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#1 |
Esnohplad Semaj Ton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: A little south of sanity
Posts: 2,259
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Learning Natural Languages
I just started (trying) to learn Czech. There aren't any classes in my area for Czech so I'm stuck learning on my own. So far I've bought the Colloquial Czech CDs/Tapes + Book and have been listening to http://www.radio.cz/. I think maybe finding a Czech pen pal would be beneficial.
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? Advice? Comments? I've mentioned this before but I'm planning on moving to the Czech Republic after graduation in the spring so at that point finding native Czech speakers to practice on won't be a problem. I'm prepared for strange looks and constant mistakes. Ahoj! |
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#2 |
dar512 is now Pete Zicato
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Chicago suburb
Posts: 4,968
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How about the Czech version of Reader's Digest?
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"Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller |
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#3 | |
Esnohplad Semaj Ton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: A little south of sanity
Posts: 2,259
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Quote:
Thanks. |
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#4 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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I'd like to know why you wish to live there?
Just want to Czech it out? ![]()
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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#5 | |
Esnohplad Semaj Ton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: A little south of sanity
Posts: 2,259
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Quote:
Also, I just think it will be fun. I'm not real excited to start a mainstream career. I'm thinking at some point I'll start a restaurant or some sort of IT Consulting or Game Development company. My favorite Czech pun so far is "Czech book". |
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#6 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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Teaching...restaurant...some sort of IT Consulting....Game Development company. Wow, that's a range.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
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#7 |
lobber of scimitars
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phila Burbs
Posts: 20,774
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I have made several attempts at language acquisition without the benefit of a structured class setting. As a consequence I have a vocabulary of about 20 or so Vietnamese words, and no understanding of the grammar. On a good day I can remember what letters of the Greek alphabet make what sounds, but that's mostly because I learned the Russian Alphabet in a structured class setting and Cyril stole a lot of the characters from the Greek Alphabet.
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![]() ![]() "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis |
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#8 | |
Esnohplad Semaj Ton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: A little south of sanity
Posts: 2,259
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Quote:
I've tried to learn German on my own but it didn't go very far because of lack of motivation. There was nobody to speak it too and I wasn't planning on visiting anytime soon. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and a semester in college. I can still understand it pretty well mainly because I'm exposed to it around town. I'm a bit of a language enthusiast. |
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#9 |
lobber of scimitars
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Phila Burbs
Posts: 20,774
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Oh, and since nobody asked yet ... What the heck's natural about Czech? They use too many consonants in a row.
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![]() ![]() "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis |
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#10 | |
Esnohplad Semaj Ton
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: A little south of sanity
Posts: 2,259
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Quote:
The prototypical example of too many consonants is "Strč prst skrz krk" . Some letters like 'r' are consonants in both English and Czech. However, in Czech they can function, more or less, as vowels. (I'm going to respond to posts in reverse chronological order and in individual postings to avoid confusing myself as much as possible.) |
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#11 |
Lecturer
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Ohio
Posts: 927
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It would really help you a lot to be able to talk to a native speaker that also speaks english.
I taught myself russian for a full year. I would learn things in books or on cd and then try to say them to my husband. Sometimes he would almost cry because he was laughing so hard. Even slight variations in pronounciation can make "I'd like to sit" sound like "I'd like a tit"- know what I mean? |
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#12 |
Victim of gravity
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Hiding in plain sight
Posts: 1,412
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....or like in Spanish, where we have had some doozies on our board courtesy of Alta Vista.
aņo = year ano = anus A sentence meaning "he is 20 years old" comes out as "he has 20 anuses" ![]()
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Everything you've ever heard about Fresno is true. |
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#13 |
Goon Squad Leader
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 27,063
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How can breasts make you frown?
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Be Just and Fear Not. |
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#14 | |
Victim of gravity
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Hiding in plain sight
Posts: 1,412
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Quote:
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Everything you've ever heard about Fresno is true. |
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#15 |
Goon Squad Leader
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Seattle
Posts: 27,063
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If I had a big breast on my (otherwise undeformed but extremely happy) face, any indication that I had a frown would definitely be an error in translation.
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Be Just and Fear Not. |
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