Learn language using internet

[Apeirogon]

Since my english skill is on the level "understand everything, but cant say a word" I decide to learn one more language, but this time more morphologically and syntactically similar to my native language.

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For example in most slavic languages I know you can move words in sentence without losing it sense (because they can add to word ending and change it declension which...eee "fix" incorrect position of the word), while in english order of the words in sentence strictly regulated by some rule.

So I choose french.
I studied english in school but all I remember from it is: when I should use "an" and where "a" before word, "the" article, irregular verbs "be-was were-been"....and that all. There are was definitely more than that. So for english I already have some base like "London is a capital of great brittan." from the school.

But is it possible to learn it using ONLY youtube videos and similar sources of information, without knowing anything else? Did my english will help me with this or not?

[Enjay]

English doesn't help too much with French.

English is primarily a Germanic language (grammar mostly inherited from proto-Germanic) but with quite a lot of vocabulary imported from Latinate/Romantic sources. That being said, learning modern German probably isn't helped much by knowing English either. English is awkward.

French is much more closely associated with its Latinate/Romantic roots and is a true "Romance" language. Knowing any of French, Spanish and Italian is likely to help with any of the others.

Source: I have spoken about this to the language teachers at my school and (conveniently) one is English, one is German, one is French and one is Spanish.

[SouthernLion]

German definitely reminds me of "old English" (Shakespeare and King James Holy Bible translation type English).

"Do we have any cats?" = "Have we cats?"
(Haben wir Katzen?)

But it of course has its own grammar and gender rules, capitalization and plural rules. etc. Every language has its own thing about it that makes it interesting and/or challenging to learn. English makes sense because it is my native language, but I cannot even imagine the difficulty trying to learn it as a secondary language. Especially modern English.

Also, for learning a new language online, I would supplement it from various things, not just YouTube videos. Duo Lingo is an awesome resource to include, both on phones and on a PC web browser.

[Graf Zahl]

but I cannot even imagine the difficulty trying to learn it as a secondary language. Especially modern English.

English isn't that bad. The fun really starts with non-Latin-script languages. Russian and Greek are merely annoying but what about Chinese? Or Arabic? One has far too many characters and the other looks like scribble - it beats me why Arabic never got a decent printed form as it happened with Latin, Cyrilic or Greek.
There's so many language which have such a monumentally inefficient writing system that this alone is a blocker to learning them.

[Darkcrafter]

English makes sense because it is my native language, but I cannot even imagine the difficulty trying to learn it as a secondary language. Especially modern English.

Written English is pretty easy to learn because doesn't have this complicated stuff of that like every word having a gender, case, the counting system is simple. Speaking and listening is where the problems occur the most for people. When I had to learn some French it was a nightmare, it's like English but with strange letters, gendered articles and other fun things like counting isn't this straightforward as it exists in English (Russian has the system similar to English btw but with its own flexic grammar for sure). So in overall I'm glad this study nightmare is over.

I actually wanted to take German, it's easier after English but at my university they didn't bother with my choice at all, so if anyone wants to find out what is like to study there is a hardcore thing that they don't provide you any opportunity to choose, even so that was fully commercial one

[Uni-000]

but I cannot even imagine the difficulty trying to learn it as a secondary language. Especially modern English.

English isn't that bad. The fun really starts with non-Latin-script languages. Russian and Greek are merely annoying but what about Chinese? Or Arabic? One has far too many characters and the other looks like scribble - it beats me why Arabic never got a decent printed form as it happened with Latin, Cyrilic or Greek.
There's so many language which have such a monumentally inefficient writing system that this alone is a blocker to learning them.

Graf, try looking at the Cherokee Syllabary, the Georgian Alphabets, and the Armenian Alphabets. I promise you, it's good stuff!

[leodoom85]

Well, anyone now can learn a couple of languages using an app like Duolingo. As a spanish-talker guy, understanding a bit of romanic-latin languages like italian and brazilian portugese was not a big deal. Same for english, easy to learn (and this goes for the rest of non-native english people). I totally want to learn japanese someday and some other one or improve my english talk, since I learned most of it on my own.

[Kizoky]

That being said, learning modern German probably isn't helped much by knowing English either. English is awkward.

I started learning it since this September, the grammar is extremely horrible and sometimes I think it doesn't have any logic, but atleast I can somewhat understand some germans

[arthurnottheking]

Grammar is just a set of formulas to remember. Like in algebra. You simply have to learn them by heart. I'm using Memrise and Duolingo to learn French and English (my native language is German). What other apps are good for learning a foreign language? How much time to you spend on language learning apps (per day)?

[arthurnottheking]

writemyessay wrote:

How much time do you spend on language learning apps (per day)?

<Quoted message is synced and shortened by the auto-typer >

Here's my plan:

1 hour on Memrise (French)
1 hour on Duolingo (French)
30 minutes on Memrise (English)
30 minutes on Duilingo (English)

English is much easier to learn than French, I must say.