Frequent Questions
241 questions
73
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Are there any studies which address the effectiveness of studying multiple related languages simultaneously?
What studies, if any, address the study of multiple related languages (as in a relatively high level of mutual intelligibility--Spanish, Portuguese, Italian & French; Dutch & German, etc) ...
- 5,162
25
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What are the main foreign language teaching methods?
Recently I have been wondering what methods and techniques for learning and teaching foreign languages exist. My quest is to re-evaluate my views on foreign language acquisition, and maybe make some ...
- 785
22
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is doing a huge amount of grammar exercises helpful for learning English?
Some books that teach English come with pages and pages of grammar exercises. Are these helpful?
I see that a few exercises are helpful to help you understanding the grammar. However, after that, ...
- 1,871
18
votes
2
answers
61k
views
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 ...
- 1,080
10
votes
3
answers
397
views
Is it necessary to learn the characters of a language that uses logograms [Japanese]?
I want to learn Japanese and most books or guides begin with how to draw an logogram and to repeat the process of "writing" and single character dozens of times. And learning hundreds of those signs ...
- 111
38
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Has the "direct method" of language learning been shown to be superior to translation-based methods?
The textbook I'm using to learn Latin, called Lingua Latina per se Illustrata, is an example of the "direct method" of language instruction. The text is entirely written in Latin, and progresses ...
28
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Why do experts recommend learning Esperanto?
As a constructed language, Esperanto isn't spoken natively by anyone. Yet some linguists, language teachers, and SLA advocates encourage learning Esperanto. Why? What are the primary reasons that ...
- 5,162
26
votes
2
answers
584
views
What are some techniques to better differentiate between the two languages?
I grew up learning Spanish in school (I'm from Arizona) and became fluent in Spanish. Later, in college, I started learning French. I noticed many of the linguistic similarities between the two ...
- 1,881
20
votes
3
answers
507
views
How can I avoid confusion or interference when studying two similar languages?
For example, consider Tamil and Malayalam. They are two very similar languages with many similar words.
The point is I get confused by the minor differences as I cannot remember them. I usually ...
user56
10
votes
1
answer
749
views
How many new words at a time?
I have a 1000 flash cards of new words. I pick a flash card at random to test if I remember the word. If not, I take a moment to try to remember it.
With a 1000 flash cards I feel that I see too many ...
- 203
44
votes
7
answers
116k
views
What are estimates of vocabulary size for each CEFR level?
The CEFR does not specify a vocabulary list or a vocabulary size for each level.
I could find one scientific article attempting this mapping (research paper of Milton J and T. Alexiou (2009), ...
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34
votes
1
answer
852
views
How does immersion passively help with learning a language?
It's a commonly claimed idea that just by being surrounded by people speaking a language you can become familiar with it. Sometimes it's even claimed that this can occur without actively learning the ...
- 445
23
votes
5
answers
3k
views
What is the impact of studying a third language in a second language?
when learning a third language, what are the relative advantages or disadvantages of studying the third language in either my native language or my second language?
More specifically, if I choose to ...
- 1,185
20
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How can I expand my active vocabulary in a foreign language?
I’ve been learning a foreign language for 5 years. Now, I easily understand everything I read, I know lots of words and everything seems to be alright, but I still have a problem. My active vocabulary ...
- 317
17
votes
9
answers
5k
views
Is it possible for an adult to learn a language without carrying a foreign accent?
As an adult, I'm working on learning French, coming from a background growing up speaking a few languages natively. According to French friends of mine I practice with, I have a "good" accent, but I'...
