Title pretty much sums it up, based on your opinion or your experience, which method is the most effective? Of course it may vary between person to person but this is about your opinion so don't be shy!
If you were lucky enough to try both in two different languages, you might even have a unique perspective that I'm dying to hear so...let's hear it!
I know this can be borderline a cultural or traditional thing, but it is expressed through the language
For example the concept of Tarof in Persian, which is people basically offering things for free out of politeness even tho both sides know they don't mean it
There a tons of different words used to express this at different levels, and even tho at it's core it is about politeness and it's cultural!
What did you find out in your journey? maybe something like this in a different language? or an entirely new concept that surprised you!
I don't mean the basic stuff that would just get them by in your country, i mean actually teach them good enough for them to be somewhat fluent and be able to actually speak your language!
Obviously we are all fluent in our own native languages, but if you think about it, most of us don't know the rules, yet it's second nature to us, kinda the same way our lungs work, we just breath we don't actually know how it happens!
So back to the question, do you think you'd be able to teach your language to someone else?
I don't mean done as in quit learning, no on the contrary, i mean at what point did you decide that you've learnt enough, and have reached a point that makes you confident enough in your language that you don't NEED to learn anymore to be able to say i know "X" language?
Mine was when i realized i don't need subtitle to watch movies and series anymore and started to understand the story of the games that i played for the first time, suddenly i woke up from the dream and said "i know English"
What about you?
Does it help when people correct your speaking/typing?
Or does it put you off and makes you wanna punch them?
Personally i think it depends on the context, if it's a language that i am trying to learn and i'm not angry atm, then yeah i welcome correction
Buuuuut if i'm in the middle of an argument and i make an obvious error in a language that i consider myself proficient in, and someone corrects me just to invalidate my argument and insult me then...down with the grammar police
But that's just me! how about you? maybe you are a secret grammar police yourself!!!
Whether in your own language or your target language, something that makes no sense, but as a native you just accept it and move on, even if you find it weird!
And as a learner you have no choice but to learn it, but for the life of you, can't figure out why is this the way it is and how it even came to be, you know? that kind of weird
For example in Persian there is exception with "KH" and "A" that you have to put a silent "V" between them in SOME words, that have nothing in common, we learn it but we never understood where it came from and why!
What's the weird exception that you know of?
Doesn't have to be a single line, maybe a passage or even a short story or mayhaps a piece of dialogue, or a final line that stuck with you more than anything in your own language?
What was the line? and which language? and if you want, tell me what it meant to you!
When you are learning any language, you get some exposure to the culture regardless of whether it was intended or not, but my question is, do you pursue that thread and engage with the culture? or do you purely try to learn the language and don't care about the culture behind it at all?
Obviously if it's for travel or work then you'll learn about it anyways but if you are just learning it at home, how do you deal with the culture?
Did you try to set realistic and achievable goals for yourself? or did you shoot for the stars to come short no matter what because that's how you stay motivated?
Do you even believe setting goals matter or you think people should just start learning and power through?
How did you motivate yourself to keep the deadlines and not slack off if you weren't under pressure?
Share your experience with us!
Not trying to diminish the value of language learning as a hobby here, but that's just the thing, hobbies are enjoyable, so how do you get past the parts that are not enjoyable? you know what I'm talking about?
Obviously aside from when you HAVE TO learn a language for a job or school, what's your tip for when you are just learning for fun and you hit a point where it's just not fun?
I understand that not all schools across the world have mandatory second language classes, but i assume many do, personally we had secondary and tertiary mandatory classes and tbh, i don't think i learnt anything useful from them .
but our educational system wasn't anything to brag about in general, so i'm curious about other people's experiences across the world.
Do you think those classes were time well spent or maybe the wrong way of teaching made you hate a language that otherwise you might've enjoyed learning it?
Share your experiences!
Even if it meant giving up a job opportunity, a relationship or something else, is there a language that's an absolute redline for you? and if so why? is it emotional or cultural or simply you don't want to deal with it?
I know this is a little weird but I'm expecting weird answers too!
Obviously from an emotional standpoint, we all are to some degree attached to our mother's tongue, no doubt about it
But from a logical standpoint, now that you've seen what's out there, do you think your own language suits you? do you like it? or somewhere deep down you wish you had grown up learning a different language?
Share your thoughts, no wrong answers!
Best usage for Duolingo or language apps in general is for when you want to take a break from properly learning a language. but you also want to casually maintain it instead of fully stopping the journey!
What do you think?