Hello, everyone and welcome back to my page! After taking a few months off of blogging, I decided to post a language Q&A answering some of your most common questions. If you want to get to know me and learn more about my polyglot identity, then make sure to watch this video. Below are the questions that I answered and the time frames in which I answer each question, so that you can skip over to a particular question if that's what you want to do; however, I highly encourage you to watch the entire video if you think that these questions are of interest to you.
DEUTSCH: Wie geht’s? [1:19-1:44- Deutsch] [1:45-1:59 - English]
ESPAÑOL: Como comienzas a aprender un nuevo idioma? Tienes algun
recurso que nos recomiendas? [2:00-5:11- Español] [5:12-7:37- English]
ENGLISH:Does learning one language make it harder
to learn and/or remember another language? For example, Latin makes it easier
to learn the Romance languages because of some similar vocabulary, but are
there languages that have the opposite effect because of different vocabulary
or rules? [7:38-12:22]
ENGLISH: How do you effectively approach getting
back into using a language you haven’t studied in a while? [12:23-15:51]
ENGLISH: How do you keep all of the languages and
different grammatical rules straight in your head? [15:52-18:14]
ENGLISH:When you are abroad and you are focused on
the language of the country that you are in, do you find it harder to remember the
other languages that you do not have to use and are not your primary language(s)? [18:15-20:37]
ENGLISH:Which language did you find most difficult
to learn, and why? [20:38-22:01]
ENGLISH: What are the language(s) you would like to
learn next? [22:02-25:28]
Thank you so much for reading this post. I hope that you enjoyed reading it! Don't forget to follow me on all of my social media accounts to be notified every time I post on this language blog and to keep up with my language studies and travels abroad on my Instagram page and to see interesting content about foreign language learning, multilingualism, and anything I like in other languages on my Facebook page.
Now that I have been
keeping up with this blog for over three months, I decided that I would write a
more personal blog post of what it has been liking taking advanced level
courses in 4 different languages. I wanted to share my current schedule, so
that I could inspire others to do so, showing that even busy, tired college
students can successfully reach a high fluency and level in more than just one
language. As a disclaimer, I had already taken 3 languages at once for 3 years
in high-school, so it was not as hard of a transition for me as it could have
been if had I not done so.
From 9:30-10:20 am, I have
Russian 102, which helps me wake up in the morning. Since Russian is by far the
most difficult language that I have ever studied, I love having it first thing
in the morning five days a week. I have noticed that I have made leaps and bounds in terms of progress with Russian this semester. We have already
reviewed all 6 cases and have slowly, but surely been hearing less and less English
in the classroom. Since our professor is a teaching assistant from Russia, we
have been able to gain a lot of insight about Russian culture, Russian norms,
and about the Russian mindset. Our professor has been very patient with us when
making mistakes, but expects that we put the work in in order to do well in the
class. This has pushed me out of my comfort zone, making me want to truly understand
what we have already learned and what we are learning in class. I love the
emphasis that she has on speaking, especially because that is the skill that is
most important to master when you are a beginner.
From 11:30-12:45 pm, I
have Italian 231 on Mondays and on Wednesdays. The Italian course that I am
currently taking is a writing-intensive course, but has also been
vocabulary-intensive. We have already watched La Meglio Gioventù(a six-hour
long Italian film) in clips and have had to memorize up over 100 words a week. I
can now comfortably use idiomatic expressions, and more technical vocabulary
when speaking and writing. Our class is also a hundred percent immersion, which
has kept me in an Italian versus an English mindset, helping me not only to feel,
but also to talk like an Italian. What has been most helpful about this course
is the fact that we have learned a lot of idiomatic expressions and vocabulary
that you cannot find in a textbook. We have learned how Italians truly think,
feel, and speak, instead of only learning the grammatically correct way of speaking
it. We have started mastering colloquial language and can more comfortably talk
about historical and cultural events that happened in Italy, as well as talk
about abstract and difficult material. From 3-4 pm on Mondays, we have an
Italian lab, which has helped us review grammatical concepts from last
semester, while expanding and deepening our knowledge about Italian grammar.
From 1:30-2:45 pm, I
have French 246: Introduction to Francophone Cultures. Since I did not have the
opportunity to take a French course last semester, I decided that I would
communicate with a French professor and ask her if I could skip a few levels of
French in order to take this course. After taking the placement
exam, I found out that I could take this course, as long as I had the
permission from the professor and got an override. Despite the fact that I did
not take several courses that are required for the major and for the minor, I do
not have any regrets taking the last 200 level French course offered at my
college. I went from struggling writing 10 perfectly grammatically correct
sentences in AP French as a senior in high-school to being able to write 7
pages of an analytical paper about colonialism in French. In this course, we
have already watched over 5 films, have read 3 novels from three different
countries, have had 3 presentations, but, most importantly, I have learned how
to think critically, how to think outside of the box, and how to elaborately
write about historical events in a language other than my other tongue. Another
way of thinking about what I have been able to accomplish so far is that I no longer
have to stop and think about every grammatical point in my head: I now know how
to think in French and can easily switch into that mindset when writing,
reading, speaking, and listening to my professor talk about controversial, yet
important historical and cultural events in Francophone-speaking countries.
Lastly, from 1:30-2:45
pm on Tuesdays and on Thursdays, I have Spanish 295: Introduction to Latino
Studies. This course has been extremely rewarding and has been the most
personal course that I have taken so far. Before this semester, I had not had
the opportunity to take a course taught completely in Spanish since fifth
grade. I had not realized how much I missed having a native Spanish instructor
and having to read and speak with others in my mother tongue. I am beyond
blessed that I am in this course, because it has allowed me to meet several
other students whose mother tongue is also Spanish, as well as students who are
passionate about Spanish and Spanish-speaking countries. We have already talked
about Hispanics in the United States and have extensively talked about Mexican-Americans,
Puerto Rican-Americans, and Cuban-Americans in the American context. We have
read 3 novels, have presented, and have had intellectual discussions and
conversations about these topics. I have also been able to rekindle my love for
my own culture, as well as learn about others who have similar, yet completely
distinct experiences from my own. I have also been able to strengthen my sense
of worth and my identity by taking this course.
Now that I have shared
my experience taking 4 intellectually challenging courses, those who are
currently taking, or who are planning on taking courses in more than one
language (whether that be courses in your mother tongue(s), or in foreign
languages), I have already written a post that gives you several tips on how to
successfully learn multiple languages at once. Feel free to read my post titled
“How to Learn Multiple Languages At Once” if you want to gain some words of
wisdom about what I have personally noticed works and what does not when approaching language-learning.
The most important
piece of advice that I can give you is to not let what others tell you that you
cannot do get in the way. Besides my parents, I have had many people tell me
that it would not be feasible or healthy for me to take courses in more than
two languages, but have never let that affect me. Instead, I have surrounded
myself with positive influences and with supportive friends and family members
who are there for me no matter what. I try to be as involved in all of the
language departments of which I am a part and have many international friends. There
truly is no secret formula. The only secret is perseverance. Passion. Never giving up and following your dreams and never letting anyone, or anything, get in the way from achieving your goals.
