Comments on: How the Norman Conquest can teach you thousands of foreign words instantly http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/ 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: Benny Lewis http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-17158 Benny Lewis Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:12:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-17158 http://www.fluentin3months.com/2k-kanji/ http://www.fluentin3months.com/2k-kanji/

]]> By: NATALIE FISK http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-17156 NATALIE FISK Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:45:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-17156 I certainly agree with you! I'm taking a Japanese course, and practically half the language is English-pirated. The frustrating part is reading the written language. Any hints for studying that? I certainly agree with you! I’m taking a Japanese course, and practically half the language is English-pirated. The frustrating part is reading the written language. Any hints for studying that?

]]> By: Benny Lewis http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-15395 Benny Lewis Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:02:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-15395 Weird - that's a mistake, but I was sure I linked correctly when I wrote the article! Weird – that’s a mistake, but I was sure I linked correctly when I wrote the article!

]]> By: Benny Lewis http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-15045 Benny Lewis Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:33:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-15045 fi3m.com/hungarian-is-easy fi3m.com/hungarian-is-easy

]]> By: Benny Lewis http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-15046 Benny Lewis Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:33:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-15046 fi3m.com/hungarian-is-easy fi3m.com/hungarian-is-easy

]]> By: Benny Lewis http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-15047 Benny Lewis Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:33:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-15047 fi3m.com/hungarian-is-easy fi3m.com/hungarian-is-easy

]]> By: Imola Unger http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-15001 Imola Unger Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-15001 I also learn this way. I'd love to see what you'd do about Hungarian, though… there's a challenge for you. I also learn this way. I’d love to see what you’d do about Hungarian, though… there’s a challenge for you.

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-12888 Benny the Irish polyglot Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:22:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-12888 I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I'll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;) I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I’ll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-12889 Benny the Irish polyglot Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:22:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-12889 I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I'll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;) I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I’ll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-12890 Benny the Irish polyglot Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:22:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-12890 I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I'll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;) I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I’ll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-12891 Benny the Irish polyglot Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:22:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-12891 I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I'll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;) I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I’ll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;)

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-12892 Benny the Irish polyglot Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:22:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-12892 I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I'll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;) I seriously doubt that comes from Portuguese! But I’ll use it as a handy mnemonic to remember the slight similarity ;)

]]> By: Benny the language hacker http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-9665 Benny the language hacker Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:56:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-9665 Glad to see it! Best of luck with Chinese :) Glad to see it! Best of luck with Chinese :)

]]> By: Victor Berrjod http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-9651 Victor Berrjod Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:46:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-9651 I'm on it. ;) Mandarin Chinese is the next language I'll take on, and I will focus on what makes it easy rather than what makes it hard. Tones aren't so bad, characters are pretty logical (although I prefer the traditional ones, I'll be learning simplified), no inflexion, and there are very few possible sound combinations. Since I won't get serious with it until I'm back in Norway this spring (university here in Japan is too demanding), I'm cheating and learning one new Chinese word every day, which should give me a nice little head start for almost no invested energy. :) I’m on it. ;)

Mandarin Chinese is the next language I’ll take on, and I will focus on what makes it easy rather than what makes it hard. Tones aren’t so bad, characters are pretty logical (although I prefer the traditional ones, I’ll be learning simplified), no inflexion, and there are very few possible sound combinations.

Since I won’t get serious with it until I’m back in Norway this spring (university here in Japan is too demanding), I’m cheating and learning one new Chinese word every day, which should give me a nice little head start for almost no invested energy. :)

]]> By: Victor Berrjod http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-9652 Victor Berrjod Sat, 27 Nov 2010 17:46:00 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-9652 I'm on it. ;) Mandarin Chinese is the next language I'll take on, and I will focus on what makes it easy rather than what makes it hard. Tones aren't so bad, characters are pretty logical (although I prefer the traditional ones, I'll be learning simplified), no inflexion, and there are very few possible sound combinations. Since I won't get serious with it until I'm back in Norway this spring (university here in Japan is too demanding), I'm cheating and learning one new Chinese word every day, which should give me a nice little head start for almost no invested energy. :) I’m on it. ;)

Mandarin Chinese is the next language I’ll take on, and I will focus on what makes it easy rather than what makes it hard. Tones aren’t so bad, characters are pretty logical (although I prefer the traditional ones, I’ll be learning simplified), no inflexion, and there are very few possible sound combinations.

Since I won’t get serious with it until I’m back in Norway this spring (university here in Japan is too demanding), I’m cheating and learning one new Chinese word every day, which should give me a nice little head start for almost no invested energy. :)

]]> By: timb http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-6833 timb Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:18:16 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-6833 Hi, first off Benny - great blog and this post is totally awesome. I'm looking at getting some language learning guides together and this is the sort of positive info that makes people want to discover new language(s). <br><br>Here's some anecdotal stuff with regard to learning/speaking Chinese. I was stopping over in Hong Kong en route to Oz and after a days sightseeing hopped in a taxi outside the ferry station. The taxi driver just pulled away as soon as I was in there and then started talking to me (in Chinese I guess). I assumed he wanted to know my destination so I said, in Queen's English "Kowloon, Waterloo Road". He obviously had no idea what I meant. So I repeated, louder and slower and he shouted back at me, louder and slower. Eventually I pulled my map out of my pocket to point and show him. Unfortunately, I ripped a massive hole in the page exactly over my destination so I was out of luck there. Then I remembered I had seen some notes on phrasing on some other map somewhere so I looked him in the eye, took a deep breath and said "Wah Dah Loo Rod". Within 10 minutes I was dropped off right outside my hotel by my new best mate. So there you go, it is easier than you think...just takes a bit of luck and some confidence...<br><br>Keep up the good work - I've learned more in a few days from your blog than in months of language research!<br><br>TimB Hi, first off Benny – great blog and this post is totally awesome. I'm looking at getting some language learning guides together and this is the sort of positive info that makes people want to discover new language(s).

Here's some anecdotal stuff with regard to learning/speaking Chinese. I was stopping over in Hong Kong en route to Oz and after a days sightseeing hopped in a taxi outside the ferry station. The taxi driver just pulled away as soon as I was in there and then started talking to me (in Chinese I guess). I assumed he wanted to know my destination so I said, in Queen's English “Kowloon, Waterloo Road”. He obviously had no idea what I meant. So I repeated, louder and slower and he shouted back at me, louder and slower. Eventually I pulled my map out of my pocket to point and show him. Unfortunately, I ripped a massive hole in the page exactly over my destination so I was out of luck there. Then I remembered I had seen some notes on phrasing on some other map somewhere so I looked him in the eye, took a deep breath and said “Wah Dah Loo Rod”. Within 10 minutes I was dropped off right outside my hotel by my new best mate. So there you go, it is easier than you think…just takes a bit of luck and some confidence…

Keep up the good work – I've learned more in a few days from your blog than in months of language research!

TimB

]]> By: Maxpx0 http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-6588 Maxpx0 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:18:56 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-6588 I speak English. My native language is German. Learning English (I'd even go as far as to say 'mastering it') isn't all all that hard for a German speaker. You've got the standard Latin alphabet, countless numbers of English words that are used in German and the other way around, interesting media, no tonality, same way of thinking, etc. Chinese, on the other hand, has tones, many thousands of characters, no alphabet, different concepts of expressing things, a very different cultural framework, chengyu, and, let's be honest here, for the most part terrible entertainment and hardly any quality dubbing for good shows. <br><br>I stand by it: English is easy, Chinese is terribly hard, even compared to other hard languages. I don't think you'll find any advanced speaker of Chinese who won't agree with that. I speak English. My native language is German. Learning English (I'd even go as far as to say 'mastering it') isn't all all that hard for a German speaker. You've got the standard Latin alphabet, countless numbers of English words that are used in German and the other way around, interesting media, no tonality, same way of thinking, etc. Chinese, on the other hand, has tones, many thousands of characters, no alphabet, different concepts of expressing things, a very different cultural framework, chengyu, and, let's be honest here, for the most part terrible entertainment and hardly any quality dubbing for good shows.

I stand by it: English is easy, Chinese is terribly hard, even compared to other hard languages. I don't think you'll find any advanced speaker of Chinese who won't agree with that.

]]> By: Benny the Irish polyglot http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-6587 Benny the Irish polyglot Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:47:35 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-6587 "To me it sounds like you just started with Chinese". Do you speak Dutch Maxpx0? Or Czech? Or Swahili? Or Portuguese? <br>I am sure Chinese is a difficult language to learn, but so is every language in the world depending on how you look at it. And every language gets hard if you want to truly master it beyond the beginning stages. <br>If you have <b>mastered</b> other languages then it's easier to give an unbiased view of which is "not easy". Otherwise I still don't see anything in your argument other than "my task is the hardest".<br><br>I find that no matter what language I learn, there is always someone who says it's the hardest language in the world. I'll be writing a post about that soon! “To me it sounds like you just started with Chinese”. Do you speak Dutch Maxpx0? Or Czech? Or Swahili? Or Portuguese?
I am sure Chinese is a difficult language to learn, but so is every language in the world depending on how you look at it. And every language gets hard if you want to truly master it beyond the beginning stages.
If you have mastered other languages then it's easier to give an unbiased view of which is “not easy”. Otherwise I still don't see anything in your argument other than “my task is the hardest”.

I find that no matter what language I learn, there is always someone who says it's the hardest language in the world. I'll be writing a post about that soon!

]]> By: Maxpx0 http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-6586 Maxpx0 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:19:12 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-6586 Attitude is everything to getting fluent in the end. However, it does absolutely not mean that all languages are equal for everybody. You know what is easy? English. Or Dutch. You know what's not easy? Asian languages. You know what's totally freaking hard, even with all the great attitude in the world? Chinese. So please, unless you're fluent in Chinese and willing to proof that, please don't give me that "Chinese is the easiest language to learn" crap. To me, it sounds like you just started with Chinese, and it all looks nice and logical to you, and you're wondering what all the fuzz is about. That's the same for all beginners. Give it a while.<br><br>For the record, I've been an AJATTer since the beginning, and even though Heisig didn't work out for me, I did give it an honest try. It doesn't matter, I have other stuff that works. <br><br>Good luck with your journey with Chinese. Attitude is everything to getting fluent in the end. However, it does absolutely not mean that all languages are equal for everybody. You know what is easy? English. Or Dutch. You know what's not easy? Asian languages. You know what's totally freaking hard, even with all the great attitude in the world? Chinese. So please, unless you're fluent in Chinese and willing to proof that, please don't give me that “Chinese is the easiest language to learn” crap. To me, it sounds like you just started with Chinese, and it all looks nice and logical to you, and you're wondering what all the fuzz is about. That's the same for all beginners. Give it a while.

For the record, I've been an AJATTer since the beginning, and even though Heisig didn't work out for me, I did give it an honest try. It doesn't matter, I have other stuff that works.

Good luck with your journey with Chinese.

]]> By: Ty http://www.fluentin3months.com/thousands-of-words-instantly/comment-page-1/#comment-6585 Ty Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:21:38 +0000 http://www.fluentin3months.com/?p=1062#comment-6585 Attitude is everything. Chinese is not hard. In fact, I think it is the easiest language to learn. :)<br><br>I suggest James Heisig's Remembering the Hanzi, and that you should check out AJATT (<a href="http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com" rel="nofollow">www.alljapaneseallthetime.com</a>). Attitude is everything. Chinese is not hard. In fact, I think it is the easiest language to learn. :)

I suggest James Heisig's Remembering the Hanzi, and that you should check out AJATT (http://www.alljapaneseallthetime.com).

]]>