Post: #1

I have started watching Caillou (a cartoon) to learn french, it is a great way to learn a new language because it works on the basics with simple words and stories. It's also very educational for kids. Imagine learning a new language as an adult as if you were a kid.

They have caillou in several languages (french, english, portuguese spanish, etc). I don't even find it boring so it's one of these cartoons that is actually funny to watch (although I watched better cartoons in my days as a kid, Im not a cartoon person by the way).

Even if you are busy with your work online or whatever, or you are still below intermediate level in the language you are learning, get the habit of listening to that language by playing this cartoon, hit play and do whatever other tasks you are doing online. Just listening to it, is a great way to develop that particular language you are learning.






Search on youtube for other videos in other languages. Youtube has many episodes for every language.

Post: #2

I have read that watching cartoons and children's movies is an excellent way to help learn a language.

Post: #3

Also, reading childrens books in the foreign language.

Think Dr. Seuss in Russian. Or French or whatever.

I had a Russian gf that used children's books to help her learn to read and speak fluent English.

Post: #4

(12-09-2013 07:42 PM)pitt Wrote:  Even if you are busy with your work online or whatever, or you are still below intermediate level in the language you are learning, get the habit of listening to that language by playing this cartoon, hit play and do whatever other tasks you are doing online. Just listening to it, is a great way to develop that particular language you are learning.

Good post. Although, I would disagree with your recommendation of just listening to it. I think Benny the polyglot also mentioned that passive listening doesnt work. You really have to be involved/paying attention to whatever it is that you're watching in order to progress.

Post: #5

(12-09-2013 11:18 PM)Cunnilinguist Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 07:42 PM)pitt Wrote:  Even if you are busy with your work online or whatever, or you are still below intermediate level in the language you are learning, get the habit of listening to that language by playing this cartoon, hit play and do whatever other tasks you are doing online. Just listening to it, is a great way to develop that particular language you are learning.

Good post. Although, I would disagree with your recommendation of just listening to it. I think Benny the polyglot also mentioned that passive listening doesnt work. You really have to be involved/paying attention to whatever it is that you're watching in order to progress.

Agreed. Benny is full of shit in general about language learning but he is right about that. You need to concentrate on the material for it to sink in.

Post: #6

The problem with Caillou is that he's an annoying brat who whines too much. I had to ban my kids from watching him.

But the idea of watching children's tv to learn a language is sound. Kids are great to practice with too, if you have the chance.

Post: #7

I'm gonna roll a big reefer and watch a Spanish episode, thanks Pitt.

Post: #8

When I was living in Montreal I used to watch Teletubbies in French everyday. I can't say it helped tremendously but it was better than nothing. It really helps if you try to repeat the phrases that they use.

Post: #9

(12-10-2013 08:41 PM)alphaspiraton Wrote:  When I was living in Montreal I used to watch Teletubbies in French everyday. I can't say it helped tremendously but it was better than nothing. It really helps if you try to repeat the phrases that they use.

The Teletubbies are horrific enough even in English, let alone Canadian French!

Post: #10

@dreambig I would add to that, anything in Canadian French is horrific!
They took the sexiest language in the world, and turned into the unsexiest

Post: #11

(12-09-2013 11:18 PM)Cunnilinguist Wrote:  

(12-09-2013 07:42 PM)pitt Wrote:  Even if you are busy with your work online or whatever, or you are still below intermediate level in the language you are learning, get the habit of listening to that language by playing this cartoon, hit play and do whatever other tasks you are doing online. Just listening to it, is a great way to develop that particular language you are learning.

Good post. Although, I would disagree with your recommendation of just listening to it. I think Benny the polyglot also mentioned that passive listening doesnt work. You really have to be involved/paying attention to whatever it is that you're watching in order to progress.

Yeah I kinda agree with you. However this kinda works for me because I am always doing some work online and I can't watch it for one hour without doing something else, so I just let it play even though I won't be fully concentrated on it, I think passive listening is better than nothing, although is not 100% effective.

(12-10-2013 11:37 AM)Mikev75 Wrote:  The problem with Caillou is that he's an annoying brat who whines too much. I had to ban my kids from watching him.

But the idea of watching children's tv to learn a language is sound. Kids are great to practice with too, if you have the chance.

yeah i completely agree with you. Caillou is a bitch. I don't think I would let my kids watch him, specially if my kids were boys, even though watching this can be very educational but I hate the whining part about him, it can be a bad influence on kids.

Post: #12

The best way to learn a new language is to be forced to learn it in order to survive.
Get a basic conversation level understanding first any way you can. Then go live
somewhere where only that language is spoken. You'll be amazed how quick you pick
things up when you have to.

I'm first generation here in the US. We spoke Macedonian at home all the time along
with some broken English. We're also very isolated. I never really had anyone to speak
Macedonian with except my mother basically. So obviously she's not going to go too
in depth with the language with me. I knew it on a basic conversation level and family
filtered of course. I knew no slang or other colloquialisms that go along with any language.

I got to spend a month there a few summers. Just being thrown in that environment and
not having English as an option I picked up a whole lot of the native language out of necessity.
My mother noticed right away how much more fluent I became in just one month.

I've always been bilingual. You'd never even know it by speaking to me. I'm completely
fluent in both languages. I'm very lucky I guess.

When I get my work from home gig setup properly I'm thinking about going there for a while
to see if I can setup shop. If I can get the American salary and the local cost of living I'll be golden.
It's a nice place and it has all the modern amenities like cable TV, internet, cellphones etc.

PS I learned English as a kid by watching Sesame Street