Quickest Way to Learn a Language

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alec

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Or the basics anyway..

I am hoping to have an extended cruise to Holland this season and would like to have a go at communicating in Dutch some of the time.

Anyone have any ideas on the best DIY methods ?.

Are the cd’s any good ? . I do a fair bit of driving.


Many Thanks,
 
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Anonymous

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Ten years ago I did a Berlitz 'total immersion' course in German, in Germany. One to one with various tutors in their Monchengladbach office, from 9 to 5 over three weeks, it cost a lot of money but when I arrived I couldn't even ask for a train ticket and when I left I was happy to chat to strangers on the train. This must be the gold standard. But then my company paid which isn't quite the same as paying yourself.
 
geoffatstanpit

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In the light of 70 years practical experience, I can categorically say that the only way is to get it done before you're 10. (la plume de ma tante est dans le jardin. I learned that in 1945, not a lot since)


Geoff
 
Stemar

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A huge amount depends on your particular learning style. What works for one won't necessarily work for others. However, age isn't a problem, though you'll probably never get the accent quite right as an adult.

Quite a few years ago, I was in the same situation for German. I got a basic grammar book form the library and studied it so I had a rough idea of how the grammar worked, then worked on vocabulary a bit. I wasn't fluent by any means, but at least I could buy a beer. One of the advantages of an old fashioned education is that we learned English grammar. SWMBO coaches GCSE students if French, and half of them don't know what an adjective is!

In any case, with Dutch, it's not too much of a problem. Most speak better English than we do. The Amsterdamers have a joke about a guy who went to Amsterdam to learn Dutch, but only managed to learn English/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
seagypsywoman

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This is how I learned basic Spanish. I bought a book called "Spanish in ten minutes a day." It comes with about 100 little stickers to attach to things around the house, such as window, door, table, beer, glass, etc. I made more of them for the boat. The book also comes with flash cards you can carry around with you with the espressions you're most likely to use abroad, such as, hello, thank you, where is... my name is,...

When I went to Mexico, and now in Spain, I write my shopping list in Spanish. Got a good dictionary - I had to buy a plunger the other day.
If I need a postcard and a stamp, I memorize the sentence first and then say it to the person I'm dealing with. At the market, I point and then I ask the person serving me, "what is this called in Spanish?"

Basically, learn as you go and don't worry about making mistakes. The locals are thrilled to help you out and you get much, much, much better service than if you say it in English and expect them to understand (which they do, but resent you for assuming it).

The neatest experiences I had in Mexico was saying something in broken Spanish to someone who wanted to learn English, so they would answer me in English and I would answer in Spanish. We understood each other and both got to practice.

I tried to learn before leaving and it's boooooring! Although if you can stand listening to a foreign tape or CD while driving, it'll enter your brain by osmosis.

By the way, English is my second language and it took about a year of nearly total immersion to become fluent. I was 13 though.
 
PuffTheMagicDragon

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Greek shipowner once told me (back in the 60s) that "The best way to learn a language is to sleep with her!" He spoke 8.
I followed his advice and can manage 6, of which 5 are fluent.
Basic thing to remember is to learn it like you learned to speak your mother language.
We first learn words - which are patterns of sound - and then phrases - which are patterns of words. It is only after you start going to school that you learn about grammar and why you are using those patterns; by then you can already commnicate.
When learning a different language you simply need to learn the equivalent patterns. Thus, the pattern in english "How are you?" would in german become the pattern "Wie geht es?", which literally means "How does it go?" 'Why' is not important, nor is it relevant.
Dutch children speak dutch fluently by the time that they are three; same goes with english, french, italian, spanish, maltese...... probably even chinese. Are these kids that much smarter?
You're not after becoming a professor in linguistics. You just want to communicate. If you look people straight in the eye - and not down at them - you will find that they too wish to communicate with you.
Good luck!
 
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alan

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Re: Sleeping with a dictionary!

My Italian teacher told me to get an Italian girlfriend who could not speak one word of English ........................................... my second wife is Italian !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and I can speak it reasonably well!

As already stated most Dutch people (and Germans, Norwegians, Swedes, Danes) speak English better than we do ........... however, I am Cornish so maybe that is why!!

Alan.
 
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AliM

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Re: Sleeping with a dictionary!

The extraordinary language skills of the Dutch were explained to me by a Dutch student, who spoke faultless English. When you are 3, you watch cartoons on the TV. They have subtitles, but when you are 3, you can't read the subtitles, so you learn English!

It doesn't help you much, but I am sure that total immersion is the way to go. Myself - I'm afraid I just assume the Dutch, Norwegians, Danes... speak English, which they usually do. In fact, they usually take one glance at me and address me in English before I've even opened my mouth.
 
henkm

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I can agree with allmost all writers in this thread until now.

NOT: SPEAK
Unless you want to stay in the Netherlands for years, learning to SPEAK the language is almost impossible. For two reasons: it is a difficult language to learn if English is your mother tongue, and, most important, the Dutch will simply not allow you to; as some of the contributors mentioned: they will switch to English immediately, no matter what the quality of your Dutch is.
[Even the weather forecast is spoken in English once every 4 hours on VHF channel 23 and 83.]

BUT: READ
How about learning to READ some Dutch?
This would make your stay in the Netherlands much easier.
I have googled for a suitable word list, but at the moment can't find anything better than this:
http://www.elwis.de/Schifffahrtsrecht/Redewendungen/redew-ta.pdf
This list is targeted to SPEAKING a language (over the VHF).

IMHO it would be desirable to have a list of some 300(?) words that sailors need to be able to READ when visiting marinas abroad (i.e. ship, weather, waves, water, tides, motor, diesel, weeks, months, money, bread, milk, beer, closing time;-) etc.)
Suggestions, anyone?

henk

PS: for example, can you read this: http://www.filo.nl/users/kortweer/kw-zwnz.htm
 
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