Reinforcing another language

[MikeTheElf]

Due to an academic choice, I elected not to take another year of foreign language study in my last year of secondary school, and that bothered me. I always wanted to be fluent in several languages, for some odd reason, and being unable to continue to study French in a classroom environment, I decided to continue to study on my own. Being that I do not want to spend a lot of money on professional methods of learning new languages, I went the less expensive route, so I could continue to reinforce French throughout the year I wasn't taking it up until when I go off to university.

I was just wondering if any Escapists are doing something similar with any language, and how you guys reinforce your use of the language.

I've just been changing my language settings on everything to French; my computer's running a French version of Windows 7, my PS2 and PS3 are set to French, I set my PC games to run in French (thusly nearly all of my video games are running in French), FireFox is running in French (and I'm too lazy to install spellcheck in English, so almost everything I write has little red lines under it) and I even went so far as to get a French copy of Pokemon Heart Gold imported from Canada. So to counter a year's worth of French education being missed, I just switched everything I do all day into French.

So how do Escapists interested in learning new languages reinforce what they learn, and how they continue to learn the additional languages as if they were their primary language?

 

[Klepa]

Sort of long winded rant inc. but here goes:
Finnish kids need to study mandatory Swedish for at least 3 years. If you go to high school, that's another 3 years. So me, and most of my friends have studied Swedish for 6 years.

Do we know a word of it anymore? No.

My only point was: you did the right choice. You might learn a language in a classroom, but you'll soon forget it, if you don't need it. One of the reasons I post here, is just to keep my English up-to-date.

Which leads me to a few suggestions!

Try and find a French speaking message board or forum, where you can post all kinds of low-content, long-winded nonsense about things that interest you. If there is a "Le Éscapist", get in!
If you play online, play on French servers. Actually having to communicate in the language will help you a lot. Reading another language is a lot easier than writing it. I can understand some Swedish in written form, I can write one or two sentences, but I don't understand any spoken, and I won't be caught dead speaking it myself.

That's all I got.

 

[Miumaru]

I only had 3 choices, and did not care for them. I did all the years I had to and was done with it. If japanese was available, Id probably try to make sure I retained what I learned, since I actually want to learn that language.

 

[Paksenarrion]

Je pense qu'il serait appelé "L'Évasion".

Urgh. I'm rusty at this. I had to look up past tenses.

 

[Rylot]

I try and go through my Japanese high school text book every now and then, but I was never that good to begin with. Plus there are few Japanese speaking people in Eastern Washington.

 

[AlphaOmega]

I am Dutch and I took German, French and English when I was in high school.

All the things on my computer are in English (except office, due to my mother also using my computer) I never use subtitles etc.
I also try to speak a lot of german, and jump into german servers sometimes.
I care little for French though, being Flammish its my nemesis!

 

[Cabisco]

We did learn french in school... In theory, can't remember a single word. Still i'd like to learn another language, but I don't think i'd be able too. I think it's a miracle I can speak english.

 

[Pingupower]

I was always bilingual French and German, living in France, speaking German with my mom. When I left my parents' I soon realized I needed to do something to keep my German level. So I watched movies and read and listened to music only in German. When I needed a new laptop I bought a German one. As I use Linux for my studies (pure choice) I could easily set it in German. I also played most games in German.

Now I live in Germany and I fear for my English, in which I became fluent dealing with foreign students.

In fact I realize that this kind of inputs (English and Spanish music and books)had a greater influence on my language skills than any course you take, except when you study on badass level (as you speak French you may have heard of the classes preparatoires).

 

[noeggsforyou]

Some friends from univercity are international students they tend to do similar to what you have done with your computer's language settings and games to brush up on the more complex aspects of English, it seem's to be the next best thing to talking casually to someone who can speak the language.