teaching yourself a language, what else?

[Nicol@]

I am teaching myself a language (not a mainstream one) and am still at the early stages. It is purely for 'fun'.

All I am doing is memorising words (I am not advanced enough for phrases yet) and my learning speed seems to be slowing down, not helped by a big break.

What else can I do to learn the language that is not just memorising and repeating to my computer.

College course is not an option for me.
I am using Byki and have just found Livemocha from another language thread.

If you have taught yourself, what methods have you used?

[digger_R]

talk to people who speak the language as their first language, travel in a country where they speak ut, live in a country where they speak it

[condor]

Get childrens' books for the language you want to learn.
That's how they start learning

[pembo]

I listen to music all day at work and I've added a 'learn chinese' cd to the playlist so I occasionally get a track that teaches me random bits.

A lot of times I don't notice it's on but now it's been on there a while I find myself talking along with it in my head (sometimes aloud) and seem to be remember it along the same was as you pick up the words in a song.

If I ever go back it might come in useful I guess

[AndyAudi]

I've had audio tapes & CD's for the car.
(I used to be sitting in traffic a lot)

[evenflow]

I'm learning a language "for fun" too. I have changed the language settings on sites I use (where possible) such as Google, Facebook etc. Teaches you words here and there.

[Adenauer]

digger_R said:

talk to people who speak the language as their first language, travel in a country where they speak ut, live in a country where they speak it

This^^

I did exactly that and it took me about 3 months to learn to speak German, and about a year to be able to read and write it. Also, as I learnt it, on the street, as it were, I also picked up the local dialect, and hence Germans now think I'm a German, from the Eifel. And not someone who sounds like they learnt it from a book.

[digger_R]

I also learn German that way though it took me a little longer along with night classes. Picked up Spanish in South/Central America so much most of my Spanish friends assumed I was Mexican when I met them. Dutch requires a little more effort as nearly everyone here speaks excellent English

[Nicol@]

A few ideas there, thanks,

[mrh1275]

watch a dvd in that language with uk subtitles

[tobeee]

Repetition is a standard tool, and the basis for most children learning. My Chinese wife is teaching our 18month old son Mandarin this way. When you get older though, you develop different learning methods that work best for you (visuals, repetition etc.) so don't assume that a CD course is best for you. Ideally you should take the few words you're earing each day, and put them into sentences. Personally I find that approach really boring, but it does help you to retain the information. When I was learning French years ago, I used to write diaries for days out or holidays. More recently, when learning Chinese, I've spent more time on repetition, as the tones are so important.

That probably didn't help you at all!

[jeff m]

tobeee said:

Repetition is a standard tool, and the basis for most children learning. My Chinese wife is teaching our 18month old son Mandarin this way. When you get older though, you develop different learning methods that work best for you (visuals, repetition etc.) so don't assume that a CD course is best for you. Ideally you should take the few words you're earing each day, and put them into sentences. Personally I find that approach really boring, but it does help you to retain the information. When I was learning French years ago, I used to write diaries for days out or holidays. More recently, when learning Chinese, I've spent more time on repetition, as the tones are so important.

That probably didn't help you at all!

I think that helps a lot, if it doesn't sound right they may not even realise you are speaking their language

Pesonally, I learn language in stages.
Food and drink
Money and how to order muliple items.
Then move on to things like.....
Wow, you have a wonderful body
Do any of your brothers own guns.

[evenflow]

[Nicol@]

tobeee said:

Repetition is a standard tool

Yes, just boring (I must be more patient)