I learnt my languages by standard book learning, school and or night classes - and then going there for a bit. Then going back to the books
I cannot get on with CD's and stuff. IMHO they are close to useless


Wife reckons the BBC courses as per that one are the best learn by yourself available

 

Wife reckons the BBC courses as per that one are the best learn by yourself available

cheers for that... will exhaust that first and then find something else

 

there's an online free resource for language learning thing that a friend pointed me to here

http://fsi-language-courses.org/Content.php

I must confess I've not really tried to use it, as it doesn't do Dutch or Welsh.

I think the main thing would be trying to get as much practice as you can, download spanish radio podcasts, or have a look at spanish newspapers, finding someone to try and speak with will probably help a lot too.

I believe Mr Thumbs is quite into Spanish, or at least his wife is (he may of course just keep her chained to a cooker and communicate mostly via grunting. this is pure speculation, and quite probably bears no realtion to reality :incheek

edit: i should really try to type a bit quicker.

 

You are just hoping I win you in the raffle aren't you

Yup she runs a big language school, teaches French, English and Spanish in whatever country she is not resident (smart arse woman) and is Spanish by stare..., attitude, and the mantilla also gives it away

 

I'm using Rosetta Stone for Italian which, after only a week, seems that a fair bit is sticking. I can say 'I bambini hanno biciclette' - all I need are some children and bicycles so that I can make use of this.

 

Non hai parenti italiano per caso? Ho visto che tifi L'Arsenal, come me, forse abiti a Londra nord? ...A little test for your Italian!:incheek:

 

CD in your car to work and from work, if not an hour a day (headphones), you'll have to find the time.

 

Cool, good idea... school run will soon add up.

 

Peelo, I have a complete Spanish course in mp3 format if you want a copy.

 

Cheers... brilliant

 

I did Italian on BBC cd's on the school run, I got enough to get by with on a few trips there. I learned the swearing elsewhere

 

seem to remember reading that you can learn in your sleep with tapes,and even play them at double speed as your brain will still recognise it all...could be bollocks but worth a punt if yer too busy in the day?

 

Its bollox, well never been proved to work, the military claimed to have some results though, but I've never seen any evidence for it.

 

I did French O-level in 1974. I can still hold a half-decent conversation with most Frenchies.

Just seems to have stuck in what's left of my cranial matter, and after a week back there it's really not bad.

 

I've learned a lot of German by spending time on German-language car forums... Because they talk about the same stuff it's relatively easy to pick up slang and words etc. I've spent a fair bit of time in Austria/Germany anyway over the years but it seems to work for me, just reading random real-world conversations between people seems easier to learn/follow than scripted tapes or in-depth news reports etc.

 

I went on holiday to Austria and Germany pretty much every year for a decade or more... learnt a fair bit myself.