before they can read or write.

I think you're doing fine. See if you can pick up someone on msn or yahoo to talk to you. Once you get back from your trip it'll make more sense. That's honestly the only advice I can give you and remember I used to teach English when I was in Brazil. Until you submerge yourself in the language, it doesn't matter how much you study, you still hear english the rest of the day.

Music and the news is a good way to start. Just fill yourself with it and the first time you dream in greek, you'll know you've got it cause your mind it thinking and not translating.

Ate mais lindinha

Chris

<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist!

[wingnut 0]

i always fondi smke much better german while drunk.. maybe yo shold have a beer..... wheni lived in germany i foundit was helpfull to listen to conversations and aslo try it have conversations... they normally ended upin english as they found it muchles trouble for themto talkin english to me but it helped.... 3 yearsin high schooland two years livingin germany and i managed to test for 12 credits of german in college... stillreally bad at gramer and my vocabulary sucks, but i an get acros whati need to say and understand alot more than i can say... i found it fun to watch movies and tv in the language...... and i havn't doneit ina while fromlackof time , but i also found it funn to read the german forum on here.... so likesomeone else said go find a forum some whee that is in greek... i bet there is a skydiving one out there some where!!!

and good luck on you language learning.... but as i guess no one has said yet.... "it's all greek to me..."

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

[ypelchat 0]

I think it's a very good idea to learn as many languages as we can.

Learning two or more languages, will certainly help you to get a better paying job, and will give you an edge over other applicants for the same job.

I was born in Canada, but my parents moved to Vermont when I was a child (that was 37 years ago.... ....), and I've lived there for 5 years (Age 5 to 10). Both of my parents spoke french at home at the time, but I spoke english at school and with my buddies... So, for some time, I was neither good in english, or french...

These days, my english is not as good as it was when I was living in the U.S. But I'm trying to practice it as much as I can. French is NOT an easy language to master, but it remains a beautiful language to learn.

Many of my childhood buddies still live in Vermont these days... And we get together as often as we can.

Yves.

[SBS 0]

This is sort of strange, but taking a break is a good idea, I find. When you are learning something so intensively, and you have new information thrown at you everyday, it can be overwhelming, and you don't get a real chance for the information that you already know to sink in. Don't know if that's an option or not.

I try not to find english equivalents in language. I find that it is too much of a crutch, and slows down fluency. Instead of translating, focus on only the language that you are learning. Focus on understanding without having to translate into english. For example, if someone says the word for door, don't think about the word door, think of a door. Force yourself to keep from using english for understanding.

Good luck.

Steve

_____________
I'm not conceited...I'm just realistic about my awesomeness...