"You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once." ~ Czech proverb
I only know one language - English - and after taking three years of French in high school and two years of German in College, that really bothers me. Have no idea how I nominally passed those courses, but ultimately they were pretty much a waste of time for me. Is it too late to get serious at age 61 on actually become fluent in a second language?
This time I have motivation. My grandson, Ilan, at one year old, is learning both English and Spanish at the same time. He is attending an all Spanish-speaking daycare, being immersed in it during the day, and then speaking English and Spanish with his parents when with them. If my grandson can learn 2 languages simultaneously, shouldn't I at least be able to learn one additional language . . . even if past my prime? ;)
And, by the way, whatever happened to Esperanto? When I was a young man, along with promoting birth control to keep the world population down, it was all the rage. Guess it went the same place that metric measurement in the U.S. went during the early eighties.
Anyhow . . . below find some online language tools I discovered on a recent search. In the end, I suspect I would be better off to use the RosettaStone methodology.
What do you think?
Diane Whitmore's Language Website (Freeport H.S.)
Omniglot
Nice Translator
BabelFish
Google Language Tools
Meta Language Translation
Online Language Dictionaries
Free Online Language Courses
Commercial Language Learning Courses
Second Language Software Reviews
Diane . . . long-time-no-see :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your valuable advice. Unfortunately my grandson and parents live in Chapel Hill, North Carolina . . . so don't see them face to face too often. Hmmmmm. . .suppose Skype might work?
And Micjo . . . thanks for enlightening me on the status of Esperanto . . . I'll check out the links you have shared. And thanks for the offer to help make connections. Greatly appreciated.
Jim
Diane,
ReplyDeleteI've added your excellent website on languages to the post. I had been to your site before, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for jogging my memory.
jim
HELLO ME LIKE THE SCRIPT FOR POSTS TO CLEAR THE BAR ... BLOGSPOT I would appreciate TE.
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MY MAIL
Thanks again, Diane, for your wisdom. Your enthusiasm for languages shines through. :) You are my go-to person for languages from now on. Do feel free to add a post on Learning in Maine on the subject if you ever find the time.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of using subtitles, etc. I wonder if anyone uses movie/TV subtitles to help in teaching of reading. I would love to see a bouncing ball or perhaps phrases highlighting as an aid to kids learning to read. You know, I bet it already exist somewhere! :)
Anyone have any suggestions?
Jim
Victor . . . I can't seem to find your email. I check your blog at http://posteodiario.blogspot.com/ and added a comment with the above information in English.
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