4 ms·

I think Japanese is a bad example. If you spoke English and moved to Spain for three months, and you spent an hour or more a day actively attempting to learn t

by dcurtis 17y ago

I think Japanese is a bad example. If you spoke English and moved to Spain for three months, and you spent an hour or more a day actively attempting to learn the language, you would catch on very quickly.

wheels 17y ago
These things assume that language learning abilities are roughly universal, and that languages within the same vague groups are roughly as hard as one-another. German, for instance, turns out to be a lot harder than Spanish, which I'd learned when I was younger. I've been in Germany for 7.5 years, have had girlfriends I only spoke German to, speak German with most of my friends ... and I still struggle with getting the grammar right. Once again I find Tim's take on things horribly over-simplifying. It seems that he makes rather audacious points by redefining words (e.g. "work", "fluency") and then drawing a bunch of conclusions based on those redefinitions.
- chris123 17y ago
  I agree on the "language learning abilities" comment. For some people, learning a second (or more) language is easy; for others it's hard.
- jbellis 17y ago
  > German, for instance, turns out to be a lot harder than Spanish, which I'd learned when I was younger I'd guess it's the "learned when I was younger" part that made the difference.
  - davidw 17y ago
    I studied German when I was younger (middle school/high school), and Italian a bit later (college), and Italian is definitely easier (though no language is easy).
  - wheels 17y ago
    The difference was Spanish at 14, German at 21. From a language learning perspective 14 is already past the age where there's much innate.
JulianMorrison 17y ago
Spanish is the bad example. All the western European languages are heavily co-evolved and share roots.
- jbellis 17y ago
  I think that's precisely his point.
  - gloob 17y ago
    That's grand, but "learn any language that has millennia of development in common with your native language in three months" doesn't have much of a ring to it.
reggieband 17y ago
I currently live in Barcelona. I began studying Spanish in January of this year (having never learned previously and it is my first foreign language). I spent 1 hour per day religiously practising basic Spanish until I moved here in March. From April to June (3 full months) I took Spanish lessons 4 hours per day 5 days per week. I participate in inter-cambios regularly. I have now been here for 8 months. I would like to tell you that you are most certainly wrong. Although I can have a simple conversation in a social context I have a lot of trouble understanding the fluid discussions of native speakers. I have met many people who have moved here and are attempting to learn the language and can attest to the fact no one learns in 3 months. 12 months is closer to reality and even then the level will be extremely basic.

by dcurtis 17y ago

wheels 17y ago

These things assume that language learning abilities are roughly universal, and that languages within the same vague groups are roughly as hard as one-another. German, for instance, turns out to be a lot harder than Spanish, which I'd learned when I was younger. I've been in Germany for 7.5 years, have had girlfriends I only spoke German to, speak German with most of my friends ... and I still struggle with getting the grammar right. Once again I find Tim's take on things horribly over-simplifying. It seems that he makes rather audacious points by redefining words (e.g. "work", "fluency") and then drawing a bunch of conclusions based on those redefinitions.

chris123 17y ago
I agree on the "language learning abilities" comment. For some people, learning a second (or more) language is easy; for others it's hard.
jbellis 17y ago
> German, for instance, turns out to be a lot harder than Spanish, which I'd learned when I was younger I'd guess it's the "learned when I was younger" part that made the difference.
- davidw 17y ago
  I studied German when I was younger (middle school/high school), and Italian a bit later (college), and Italian is definitely easier (though no language is easy).
- wheels 17y ago
  The difference was Spanish at 14, German at 21. From a language learning perspective 14 is already past the age where there's much innate.

JulianMorrison 17y ago

Spanish is the bad example. All the western European languages are heavily co-evolved and share roots.

jbellis 17y ago
I think that's precisely his point.
- gloob 17y ago
  That's grand, but "learn any language that has millennia of development in common with your native language in three months" doesn't have much of a ring to it.

reggieband 17y ago

I currently live in Barcelona. I began studying Spanish in January of this year (having never learned previously and it is my first foreign language). I spent 1 hour per day religiously practising basic Spanish until I moved here in March. From April to June (3 full months) I took Spanish lessons 4 hours per day 5 days per week. I participate in inter-cambios regularly. I have now been here for 8 months. I would like to tell you that you are most certainly wrong. Although I can have a simple conversation in a social context I have a lot of trouble understanding the fluid discussions of native speakers. I have met many people who have moved here and are attempting to learn the language and can attest to the fact no one learns in 3 months. 12 months is closer to reality and even then the level will be extremely basic.