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10-07-2009, 08:11 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Bergen County, NJ
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Learning foreign language
Is it possible that I could learn a foreign language (French) without visiting the country, or having someone to speak with?
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10-07-2009, 08:32 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: FL/TX Coasts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PalmBch
Is it possible that I could learn a foreign language (French) without visiting the country, or having someone to speak with?
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It's possible to a certain extent. Your strongest will be reading, then listening, and the weakest will be speaking.
Good Luck! |
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10-07-2009, 08:37 PM
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Senior Member
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PalmBch - Re: speaking: if you live near a university or college, you may contact them to see if they have a International Students department. There you could try to make contact with a native speaker and maybe coffee once or week or so. Otherwise, you could consider placing an ad in your local paper or putting flyers. Good luck!
French is the second foreign language on my list and I'll use the same advice as above when it comes time for me to a find a conversational partner(s).
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10-08-2009, 06:31 AM
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The answer is yes. You can learn by yourself to read, write & listen. But to speak any foreign language you really need to practice with someone (like a native speaker). You can probably find someone who speaks French in your area.
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10-08-2009, 08:24 AM
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I have achieved various degrees of working use and fluency in five foreign languages.
The best you can hope for without living in the host country is fluency in reading, you may achieve some level of working use in listening and speaking and the basics of writing.
To achieve fluency in two-way conversation, you really need to be immersed in the language, meaning living in the host country for at least two years and/or a significant enclave for that language in your country (e.g. Miami-Dade County in the US for Latin American Spanish).
You will never achieve fluency in writing in a foreign language (meaning professional and/or publishable quality), unless of course you grow up with a bilingual education or perhaps you earn a PhD in a second language.
Good luck!
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10-08-2009, 10:33 AM
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Senior Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bale002
I have achieved various degrees of working use and fluency in five foreign languages.
To achieve fluency in two-way conversation, you really need to be immersed in the language, meaning living in the host country for at least two years and/or a significant enclave for that language in your country (e.g. Miami-Dade County in the US for Latin American Spanish).
Good luck!
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If you are talented you only need to live one year in a host country (of the language you wish to learn) to acquire basic fluency in a two-way conversation (and I am speaking from experience). |
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10-08-2009, 12:36 PM
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Señor Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PalmBch
Is it possible that I could learn a foreign language (French) without visiting the country, or having someone to speak with?
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Read yes, speak no. The only way to learn to articulate thoughts in a foreign language on demand is by having to respond to someone in it on a regular basis. |
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10-09-2009, 11:59 AM
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Good advice from most. Try and find someone to speak with.
I find that it is hardest to understand spoken foreign languages. You can learn to read it, and speak some form of it. But you won't learn to understand it without hearing it.
Though some French films could help in that regard.
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10-09-2009, 12:29 PM
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new world dreamer
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french, imho, does lend itself to studying alone since its grammar is well structured (compared to english).
however, french is a language you must practice to hear.
find someone interested enough to share what you need.
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10-09-2009, 03:10 PM
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It's always much easier to learn a language if you can use it with people. And there's a huge difference in the learning curve if you are surrounded by it, compared to using it for an hour here and there.
Can you learn a language on your own using recordings and books? You can, but its much more difficult to do so.
If your point is to prep yourself because you plan on putting yourself in a situation where you will use it more in the future, it may be worth it.
If you just plan to learn it and never really have a purpose beyond that, never be in a situation to use it, it will likely be a losing endeavour.
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