Job Discussion Forums

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

And I agree with you. My point would be that a person in Japan teaching English and speaking English at home would have to take lessons.

web fishing · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 95

web fishing · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 95

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Jyulee · Joined: 01 May 2005 Posts: 81

With Spanish, I am currently exposing myself to fairly hefty doses of both styles (subconscious absorption, and conscious study). For me they are not mutually exclusive, but they do serve rather different purposes, while complementing each other respectively.

I can study the subjunctive for weeks at a time, diligently trawling through grammar books and rote learning verb endings. Yet, I believe it is only when I hear it out in the real world that target language of any sort really becomes "alive" for me (and by "alive", I mean recognisable and usable). It�s all very well reading that...

"Negative imperatives take the second person present subjunctive form"

and doing a few gap-fills to that effect, but only when I hear a mother scold her child on the train..

"�No hables as�!"

am I able to truly "get it".

Without the formal grammatical instruction, I suspect that for me to really acquire the rules and forms of indicitive/subjunctive use would take quite a bit longer. And without ever being able to see these rules "in action", so to speak, I don�t think I�d ever get it.

For me, cheesy Mexican soap operas and "talking on the street" are just as important for my learning Spanish as my grammar books and dictionary.

But, as someone else said, different things work for different people.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Good morning Mr. Cowell,

You won't let it go, will you? It was an inane response. I was asking a previous poster how they studied Canadian, dumb I know.

Enjoy your day,
s

Zahara · Joined: 07 May 2005 Posts: 10

In response to the OP, I have always found that a mixture of classroom study (with explicit grammar instruction) combined with immersion is what works best for me. I have tried one without the other, and my progress is much slower without both. When I am exposed to modified input, followed by practice in a safe environment, I feel much more confident diving into the language in the 'real world.'

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

No it's not, 31. Despite your continuing penchant for posting info from supposedly private messages, on this you are absolutely wrong. Do a Google search on my name if you can't quite grasp your error.

And please stop following me from thread to thread.

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Chasgul · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 168 Location: BG

Full immersion is usually the best tactic. When I came to Bulgaria I signed up for the usual University course for foreigners but I lived with a group of Bulgarians who agreed not to practice their English with me until I could speak at least basic Bulgarian. After three months I left the course because I was effectively fluent. That said I grew up bi-lingual French/English, learnt Spanish at school and have done some German before. The seven years of ancient Greek and nine years of Latin also help in terms of getting to grips with new grammar.
My major problem with not having learned 'formally' is that I tend to speak 'street' Bulgarian, which some locals don't always appreciate.