any bilinguals in the house? polyglots?

im trying to learn afrikaans. i have an app on my phone and i have been running through lessons online but im not happy with my progress.
of course it may just be me. ive always felt the best way to learn a new language is to actually sit in a class and run through it. lessons. feedback. quizzes. the whole deal.
i remember when those rosetta stones came out people were all over them.

i seriously doubt my local community college has a course on afrikaans so thats out.
i would like to have a decent grasp of at least common words and phrases by mid january. i just dont see it happening.

i got a couple of books out of the library but i felt like that is a waste. it is almost impossible to get the pronunciation correct on a lot of afrikaans words by reading them.
some words start with g but are pronounced as an h. book dont tell you that #.

so to the polyglots in the house how did you learn? i am very curious

a reply to: TinySickTears

One fun way to learn is watching the version in another language of old tv shows that you saw before and remember.

a reply to: Trueman

never thought of looking for an afrikaans version of house.

originally posted by: TinySickTears
so to the polyglots in the house how did you learn? i am very curious

Immersion.

My brother-in-law is a natural linguist. I don't know how he does it. Last I checked he was fluent in seven languages ... and three of those he actually classified as a native speaker.

This and a pocket full of Rand is all you will probably need.

Ek is ryk Amerikaanse. Asseblief beroof en verkrag my.


Dankie.

originally posted by: ezramullins
This and a pocket full of Rand is all you will probably need.

Ek is ryk Amerikaanse. Asseblief beroof en verkrag my.


Dankie.

hahahah.
that could happen thought i am not rich.

i am running through lessons now but it is still not what i want.
i was practicing food words.
beef and a couple others had 'fleis' at the end of the word.
instead of knowing how to say beef i want to know how to say it and understand the mechanics of it.

i know boet is like friend or good friend. brother...i use that one a bit
lightie is like a small child. been trying to say my lightie instead of my daughter when talking just to get used to it.


correction. is vleis not fleis

originally posted by: Trueman
a reply to: TinySickTears

One fun way to learn is watching the version in another language of old tv shows that you saw before and remember.

Like die laste eutweig (the equalizer) or misdaad in Miami (Miami Vice) lol. There's something lost in the translation.

Cheers - Dave

the g's that are pronounced as h's is a hard thing to get used to

the F word is pretty awesome in the way it is pronounced. i like it...
spelled fokken but pronounced focka

i also know barbecue is braii. i use that a lot now.

been listening to a lot of die antwoord lately. its helping

why are you trying to learn afrikaan?

my advice use textbooks, theres a reason why one method is in a textbook and another is an app.

a reply to: TinySickTears

Lol, you need to be immersed in the language, especially if you're not one of the lucky few who take to language naturally. I.E. I could read/write/understand French, but had trouble conversing until I spent a lot of time immersed in a French city.
Also, if you immerse yourself in "slang" versions of the language you're learning (a la Die Antwoord), that's what's going to come through. If you have a friend in SA who speaks Afrikaans anyways, just try to talk with them in the language as much as possible. Incorporate a new word often, and use it when appropriate.

If at first, you're speaking "Afrikaan-glish", your friend won't mind, and neither will most native speakers. Keep up with it everyday.

I would advise against learning a lot of slang at first, unless the area you're headed to specifically relies on it to converse with each other.

originally posted by: Rikku
why are you trying to learn afrikaan?

my advice use textbooks, theres a reason why one method is in a textbook and another is an app.

going to africa in january.

i got a few books from the library but the pronunciation was an issue

originally posted by: Atsbhct
a reply to: TinySickTears

Lol, you need to be immersed in the language, especially if you're not one of the lucky few who take to language naturally. I.E. I could read/write/understand French, but had trouble conversing until I spent a lot of time immersed in a French city.
Also, if you immerse yourself in "slang" versions of the language you're learning (a la Die Antwoord), that's what's going to come through. If you have a friend in SA who speaks Afrikaans anyways, just try to talk with them in the language as much as possible. Incorporate a new word often, and use it when appropriate.

If at first, you're speaking "Afrikaan-glish", your friend won't mind, and neither will most native speakers. Keep up with it everyday.

I would advise against learning a lot of slang at first, unless the area you're headed to specifically relies on it to converse with each other.

he and i dont talk much cause of the 6 hour difference. we leave voice messages via whatsapp and chat a lot but calls just dont happen.

im not too worried about proper afrikaans. i am only going to be there for 6-7 days and he will be with me everywhere i go. i basically want it to be able to keep up with the screwed up conversations with him and his friends.
another reason is the people that own and operate my company are from south africa. all the upper management.
sometimes there will be a few of them on the floor at the same time talking to say me and then all of a sudden they will say a few things to each other in afrikaans. my buddy says when they do that they are talking #, punking you, talking about how big of a # you are.
i would like to be able to pick up on that and maybe blow their bitch ass minds with a clever afrikaans retort

a reply to: TinySickTears
so you just want to learn some swearwords, and then probably make an ass of yourself infront of your employers?

i'm sure you app is good enough for that.

good luck.

originally posted by: Rikku
a reply to: TinySickTears
so you just want to learn some swearwords, and then probably make an ass of yourself infront of your employers?

i'm sure you app is good enough for that.

good luck.

yeah cause thats what i said.
me wanting to know when my boss is calling me a # in a foreign language and being able to respond means being an ass...ok then. if you say so

im not too in to getting punked and not even knowing it. so, i want to know it.
omg what an asshole i am. how dare i want to know what kind of derogatory # is being said about me.