Wednesday, July 17, 2013

I'm gonna need one of those funny hats

I've been wanting to learn a foreign language for some time now.  A friend told me recently when he was preparing for graduate school he began learning Japanese because he thought learning another language would sharpen his mind.  As he is very successful today I'm guessing he might have been right.

But which language?  Spanish should be the logical choice as there are Spanish speakers everywhere here.  To me, though, it's just not a very pretty language to listen to.  I took it in college and after two years mastered little more than ordering eggs and beer and hurling various assorted familial insults.

I narrowed it down to German, Italian, and French.  Since K had several years of French in school and could probably help me, it's the one I chose.  For now I'm using an online app, but if I steadily progress and stick with it I'm going to invest in a Rosetta Stone*.  (A good luck charm wouldn't hurt, either.)  After 4 days I already know that French boys eat red apples and French women are rich. 


I'm pumped!  At this rate I'll be speaking like a regular Frenchie before you know it.  I can already feel my mind being honed to a razor's edge.  Y'all better stand back.  ;)

S

*Anyone have any experience with Rosetta Stone?  One to five, how many stars?




10 comments:

  1. The first phrase you need to learn is
    "Se rendre"

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    Replies
    1. We don't get into military terminology for several more weeks Cranky. ;)

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  2. I took three years of Spanish back in high school since I figured it'd be the most useful. Most of the time I can't remember much of it but if I start speaking it then I unlock some of those old memories. Then I can come up with fun sentences like "Tu quieres un pescado en tus pantalones?" (do you want a fish in your pants?) You never know when you may need to ask that.

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  3. Like most kids in the California school system I took many Spanish classes. Back then I drove my teachers crazy because I had a terrible lisp, since corrected. Imagine my surprise when years later I visited Spain where I noticed EVERYONE lisped. I really wanted to tell off all of those teachers who told me my Spanish was dreadful.

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  4. Good for you! I had Spanish in high school (the only choice back then). And it's the language I would want to learn if I decided to try again. I'm interested in the Rosetta Stone too - so if you try it you have to give us regluar updates!

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  5. Vous êtes un homme très courageux, mon ami. J'ai essayé une fois, mais française abandonné quand j'ai découvert qu'ils ne prononcent une petite fraction de ces mots.

    (You may have to go to Google translate to figure this out. That, in reverse, is how I came up with it! :)

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    Replies
    1. Bruce....did you mean to say "courageux" or "insense"? ;)

      S

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    2. By any means..."courageous".

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  6. Instead of spending good money on Rosetta Stone, couldn't you just listen to Carla Bruni on YouTube for free?

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  7. It's hard but fun. the nouns aren't the problems.....it's verb conjugation I think that is the stumbling block

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