Learning a language

[bunn]

How long do you reckon it takes to learn a new language to the point where you can have simple conversations with native speakers of that language?

Specifically, how long do you think it would take for someone who can already speak at least two languages to learn an unfamiliar language, when they are in an environment where the unfamiliar language is spoken by everyone and they are working on picking up the language as the main thing they are doing?   Assume that the person has the assistance of someone who can speak both languages, and that the structure of the language is similar to those already known.

I reckon two weeks would be more than enough, but then my attitude to languages is a bit Top Gear.  Pp, who has A's at O Level in several languages he can't speak at all, feels that two weeks is a ludicrous underestimate. 

Comments

[ozisim.livejournal.com]

Depends on the setting for the conversation.
I learned enough German in 3 days that I could hold conversations in theAprès ski bars and clubs in Austria.
In that situation, there are only 4 topics of conversation:
What you are drinking?
Where are you from?
Where you have skied . (Since you've been here, and where else in the past)
How bad is this music? (What do you like to listen to when not being forced to dance to this crap?)

I also learned the word for Cigarette Lighter, because anyone coming up to you in the street and saying anything to you that included that word was asking to borrow your lighter.
Also: Mobile Phones are called Handies. Boys saying anything that included the word 'Handy' were asking for your Number. :D

I picked up enough Italian in a week to get any meal, coffee, transport/admittance tickets or directions I wanted.

None of these Conversations were particularly deep and meaningful, and I was by no means understanding every word, AND the native speakers in these convos were definitely doing all the heavy lifting, but I'm totally agreeing with you that it's possible.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think that was the level of conversation I was envisaging: simple sentences about obvious topics. Personally I find it easier to understand people talking than to assemble vocabulary to actually say anything, but I've never really been in that situation of being completely immersed in a language that I've not previously studied at all.

[ozisim.livejournal.com]

I found that I do best with total immersion and a little notebook to write in.
Wen I went to Poland last month we had a Polish speaker with us & he would take over when things got tricky, so I didn't get the usual regular reinforcement of phrases so wasn't as fluent as I would have liked after 4 days :(
Another factor is that I have a Parent who is Hard of Hearing and have studied AusLan a little. So gotten much practice at non- verbal communication to get my point across so I can extract the correct thing to say from the person I'm talking to. - Give them a reason to have gotten good at non-verbal comms.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

Most people found listening and/or reading comprehension comes faster than speaking!

There are a lot of variables depending on your personal frame of reference, though. I picked up almost no Greek in several weeks, but with Slavic languages since I've previously studied Russian I start at least visually recognizing words in a few days even with new languages.

[andrewducker]

Absolutely. I've been the same in foreign places. If I'm actively surrounded by foreign people, then I pick up enough to order drinks, organise food, ask where the toilets are, etc. very quickly.