Hey, I’m not sure if there is the right forum, but I just wanted to say hello! I just found this site yesterday and I think stumbled on to something awesome. I wasn’t even searching for language learning, but for a job.
I’ve been wanting to attempt to learn French for a long time but I have lacked the motivation to do so. I’ve played around with Rosetta Stone and such, but its doesn’t keep me very interested, and as soon as I attempt speaking and I see myself failing in at it, I lose confidence and quit. It’s not so much the words, and writing, but speaking.
Playing with LingQ yesterday, and today has been wonderful! I have started on the Beginner 1 (Who is she?). I’m surprised how I can read through parts one and two with understanding. Like is said before, reading is one thing, but SPEAKING is another!
That is the hard part for me.
I hope to move forward and get a membership and possibly a tutor, but I’m kind of nervous about that. Any experiences that can be shared, or tips?
We think you’ve stumbled onto something awesome, too!
Initially, you should just do what you’re doing. Listen and read and LingQ and review new vocabulary. Once you feel ready, you can set up a 1 on 1 conversation with a tutor. You will probably be a little nervous at first when you start to speak but the more listening and reading you have done, the more confident you will be and the better you will do. You should also write and have it corrected. This is a low pressure way of testing out your ability.
Finally, though, you do have to speak a few times to feel comfortable but it doesn’t take long. At least, that was my experience in French.
Anybody else care to talk about their experience getting started on LingQ and joining your first conversations.
Thanks for you welcoming reply! I have a questions, should you go as fast or as slow as you want? I did part 2 today, but I feel I’m already for part 3. How fast do you suggest someone go? At the same time I don’t want to rush, so to speak.
Do what you want to do. That will keep you enjoying your studies.
Stay a little ahead of your comfort zone. If you understand 75% or so, move on. ?The brain does better when it is a little challenged.There will also be times when you want to easier content just to consolidate.
There is so much to cover, just keep going. Bu going forward, you will automatically meet words and phrases that you have learn before.
When you have an appetite for lots of repetition, go for it. When you are eager to go forward go for it.
Do a lot of LingQing, words and phrases. Do your regular review.
Your pace is up to you. If you feel you are ready, you are. You sound like you are moving quickly through the beginner material so keep going. Make sure to “Update Statistics” so that the system learns which words you know. That collection gets more difficult as you go along so keep moving along until you are finding more unknown words to LingQ. You should use the targets on the Profile page to guide you. Meet the target for Creating LingQs. If you need to study more lessons to create enough LingQs, do so.
Hi Danielle, I share this opinion that LingQ is awesome! Welcome
When I began my English learning here, I was not a complete beginner but my most problems were speaking and writing. I learnt the language better and I must say faster as well. I have learnt a lot of vocabulary while having fun. At LingQ, we also learn to like learning Compare to the way I learnt before, there is a huge difference. At first, I was very nervous to speak but after some conversations, I was more confident in speaking. Enrolling at this site was the best that happened for my learning. I now have begun to learn Russian as a beginner. I love it! All the best for your French
Marianne.
I started to use LingQ, and it got my intermediate Japanese up to advanced in a matter of months, now I am a very confident Japanese speaker!!
I started French from 0 here at LingQ 5 months ago. I don’t worry about speaking, but it is just starting to come out. I started with “who is she” and now I am studying song lyrics, recipes from blogs, natural conversations between the tutors, and radio broadcasts from http://www.rfi.fr all that from 0 in just 5 months! I cant wait to see where i am a year from now!
the most important thing for me is to just have fun…
and Marianne, I think you are very cute when you speak English
I just started with LingQ and I am finding it to be an even more enjoyable and user friendly service than when I was attending french classes. I am glad to see that these forums are in English…sometimes I find it difficult when the directions and corrections are in French and I have to look up so many words to try to figure out what I need to do, but I also find I learn a lot more new words that way!
Danielle if you are interested in trying out a conversation, I am studying at the same level as you, and scheduled to speak to Steve every Saturday morning at 08:45 for the next few weeks, perhaps you’d like to join us. This Saturday will be my first time talking on Skype so I’m a bit nervous as well!
I am glad that you find the site user friendly. We do hear of people who find the site difficult. Any comments, from any of you, about what makes the site friendly and easy to use , or conversely difficult to use, are always welcome. We feel we have a wonderful learning environment but not enough people are taking advantage of it.
By the way, we do have an invite a friend function in our system. Whenever you sign up for a discussion you can try inviting a friend. Also you may want to make your email and skype addresses visible to friends. You have the right to choose your friends or to decline friends on our community.
I just wanted to make a small update for myself here. I passed the 300 lingqs, so I’m a basic member now. I am happy about that.
I am really enjoying reading and learning a bit everyday, and I enjoy the daily flashcards in a email every morning, maybe with some tea. I think I need to listen more though. I seem to be able to remember the words I am reading well, but if I listen to the mp3s I’ve downloaded, it’s hard for me to separate the words, some stick out, but others don’t.
I bet you didn’t know this, unless you read on my profile, but my husband is French. You’d think living with him, I’d be able to learn a lot from him, but he is very picky and I think he gets tired of explaining things. In his own words he says “I’m not a good teacher, or good at explaining” When I have a larger vocab I’m going to pounce on him with words. I hope to someday be able to speak in French with him for one whole day, no english
Anyway, I have some points now, so maybe I can submit some writings. I have no idea where to start with that though.
Welcome aboard. I note from your profile that you list your level as “No Knowledge”. I am assuming that you are at least a beginner now. As a beginner it is important to listen a lot, and to listen to the same content repeatedly. It will take a while for you to be able to tell when a word begins and ends.
I normally listen as often as 30 or more times to beginner content when I am starting on a new language. And still there are parts that I just do not get, even after reading it many times and reviewing the words and phrases. Do not get discouraged. I can assure you that eventually things start to become clearer.
I usually move on to new content as soon even though I cannot fully understand what I am listening to. You kind of have to strike a balance between repeating and grooving things in your brain, and giving the brain something new and stimulating.
Rely on your ability to gradually absorb the language and get used to it. Don’t bother your husband with questions or requests for explanations. Just build up your vocabulary and one day when you want to tell him off, pounce on him
As for writing, just write a few simple phrases. You might even want to start a simple diary in French, a few phrases or sentences at a time.
Steve. Thank you for very encouraging words! It means a lot. A simple french diary. I might have to try that. And yes! I am beginner, I just forgot to change the status of myself. Actually, I always had a bit of knowledge from the husband.
I am also listening to Radio France information radio, on my own, and then Mickael listen to it before bed. That helps. I have all of the my stuff downloaded into itunes too, I just need to listen to it more often. Thanks again.
This is definitely the best site for learning foreign languages. You will go far. The system works brilliantly and if I can sum up what I have found (apart from all the other advice given to you) is this:
The brain works in mysterious ways.
I envisage it like a huge freight train. You start pushing it and it doesn’t budge for a long time. Then it starts to move slowly. The pace begins to quicken - getting faster and faster. Then one day you get sick or something important has come up, so you leave the train for a while. When you come back to it, you notice that it’s moved all by itself. The, I don’t know what to call it, “learning intertia” that you build up can keep going even if you take short breaks here and there. The whole learning process really is quite amazing. Have fun learning French. I have a feeling you’ll be picking up another language by the end of the year. It’s a bit addictive.
I have a small question. When you are doing a lesson self-directed, you read it, listen to it, make lingqs, update statistics, then there is the submit writing. I was wondering, does this writing have to be about the lesson you are learning, or can it be anything using the new words you just learned?
I have started on the Beginner 1 (Who is she?). I’m surprised how I can read through parts one and two with understanding. Like is said before, reading is one thing, but SPEAKING is another!
I wish you much success in your learning.
