Comments on: Stop being such a crybaby http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/ Unconventional language hacking tips from Benny the Irish polyglot; travelling the world to learn languages to fluency and beyond! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:51:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marjorie http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-11658 Marjorie Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:42:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-11658 Bravo Benny, c'est si vrai ! L'anglais n'a pas de difficultés de conjugaison contrairement à beaucoup de langues, mais j'aime ses richesses de constructions de verbes dont le sens change avec un petit mot. Par exemple to look for qui n'a rien à voir avec to look after ;-) Chaque langue a ses richesses, ses difficultés (pour moi, l'anglais est très difficile à prononcer, et j'essaie de m'améliorer chaque jour). Au plaisir Smal translation, my english is not so good, but I know it is not a probleme for you. I do not help myself with Google, lOl, no, really not. This post is so true! English language is not so difficult with its verbs, what is not the case of plenty of other languages, but I like its secret beauties with special little words after one same verb. For example : to look for is absolutely not the same than to look after ;-) Each language is rich, complicate (for me, English is very hard to prononce correctly and I try as soon as I can. All the best Marjorie (French) Bravo Benny, c’est si vrai ! L’anglais n’a pas de difficultés de conjugaison contrairement à beaucoup de langues, mais j’aime ses richesses de constructions de verbes dont le sens change avec un petit mot. Par exemple to look for qui n’a rien à voir avec to look after ;-)
Chaque langue a ses richesses, ses difficultés (pour moi, l’anglais est très difficile à prononcer, et j’essaie de m’améliorer chaque jour).
Au plaisir

Smal translation, my english is not so good, but I know it is not a probleme for you. I do not help myself with Google, lOl, no, really not. This post is so true! English language is not so difficult with its verbs, what is not the case of plenty of other languages, but I like its secret beauties with special little words after one same verb. For example : to look for is absolutely not the same than to look after ;-)
Each language is rich, complicate (for me, English is very hard to prononce correctly and I try as soon as I can.
All the best
Marjorie (French)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5987 Benny the Irish polyglot Wed, 05 May 2010 14:05:12 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5987 Hi Frohlein!<br>Glad you like my approach and my silly photos :D Thanks for the good luck wishes :)<br>Sure, recommend the article - I'm always curious to read more about these things! Hi Frohlein!
Glad you like my approach and my silly photos :D Thanks for the good luck wishes :)
Sure, recommend the article – I'm always curious to read more about these things!

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5986 Benny the Irish polyglot Wed, 05 May 2010 14:03:23 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5986 Thanks for the comment! Glad you've been enjoying my posts :)<br>Now get busy on that Polish!! As I keep saying, changing from a language slacker to a language hacker depends on attitude, not genetics or other excuses!<br>I'm sure you'll be well ready for your mate's wedding! Thanks for the comment! Glad you've been enjoying my posts :)
Now get busy on that Polish!! As I keep saying, changing from a language slacker to a language hacker depends on attitude, not genetics or other excuses!
I'm sure you'll be well ready for your mate's wedding!

]]> By: azarethroy http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5983 azarethroy Wed, 05 May 2010 11:56:15 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5983 Hey Benny,<br><br>I stumbled across your blog via couchsurfing. Brilliant mate - I think I just spent the last 2 hours reading your posts LOL. <br><br>I admit that I'm a language slacker! I lived in Prague for a year and only learnt how to order beer. Shame. You've inspired me to apply myself. I have 5 months to learn some Polish before I attend a mate's wedding over there ;) Hey Benny,

I stumbled across your blog via couchsurfing. Brilliant mate – I think I just spent the last 2 hours reading your posts LOL.

I admit that I'm a language slacker! I lived in Prague for a year and only learnt how to order beer. Shame. You've inspired me to apply myself. I have 5 months to learn some Polish before I attend a mate's wedding over there ;)

]]> By: Frohlein http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5911 Frohlein Tue, 27 Apr 2010 23:43:03 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5911 Hi Benny!<br>I would just like to tell you that I like you and your approach very much (though you sometimes look like an idiot in the pictures;))!!! I heard you speak Czech in your video and you did fantastic! I'm sorry that you gave up on this language eventually but I understand your reasons.<br>I really love the way you write and give advice and think you're right in most things although I couldn't apply many aspects of your approach to myself since I have a different learning style (I LOVE grammar) and also different objectives in learning languages (actually I'm more interested in the languages themselves than in using them for communication - I want to become a linguist in the "scientist" meaning). Still, I'm very interested in your point of view and it certainly helps a lot of people.<br>Talking about learning styles, that is a very important aspect which I have realised only recently and I am worried about the fact that its importance or even existence isn't as commonly recognised as it should be (leading to fatal mistakes in schools, courses, etc.). I don't know if there is any quality information about it in the internet, though, but I can recommend you an article, if it would be of interest to you.<br>I wish you good luck with your German mission - I love German, it is a language I chose to learn for pleasure, learned mostly by myself and thanks to it a whole new world opened up to me in which I now happily live! And I wish you of course good luck with anything you do in the future.<br>Liebe Grüße Hi Benny!
I would just like to tell you that I like you and your approach very much (though you sometimes look like an idiot in the pictures;))!!! I heard you speak Czech in your video and you did fantastic! I'm sorry that you gave up on this language eventually but I understand your reasons.
I really love the way you write and give advice and think you're right in most things although I couldn't apply many aspects of your approach to myself since I have a different learning style (I LOVE grammar) and also different objectives in learning languages (actually I'm more interested in the languages themselves than in using them for communication – I want to become a linguist in the “scientist” meaning). Still, I'm very interested in your point of view and it certainly helps a lot of people.
Talking about learning styles, that is a very important aspect which I have realised only recently and I am worried about the fact that its importance or even existence isn't as commonly recognised as it should be (leading to fatal mistakes in schools, courses, etc.). I don't know if there is any quality information about it in the internet, though, but I can recommend you an article, if it would be of interest to you.
I wish you good luck with your German mission – I love German, it is a language I chose to learn for pleasure, learned mostly by myself and thanks to it a whole new world opened up to me in which I now happily live! And I wish you of course good luck with anything you do in the future.
Liebe Grüße

]]> By: sentaugulo http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5843 sentaugulo Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:26:10 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5843 +1 benny +1 benny

]]> By: Akila http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5830 Akila Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:33:14 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5830 It's interesting that people always complain about learning other languages but then they forget how amazing it is to connect with people even when we just learn a few words or phrases. I can't say that I am fluent in other languages but I try to get a good handle on them before I go traveling. The trouble of learning the language is worth the experience of getting an insight into the people's culture and life. It's interesting that people always complain about learning other languages but then they forget how amazing it is to connect with people even when we just learn a few words or phrases. I can't say that I am fluent in other languages but I try to get a good handle on them before I go traveling. The trouble of learning the language is worth the experience of getting an insight into the people's culture and life.

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5757 Benny the Irish polyglot Sun, 18 Apr 2010 19:23:56 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5757 I got a pingback on your post. Thanks for keeping the negativity off this site ;) I got a pingback on your post. Thanks for keeping the negativity off this site ;)

]]> By: Placemix http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5753 Placemix Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:42:17 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5753 Hey! <br>Great blog and great way to approach learning an new language! I will be starting to teach Spanish to friends and you are giving me good ideas to share. Thanks! Hey!
Great blog and great way to approach learning an new language! I will be starting to teach Spanish to friends and you are giving me good ideas to share. Thanks!

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5745 Benny the Irish polyglot Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:22:16 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5745 Thanks for the explanation, but that part of the post was actually written ironically, using any excuse to complain - although I can see how it might convey that I'd be unsure about how the language works. I'll go into great detail on how I view the German language later in the mission, but separable and insepearable verbs are not causing me much difficulty - in the spirit of this post I'm finding them quite logical and they speed up the learning process by following interesting patterns. Thanks for the explanation, but that part of the post was actually written ironically, using any excuse to complain – although I can see how it might convey that I'd be unsure about how the language works. I'll go into great detail on how I view the German language later in the mission, but separable and insepearable verbs are not causing me much difficulty – in the spirit of this post I'm finding them quite logical and they speed up the learning process by following interesting patterns.

]]> By: CuriousPasserby http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5744 CuriousPasserby Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:15:53 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5744 Hello Benny,<br><br>In German, I think the "prepositions at the end of sentences", should be viewed as prefixes of verbs. Those are the prefixes (like: aus, auf, zu, ein, an, ...) of separable verbs, and happen to be exactly the same as prepositons. There are verbs which have prefixes (like: ent, er, ge, ver, ...) which are not separable. Interestingly, there are verbs which have prefixes (like: um, über, unter, ...), that depending on the context, may or may not be separated. I think viewing them as "prepositions at the end of sentences" is tricky compared to the rules of using separable verbs. This is important when one speaks longer sentences with subordinate clauses (like: um <...> zu <...>), it may appear that there is a handful of prepositions stacked up at the end of clauses.<br><br>Just thought of sharing my opinion, as I have been learning german too, although not yet embarked on a mission like you. I may not be totally correct, so an expert on the forum may feel free to correct my observations. Hope it helps with your german mission.<br><br>Viel Erfolg :-) Hello Benny,

In German, I think the “prepositions at the end of sentences”, should be viewed as prefixes of verbs. Those are the prefixes (like: aus, auf, zu, ein, an, …) of separable verbs, and happen to be exactly the same as prepositons. There are verbs which have prefixes (like: ent, er, ge, ver, …) which are not separable. Interestingly, there are verbs which have prefixes (like: um, über, unter, …), that depending on the context, may or may not be separated. I think viewing them as “prepositions at the end of sentences” is tricky compared to the rules of using separable verbs. This is important when one speaks longer sentences with subordinate clauses (like: um <…> zu <…>), it may appear that there is a handful of prepositions stacked up at the end of clauses.

Just thought of sharing my opinion, as I have been learning german too, although not yet embarked on a mission like you. I may not be totally correct, so an expert on the forum may feel free to correct my observations. Hope it helps with your german mission.

Viel Erfolg :-)

]]> By: alec_b http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5742 alec_b Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:15:14 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5742 In reading your comment and re-reading my own, I have to say that I didn't really think about the effort you put in to get to where you are now. I thank you for explaining your efforts to get to the job you have now politely.<br><br>I want to re-iterate that I appreciate your advice to have a positive attitude. I've want to study ancient Greek (which is slightly out of the scope of your blog but relates to your "be positive" message here) and I think this advice will be a great help. It would be easy for me to be discouraged in my goal of learning the language. There are hundreds of endings for both nouns and verbs, a different alphabet, new cases, new moods, and new tenses.It can take years to read texts fluently (although I'll be trying my hardest to learn faster than that).<br><br>But your post helped me realize that being positive and enjoying the journey will make me much more likely to succeed. I look forward to when I've gotten to a level of ancient Greek where I can focus on a living language and try your promising immersion method. In the short-term, however, I look forward to tackling some Greek. In reading your comment and re-reading my own, I have to say that I didn't really think about the effort you put in to get to where you are now. I thank you for explaining your efforts to get to the job you have now politely.

I want to re-iterate that I appreciate your advice to have a positive attitude. I've want to study ancient Greek (which is slightly out of the scope of your blog but relates to your “be positive” message here) and I think this advice will be a great help. It would be easy for me to be discouraged in my goal of learning the language. There are hundreds of endings for both nouns and verbs, a different alphabet, new cases, new moods, and new tenses.It can take years to read texts fluently (although I'll be trying my hardest to learn faster than that).

But your post helped me realize that being positive and enjoying the journey will make me much more likely to succeed. I look forward to when I've gotten to a level of ancient Greek where I can focus on a living language and try your promising immersion method. In the short-term, however, I look forward to tackling some Greek.

]]> By: chris(mandarin_student) http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5741 chris(mandarin_student) Sun, 18 Apr 2010 01:28:18 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5741 I would take passion over positivity any day. I would take passion over positivity any day.

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5738 Benny the Irish polyglot Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:05:50 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5738 That's precisely the attitude I had when I started learning Thai - sure there are tones and a different writing system, but I preferred to focus on the positive ;) That attitude will help me a lot when I take on a non-European language properly That's precisely the attitude I had when I started learning Thai – sure there are tones and a different writing system, but I preferred to focus on the positive ;) That attitude will help me a lot when I take on a non-European language properly

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5739 Benny the Irish polyglot Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:59:21 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5739 Thanks Camila! Glad to see you are enjoying what I write! Do you mean the posts I wrote about Brazil? I get "homesick" for Brazil all the time, just 9 months of my life there and it feels like it's a part of me!<br>I'm not sure if I'll make it to Frankfurt, but you can let me know if you make it to Berlin! Thanks Camila! Glad to see you are enjoying what I write! Do you mean the posts I wrote about Brazil? I get “homesick” for Brazil all the time, just 9 months of my life there and it feels like it's a part of me!
I'm not sure if I'll make it to Frankfurt, but you can let me know if you make it to Berlin!

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5737 Benny the Irish polyglot Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:57:26 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5737 That's great!! Thanks for sharing :D That's great!! Thanks for sharing :D

]]> By: ardenttraveller http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5736 ardenttraveller Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:49:32 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5736 Thanks for this post, Benny. I really love your positive attitude and the way you shatter the common perception that languages are 'hard'. I'm so sick of people saying "oh that must be very difficult" when I tell them I'm learning Mandarin. It's only hard if you say it is, and I say it's easy! No tenses, no verb conjugations, no pluralisation, case or gender; what could be easier! Thanks for this post, Benny. I really love your positive attitude and the way you shatter the common perception that languages are 'hard'. I'm so sick of people saying “oh that must be very difficult” when I tell them I'm learning Mandarin. It's only hard if you say it is, and I say it's easy! No tenses, no verb conjugations, no pluralisation, case or gender; what could be easier!

]]> By: Camila2 http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5735 Camila2 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:08:44 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5735 Benny, I stumbled upon your website yesterday and since then I just can´t stop reading...<br>I was feeling a bit homesick and it was really, really nice to read the lovely words about my country and my language! <br>And if Frankfurt is in your plans, I´d love to help. Benny, I stumbled upon your website yesterday and since then I just can´t stop reading…
I was feeling a bit homesick and it was really, really nice to read the lovely words about my country and my language!
And if Frankfurt is in your plans, I´d love to help.

]]> By: alysiaraine http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5733 alysiaraine Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:09:30 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5733 Amazing post Benny! I used to be quite the 'language slacker' and I used to just endlessly complain about how difficult German was and how I'd never learn enough vocabulary and how the three noun genders (der, die, das) were a royal pain in the ass...etc. etc. etc. <br><br>Luckily for me though, I've completely changed my attitude towards learning languages and I find it more fun now than ever before. Plus now I know more than 1,300 German nouns in both their singular and plural forms and I couldn't be more happy and confident :) Amazing post Benny! I used to be quite the 'language slacker' and I used to just endlessly complain about how difficult German was and how I'd never learn enough vocabulary and how the three noun genders (der, die, das) were a royal pain in the ass…etc. etc. etc.

Luckily for me though, I've completely changed my attitude towards learning languages and I find it more fun now than ever before. Plus now I know more than 1,300 German nouns in both their singular and plural forms and I couldn't be more happy and confident :)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/crybaby/comment-page-1/#comment-5732 Benny the Irish polyglot Sat, 17 Apr 2010 11:54:01 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1901#comment-5732 Thanks Robby, I also enjoyed Randy's post!<br>Genuine desire is extremely important and it's why people don't understand why they aren't learning a language despite years of investment. Just trying to prove something is focusing too much on the details of a language and not seeing the end-purpose of enjoying conversing with natives.<br>Thanks for the comment Thanks Robby, I also enjoyed Randy's post!
Genuine desire is extremely important and it's why people don't understand why they aren't learning a language despite years of investment. Just trying to prove something is focusing too much on the details of a language and not seeing the end-purpose of enjoying conversing with natives.
Thanks for the comment

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