Re: Let's talk about langages (Advice/Help)

From: Mxsmanic (mxsmanic_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 08/14/04 

Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2004 20:30:48 +0200

©N„ikuli, Willićm© writes:

> What do you consider "useful" ability? Speaking fluently?

The ability to hold an extended conversation on a randomly-chosen
subject is a good indicator.

> Well,apparently I picked it up very fast after a 10 year layoff ("you
> speak and read very well, are you Francophone?" many instrutors have
> asked me).

In the United States, instructors tend to be so incompetent in the
spoken languages they teach that anyone other than a rank beginner
sounds native to them. I got the same comment in high school in my
first-year French class, even though I had only studied the language
over the summer out of a little paperback book. I wonder if these
instructors had ever heard the real thing anywhere.

> As an example, others seem to have problems with that 'r' in
> *r*egarde*r*ai. Or problems with the 'g' in Paris St. *G*ermain.

They are both easy to pronounce if you have a good instructor. Being
able to pronounce them isn't necessarily correlated with overall
competence, though.

> I don't understand what you mean.

Italian and French are similar only if you compare them to French vs.
Chinese.

> You missunderstand. I realize the importance of all three areas
> (listening, reading, and speaking) I mean for learning purposes, at an
> early stage, should I be trying to listen to streams of RAI even if I
> don't understand it well enough?

It never hurts, although you might not profit very much from it in the
beginning. Part of it depends on how good you are at picking things up
from listening alone.

> Which are your two languages?

French and English 

-- 
Transpose hotmail and mxsmanic in my e-mail address to reach me directly.

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