Greetings, fellow language enthusiasts! I'm fluent in English, Hindi, Kannada, Sanskrit, and Telugu. I can also grasp some Japanese and Korean, though writing in those languages remains on my to-learn list. Now, I'm eager to delve into a new linguistic adventure, and I'm highly interested in Spanish, French, and German. These European languages and their vibrant cultures have always captivated me. To those who have embarked on learning any of these languages, I'd be grateful for your guidance! Here are some specific questions I have: * Considering my background in South Asian languages and some exposure to East Asian languages, which of these European languages might be the most suitable for me in terms of difficulty? * Could you recommend any resources or learning methods that you've found particularly effective? * Do you have any suggestions on how to efficiently manage learning to write Japanese and Korean alongside a new European language? I eagerly await your insights! Thanks in advance for your assistance!
For English speakers, German is classed as more difficult than French or Spanish, but given that you already speak a few languages, it will be easier for you to learn the next one.
Which language you learn should not depend on difficulty but on its usefulness to you. If you really love the sound of a certain language, it may be worth learning it for enjoyment. If you think you might move to a German-speaking country for work, then learn German.
As for resources, I recommend using the acquisition method as opposed to traditional rules-based methods.
Start by finding a native speaker who is willing to walk you through basic words and describe things to you so you pick up new words. Watch cartoons in your target language, or series you are already familiar with with subtitles in your target languages. Find Youtube videos (español con Juan is amazing for Spanish, French with Elisabeth, InnerFrench and French Mornings is great for French, idk about German) and watch them with subtitles in target language - at least an hour a day.
Try to speak as much as possible. I like to use HelloTalk for this. It is an app made for language exchange with some really useful tools. I message a lot of people in the language I am learning and if they correct me, great! Find someone to talk to regularly (this is actually very hard).
When you feel like you’ve learned enough to hold a conversation at ~A2 level, get some simple books and read those. If you understand enough to make sense of it, don’t pause to look up words too much, because that will just make it less enjoyable and make you less likely to keep reading. Look up some words, but not enough for it to put you off.
And that’s really it. This video explains the concept I am talking about here, and though I do learn some grammar occasionally and look up words, I have found this to be the most effective way to actually learn how to speak.
Most importantly, make it fun! Make it an integral part of your life, so you can keep doing it for years.
Appreciate this🙌🏻