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hen comments on Group Rationality Diary, March 16-31 - Less Wrong
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Comments (37)
When I read a foreign language, I prefer to read aloud. This helps me to understand some phrases I don't get from reading alone. This may work better for languages closely related to the native one, but it also helps getting the pronunciation right. (For languages I'm more fluent in, I read in different accents. This keeps me from getting bored)
For languages I don't know well, reading comics helps me most, because I can pick up many words from context and I don't have to look up words. Switching to comic books was perhaps the best change of learning habits I have done so far. It finally makes reading practice fun.
Generally, I first try to get the pronunciation right before trying to read texts. I listen to pronunciation samples and to radio until I can at least pronounce texts without compound words. Just from passive listening to radio you can pick up the general rhythm. Also, it works well with akrasia.
You're right that this helps, and I do it when I can. It's sometimes hard to find a place to do this where it's not so disruptive.
No comic books or radio, unfortunately, since its a dead language. Thanks for the suggestions though. Now that I think about it, I think I can read Harry Potter. That might be worth looking into.
There are also multiple volumes of Asterix available in Attic Greek: Link
Cool! Thanks.
Latin? Ancient Greek? (Probably not koine Greek because I don't think Harry Potter has been translated thereto.)
What's your reason for wanting to learn the language? Is there something there that can be used for motivation?
Attic Greek, and my motivations are serious and professional: I can't get the job I want without learning Greek. But on an hour to hour basis, that's still not enough pressure. My experience with myself is that I have to find something pleasurable about an activity to do it reliably. I'm just not disciplined enough to do things I find really unpleasant. Fortunately, I don't have to do unpleasant things very often, but this is an exception.
What's the job you want?
Sorry about the repeated questioning. I'm just thinking along the following lines: If you are keen to get a particular job that requires knowing Attic Greek, then presumably there are things about that job that you're keen to do for their own sake[1]; it seems likely that some of them involve actually using Attic Greek, in which case aren't there fun things you can do more of as your knowledge of the language improves?
[1] I can't think of any jobs that (a) people do just because they want the money and (b) require skill in Attic Greek.
No, you're right. It's a job in academic philosophy, and I want the job for it own sake. There are very enjoyable things I can do with attic once I have better command of it, but it's a terribly difficult language and I'm probably a year or so of hard work away from being able to enjoy them.