Cris has spoken to her pre-recorded SSiW tutor more than irl people this week

[crispfencer]

Good evening! Let's talk language learning:

I've been going hard on the Welsh recently, since language learning is the only hobby I can do without thinking "shouldn't I be doing something better with my time?" I've always been the bottom of my class in languages at school no matter how many hours I put into studying, but this has never deterred me from trying! Maybe I'm just boneheaded. 

I'm following SaySomethinginWelsh, a course which prides itself on being hard as nails. Their ethos is basically 'learning 2 hours a week at an adult education class won't make you fluent quick enough, so let's bash you over the head with verbs until you get concussion'. This would be hellish for my self-esteem, only the man doing the voiceover is kind, reassuring presence who praises you for trying and is well aware that "you've been pausing during these lessons to swear at me". He's a cruel master, but I'd take him over the glassy-eyed Duolingo owl any day.

It's tricky, and I know I'm a lot slower than most, but I'll get there. My reason for learning a language is extremely important to my motivation; if I find no reason why I should carry on learning, it's harder for me to practise. For example, German used to be my main language for about 3 years until I realised I'd drifted away from all my German friends, and didn't care much for German-language TV etc. Similarly with Japanese, I've always wanted to learn because WEABOO but I care a lot less than I used to? Welsh is perfect for me at the moment because there's so much Welsh Language culture that I want to enjoy, I'd like to move there in the future and, uhhhh, Elis. ^^; Which are all reasons that give me the motivation to keep trying! 

What I'd like to know from you is this- 

1. What languages do you know?
2. What languages are you currently learning?
3. What languages do you wish you knew? 
4. Your general experience of language learning at school, personally, etc.

Comments

[thepurplekoala]

Languages I do know are Portuguese (which is my 1st language), English and a tiny bit of French and Latin (which I learnt at my 1st uni). Also, because I'm obsessed with Bollywood I know a couple of words in Hindi.. I would love to learn Welsh and when I was younger I was obsessed with the idea of learning Yiddish, I can't remember for the life of me why though!! =P
Here in Brazil we start learning English at 5th grade, but because my sister is a few years older than me, I came into school already knowing it, because I used to read her notebook, so I was always top of the class and I even used to help my teacher mark other kids exams... =D

Don't give up, you are not boneheaded and you have the perfect outlook to learn which is "I will get there", is fine that you are slower than others, you don't need to be at the same pace as everyone else. Take your own time, do what is right for you and you will get there!!

[crispfencer]

Wow, Yiddish is a far out choice for a kid! I had a friend in a previous fandom who learnt English from the show we both liked, and she ended up at the top of her class too. (Oooh nice! I marked student work in German too, but that was only because I practically lived in the department...)

Thank you for your words of support, they mean a lot. And yes, I'll get there!