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Language learning support/community thread

On second thoughts it seems you need a stream URL from another source. The signal to noise ratio is extremely low just clicking through in "couch" mode ... mostly kids messing about. :p

I'm a bit slow with these new media - discovered this because Reading uni are apparently going to relay a Steven Pinker lecture this way ...
 
It was "la rentrée" yesterday, so periscope is dominated by kids pissing about in class.
Who would be a teacher in 2016 ?

I don't know how much of it is deliberate perverseness, but apart from the verlan and phonetic text shorthand, there's a lot of mixed-up imperatives / infinitives and past participles.
 
in two evenings I have seen three domestic fires in blocks of flats, and multiple broadcasts from inside prison - and every other video features people smoking joints or shisha ...
 
I've got a smart TV and Arte has just appeared as a free app. Still exploring but there seem to be programmes in French, German and Spanish -- a lot of documentaries but also films. :cool:
 
Periscope was turning out to be pretty crap as a source of language - being mostly kids messing around and with no archive - but they've now made it almost useless - having dropped the ability on the PC app to randomly jump within a language group.

I'm guessing Twitter want to force people to access periscope via twitter.
 
Does anyone have any experience of using free apps (android) to learn? I'm trying to learn German and having something I can use little and often on me at all times would be helpful.
 
Dragnet said:
Does anyone have any experience of using free apps (android) to learn? I'm trying to learn German and having something I can use little and often on me at all times would be helpful.
Click to expand...

Duo Lingo is ok but better when combined with other learning. Like reading basic news articles on the smart phone. Duo Lingo can get a bit repetitive but it's good for filling in time.

I'm learning German also btw. The Michel Thomas basic lessons are available on audible. It works out cheaper if you bulk buy a load of credits and buy them all at once. There's 7 lessons each lasting an hour at the beginners level. My Germans come on quite a bit from using those lessons. Obviously it's paid for but I'd recommend them. Beware his accent though, it's not great.
 
I've (finally) been listening to the Paul Noble German course (which I bought in the Amazon Black Friday sale, IIRC) over the past week , and I'm impressed. It's highly repetitive, but I already feel I know more than I did after five years of GCSE German. He's like Michel Thomas, but with the charm. After PN's lesson eight, I listened to the first MT German track and I got all of it, but I feel only because I'd been primed by a better teacher.
 
Thimble Queen said:
Duo Lingo is ok but better when combined with other learning. Like reading basic news articles on the smart phone. Duo Lingo can get a bit repetitive but it's good for filling in time.

I'm learning German also btw. The Michel Thomas basic lessons are available on audible. It works out cheaper if you bulk buy a load of credits and buy them all at once. There's 7 lessons each lasting an hour at the beginners level. My Germans come on quite a bit from using those lessons. Obviously it's paid for but I'd recommend them. Beware his accent though, it's not great.
Click to expand...

Nine Bob Note said:
I've (finally) been listening to the Paul Noble German course (which I bought in the Amazon Black Friday sale, IIRC) over the past week , and I'm impressed. It's highly repetitive, but I already feel I know more than I did after five years of GCSE German. He's like Michel Thomas, but with the charm. After PN's lesson eight, I listened to the first MT German track and I got all of it, but I feel only because I'd been primed by a better teacher.
Click to expand...

Do either of you, or any other German-speaking urbs, have any other recommendations for a beginner (not me, a friend - she's also looking for a tutor in Kent in case anyone has any suggestions)? Esp free online/app stuff like duo lingo - I know you shared summat on Facebook recently Thimble Queen but that looked more advanced I think?

Ta :)
 
Ta mate, will pass that on :)

Edit - have c&p'd some of your above post that I quoted too, hope that's OK?
 
Last edited:
iona said:
Ta mate, will pass that on :)

Edit - have c&p'd some of your above post that I quoted too, hope that's OK?
Click to expand...

That's cool. I would recommend Paul Noble audiobooks for a total beginner btw. They are a lot more accessible, have a native german speaker on the tapes and are cheaper.
 
Sue said:
I've got a smart TV and Arte has just appeared as a free app. Still exploring but there seem to be programmes in French, German and Spanish -- a lot of documentaries but also films. :cool:
Click to expand...

What TV is this?
 
Any Mandarin learners, plugging away at HSK 4 at the moment, need friends, am lonely STOP
 
I want to up the ante with learning Latin.

Dipped into books and used the memrise app, but meh....

I have a couple of hundred words under my belt, haven't nailed declensions just yet.
 
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