Poll of the Day > Learning languages is cool

(+) Yeah! (+)

It's like unlocking an upgrade that gives you access to irl Expansion DLC

You're not kidding. I just recently started teaching myself Korean. I'm still very much a beginner, but I'm still blown away by how I can now read and pronounce words in a language that looked like complete gibberish to me not that long ago. It almost feels like a learned superpower.

The beginning stages where you're just absorbing everything really is encouraging when you look back on how little you knew before. It's really cool listening to songs again that I haven't heard in years and think, "yeah, these are words, not just noises"

It opens up more opportunities for communication.

I'm trying to learn Spanish passively through work after barely getting through HS Spanish. I know the kitchen Spanish and can get through a greeting but most of the time I barely understand it. I should try harder because I love etymology but man, it's hard.

I learned a bit of welsh just to annoy people knowing there 99% chance they won't know what I'm saying lol
even the welsh use English

when people don't use English round me I'll use welsh with a few friends knowing they have a clue what's been said

VideoboysaysCube posted...

You're not kidding. I just recently started teaching myself Korean. I'm still very much a beginner, but I'm still blown away by how I can now read and pronounce words in a language that looked like complete gibberish to me not that long ago. It almost feels like a learned superpower.

I've been very casually learning Japanese for a year and a half now, but I'm getting a little bored. I've been thinking about taking a week of Korean study just so I can finally read their written system, even if I can't understand the words anyway.

I agree

My wife used to teach spanish and is fluent in it. I'll just use her if I'm in a situation where I need it.

Seriously. If I had a superpower, speaking/reading all languages would definitely up there in the ones I would pick.

dj1200 posted...

Seriously. If I had a superpower, speaking/reading all languages would definitely up there in the ones I would pick.

I've always thought this. It's way more realistic than most imagined superpowers, wouldn't put you on a government watch list and way more practical. But I'd like to upgrade it even further to "fully understand all cultural context from a native level". It's one thing to just know the words, but to understand all the inside jokes and have intimate knowledge why people think the way they do would open up so much more.

GanglyKhan posted...

I've been very casually learning Japanese for a year and a half now, but I'm getting a little bored. I've been thinking about taking a week of Korean study just so I can finally read their written system, even if I can't understand the words anyway.

The good thing about Korean is that their alphabet is very easy to learn. Very similar to English in a lot of ways. And I think it's even easier to write. Every character is made up of either lines or circles. And there is no capitalization. The trickiest thing in the beginning when learning it though is that there's maybe two letters that have a unique sound that doesn't exist in English. And the sentence structure follows a subject>object>verb format. So instead of saying "I like pizza", you're saying it as "I pizza like". Aside from those couple of things, it's very accessible when it comes to the basics.

dj1200 posted...

Seriously. If I had a superpower, speaking/reading all languages would definitely up there in the ones I would pick.

It would be one of mine too. It's amazing how someone can suddenly sound like your best friend the moment you start speaking their native language. Not to mention, all the knowledge you can obtain by being able to properly assimilate yourself within any given culture.

I love learning languages, I just suck at keeping consistent enough for the lessons to stick. I have books and/or lessons for Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, swahili, and Portuguese. I also have lifetime access to all Rosetta stone languages. I have also tried Latin, Russian, Korean, estonian, arabic and thai.

Sadly all I have really got to show for it is a shit ton of random phrases and vocabulary. I do however understand a lot better than I speak.

Knowing languages is cool.

Learning them is a pain in the arse.

Glob posted...

Knowing languages is cool.

Learning them is a pain in the arse.

Now hold up! You said before that learning a new language is "invigorating"!

Salrite posted...

Now hold up! You said before that learning a new language is "invigorating"!

That doesnt sound like something I would say.

VideoboysaysCube posted...

And the sentence structure follows a subject>object>verb format. So instead of saying "I like pizza", you're saying it as "I pizza like". Aside from those couple of things, it's very accessible when it comes to the basics.

Yup! Japanese is that way too, so luckily wouldn't be too hard of a jump. I'll probably give their writing system a try next week.

Glob posted...

That doesnt sound like something I would say.

In a previous topic, with someone hating where they live and lamenting the impossibility of moving to another country, you essentially stated, "just do it, it's easy"

I reiterated the mental and emotional drain of adapting to a new country and possibly having to learn a whole new language, among other things.

Your exact response was, "I don't get that, I find that learning a new language is invigorating"

Salrite posted...

In a previous topic, with someone hating where they live and lamenting the impossibility of moving to another country, you essentially stated, "just do it, it's easy"

I reiterated the mental and emotional drain of adapting to a new country and possibly having to learn a whole new language, among other things.

Your exact response was, "I don't get that, I find that learning a new language is invigorating"

Im afraid I dont remember that exchange at all, but maybe I articulated my feelings badly.

Living in another country is invigorating. The honest truth when it comes to the language learning is that I have my good days and bad days.