| I failed Spanish but can speak 4 languages now: If you | | | | admit that my Portuguese is better than my French. |
| have ever tried to learn a foreign language in school or | | | | The reason is because I listen to a lot of Brazilian |
| through language books you buy at the book store, | | | | music. |
| then you understand the great difficulties that exist in | | | | Six months of studying Chinese from a language |
| learning a new language this way. I took two years of | | | | book= I still can't speak Chinese: When I lived in |
| Spanish in school, and at the end of the two years I | | | | Canada, I tried to learn Chinese. I tried all different kinds |
| could barely say "the book is on the table." The best | | | | of learning materials: Colloquial Chinese, Barrons, Teach |
| grade I ever got from 8 terms of Spanish was a C-. It | | | | Yourself Chinese, Read and Write Chinese, I have a |
| seemed like learning a foreign language was just not | | | | whole book shelf dedicated to these type of books. |
| my thing. After high school graduation and five years | | | | After going through all of these books I could barely |
| later, I was able to speak four different languages and | | | | speak even the simplest Chinese. I felt a little |
| understand five. The languages I now speak: English, | | | | embarrassed at this. I was supposed to be a language |
| Chinese, Portuguese, French, and I can understand | | | | genius. But Chinese is a whole different kind of |
| Spanish (because of Portuguese). I don't mean to say | | | | language. For me, the most difficult thing about the |
| that all of the languages I speak are perfectly fluent, | | | | language was that the writing system is not phonetic. |
| some are and some not, but I am able to make | | | | Up until that point, I had relied heavily on reading comics |
| conversation, and get around in each of them. During | | | | or novels to improve my language skill. Since the |
| the five years I did a lot of traveling and met a lot of | | | | Chinese language is entirely based on symbols, there |
| people trying to learn other languages as well. This is | | | | was no way for me to learn the language this way. |
| what I learned which I hope can help those struggling | | | | Help from a friend: I had a friend that had lived in |
| to master another language. | | | | Taiwan and spoke great Chinese. He moved to |
| Reading Comics and Watching Cartoons: Immediately | | | | Canada while I was staying there. It was through him |
| after high school graduation I moved to Brazil for six | | | | that I was able to find the key to learning Chinese. |
| months. Before I went I couldn't speak any Portuguese. | | | | Most important, keep it simple. Don't try to make to |
| To get around, I carried a phrase book and read from | | | | language more complicated than it already is. We |
| it. I made some Brazilian friends who all spoke English, | | | | began by learning the basic grammar structure. From |
| so I didn't learn a lot of Portuguese from them. Instead | | | | there I learned the most common words and phrases |
| what I did to learn was go to the book store and buy | | | | to fill in the blanks of the sentence structure I learned. (I |
| comic books. The ones I read were the "Cascao" | | | | won't go into any more details about this, because it is |
| comics (the most popular ones in Brazil). Also, every | | | | not the purpose of the article) I practiced what I |
| morning I would watch a TV program called "Bom dia | | | | learned by talking to Chinese people that I met on the |
| e Cia." During the day I would go around and practice | | | | streets. Within three months I had all of the introductory |
| the phrases that I learned. After four months I was | | | | Chinese stuff covered: how are you, where are you |
| making friends that didn't speak English, only | | | | from, how long have you been here, how do you like it |
| Portuguese, and having conversations with them. As | | | | here, and so on. |
| my Portuguese improved, I would read more difficult | | | | Back to basics: I got to a point where I wanted to learn |
| books, and watch more difficult TV programs. | | | | faster than I was at that moment. I felt that the only |
| A vivid turning point for me during my Brazil trip: I was | | | | way to do this was to be able to read Chinese. I sat |
| on my way to visit a beautiful waterfall called "Foz do | | | | down with a list of 500 common Chinese characters |
| Iguacu" via Curitiba. When I got to the city of Curitiba I | | | | and started to memorize them. By the end of the first |
| had to change planes, but my transfer was at another | | | | week, I was able to read simple reading material. (That |
| airport. In short, I missed my plane and was stuck in this | | | | is the great thing about languages, the range of |
| unknown city until the next day. I called my friend back | | | | vocabulary words used is very small). From that point |
| in the town I was staying. She had a friend I could | | | | on I felt a lot more comfortable with my Chinese, and |
| meet up with. When I met her, she was very cordial | | | | improved at a greater rate. From there, I started |
| and asked me if I wanted to speak in English or | | | | listening to Chinese music and watching movies and |
| Portuguese. I told her I wanted to practice Portuguese. | | | | cartoons in Chinese, just like how I had done with |
| She began talking to me non-stop. I didn't have any | | | | Portuguese. I have continued to learn Chinese in this |
| clue what she was saying because she was speaking | | | | way and now Chinese, although the most difficult to |
| so fast. A few minutes later she asked me if I couldn't | | | | learn, is my most fluent language. |
| understand what she was saying. I said "Not really, but | | | | Lessons Learned: The most important thing when |
| it is okay you can keep talking." She did just that, and | | | | learning a language is exposure. Create for yourself an |
| as far as I remember she never stopped talking for | | | | immersion-like atmosphere that gives you constant |
| the remainder of that day. I spent the entire day with | | | | opportunities to pick up the language. This can be done |
| this girl, and by the end of the day I was actually able | | | | in a variety of ways, which variety is also an important |
| to understand what she was saying to me. It seemed | | | | tool to learning. The methods I used to learn the |
| like a miracle, but I was able to get accustomed to her | | | | languages I know being: making conversation with |
| accent and rate of speech during those several hours | | | | people (which is not always possible if you don't live |
| of non-stop talking. | | | | abroad), reading books, listening to music, and watching |
| Learning French: To learn French I spent two months in | | | | TV or movies. These are things that everybody does |
| a language training school. French came to me quickly | | | | everyday anyways, why not take the opportunity to |
| because I could already speak Portuguese, which | | | | make these activities a time to learn another |
| there are many similarities between the two languages. | | | | language? |
| I learned French in a little bit different way than | | | | This might seem like an obvious concept, but many |
| Portuguese. I did do a lot of reading in French, but also, I | | | | people don't understand this. That is why you have |
| had a roommate who was from France. Like with the | | | | people who buy books like "Learn Chinese in 10 |
| Brazilian girl, we only spoke in French. After two | | | | minutes a day" or "Speak in a Week." If you want to |
| months of living with my French roommate, I could | | | | learn a foreign language, you need to have exposure, |
| speak pretty good French. | | | | immersion, you need to surround yourself with the |
| French vs. Portuguese: I don't get to speak either | | | | language. For me, the best way to do this was to |
| language very often now, because I live in the United | | | | convert my everyday activities into another language. |
| States. But if I had to say which language I speak | | | | Read in Chinese, listen to Chinese music, watch |
| better, I would have to say Portuguese. Even though I | | | | Chinese TV or movies. At first it is difficult, but all that |
| have had a lot more conversational experience with | | | | exposure will catch up to you. You learned your first |
| French than with Portuguese. I even would teach | | | | language the same way. |
| lessons in French to French people. But I will have to | | | | |