Most Popular
1396 questions
7
votes
1 answer
How can one learn English stress-timed rhythm?
In a talk about the future of Englishes, the linguist David Crystal mentions that (British) English traditionally has a stress-timed rhythm. In some (most?) countries where English is taught, teachers give drills to practise this type of rhythm.…
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
1 answer
Can comprehension happen before meaning?
I'm trying to find the right terminology to describe the learning process that might be happening when a language learner goes from comprehension to meaning, rather than the other way around.
Imagine you've come across a passage like the…
A5C1D2H2I1M1N2O1R2T1
- 259
- 1
- 4
7
votes
1 answer
Graded readers for Portuguese?
Extensive reading or reading for pleasure is an excellent way of getting a lot of "comprehensible input" in a foreign language. Graded readers provide this type of comprehensible. Are there any graded readers for Portuguese? And where can they be…
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
3 answers
How can I look up transliterations of words I hear (in Hebrew)?
I combine many resources when learning a language. One of my best resources is audio-only, but there are many times when I need to look up a transliteration, such as when I can't distinguish if a word begins with a "b" or "v" sound.
I have a…
Hack-R
- 241
- 3
- 8
7
votes
1 answer
Graded readers for German?
As several other questions already mentioned, graded readers are a good resources for extensive reading, at least for people who are not yet sufficiently proficient to read texts written for native speakers of the target language.
Where can people…
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
1 answer
Graded readers for Spanish?
Graded readers are a good type of material for extensive reading. Where can I find graded readers in Spanish?
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
3 answers
How much time will it take a beginner to reach a B2/C1 level Russian language proficiency by self-learning?
Is it possible to reach a B2/C1 in Russian in 4~5 years, when I have no prior experience with Russian or any related language?
I'm studying Russian 1 hour a day every single day. Is this enough? I'm currently using Duolingo and basic Russian books.…
Trey
- 255
- 2
- 5
7
votes
1 answer
Where can I find graded readers for French?
Graded readers are a good type of material for extensive reading. But how do you find graded readers in French?
The English Wikipedia article graded reader has no link to the same concept in the French Wikipedia (see the "Languages" section in the…
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
1 answer
Collection of mnemonics for learning foreign languages?
I recently noticed that some language versions of Wikipedia have a list of mnemonic devices that contains examples that can be used for learning languages. For example:
Mnemonic devices on the English Wikipedia lists that can be used for learning…
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
1 answer
Studies on using Kinect for learning or teaching sign language?
In 2013, developers at Microsoft Research worked on sign language recognition in Kinect devices in order to translate sign language (more specifically American Sign Language) into spoken words.
Taking this one step further, has there been any…
Tsundoku
- 19,740
- 4
- 43
- 120
7
votes
2 answers
Is there a TOEFL-like exam for Italian and French languages?
I'm looking for TOEFL-like certificates for Italian and French. Are there any?
Jeremy
- 71
- 2
7
votes
1 answer
What qualities separate those few who acquire native speaker fluency, from those who are only fluent?
Assumptions
Abbreviate Native Speaker Fluency: NSF.
NSF excludes L2 learners' noticeable, but insignificantly different, accent because native speakers can understand them. But NSF necessitates mastery of grammar, unlike fluency which allows…
user90
7
votes
2 answers
Does native Finnish and literacy in another language give literacy in Finnish?
Our child speaks native Finnish (appropriate to her age). We are moving abroad. Supposing the child learns to read and write in another language that uses essentially the same alphabet (probably some Germanic language; English, Danish or German,…
Tommi
- 3,492
- 1
- 11
- 37
7
votes
1 answer
Are there any L2-acquisition pedagogies based on the structure of L1-learning?
The L2 classes I've experienced seem to be pragmatically focused on giving the student a combination of useful phrases, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and even contextual/cultural information. Has anyone developed one that progresses as close…
hamilton.julius
- 229
- 1
- 2
7
votes
2 answers
Can I measure my Chinese proficiency without taking an HSK test?
Is it possible to measure my proficiency on Mandarin Chinese without taking an HSK exam?
I recently took a brief exam on EasyMandarin website but it is only about a brief grammar and vocabulary test, where you are expected to fill in the blank in a…
Blaszard
- 1,253
- 1
- 8
- 18