INTPs and learning other languages

[aaaw]

Hi, I'm currently busy learning a second language and was thinking about how the ways in which I process information and like to interact with others might influence how I learn languages.

I have noticed that some people in my language class - extroverts - love to talk and talk and that this gives them certain advantages in learning the spoken language.

I, on the other hand, like to think through what I say before I say it (even in my mother tongue) so perhaps I find learning the spoken language harder than others. This is exacerbated by the fact that I hate superficial conversations, yet my language skills are not yet advanced enough to have the types of conversations I enjoy - conversations about ideas.

Are there any other INTPs who have learnt or are learning a second (or third, or fourth ..) language here?

What have your experiences been?

 

[Kassie]

My entire experience in Spanish class has been like this. The vast majority of people who take language classes appear to be the types who are extremely talkative (or who take it because they see it as an easy class). This is made even worse by the fact that all 3 of the Spanish teachers at my school love to make us do silly projects where we have to go and speak in front of the class or something similar.

This is partially why I think I'll learn any additional languages on my own. It seems like I'll be able to learn better if I can use the methods that work best for me, not what all the extroverts in my class like best.

 

[5k17]

I've learned about 4 languages in addition to my native language (German). I have a good feel for language, so it's generally quite easy for me, even in the stage where I cannot communicate much.
I dislike verbal communication (surprise!), so learning spoken language is more difficult for me, too, but that's not restricted to other languages; I prefer written communication in my mother language, as well.
I feel the main problem about learning languages in school was that it's all just bits and pieces; to learn a language, I want an exact summary of the grammar and a dictionary, as well as a way to check whether I understand and use the language correctly whenever I do so. I think I'm most efficient learning the grammar that way; I'm not quite sure about the vocabulary, but hey, who needs vocabulary anyway?

 

[kinetickyle]

I have tried to learn several languages, usually because I was going to visit a country where English was not the preferred language. In the end, I'd be able to mutter a few phrases, and understand a few words, but nothing close to fluency. I think like a lot of INTPs, my main problem was that I would get bored with the repetition required to learn a language, even though I think I have a knack for it.

The only foreign language that I've successfully learned is Spanish, and that wasn't in a Spanish class. I had a girlfriend whose family was from Mexico. Her mom and aunts would talk about me in Spanish right in front of me because they knew I couldn't understand them. So my girlfriend taught me Spanish by teaching me the basics and watching Spanish TV with me. After a few months, we were speaking mostly Spanish in the apartment, and I got quite good at it. The problem is that after we broke up, I lost my ability to speak it well. I can still understand it pretty well, but I have a hard time carrying on a conversation.

 

[Listen]

I've learned one language pretty well and I'm just beginning to learn another. I have a huge issue with talking for no reason too, I just never have much to say and I don't like to force myself into saying things just to be included in dim conversations. I didn't struggle too much though! Sure I couldnt turn around and blab on for eons like everyone else, but that didn't really make me learn any less. When it came time to talk to the teacher in the other language I did fine so...

I think it helps if you know the other person is fluent and you're not just having a "hahah we both don't really know what we're saying, but hey we're learning and haha you pronounced that wrong how do you say this hahah!" conversation, you know? When you know it really counts, it might come to you easily.

 

[shoeless]

i understand a fair amount of german, but unfortunately, i can't speak it worth a shit. probably because in the german classes that i've taken, i was always one of those socially awkward folk and never endeavored to actually practice the speaking part of the language. because, you know, if you want to learn to speak a language, you kind of have to actually speak it.

now that i've developed my social skills in general, i believe i'd be much more successful at learning a language if i took a proper class and actually practiced speaking it. i was considering learning korean in college, because my boyfriend's mother is korean and i'd love to understand what the fuck she's saying half the time (her english is terrible so she switches to korean frequently, sometimes even when she's talking to me, and it's all rather confusing). also, apparently korean is a fairly simple language, and i'd love to visit korea one day.

so yeah. basically from my experience, the key is practice practice practice.
i also have some german friends who have learned to speak a good amount of conversational english (of course their grammar is horrible but at least you can understand them) just by hanging out with the americans around here. so the second key is immersion. it's a pain in the ass, but you gotta do it.

unless you're only interested in the written stuff, then you can do your book-learnin' all you want.

 

[Lobstrich]

I disagree about Introverts being at an disadvantage on learning new languages because we are less talkative. I myself am very good at learning and understanding new languages, I pick up accents like nothing. That is because I am very lingual, that simple.. In my opnion.

Besides, just because you find it uncomfortable to speak in class doesn't mean you can't learn a language, again - In my opinion. A school is where you learn the least.

 

[Cavallier]

I studied French for two years in high school and I took Italian for two years at university. I've studied a little Spanish at university as well. I'm fairly good at learning how to read and write in languages other than my own native language. My pronunciation is generally quite good. However, when I try to speak to someone in a language other than my own I freeze up. It is not unlike stage fright. It's incredibly frustrating since it means I have trouble proving I can learn a language.

 

[Yet]

In learning new languages I enjoy understanding and decoding for quite a while before I try to express myself. I want to figure out how it works, I love languages.

I have no trouble what so ever learning new languages. Maybe it is due to having moved countries 2 times before I turned 6. In highschool I learned an additional 4; that makes 7 languages (including greek and latin) but I did forget a lot I didn't use.

I try to get a grip on spanish now in my spare time (which is not al lot b.t.w.

 

[MoonPhantom]

Now I feel a shame for myself. Most of the people here seem to learn languages quite well, while I am literally terrible at them. Not only that, I feel fairly bored while learning them... I know my native lithuanian language (which is extremely complex and difficult, if any of you are up to a challange - this language might just hit the spot), I know english quite well and a very little german. But when I saw that most of you here can speak 4 languages and some of you even 7... Wow, I was blown away.

 

[Yet]

don't be ashamed !
You know things other people do not
and I am not exactly fluent in everyone of them.

b.t.w. my native language is Hungarian.

does lithuanian use cyrillic writing?

 

[Yet]

I was too curious, I looked it up
It uses the latin alphabet.

 

[MoonPhantom]

I was too curious, I looked it up
It uses the latin alphabet.

Yes indeed, and some additional letters (ą,č,ę,ė,į,š, etc. ) which are pain, honestly xD It is fairly hard to use them correctly. There are many rules and exceptions that orders when and where to use them.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

I think it is time to learn Latin.

 

[Agapooka]

I find it incredibly easy to pick up on a language, even in a class setting. Actually, I benefit from the class setting, because otherwise, I wouldn't be motivated to go through with the experience. Within a class, I feel forced and also competitive. I am often the best in my class. I don't feel uncomfortable talking to others, because I pick up on everything faster than they do and this boosts my confidence. I do freeze up when I talk to native speakers, though. At least, I used to.

Any information is analysed very quickly and I can rebuild the structure in my mind with ease. The vocabulary is more difficult to assimilate, but it comes with practice (talking to myself). I learned both Spanish and German this way, but it wasn't until I lived in Germany and Spain that I felt confident in using these languages on a spoken level.

For me the order has been:

1. Learn the rules.
2. Learn words.
3. Organise these components in sentences through writing.
4. Talk to myself.
5. Put myself in a situation where I have to use these skills to survive.

Agapooka

 

[Polaris]

I think it is time to learn Latin.

Latin should be brought back into the school syllabuses, at least at the very basic level. It is an incredibly useful, precise and beautiful language. I would take Latin as an elective if it was offered, but alas....

I grew up in a bilingual home, so I was exposed from an early age. I think it helped my learning later, particularly when it came to pronounciation and sentence stucture. I struggled with vocabulary, as I'm not inclined to speaking too much......reading voraciously helps though, if one is disciplined enough to refer to a dictionary all the time. My German mother learnt Norwegian purely from reading newspapers when she came to Norway. Now that's discipline........

 

[shoeless]

i love how basically everyone here who isn't from the US is at least bilingual.

goddamn americans. seriously need to step it up on the foreign language curriculum. that's always pissed me off.

 

[Melllvar]

i love how basically everyone here who isn't from the US is at least bilingual.

goddamn americans. seriously need to step it up on the foreign language curriculum. that's always pissed me off.

What do we need other languages for? We already speak God's language: English. (no, of course I'm not serious about this)

Actually most of us are required to take a foreign language for at least two years in high school, and some us had to start in middle school. School (particularly the shitty american system) is just a terrible way to learn other languages. Rosetta Stone did more for me in a month or two than several years of foreign language classes did. (I still can't speak any foreign languages, but I've learned a lot more about them through it and websites than I ever did in school - of course I took Latin which might have something to do with it)

I think it's easier for Europeans because European countries on the same size scale as US states: you guys are a lot closer together. For people that come from non-english speaking countries, they have to at least speak english just to be able to converse on the forum, so that's sort of a selection bias. And, from what I've heard, a lot of countries promote the teaching of english in school for business/academic reasons (it makes people marketable in english speaking places).

But yeah, we do suck when it comes to knowing anything about other places or languages.

 

[Cavallier]

I think that Spanish should be a mandatory language class in U.S. elementary schools. Once in high school I think students should then have to take a third language of their choosing. It's just plain stupid to not learn at least one other language than our native and stupid to not learn the language of the neighboring country.