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1396 questions
19
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How useful is studying Latin for learners of more than one Romance language?
We all know that Vulgar Latin is the ancestor of all the Romance languages. It is also known as a great source of classical literature and was used for many centuries as the "lingua franca" of international knowledge in Europe.
How useful is its…
Nicolás
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18
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What are effective ways to memorize sign languages?
I've learned spoken languages by writing words down, hearing them and remembering them, and working on websites.
However, I don't see that helping if I learn a sign language. None of those techniques will work. What are some effective ways I can…
Sir Cumference
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18
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What makes a language propaedeutic?
Learning any language helps learning another language after faster. This propaedeutic value is found in all language, but is more noticeable for some languages and combinations. For exemple, for elementary school, two years of Esperanto + four years…
Vanege
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18
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4 answers
How can I learn IPA?
There are many resources that I wish I could use, but can't, because I don't understand the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) fluently. I constantly need to refer to a table of characters, and I'm still never quite sure how each symbol sounds…
Numeri
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18
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2 answers
What metrics can be used to gauge language similarity?
What metrics exist to describe relative language similarity?
I've sometimes heard Spanish and Portuguese said to be something like "70% mutually intelligible." Although mutual intelligibility in this case isn't a fixed number, as native Portuguese…
Flimzy
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18
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4 answers
Positive vs. negative reinforcement in Duolingo
I've run into a problem that I imagine most Duolingo users have run into at some point in their language learning experience.
Assume I'm in the process of reviewing already learned vocabulary (as shown in the image above). Say I can remember the…
fi12
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18
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1 answer
Can listening during sleep help language learning?
What are the effects of sleep listening on language skills and aren't there any negative effects of it on overall physiological health? Are there any studies or your personal experiences proving that you can improve your language skills just by…
Muzaffar
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18
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3 answers
Why do words first come to me in a recently studied language when I try to talk a previously studied language?
In high school, about 15 years ago, I studied German for three years (my mother tongue is Dutch). The last eight year years I have studied and practiced Spanish and Catalan. And every time I try to talk German most words first come to me in Spanish…
agold
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18
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2 answers
How does Duolingo calculate its fluency percentage?
There's a lot of discussion been going on in the Language Learning chatroom about Duolingo's fluency percentage. My fluency percentage (as well as many others') seems very inaccurate, so I was wondering what calculations actually go into creating an…
fi12
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18
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3 answers
Is there any software for minimal-pair training?
Gabriel Wyner, in his book Fluent Forever, stresses the importance of minimal pair training early in the language learning process. He summarizes the research behind this suggestion in this video.
His book details how to create these cards for use…
Flimzy
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18
votes
2 answers
When using flashcards, should the word or the definition be hidden?
A lot of language learning methods use flash cards to allow them to remember words and their definitions and to test their memory. Some people hide the words, while others hide the definition, which may have varied results depending on the person…
Anthony Pham
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18
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5 answers
Can I understand 95 percent of CNN and talk show, movies, anything just in 3 years?
Can I understand 95 percent of CNN, talk shows, movies and anything? If I listen to English materials (podcasts and videos, …) for three years and I also listen to English materials for 3 hours every day. I am a between B1 and B2 in the CEFRL scale…
Martin
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18
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1 answer
Are there studies showing that language study is more effective in a group than individually?
Often, it's claimed that in a group, you have people to practice verbal exercises with, as well as potential proofreaders and error-checkers to verify the grammar and spelling of your work. However, I've found nothing to the like on the Internet.…
fi12
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18
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6 answers
What are the benefits or drawbacks of learning poetry?
What skills can be improved by learning by heart poems in the target language? Won't this inhibit the learning process as poems sometimes disobey common grammar rules?
Muzaffar
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18
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2 answers
What are the advantages and disadvantages of direct methods (using only the target language)?
Native speakers do not learn their native language with the help of an other language. Maybe direct methods are better to reach similar level of proficiency. But books that use a direct method are often hard to understand because of the lack of…
Vanege
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