How to Stop Losing a Language?
02-17-2013 at 09:35 AM
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#1
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How to Stop Losing a Language?
How can you stop yourself from losing a second language?
Are there websites you can read/post on/write on?
I'm afraid I'm losing Spanish now that I've been in univ for a while, and I'm not sure how to keep it?? ??
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02-17-2013 at 10:21 AM
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#2
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Power Abuser
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Well, to not forget it verbally, you can find someone to converse with.
As for reading, there are a lot of websites that are in Spanish that you can read to practice.
As for writing, write something in English, then in Spanish..?
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02-17-2013 at 11:13 AM
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#3
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Something that I find helpful is to try to "think" in that language. Like, you know when you're thinking about what you're going to do today, or about a conversation you had with someone, etc. Try to think in spanish instead of english.
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02-17-2013 at 12:19 PM
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#4
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I'm guessing you're retaining rather than learning since you said you didn't want to 'lose' Spanish.
1) Read books and/or websites in Spanish (it'll help with grammar & vocabulary)
2) Watch TV/movies in Spanish (it'll refresh the pronunciation, and dialogue/conversation speaking)
3) Speaking with someone who knows Spanish
It also depends to what extent you're willing to know Spanish. Do you want to be able to discuss about more specific topics, such as science, technology, politics, etc? Or would you be okay with just being able to speak in conversations where you'd be using words which are fairly common and used a lot in your everyday, regular dialogues? Method 1 would need to be emphasized for the former, while methods 2 and 3 would be enough for the latter.
Good luck!
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02-17-2013 at 01:11 PM
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#5
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The answers in this thread are all great! If you have facebook try and join an active Spanish group and try to get involved with it as much as you can. The more you engage in Spanish conversations/discussions, the better you become at it!
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02-17-2013 at 01:29 PM
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#6
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Hang out with the OLAS people. I'm gonna try to get involved with them to improve my Spanish, myself..
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02-17-2013 at 04:09 PM
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#7
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i like Star's idea !
also you could create a group/club in Mcmaster. you and your friends, and anyone else who speaks Spanish can meet once a week at a certain place in mac and you could play games have discussions, and watch Spanish movies. you would have to be committed and have the time to create a club like this. if you don't have time for this then at home you can watch Spanish programs, and read books/magazines.
best of luck
Last edited by Ponyo : 02-17-2013 at 06:22 PM.
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02-17-2013 at 04:50 PM
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#8
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Keep it in use. Speak to others with it. Read/watch media
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02-17-2013 at 09:53 PM
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#9
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The only way I could think of is to keep practicing the language. Listen to some media like TV and radio or read something tin Spanish. Also, you can find someone who speaks Spanish to converse with. (that is something that I still need to accomplish...). There is also practicing writing Spanish like writing your Facebook status (I sometimes do this).
I've learned 3 languages plus English and my native language in my lifetime (total of 5) and I can honestly say that is the best way to do it. In my part though, I switch between languages that I want to practice in, so up until now I still have knowledge in all of them.
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02-17-2013 at 10:58 PM
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#10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zebedee
How can you stop yourself from losing a second language?
Are there websites you can read/post on/write on?
I'm afraid I'm losing Spanish now that I've been in univ for a while, and I'm not sure how to keep it?? ??
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Keep speaking it! Don't let it escape you.
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02-18-2013 at 04:16 AM
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#11
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So much good advice in this thread, wish I had asked for and gotten these responses back in my first year! Probably would've helped a lot...
I hope you're able to put some of these to use and retain your language through university and beyond! Having multiple languages at your disposal is such an asset these days in such a multicultural society, plus it's cool! And helps prevent Alzheimer's in old-age!
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02-18-2013 at 10:52 AM
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#12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PockyWarrior
So much good advice in this thread, wish I had asked for and gotten these responses back in my first year! Probably would've helped a lot...
I hope you're able to put some of these to use and retain your language through university and beyond! Having multiple languages at your disposal is such an asset these days in such a multicultural society, plus it's cool! And helps prevent Alzheimer's in old-age!
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Alzheimer's is a disease, and many many people who speak multiple languages develop it.
Speaking multiple languages helps delay normal memory loss associated with aging, which is very different from the pathological process of Alzheimer's. Often people confuse the two, or use Alzheimer's as a synonym for memory loss.
Most of the studies involving long-term effects of multilingualism on memory and cognitive function in old age exclude those with any form of dementia, for this reason.
That said, there are a myriad of benefits to speaking multiple languages, and it's definitely a good idea to try to retain the ability to do so. I just wanted to clarify that point, and the difference between normal memory loss and pathological dementias.
Zebedee
says thanks to starfish for this post.
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02-18-2013 at 02:42 PM
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#13
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Felt the same about my native tongue (Persian). So I got persian keyboard stickers and slowly forced myself to use the language to read political blogs and such. worked.
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02-18-2013 at 04:17 PM
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#14
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Check out an app/website called Duolingo. Its a free app designed by the same team that made Captcha and Recaptcha and a very good learning tool. The reason that they can keep it free is the sentences that you will be translating are sections of wikipedia and other places on the internet that they are trying to translate. Your answer gets put into a pool of other answers and they put the "average" translation as the actual translation!
I know there is a really fun/user fiendly iphone app if you dont feel like using their website, no android app as far i know.
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02-20-2013 at 10:14 AM
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#15
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Change your computer's language to Spanish.
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