Difficulties in learning languages

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Корисник
<a href="/sr/translator/tama-0" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1428273">tama <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 22.07.2019
Pending moderation

Hello everyone , today I wanted to start this discussion as almost everyone here is bilingual or at least putting there footstep on this path.
Let me introduce myself, I am an Arabic native speaker and I would describe my English as just "good". I can speak a little bit Turkish, I never had proper language course for studying it so it was all self-taught.
So my questions that I'd like to ask you and i hope that you share with me and others your knowledge and experience are :
Can you really learn a new language on your own and reach a good level of speaking ??
or you think systematic learning is a must when it comes to languages ??
What difficulties have you faced while learning a language ??
For me to be honest my usage of English or Turkish is really rare and I think that's the reason why I have stopped at a point and never improved.
Please let me know how do you get to improve your skills(speaking, writing) in a particular language ? Is it possible to focus on two languages at the same time ??

I'll be happy to hear from everyone 😁

Уредник and leader of the Balkan Squad
<a href="/sr/translator/crimsondyname" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1311076">crimsonDyname <div class="moderator_icon" title="Moderatore" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 14.10.2016

Native Greek/English speaker here, pretty good with French and okay in Mandarin Chinese and Serbian. I think that if you really have the drive and interest to do so, you can teach yourself a language; however, it depends on how much free time you have to do so. I learned Mandarin through school (because my parents forced me to, but that's another story) and because I didn't have much interest in it in the first place I've lost most of my skill in it. A major difficulty for me is remembering every single verb tense in a language; it gets tiring relatively quickly. However, one thing that I've found to help with advancing progress in a language is a sort of "immersion" with music in said language; if you're listening to music in your target language, you're more likely to pick up more vocab.

One last bit of advice: if you REALLY want to learn a language, don't use Duolingo. It's really only good if you already know a language and want to practise using it more.

Корисник
<a href="/sr/translator/tama-0" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1428273">tama <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 22.07.2019

Hey crimsonDyname, "immersion with music" you're totally right I mean music is the beloved of everybody. I used this method in learning Turkish. actually that's what pushed me to learn it, I was so into Turkish music but as I told you I got stuck at a level probably because i didn't give more effort and now I am trying to get back on the track and improve myself but i just don't know where to start from.
Ohhh Mandarin that's interesting, i had the same problem as you but for French. I studied French for about eight years at school and I barely remember anything now. As for the apps I used to use them but not rely them.

Корисник
<a href="/sr/translator/tama-0" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1428273">tama <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 22.07.2019
crimsonDyname wrote:

A major difficulty for me is remembering every single verb tense in a language; it gets tiring relatively quickly. However, one thing that I've found to help with advancing progress in a language is a sort of "immersion" with music in said language; if you're listening to music in your target language, you're more likely to pick up more vocab.

With that number of languages you're studying, I think that can happen.

Уредник and leader of the Balkan Squad
<a href="/sr/translator/crimsondyname" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1311076">crimsonDyname <div class="moderator_icon" title="Moderatore" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 14.10.2016

The only app that I really use anymore is Mango for Serbian, but only because it includes a lot of cultural context in its lessons.

Корисник
<a href="/sr/translator/tama-0" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1428273">tama <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 22.07.2019

never heard of it, I''l check it

Editor
<a href="/sr/translator/andrew-parfen" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1328416">Andrew Parfen <div class="editor_icon" title=" Editor" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 19.02.2017

Hi, I'm from Russia. In my opinion, the best way of mastering a foreign language is using it on a daily basis, as much hours as possible. Not studying it, but literally using it as if you were a native and lived in a country where everyone speaks that language. Studying is boring, studying sucks, using a language for your enjoyment is good. Enjoying a language is the best motivation ever. Read books, listen to songs, audios, watch movies or shows in the language you are studying, translate in both directions, no matter how good it gets, communicate with natives trying to use their language, speak with your friends, even with your colleagues in your office who don't speak that language - you'll see soon they'll be able to understand you and even reply to you in that language!)))

Every day you'll need to understand more and more new words and phrases - use dictionaries and grammar books. You don't have to put special effort to memorise them - if you use the language everyday they will get learned themselves, but if you are not to lazy, try to write them down and from time to time repeat them. Doing this you'll soon realize it's a giant boost in your studying. But don't learn separate words - learn them with the whole phrase they were used in. If you encounter the same word you've just learned in a different phrase - learn it with the second phrase, then with the third one, untill the word gets memorized for good. After a while you'll feel yourself like a reference book - once you meet a word you already know you'll be able to recall where you've read it before - in which book or movie and what phrase it's been in. At that stage you can say to yourself: I'm a tiny step closer to being like a native.)))

I used to study English reading Stephen King's novels. Not all of them are that spooky crap that he writes. I loved a lot his Misery, Dolores Claiborne, Dreamcatcher, Shawshank Redemption and other novels. I used to write down new words and phrases on small paper cards. Now I use AnkiDroid app for that instead. It's a pity I don't read books that much any more than I used to - all that smartphones, players, TV series and computer games kind of pushed off reading books. Thanks to LyricsTranslate - now it's on this site I do the most part of my reading and writing. I also like watching TV series in the original language, using subtitles as a help to understand speaches. But just watching gives you little use. Sometimes I extract the audio track from a movie and I carefully relesten to it while taking my trolleybus back home from my work. I use WorkAudioBook app on my phone for that. In this app you can both listen to the audio track and read the subtitles, you can also switch the subtitles between two languages. So I train my ears and work with text at the same time.

Speaking of difficulties. For me it's the lack of resources. For example, I have a great interest in Arabic, but I can't find English or Russian subtitles to many modern TV series and movies in Arabic, not to mention subtitles in spoken Arabic.

Sorry to make it so long, hope someone was able to read at least half of it.)))

Корисник
<a href="/sr/translator/tama-0" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1428273">tama <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 22.07.2019

I think I read this somewhere "engage with the language as much as you can".I agree with everything you said, its kind of similar to how humans gain their language in their first years of life. When it gets to social communication, I am not the best. And If i am not confident with my language i just prefer not to talk. This is not good I know trying to get over it.
I really admire those who read novels in English. FOR ME, its too tiring I keep translating those new words in every page and this takes too much time and makes reading less enjoying.
Series and songs are my go-to in learning a language. Sometimes I switch my phone language, try to find interesting sites or blogs to read from, also pages on facebook and instagram with good content.
It's true there is no strong production for movies or series in Arab countries which makes it just popular in Arab world. However try looking for these "The Insult" and "Capernaum",I think you can find them with English subtitles at least.
Yeah and I really enjoyed reading your worthful opinion , thanks for sharing it 😀😀

Editor
<a href="/sr/translator/andrew-parfen" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1328416">Andrew Parfen <div class="editor_icon" title=" Editor" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 19.02.2017

To tell you the truth, I'm no good in social communication, too. I'm more of a reader-writer type. And that's my problem. From time to time funny things happen to me, when I'm suddenly approched in the street or in a mall by a foreigner who starts asking me simple things in English and I just get kind of stunned and all I do I just start muttering something, trying to remember at least some words in English. And I still can't watch movies without help of subtitles. I'm working on it. )))

Editor
<a href="/sr/translator/andrew-parfen" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1328416">Andrew Parfen <div class="editor_icon" title=" Editor" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 19.02.2017
tama wrote:

However try looking for these "The Insult" and "Capernaum",I think you can find them with English subtitles at least.

Thank you for your tips, I'll try to find them! :)

Корисник
<a href="/sr/translator/tama-0" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1428273">tama <div class="author_icon" title="Page author" ></div></a>
Датум придружења: 22.07.2019

It's nothing, GOOD LUCK :D

Супер члан
<a href="/sr/translator/kitkat1" class="userpopupinfo" rel="user1276741">KitKat1 </a>
Датум придружења: 07.02.2016

Can you get Netflix where you live? They have recently added lots of Arabic content. Not only Egyptian and Lebanese movies (including the Insult, which I agree is worth seeing) but also lots of recent television series in Egyptian, Lebanese, Kuwaiti, and other dialects, with subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Arabic and sometimes other languages as well. Some of the musalsalat are quite good. (I recommend Al Hayba and Hada al-Masaa)..