foreign languages....ugh

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I've been trying to learn spanish for the longest. I swear, it is fricking hard! This will be my 4th time taking Span 2 (intermediate spanish). What are some of your strategies you use when taking this? I've tried studying, had two tutors, went to extra classes etc. Nothing has helped.

I can offer no helpful adivce- but thought I'd mention I'm in the same boat. Taking 1 of my 2 required years of French in college next year. I AM TAKING THAT LANGUAGE BECAUSE I TOOK 2.5 YEARS OF IT IN HIGH SCHOOL. I put that last in caps because everyone always tells me "No, take spanish, it's easier!" and the lack of logic makes me want to kill something. I am not learning a whole new language when I have at least a little history with french. ((Sorry, preventative rant there.))

I am honestly worried, not about this semester but the next one. If it's conversational, I could be in deep shtuff.

Dont know what to say I have the same problem... I took three years of French in high school but I just remembered what I needed to for the test then forgot it right afterwords, which got me threw but not much else. Last year I tried taking Japanesse (and am currently signed up for it) and had to drop out at midterm, now I am thinking about going to Korea insted of Japan so I might drop it earlier this time and take another class then go to Korea and learn it there (as much as I can.)

Oh god... Took French 1 last school year. all those accents and transsubstantugation of verbs and stuff... melted down during the final.

I wonder if this is typical with aspies. I dropped out of school long ago because of severe depression, AvPD, social anxiety, and possibly AS. Had only one more requirement left, 3rd and 4th semester French. I am trying to go back in the fall, but have to get reaccepted since I was absent so long.

I can't remember one f*cking thing. Plus, the French accents I hear in movies .....I can't freaking understand what the hell they are saying unless I read the subtitles.I was thinking of taking an expensive Berlitz course, but I am freaked out by my inability to interact with anyone. I don't smile, I sound rude and angry. What a joy to be around. I imagine the private instructor getting all pissed off and abusive.

Spanish and French are related, which I am sure you know. So when I try to figure out french I realize that it shares some words, shares some verb conjugations in terms of mood, time, and person.

The only tough part in wanting to learn French is the sounds of the letters..

E is more of a light short "U" sound (uh)
U sounds kind of like a short "I" sound
words ending in -AI sound different then words ending in -AIS
-AI and É sound the same (ayyyy)
-AIS and È sound similar (ehhh)
-OE or -OEU sounds as in coeur, I have no clue
-EI, -EU, -OU, -OI -AU, -AE? I know some but it can be confusing with -EU and -OU

R is an aspired sound

The rules on where to place the stress in French words is different compared to Spanish.

That's my 2 centavos.

But my question is what is your weakness in Spanish? Maybe I can help, since I had to learn in school myself.

Hmm... I guess this isn't like me. I've taken Español for the past few years (finished fourth high school year) and can understand limited French, even though I've never taken a class or anything.

I've come to a lot of trouble in that class because I don't like to do my homework because our teacher assigned pointless homework and in fourth year Spanish, time would be better spent conversing in the language.

Hey, ma_137, what parts of Spanish are you struggling with? I've always struggled with memorising the vocabulary, but the grammar is very logical and usually straight forward. Feel free to PM me about it.

I have trouble understanding the accent that goes with the language. I took Spanish and hated it. Now I take Latin (a written language!) and American Sign Language. I'm loving the ASL. I always hated oral tests in Spanish.

Have any other Aspies learned ASL?

I would like to. The only thing I've learned is the alphabet and a few simple words. Some people say that I have my own version of sign language, though, and I can understand a lot of ASL even though I've never studied it.

The other language I've always wanted to learn is Latin. Is it difficult? Many of the Latin roots are found in English and Spanish, so that would be fun.

Overall, languages come fairly easily to me. I hate speaking in the languages, though and constantly stutter when I try. Fortunately, any native speakers have been gracious and understanding about this.

That's pretty cool. I had to make up a lot of signs with my friends so I could do signs that reminded them of the words and so they could understnad what I wanted to say. Now in real ASL I'm gonna have to reteach my friends these correct signs.

As for Latin, I find it pretty easy. At least Latin 1 at my school was. (HS level) The technicalities with making declensions and conjugations and those sorts of things agree in words are a challenge though. I start Latin 2 this fall. I am afraid I already forgot a lot of Latin 1.

Good luck to you in learning these cool languages!

Thanks! I'm hoping to take an introductory Latin class in college when I get there. My dad took Latin (but doesn't remember any of it) and one of my friends took AP Latin this past year in school, so I could ask her for help if I really need it.

Latin is great! I love Latin. And it makes the other Romance languages so much easier when you have a foundation in Latin.

Because my heritage is half German, I took 3 years of German in high school and 2 semesters in college. Sadly, I haven't spoken it since then, so I'm really really rusty.

We are now learning Spanish as a family. We're not Spanish, but I believe it is a language skill that will be necessary for success in the future. I started us out with Berlitz Spanish last year - someone gave me the CD-ROM, but without any instruction manual or textbook. We did well for the first 12 lessons or so lessons, but then it became too difficult to decipher without help. This coming school year we are going to begin a two-year CD-ROM/text course by The Learning Company called "Learn to Speak Spanish Deluxe."

Spanish is very useful here on the West Coast of the US. There are so many immigrants (whether legal or not) from South and Central America, especially from Mexico. Whenever I walk into the grocery store, I almost always hear Spanish as much as I hear English. The other language that would be very useful to speak around here would be Mandarin Chinese, but Asian languages are difficult.

i'm really good at languages (i think being a musician helps), and speak a smattering of about 9 (up to 14, if we're talking tiny smatterings). however, i'm only fluent in english, which is criminal, in my case.

am reading about a boy teaching himself languages such as greek, hebrew and japanese, which is inspiring me to learn greek. if i did learn a new language, i'd choose one absolutely for its own sake (i.e., not for its practical use). favourites i've considered are welsh, turkish and rom (the first two are phonetic, which helps, although turkish has the most fiendishly complicated grammar).

I really couldn't do languages... I took French and German at secondary school, dumped French in year 9 (when I was 14) knowing none of the tenses and about ten basic words. I carried German on and dispite doing two german exchanges it was obvious at the end of last year that I really wasn't getting on with it, so I was allowed to drop it. Naneth thinks it's because I decided that I had a block on languages and so didn't learn, but I really did try and could, so... I dunno.

The only language that I've been able to pick up any thing at all for is quenya; the high-elven language that Tolkien wrote. But I don't actually use it that well, just little bits rushed together last minute (ie, flirting with my b/friend). I mean, I didn't even start to speak until I was five, so...

Hmm...sounds similar. Anyone else find this to be true?