A language learners’ forum

zenmonkey wrote:

Le Baron wrote:We already know the truth that in African countries where French is the 'official language', only a small, elite percentage speak it properly, if at all.

Absolute nonsense.

Go spend a few days in ... say... Douala, Cameroon. North of 50% of the population speaks French.

(... and French spoken in the various dialects of Africa is as proper as Canadian, Swiss, or Belgian French)

But I've been to Senegal, briefly in Chad, Mali and Burundi. Also some places in the old Maghreb. I can't go everywhere. It just isn't what it was. And even the official stats register the percentages as low. It's a sliding scale as well, so even though you come across speakers it ranges from good to broken. The major percentage are city people and often the middle classes getting decent education. On French TV they sometimes dub over people speaking 'French'.

It isn't nonsense,

Le Baron wrote:But I've been to Senegal, briefly in Chad, Mali and Burundi. Also some places in the old Maghreb.

Based on your experience (and I've not been to most of those), I can see your point of view.

But it certainly isn't true for DRC, RC, Cameroon, Gabon, etc...
These are not countries where only small percentages speak French. Algeria is ... complicated.

Korean in 3 Months - 1st Month Progress, 2nd Month New Steps:


Duration: 15:59

So, more than 3 lessons a day. Impressive.
Especially if it's really just 2 hrs a day.
False beginner.
Lots of Anki.

zenmonkey wrote:So, more than 3 lessons a day. Impressive.
Especially if it's really just 2 hrs a day.
False beginner.
Lots of Anki.

Ardashir got the language learning gene, I see .

How and Why to Talk to Your Mirror - Solo Conversation Practice with Assimil Manuals:


Duration: 13:01

(I'm watching it now.)

How to Take Notes for Great Books Reading Projects:


Duration: 16:47

jeff_lindqvist wrote:How to Take Notes for Great Books Reading Projects:


Duration: 16:47

From the description:

In this video, I suggest four stages for doing this: 1) penciling in the margins, 2) lecturing to the wall and then writing down a synopsis of that, 3) preparing ever-expanding lists of key terms, people, ideas, etc., and 4) beginning to make comparative and contrasting columns for multiple works.

I really need to do 2 and 3. I already do 1. I might have to try 4, but I already have my own notetaking system that works in a similar way.

jeff_lindqvist wrote:How to Take Notes for Great Books Reading Projects:

I looked for an out of copyright alternative to 'how to read a book' and ended up with The Guide to Reading, (Prof Arguelles video is better though! )

DaveAgain wrote:

jeff_lindqvist wrote:How to Take Notes for Great Books Reading Projects:

I looked for an out of copyright alternative to 'how to read a book' and ended up with The Guide to Reading, (Prof Arguelles video is better though! )

I will say, if nobody has read Adler's work, I highly recommend it. It changed how I approach non-fiction works, though I need to get better at following it.