learn a language in the car

learn a language in the car

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DudleySquires

Original Poster:

863 posts

233 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
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OH has started a new job recently that involves a lot of driving. She has also mentioned how she would like to learn a language. So I figured, what with xmas around the corner, it'd be a good opportunity to get some sort of language teaching CD for her to listen to while trundling along the motorway.

I've narrowed it down so far to Spanish Frnch or Italian (it's going to be a surprise present). Has anyone got any sort of experience with this sort of thing? Which product did you use and how did it go?

Ta smile

Truckosaurus

11,183 posts

283 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
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Many years ago I got the CD boxset of Michel Thomas' Learn French.

It started off ok, but by the 3rd disc it was complicated enough that I would lose track of what he was saying when you were concentrating on driving.

Maybe it would work if you were just driving down the motorway on autopilot yikes

dumfriesdave

384 posts

136 months

Thursday 11th December 2014
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Great idea.
When I was working as a taxi driver I had Michel Thomas Spanish cd in glovebox for long distance jobs.
Makes you look a bit of a plum talking to yourself going up n down the M6 though!

shakotan

10,679 posts

195 months

Thursday 11th December 2014
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Pimsleur Language Lessons worked for me when I wanted to learn Mandarin Chinese.

tobeee

1,436 posts

267 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Another vote here for Pimsleur.

897sma

3,347 posts

143 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Currently learning French with Michel Thomas in the car. Found it a really good way to learn. Learnt Spanish with him too. I agree that it seems more complex as you get to disc 4 onwards as some of the sentences get quite long but it encourages you to speak without thinking and translating first. I found myself listening to the same discs a couple off times before moving on, especially as you progress through, I also find that much more than 30 mins and I start to lose focus so it's better to do shorter sessions a couple of times a day rather than long ones.

furtive

4,498 posts

278 months

Friday 12th December 2014
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Have a look at the Coffee Break French podcast - I found that pretty good

Origin Unknown

2,293 posts

168 months

Wednesday 17th December 2014
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Truckosaurus said:
Many years ago I got the CD boxset of Michel Thomas' Learn French.

It started off ok, but by the 3rd disc it was complicated enough that I would lose track of what he was saying when you were concentrating on driving.

Maybe it would work if you were just driving down the motorway on autopilot yikes
My daily commute was 3 - 4 hours a day so I did exactly this. Same CD box set. Same outcome. I gave up in the end after a couple of near rear ends of cars in front.

That was mostly motorway driving too!