Best Language Learning?

Thread Starter

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
836
So, I've read a few reviews. Duo Lingo I'm not happy with, some of the words don't relate to the language and are not the same as what I see if I look them up on the web. For instance "Legge" on the web means "Law" while duo lingo say's " He reads" also later as you begin learning sentences, one of the sights I looked at say's the sentences created by the learning software make poor sentences that make no sense at all in the real world.

kv
 

MrChips

Joined Oct 2, 2009
34,807
I'm in Europe and I use Linguee a lot. It gives you alternatives and examples of usage so that you can see the word usage in the proper context.
 

Thread Starter

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
836
I'm in Europe and I use Linguee a lot. It gives you alternatives and examples of usage so that you can see the word usage in the proper context.
Linguee, wasn't even reviewed by PC Software. Think it'll do what I need with Italian?

kv

Edit: Nvm, free and they don't use your info, I like that. Ok, just had time to read the site info, didn't know it was a dictionary, but it may be useful to see if I'm learning the correct word translations.
 
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SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,487
Usage and literal meaning of a language was always my stumbling block. The French pomme de Terre which is potato is literally apple of the earth. It makes my head hurt. Learning a language without using it is doomed to failure. Just to confuse things there is also the usage of slang and idiom to contend with. I told a Spanish guy one time I was going to take a nap. He couldn't figure out why I wanted a diaper and what I was going to do with it. No, I am monolingual... But I have picked up a few words and terms here and there.
 

Thread Starter

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
836
Same as a UK English speaker would.
When I worked at a Shooting Range Company, we shared a refrigerator next to the Electronic Dept. A Navaho Indian women worked in the welding Dept, when I ask her to teach me a Greeting, she said sure and gave me some words. The next day when she came in to get her lunch, I greeted her in Navaho, her response was, "Why did you call me that, that's so rude" and she walked away, the next time I seen her I said why did you get mad at me for using the words you taught me, she looked at me and laughed and said do you believe everything you hear?


kv
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,487
That's like the guy that got a tattoo of some Chinese symbols and was really proud of it. He showed it off to a Chinese guy one day and the guy asked him do you know what that says? He said no, what does it say. The Chinese guy just laughed, shook his head in amazement and walked away without saying a word to him.
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
5,011
So, I've read a few reviews. Duo Lingo I'm not happy with, some of the words don't relate to the language and are not the same as what I see if I look them up on the web. For instance "Legge" on the web means "Law" while duo lingo say's " He reads" also later as you begin learning sentences, one of the sights I looked at say's the sentences created by the learning software make poor sentences that make no sense at all in the real world.

kv
Italian. Both true.
Quite common in many languages, words with more than one meaning.

In Spanish, "vela", has three meanings that I know:
Candle
Sail
The night that the knights-to-be spent in a chapel before being recognized as such by the king.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,050
When I worked at a Shooting Range Company, we shared a refrigerator next to the Electronic Dept. A Navaho Indian women worked in the welding Dept, when I ask her to teach me a Greeting, she said sure and gave me some words. The next day when she came in to get her lunch, I greeted her in Navaho, her response was, "Why did you call me that, that's so rude" and she walked away, the next time I seen her I said why did you get mad at me for using the words you taught me, she looked at me and laughed and said do you believe everything you hear?


kv
Kind of like the old joke-
A senator goes to the reservation to give a speech, after every statement he makes about what he will do for the tribe, all of the members go,"horah, horah". He thinks to himself they like all I am saying.

After the speech the chief takes the senator around the reservation to show him what they're doing to better themselves. They go to a stock pen to look at the new prize bull they bought for breeding. The senator being a rancher in an earlier time wants to go in the pen for a better look so they go in. While walking toward the bull the chief stops the senator after a few steps, and says, "watch you don't step in the horah."
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,487
Then there is the Napkin. Kin to what? A Nappy! Word usage in English must be horrible for someone learning it. Such a Bear. An animal? I can't bear watching it. That is quite a load to bear. And it sounds just like Bare. IE I can't bear watching it. Huh? Why would you want to take your clothes off to watch it???
 
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Thread Starter

killivolt

Joined Jan 10, 2010
836
Ended up with Rosetta Stone Language learning system, I guess the Mormon Missionaries use it. When I mentioned it to my Granddaughters, one of the twins both vessels of information said, the real Rosetta Stone had three languages carved in it, back when I was studying about Egypt why I was fascinated I don't know, but at 10 years of age called bullcrap on someone able to decipher Egyptian writing, I thought they were just pulling stuff out their behind. I didn't know they actually were able to make Academic Assumptions from a Stele.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone
 
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