tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post247179668123869423..comments2023-10-12T02:44:27.496-05:00Comments on ADVENTURES IN NICARAGUA: TIPS TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGEShawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14803160496139612638noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-20709169662956416882014-10-14T18:58:08.603-05:002014-10-14T18:58:08.603-05:00Yeah you're right! I actually am planning on ...Yeah you're right! I actually am planning on downloading it today. Guarani isn't featured on it yet but Hindi is so im gona take advantage of it. If the brother up top says he's studying 14 languages I guess I can tackle 3 at least( a brush-up on spanish included). Thanks for the tip ;)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10702291038379789654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-5080191344713788782014-10-12T23:15:17.922-05:002014-10-12T23:15:17.922-05:00Maybe the new JW language app can help you? At the...Maybe the new JW language app can help you? At the assembly, they said to learn about 10 new words a day along with basic phrases to start. Looks like the new app could definitely lend a hand in that dept.Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14803160496139612638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-3312941787725501012014-10-12T21:54:42.314-05:002014-10-12T21:54:42.314-05:00Great tips! I really feel associating with the co...Great tips! I really feel associating with the congregation of the foreign language is a big help. My spanish was waaay better when I was actually in the spanish congregation. Now I only have spanish-speaking customers at my job at the bank to practice on and I have gotten rusty. But while in Paraguay it got better. They also speak Guarani there which i'd love to learn but the only group in that language in the US is in Queens, NY. So jw.org and the audio recordings in Guarani will have to be my main teacher for now. I also attempted to learn Hindi, which i'd still like to do but can't really fit it into the schedule just now. So many choices when it comes to theocratic activity!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10702291038379789654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-80596702553263811642014-08-30T22:50:25.688-05:002014-08-30T22:50:25.688-05:00Andrea, I am humbled by your Nepali knowledge. I ...Andrea, I am humbled by your Nepali knowledge. I can't imagine learning a language that looks like that! Are you thinking of going back?!Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14803160496139612638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-29090925742163956292014-08-28T17:20:51.286-05:002014-08-28T17:20:51.286-05:00नेपाली भसा!
Maile Nepali bhasa sikdaichhu
I'm...नेपाली भसा! <br />Maile Nepali bhasa sikdaichhu<br />I'm learning Nepali, as you know, mostly against my will..lol! I love the tips you have given in this post. Something I found very helpful is practicing every day! Both with learning Sign Language years ago, and more recently Nepali, practice is essential.. And practice with those who are fluent, best if it's their mother tounge. You take for granted how much your brain picks up just by listening, even when you are not 100% engaged. <br />Also, for me, picking up a Watchtower and attempting to read it in Nepali is almost impossible. I set small manageable goals for myself instead. For example: reading the text each day (it's a much more manageable amount of information) , trying to learn and use a new word each day. That is limited to when I'm working in Nepali territory, but still helps me learn a word or two each week. <br />Thanks again Shawn!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01430850217799916017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-63136094393246296672014-08-18T18:14:29.755-05:002014-08-18T18:14:29.755-05:00Kevin, you know you always had a way of giving cou...Kevin, you know you always had a way of giving counsel without us knowing about it until later :) You just shared some info about you and Lea's language learning experience, and it helped me a lot to know those who currently speak SO WELL were once in my shoes.Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14803160496139612638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-73389502465582323912014-08-14T15:53:22.370-05:002014-08-14T15:53:22.370-05:00I don't remember what I told you Shawnie, but ...I don't remember what I told you Shawnie, but I'm glad it helped ;)<br /><br />I would also add: listen to music that you like in your target language (obviously Kingdom music especially), and sing it! There's something about music that cuts through all the red tape our brains put up. Also, as you are learning new words, it's really useful to have a native pronounce it for you (or an audio file), and write down what you hear, not how it's spelled. Write it phonetically instead of just the real spelling, since it's pronounced differently than how we might read it with our English pronunciation. I would put those on your sticky notes throughout the house, too. By far, the best tip is to love and get involved with the people who speak the language. If you love them, you won't be able to wait until you can understand everything they are saying. Laugh at yourself! We say funny stuff while we're learning, and there's no way to get out of it! We love you, Shawn, great post. Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05508145004290963272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-18886139342370768382014-08-12T16:04:18.585-05:002014-08-12T16:04:18.585-05:00I think that's true that you need a "safe...I think that's true that you need a "safe" environment to learn i.e. no one will make fun of your pronunciation or accent. Thankfully, Jehovah's organization is amazing at that ;)Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14803160496139612638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-43034682518719888202014-08-12T16:03:38.124-05:002014-08-12T16:03:38.124-05:00Beth, I love the way you described your method of ...Beth, I love the way you described your method of understanding in the meetings. That's a great tip. Focus on groupings of words, not individual words. It's true, though, that in the beginning you have a huge headache after each meeting!Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14803160496139612638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-90792238022068924832014-08-12T15:57:00.449-05:002014-08-12T15:57:00.449-05:00Wow great tips! Thank you sis :)Wow great tips! Thank you sis :)dee minorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12046128181926869383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-84177037245243657212014-08-12T11:40:37.488-05:002014-08-12T11:40:37.488-05:00Great tips!
Recently we started a thing with sist...Great tips!<br /><br />Recently we started a thing with sisters in our apartment complex where we study the Watchtower together. They practice reading and answering in English and we do the same in Spanish. It's a private setting where we are all learning, so it isn't so embarrassing to make mistakes and get corrected. I think that's a huge part of the problem with learning is we are too embarrassed to use the skills, so I've found this really helps me. <br /><br />We also had spent several months living with a bunch of English speakers, so we never had to use Spanish, but now we live with only Spanish speakers and are forced to speak Spanish to communicate. The immersion method works really well.<br />Zach and Robynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749641461014272989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-3183361050755118072014-08-12T10:20:40.350-05:002014-08-12T10:20:40.350-05:00Going out in service helps a lot. Getting assigned...Going out in service helps a lot. Getting assigned in a car group with 3 people who do not speak any English or very limited English is very helpful. You just have to make it work. <br /><br />When I first started going to Spanish meetings I would focus so hard on each individual word I would get headaches. So I decided I had to relax. I would study well for meeting but when I got there I would visualize the spanish words were a river flowing over my head from the front of the hall to the back and I would just relax and let the river flow. If some words wanted to trickle down into my head I just let them, and with time, more and more soaked in<br /><br />Also, I have found that reading out loud every day in Spanish helps my pronunciation. I do my bible reading each day out loud in Spanish.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040235035172331025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6379362871618261891.post-2537462175038723072014-08-12T07:54:14.728-05:002014-08-12T07:54:14.728-05:00There are points there that cannot be stressed eno...There are points there that cannot be stressed enough<br /><br />Excellent point: > When you go to the KH, DO NOT immediately gravitate towards others learning the language or native speakers who know English<br /><br />I study 14 languages, and I see this happen again, and again, and again and again. Especially in the States, in Foreign language groups. I'll walk in a Russian Congregation, and after the meeting, many English speakers just gravitate to other English speakers to speak English. Rather than trying to stay in Russian.<br /><br />Also > Prepare to be humbled. There will be 3-year-old children vying with you for the same comments<br /><br />I find this to be one of the best things about associating with a Foreign Language. After Faith, Hope, Love, I find humility to be probably the most important quality to have ... and boy .... learning a Foreign language, and trying to comment will teach it.Airelonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394913760599612775noreply@blogger.com