Has anybody here learned a language just to be able to read fiction

That is one highly detailed pussy

i started learning Russian. in the process, i got to know quite a few Russian people. i found them untrustworthy, manipulative, deceitful, bitter, angry, careless, rude, opinionated and self-centered.

think i might start learning Japanese instead.

>>7697065

You don't actually have to learn the language in order to read literature in that language. Just enjoy the beautiful sounds of the language.

>>7698000
My personal experience having roomed with Russians (from actual Russia) for a few years confirms this.

>>7697080
>that
>highly detailed
I bet you're on a phone.

>>7697065
I learned Slut to read your mom's pussy. Shit was cash.

File: lomb.jpg (33KB, 240x354px) Image search: [Google]

33KB, 240x354px

Anybody know of Kato Lomb and her advice on learning a new language - if so what do you make of it?

>>7697065
>>7697065

sort of. i'm at the C1 level now for german to get my PhD in philosophy.

learning a language is by far the most (intellectually) difficult thing i have ever done. i currently live in Berlin and attend the Goethe Institut. some lessons learned:

1. learning a language anywhere other than in a country where that language is spoken as the mother tongue is somewhat pointless. i've only learned German here in Germany and the difference between me and my american counterparts is huge. People who have learned German in the states are immediately recognizable and they usually have to work 3x as hard in order to correct their innumerable problems (vocab, pronunciation, things of that nature). on top of that you need to have feedback from more than just one person on your progression.

2. the only people who are long-term successful in language learning are people who have these things: fun while learning the language, zero fear to speak with others, and a definite goal to reach.

reading literature is a large part of my goal, but considering that my entire fucking career hangs on my ability to speak german is in itself enough to light a fire under me. i know very smart people in the class who have studied for a great deal longer than i have only to have made a fraction of the progress that i have (and i've only been learning the language for about 6 months) because it's more or less a little hobby for them. they can't read shit and their spoken language skills are fucking garbage, despite the fact that they are several years indebted to learning. ymmv but this is just in my experience.

3. duolingo and free resources are about one tenth as useful as they claim to be. duolingo's system is full of errors and there is absolutely no replacement to having a teacher. you will make literally hundreds of thousands of mistakes and you need someone to help guide you through mistakes. at the C1 level, the vocabulary that we learn is either area-specific (economic, literary, scientific, etc) or nuanced. "what is the difference between..." is asked about 100 times per day at this level, which is a good thing. without a teacher, you will either have a limited or erroneous vocabulary.

if you are hoping to read literature, vocab will be the king and let me tell you that this road would have been several-fold more difficult without guidance.

4. it takes time. a lot of time. if you're not on the Goethe Institut Superhighway, expect it to take at least one year (and that's if you are some kind of fuckin genius.)

>>7699719
thanks for this advice

>>7697065
Learning German, started with Duolingo (probably no the best choice) and Pimsleur, then started to watch dubbed anime, now watching anime with fansubs.
Even if you're learning a language for literature, you should start from mastering listening and only then advance to reading.

>>7698000
>>7699684
I live in Russia and I confirm this.

>>7699731
Also Glossika is a great course.

How long i should learn finnish to be able to read this "post-modern finnish joyce" (i dont remember how it was called?)?

>>7699739
I'd say about 4k hours for Finnish

>>7699743

I think it's rather worth it to highlight this figure. 4k hours is a fucking lot but thinking you'll be able to read Mallarme after completing the duolingo course in French is delusional. It takes a ridiculous amount of time to actually master a language.