I'm disappointed

Laura Braun   Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:15 pm GMT
I'm disappointed. When I don't need English I don't use it anymore. I stop to think in English, I don't dream in English, I started to forget that language. How can I have interest of English by the time I don't need it anymore. To speak in English was somewhere in the past. I speak some language yeah, but I don't learn new words, the situation is all the same. Can you have some good advise how to keep my form interest in language. How to motivate myself. I have a feeling that I reach the end of the limit of knowledge after that there is no longer a way to study. People learn language:
1. Because they want to watch movies. But here everything is with subtitles so I'm not going to make an effort 'to hear' language.
Finally : can someone tell me what is tje limit of possibilities to learn language.
Jasper   Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:38 pm GMT
↑ Laura, in the book The Outliers, the author convincingly argues that to become an expert in anything, 10,000 hours of study are required. Students must push themselves relentlessly to reach that level of competence, but I don't think that you'd be interested in reaching such a high plateau; a lower level of achievement would probably be of more interest to you.

In any case, true proficiency in a foreign language is going to cost you many, many hours of hard work.
LL   Sat Feb 07, 2009 7:42 pm GMT
What language do you speak other than English? Perhaps you can find someone with similar interests and do a language exchange. There are several websites where people can exchange languages. Google "language exchange".

You could volunteer as a guide in your community if you have a tourist attraction that English-speakers may want to visit. Perhaps you could do this on the week-end or for a couple of hours on your day off from work or school or during the summer.

I have seen this done in Japan and in the United States with very smart juinior high age to retired people taking part in this. At one famous university, some college students gave tours and made money or tips, I believe.
Robin Michael   Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:36 am GMT
I notice in the Super Memo learning method, the method relies on people coming back to the same words every so often and basically rehearsing what they have learnt. As a native English speaker, I am sure that the same approach also applies to me. That as I read newspapers and magazines I refresh my knowledge of vocabulary, learn new words, and if I write something, I develop even more skills.

I have just been making a Motor Insurance Claim. My 'word choice' and 'tone' will make all the difference between a 'knock for knock' claim, and a claim in which I do not lose my 'No Claims Bonus'.

British people are notorious for not learning foreign languages. I am doing a course in Polish language and culture, and I really have my doubts about it.

However, at a certain point you have to 'live the life' and it is important to 'just do something'.

Bye for now

Robin Michael