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1396 questions
74
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5 answers
Are there any studies which address the effectiveness of studying multiple related languages simultaneously?
What studies, if any, address the study of multiple related languages (as in a relatively high level of mutual intelligibility--Spanish, Portuguese, Italian & French; Dutch & German, etc) simultaneously, by adult learners?
Does this provide a…
Flimzy
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62
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10 answers
How can I prevent myself from forgetting a language?
Many people forget languages entirely after enough time. I've become fluent in Spanish, but I haven't used it in over a year, and most of my family and friends don't speak it fluently. With all the time and effort I've spent learning Spanish, I…
Sir Cumference
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Have there been any studies into detrimental effects of language learning?
There have been many studies into the varied benefits of being bilingual, but things are rarely uniformly beneficial.
Have there been any studies into whether or not there are detrimental effects to being bilingual (Aside from the opportunity cost…
Chris Sinclair
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48
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How can I verify my pronunciation without a native speaker?
I've been learning Japanese for a short while, and it uses some sounds that aren't in my native language (English). (For example, the "r" sound, which has been described to me as a combination of "d", "l", and the Spanish "r")
I know few native…
Hatchet
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45
votes
7 answers
How can I estimate my proficiency level (A1-C2)?
How can I find out what my CEFR1 proficiency level in a language is, without going to a testing center and paying to take a test? Are there any good resources (free tests, online tests, etc.) or guidelines for this?
1 Common European Framework…
Numeri
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43
votes
6 answers
What are estimates of vocabulary size for each CEFR level?
The CEFR does not specify a vocabulary list or a vocabulary size for each level.
I could find one scientific article attempting this mapping (research paper of Milton J and T. Alexiou (2009), Vocabulary size and the Common European Framework of…
YAG
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38
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2 answers
Does having two first languages make you more effective in learning second languages later?
Have there been any studies that study the effect of having two first languages (simultaneous bilingualism) on the capacity of learning second languages later? If so, what was their result?
wythagoras
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37
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2 answers
Has the "direct method" of language learning been shown to be superior to translation-based methods?
The textbook I'm using to learn Latin, called Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, is an example of the "direct method" of language instruction. The text is entirely written in Latin, and progresses slowly from very basic vocabulary and syntax to more…
Nathaniel is protesting
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35
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5 answers
Which language is most similar to Esperanto?
I'm just curious about which languages Esperanto is closest to, in order to know for whom it would be easiest to learn this language! For example, could a Spanish speaker learn it more quickly than a French speaker?
Noel
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34
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1 answer
How does immersion passively help with learning a language?
It's a commonly claimed idea that just by being surrounded by people speaking a language you can become familiar with it. Sometimes it's even claimed that this can occur without actively learning the language at the same time. Just by hearing…
SuperBiasedMan
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33
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6 answers
What are the drawbacks to Duolingo?
We've all heard of Duolingo, and we've all probably used it at least a little bit. I have friends who think it's amazing.
But what are the drawbacks to using Duolingo? In particular, have any studies been done which show particular weaknesses in…
Flimzy
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31
votes
4 answers
How can I avoid learning an incorrect pronunciation due to a word's spelling?
I've noticed that I and others (sometimes entire communities) mispronounce words in a second language, which they could in theory pronounce well using phonemes of their first language, because of the words' spellings. For example, pronouncing…
Dan Getz
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31
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4 answers
How can I describe my language proficiency in an internationally recognized way?
I speak three languages to varying degrees of fluency. English is my native language. "Native fluency" is pretty easy to describe. I speak Spanish fluently, among friends and family, and in social situations. I've never used it professionally or at…
Flimzy
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29
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4 answers
Which of these is more effective: having a silent period, or speaking from day one?
Nowadays, people usually learn languages in one of two ways: silent learning or speaking the new language from day one. They have their pros and cons but differ from each other greatly.
A silent period is when students don't speak much of the…
Anthony Pham
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29
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6 answers
Why do experts recommend learning Esperanto?
As a constructed language, Esperanto isn't spoken natively by anyone. Yet some linguists, language teachers, and SLA advocates encourage learning Esperanto. Why? What are the primary reasons that these experts recommend learning Esperanto?
Flimzy
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