@Guitarstratdude I don't speak modern Greek, but there is a good chance that Modern Greek will be added as a language on LingQ quite soon, since it is near the top on our Facebook page poll on which languages to add to LingQ. How big is the difference between Modern and Ancient Greek. Is the writing system the same. Could both be added on the same platform and just identified as "dialects" of the same language? Does anyone know?
@lingosteve I know! You also told me a year ago that Greek would be added soon, whatever :). Modern and ancient are quite different in many respects, the vocabulary is different, phonetics are different, orthography is different, grammar is different :), but they're similar, hehe.
However, ancient greek is not one language, it's many epochs and as many languages one might say. In a sense this is why it's a dead language, nobody would know which one to speak/write, so it's only read, basically.
@heloizyjhenifer OK but if we start Modern Greek, and someone wants to add some lessons that consist of some texts in Ancient Greek, with a recording pronounced by someone, could it work. Is the writing the same? Could we add one dictionary for Modern Greek and one for Ancient Greek?
@heloizyjhenifer Whether the same people study them is not a consideration. The question is only whether the same language slot at LingQ can be used for both. Is the writing system the same?
@lingosteve Would you find it right to use Anglo-Saxon in the same slot with English? Furthermore, the evolution of Greek took much more time and there is no way they are less different.
@eugrus I have no idea about how close they are. My only question is whether someone studying Ancient Greek could use the same slot as Modern Greek in the LingQ system. I guess we will find out when we start Greek.
@lingosteve@eugrus@Guitarstratdude According to native speakers, they can underestand the basics of what is been said in any given text but not much than that. I would love to see modern greeek at LingQ since I'm done with my Assimil book and is very hard to find material (at least for me). I voted for greek but is in 2 place and I'm afraid is not going to happen any time soon. The differences are quite large I'm afraid (lots of sounds marks in ancient greek, one more case, etc.)
@Guitarstratdude I tried it, but you learn very little. Then I used Pimsleur (2 levels), and then Assimil (French version). I don't think they have an English based version but you can check out its site: assimil.com
@lingosteve As for the writing system being the same, short answer is : not anymore since 1982. Ancient greek is written with a complex system of diacritics (polytonic) which is now simplified in modern greek (monotonic). The latter is a subset of the former, however, technically, the unicode codepoints don't always match in practice, therefore it is a bad idea to mix the two. "On paper" it is possible but from my personal experience (manipulating corpuses of texts) it is a bad idea.
@lingosteve No, I belive that modern greek and ancient greek are like Modern english and shakespere's english. So, they could not be classed as dialects of the same language, (I think) but i am not a native speaker. And the writing system is the same (again, I think) :) I will look forward to Modern Greek on LingQ!
Its really important to me to know the retention rate will be consistent. Given the multiple languages you have studied, are you able to maintain functionality with all of those languages? How much have you lost in some of those languages?
I have read in a book during a linguistics class that a Japanese woman who also spoke English said she took on a different personality when she spoke a different language. She was very reserved and polite when she spoke Japanese, but when she spoke English she became a much louder, more direct and outgoing person. Do you do the same when you speak different languages? Do you take on a slightly different personality? I wonder if I will do this when I become more fluent in Mandarin...
I have read in a book during a linguistics class that a Japanese woman who also spoke English said she took on a different personality when she spoke a different language. She was very reserved and polite when she spoke Japanese, but when she spoke English she became a much louder, more direct and outgoing person. Do you do the same when you speak different languages? Do you take on a slightly different personality? I wonder if I will do this when I become more fluent in Mandarin...
I have read in a book during a linguistics class that a Japanese woman who also spoke English said she took on a different personality when she spoke a different language. She was very reserved and polite when she spoke Japanese, but when she spoke English she became a much louder, more direct and outgoing person. Do you do the same when you speak different languages? Do you take on a slightly different personality? I wonder if I will do this when I become more fluent in Mandarin...
Steve! Hello, I have been watching your videos since the first videos you have recorded and I also have an account with your lingq, I do have to say you had me on the tip of my chair on your series of videos of "How I went about learning..." So said languages, I do have a question do you ever think that you would learn an middle eastern language for example Arabic? By the way keep the great work up and keep the videos coming!
@zerocool900 I am moving in the direction of the Middle East, so to speak. I think I will start with Turkish since the alphabet is easier and it is widely spoken. Maybe I will start in April. Then I will go after Arabic, maybe the following year but I am a little wary of the writing system. I find learning writing systems, and reading in other scripts, the most tiring part of language learning.
Steve, if you wanted to change the household language to Cantonese now, could you talk your wife into it? Or after 40+ years, it would not be feasible?
This is a good video! I have a question though. When you listened to the material especially in the beginning, did you listen over and over until you understood or did you listen for general exposure just to pick up what you could in a one time listening experience and then move on to another thing to listen to?
@paisleyyama I listened over and over as I always do at the beginning. but not until I understood it. The exposure is good, and the brain is challenged to try to understand, and of course the repetition is good, but when I am tired of the content I move on. Whether I understand 50% or 80% does not really matter in my view.
@lingosteve Thank you. I wonder if you would do a video on listening to content. Of course we know you choose something interesting to you to listen to. But after that how do you listen? Casually like to music while you jog or drive? or studiously/intently at a desk taking notes? Aft. listening a few times do you try to speak along or guess what they`ll say next? On average how many times do you listen in one sitting and over a period of time (a few days? a week?)? cont.
@paisleyyama I listen casually, not studiously. I could not listen at a desk taking notes, I think I would get tired quickly. I listen while doing other things, running, the dishes, driving etc. I rarely try to repeat or speak along nor deliberately try to guess what they will say next. I listen when I have the chance, car, work out, take out the garbage, whatever.
@lingosteve cont. How long of segments do you listen to? 5/15/30 minutes? What do you think about watching longer content like movies? Would you watch these over & over too? or is 1 time through enough for you? And any other info. about listening that you do. Thank you.
@paisleyyama I like shorter lessons when I start out, but once I am past the beginner stage 10 and eventually 30 minutes and longer are fine. it is more the length of the piece I need to read, to create LingQs (save words) that limits the length. 5-10 minutes is good.
@lingosteve Thank you for your replies. I have the picture now!!! By the way I like this series on "How I went about learning .....". You should try Hebrew. Hebrew is a very interesting language. I heard it is the only language that is scientific in nature. I think if you can speak German then you can speak Hebrew. The 2 languages have similar sounds to my ear.
@paisleyyama At the beginning I listen over and over, and I read and review the new vocabulary. I move on when I feel like it, and in the beginning this means that I move on even though I really don't understand, have an imperfect sense of the meaning. I know that things will eventually clear up.
I just saw a video on our to pronounce Mandarin in pinyin. It seemed way too intimidating, because some of the vowel tones just all sound the same to my ears. It is the reason I am not going to study Chinese. I will be first to admit that I am lazy and don't want to be bothered. I will stick to studying Japanese in the next 2 to 3 years. Although, I do wish I could visit Taiwan whenever I go to Japan. Oh, I am so conflicted of Mandarin. Maybe not now but in the distant future.
@TheSeductiveArts Mandarin pronunciation is easy. The tones are a problem but you just get better over time. Language learning is mostly about attitude.
I see that youtube demands a series of videos "How I learned..." ;). It's a great idea! I certainly look forward to other stories, because not only you learned a lot of languages, you also have a very interesting life!
I agree with your point about how exposure alone is not enough to learn a language. I have been surrounded by Japanese at home for seven years now, we even have Japanese TV via satellite which is on pretty much all the time, and I'm still on the beginner books.
So after seven years of marriage I've finally decided to pay attention to the language and it's working. Still on the beginner books, but I;m starting to notice odd words I'm hearing on the TV and when my wife talks to our son.
I could listen you all day because now I understand everything what you say!I understand every word and I´m enjoying it!I didn´t practiced writting that´s why I make mistakes!After 1.5 jears learning I don´t speak yet but I understand !I had been learning every day 5 hours mostly listening and reading !Am I stupid?
@AndresJC777 I don't get confused in so far as thinking is concerned, but I do confuse similar languages at first when switching. I think in a mixture. The better I speak the language the less I think in English.
9 tones: yin ping, yang ping, yin shang, yang shang, yin qu, yang qu, long yin ru, short yin ru, and yang ru. But: they can be distilled to 6 tone contours for practical purposes.
I can't wait for Cantonese on LingQ. Thanks for all the videos you've posted. Good stuff.
ninthyaga 1 month ago
Do you speak Modern Greek? If so, could you do one in Modern Greek?
Guitarstratdude 1 month ago
@Guitarstratdude I don't speak modern Greek, but there is a good chance that Modern Greek will be added as a language on LingQ quite soon, since it is near the top on our Facebook page poll on which languages to add to LingQ. How big is the difference between Modern and Ancient Greek. Is the writing system the same. Could both be added on the same platform and just identified as "dialects" of the same language? Does anyone know?
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve I know! You also told me a year ago that Greek would be added soon, whatever :). Modern and ancient are quite different in many respects, the vocabulary is different, phonetics are different, orthography is different, grammar is different :), but they're similar, hehe.
However, ancient greek is not one language, it's many epochs and as many languages one might say. In a sense this is why it's a dead language, nobody would know which one to speak/write, so it's only read, basically.
heloizyjhenifer 1 month ago
@heloizyjhenifer OK but if we start Modern Greek, and someone wants to add some lessons that consist of some texts in Ancient Greek, with a recording pronounced by someone, could it work. Is the writing the same? Could we add one dictionary for Modern Greek and one for Ancient Greek?
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve Nope, you can't mix the two. While it's true that (somehow) knowing one definitely helps with the other, they're not mixable.
Besides, you won't have the same people learning the one and the other, really.
heloizyjhenifer 1 month ago
@heloizyjhenifer Whether the same people study them is not a consideration. The question is only whether the same language slot at LingQ can be used for both. Is the writing system the same?
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve Would you find it right to use Anglo-Saxon in the same slot with English? Furthermore, the evolution of Greek took much more time and there is no way they are less different.
eugrus 1 month ago
@eugrus I have no idea about how close they are. My only question is whether someone studying Ancient Greek could use the same slot as Modern Greek in the LingQ system. I guess we will find out when we start Greek.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve @eugrus @Guitarstratdude According to native speakers, they can underestand the basics of what is been said in any given text but not much than that. I would love to see modern greeek at LingQ since I'm done with my Assimil book and is very hard to find material (at least for me). I voted for greek but is in 2 place and I'm afraid is not going to happen any time soon. The differences are quite large I'm afraid (lots of sounds marks in ancient greek, one more case, etc.)
Jate0000 1 month ago
@Jate0000 Try the michel thomas method!!!! And I couldnt find assimil in greek (with an english base) could you pm me a link to it?
Guitarstratdude 1 month ago
@Guitarstratdude I tried it, but you learn very little. Then I used Pimsleur (2 levels), and then Assimil (French version). I don't think they have an English based version but you can check out its site: assimil.com
Jate0000 1 month ago
@lingosteve As for the writing system being the same, short answer is : not anymore since 1982. Ancient greek is written with a complex system of diacritics (polytonic) which is now simplified in modern greek (monotonic). The latter is a subset of the former, however, technically, the unicode codepoints don't always match in practice, therefore it is a bad idea to mix the two. "On paper" it is possible but from my personal experience (manipulating corpuses of texts) it is a bad idea.
heloizyjhenifer 1 month ago
@lingosteve No, I belive that modern greek and ancient greek are like Modern english and shakespere's english. So, they could not be classed as dialects of the same language, (I think) but i am not a native speaker. And the writing system is the same (again, I think) :) I will look forward to Modern Greek on LingQ!
Guitarstratdude 1 month ago
@Guitarstratdude Are you learning greek at the moment, or are you a speaker already?
heloizyjhenifer 1 month ago
@heloizyjhenifer I am learning greek now. Are you?
Guitarstratdude 1 month ago
@Guitarstratdude Yes, I'm one year into it now :), on my own. I can read the press ;), yay.
heloizyjhenifer 1 month ago
Its really important to me to know the retention rate will be consistent. Given the multiple languages you have studied, are you able to maintain functionality with all of those languages? How much have you lost in some of those languages?
Thanks for your informative videos.
jonboy700 1 month ago
I have read in a book during a linguistics class that a Japanese woman who also spoke English said she took on a different personality when she spoke a different language. She was very reserved and polite when she spoke Japanese, but when she spoke English she became a much louder, more direct and outgoing person. Do you do the same when you speak different languages? Do you take on a slightly different personality? I wonder if I will do this when I become more fluent in Mandarin...
ouhannahbanana 1 month ago
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I have read in a book during a linguistics class that a Japanese woman who also spoke English said she took on a different personality when she spoke a different language. She was very reserved and polite when she spoke Japanese, but when she spoke English she became a much louder, more direct and outgoing person. Do you do the same when you speak different languages? Do you take on a slightly different personality? I wonder if I will do this when I become more fluent in Mandarin...
ouhannahbanana 1 month ago
I have read in a book during a linguistics class that a Japanese woman who also spoke English said she took on a different personality when she spoke a different language. She was very reserved and polite when she spoke Japanese, but when she spoke English she became a much louder, more direct and outgoing person. Do you do the same when you speak different languages? Do you take on a slightly different personality? I wonder if I will do this when I become more fluent in Mandarin...
ouhannahbanana 1 month ago
Steve! Hello, I have been watching your videos since the first videos you have recorded and I also have an account with your lingq, I do have to say you had me on the tip of my chair on your series of videos of "How I went about learning..." So said languages, I do have a question do you ever think that you would learn an middle eastern language for example Arabic? By the way keep the great work up and keep the videos coming!
zerocool900 1 month ago
@zerocool900 I am moving in the direction of the Middle East, so to speak. I think I will start with Turkish since the alphabet is easier and it is widely spoken. Maybe I will start in April. Then I will go after Arabic, maybe the following year but I am a little wary of the writing system. I find learning writing systems, and reading in other scripts, the most tiring part of language learning.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve no it´s not! The writing system you learn in a week!
hilbert2547 1 month ago
Steve, if you wanted to change the household language to Cantonese now, could you talk your wife into it? Or after 40+ years, it would not be feasible?
LearningFrenchNow 1 month ago
@LearningFrenchNow a) don't want to b) not feasible.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@LearningFrenchNow
I do believe Steve Kaufman uses the Colloquial series of books? (eg Colloquial Korean to reach intermediate level.)
silent0watcher 1 month ago
Those are captivating videos!
Neuroneos 1 month ago
This is a good video! I have a question though. When you listened to the material especially in the beginning, did you listen over and over until you understood or did you listen for general exposure just to pick up what you could in a one time listening experience and then move on to another thing to listen to?
paisleyyama 1 month ago
@paisleyyama I listened over and over as I always do at the beginning. but not until I understood it. The exposure is good, and the brain is challenged to try to understand, and of course the repetition is good, but when I am tired of the content I move on. Whether I understand 50% or 80% does not really matter in my view.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve Thank you. I wonder if you would do a video on listening to content. Of course we know you choose something interesting to you to listen to. But after that how do you listen? Casually like to music while you jog or drive? or studiously/intently at a desk taking notes? Aft. listening a few times do you try to speak along or guess what they`ll say next? On average how many times do you listen in one sitting and over a period of time (a few days? a week?)? cont.
paisleyyama 1 month ago
@paisleyyama I listen casually, not studiously. I could not listen at a desk taking notes, I think I would get tired quickly. I listen while doing other things, running, the dishes, driving etc. I rarely try to repeat or speak along nor deliberately try to guess what they will say next. I listen when I have the chance, car, work out, take out the garbage, whatever.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve cont. How long of segments do you listen to? 5/15/30 minutes? What do you think about watching longer content like movies? Would you watch these over & over too? or is 1 time through enough for you? And any other info. about listening that you do. Thank you.
paisleyyama 1 month ago
@paisleyyama I like shorter lessons when I start out, but once I am past the beginner stage 10 and eventually 30 minutes and longer are fine. it is more the length of the piece I need to read, to create LingQs (save words) that limits the length. 5-10 minutes is good.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve Thank you for your replies. I have the picture now!!! By the way I like this series on "How I went about learning .....". You should try Hebrew. Hebrew is a very interesting language. I heard it is the only language that is scientific in nature. I think if you can speak German then you can speak Hebrew. The 2 languages have similar sounds to my ear.
paisleyyama 1 month ago
@paisleyyama At the beginning I listen over and over, and I read and review the new vocabulary. I move on when I feel like it, and in the beginning this means that I move on even though I really don't understand, have an imperfect sense of the meaning. I know that things will eventually clear up.
lingosteve 1 month ago
I'm really enjoying this "How I went about learning___" series. It's really interesting! Please keep the videos coming. :D
daglug1 1 month ago 10
@daglug1 will do
lingosteve 1 month ago
I am so excited to learn chinese! i just don't know whether i should learn cantonese or mandarin!
i am thinking mandarin is probably more useful since so many people speak it, but what do you suggest Steve?
RudeMania35 1 month ago
@RudeMania35 Yes Mandarin is more useful and the place to start. Good luck!
lingosteve 1 month ago
¿Hablarás sobre tus vivencias aprendiendo español?
koolibrii 1 month ago
@koolibrii OK lo hare despues.
lingosteve 1 month ago
Fascinating! thank you for the video!
RachidLanguage 1 month ago
I just saw a video on our to pronounce Mandarin in pinyin. It seemed way too intimidating, because some of the vowel tones just all sound the same to my ears. It is the reason I am not going to study Chinese. I will be first to admit that I am lazy and don't want to be bothered. I will stick to studying Japanese in the next 2 to 3 years. Although, I do wish I could visit Taiwan whenever I go to Japan. Oh, I am so conflicted of Mandarin. Maybe not now but in the distant future.
TheSeductiveArts 1 month ago
@TheSeductiveArts Mandarin pronunciation is easy. The tones are a problem but you just get better over time. Language learning is mostly about attitude.
lingosteve 1 month ago
politicians are twats no matter where they're from. lol
arso21 1 month ago
would be great to hear your experience relating to French, Steve.
Vacher12 1 month ago
@Vacher12 Will do.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve Wonderful. Thank you
Vacher12 1 month ago
Fascinating! Sounds like your adventures with Cantonese are one of the best things to ever happen in your life. :)
utubesqueeze 1 month ago
Steve, you should make a video in Cantonese some day. I'm curious.
amanogawamakoto 1 month ago
@amanogawamakoto I have made some in the past and will do another one soon if there is interest.
lingosteve 1 month ago
I'm Japanese. I can't speak English . Sorry
一回 言語を勉強している時のMovieをみせてくれませんか？
I hope it.
Hiroro111english 1 month ago
@Hiroro111english Will do.
lingosteve 1 month ago
I see that youtube demands a series of videos "How I learned..." ;). It's a great idea! I certainly look forward to other stories, because not only you learned a lot of languages, you also have a very interesting life!
pesahson 1 month ago
one should not concerned as chinese or any races if they are in the second countries for permanant.
beensolongg 1 month ago
Magnífica série de posts!
zimmermann10 1 month ago
I love these stories. Seconding the request for a German one :)
SummerKingdom 1 month ago
@SummerKingdom Will do.
lingosteve 1 month ago
Please upload that radio segment you had with the Chinese politician!
aofsamos 1 month ago
Please do one on how you went about learning French, this would be very interesting.
27069614 1 month ago
@27069614 In the future. The German request was first.
lingosteve 1 month ago
I agree with your point about how exposure alone is not enough to learn a language. I have been surrounded by Japanese at home for seven years now, we even have Japanese TV via satellite which is on pretty much all the time, and I'm still on the beginner books.
So after seven years of marriage I've finally decided to pay attention to the language and it's working. Still on the beginner books, but I;m starting to notice odd words I'm hearing on the TV and when my wife talks to our son.
MrScotchpie 1 month ago
I could listen you all day because now I understand everything what you say!I understand every word and I´m enjoying it!I didn´t practiced writting that´s why I make mistakes!After 1.5 jears learning I don´t speak yet but I understand !I had been learning every day 5 hours mostly listening and reading !Am I stupid?
TheMartikaa 1 month ago
I have a random question steve, but I was wondering, do you think/reason in all the languages you speak? and if so, do you ever get confused?
AndresJC777 1 month ago
@AndresJC777 I don't get confused in so far as thinking is concerned, but I do confuse similar languages at first when switching. I think in a mixture. The better I speak the language the less I think in English.
lingosteve 1 month ago
Please do one on Swedish if you have time one day.
3510211 1 month ago
@3510211 Will do, after the German one.
lingosteve 1 month ago
@lingosteve Awesome. Thanks.
3510211 1 month ago
May you do one on German please?
epsilon910 1 month ago 4
@epsilon910 agree :)
SchwarzerMannn 1 month ago
Would it be possible for you to upload that exchange you had with Raymond Chan?
koppollie 1 month ago
@koppollie I will look for the minidisk but no promises.
lingosteve 1 month ago
Thanks Steve, i really appreciate this video.
As a Dutch who is learing Cantonese this video gave me a lot of inspiration.
All the best from Hong Kong.
Jan
Dacud 1 month ago
@Dacud Great to hear from you and I see you already have quite a few languages including Mandarin under your belt. Good luck.
lingosteve 1 month ago
This is a very interesting video. You could use 8:30 onwards as a good background introduction on the LingQ homepage.
LearningFrenchNow 1 month ago
9 tones: yin ping, yang ping, yin shang, yang shang, yin qu, yang qu, long yin ru, short yin ru, and yang ru. But: they can be distilled to 6 tone contours for practical purposes.
criskity 1 month ago
Comment removed
criskity 1 month ago
I've always thought that Cantonese was prettier than Mandarin. *.* That's another language I want to learn...
SailorRocket 1 month ago
first, lol
Xantonium 1 month ago