I think this would be more of a /chat/ or New /oat/ topic, but /int/ works too.

Getting some proper school education about the language is an advantage, but plowing through culture in a given language has also helped.

As for English, it was a combination of video games, education and later on reading constantly through various wikis. Danish was a bit more complex owing to the lack of proper courses for it in Norway, so I used a system with reading newssites and watching a small handful of cartoon dubs (FiM and Dragonball Z were very helpful). Also worthy of note is that I had learned Swedish solely through watching Sweden's Worst Driver, but I had forgotten it three months later.

The English learning took me about eight years before I reached a high level of mastering, while Danish has taken me about five years and has only now begun to be properly fluent.

I'd say English is the language I have enjoyed learning the most.

Sure why not? I like topics that ain't /gala/ in moonspeak

>How do you like to learn a language? Do you use books, the Internet, or something completely different? What do you find to be the fastest/most efficient way?
School and/or a linguistic approach help to rationalize things and see patterns, no matter whether heard, read in books, read on the web. Beyond that whatever keeps interest alive. Social interaction is the best and most diversified way for sure, and the ultimate utility of any natural language.
Fast or efficient are actually failing concepts here I think. I've learnt many things more or less fast and efficient but I forgot them when I didn't make use of them. The best effect of staying in your brain will be by diversified regular use.
>Also, what language have you had the most fun learning?
Whatever helps to get pleasure within the process of study and even just picking up things. E.g.I have had fun with Italian (trashy game shows on Rai1), English (pick any reason why, there are plenty), Latin, Greek (content, you can read actually interesting things that are very old), Japanese (animu), Finnish (chans), ...

>>165915
>I like topics that ain't /gala/ in moonspeak
So do I, but there aren't many variety threads that can live past ten posts here. If only I had any good ideas...

>I've learnt many things more or less fast and efficient but I forgot them when I didn't make use of them.
I've forgotten my entire Swedish skills at least twice, Nynorsk sort-of once (I've never been properly good at speaking it), and the very little I've ever learned of French and Japanese.

>I have had fun with Italian (trashy game shows on Rai1)
Italian television isn't forthmost known for its deep poetic intellectual high culture. At least it wasn't so last time I checked.

Okay, this thread has been interesting to me for a while and I'd honestly like to talk language with people.

I'm gonna admit I'm only fluent in Americanized English and American Sign Language(surprisingly enough it's a wholly different language from English, owing grammar structure to Japanese and other "prop drop" grammar structures rather than English) but I've been trying to learn French, Russian and Japanese for years.

So yeah...I'm gonna admit I have no clue where to do stuff other than school. Tips?

>>167206
>So yeah...I'm gonna admit I have no clue where to do stuff other than school. Tips?
Basically, switch the languages on whatever systems you use and things you utilise. Examples can be:
-Cartoon dubs. FiM has many dubs readily available on YouTube, which seems to be the simplest bet, and you may be lucky with other shows.
-Computers, gaming systems and mobiles. Not for fresh beginners in a language, as you will need to be able to turn it back to English.
-Newssites. Many gaming newssites (IGN, Eurogamer) offer international editions, and local general newssites have local news or has a unique view on news cases.
-Music on Spotify. This could pose problems if you don't know about a nation's native artists unless they're international popstars.

That's the basic advice I have ready.

Edit: Oh, and internet radio. Get TuneIn or a dedicated radio, and listen 'till you drop.

Last edited at Wed, Aug 14th, 2013 11:50

>>167213
I have a couple of French groups that I listen to, and I know a few Russian groups thanks to GTA IV. With Japanese...well animu and all that is easy.

I've thought of getting translating books starting to read Russian literature in Cyrillic. And with French just getting Proust and diving right in there with it.

But you know, just switching up my language settings seems waaaaaay easier.

I'll take those to heart.

>>167206
How'd you wind up with ASL? How on a fluent level even?
Another fun fact: American and French sign language are more closely related, while British sign language is more distantly.

>>167234
I got fluent because I took 4 years in high school and took part in Deaf community events during that time. Plus my ASL teacher is Deaf so there's that too. I even participated in a Deaf poetry slam at the local Deaf Club once. The Deaf community is really cool, they were totally welcoming.

So yeah, total cultural immersion.

Also that doesn't surprise me much, since FSL and ASL come from the same place really. I don't remember the French guy who brought a structure to some ASL, but yeah...it is interesting how that happened.

American Deaf history is pretty fascinating, all things considered.