Learning a new language

[egalecki]

How much time per day are you allotting to the rosetta stone lessons? The Italian set has always attracted me but I couldn't figure out how much time it would take per day.

I had CD's for Italian, and I think they're ok for vocabulary, but I had to do verbs by conjugating them on paper. Not much of an auditory learner, I'm afraid.

[james]

Hi Elizabeth,

I am hoping to do 20-30 minutes a day; one lesson. My thinking is that even if I only find 15 minutes, it's worth having the daily repetition. I'm approaching this like daily exercise -- I think most trainers will say something like, "if you can't find 15 minutes to exercise, maybe you should think about how you are spending your time." :-)

James

[Xabia Jim]

some people pick up stuff really quickly,
others take a lifetime

...i'm stuck in between
but I'm happy

X

[gjbingham]

Anchio sai! - Italian? I'm getting my languages mixed up. Anway, me too, XJ! To really learn a language well, you need to immerse yourself in it. The Navy does six month courses for engineers and architects heading overseas so that they can converse with the local contrators better.

They speak their intended languages 6 -8 hours per day for those six months. It works pretty well.

[jeff]

George,
Not wishing to pick a fight here, but seems to me that Islamic cultures may have been underestimated yes?
Mate, I'm probly WAY out of line, but when I was conscripted to kill Vietnamese people, I was taught diddly-squat language/culture: Didn't matter, since we worked in a free-fire zone,eh.
And you wonder why you (AND most Australians), find me 'different'.!!
Jesus bloody wept!!
Sir George of Longview, immersion is the way to go. You can catch 'em young an' train em' in the language, and the nuances of culture should come easy.
Best I stop.
teach.

[Xabia Jim]

Originally Posted by jeff

Mate, I'm probly WAY out of line, but when I was conscripted to kill Vietnamese people, I was taught diddly-squat language/culture: Didn't matter, since we worked in a free-fire zone,eh.
And you wonder why you (AND most Australians), find me 'different'.!!
Jesus bloody wept!!

teach.

Jeff, had some good friends who fought there and ended up in the bush on Lake Superior.....all good people, thanks for what you did.... war is hell. XJ

[gjbingham]

Your lessons are wasted on me Jeffy. I understand your feelings completely. I cannot approve of anything related to Vietnam, but that was not my war, and was truely a horrible page in history that people like you (apparently) still live with today. I'm sorry for that.

You can speak all you want about the Islamic cultures. I believe in my heart that the majority of them are good and well meaning people. Lunatics such as Hitler and Osama Bin Laden are the scourge of society. I'm a strong believer that killing in the name of your God, whoever your god is, is not really what your god intended. Am I sad that we are in Iraq? I'll let you guess. Opinions are like AHs - everybodys got one, nobody thinks their's stinks. While I may not agree with you, but you are entitled to your opinion.

Best I stop.
Teach!