Language Learning Stack Exchange
Language Learning Stack Exchange

Most Popular

more tags
1396 questions
10
votes
1 answer

What was the first language learning website?

I'm interested in knowing the name, the year, and the languages the first language learning website taught. If you can add how many users it had, that would definitely be going above and beyond, but I'd love to know that, too, as well as whether or…
Lisa
  • 293
  • 1
  • 5
10
votes
2 answers

According to research, how effective is learning an L3 through an L2?

There's a language technique in the polyglot community known as "stacking", which is essentially the process of learning an L3 through an L2. According to research on this topic, what are the benefits of using this technique to learn an L3 as…
fi12
  • 9,147
  • 2
  • 25
  • 68
10
votes
4 answers

When is Google Translate good for in the learning process?

Google Translate is a fairly well-known online translation service that is fairly notorious for giving out-of-context or just incorrect translations for phrases or sentences. Google Translate does perform fairly well when translating single words,…
fi12
  • 9,147
  • 2
  • 25
  • 68
10
votes
1 answer

Are there studies on the effectiveness of Rosetta Stone as a language learning tool?

Rosetta Stone gets a lot of publicity, perhaps because of its large marketing budget. And finding individual reviews is easy--some people love it, some hate it, some have mixed feelings. But has any study been done on the system to determine whether…
Flimzy
  • 5,142
  • 1
  • 29
  • 67
10
votes
1 answer

Resources for learning Nicaraguan Sign language

I am trying to learn Nicaraguan Sign Language (ISN), but I can't seem to find online resources. I don't have anyone to learn from offline, so online is the only way. I am open to different methods (videos, books, etc.); however, if there were any…
Tesserae
  • 817
  • 5
  • 8
10
votes
1 answer

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 different words and my efficiency goes down. So…
user2297550
  • 203
  • 3
  • 6
10
votes
1 answer

Does ethnic background affect the speed of foreign language acquisition?

Are there any studies proving that language learners of a certain ethnic background have an advantage in learning languages over people of other ethnicities?
fi12
  • 9,147
  • 2
  • 25
  • 68
10
votes
4 answers

First learn speaking and then writing OR both at once?

I am a novice to the Japanese language, and this question might have some opinion-based answers but I could use some advice. Should I learn to speak some basic words and sentences up to a level where I can have a sensible conversation with a person…
GradDev
  • 203
  • 1
  • 3
10
votes
1 answer

What is the Representational Deficit Hypothesis?

I've been reading about second language acquisition, and I've come across the Representational Deficit Hypothesis (also known as the Failed Functional Features Hypothesis). What is it? And where can I read more about it?
Azor Ahai -him-
  • 730
  • 6
  • 13
10
votes
2 answers

How can I avoid mixing two or more languages when I speak?

When I speak L2 or L3, I say sometimes some words from the other languages that I know. I also have seen many people who have the same issue, they speak in English in some conference for example and then suddenly they say some words from French.…
aettanany
  • 647
  • 4
  • 13
10
votes
2 answers

Is there a web site for minimal pairs in arbitrary languages?

Gabriel Wyner puts a strong emphasis on studying minimal pairs to improve pronunciation. But I have yet to find a good resource for actually finding minimal pair lists. It seems I'm not alone. When I was beginning to study French, I spent some time…
Flimzy
  • 5,142
  • 1
  • 29
  • 67
10
votes
2 answers

Is it beneficial to learn vocabulary by words by lexical class?

Is it beneficial to learn vocabulary by words by lexical class? For example, learn a list of nouns first, then a list of verbs, then a list of adjectives. (There are, of course, more classes). I've seen a lot of lists like "The most common 1,000…
wythagoras
  • 1,861
  • 10
  • 34
10
votes
4 answers

Are there any web sites that connect language learners for conversation practice?

I am currently learning Spanish and my teacher has told me that one of the best ways to learn the language is to participate, talk as much as possible, and to commit errors. I have looked online for a simple way to do this, but have not been able to…
sbswim
  • 209
  • 1
  • 3
10
votes
2 answers

Are there any studies on what motivates people to learn international auxiliary languages such as Esperanto, Interlingua and Afrihili?

Esperanto is the best-known international auxiliary language (or IAL); it even has an Esperanto Stack Exchange site. But there are several other IALs, such as Interlingua, Ido and Afrihili. Are there any studies on what motivates people to learn an…
Tsundoku
  • 19,740
  • 4
  • 43
  • 120
10
votes
1 answer

Are there any studies showing that absolute pitch affects second language acquisition?

I recently became aware of the phenomenon of absolute pitch--the ability to identify a pitch without external reference. I am almost certain I have this ability--I get annoyed by out-of-tune pianos, and I can essentially remember long pieces of…
user2213307
  • 201
  • 1
  • 3
1 2 3
…
93 94