Learning A New Language For Preparedness and Survival

A few years back I learned of how well the Pimsleur language courses worked from a coworker when I learned a small amount of Ukranian in just a few minutes. It's amazingly easy and natural. The method also teaches you the proper accent, which is a real bonus.

I realized that this was a useful skill set for preparedness so decided to get a few courses. Spanish, French and Portugese because that covers our hemisphere pretty well so decided to focus on those. The courses are not cheap, but there are a lot of used courses on "that auction site" so I watched and waited and amazingly won what looks like the entire course for dirt cheap. What is cool is that is also has English courses for people who speak foreign languages.

The utility is not just being able to understand others who speak a foreign language, but it can also be used to mask verbal communications when others are listening in. For example, a language that is very rare in the US, like Urdu for example, could be used along the lines of native American wind talkers in WW2.

Please don't get the impression that I'm a polyglot, hell I'm barely functional in English. I'll also admit that I haven't invested the time to do much with the course, but it's reassuring to have and perhaps worthwhile to your survival strategy. IMO it's a prep that is mostly overlooked.

A couple of YT videos that review their system. There are others as well, but I've been very impressed with Pimsleur.

 

As a Non Native Speaker of Engrish, learning other languages is a good skill set too add to the tool box, it can make you more valuable to the tribe, while also allowing you some protection for when others are trying to speak openly with out you understanding them, something I put to great use in the Slavic regions!
Growing up, it was ether Ukrainian or German, ( Which covers many Slavic dialects enough to be conversant) and also learned English at almost the same time! Mil. experience found me learning Spanglish and a little Japanese, though both are very rusty from lack of use, and of course, various middle eastern dialects, enough to bark orders and get compliance, which surprisingly is still handy to have! Take the time to learn Ukrainian which will open lots of doors here in the PNW, and make you more valuable, and Spanish isn't bad to have, for much the same reasons!

 

I am starting to do El Español muy bueno! Watch this:

"¡Mantente atras! ¡Mantente atras! ¡No quiero a Covid!" Or how about, "¡Devuélvame los dólares de mis impuestos!" "¿Podría ir a la Ciudad de México y hacer esto? ¿Me ayudaría el bienestar mexicano?"

How am I doing?

 

There is no 'welfare' in Mexico....

I've some success with Rosetta Stone for Latin Spanish,..am brushing up on my (very bad) Russian and German....

 

I've been using the Duolingo app for spanish and Russian. Problem with Russian is I can't read a cyrillic alphabet so the parts where it shows me words leave me Hurrr Durrring. But, I can say, My father has a radio, and, Here is my sweater, so that should get me far in life.

 

Take a hint form the old English-Vietnamese language books sold in the PX ages ago.

Hello
Goodbye
This weapon is loaded and I will shoot....

NOT hard to see how it all went wrong....

 

Maybe we should all be practicing our Mandarin Chinese.

 

Aah reckon ahh'll jus tahk southern style. I can't understand my wife and her sisters when they get to gabbing. 6 conversations at once with tons of innuendos, inside jokes, and a drawl that is unbelievable. I have taken 3 other languages in a classroom atmosphere. Can't remember shit.

 

My son and I practiced klingon for a while and gave up

 

Well I know how to tell them to eff their mother. That's all I need.

 

LOL

I speak decent Spanglish
I get by in German despite strangling verb location

I can do hello, goodbye, please, thank you and where is the crapper in Russian real good.

For Korean, I know when someone is dissing me and (like DW) can accurately describe their parentage, their sister or mothers assumed occupation and the odd curse (may your hair fall out kind of thing)

My older son speaks Russian, my DD studied and was employed for a time for her fluency in ASL.
My youngest son is a wonder. Speaks and writes (2 out of 3 forms) Japanese - fluently. He speaks Arabic well enough to have been used to check terps while on patrol. The Corps gave him some award or another because he would talk with the kiddos and get the scoop on ammo caches or anything odd in the patrol area. More importantly, he was bright enough to walk away after two tours in El Anber.

Having even a passing knowledge of a second language can be a boon at times.

 

I can attest that Pimsleur actually works. I used it to jump-start my Russian when I found myself working and living in countries that spoke very, very little English which of course is the absolute best way to learn a language, total submersion. It's painful at first but is the absolute fastest and best way to learn. I still got the Pimsleur mp3 files. They're great!

 

I'm so old I took two years of Latin in high school.

 

The hell you say! Well, THAT explains everything!

 

There are many sound reasons to learn a second, or more languages in addition to one's mother tongue. I think for me, it is a matter of maintaining my cognitive abilities and staving of the kind of cognitive degeneration that leads to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. I am not fluent in the two languages that my father was fluent in (the languages of his birth nationality, and ethnicity), but I can read aloud, and sing (without much comprehension) the national language of his birth which is relatively simple, because it is a phonetic language without any complicated or inconsistent pronunciation rules. My enunciation may have something of a foreign accent to a native speaker, though having said that, I had probably picked up the regional accent of the woman whom had been tutoring me.

My father's dictum was that the best way to learn a language was in bed with a woman who spoke the local language...I am the result of one of his 'conversational English' lessons. I am presently learning Spanish using my father's methodology...my teacher's older sister (overseas) is impressed that I am able to read clearly (if somewhat slowly and with deliberation) Spanish text. I do ham it up for my tutor, and we are constantly in fits of laughter when I do recitations. Her Aussie English is coming along also...also a continuing source of fits of laughter...it adds significantly to the quality of both our lives.

10 Benefits of Learning a Second Language | Lead with Languages

 

The only language I need is "STOP OR I"LL SHOOT" if you don't understand that you must be here illegally.

 

I hope that defence works for you in court when a tourist travelling to America on a valid passport litigates a prosecution for assault, or worse...and I'm fascinated how you will communicate to some deaf JW in ASL who wants to talk to you, about Jesus, instead of being sent to Jesus.

Your conclusion does not follow the premises of your syllogism.

 

Yeah, but Caesar was still Emperor back then! LOL, keep smilin'