Learning a new language

1508POSTS

11 years ago

Do you think is it difficult to learn a new language for matured people??
I know kids do this well. But I would like to know about your experiences about learning a new language as an adult.

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Primadonna Jordan Expert

5334POSTS

11 years ago

Guess depends on what kind of new language you want to learn, some are very difficult, others less difficult.
But also if you have the talent to learn a new language and how much time and effort you are able to give.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

11 years ago

I'm old, sorry, matured, no, very well matured ....where was I?
Oh, yes, learning languages.
It's easy to learn languages when you're three or four years but, when you're old and a bit gaga as I am, it's hard work.
I've been in lovely Indonesia for seven years now but I still need work at the local lingo.
I can shop, get directions, ask how much she charges and that sort of thing, but I'm far from being able to translate Shakespeare.
However, I do have excuses:
My wife is probably slightly better than my old ginger headed lesbian maths teacher - basically, that means she managed to get one idea into my thick head.
I've never had any formal lessons - just the odd helpful English teacher I've met on my jaunts.
I'm old, decrepit and my brain is a bit mashed.

Back when I was young, I think about 40, I found more and more girls were saying, "get lost, creep", so I needed to find a new source of girls who were willing to go out with me without me having to actually pay them.
As I was doing a lot of work with various Chinese groups, I started to meet Chinese ladies - very nice Chinese ladies. Without the disgusting details, let's say the incentives to master Mandarin were in place, so I got to a reasonable standard quite quickly.

And there you have it - if you have a reason to master the finer points of the local tongue (Ah, these tongues), you'll manage regardless of age.

stumpy Laos Expert

18028POSTS

11 years ago

I have to agree with you fred. As a well matured oldie I do find languages hard to learn these days. At one time I could speak 6 + languages but have lost the ability to speak at least 3 of them as I do not have contact with anyone who speaks them.

I do learn basics of any language when I go to work in a new country.

Farhaz ViP

2081POSTS

11 years ago

Bang on the spot, mas fred!

Farhaz ViP

2081POSTS

11 years ago

mal wrote:
Do you think is it difficult to learn a new language for matured people??
I know kids do this well. But I would like to know about your experiences about learning a new language as an adult.

All depends on circumstances and need.

An example of environment and circumstances - expats in Saudi Arabia learn Arabic much faster than those in places like Bahrain and UAE. They have to. Reason, Saudis prefer to speak Arabic with everyone and hence knowledge of Arabic is a necessity there. Meanwhile, in places like Bahrain most locals speak English and other foreign languages quite well, which means expats can manage without a knowledge of Arabic.

An example of need - "getting married to a Dutchman", so need to learn Dutch.

Go ahead and learn the lingo. I am sure you will be able to pick it up. Best wishes.

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

Farhaz wrote:
An example of need - "getting married to a Dutchman", so need to learn Dutch.

Farhaz wrote:
Go ahead and learn the lingo. I am sure you will be able to pick it up. Best wishes.

thanks bro

aryavrat ViP

2081POSTS

11 years ago

Learning is easy for kids but if older or matured can also learned depends upon the interest as well as necessity to learn that particular language and as Primadonna said which language also is important.............

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

11 years ago

An example of need - "getting married to a Dutchman", so need to learn Dutch

I'm not one to judge, so good luck dudes.

Bidara sary Serial expat

274POSTS

11 years ago

#10

I have this line to motivate you MAL " you know things by seeing and doing it " even so you learn the language academically if you don't speak it in the place where that language is came from or you speak with the person who speak it then all your learning will go on waste bin. That's says even you don't have the basic or the knowledge of the language if you live surrounded with the peoples who speak it we will eventually know how to speak it cause we hear it and trying to speak it every day...
Take example a house maids from Indonesia or from any other country they barely know the language they going to use for communicating but they manage to speak it somehow.so the key to learn something isn't the age but the willing to learn and the ability to absorbs the surrounding
"" practice makes perfect"" that's it
Good luck for you MAL
Cheers

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#11

Thanks for all the friends...!!!
Problem is that they need to examine me at the embassy about my knowledge of the language.
Is this happening only when you need to go to Netherlands??

As Bidara sary says, it is very difficult to study and practice alone, when you are not living in a Dutch speaking environment!

Primadonna Jordan Expert

5334POSTS

11 years ago

#12

mal wrote:
Is this happening only when you need to go to Netherlands??

If you intend to live in the Netherlands, yes.
Its a part of the integration program and to scare fortune seekers a little bit off so they tightened the rules.
My personal opinion: its not more then normal to learn the language if you want to live in that country.

Its not only learning the new language but also the traditions and customs too

But he Mal: I am here to help you if you need it. Just scream!

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#13

Primadonna wrote:
But he Mal: I am here to help you if you need it. Just scream!

I will scream for sure Thanks Pri

aryavrat ViP

2081POSTS

11 years ago

#14

You made a promise to teach me Singhaleese but you haven't..............

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#15

aryavrat wrote:
You made a promise to teach me Singhaleese but you haven't..............

Did I?
Ok will start Anil...

aryavrat ViP

2081POSTS

11 years ago

#16

mal wrote:
aryavrat wrote:
You made a promise to teach me Singhaleese but you haven't..............

Did I?
Ok will start Anil...

Its not your fault it happens when somebody got his or her beloved............any way thanks for accepting to teach me..........

Bkk_Bear Member

12POSTS

11 years ago

#17

I think it really depends on your needs. If you are able to function in your native language where you live, it is very hard to be forced into using the new language

aaronjnoroge New member

4POSTS

11 years ago

#18

In my experience the number one reason why adults have difficulty learning a new language is because they are afraid to look and feel stupid. This is why children learn language easier than adults, they are fearless and are not so self-conscious. To learn a new language you can't worry about feeling stupid. Just laugh it off and move forward.

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#19

aaronjnoroge wrote:
In my experience the number one reason why adults have difficulty learning a new language is because they are afraid to look and feel stupid. This is why children learn language easier than adults, they are fearless and are not so self-conscious. To learn a new language you can't worry about feeling stupid. Just laugh it off and move forward.

may be:)

thuytran9040 Member

3POSTS

11 years ago

#20

you talk very well , I agree with what you said. I'm curently in Vietnam you have any way to help me improve my English speaking? Thanks

syed zee Serial expat

587POSTS

11 years ago

#21

u can learn any language u want to just try to speak with a child or a woman

Primadonna Jordan Expert

5334POSTS

11 years ago

#22

syed zee wrote:
u can learn any language u want to just try to speak with a child or a woman

Big you pardon?

Can you explain what you mean by talking to a woman to learn an language?

syed zee Serial expat

587POSTS

11 years ago

#23

Primadonna wrote:
syed zee wrote:
u can learn any language u want to just try to speak with a child or a woman

Big you pardon?

Can you explain what you mean by talking to a woman to learn an language?

its mean that u can easily learn language from woman coz women are great teachers and from children they speak their language without thinking u understand or not

GuestPoster69357 Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#24

Would luv to learn Arabic other than the basic words...Been here over 3 yrs. and I should know more than I do...lol..

SD

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#25

Primadonna wrote:
syed zee wrote:
u can learn any language u want to just try to speak with a child or a woman

Big you pardon?

Can you explain what you mean by talking to a woman to learn an language?

Dear Pri, I would like to correct your English if you don't mind
it should be "Beg your pardon!"
The article before "language" should be 'a' (not an) as it is not a vowel.

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#26

Hi friends
Now I can count 1- 1000 in Dutch and I have learned few basic words too. It is very interesting to learn a new language if you start to love it.
Mal

Bidara sary Serial expat

274POSTS

11 years ago

#27

Great,, congratulation MAL

GuestPoster69357 Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#28

Some peoples have different capability to learning language. But I suggest you to start you learning and then it will be easier for you.

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#29

Bidara sary wrote:
Great,, congratulation MAL

Thanks for your kindness!

Bidara sary Serial expat

274POSTS

11 years ago

#30

My pleasure

HaileyinHongKong ViP

4723POSTS

11 years ago

#31

mal wrote:
Dear Pri, I would like to correct your English if you don't mind
it should be "Beg your pardon!"
The article before "language" should be 'a' (not an) as it is not a vowel.

I fixed your correction for you.

Dear Primadonna,

I would like to correct your English, if you don't mind.

It should be "I beg your pardon" or "Beg pardon". The article before "language" should be "a", not "an", as the noun does not begin with a vowel.

bkk tea blog Serial expat

428POSTS

11 years ago

#32

The main factor would seem to be the person, how good they are with languages, and then also the circumstances, the extent to which they really need to learn one, exposure, etc.

Another factor is how different or difficult the language is. I didn't appreciate it at the time when studying French and Spanish in school but those are closely related to English, as are German and Italian. It's harder when Roman characters aren't the base of a language, or the basic structure is different, or vowel or consonant sounds aren't common. Thai is a tonal language, like Chinese, so very slight variations in pitch are actually different sounds, and it's not so easy to adapt to that.

The relative difficulty would still seem to vary more by person and circumstances than that, though, even if some languages are relatively easier or harder to learn based on the starting point.

Hannah Mahmoud Member

11POSTS

11 years ago

#33

It depends on the language itself as well as how much you are interested in learning it.

GuestPoster69357 Guest

0POSTS

11 years ago

#34

i dont think it is difficult to learn anything new ..if u have love and passion for thing u want to learn sooner or later u will learn it .

lussynguyen Member

12POSTS

11 years ago

#35

I think it depends on the country. There are some languages that are easy to learn, there are those who study for years .... I think that one of the most difficult languages are Bulgarian and Vietnamese language. Of course, many other ....
I'd like to learn Indian, Greek, Turkish, Italian, Spanih,s etc. these languages sound like interesting and I hope godpod gave me enough time to teach them.
God bless you guys!

aryavrat ViP

2081POSTS

11 years ago

#36

India has more language then any other country........even we Indians don't know all the languages of India...............so you have to decide which Indian language you want to learn.............

mal ViP

1508POSTS

11 years ago

#37

Hindi is a very beautiful language Anil

Princess81 Active member

89POSTS

11 years ago

#38

I started learning french when i was 16 years old ..Then I stopped for 4 years n resumed my classes n now I can read , talk n understand ppl very well .Si on veut on peut

James ViP

11272POSTS

11 years ago

#39

I learned Portuguese when I was 52 years old. That was 13 years ago, before I came to Brazil. I studied at home using computer based programs and took 8 months of formal classes. I created my own "immersion" in the language, reading only Portuguese texts, using Portuguese chat rooms, watching DVDs with audio in Portuguese, listening to Brazilian music, etc., and became reasonably fluent in that time thanks to the fact that I had also had experience in the French language.

After 13 years in Brazil I read, write and speak the language better than 70 percent of the Brazilian population, I teach the language to English speaking expats and even do complex translations English<==>Portuguese. I've made much more money from teaching and translations than I ever spent on learning the language.

I don't think anyone is ever too old to learn a new language if they put their mind to it and really WANT to.

Cheers,
James

Karim Tarek Member

1POSTS

11 years ago

#40

You are never too old to learn a new things.
I speak 3 languages
Arabic, English and French
and I hope to learn a new language someday when I have the proper time to do it