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Nesf

yet another newbie!

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Hi, I'm female, 41 years old, and a couple of months ago I was diagnosed with AS after experiencing many difficulties in my life, including more recently losing my job, having a failed relationship and depression. I hope that with my diagnosis I can come to terms with the past, begin to like myself a bit more and begin to look forward, not back.

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So far I've learnt French, German, Spanish (at school) and then Greek, Romanian and Italian. I speak German, Greek and Romanian quite fluently. Next I'd like to learn a Slavic language like Russian or Polish.

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Definitely not a part-timer, then! I did French and German at school, and taught myself Farsi (including the script). I used to be relatively fluent in French and Farsi, but that was some time ago now, and my brain seems to quickly dump what isn't in constant use. Also, I have an issue with languages in that I can quickly learn a language to allow a degree of conversational freedom, and I tend to be good at speaking, reading, and writing a language. I love grammar - I love the linguistic freedom it affords as deeper grammatical understanding is gained. My difficulty, however is understanding spoken language. I have trouble processing English efficiently, let alone another language, so this holds me back from ever truly gaining mastery of a language.

 

Ah well. :lol:

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I used to be quite fluent in French too, but since school I haven't had much need for it, and although I can still understand most of it I can't speak it well. I find with learning languages that although I can pick up vocabulary and grammar quickly, my spoken abilities aren't quite so good and I find it difficult to express myself. Also I have a very foreign sounding accent I can never get rid of.

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Thanks for your reply, Robert. I used to be a teacher of English as a foreign language and worked in a school for about a year, but I couldn't handle the discipline issues, constant classroom interraction and organisation needed for the job. Teaching requires a lot of communication skills which I don't naturally have, and it left me exhausted and close to breakdown. Also, school staffrooms are just like offices: cliquey and they are likely to gang up on you and push you out if you are in any way different or don't play their game. So at the end of the year they told me that my contract wasn't being renewed and when I asked why they said it was because I didn't fit in. This lead to a breakdown and my deciding to seek a diagnosis for AS which I had suspected for some time that I might have. Teaching is not a suitable job for someone with AS and I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

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Welcome! I've never been able to pick up foreign languages - I always struggled with it at school :( So well done for that! :)

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So far I've learnt French, German, Spanish (at school) and then Greek, Romanian and Italian. I speak German, Greek and Romanian quite fluently. Next I'd like to learn a Slavic language like Russian or Polish.

 

Wow i know a little French, quite fluent in Spanish and haven't got the brainpower to learn anymore.

Your knack for languages could get you a job as a tour guide, museum guide or even host to foreign students :-)

 

Was wondering which sci fi films or series you prefer?

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Robert: Yes, one to one private tuition is a viable option, I can cope with people one at a time, it's groups I find difficult.

 

Willow: everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, people with AS are supposed to be all good at maths but I never was - at least not at algebra, geomentry is a lot better.

 

A-S warrior: Thanks for the greeting. Right now I don't much feel like having relationships :-)

 

trekster: I do the occasional translation, proofreading and private tuition and they suit me, but need more permanent employment... preferably a job where I can alone and work independently. As for sci fi, I read more than I watch films or series. Preferred authors: Isaac Asimov, Greg Bear, Philip Dick, John Wyndham, Arthur C. Clark, H.G. Wells, Brian Aldiss, and many others. Films: Kubrick's Space Odyssey 2001, Planet of the Apes, rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Sunshine, The Truman Show, The Abyss, I, Robot, Prometheus. I prefer sci fi films which are based on original ideas rather than the usual Hollywood approach of plenty of action and special effects for the masses. Series - Star Trek, Dr. Who, Red Dwarf.

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i enjoyed 'the truman show' and parts of prometheus. Also im a big dwarfer and trekkie fan.

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I used to watch Star Trek a lot when I was younger and I'm getting into it again, I'm rewatching the original series at the moment, and hope to eventually work my way up to the Voyager series.

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Hi Nesf, welcome :)

 

Sorry to read that you've been going through a lot recently, I do hope that things have turned a corner for you though and it all starts to get better from now on.

 

What a truly fabulous gift you have though!! I do rather envy those who can pick up a language(s) so quickly, though I do believe, if I put my mind to it, I'd not do too badly myself.

 

I studied Japanese for five years whilst in highschool and did pretty well. I also started picking up some Hungarian as I travelled to Budapest for a bit. Then I decided I wanted to teach myself Finnish or Norwegian. Ended up going for Finnish but took some classes, which were too sporadic for my liking. Still think I'd like to teach myself, or go to proper classes, but need the time to focus!!!

 

 

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Thanks, oakers, the diagnosis has helped me in many ways to understand myself better and examine my reaction to things past and present - it sounds cliched but it's true.

 

I admire you for learning a language like Hungarian which is supposed to be one of the most difficult ones to learn. I don't know what Japanese is like, I imagine that learning the characters must be very challanging. How did you find it? I can understand you choosing Finnish as this is closely related to Hungarian, though also a tough one to learn.

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Sounds like how I felt when I got my diagnosis. I'd never even thought about it until it was suggested to me I might have AS in August / September of this year. It all really does start to make sense though when I sit and think about things.

 

 

With the Hungarian it was more that I was traveling there so often and my friends were all being so kind and speaking in English that I felt I should try and learn. There was a stage though when I'd sit listening to them speaking Hungarian and I would answer in English... that was bizarre as I had no real comprehension in one sense that I knew what they were talking about but at the same time I could answer in the general flow of conversation... they thought it was most bizarre as well!

 

I chose Japanese as we had a choice in our first year of Italian or Japanese, and living in Australia I felt that the latter would serve me well if I continued with it after high school. When we were learning the characters were were told it might be easier to remember them if we remembered little stories to go with them... some are still stuck in my head and I can write them at will, but I fear the rest of what I've learnt is locked away. I presume that if I was to go over old books or start learning again it might all start coming back.

 

With Finnish, again it was something I thought would be cool to learn and also nice to be able to try and at least converse a little with my friends. I've picked up bits and pieces along the way, but it was rather amusing when my 'teacher' decided in front of the class that I knew far more than I was letting on. Looking back I think it was probably more a case of understanding more than even I realised, with having spent so much time around people who still spoke Finnish when I was around them. The same probably goes for Norwegian, if I'd tried to learn that properly I'd have probably had a good grounding a couple of years ago as I spent so much time in Oslo.

 

Ahhhh it's amazing how our brains work (or don't work at times!)!!

 

On a side note, I do believe that Hungarian is one of the hardest languages to learn, but I think Finnish would probably be also as it is part of the Finno-Ugric languages. I guess Japanese it quite hard to learn too... nothing like trying to make things hard for myself eh! ;)

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It sounds like you're very well travelled. I've heard that even Japanese people find it hard to learn the characters and you need to know about 3000 to be able to write fluently - that must be really hard. How similar are Hungarian and Finnish? Did knowing Hungarian help you to learn it?

 

I sometimes get languages mixed up, too - for example if I have a conversation with someone in Greek, and then afterwards another one with a different person in English, I may start talking in Greek without even realising that I'm doing it, and then wonder why the other person hasn't understood a word I'm saying :-)

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Nesf, yeah I guess I have travelled a fair bit. I think being so isolated from travel when I was younger, living in Perth, made me intent on seeing more of the world.

 

 

I remember being told that we'd need to know between 2500 - 3000 characters to even have a chance of understanding any part of a newspaper. I knew nowhere near that many!!!

 

Not having learnt much Hungarian in a formal manner I'm not really sure how it would compare to Finnish in that sense. I seem to find that I see similarities in language though, whether that be in written or verbal form.

 

One of my Norwegian friends used to struggle a little after I'd visit her. For the first few days she'd forget to speak English to me all the time, but then as she'd spend all her time thereafter speaking in English she would then fall into that mode even when speaking with Norwegian friends.

 

I'm not surprised having conversations in different languages so closely together is confusing!!! It must be pretty cool to be able to do so though! :)

 

I still keep thinking I might start learning another language again, but I need to stop feeling so tired all the time!! :/

Edited by oakers

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Which new language would you like to learn? I think that motivation is very important, so if you're feeling tired it's probably not the best time to start learning. I'd like to learn a Slavic language, but right now I'm focused on other things and don't feel the impulse to start one, but who knows in future? My impulses to start new "projects" come and go.

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Hmm not really sure Nesf... Having now only a limited understanding of any I've learnt / tried to learn so far I might just revisit (last took Japanese in, ooh 1996!!) I feel old!!. It's having the time and the motivation though, as you say.

 

I'm lucky to be awake by about 8.30 most nights after I've been in work. Pain gets to me by then with not sleeping much at night :/. Here's hoping this new year will bring me some respite in relation to that so that I can get a bit of a life back :)

 

That said about languages I'm feeling quite keen to go and do a cake decorating course. At least that's be for a structured amount of weeks so I'd know they have to reach you the content in the specified amount of time :)

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I also have problems sleeping, I either stay awake until late not able to wind down or wake up during the night and not be able to get back to sleep. Also I can't sleep if there's any noise or light in the room. Oakers, I hope your pain gets better, the cake decorating course sounds like a good idea :-)

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Nesf... it's rubbish isn't it!!? I think, if you can sleep things just seem so much better... alas, I'm one of those who can't sleep for noise, light, etc... and now the pain. Ah well, it could be worse! ;)

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Oakers, it's bad enough not sleeping, but if you have pain too it must be really bad. For me 6 hours sleep is a good night's sleep.

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6 hours... hmm... I think that's a damn good night for me I get that much. I'd say, on average, I must get around 3-4 at the moment.

 

I used to go without sleep through choice, running around photographing bands and stuff like that, but when it's not through choice is somehow 'hurts' more!! haha

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I find that it's better in the winter but in summer it's a big problem because of the light coming into my room early in the morning, even with thick curtains.

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Sounds silly but have you tried wearing those eye thingyos? I know someone who worked nights and swore by them as she couldn't stand light while she was trying to sleep. Personally I can't stand the things, but might be worth a shot?

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Yes, I have those, and ear plugs!! They help, though I find the elastic going round the back of my head quite annoying, and they can slip off.

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Neverending isn't it!! I can't stand ear plugs and don't like things around my head / face either.

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Yes, it's a tradeoff. They aren't very comfortable but you get used to them and at least I can get some sleep.

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