Foreign Languages
- Thread starter Fiyero_sl
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Kuriin
Just a Nurse
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italki: Learn a language online
Check that place out. Pretty cheap tutors (professional based). There's also a challenge that goes on now and then -- the 90 Day Fluency Challenge where people attempt to become fluent in a new language within 90 days.
Check that place out. Pretty cheap tutors (professional based). There's also a challenge that goes on now and then -- the 90 Day Fluency Challenge where people attempt to become fluent in a new language within 90 days.
McCheese
SW: Sean, CW: Crone, GW: Wizardhawk
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Out of curiosity, what variation of Arabic did you learn? I've never studied Arabic, but from what I understand it has lots of variations, many of which aren't mutually intelligible.
TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
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In the schoolhouse it was all formal garbage (Al-Fusha), but I watched a ton of Egyptian Television and learned the gulf dialect (obviously). In the grand scheme of things, all news channels and publications are in the Al-Fusha form so everyone can understand it. I speak Iraqi the best.
But Libyan, Algerian, I don't understand well and nobody understands Moroccan. Egyptian dialect is universally understood because 90% of TV is Egyptian. Syria and the surrounding countries (The Levantine or Al-Sham dialects) are also well understood. It only gets unintelligible the farther into Africa you get. Sudanese I can never understand a damn word from unless they intentionally speak Fusha and stop using slang.
But Libyan, Algerian, I don't understand well and nobody understands Moroccan. Egyptian dialect is universally understood because 90% of TV is Egyptian. Syria and the surrounding countries (The Levantine or Al-Sham dialects) are also well understood. It only gets unintelligible the farther into Africa you get. Sudanese I can never understand a damn word from unless they intentionally speak Fusha and stop using slang.
???????????Any others that know Chinese? ?????8????I've been studying for roughly 8 years now.
I was looking at going here for a while. A friend of mine did and picked up French. She works in the White House now... I'm still contemplating it somewhat, but don't know if I want to deal with learning another language in a formal setting again. Did you find a lot of opportunities that allowed you to use Arabic?
TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Do you work for the DOD or something? I had no idea they let in regular civilians. Most people who work for the state department go to DLI East in Maryland, I went to the main one in Monterey, CA. I went while I was in the Army, spent 6 years doing interrogation so I got a lot of use out of it yeah. When I got out I traveled around Jordan/Syria and Egypt for awhile. Don't use it so much anymore as a software developer though. But I read it a lot still.
The courses are heavy, but short. Arabic/Chinese/Korean being the longest at 64 weeks. But you come out with a strong working proficiency in the formal form and some knowledge of common dialects. Moreso if you take more time to study them though, obviously.
The courses are heavy, but short. Arabic/Chinese/Korean being the longest at 64 weeks. But you come out with a strong working proficiency in the formal form and some knowledge of common dialects. Moreso if you take more time to study them though, obviously.
No, I'm not DoD. They don't let regular civilians in, so you'd have to enlist in the Air Force reserve or something first. It seems a bit ridiculous that you can't choose what language you are interested in learning though. Apparently you have to take a made up test that determines what languages you are capable of learning? It would be lame if I scored poorly on the test considering I already learned one of the hardest languages available there. Also kind of annoying they don't offer any opportunities for people who already know certain languages. You have to learn whatever they want you to learn from scratch, the way they want you to learn it. Probably why I'll never end up doing it.
I rather enjoyed the small amount of german I took back in school- it was sort of like speaking with lego- you just take all the individual word-bits and cram them together any old how and its probably mostly understandable.
(hugely bad grammar and such I'm sure, but understandable... )
Campbell1oo4
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Ich habe in Deutschland fur zwei monate und auch in Osterreich fur vier monate gewohnt. Fur drei Jahre studierte ich Deutsch. Mein grammatik ist noch genau sheiss. Ich kann ein bissel Deutsch.
Speak both English and Spanish fluently, understand/read portuguese, and I took like 3 years of French so I can understand/read some too. I decided to switch to computer languages and I'm fluent in several (Java, Ruby, Perl)
Immersion is very important, I learned english watching american cartoons while growing up.
Immersion is very important, I learned english watching american cartoons while growing up.
TJT
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Its a complete roulette wheel. The DLAB test is scored in tiers (1,2,3) with 3 being Chinese/Arabic/Korean. I honestly don't remember what I got on the test but its a grammatical puzzle/memory test that I don't remember being too difficult. So if you go into a branch and they send you to DLI Monterey, you will be placed in a class based on a number of categories, needs of your branch, Service Category (Reservists/National Guard of your branch supersede you), and availability at the school.
What language you know also means nothing. I had a Warrant Chief who was a Korean Dual Citizen. Grew up in Korea, went to university in Korea. Came to the USA in his twenties and joined the Army for whatever reason. Went to DLI and they sent him to fucking Korean school. He had no way to get out of it either. But the teaching staff was aware of his situation and cool with it so they just told him to come back on the Testing days and he dicked off on the beach in Monterey for a year and a half. So, I guess it wasn't that bad of a situation for him.
Army will give you the best shot at going though, as you can wait to enlist until you are specifically able to get the job you want. The other branches don't let you do this.
ToeMissile
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Estar is for temporary conditions/states, ser is permanent. Or relatively so.
I am happy. Estoy felíz.
I am a man. Soy un hombre.
Also
LMGTFY
Palum
what Suineg set it to
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Actually that's no longer correct. Due to gender fluidity you should say Estoy un hombre now.
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