Hi, is there anyone here who has learnt a foreign language on
their own without any tutelage to advice me? I want to learn three
different foreign languages but I do not know where to start. I
want to learn both how to speak and write in Chinese (Mandarin),
Russian and Spanish.
You can start Chinese in it's spoken form first, without
tutelage, by starting to order food in Chinese, where the hawkers
will be more than happy to guide you and teach you if you ask and
also want to learn.
You may be stumbled by the tones of Chinese at first, but no
worries, it's habitual, so if you listen a lot, you will get them
correct on the long run.
For myself I pick up both Malay and Tamil as described in my
first paragraph, never had any tutelage before, later I bought
Malay dictionary and picture books and Tamil guidebook and CDs to
brush up, I don't think I am very good at them but this is what I
can get from without any tutelage that's all.
Since Russian and Spanish, unlike Chinese, Malay and Tamil, are
not spoken by common in Singapore, I suggest you pick up the
Russian Script first, which is easy, followed by their grammar,
which is extremely difficult. For Spanish, same thing, note their
subtle difference in their use of the Latin alphabet first and see
whether you can find guidebooks. I only know how to write the
Russian alphabet and the Spanish alphabet but do not know Russian
and Spanish as communication.
