Language Learning

Last week I was fighting an infection and feeling drained, but I'm back.

I've been looking at language learning software and programs lately. With the U.S. in a state of moral and economic collapse, moving overseas has never looked more like a valid option. I took a hard look at Rosetta Stone. It seems to take a long time and impart a small vocabulary. I don't know the official count, but I've read that it teaches about 500 words per level. It has 5 levels max. That sounds like a lot, but it's not.

This article has an interesting word frequency chart. It's specifically for Russian, but I've seen the 3,000 word figure used for other languages, too. The chart says that 2,925 words make up 80% of occurrences in the language. So, if you knew the top 3,000 most frequently used words, you'd be able to understand about 80% or more of a language's common usage. With 3 to 5 thousand words, you'd probably be able to understand anything minus words here and there.

I looked at Rosetta Stone Hebrew. Unlike most of their other languages, it only has three levels. Fifteen hundred words simply isn't enough. I also ran across a video review on YouTube from a guy who completed Rosetta Stone French 1 to 5. He said he's able to watch and understand French television and movies. That sounded really good. However, it took him 18 months to get through it!

Another popular program is Pimsleur. I already have Hebrew 1 and 2 of that. Unlike most of their other programs, it only has three levels just like Rosetta Stone. The Pimsleur course is audio and runs about 30 minutes a day for 30 days per level. You listen whenever you can, such as in the car, and pick up the language through listening and verbal responses. It doesn't work very well for me. I need written text. I've gone though level 1 and most of level 2. All through level 1, I was hearing a consonant in a particular word as an L. It was actually R, and I didn't know it until level 2 when new speakers were introduced. Ouch. Text is critical. Also, I'd find myself randomly remembering a word I'd learned but having no clue what it meant. At some point the amount of new words became overwhelmingly too much. That's part of why I only made it through most of 2. I had to listen to lessons several times before they would stick. It is incredibly boring. If you read enough reviews, people agree with me on that.

An interesting thing about Pimsleur Hebrew is the content. In level one it was teaching me how to ask Israeli women if they'd like to drink some wine or beer with me. At my place, their place or a hotel? All before anything related to the weather or where the bathrooms are. It gives the impression that Israel is some kind of paradise where women would be falling all over me, but I wouldn't be able to ask basic things.

I ended up buying Living Language Hebrew, Complete Edition for $29.20 new. I've done a little of it. So far it's mostly review of what I know, although it explains some of the rules that I didn't know or had only guessed at. I like that a lot.

After buying that, I learned that Assimil is supposed to be the best. Living Language is number 5 in an article I ran across that said it was similar to Assimil but explained grammar rules more. Assimil teaches about 2 to 3 thousand words and has a B2 rating in the Common European  Framework of Reference for Languages. There's a chart fairly close to the top that explains what the levels are. B2 is upper intermediate or level 4 of 6. The Assimil site is in French. I hope you took that in high school like I did. :)

While waiting for the Living Language set to arrive, I've been brushing up on my French by reading a short story and starting a couple of books. I have to rely heavily on a dictionary, but there have been a couple of paragraphs that I understood nearly perfectly. It's hard to resist the idea of attaining level B2. I ordered Assimil's New French With Ease. Their Hebrew version was supposed to be out in March. It's late. I can read French to a certain degree. I understand enough to know that movie subtitles are never quite right. But my listening comprehension is lacking. Assimil takes about 5 or 6 months from scratch, if you stick with it. I think it would take me less time. Within 15 minutes I noticed they don't teach the word for bird.

It's hard to decide between languages. I'd like to learn more Hebrew. My level is pathetic. But finishing French is so alluring. I'd be able to read non-British European news stories. I kind of want to do both at once, since I'd be coming at French from more of a place of picking up vocabulary than learning it new. Decisions, decisions.