New challenge
Hi all,
It looks most of you have been experiencing a cold winter. Spring is just around the corner. Spring is time for starting something new. So, I am going to take up Spanish lessons from March.
I have already taken a brief test at a small Latin cultural institute here in Fukuoka and I was allocated to the intermediate level (Level 3 in five levels). To be honest, I had studied it on my own for five months, borrowing some textbooks from a library and watching Spanish TV. In the beginning my brain almost exploded with chaiotic mixture of the three language knowledge;Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Now, I am getting along.
I had an interview session with a native teacher whose name is Ruth from Salamanca on Thursday. It was my first open conversation in Spanish. It went all right but I could not find a word; HEAR in Spanish and I asked her in English. Unfortunately, she does not convey any English. So, I had to use my fading knowledge of Italian to express the word. It was an aweful moment. Maybe I will have a little difficulty at the course....
By the way, how do you learn a new language? Some of you are learning or has learned French. Do you use the scheme to translate your own language into the language you learn in head in order to speak? Me? me no! I use English instead at this stage. Using Japanese is horribly long process and I won't get things right.
Tell me what's new in your life.
Cheers, Yasu
posted by Yasu @ 5:18 am
4 Comments:
How energetic you are, Yasu. Seems that the spring bird already visited Japan, but not Taiwan yet.
Good luck to your Spanich learning.
Speaking of learning a foreign language other than English, ignore French that I failed in the end of the 2nd term in 1998, Japanese was the second foreign language I learned and lasted for 3 years. I think Japanese's quite easy since the sentence structure, pronunciation, writing and stuff are quite close to Mandarin. "Kanzi" (from Chinese characters) which proves to be the most difficult for non-Japanese to learn is no problem for me, either. But I think my Japanese teacher was to eager to make us "professional", he asked us to do Japanese-Engligh translation in the third year when we had only limited phrases in Japanese. It frighted a lot of students away and they dropped out from the class.
Well, after another 4 years lack of practice and use, today my Japanese only helped me a little bit when I watched the Japanese TV programmes. I believe constant practices is the only way to success. Keep on working, Yasu.
Arigato Linda,
You too. You may need a Japanese friend to have a language exchange. I may volunteer to be a language partner but the second thought, I would decline. It would be herrible if you are accustomed to speak like a man...
You know, men's language in Japanese is without gentleness and is like a beast. On the other hand, women's 'proper' language is gentle,polite and even sweet. For example, when we are hungry, a proper girl says 'onaka ga suita' A bad one and man say "hara hetta".
When I hear it from a girl, I am quite disgusted.
Yasu
Uah, that sounds really complicated with Japanese. Well, I think I gave up my French for a while ;-). But I personally would translate from German to French - if translating. It depends on the level of proficiency whether you still need to translate or whether you already can 'think' in that language (even if on a very basic level). But it's interesting to see that you're using English instead of your mother tongue, Yasu. It's certainly because English is much closer to Spanish than Japanese is.
Good luck and progress! I admire your energy, too! And where do you take the time from?
Juliane
Bon jour jeunes monsieurs et madames,
Talking about languages, I'm also presently learning a fourth language (besides Mandarin, English and Nunoish): French. And I'm starting to be quite proficient on it! I already know how to say "J'habite à Londres" and "Je m'appelle Lu et je suis vingt neuf ans". Nuno is also teaching me some bad words in French like "Merde", "Conard" or "Fou de la tête". He says these expressions could be quite useful to deal with French guys! Go figure...
I just think French is a bit difficult, much more than English. Especially te verbs.
For me, japanese should be much easier, it sounds just like Shanghainese, probably having different meanings in same pronounciation.
That's it for now! Read u next time.
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