Learning something really difficult anyone?

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Granjura Welsh. I grew up in the South and the language was not a priority in those days. I have the basic software of how to pronounce and spell (pretty phonetic). And the cadences which defeat most English speaking learners. Now I live in an area which is a bilingual community I need to make the effort. I reckon it is as tricky as English but in totally different ways. The grammar is very different, and complex. It is, however, an advantage that my neighbours are bilingual.
I know one German woman and one Dutch woman that are pretty fluent in Welsh! And I have new respect for all the people who learn English as a second language.
Absent do you have any opportunities to speak Maori outside the classroom? At least the alphabet is short (12 or 13 letters is it?) and phonetic? (except with the much contested F sound which was unaccountably left out of the alphabet)

OU Future Learn courses - excellent - I've done several

Guessed that absent.

CrazyDaisy I live in NZ too.

NotTooOld, that's the best name for this thread! We are never too old!

I loved my OU courses in French, especially the summer schools in Caen. Then I also did a Creative Writing course for which we had a dreadful tutor who didn't like my work at all, but when my final assignment went to an external examiner, I got a distinction and wish I could capitalise on it!

Trying to remember the steps for all the various Ballroom, Latin and sequence dances that MrA and I are learning is challenging enough for me

"a" NZ resident - grrr!

This thread is reminding me about the French course I have sitting on my desk and the Coastguard Radio Operator course too. I must finish them, I tell myself..........

absent I'm very impressed that you are studying te reo Maori. I try hard to pronounce Maori words properly but haven't really considered learning the language. Of course I really should, being an NZ resident.

lizzypopbottle - I'm so impressed! I bet no-one takes liberties with you.

I've been learning Shotokan karate for almost 20 years and it's always new. Techniques and the way they work together are always evolving. It's the only physical activity (other than walking) that I've never got fed up with or made excuses not to go. I love it. I became a black belt in 2000 and I'm currently working towards taking my 5th dan exam. There'll be a club near you...

Which language are you learning Jess?

Back to learning Italian- was doing AS when we left UK nearly 7 years ago- but not found any suitable class here. French is my MT, and after a few years in the UK, I decided to do German O'Level so I wouldn't lose what I had learnt in school. Same sort of experience as Mamie- it took me quite a while to cut out the devil triangle and cutting out the French. Very hard when you have learnt all your vocab and grammar rules by heart from French to German- and then having to do so from English ...

Learning a language is a great way to keep ze little grey cells ticking- and opens so many doors and makes travelling a totally different experience when you can chat to locals and ask about history, culture, etc.

I did a BAHons with the Open University two years ago. I really loved doing it but the 20th Century Art Module that I did for the Hons was very hard. Luckily I had a kind and supportive tutor who helped me along.

I've completed a BSc with the Open University. I only signed up to do a short course in genetics but it was so interesting I did a few more and got hooked. It took about 10 years. Unfortunately it is nearly all online learning now which I hate - I like to have a coursebook to study - so I won't be doing any more courses.

Bridge.l am hopeless at it as I have a memory like a sieve but l will persevere.