Learning a New Language in the Car
Discussion
Has anyone successfully done this?
I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
Edited by CustardOnChips on Thursday 16th May 13:28
CustardOnChips said:
Has anyone successfully done this?
I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
I think you are wasting your time unless you back it up with evening classes. Language is all about interaction which you require other people for. Great way to meet people too...I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
Edited by CustardOnChips on Thursday 16th May 13:28
CustardOnChips said:
Has anyone successfully done this?
I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
In my experience, it's not useful as you have to give driving or learning your full attention.I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
Edited by CustardOnChips on Thursday 16th May 13:28
Meaning either you'd focus on learning and stop paying attention to the road or you'd focus on the road and continually miss things in the lessons.
I'm the latter, so I was forever rewinding which was just distracting me further, so I gave up.
I used the Michel Thomas program and Pimsleur Speak and Read.
I've been learning Portuguese using an audio course I purchased from Audible. I play it through my CarPlay to and from work so I get about an hour total a day which is enough for me. Any more and my head will explode.
I think it's great way to do it....It doesn't interfere with my home or social life. It's making dead time productive.
I think it's great way to do it....It doesn't interfere with my home or social life. It's making dead time productive.
CustardOnChips said:
Has anyone successfully done this?
Bonjour Monsieur Creme Anglais sur Frites.I attempted to improve my French using CDs when I had a lengthy commute. As a previous poster has said it is difficult to concentrate hard enough when you are trying to actually drive. You'd miss something and have to go back to the start of the track (perhaps 10 minutes earlier) and try again.
It might be easier these days if you are streaming the content from your phone and can just jump back 30 seconds...
100SRV said:
CustardOnChips said:
Has anyone successfully done this?
I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
I think you are wasting your time unless you back it up with evening classes. Language is all about interaction which you require other people for. Great way to meet people too...I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
Edited by CustardOnChips on Thursday 16th May 13:28
Mi aerodeslizador está lleno de anguilas
Edited by 98elise on Friday 17th May 07:13
Not wasting your time at all. CD's are nothing from the library or less than £10 online, so give it a go.
It might not make you fluent but will certainly give you enough to say hello, ask for a beer, and say you'll have the one dressed as a nurse.
Guessing it is just you in the car so no issue repeating stuff out loud, which will get you used to speaking.
I have never found it distracting but my commute is mostly motorway. Only issue is sometimes after a day at work it feels like more work.
It might not make you fluent but will certainly give you enough to say hello, ask for a beer, and say you'll have the one dressed as a nurse.
Guessing it is just you in the car so no issue repeating stuff out loud, which will get you used to speaking.
I have never found it distracting but my commute is mostly motorway. Only issue is sometimes after a day at work it feels like more work.
CustardOnChips said:
Has anyone successfully done this?
I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
I tried Pimsleur for Italian not so long ago. I didn't much enjoy it and didn't learn a great deal. As other's have said, driving absorbs a lot of concentration and it's not easy to rewind a few sentences when you want to. The course was a gift that was probably very expensive; I sold it on Ebay for £1.I'm now doing 3 hours a day on my own in the car. I'm listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks.
I was thinking of trying to learn something like Spanish.
So if anyone has had any success, which audiobooks did you use.
Or am I wasting my effort.
Cheers
Edited by CustardOnChips on Thursday 16th May 13:28
Rawwr said:
I'm struggling to believe that learning a language whilst driving a car isn't a tiny bit distracting.
This. I tried it and gave it up very, very quickly.
As much as I never tried it, I've heard listening to audio books for language as you go to bed is good. Apparently you can still hear it when asleep, so subconsciously pick it up.
Rosetta Stone. Deutsch
Bought it used from eBay with the headset for £100 (RRP is significantly more!)
Only did it for a few months. Roughly an hour a night 4 or 5 times a week.
But it stuck. I'm far from fluent. But it can come back at times. (Helps that I work for a German company so see the language written often) When in Berlin, back when I learnt it. The checkout girl wrongly assumed I was fluent so asked me "haben Sie kaisers karten".
Which inevitably wasn't something the RS course taught.
But for some reason I managed to work it out quite quickly.
"enshuldigung nein"
So I'm pleased to recommend it. I really should go back and use it a bit more.
Bought it used from eBay with the headset for £100 (RRP is significantly more!)
Only did it for a few months. Roughly an hour a night 4 or 5 times a week.
But it stuck. I'm far from fluent. But it can come back at times. (Helps that I work for a German company so see the language written often) When in Berlin, back when I learnt it. The checkout girl wrongly assumed I was fluent so asked me "haben Sie kaisers karten".
Which inevitably wasn't something the RS course taught.
But for some reason I managed to work it out quite quickly. "enshuldigung nein"
So I'm pleased to recommend it. I really should go back and use it a bit more.
Oilchange said:
I've been doing Duolingo (Portuguese but annoyingly the Brazilian version)) for about 18 months. I think it's essential to have someone to speak to in the language otherwise it will be a slow process. Plus duolingo requires a lot of typing!
Duolingo realty doesn't work in the car...I use Duolingo and whilst I am sure I am learning SOMETHING, it is VERY repetitive. "The fly is on the sugar" ... "your cake is not sweet"..."Mandy, 26, from Doncaster is horny and wants you now"...
I speak 4 languages fluently.
German and Italian l learnt in adulthood.
In my experience motivation and getting a really good teacher are the keys. I had to learn Italian because I moved there; likewise German.
Whilst a teach-yourself CD in the car isn’t going to do you any harm (unless you crash) it needs to be part of a multi faceted approach to learning the language for best results.
HTH
German and Italian l learnt in adulthood.
In my experience motivation and getting a really good teacher are the keys. I had to learn Italian because I moved there; likewise German.
Whilst a teach-yourself CD in the car isn’t going to do you any harm (unless you crash) it needs to be part of a multi faceted approach to learning the language for best results.
HTH
Barchettaman said:
I speak 4 languages fluently.
German and Italian l learnt in adulthood.
In my experience motivation and getting a really good teacher are the keys. I had to learn Italian because I moved there; likewise German.
Whilst a teach-yourself CD in the car isn’t going to do you any harm (unless you crash) it needs to be part of a multi faceted approach to learning the language for best results.
HTH
Do you think it's possible to learn a language fluently without living in a country where they speak that language?German and Italian l learnt in adulthood.
In my experience motivation and getting a really good teacher are the keys. I had to learn Italian because I moved there; likewise German.
Whilst a teach-yourself CD in the car isn’t going to do you any harm (unless you crash) it needs to be part of a multi faceted approach to learning the language for best results.
HTH
Thanks all.
I wasn't looking to become fluent, just have enough knowledge to do better than get by and look like I've made an effort.
I was thinking of using Audible so going back or repeating sections would be easy enough.
Will give it some thought. Don't want to waste my precious credits
I wasn't looking to become fluent, just have enough knowledge to do better than get by and look like I've made an effort.
I was thinking of using Audible so going back or repeating sections would be easy enough.
Will give it some thought. Don't want to waste my precious credits
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