Comments on: Learning and Mastering a Second Language http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language provoking thought Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:42:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Susan Pham http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-7068 Susan Pham Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:04:51 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-7068 I've learned English for 8 years; however, my English level is just intermediate. I feel very sad and disappointed at myself. I lost my passion because I also have another thing to chase in my life. Yesterday, I took a speaking test, and failed quickly. My teacher commented that I do badly that day and he paid complement to other students. It seems not serious but let's imagine that you are majoring in English like me. How do you feel? I think you're right, learning a language don't require an intelligent brain; it requires passion and effort ( I'm happy to know that :D). I'm very stressed out; but after having read your blog now I feel better and I believe that one day I will be very very good at English, so I can travel around the world and speaking English like my mother tongue hehehe (I can't wait until that time :))). I will not be confused whenever chatting with foreigners and importantly I can understand another culture. Thank you for inspiring me! I hope that you will learn as many as language you can. ^^ I’ve learned English for 8 years; however, my English level is just intermediate. I feel very sad and disappointed at myself. I lost my passion because I also have another thing to chase in my life. Yesterday, I took a speaking test, and failed quickly. My teacher commented that I do badly that day and he paid complement to other students. It seems not serious but let’s imagine that you are majoring in English like me. How do you feel?
I think you’re right, learning a language don’t require an intelligent brain; it requires passion and effort ( I’m happy to know that :D ). I’m very stressed out; but after having read your blog now I feel better and I believe that one day I will be very very good at English, so I can travel around the world and speaking English like my mother tongue hehehe (I can’t wait until that time :) )). I will not be confused whenever chatting with foreigners and importantly I can understand another culture.
Thank you for inspiring me! I hope that you will learn as many as language you can. ^^

]]> By: francis http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-911 francis Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:46:32 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-911 I think passion is the think that drive you to learn in the first place I think passion is the think that drive you to learn in the first place

]]> By: **KL_Babe** http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-910 **KL_Babe** Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:22:23 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-910 "Apple, Ping Guo, Peng Gor, Epal, Sa gwa" Languange is something that we cannot finish learning... (due to the new slang created by the daily lives) Eg Korean languange has formal and informal pharases and also confusing.... “Apple, Ping Guo, Peng Gor, Epal, Sa gwa”

Languange is something that we cannot finish learning… (due to the new slang created by the daily lives) Eg Korean languange has formal and informal pharases and also confusing….

]]> By: kirin http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-871 kirin Thu, 08 May 2008 13:09:41 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-871 I'm glad I was part of people who inspired you :) In my case, learning a new language always requires a good reason & strong motivation. For English, I just didn't wanna forget it after long-years of studying in school. I also knew it is useful when I work, so I always try to improve it. As for Spanish, I needed it when I had an Mexican boyfriend, but after we broke up, there's no need to keep it up, and then I lost it almost completely by now. So I need "something" to start a new one, as my passion towards foreign language is not so much, perhaps... I’m glad I was part of people who inspired you :) In my case, learning a new language always requires a good reason & strong motivation. For English, I just didn’t wanna forget it after long-years of studying in school. I also knew it is useful when I work, so I always try to improve it. As for Spanish, I needed it when I had an Mexican boyfriend, but after we broke up, there’s no need to keep it up, and then I lost it almost completely by now. So I need “something” to start a new one, as my passion towards foreign language is not so much, perhaps…

]]> By: Kandeski http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-909 Kandeski Sun, 04 May 2008 11:29:29 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-909 Interesting. I have been enjoying learning languages and am glad to see your encouraging post. Keep up the good work and best of luck on your HSK (if you are still working on it). Interesting. I have been enjoying learning languages and am glad to see your encouraging post. Keep up the good work and best of luck on your HSK (if you are still working on it).

]]> By: Sigg3 http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-908 Sigg3 Fri, 02 May 2008 11:51:42 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-908 My uncle was married to a Finnish girl, and when they argued it was in Finnish (very hard, lots of consonants). Funny thing was their kid took up this practice as well, so he scared the shit out of everyone in kindergarten when he got excited:) Because his parents were adults he believed (I guess) that Finnish was a language for adults.. I never could say was he was saying but it was amusing to play along and watch the confusion unfold:) My uncle was married to a Finnish girl, and when they argued it was in Finnish (very hard, lots of consonants).
Funny thing was their kid took up this practice as well, so he scared the shit out of everyone in kindergarten when he got excited:)
Because his parents were adults he believed (I guess) that Finnish was a language for adults.. I never could say was he was saying but it was amusing to play along and watch the confusion unfold:)

]]> By: Sigg3 http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-907 Sigg3 Fri, 02 May 2008 11:46:22 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-907 This may be off-topic with regards to the SEA languages you mentioned, but after seeing movies from different East Asian countries I can tell the difference between some of them just by listening. I'm not able to distinguish words from each other of course, but by tone and pronunciation the different languages demarcates themselves from the others. <strong>The question remains: are ALL Asian women sexy, or is it only a cultivated few of particular countries?</strong> Now <em>there's</em> a question we should ask the internets. This may be off-topic with regards to the SEA languages you mentioned, but after seeing movies from different East Asian countries I can tell the difference between some of them just by listening. I’m not able to distinguish words from each other of course, but by tone and pronunciation the different languages demarcates themselves from the others.

The question remains: are ALL Asian women sexy, or is it only a cultivated few of particular countries?
Now there’s a question we should ask the internets.

]]> By: Ivy http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-906 Ivy Thu, 01 May 2008 14:31:44 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-906 Well, natural talent is always helpful in any field. Some people will be born with a talent to hear and mimic sounds better than others. This 'talent' will be crucial for learning languages like Chinese where different are intonations have different meaning. Those who cannot differentiate the sounds will have a hard time learning the language. It's not impossible, they just have to work harder. I'm lucky to be one of those who can imitate accents. It might because I'm musically inclined. Not sure about Turkish, but Arabic is one of the hardest languages to learn. Learning a new script with an entirely different set of grammatical rules can be very challenging. But it's good once you get it. It'll help with learning new languages more easily. Somehow, after learning many languages, I don't find myself 'memorizing' languages anymore, but just 'understanding' them. I don't really know how to explain this, but as a language learner, I hope you get what I mean. :) Well, natural talent is always helpful in any field. Some people will be born with a talent to hear and mimic sounds better than others. This ‘talent’ will be crucial for learning languages like Chinese where different are intonations have different meaning. Those who cannot differentiate the sounds will have a hard time learning the language. It’s not impossible, they just have to work harder.

I’m lucky to be one of those who can imitate accents. It might because I’m musically inclined.

Not sure about Turkish, but Arabic is one of the hardest languages to learn. Learning a new script with an entirely different set of grammatical rules can be very challenging. But it’s good once you get it. It’ll help with learning new languages more easily.

Somehow, after learning many languages, I don’t find myself ‘memorizing’ languages anymore, but just ‘understanding’ them. I don’t really know how to explain this, but as a language learner, I hope you get what I mean. :)

]]> By: Peng http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-905 Peng Thu, 01 May 2008 05:44:13 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-905 Hahaha, "Apple, Ping Guo, Peng Gor" So cute. Hahaha, “Apple, Ping Guo, Peng Gor” So cute.

]]> By: Mari http://nanyate.com/culture/learning-and-mastering-a-new-language#comment-904 Mari Thu, 01 May 2008 03:27:54 +0000 http://nanyate.com/?p=203#comment-904 I happen to be of the camp that sometimes it's easier for people to learn languages than others, but mostly it's a state of mind sort of thing. Sort of "If you believe you can, you will" rather than thinking some people are more naturally talented than others. I speak moron fluently, and dabble in French and Japanese. I took French for 2 years in high school, and recently lost all my ability to converse in it at all through ceasing of practicing, though I can still read it a little. I've been slowly, without ever taking a class, learning Japanese for the past 6 years. Basically, I've been practicing daily through constant exposure (set all the language preferences I can to JP and listen to J-pop and whatnot), and I probably couldn't manage anything past saying hi. You know, the way you used to say things as a kid, sounds like a good idea for me to try 'coz I'm trying to keep hold of English and learn two other languages myself... The Chinese characters in your post at language diary make my brain explode. I happen to be of the camp that sometimes it’s easier for people to learn languages than others, but mostly it’s a state of mind sort of thing. Sort of “If you believe you can, you will” rather than thinking some people are more naturally talented than others.

I speak moron fluently, and dabble in French and Japanese. I took French for 2 years in high school, and recently lost all my ability to converse in it at all through ceasing of practicing, though I can still read it a little. I’ve been slowly, without ever taking a class, learning Japanese for the past 6 years. Basically, I’ve been practicing daily through constant exposure (set all the language preferences I can to JP and listen to J-pop and whatnot), and I probably couldn’t manage anything past saying hi.

You know, the way you used to say things as a kid, sounds like a good idea for me to try ‘coz I’m trying to keep hold of English and learn two other languages myself…

The Chinese characters in your post at language diary make my brain explode.

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