Learning something really difficult anyone?

Revis Yes I dug out a huge list of those sites not long ago for the music we were doing for choir. They are very very useful if you have not got good site reading skills.

Free music practice files.

www.singingpractice.co.uk/music/xref.htm

www.choraltech.us/midilibrary.htm

royalfreemusicsociety.org.uk/midi-file-archive

www.choralnet.org/list/resource/1873

www.cyberbass.com/

gasilvis.net/

Please copy this list if you might find them helpful.

Good on you Jess- learning the language of a community where you live is the best form of respect, and can change your relationship with said community totally. But don't get too bogged down with grammar- and aim for effective communication at this stage- mistakes and all.

Not sure about your course, but as a teacher of German, French and EFL, so much of the grammar that is taught is totally un-necessary for effective communication, often has easier but just as acceptable alternatives and mostly not used by the 'natives' either. For instance in French the subjunctive can be easily by-passed, and the future too (ex: 'je dois faire' is just as correct and effective as the archaic and complicated 'il faut que je fasse'- and 'je vais aller au cinéma' works just as well as 'j'irai au cinéma', etc, etc - for those who speak French). Just get on with it, we are all much too afraid of making mistakes ... and check on grammar as and when you feel it is stopping you from effective communication (at a later stage- polishing the grammar will be much easier anyhow). A language, and particularly Welsh I'd say, is like singing- you learn by singing, not reading the score... Bonne chance.

Thinking of it, learning the tai-chi form was the hardest thing I ever did- as I had to miss some key stages and catching up was almost impossible- I did in the end- but I actually burst into tears in the middle of a class once, with sheer frustration.

Both DH and myself have been trying to learn Japanese for the last 8 years as DS is married to beautiful Japanese lady who live there with our are two GC. Finding it very difficult retaining knowledge and are blaming our age ha, ha. We can both speak German and French pretty fluently having lived there during our working years. We visit our family annually and can get around, shop, eat out etc with little difficulty. Our attempts at communication are usually met with much appreciation but as with our years in Europe we nearly always get please can you speak English we want to learn your language.

I learnt sign language about 3 years ago but I have found I have forgotten most of it so I have borrowed a book from the Library to try to refresh my brain.

I have spent the last few months learning Carmina Burana and last night we performed it. The music is quite easy - but the words! - it goes at a fair old lick and I am sure it has done my brain good to be having to think that fast. I am done for today!

Ha! Went to a barn dance for the first time in many years last weekend....not sure I'd say i learnt much..but I did have a laugh!

I've just joined with Future Learning 'The Science of Medicines' its about pharmacology and the beginning was difficult. Chemistry has advanced so much since I did it it is almost unrecognisable. The Course is good and after the chemistry we are moving on to easier things like various illnesses and their treatments.
I'm so glad I'm retired and don't have to sit an examination!

Then I keep on with French, as we go there on holiday.

I'm doing a BA at the local uni - I couldn't do distance learning because I need the discipline of a lecture room and deadlines. As I sit here reading Gransnet I should be working on my dissertation for submission next month.

Ah, Luckygirl, I LOVED singing Carmina. In Trutina was one of my party pieces!

I am learning Greek, mainly because I have come to love Zakynthian holidays! I already do German, French, and Spanish, but am finding Greek difficult because of the alphabet, so am considering getting to grips with that first, as I'm not good at learning by ear.

Trouble with Greek is the number of syllables per word. Have to take a run at them. aftkinito, efkaristo etc