Today's studying

[smmg]

Today I read the second chapter of 'Linguistics: A Very Short Introduction' and took some notes.

I also started on 'German for Musicians' and I've almost finished the first chapter. I'm really enjoying 'German for Musicians' so far, it's really fun to be able to combine my love for learning languages with my love for music.

Comments

Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Topical vocabulary and grammar can be very interesting in foreign languages. I know enough Russian to sight-read it, so sometimes my partner asks me to read chess things for him. I can usually manage enough of the names and a few keywords for him to figure out what's going on.

Re: Go you!

[smmg]

Topical vocabulary is great, and I think it's more interesting and motivates me to learn more than all the usual stuff that language courses usually start with. I have a number of different Welsh-English dictionaries on various specific topics (archaeology, computer science, etc) and I love them, they're great.

Re: Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Topical vocabulary is great, and I think it's more interesting and motivates me to learn more than all the usual stuff that language courses usually start with.<<

Basic language content is crucial to establish functionality. I like to start with a Swadesh list. It lets you do a lot very quickly. I also love travel dictionaries that cover survival needs like food, shelter, and emergency services. Lonely Planet is a favorite.

But my favorite exercise is to set up a list of 20 or so vocabulary words on a specific topic, then do an activity talking about that topic using those words. It really helps cement them in memory. So for instance, 20 words about art, then visit an art museum or gallery to talk about the pictures.

>> I have a number of different Welsh-English dictionaries on various specific topics (archaeology, computer science, etc) and I love them, they're great.<<

That is so cool! I have occasionally found topical dictionaries, but most of mine are general or travel ones. I have a couple shelves of dictionaries and linguistics books from cultures around the world.

Re: Go you!

[smmg]

Ohh a Swadesh list is a good idea! Mostly I just end up learning vocabulary as I need it rather than sit down to learn a list of stuff.

Re: Go you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

If I'm learning a language on purpose, I like to frontload the basics:

* Alphabet and pronunciation
* Sentence order and basic grammar
* Social and emergency words (yes, no, please, bathroom, fire, etc.)
* Swadesh list

And then:
* Common topics (food, shelter, shopping, etc.)
* Themed word lists (art, science, culture, etc.)

Otherwise it's just me being linguistic SillyPutty and I pick up everything around me at random. I can translate a lot of Lakota in movies because they so often say the same things ("The buffalo are gone," "The white men are coming!" etc.)

[heleninwales]

I am in awe of the way you are tackling so many languages at once. My conversational Welsh is not too bad and I can still read French, though can't understand it spoken nor speak it. But that's my limit. I've forgotten almost all the Latin I learned and didn't get very far with my attempt at learning Spanish.

[smmg]

Languages are also my main hobby as well as my degree, and I think I may be a bit obsessed with learning them. I can't do Romance languages though, none of the French, Spanish, or Italian I've learned has really stuck. I love learning languages, it's such a fun thing for me to do with my brain, it's sort of like solving a puzzle or problem and I find it so rewarding.