I've heard that once you learn a foreign language for the first time, it's easier for you to learn a second foreign language than for another person to learn a first one. Do you agree? What do you think; is it true or false? And what is your experience?
Definitely true for me!
I am a native English speaker from Australia and our education system here doesn't really teach grammar very well. So when I studied (properly) my first foreign language was was French, I had to really learn grammar properly and know concepts like auxilliary verbs, tenses, word genders (which doesn't really exist in English!), subjunctive etc etc.
And so when I decided to learn another language, German I didn't have to re-learn these concepts obviously and have found learning the second foreign language easier and quicker.
;-)
Adrian: I agree with you! Once you start learning a new language, you have to re-learn your own language's grammar too, because we usually just use the words in a certain order, without knowing why. And learning that well helps to understand another language.
Beatrice: I agree with you in that there are languages similar to others and that they're easier to learn. Althought I find it some times to be a contradiction in that you can easily use the words of your language in the other language confusing their meanings. E.g.: I can read Portugues because it's very similar to Spanish (my mother tongue) -speaking it is another thing... very difficult for me!- but I sometimes find words in Portugues that are the same as in Spanish but with very different meanings. That can be really tricky some times!
So I think it is easier because of the similiar grammar the two languages have, but it's more difficult if we think of the vocabulary. Don't you think?
HI! it's true, i agree with you, it's harder, but i feel is a very clever idea to start studying a language similar to your, to continue, finally, step by step, finding connections (grammatical, cultural and so on). passion and curiosity is the way (:
for example, italians can study first spain or french, first. then, they can improve english till to discover german....
i hope my opinion will be useful for you, and no problem if you have problem! it's normal for all persons.
sorry for my bad english!
C:
Bea
