/b/ - Random

Learn basics through videos and books or online classes, then find apps or online groups where you can speak with natives. Watch movies, tv shows. Listen to music and read the lyrics + translation.

Basically, learning languages is passive and active. It's much harder if you don't do both (for exemple, language classes are not enough on their own, and you obviously can't straight up talk to natives without even knowing how to say hi)

Hello, first time replying on cc(as a long time lurker)

I am coincidentally doing my belarusian assignment at the moment lmao, can't exactly give advice but wish you good luck!

That said, https://uroki.movananova.by/ may be something you'd like to check out. Hope this helps

>>229929
Hi nona! Thanks, that'll help, I didn't actually expect anyone to know any Belarusian resources so it's really cool

I started to study mandarin recently (like, less than 1 week by now), and I have decided to focus in trying to get the phonemes + tones right and learning basic words in the process.
Most of the resources I'm using right now are in my first language. I recomend using websites with an pinyin audio chart to check the nasals phonemes and tones.

>>229922
what's the appeal of this? like what's appealing about learning to communicate the same content using different arbitrary sound patterns?

>>231686
lmao Anglo spotted

>>231686
Not OP but sometimes I get so fucking tired of hearing the same goddamned repetitious monotonous shit in English, it's a balm to my mind to hear anything in another language. I know nobody is saying anything different, but until I hit upper-intermediate, I can pretend the whole world isn't the same shit hologram and everyone isn't doing the same stuff.

Also sometimes it's like listening to a remix of a song you already like. Why listen to remixes when originals exist? Because the remix is as good or better. Why listen to Song XYZ, originally on guitar, now on piano? Because the piano version is as good or better. Why anything? Because it's as good or better. Miksi tee mitään? ("Yrittää", jos ei "tehdä". Yritän nyt, ole hyvä.) Koska se on sama hyvää, tai parempi.

I think Finnish is gorgeous btw, maybe the ingredient selection was "random", but the dish is fucking excellent.

Also sometimes it's like mental stretching, brain yawning. IDK about OP but learning new words just feels good.

I study completely solo. My current favored method is 1) get lots of listening in the whole time (find radio stations, podcasts, vlogs, esp. with people that you want to sound like), 2) memorize the most common like, 500~1000 words, 3) start with frequency sentences of simple/common words, 4) browse grammar as I like, 5) start paying attention to blogs/forums/movies/shows/music when I start understanding the sentences.

I like to blast TONS and TONS of reading and listening before I bother with speaking or writing. I already read/listen more in English, it's not like the ratio's going to suddenly flip for any other lang.
If I am doing production, I am immediately imitating and comparing it against correct native content and going for perfection, I'm wandering around saying <My house is blue.> <Today is a good day.> <Legislature is in recess.> and putting vocab post-its on objects, with nobody there to correct me.
Like once a month, all the new data comes together in my head, and I can babble better in the language, and I indulge that feeling for a few hours, but I don't do that every day. I don't even necessarily work on speaking/writing/production then, it's just spontaneous joy, mb at being an infinitely better language learner than literally any child.

>>231812
I rly cant stress the sentence part enough. Input is key. Vocab is easy, but I think learning vocab in sentences is only beaten by learning concepts in real, physical context with natives giving you the full experience of the word.

I've read idk probably 100k Spanish sentences with immediate English translations. (Most are quite short, of course.) I plan tor ead a good deal more. This is something you can easily chip at any time; in bed, on the toilet, waiting for your cup ramen in the microwave, whatever.

When reading a book, I write down words I don't know but do NOT look them up, so as to not slow down my reading, or interrupt any understanding or enjoyment. Sometimes words become evident with repetition / context, which is nice. I collect the vocab, study it all, and then attempt the book once more later, again noting down what I don't understand. Finishing the book the first time, and comparing my first and second lists of unknowns, is immensely satisfying.

>>231812
>I'm wandering around
I'm NOT wandering around

lol

Does anyone know any good resources for learning japanese?

>>237853
assimil

>>237853
>https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ep9YHFQqI8JfHvQDyIvDUkbudQ1bRM7z?usp=sharing

In the above link you will find:
-Genki 1: goes from 0 prior knowledge to N5
-Genki 2: sequel that goes from N5 to N4
-Tobira Intermediate: sequel that goes from N4 to N3+ and introduces a lot of new kanji (i recommend buying a print of this. the level skyrocketing makes it necessary to take notes)
(link also includes their workbooks and audio files & other books/resources that i personally didn't use)

APPS:
"Anki" for spaced repetition and memorizing vocabulary (there's also a mobile version):
>https://apps.ankiweb.net/
"Japanese Kanji Study" for saving/storing vocabulary. you can see the kanji form, hiragana, pronunciation and example sentences. you can also create anki decks automatically (apps communicate) with the words you select, and add more words to more decks as you go.
>https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mindtwisted.kanjistudy&pli=1

EXTRA:
always google "[a grammar form] jlpt", and the first results have very helpful and straight to the point explanations with example sentences.
>https://jlptsensei.com
this site most often comes up and is very good. others are good too.

after finishing these textbooks, you can get to reading manga or light novels. of course if you are used to speaking to people online in voicechat or via text you'll be exceeding that.

i recommend you memorize hiragana and katakana out cold first so that you can start with max efficiency.
>https://kana-quiz.tofugu.com/
this site for this. keep restarting the test until you're an ace with them.

you won't need anything else, so don't overthink it. this is the complete, specific and most effective path. for (You) and anyone else that sees it.

>>238043
Thanks a ton!!

language learners, i am here to help!

So the basic components are
>vocabulary
>grammar
>speaking

And to study these three things, you need to carry out a variety of input and output related tasks. What do I mean by this? Input is taking in, such as
>reading news in your target language
>reading children's books in your target language
>watching shows in your target language (with subtitles, i reccomend language learning with netflix)
With all input, shows, news, books, write in a notebook the new vocabulary you've learned.
For grammar, there are many free worksheets and resources on r/languagelearning. You need a chunky exercise book, time to read, take notes, and example exercises to carry out
IMPORTANT
There will be a list of 2000 most frequently used words in your language. Practice at least 20 per day, write example sentences if this helps.

Output is applying what you've learned from your input
>Writing a diary in your target language
>Carrying out worksheets in your target language
>Speaking with a native speaking partner (use reddit/discord)
>Taking exams at the level you're on (A1, A2, etc)
>drilling yourself on vocabulary with flashcards

With pronunciation, try mimicking an audio recording, or video. Practice with your language partner. It gets easier- you will feel stupid at first, just keep at it.

Stay interested!
If you're learning for work, family, or school, you may feel your interest waning. The passion NEEDS to be there. Some less orthodox learning methods to help you could include
>finding cool music in your target language, learning the song lyrics
>using recipes in your target language, from your target country
>appreciating the history of the country the language comes from
>Finding shows or movies from that country, to appreciate it more. BECOME a finnaboo. BECOME a koreaboo. Whatever helps.

Casually integrate it into your day. This could mean
>listening to podcasts
>setting your phone to your target language
>reading your flashcards on the bus
>trying to think in your target language
>leaving post it notes of new words around your room
>>231812
OH MY GOODNESS! I love finnish! I am not even close to seriously learning it, but the rhythm, the sounds, the grammar, it's such a cool language! I really recommend finnish folklore.

I've been using Duolingo for about a month to help me learn italian. I sometimes question it's accuracy and competence in regards to proper grammar but the actual pronunciation is correct and I know it uses the same rule set as Spanish which I legitimately learned for five years in school.

I really do like that it has a lot of different ways to help you learn such as listening exercises, speaking exercises, writing exercises as well as just reading stories to help you learn the vocabulary. My biggest problem is the app has degraded into some of weird game system. Instead of just picking a path to help you start learning and being able to make mistakes as you go along you are allowed to make like five mistakes before you have to either watch ads for more lives or keep practicing the same old stuff. They're also way too many ads between exercises which really becomes distracting and demotivational after a while. The biggest flaw is this weird leaderboard where it incentivizes you to get as much XP by completing exercises as possible.

So between this weird new game system, too many ads, questionable accuracy and overly repetitive lessons I'm starting to wonder if I'm not just wasting my time?

Does anybody else have any experience with this app? It's really hard for me to practice Italian in real life since surprisingly none of my Sicilian family fucking knows the language anymore.

Basically just want to know if there are better alternatives out there.

>>247791
im not learning any languages. just wanted to say ur fucking awesome

>>247860
Thanks , you made my day ^^