Learning another language

[app_engine]

By default, most Indians who went to school can handle 2 languages (at different competency levels, ofcourse) - their mother tongue & English. In addition, some states also teach Hindi and people from most southern states (i.e. other than TN) can typically handle 3. However, in spite of many opportunities, programs etc, I think the count for most in TN is still 2.

Some of TN'ers also learn another language while working outside TN (mostly Hindi, Kannada for those working in Bangalore & Telugu for those working in AP...in my case Malayalam)...Some put forth personal efforts to learn another language (could be Hindi / Sanskrit / French / German...)

This thread is for those who wish to put forth such personal efforts to learn another language...What are some "quick-learn" methods, tools, techniques, tips, experiences...in addition to asking doubts on a particular language which can be answered by someone expert in that...

(I know there are countless such resources on the web, but this forum is always a funnier / better place to talk about and gain information...)
...

[skanthan]

Right now, I am learning (trying to learn???) Hindi and I can speak it to a fairly reasonable degree. As a speaker of a second or third laguage, I find that learning a foreign language would be extremely helpful when interacting with people from a particular group. An Indian friend of mine told me recently that Hindi is an international language along side other such languages as English, French, German and Japanese. For someone who has grown up hearing more well known languages such as French, German and Japanese, I feel as if Hindi would be a wonderful language to learn if people want to learn something more exotic and if they want to go further off the beaten track I would recommend languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Sinhalese etc..

[app_engine]

skanthan,
I'm in the beginning stage of learning Hindi...though I learnt the alphabets during my school days (during summer vacation), never had a chance to progress...didn't care during college days when I was around a lot of people speaking Hindi (REC), a nice opportunity lost...

Well, learning another language while living in a place where majority speak that is relatively simpler. It takes a lot more effort as I see in my case...learning Hindi in Michigan Still, it's not impossible as I made decent strides in the last two months...I can read reasonably fluently now...

Two techniques I found useful:

a) Listen to recordings of a book / publication while driving to & from work (technology used by babies)...This is preferably a book available in multiple languages and one should be familiar with the information in a known tongue, say, like a religious book or famous work like thirukkuRaL...or could even be children's stories / rhymes and similar kind with simple vocabulary

b) Read aloud at least 5 minutes everyday...needs some discipline / supportive environment...like, say, rest room

[skanthan]

app_engine,

Fortunately for me, I have had long interacttions with Hindi speakers and I have ATN Z/StarPlus(Canada) as a part of my channel line up and due to listening to Hindi speakers and watching many Hindi serials esp those with English subtitles, I have learned and picked up quite a bit of Hindi. Also I can read and write Hindi as well.

The techniques you have suggested work very well. Though the first seems a little difficult. I have been learning little by little and just by listening to others and reading the English subtitles on Hindi serials which use the subtitles and from reading books as well as asking people and writing down. And also I find if I have some quiet surroundings where I can concentrate while practicing, that is good as well. Many people have been impressed by my ability to speak in Hindi and really commend me for my efforts to learn this wonderful language. Abhi mein Hindi me thora thik se baat karte. Lekin ek roj, mein Hindi bahut acchhaa se baat karoonga. Zaroor!

[app_engine]

Sure you will, skanthan! (see I understood your Hindi and my best wishes!

The TV route won't work for me (at least not at present) due to the 20 month old at home For me technique one is successful thanks to the MP3 recordings of Hindi Bible that are available on the web and elsewhere...(In Thamizh, I remember a good part of the gospels by-heart)

[skanthan]

Bahut dhanyavaad!

People have told me that when learning another language, the learner will often learn the bad words first.

I have also heard horror stories where a learner of a foreign languge will be inadvertently tricked into reading out some message to a native speaker of that language only to find out the hard and most possibly painful way that the message was laden with most unholy language. Usually a native speaker of that language will write a message for the learner in that language and have them read it it to another native speaker.

Thank God that has not happened to me; Though unfortunately, I did pick up quite a few bad words in Hindi and got a good hot masala from one Indian lady for saying one of them about a vamp on one of the Hindi serials!

ie: Even a b@*@** will spare her own people.

Haiyoooo Rama did that lady ever give me a good hot masala for saying that word!

[app_engine]

That people try to trick one to speak obscenities in an unknown language is quite universal (There are a couple of hilarious scenes in the movie 'my big fat greek wedding')...

However, in today's world, it's relatively easy to filter out such by using internet...For e.g., you can quickly verify the meaning of any word in sites like the one below:
http://www.wordanywhere.com/cgi-bin/fetch.pl

I found the above link to be very useful in finding out the English meaning for Hindi words...

[Sudhaama]

.
Anybody Can use.. MORE THAN 3 Languages.! How.?

With my personal Knowledge and vast experience...

(1) Learning another Language is NOT AT ALL DIFFICULT. It is not correct to say that only EXTRA-ORDINARY intelligent or Genious alone can learn and remember.

Even a Moderately clever Boy / Man... can learn ANY NUMBER of Languages...

..commensurate with his Enthusiasm and whole-hearted Sincerety.

(2) After getting well-versed to talk fluently in one's Mother Tongue..

...anybody can start learning additional languages...

...One by One.... Not more than One at a time.

(3) While we start learning the Second language after Mother-Tongue...

...it may be felt difficult to grasp and remember simultaneously Two words of expression... to convey a single sense.

For example.. let us take the case of a person having Tamil as mother-Tongue.... learning Hindi as additional Language...

When he wants to say...GO in Hindi...

...Unexpectedly and unsought...he gets the Tamil word "PO"...

... by recollection of memory.

Then his brain momentarily starts searching the parallel word in Hindi...

..and recollects from memory another word for the same sense... but in Hindi... "JAO"

Rather his Brain fastly translates into Hindi from the Tamil word PO.

But when we get practiced to use two languages simultaneously...

..we can easily learn the Third, Fourth, Fifth... and more and more number of Languages...

...depending upon ones Memory-power.

How it becomes possible in cases of the 3rd and 4th Languages.?

When we are used to express two languages simultaneously...

..as said hereabove... our Brain translates from our Mother Tongue.

Whereas... after the second language.. our Brain DOES NOT TRANSLATE...

..but fetches the apt word from the relevant Language... our Mind gives command to our Brain.

For example.. if a Tamil orator entrusted to translate the English speach of another Orator on dais...

...and when he has to translate the English word...SEA...in Tamil..

..immediately his Brain recollects from his Memory... all his known words in Tamil... to mean the sense SEA in English...

...such as... KADAL...SAMUDHRAM... PUNHARI...PARAVAI... and so on...

..as much as his Memory stock contains...

..as also depending on his Memmory power...

...plus his practice to recollect fast.

Then he chooses one amongst several choices.. suiting to the Context and Occasion.. and speaks out.

All these sequential processes are conducted fast by Brain, Mind and Tongue... within a fraction of one second.

What is the difference in learning a 2nd language and further Additional Languages.?

It is easier to learn more than Two languages than to learn a 2nd Language. Why so?

When we learn second language... our brain translates our Mother-tongue word into the second language and then present to us.

..Rather we think in the Mother tongue first and then think the 2nd language trough our first language.. Mother-Tongue.

Whereas when we talk in the third or 4th language and more...

..our brain is already trained to think in two languages simultaneousluy..

..so will not be difficult to think in more languages too directly.. without Translating the word... from our Mother tongue.

So, similar to recollecting more words in one and the same Language... Mother Tongue..

..our Brain is capable of storing more words in DIFFERENT LANGUAGES TOO.

Thus in my case... suppose, a Conference or Friendly meet or my Construction Work Site with workers from different regions..

...if I come across the people of different Regions and Languages..

I talk in Telugu fluently with one of them... next moment in Hindi with another .. with equal fluency at ease...

...and then the third man in Tamil...followed by the 4th Man in English..

So goes on... in Bengali, Malayalam, Kannada etc...

How it becomes possible?

When I decide to talk in Telugu... I think in Telugu... as in the case of my mother tongue Tamil..

.... and so my brain DIRECTLY fetches the apt Telugu word from my memory...

..not through Tamil... my Mother-Tongue... as the case of 2nd Language.

So PRACTICE...Abhyaasam... similar to Music or Art or new Talent like Cycle driving or Car-driving...

...is the most important means...

..after memorising.

Especially keen observation of Spoken-Language conversation...

.. plus the Field-activities as per commands...

..are the EASIEST MEANS to learn additional Languages by Experience...

..even without Literal Study.
.

[app_engine]

Observation (or listening) and practice are obviously the most important things in learning a new language, i.e. if the objective is primarily to just conversation or may be things like enjoying a song, play, movie etc.

However, if the objective is more than that (like appreciating literary works, speaking on a platform, conducting a class , sending written communication etc.), obviously practising to read and write also become important.

In either case, for those with limited time and surroundings not-so-conducive to observation/listening and practice, additional techniques are needed. That's where these discussion forums / support groups and web in general are a varaprasAdam

[Akula]

I agree with Sudhaama

Because of my personal experiance. My mother tongue is Telugu, but I was born and brought up in Chennai. The language I learnt in school was English and Hindi. So I can read, write and speak English and Hindi.

As I was in chennai I learned to read, write and speak Tamil. But I did not know to read and write Telugu, I could only speak. Now after I got married I am learning to read and write Telugu so it would be easier to mingle with my in-laws. That makes 4 languages now

So I too agree that man can learn any number of languages, it doesn't require special talents or great intelligence.

But he has to keep practicing them otherwise he will forget very easily.