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Languages with Declension (study tips?)
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slowguy
Jun 23, 16 17:55
Post #1 of 13 (895 views)
Has anyone studied a language that is heavily dependent on declension, and found good ways to get this stuff to stick in your head? I studied Spanish, German, and of course English, but none of those languages relies on declension very much. So far I'm just trying to simultaneously remember all the occasions for which various cases are used, and simultaneously remember the various endings that apply for words in those cases. Maybe that's really all you can do until it becomes more familiar and you start to get to where certain constructs sound right and others sound wrong, but if there are any methods to make it a bit easier, I'd be interested.
Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Goobdog
Jun 23, 16 18:14
Post #2 of 13 (886 views)
slowguy wrote:
Has anyone studied a language that is heavily dependent on declension, and found good ways to get this stuff to stick in your head? I studied Spanish, German, and of course English, but none of those languages relies on declension very much. So far I'm just trying to simultaneously remember all the occasions for which various cases are used, and simultaneously remember the various endings that apply for words in those cases. Maybe that's really all you can do until it becomes more familiar and you start to get to where certain constructs sound right and others sound wrong, but if there are any methods to make it a bit easier, I'd be interested.

Appearantly I haven't learned a language that uses the word "declension".

Now excuse me while I get a beer and hit my wife.
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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veganerd
Jun 23, 16 18:49
Post #3 of 13 (869 views)
Immersion. Its the best way. Find a group of native speakers and throw yourself into the fire. Youll catch up.
who's smarter than you're? i'm!
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Kay Serrar
Jun 23, 16 18:59
Post #4 of 13 (859 views)
I studied Latin for about 5 years. As I recall it was just a matter of learning it, but it was a long time ago...
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Running mom
Jun 23, 16 19:01
Post #5 of 13 (858 views)
slowguy wrote:
Has anyone studied a language that is heavily dependent on declension, and found good ways to get this stuff to stick in your head? I studied Spanish, German, and of course English, but none of those languages relies on declension very much. So far I'm just trying to simultaneously remember all the occasions for which various cases are used, and simultaneously remember the various endings that apply for words in those cases. Maybe that's really all you can do until it becomes more familiar and you start to get to where certain constructs sound right and others sound wrong, but if there are any methods to make it a bit easier, I'd be interested.

Are you thinking specifically about Latin? That is the only language that I have heard people use the term declension. If so, (if for kids) there are lots of little videos and songs to help. I like this one:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8a-wGgpdQeM
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [Running mom] [ In reply to ]
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slowguy
Jun 23, 16 19:01
Post #6 of 13 (857 views)
I'm learning Russian.
Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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BLeP
Jun 23, 16 19:28
Post #7 of 13 (841 views)
slowguy wrote:
I'm learning Russian.

COMMUNIST!!!!
How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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Francois
Jun 23, 16 20:01
Post #8 of 13 (832 views)
Latin and greek in middle school and high school. As well as German. My experience is that it's just a lot of memorization and exercises until it becomes natural. Obviously, immersion for the first 2 is hardly possible. An advantage is that, at least when I was in school, there is a very strong emphasis on grammar in the French education system, regardless of the language. Makes things easier IMO because you can relate to concepts you know already when learning new languages, in particular with declension.
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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windywave
Jun 23, 16 20:02
Post #9 of 13 (830 views)
Study Latin which means memorize the shit.
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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jriosa
Jun 23, 16 20:22
Post #10 of 13 (822 views)
4 years of Latin in high school. Can't tell you how I figured it out, but my mother learned English and French hammer in the 30s in Quebec where declining verbs was important, so somehow between the two I ismosed it.

Curious, why do you need our? Conversationally you can get v away with a missed tense without serious consequence. Unless you are into very formal literature it probably isn't that important.
Jim
"In dog beers, I've only had one"
http://www.shakercolonial.com/
Creating custom made furnishing to your requirements
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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kiki
Jun 23, 16 23:12
Post #11 of 13 (804 views)
A student of Russian may have better ideas, but . . .

I'm a clearcut visual learner, so a chart worked best for Latin and other languages. I'd visualise "column C, row 2" when trying to find feminine dative plural or whatever. After immersion that transitioned to autopilot.

It went up everywhere -- kitchen, bathroom, in shower, etc. and I spent a couple minutes on it at every opportunity.

If you're not visual, recordings or flash cards might work better.

Here is a link to learning styles -- simplistic but it will give you a ballpark and may help.
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [jriosa] [ In reply to ]
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slowguy
Jun 24, 16 5:21
Post #12 of 13 (759 views)
Quote:
Unless you are into very formal literature it probably isn't that important.

It's fundamental to Russian grammar. You can't really do without it.
Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: Languages with Declension (study tips?) [kiki] [ In reply to ]
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slowguy
Jun 24, 16 5:29
Post #13 of 13 (756 views)
kiki wrote:
A student of Russian may have better ideas, but . . .

I'm a clearcut visual learner, so a chart worked best for Latin and other languages. I'd visualise "column C, row 2" when trying to find feminine dative plural or whatever. After immersion that transitioned to autopilot.

It went up everywhere -- kitchen, bathroom, in shower, etc. and I spent a couple minutes on it at every opportunity.

If you're not visual, recordings or flash cards might work better.

Here is a link to learning styles -- simplistic but it will give you a ballpark and may help.

Thanks. I think charts are the road I'm headed down for now. The school put me through a quick learning styles workshop, and I'm not really strongly weighted in any particular category. I'm using flashcards and some different online word games for vocabulary.
Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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