Language Learning Stack Exchange
Language Learning Stack Exchange

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1396 questions
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Is there any language simply too difficult for non-native speakers to learn/speak?

I would like to know if any real language has ever been considered so hard to learn that acquiring decent fluency is basically an impossible task. That is, almost no non-native speaker has ever been able to master it sufficiently to take part in a…
user2415
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2 answers

Is there reliable data for the success rates of different methods of learning/reviewing vocabulary?

Is there reliable data for the success rates of different methods of learning/reviewing vocabulary? I.e.: no reviewing audiobooks hand-written flashcards SRS flashcard apps Goldlist method
user2288
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Are there studies showing that learning an L2 makes it easier to learn an L3?

Assuming that I'm fluent in an L1 and an L2, are there any studies showing that already overcoming the barrier of learning the L2 aids my process in learning an L3?
fi12
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How to remember words I never use

How can I put words I don't often use into my long term memory? I have trouble doing this, as I think I know them, and a few weeks later I can't remember them. For example, a word I am trying to learn is 버스 정류장, which means 'bus stop'. I never, in…
Featherball
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Is it too late to teach my 10 year old son English now?

I have a 10 year old son who lived in the States until he was about 3 and a half. Then, we moved to my home country (Japan) where my parents are. When we first moved back, he had his American dad in his everyday life, but after a year or so, we…
Mikiko
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2 answers

Is the “T-Coding Method” a reliable method to learn vocabulary?

In Iran someone named "Mr Taraghghi" has imported a method for learning English vocabulary called "Vocabulary Coding" for Persian native speakers that works like this example: Consider the word "deliberate". In Persian, "deli" means something…
SirSaleh
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Are some people good at learning grammar first, and other in a natural way first?

I could dare to say that most of people like to learn a new language in a so called "natural way", that is reading and understanding basic dialogues with little to no grammar that is getting bigger as the course goes on. I think there are another…
Nicolás
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Are there any resources available listing the availability of per-language learning resources

There are a huge number of resources around, particularly online, for learning languages (e.g. DuoLingo, Babbel, etc), but most will only have a certain number of languages they cover. Easy if you want to learn a popular language such as French or…
Nick C
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Strategies to deal with declensions

Languages like German or Russian have declensions. However my native language does not have those declensions, and thus I have a hard time understanding their “point”, that is their added meaning and overall function in a sentence. What are some…
Fatalize
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What are the benefits and drawbacks to using subtitles when you have a reasonable proficiency in a language?

I'd like to know whether there is any known benefits or drawbacks in watching movies with subtitles, considering movies spoken in a language you're learning. I mean, subtitles in the movie language itself, or in the speaker's native language,…
Ágatha
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Do difficult native languages slow down early education?

Do students from countries that teach native languages considered to be quite difficult (e.g. Japanese) generally take longer to master that language? Or does the power of being surrounded by a particular language at home and in society overcome the…
Lachy Vass
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How can I stop myself from pronouncing abbreviations and numbers in an L2 in my L1?

(The question title is clumsy. Any help to improve it is appreciated.) When reading a text in English, occasionally I will meet a symbol. I of course know how to speak that symbol in English, but most of the time I pronounce it as it is in my native…
Ooker
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How to improve writing fluency

I have been studying French and Spanish for several years, to the point of passive fluency in both languages. I can speak French (and a little Spanish) but my writing abilities are almost non-existent. I'm not currently taking courses in either and…
Tesserae
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Impacts of speaking a language without knowing to read/write

My English teacher happened to teach a truck driver who wanted to speak English but was not interested in reading or writing it. My teacher found an interesting way to teach spoken English by asking him to recite and speak English sentences which…
Kolappan N
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How do I learn to read and write a language I can already speak fluently?

Born and brought up in the city of Kolkata, I've been surrounded by people who speak Bengali almost all my life. We speak a different language at home and my schooling has been in a different language, again. I can speak Bengali fluently, and my…
Timon
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