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Learn a another human language. You don’t have to be good at it or even able to converse. Languages are systems of thinking as much as they are systems of commu

Learn a another human language. You don’t have to be good at it or even able to converse. Languages are systems of thinking as much as they are systems of communication. Some thoughts only make sense in a given language! The process of learning a language builds cognitive skills and perhaps fights cognitive decline. If you have absolutely no “ear” for human language start with Esperanto and work your way to additional languages from there.

silicon2401 7y ago
As a fellow language lover I second the suggestion, but not the reasoning. What's your evidence for "some thoughts only make sense in a given language"? From what I've read, this isn't agreed upon in the linguistic community. As for Esperanto, it's heavily biased towards Western speakers, so it wouldn't necessarily be easy to start with for someone whose native language is non-Western.
- BlueTemplar 7y ago
  On the most superficial level: It's easier to talk about snow or numbers in languages that have more words for these concepts than in languages that have less.
  - bluGill 7y ago
    Languages with lots of words for snow tend to be used places where there is lots of snow to talk about. Languages with few words for snow tend to be used in places that don't get much snow and thus don't need to talk about it. In short, if you need to talk about any subject learn the local language (whatever that is) so you can talk to the locals about the topic.
  - isaachier 7y ago
    Having recently listened to John McWhorter's lectures on the history of human language, I was surprised to find out that there is no reliable evidence for the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (that language affects thought). The Wikipedia article on linguistic relativism states: > The strongest form of the theory is linguistic determinism, which holds that language entirely determines the range of cognitive processes. The hypothesis of linguistic determinism is now generally agreed to be false.
    - BlueTemplar 7y ago
      Surely the reality is somewhere between "not at all" and "entirely" ?
  - baroomba 7y ago
    English includes a lot more words than most people use regularly. I imagine that's the same in any language. Just expanding one's working vocabulary in one's native language would probably be quite helpful for thinking and expressing oneself more fluently—not that learning another language isn't valuable.
    - bluGill 7y ago
      I'm told that English will create words for where other language create grammar. (which can be anything, from a new tense to prefixes to other things I cannot imagine because I don't know the language)
    - yakshaving_jgt 7y ago
      Let’s be real though; so many words in English are completely superfluous. For example: jentacular.
Dumblydorr 7y ago
I was thinking of learning French, can anyone recommend which tool to use?
- mechhacker 7y ago
  I learned with a really inexpensive (30 bucks) boxed set called Living Language Then once I knew the basics I went to conversation hours About 3-4 months to low conversational if you practice 30min-hr every day
  - misiti3780 7y ago
    this https://www.livinglanguage.com/faq/downloads/french/complete https://www.livinglanguage.com/faq/downloads/french/complete ?
    - mechhacker 7y ago
      Yep that's it The boxed set has 3 booklets (Essential/Intermediate/Advanced) that cover all the grammar. Libraries usually have it. I recommend them for the main romance languages and possibly German but for Slavic or Asian languages I would recommend other sources (I am barely intermediate in Russian and Czech and was trying Mandarin for a while).
- tmountain 7y ago
  Spanish language learner here (five years invested). Some generally applicable tools/programs I'd recommend are: Anki (or any other SRS flashcard app), Glossika (expensive but worth it), and Clozemaster (free). Glossika and Clozemaster work better after you have a basic foundation with the language. To establish a basic foundation, I recommend this strategy (https://bit.ly/397DPzM https://bit.ly/397DPzM).
- gh0t1 7y ago
  I would suggest using a French or Canadian person.
  - 7y ago
aczerepinski 7y ago
Can anybody recommend a good app to learn another language?
- melling 7y ago
  I wrote a couple iOS apps to help learn 100 words in several languages. Hundred Words: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hundred-words/id1469449237 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hundred-words/id1469449237 Language Pairs: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/language-pairs/id1438817614?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/language-pairs/id1438817614?... DuoLingo is probably the most widely used app. https://www.duolingo.com/ https://www.duolingo.com/ Get somewhat proficient in basic vocabulary then travel. Immersion is the best way to learn but it helps to know some basic vocabulary.
- misiti3780 7y ago
  Read the book Fluent Forever, and download Anki, I learned Italian and French using this method. Duolingo is pretty useless.
- mistahenry 7y ago
  Assimil is the best program I've found so far for learning a foreign language. The way you learn the language feels very natural to me. I used their book but they've recently released an app which may be good. I also recommend Pimsleur as a supplement to work on your accent and listening skills. Don't let the limited vocabulary misguide you...Pimsleur teaches and emphasizes a lot of very useful language patterns/structures. Great tool in the language learning toolbox
- FabHK 7y ago
  In my view, apps are ok to train vocabulary, but not really to learn the grammar and usage patterns. As such, some languages might lend themselves somewhat better to learn via apps (Malay), while others are less suitable (Russian, Japanese).
- jackklika 7y ago
  Find native speakers and talk to them. Write down words you don't rememberand put them in Anki (or Pleco flash cards if you're learning Mandarin) and drill yourself on them daily.
agumonkey 7y ago
I only ever try reading latin. It does massage my brain.. the order of words, the way ideas combine slightly differently at many layers.. it does tickle the brain deeply. Even knowing alphabet (cyrillic is "fun" one) does stimulate.
- smcl 7y ago
  I'd second the idea of learning a non-Latin alphabet. Cyrillic is fun and many English speakers would only be a few hours' study away from recognising and sounding out every character. Korean is surprisingly easy to grasp and has the bonus of appearing to be quite complex. Even just plain old Greek is familiar-yet-not enough to be a challenge. In terms of ones I personally don't know but would enjoy - Georgian script is beautiful, and Armenian looks cool too. I know enough to suggest steering clear of Arabic and Hebrew unless you're willing to commit to learning the languages themselves though. I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this though! Knowing the alphabets themselves aren't really practical unless you're going to the country (and even then only if you can then match the sounds to some words) so it's only really a little party trick or for personal satisfaction.
tentboy 7y ago
I was going to leave this comment. I am about ~2 months into study Japanese and I love it. I get up early before work, and make some coffee and study for about an hour and it is one of my favorite parts of the day. I am still very much in the beginning stages but the satisfaction of being able to read or understand something that was previously so foreign, is incredible.
billfruit 7y ago
I would perhaps recommend Latin, because it has a huge and rich literature, and uses essentially the same script as English.
- jobigoud 7y ago
  I don't know the numbers but I would assume there is more literature in French and Spanish by now, and more diverse. To learn a language effectively it's important to be able to immerse yourself in it. Youtube with auto transcripts, Netflix w/ subtitles, news in written form, chatting with native speakers in a language exchange by texting or skype, tutoring, etc. Once your reach A1-A2 level by any traditional mean, you will have a lot of options to get to fluency.
FabHK 7y ago
> Languages are systems of thinking as much as they are systems of communication. Some thoughts only make sense in a given language! This sounds like the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis [1], and it's been refuted, by and large. There's a good pop-sci book examining it [2], and it concludes that there is really only instance where language clearly influences world view, and that is that in the Guugu Yimithirr languages: people don't use left, right, front, back, but the cardinal directions north, south, east, west (as in, "there's an ant on your western leg"), and that does appear to give them a superior sense of direction. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_relativity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_relativity [2] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8444621-through-the-language-glass https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8444621-through-the-lang...

silicon2401 7y ago

As a fellow language lover I second the suggestion, but not the reasoning. What's your evidence for "some thoughts only make sense in a given language"? From what I've read, this isn't agreed upon in the linguistic community. As for Esperanto, it's heavily biased towards Western speakers, so it wouldn't necessarily be easy to start with for someone whose native language is non-Western.

BlueTemplar 7y ago
On the most superficial level: It's easier to talk about snow or numbers in languages that have more words for these concepts than in languages that have less.
- bluGill 7y ago
  Languages with lots of words for snow tend to be used places where there is lots of snow to talk about. Languages with few words for snow tend to be used in places that don't get much snow and thus don't need to talk about it. In short, if you need to talk about any subject learn the local language (whatever that is) so you can talk to the locals about the topic.
- isaachier 7y ago
  Having recently listened to John McWhorter's lectures on the history of human language, I was surprised to find out that there is no reliable evidence for the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (that language affects thought). The Wikipedia article on linguistic relativism states: > The strongest form of the theory is linguistic determinism, which holds that language entirely determines the range of cognitive processes. The hypothesis of linguistic determinism is now generally agreed to be false.
  - BlueTemplar 7y ago
    Surely the reality is somewhere between "not at all" and "entirely" ?
- baroomba 7y ago
  English includes a lot more words than most people use regularly. I imagine that's the same in any language. Just expanding one's working vocabulary in one's native language would probably be quite helpful for thinking and expressing oneself more fluently—not that learning another language isn't valuable.
  - bluGill 7y ago
    I'm told that English will create words for where other language create grammar. (which can be anything, from a new tense to prefixes to other things I cannot imagine because I don't know the language)
  - yakshaving_jgt 7y ago
    Let’s be real though; so many words in English are completely superfluous. For example: jentacular.

Dumblydorr 7y ago

I was thinking of learning French, can anyone recommend which tool to use?

mechhacker 7y ago
I learned with a really inexpensive (30 bucks) boxed set called Living Language Then once I knew the basics I went to conversation hours About 3-4 months to low conversational if you practice 30min-hr every day
- misiti3780 7y ago
  this https://www.livinglanguage.com/faq/downloads/french/complete https://www.livinglanguage.com/faq/downloads/french/complete ?
  - mechhacker 7y ago
    Yep that's it The boxed set has 3 booklets (Essential/Intermediate/Advanced) that cover all the grammar. Libraries usually have it. I recommend them for the main romance languages and possibly German but for Slavic or Asian languages I would recommend other sources (I am barely intermediate in Russian and Czech and was trying Mandarin for a while).
tmountain 7y ago
Spanish language learner here (five years invested). Some generally applicable tools/programs I'd recommend are: Anki (or any other SRS flashcard app), Glossika (expensive but worth it), and Clozemaster (free). Glossika and Clozemaster work better after you have a basic foundation with the language. To establish a basic foundation, I recommend this strategy (https://bit.ly/397DPzM https://bit.ly/397DPzM).
gh0t1 7y ago
I would suggest using a French or Canadian person.
- 7y ago

aczerepinski 7y ago

Can anybody recommend a good app to learn another language?

melling 7y ago
I wrote a couple iOS apps to help learn 100 words in several languages. Hundred Words: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hundred-words/id1469449237 https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hundred-words/id1469449237 Language Pairs: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/language-pairs/id1438817614?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/language-pairs/id1438817614?... DuoLingo is probably the most widely used app. https://www.duolingo.com/ https://www.duolingo.com/ Get somewhat proficient in basic vocabulary then travel. Immersion is the best way to learn but it helps to know some basic vocabulary.
misiti3780 7y ago
Read the book Fluent Forever, and download Anki, I learned Italian and French using this method. Duolingo is pretty useless.
mistahenry 7y ago
Assimil is the best program I've found so far for learning a foreign language. The way you learn the language feels very natural to me. I used their book but they've recently released an app which may be good. I also recommend Pimsleur as a supplement to work on your accent and listening skills. Don't let the limited vocabulary misguide you...Pimsleur teaches and emphasizes a lot of very useful language patterns/structures. Great tool in the language learning toolbox
FabHK 7y ago
In my view, apps are ok to train vocabulary, but not really to learn the grammar and usage patterns. As such, some languages might lend themselves somewhat better to learn via apps (Malay), while others are less suitable (Russian, Japanese).
jackklika 7y ago
Find native speakers and talk to them. Write down words you don't rememberand put them in Anki (or Pleco flash cards if you're learning Mandarin) and drill yourself on them daily.

agumonkey 7y ago

I only ever try reading latin. It does massage my brain.. the order of words, the way ideas combine slightly differently at many layers.. it does tickle the brain deeply. Even knowing alphabet (cyrillic is "fun" one) does stimulate.

smcl 7y ago
I'd second the idea of learning a non-Latin alphabet. Cyrillic is fun and many English speakers would only be a few hours' study away from recognising and sounding out every character. Korean is surprisingly easy to grasp and has the bonus of appearing to be quite complex. Even just plain old Greek is familiar-yet-not enough to be a challenge. In terms of ones I personally don't know but would enjoy - Georgian script is beautiful, and Armenian looks cool too. I know enough to suggest steering clear of Arabic and Hebrew unless you're willing to commit to learning the languages themselves though. I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this though! Knowing the alphabets themselves aren't really practical unless you're going to the country (and even then only if you can then match the sounds to some words) so it's only really a little party trick or for personal satisfaction.

tentboy 7y ago

I was going to leave this comment. I am about ~2 months into study Japanese and I love it. I get up early before work, and make some coffee and study for about an hour and it is one of my favorite parts of the day. I am still very much in the beginning stages but the satisfaction of being able to read or understand something that was previously so foreign, is incredible.

billfruit 7y ago

I would perhaps recommend Latin, because it has a huge and rich literature, and uses essentially the same script as English.

jobigoud 7y ago
I don't know the numbers but I would assume there is more literature in French and Spanish by now, and more diverse. To learn a language effectively it's important to be able to immerse yourself in it. Youtube with auto transcripts, Netflix w/ subtitles, news in written form, chatting with native speakers in a language exchange by texting or skype, tutoring, etc. Once your reach A1-A2 level by any traditional mean, you will have a lot of options to get to fluency.

FabHK 7y ago

> Languages are systems of thinking as much as they are systems of communication. Some thoughts only make sense in a given language! This sounds like the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis [1], and it's been refuted, by and large. There's a good pop-sci book examining it [2], and it concludes that there is really only instance where language clearly influences world view, and that is that in the Guugu Yimithirr languages: people don't use left, right, front, back, but the cardinal directions north, south, east, west (as in, "there's an ant on your western leg"), and that does appear to give them a superior sense of direction. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_relativity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_relativity [2] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8444621-through-the-language-glass https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8444621-through-the-lang...