Grassroots Language Learning

I use to work for a German company and took the time to learn enough to listen for them bad mouthing me and my crew in meetings basically. (Which they did but that is another story) I was in the irish bar in Kiel after work one night and I walk up to the bartender and in bad German, I try to order a Black and Tan. The little bartender looks at me and just laughs and says "I'm from Scotland and speak the queens English. If you want to get the right thing just speak to me in english instead of that crap German you just tried" That was the last time I tried to speak German in Germany.

Mike wrote: Half the time I go researching a German car, I find I eventually drive myself to German sites. I'd like to go visit BMW Welt and drive the Nurburgring Nordschlife. My wife spent some time there in college. I'd like to learn more German than "Porsche Doppelkuplunggestribe" and the third verse of 99 Luftbaloons (thanks, Gran Turismo soundtrack). I'd like to know enough to be able to spend a week there and not be completely afraid if I leave my phrasebook at the hotel. For learning on your own, have you found something that brought you success?

Hey Mike dork, I found a set of Pimsleur German cd's for you today during my travels. If you would like to pm me an address I'll send them to you.

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In reply to paranoid_android74:

That's awesome and you're awesome. PM received. Sending reply shortly.

Zombie thread revive.  

I took German for 6 years in school, 25 years later I've probably retained 25% of it.

I went out on a limb yesterday a bought a years subscription to Rosetta Stone, I'm going to try and learn Vietnamese.  A large swath of coworkers and friends are Vietnamese immigrants, we hang out a lot and I've casually learned how to order food in a restaurant, but I don't know how to say good morning or any other such pleasantries.   Once I can get a few lessons in I can update on how good a program it is.  My wife is going to also relearn Japanese with Rosetta, so she can talk to her mother and grandmother like she could in her childhood years.

If this thread persists it is relevant to my interests. 

If you're trying to recover a language you're rusty with, try a slow news podcast. You'll be familiar with the material and may be surprised at how well it cones back if you stick with it.

I first learned Spanish in an immersion class in Guatemala.

My spanish was rudimentary.  I had a very limited vocabulary.

I had learned "bolsa".  It means "bag" in Guatemala.  But because my vocabulary was so poor, I used it as a substitute for any container.  Box, carton, package, Christmas stocking... anything that held something I called a "bolsa".

Then I went to the Dominican Republic.  I quickly learned that "funda" is "bag" in the DR.  

I had asked someone "Da me la bolsa", which SHOULD have meant "Give me the bag".  Unfortunately, "bolsa" in the DR is a reference to male genitalia.  So, what I really said was "Give me the testicles"

For anyone interested in learning a language, there is NO better method than immersion classes.

I went to Quetzaltenago Guatemala for Spanish.  The way it works is they put you in a classroom setting with 1 teacher per student, and house you in local residences.  NO ENGLISH.  None at all.  24/7. If you want something, you will have to figure it out in the local languge.

Most people can be excellent conversationalists in 2 weeks.

And its a fabulous vacation.  Cheap, and part of what they do is many excursions to see and learn local culture.  Museums, rain forest, street marimba players, Mayan ruins...  ALL part of the school.  I would go on excursions with my teacher.  It was a LOT of fun!