Highest scored questions
1,440 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
61
votes
10
answers
4k
views
How can I prevent myself from forgetting a language?
Many people forget languages entirely after enough time. I've become fluent in Spanish, but I haven't used it in over a year, and most of my family and friends don't speak it fluently. With all the ...
- 1,162
53
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Have there been any studies into detrimental effects of language learning?
There have been many studies into the varied benefits of being bilingual, but things are rarely uniformly beneficial.
Have there been any studies into whether or not there are detrimental effects to ...
- 633
46
votes
6
answers
2k
views
How can I verify my pronunciation without a native speaker?
I've been learning Japanese for a short while, and it uses some sounds that aren't in my native language (English). (For example, the "r" sound, which has been described to me as a combination of "d", ...
- 4,927
45
votes
7
answers
3k
views
How can I estimate my proficiency level (A1-C2)?
How can I find out what my CEFR1 proficiency level in a language is, without going to a testing center and paying to take a test? Are there any good resources (free tests, online tests, etc.) or ...
- 777
44
votes
7
answers
116k
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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), ...
- 563
39
votes
2
answers
716
views
Does having two first languages make you more effective in learning second languages later?
Have there been any studies that study the effect of having two first languages (simultaneous bilingualism) on the capacity of learning second languages later? If so, what was their result?
- 1,871
38
votes
2
answers
2k
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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 ...
34
votes
5
answers
16k
views
Which language is most similar to Esperanto?
I'm just curious about which languages Esperanto is closest to, in order to know for whom it would be easiest to learn this language! For example, could a Spanish speaker learn it more quickly than a ...
- 473
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
33
votes
6
answers
7k
views
What are the drawbacks to Duolingo?
We've all heard of Duolingo, and we've all probably used it at least a little bit. I have friends who think it's amazing.
But what are the drawbacks to using Duolingo? In particular, have any ...
- 5,162
31
votes
4
answers
4k
views
How can I describe my language proficiency in an internationally recognized way?
I speak three languages to varying degrees of fluency. English is my native language. "Native fluency" is pretty easy to describe. I speak Spanish fluently, among friends and family, and in ...
- 5,162
30
votes
4
answers
728
views
How can I avoid learning an incorrect pronunciation due to a word's spelling?
I've noticed that I and others (sometimes entire communities) mispronounce words in a second language, which they could in theory pronounce well using phonemes of their first language, because of the ...
- 618
29
votes
10
answers
1k
views
Are there any online resources for practicing spoken Esperanto?
There are already a number of resources online to help learners improve their Esperanto reading, writing and aural comprehension, such as Duolingo, but I want to increase my confidence in speaking ...
- 601
29
votes
2
answers
433
views
What research is there on the efficiency of online language learning compared to in person learning?
Have there been enough studies to draw any definitive conclusions on how well sites such as Duolingo or Livemocha work in comparison to classroom learning?
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