Thinking about learning french

[Merci Alizée]

I have always wondered whether we can have some sort of online learning sessions on this site.

We already have many French learning lessons, but it's not easy to learn the language on your own.

Here is the idea : Start AAm French learning classes. Those who want to learn can give their name. They have to regular and can't skip anything. A task will be assigned to all those users every week. Those who are willing to teach, can answers the questions. After each session, there will be assessment on Sundays or some other convenient day. Once in a while we can have audio/video or just audio conversation about all this. :/

[texasguy]

I've been learning French with Rosetta stone over the past 8 months...don't know how many native French speakers we have on here but it would be really cool to video/audio chat with them.

[ImRawdg]

I've been using Pimsleur for the past few weeks to learn Swedish, and I love it. They have samples on their website of the first lesson for each language. It is audio-only, so it's only really recommended if you are interested in speaking and listening (which most people learning a language need, but maybe not the people here).

In the experience of most people who actually learn languages, taking classes is apparently one of the worst ways.

[Finnishguy]

Originally Posted by ImRawdg

I've been using Pimsleur for the past few weeks to learn Swedish, and I love it. They have samples on their website of the first lesson for each language. It is audio-only, so it's only really recommended if you are interested in speaking and listening (which most people learning a language need, but maybe not the people here).

In the experience of most people who actually learn languages, taking classes is apparently one of the worst ways.

Swedish and English are actually very similar languages. Try Finnish..?


MA's idea sounds good, I think there may be some really interested and active people within.

[Chuck]

MA's idea is a good one indeed. If he or someone else wants to do that, I'd wholeheartedly applaud! But sorry, please accept that I'm not volunteering for such a task. Earlier, I was mostly talking about various other ways to work on one's language skills, ways that hardly seem like studying at all. This is more like work! (both are good, of Corse...)

Oh yes - the wikipedia language primer that MA mentioned is also quite commendable! (And also still has some gaps, like parts of the first test that aren't there. But they're still working on it.) That might be a good way to start?

My main caution to someone starting a language course here would only be "why build a boat from scratch if you just want to sail?" There are plenty of fine boats already out there.

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ps - sorry if that all sounded like rain on the parade. (Or overegotistical and/or douchey.) I guess I mean like "go for it", it's just going to be pretty time-consuming, and I personally can't commit....

[Merci Alizée]

Originally Posted by Chuck

MA's idea is a good one indeed. If he or someone else wants to do that, I'd wholeheartedly applaud! But sorry, please accept that I'm not volunteering for such a task. Earlier, I was mostly talking about various other ways to work on one's language skills, ways that hardly seem like studying at all. This is more like work! (both are good, of Corse...)

Oh yes - the wikipedia language primer that MA mentioned is also quite commendable! (And also still has some gaps, like parts of the first test that aren't there. But they're still working on it.) That might be a good way to start?

My main caution to someone starting a language course here would only be "why build a boat from scratch if you just want to sail?" There are plenty of fine boats already out there.

_________________________________
ps - sorry if that all sounded like rain on the parade. (Or overegotistical and/or douchey.) I guess I mean like "go for it", it's just going to be pretty time-consuming, and I personally can't commit....

This idea came to mind a year ago, but I never posted about this because I know the difficulties associated with introducing a full-fledged online teaching session type of thing.

I was in hurry, so I didn't post my idea in detail that time. First of all let me make it clear that I don't want members to spend extra time or effort for anything like this. Rather I have been thinking about finding a way so that we all those who are interested in learning can co-ordinate their efforts and do this together without doing anything extra. For ex - many of us spend at least an hour here and read more than 10 posts. Instead of adding learning as completely separate task, if we can just include it as normal forum activity then it might be easier for everyone. Moreover we can just post questions in this forum and hope someone to answer in a week or so just like you guys have been doing so far.

No need to build a boat. Just take an existing one, get together and use that only.

[Scruffydog777]

I think the key to learning French or any other language for that matter to the point where you can usefuly use it if you went to France is to learn conversational French. You have to be able to carry on a conversation with someone who is fluent in it. Is there a way to do that in the forum? Is there a way forum members can with audio, actually carry on a conversation with each other?

[texasguy]

This isn't related to the forum, but through some other website called conversation exchange I messaged a girl from Paris who is trying to learn English, and she gave me her Skype username. I've only had 8 months of French, don't know how productive this will be!

how do you do sir?

[PurpleMistyRain]

Shouldn't we all? Lol, well not me, 'cause I'm part French anyway, hahaha Merci, je sais, se sent bien

I make gifs of her, check 'em out