Multi-linguists?

[Chris]

Are there any multi-linguists here? I've always been interested in learning another language - well, more specifically swedish. Don't know why. I've attempted a few times in the past but I haven't stuck with it and just forget everything fairly quickly it seems. Is anybody here fluent in several languages? Any tips on learning as an adult? How did you do it?

Cheers.

 

[krisi]

I love learning languages, though at this point, English and American Sign Language are the only two I am able to use expressively. Receptively, I understand Japanese, French, and Spanish as well. If I hear one of these enough, I'll start to have an expressive vocabulary in it again (I used to have a fairly good expressive vocabulary in each of these, though I certainly do not claim fluency).

At this point in your life, it's very likely that you will always have an accent in whatever other languages you learn, but that doesn't mean that you can't learn these other languages. In fact, I have a hypothesis that aspies may have longer-lasting neuroplasticity (which would allow for easier second-language acquisition) than NT's, but don't take that as fact.

One way to learn a new language without taking a class with direct instruction would be to use indirect stimulation. This lays neural pathways in your brain to prepare you to use the language. In the early stages of your language learning, one way of doing this is by watching movies in the language you are trying to learn. Basically it is exposure to the language structure and sounds without you producing any of the language. Later on, you will want some more focused instruction, because you really can't learn a language just by watching movies in that language. If you can find someone who speaks the language well, try having them do something called "focused stimulation" with you. This really just means that they talk about the things around you in simple sentences. For example, you're eating dinner together and the person says what would translate to: "Milk. You are drinking milk. The milk is in the cup. Did the milk taste good? A fork. Potatoes on the fork. You are chewing your potatoes." It sounds silly, but that kind of focused attention and repetition is what facilitates language learning. It's a way of expanding your vocabulary. Another thing that you can do with this person who already speaks the language is have them read children's books to you in that language. As you learn, you will also be able to read the books, and being able to read is what really makes someone's second (or third) language expand into being functional--you'll be able to infer new vocabulary via context cues and learn new sentence structures from exposure.

This kind of language learning is closer to how children learn their first language than direct instruction would be.

 

[Chris]

Thanks for the detailed response. Hopefully it will turn out to be very useful.

 

[Dani Evar]

Förlåt, talar du svenska? Jag förstår inte. :showoff:

Kidding, I strongly guess I'm multi-lingual (at least quadri-lingual). For sure, English is a second language, somewhat highly forced on me in the world and on the internet LOL ^_^. But, there's always beauty in any language, of which I can be a voluntary speaker. Not really, it's the human that's capable of manifesting the beauty of a certain language. The intrinsic value is there, in the personality, in the conscious mind.

Language in itself is interesting in that it is one of the first things (with great spontaneity) someone does after and while simply 'existing'. Its careful analysis can seem trivial to many, but that's the red crux of cognition.

In Artificial Intelligence, we're still trying to make a computer understand more advanced forms of primitive language by extending the neurocircuitry, without necessarily physically (neuroanatomically) enlarging it. Can cognition be emergent? (You know the multi-layered answer.) So what is with the human brain? There's no guarantee that a computerized brain merely as huge as the Milky Way will enable itself to 'understand' and 'feel' (especially that it exists).

How is a machine said to understand Krisi's 'you are chewing your potatoes', if it does not know or feel that it exists in the first place? Consciousness is that exciting gap. With kids, we already have it, at least in small lumps, so thank life ^_^.

There's a singular exception, as always, such as in the movie 'Black' (based on a true story). The kid is blind, deaf, and autistic since birth (imagine the level of frustration of her family?). Her mostly failed communication takes place in terms of touch. Despite everything, it is obvious that she is going through incremental cognitive development, but in a way little understood by experts and lay people alike. It takes a very special tutor to penetrate into her labyrinth of pungent darkness and extraterrestrial silence, with both fury and tenderness, and speak with her, as she gradually responds to him in her own beautiful, unpredictable way.

This eccentric, maverick teacher has given up his position at an elementary school (or was fired from it) just to passionately tutor her. He sees her as his life's most authentic goal. The two are even married now, with the girl having graduated from college (he was there beside her, through classes and almost everything, especially as a cognitive bridge between her and her teachers; this until she could decidedly stand on her own, on her own initiative).

 

[Chris]

Interesting information, Evar. Any direct tips on how you've mastered multiple languages?

 

[Dani Evar]

Personally, not really, Chris. I was a very slow verbal learner myself. I was generally retarded in language acquisition. But I grew up in a multi-lingual environment, and when I hit the threshold of that (retardation) like at age 7 or 8, I could somehow unravel what I'd unconsciously 'learned' (by passive hearing) back then.

But, as a very young kid (aged 2-9), I guess you can learn so many languages at once with great reflexive neuroflexibility. No exact measure yet for linguistic petals, especially in infants.

As for an adult, maybe it only takes passion to be able to learn/master any new language, especially a European one. (I cannot guarantee the same for Vietnamese/Chinese/Korean/Japanese.)

Interesting information, Evar. Any direct tips on how you've mastered multiple languages?

 

[Chris]

Ah right, okay, thanks.

I've used programs in the past for vocab where it's basically a 'flash card' kind of system. Works well for learning vocab, i remember learning how to read english as an infant that way but grammar can still pose a problem. Slang is also fairly difficult when trying to immerse myself in a foreign forum...

 

[Dani Evar]

That's cool. I guess you can help countless others learn the same way too. Language is often like some kind of aged cultural deposit stored in your memory bank. No matter how slow you learn it, as an infant, you'll most likely reach the point of natural acquisition. It happened to me with English too, I guess I had an Irish presence in the house ^_^.

Ah right, okay, thanks.

I've used programs in the past for vocab where it's basically a 'flash card' kind of system. Works well for learning vocab, i remember learning how to read english as an infant that way but grammar can still pose a problem. Slang is also fairly difficult when trying to immerse myself in a foreign forum...

 

[Dani Evar]

I was quite familiar with Gaelic and Welsh too. Weird.

 

[Emor]

That is weird Evar.
You probably have the widest English vocabulary here too, rofl.
EMZ=]

 

[Chris]

Yeah your vocab is pretty speciallist. Had to look up a few words because of your posts. :lol:

 

[Dani Evar]

LOL the vocab thing is nothing but small pieces of gravel, or simply just an omnivorous kind. I'm bored (with myself) when it's overdue as well. I'm very rarely verbal, except when manic (!) like this, especially in the most unlikely place. :ball:

 

[Ruby_Aspergic]

Yo hablo español, más o menos. Yo estudio a la universidad. No me gusta, pero tengo que estudiar la lengua para mi título universitario.

 

[Chris]

LOL the vocab thing is nothing but small pieces of gravel, or simply just an omnivorous kind. I'm bored (with myself) when it's overdue as well. I'm very rarely verbal, except when manic (!) like this, especially in the most unlikely place. :ball:

Evar, how old are you? Lol.

 

[Dani Evar]

Mentally, like 92, but physically, like 17 (no, 22, actually) LoL.

Evar, how old are you? Lol.

 

[Chris]

Lmao. It's rare I can read one of your posts without looking something up. <_<

 

[142857]

I've lived in Indonesia for a total of about 5 years now. And despite it having probably the easiest language in the world to pick up (the national language is basically a trading language, so very simple) I cannot really hold even a simple conversation in it. Although I have picked up a fair few words here and there, and I can give directions to taxi drivers, order food, and go shopping. I've travelled a lot but never managed to become even remotely fluent in any language other than English. I see a lot of people who are not particularly intelligent just picking up a language as they go along. I wish I could.

Thailand was the worst. Pronunciation was more important than knowing the words. Taxi drivers could understand me better when I was drunk than sober, so I got into the habit of giving directions to taxi drivers in a kind of drunken slur. I worked in a place called "Rat Burana", but if you said that you just got a blank stare. You had to say it like "Labewlahrna". Slovenian is a very difficult language to learn, but at least I found that once you knew the word for something then people could understand what you were saying.

 

[Chris]

Heh, interesting. I think I'd be fine in Indonesia then, I mumble words a lot. Lol.

 

[KenG]

Is anybody here fluent in several languages?

Shtey safot ze gam nechshav? O shetsarich lefachot shalosh kdey lehechashev lerav leshoni?

 

[kurgen]

Nah only English or Dutch over here (fluently), some German, French and Spanish pieces...German is very similar to Dutch....slitzulaufen jah! Das gibt doch nicht man!

@Ruby, me no hablo español señorita...

I am always trying to learn more