Learning new languages?

[ariastar]

I want to learn Russian, but hate structured classes. I learn much quicker than the pace of classes, so want to learn on my own. Any recommendations?

I'd be doing this behind Nickolay's back, so I can't ask him. I told him I was going to learn and he'd find out when I suddenly seem to understand him, and he thinks I"m kidding. I wanna prove him wrong. :)

[comhcinc]

http://www.rosettastone.com/en/offer/googlepage this helped me with my latin

[tokenuser]

I want to learn Russian, but hate structured classes. I learn much quicker than the pace of classes, so want to learn on my own. Any recommendations?

I'd be doing this behind Nickolay's back, so I can't ask him. I told him I was going to learn and he'd find out when I suddenly seem to understand him, and he thinks I"m kidding. I wanna prove him wrong. :)OK, this is goign to be a challenge. It is something my wife has looked into doing in the past, and as a self motived person with a Bachelors degree, dual Masters, and PhD in a technical field - SHE found it daunting ...

First up, the Russian (Cyrillic) alphabet. Similar enough to be confusing, major differences between printed, and cursive text.

Secondly, phonetics. There are leter combinations that don't occur in English or Latin based languages that are difficult for us to prnounce. Not such a big deal, but apparently it makes us sound like we are drunk :)

Having said that, its not impossible, but you need to decide if it is written vs spoken language you are after. At this stage, I am guess spoken.

There are a number of courses available out there. Rosetta stone software (multimedia based PC courses) are supposed to be good for business travellers. I have had some success using the Berlitz courses (as recommended to US State Department employees) for some basic French. The Berlitz course will have you listening to a CD, and reading from a book. I found it pretty good - but you can't just pop a CD into the car and learn while you drive. I *did* rip the CD to my iPod, but you still need to read along and speak out loud (which is OK if you live by yourself, or don't mind looking like an idiot on the train/bus).

Good luck :)

Check out your local Barnes and Noble.

[yashar]

I was going to say Rosetta aswell.

[magunwarrior]

I remember some podcasts that were mentioned on one of the last ten episodes of diggnation, I don't know if there were any Russian ones though.

[hoodedrobin]

Oh yeah... russian thats a sexy language...

/sarcasm

[ariastar]

Rosetta's been mentioned to me by a co-worker as well. I'm sure I could get away with asking Nickolay certain pronunciations without him getting too suspicious. Especially since, when we IM at work, he flips back and forth between having his keyboard type English and Russian (for when he IMs with Russian co-workers), and sometimes forgets to flip back to English for me. So I can just start asking him what the letters sound like. :)

I want to learn both spoken and written.

Token, did your wife look into learning Russian specifically? What programs did she check? Using Berlitz, how long did it take to learn basic French?

And you might find this amusing. I've got some Russian music on my iPod, and there's this one band I really like, despite not understanding a word of it. So when Nickolay came over last night, I played it for him and asked him to translate. Then he had me repeat a few of the words, and I laughed and said I was slaughtering it, and he smiled and said I just spoke it with an accent. :)

[ariastar]

Oh yeah... russian thats a sexy language...

/sarcasm

My boyfriend's from Russia.

[_sorrow_]

My boyfriend's from Russia.

Is that part (or a lot) of the inspiration for learning it, or is this something you've been wanting to do for some time?

Myself, i know no other language than English :cool: Hopefully after spending this coming semester in SE Asia though, i'll be able to pick up some language classes with that experience as a head start -- if i can ever find the time for more classes! :rolleyes:

[ariastar]

Is that part (or a lot) of the inspiration for learning it, or is this something you've been wanting to do for some time?

Myself, i know no other language than English :cool: Hopefully after spending this coming semester in SE Asia though, i'll be able to pick up some language classes with that experience as a head start -- if i can ever find the time for more classes! :rolleyes:

On my list of 40 things to do before I'm 40, one of the goals is to attain fluency in at least three languages other than English. Too bad I didn't make a goal od retaining it for the rest of my life. So far I knocked out two of them (counting one of Tolkien's languages), and Russian works for the third. Yes, Nickolay is part of the inspiration, and also we deal a ton with Russians at my company. A guy is being brought over in a couple weeks to learn what I do so he can do it in Russia. Who knows how well he knows English. Anyway, for even business purposes, it couldn't hurt.

My mom's boyfriend is Greek, and she had no desire to learn another language until they met. :)

If you're going to be totally immersed in another language, it should be easier. From my understanding, it's a lot easier learning another language with complete submersion.

[hoodedrobin]

My boyfriend's from Russia.

You mean... you met him online and you have e-sex?

Also put a password on your photobucket... And stop using faulty pictures as your avatar... cause thats NOT how you look....

[magunwarrior]

How about you go to hell dickhead?

[hoodedrobin]

How about you go to hell dickhead?

Nah... Id be to in my place.. thanks for the thought

[ariastar]

You mean... you met him online and you have e-sex?

Also put a password on your photobucket... And stop using faulty pictures as your avatar... cause thats NOT how you look....

He was born in the Soviet Union in 1981 in a location that later technically became the Ukraine. But that locality was Russian to the core, from language to customs. They were very near the border. That area considers itself Russia. When he was 16, he emigrated and went to Canada with his mother and brother. At that time, his name was put on his passport at the Ukrainian version of his name: Mikola. But he still uses his Russian birth name.

Last summer he moved to the US, and then began working at my company. He's in developing, and does virus stuff. We met the night after an ex broke up with me.

We have very hot sex, in person, and it's a incomparably better than the masturbating you resort to every night.

[tokenuser]

Token, did your wife look into learning Russian specifically? What programs did she check? Using Berlitz, how long did it take to learn basic French?She wanted to learn to read Russian for some bizarre reason. Didn't get too far with it :) ... we have the courses around here somewhere ... gathering dust ...

And you might find this amusing. I've got some Russian music on my iPod, and there's this one band I really like, despite not understanding a word of it. So when Nickolay came over last night, I played it for him and asked him to translate. Then he had me repeat a few of the words, and I laughed and said I was slaughtering it, and he smiled and said I just spoke it with an accent. :)The accent thing is not surprising at all. Did you realise most Japanese speak English with an American accent? Why? Because many of their bilingual school teachers learn as part of an exchange program with US universities, and then they pick up the pronounciation further by watching American TV shows.

And hoodedrobin - grow up.

[ariastar]

She wanted to learn to read Russian for some bizarre reason. Didn't get too far with it :) ... we have the courses around here somewhere ... gathering dust ...

Which program did she choose and would you be interested in selling it if she lost interest?


The accent thing is not surprising at all. Did you realise most Japanese speak English with an American accent? Why? Because many of their bilingual school teachers learn as part of an exchange program with US universities, and then they pick up the pronounciation further by watching American TV shows.

Well, English can be spoken with a standard American, southern, British, etc., accent, but I wouldn't be surprised that they learn standard American accents with as common as our TV shows and movies and music are around the world.


And hoodedrobin - grow up.

I think he's just jealous that he doesn't have me. He seems to be responding very negatively to my having a boyfriend. That's not him. :D