a new language in three months

[Judyta]

http://zenhabits.net/fluent/

I got it from Miguel as another tactical step in his crusade against studying languages He never really studied any, and he speaks one foreign language fluently and communicates efficiently in other two.

I don't doubt it, of course, that if you want to speak a language, you need to speak it, not only read it or study it's grammar. But I LIKE studying languages, so I'm not going to stop doing that with Spanish (occasionally, whenever I feel like it ).

But I find it difficult to believe that one can master a language FLUENTLY in three months. Yes, perhaps you can buy milk and bread, talk about weather or your field of research, but I cannot imagine having an unlimited conversation after three months. Can you?

[Jelonek]

yadi yada - I use English in a focused way for about 12 hours a day for the last eight years - I am fluent in it, but nowhere near perfect, which I should be by now according to this theory.
I don't believe such claims.

[AI3]

I want to see him trying to learn a language where the writing system is completely different from what he's used to in Europe and does not use either a letter-by letter, or syllable-by-syllable, alphabet. When he does THAT in 3 months, then, and only then I'll be truly impressed.

Oh, and he claims that Tokyo is expensive and that's why he can't afford to spend 3 months in Japan to learn Japanese. He obviously has no clue what he's talking about.

I subscribed to him on YouTube and will be following his adventures. His YouTube clips seem mostly scripted when he "speaks" a foreign language on video - it's the same material word for word that can be found elsewhere on his blog.

[dora2]

i speak english, i think in english, i have dreams in english (might say i even sh*it in english. excuse my french.). still - i cannot see myself having unlimited conversation after 6 years of - hang on ... how long am I here for god sakes ...almost 7 years actually. so after 7 years of above-mentioned.

have to check his youtube chanel when I'm at home. NHS blocks any kind of entertaiment ;]

[AI3]

Dora, I very much doubt he's having *unlimited* conversations in his foreign languages. I suspect that his and our definition of *fluent* is actually vastly different. I'm pretty sure he can get by just fine in daily life, but it's highly unlikely he can explain himself in more pressing situations.
And getting by in daily life means fluent for many (if not most) Yanks and Brits, and apparently Irish, too.

They seem to confuse "functional" with "fluent", but that's a common mistake. And besides, "fluent" sounds a lot better, especially if you're going to write a blog about your accomplishments, right?

[Judyta]

Napisał AI3

They seem to confuse "functional" with "fluent", but that's a common mistake. And besides, "fluent" sounds a lot better, especially if you're going to write a blog about your accomplishments, right?

Well spotted. He simply advertises himself with exaggerated phrases. I can believe one can be "functional" after a three-months constant exposure to a language, but "fluent" is a far too big claim. And the "functional" knowledge of languages is bound to be shallow and artificial. Helps you buy milk in a given country, but not much more.