Language-learners' chat

Cherryfudge

Hello everyone, how is the language learning going? I've been stuck at home isolating so I've made a bit of extra progress and sometimes catch myself wondering why some of the questions are so ridiculously easy! I suspect it's to keep people like me involved ('nothing succeeds like success') but I'm hoping it means a bit of an improvement, too.

Is anyone learning for a holiday this summer? I'm rather glad I'm not, because I think the challenge of actually having to speak the language is a barrier to me enjoying it. 

OrkneyStar

I'm still plodding through the new content Duolingo added to the German tree - some of it is useful and some of it less so!
I also started DW German online, and after the placement test it put me at B1 level so working through those lessons too. It's quite interesting. I am still watching German media as much as I can, and I bought Generation War from Amazon (I had credit) - it's so harrowing and really made me thankful that I did not live in the time of WW2. It's scary that there are people caught up in wars and conflicts just now and it made me grateful to be where I am. The acting in it is superb too, I was in tears a few times.  OK, enough sad, back to positive - glad you are finding some of it easier, it's nice when that happens, and will undoubtedly mean progress has occurred, YAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!

-taff

Someone I worked with was learning Spanish and to help him remember vocab,would put sticky notes on various household things to help him remember, thngs like coffee , tea, sugar, milk, and phrases here and there. i thought that was a  great idea. Not for me though, I'm good at vocab, rubbish at sentences that make sense..

Cherryfudge

@OrkneyStar, interesting that there's new content on the German programme. I don't think there's anything comparable on the French one. A few weeks ago they posted links to Wordle in various languages but I can't find it now which is a shame because in an odd way it was not only fun but a small aid to language learning, provided you can play Wordle and know at least one five letter word in the language of your choice.

@-taff, I remember this was how my son's reception class was taught to recognise written words! They stayed up in our kitchen for some time. I suppose the Drops app is similar as it works by associating words with pictures. I think my memory for vocab has improved this last year as I feel I'm getting more right. At least, I can read it and know what it means, even if I'd only manage a garbled approximation if I had to come up with the word. Very garbled in some cases! 

Mademoiselle

Search for 'wordle francais'      or try this one I use,    https://wordle.louan.me/    there is also one called SUTOM, this has longer words and gives you the first letter but you have to always start with that letter, I find that one more difficult.  

Mademoiselle

Or wordlegame can be played in various languages

OrkneyStar

I have come across a French Wordle, a German Wordle (.at so Austrian really), a Scottish one (MacWordle), and various other ones. It seems to be a real trend right now!

Cherryfudge

Mademoiselle said:

Search for 'wordle francais'      or try this one I use,    https://wordle.louan.me/    there is also one called SUTOM, this has longer words and gives you the first letter but you have to always start with that letter, I find that one more difficult.  

Thank you! I think the Louan one was the one I tried. SUTOM might be out of my league so far.

@OrkneyStar, it's addictive. MacWordle sounds fun! I love Quordle but it's defeated me a few times recently.

OrkneyStar

Cherryfudge said:

Mademoiselle said:

Search for 'wordle francais'      or try this one I use,    https://wordle.louan.me/    there is also one called SUTOM, this has longer words and gives you the first letter but you have to always start with that letter, I find that one more difficult.  

Thank you! I think the Louan one was the one I tried. SUTOM might be out of my league so far.

@OrkneyStar, it's addictive. MacWordle sounds fun! I love Quordle but it's defeated me a few times recently.

I get all 4 in Quordle about 2/3 of the time, but there have been a few odd words recently!

Mistral001

OrkneyStar said:

I'm still plodding through the new content Duolingo added to the German tree - some of it is useful and some of it less so!
I also started DW German online, and after the placement test it put me at B1 level so working through those lessons too. It's quite interesting. I am still watching German media as much as I can, and I bought Generation War from Amazon (I had credit) - it's so harrowing and really made me thankful that I did not live in the time of WW2. It's scary that there are people caught up in wars and conflicts just now and it made me grateful to be where I am. The acting in it is superb too, I was in tears a few times.  OK, enough sad, back to positive - glad you are finding some of it easier, it's nice when that happens, and will undoubtedly mean progress has occurred, YAAAAAAYYYYY!!!!

I have been learning German for a while.  I am not at B1 level yet so I find German media very difficult, however I am convinced that learning by context is the best way to learn a foreign language.  Have you found any media that is  interesting and also uses simple language?  There is plenty of content on the language learning sites, but those are just not interesting or aimed at children.  I have found a few German comedy youtube channels, which I like but the language is usually of an advanced level or the speech is not very clear and also usually spoken very quickly.  By the way the German humour is actually very similar to English humour despite what we have been told.  Have you found any German media which might be suitable for the A2 learner?