H wants to learn a new language

[Deleted]

Well three languages--German, French and Spanish.

We can't afford any fancy software and no one around us offers free or cheap classes.

Any good books for these languages? I want to make it his Christmas gift.

[purrbox]

He wants to learn three languages, lol? I think he should start with one. Which does he want to learn first?

I recommend buying some used foreign language textbooks on Amazon.

[Deleted]

He's going to start one by one. I think he wants to learn German first.

[Jalapeñomel]

Podcasts are the way to go if you cannot take classes. Otherwise, it will be almost impossibly to learn just by book.

[Jalapeñomel]

Dec 16, 2013 17:07:42 GMT -5 @guernica said:

He's going to start one by one. I think he wants to learn German first.

I would imagine that spanish would be much more practical to learn first.

[pantsparty]

I have a Pimsleur audio series that's pretty good. Maybe you can see if one is available for German.

[Deleted]

1. It would make much more sense to start with Spanish first.

2. I second the podcast suggestion.

[vaportrail]

Duolingo!!! It's free. H and I are using it to learn French. OUI!

[Deleted]

Ok. I'll try to convince him to learn Spanish. I know basic Spanish so I can help a little.

This will not really help him with his career. He just wants to learn these three languages.

I'll look I to the podcasts and duolingo. Thanks!

[Deleted]

This does not seem like a plan likely to succeed. The time investment makes the monetary investment in Rosetta Stone worth it. You can't learn a language from a text book.

[pantsparty]

If he wants to take a community college course, I'd recommend trying to get SOME basics down. I took French for the first time at college and I had to drop out of the course. Some prior learning was assumed.

[Dusky]

Try checking with your local libraries. A lot of libraries have started offering free language lessons online. Mine uses Mango which has a ton of languages.

Whatever you go with, I'd definitely recommend going with a audio based resource over a text based one so he can make sure he learns the correct pronunciation.

[Deleted]

Dec 16, 2013 19:43:17 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I said:

There are no community colleges near you? Rosetta Stone is hundred$.

No it isn't. It is $500, marked down to $274 right now.


www.rosettastone.com/learn-german

[Jalapeñomel]

I think Rosetta Stone is a waste of money, and it's ridiculously expensive.

[toepick]

Check your library. Mine has CDs and downloadable lessons. I think some
Libraries even have a subscription to Rosetta Stone. Also, mine offers introductory language classes.

Pretty much my answer to everything is "check your library!"

[hopecounts]

Dec 16, 2013 17:11:07 GMT -5 vaportrail said:

Duolingo!!! It's free. H and I are using it to learn French. OUI!

Thank you! I started using it tonight to refresh my French from Hs/College and love it!

[Deleted]

Lol.

This is not something you can give as a Christmas gift!!

[Deleted]

Dec 16, 2013 20:21:18 GMT -5 toledo said:

elle has some fancy rich person currency converter.

Maybe it's like how two is a couple and three plus is a few? Lol.

[rupertpenny]

Dec 16, 2013 19:50:33 GMT -5 littleduck said:

German is quite close to English and is a good confidence booster for people just starting out with learning languages because a lot of it is intuitive. Genders are tough to learn though.

I think it is more practical to start with Spanish. We spoke 2 languages in my house growing up and language learning now is impossible for me. I wish your H best of luck! It's a lot to take on.

Lol. No. German is not easy. I mean it isn't Mandarin or anything, but it is not easy, especially compared to Spanish. It is very closely related to English but the grammar is a million times more fucked up.

[Deleted]

Dec 16, 2013 19:59:01 GMT -5 HRH Queen Dick I said:

Dec 16, 2013 19:52:36 GMT -5 elle said:

No it isn't. It is $500, marked down to $274 right now.


www.rosettastone.com/learn-german

Elle, $274 is hundreds in my world. Happy Holidays.

Just two!!!!! Not many. It's a couple of hundred.

[Deleted]

Dec 16, 2013 20:01:28 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I think Rosetta Stone is a waste of money, and it's ridiculously expensive.

Rosetta Stone is what DLI uses to train elite military and spies. So no, it isn't a waste of $. It's the best system there is.

[muffin0]

I was also going to suggest Duolingo

[Jalapeñomel]

Dec 16, 2013 21:13:45 GMT -5 elle said:

Dec 16, 2013 20:01:28 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

I think Rosetta Stone is a waste of money, and it's ridiculously expensive.

Rosetta Stone is what DLI uses to train elite military and spies. So no, it isn't a waste of $. It's the best system there is.

Well I don't know if that is true or not, but I still think it sucks. And from the people I know who have tried to use it and actually learned the language, they agree with me.

Your money is better spent taking a class at a community college or hiring a tutor.

EDIT:  Googling "Rosetta Stone sucks" shows me that I am certainly not alone in this opinion.

[LeggsBenedict]

I took four years of German and I still don't speak German.

[lissaholly]

Get some language dictionaries. I like the compact yellow ones with blue lettering:

www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2686207826070?r=1&cm_mmca2=pla&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-TextBook_NotInStock_Under26-_-Q000000633-_-2686207826070

Is this a New Years resolution type thing. Either way. I think dictionaries are books that look good on bookshelves so I think it would be a good gift.

[fuckyourcouch]

I took 6 years of Spanish, a year of Latin, and a year of Greek. I speek English gud

[bonquiqui]

Dec 16, 2013 22:13:42 GMT -5 LeggsBenedict said:

I took four years of German and I still don't speak German.

I took four years of French, and well, I am with you lol

[pinkeggs]

When I was looking into software to learn Spanish, I read a lot of reviews and info and settled on Fluenz over Rosetta Stone.

[purrbox]

4 years of Spanish here. No hablo Ingles.


Ha ha. I originally wrote out: No oblo Engles. Apparently I can't write Spanish either, lol.

[purrbox]

Dec 16, 2013 22:27:27 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Dec 16, 2013 22:25:43 GMT -5 purrbox said:

4 years of Spanish here. No hablo Ingles.


Ha ha. I originally wrote out: No oblo Engles. Apparently I can't write Spanish either, lol.

Four years of Spanish and you don't speak English, well that is something.

Lol. I was watching a movie as I typed that.