From the ashes will rise a new Hivemind.

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

My professors used to recommend watching spanish-language TV. I don't understand how people learn languages by watching TV.

Buena suerte!

Reading, writing, watching TV, all gives you practice. But you probably need to reach a certain basic level of understanding in the language before it will work.

After school, my training in English consisted of reading roleplaying books, writing on message boards, and watching a lot of TV and movies on English.

The book/boards stuff wouldn't help me understanding spoken English. That can be fiendishly difficult, but TV and movies expose you to a variety of accents and over time, you learn to understand them.

The only thing I am missing is practice actually speaking English.

 

[Blackrat]

Ditto to the Archmage. I'm fiendishly good in english. To the degree that my written english is better than finnish. But I just don't get to speak it enough and so my spoken english sounds really nasty. Though I've heard that english speaking chicks really like the accent

 

[Jdvn1]

Having to get to a certain level makes more sense to me. What I work on when I do that sort of thing is practice listening/comprehension speed (people talk fast) and expand my vocabulary.

On a side note, in my area, there are groups that get together (at coffee shops and such) to practice speaking Spanish with one another, or Sign Language--there are groups for a variety of different languages. Are there things like that in you areas? (I promise, you won't lose your accent, the girls will still love you )

 

[Relique du Madde]

Though I've heard that english speaking chicks really like the accent

That's only if you speak with a French, German, or a British accent.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Lots of language talk while I was away I see.

 

[Jdvn1]

That's only if you speak with a French, German, or a British accent.

I thought they liked all foreign accents.

Lots of language talk while I was away I see.

Did you expect us to talk without using language?

 

[Relique du Madde]

I thought they liked all foreign accents.

I'm pretty sure that they don't like certain accents which are routinely encountered at the local convenience store.

 

[Jdvn1]

I'm pretty sure that they don't like certain accents which are routinely encountered at the local convenience store.

Hah! Point, Relique.

 

[Relique du Madde]

I find myself wondering, what would be better, creating a totally new world for a near futuristic setting or just placing it on an alternate earth.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I find myself wondering, what would be better, creating a totally new world for a near futuristic setting or just placing it on an alternate earth.

Use Caprica.

There is probably no clear answer, though I suspect one of the appeals of a near-future setting on (alternate) Earth is that you have a solid background that people can relate to and constrast the changes better. But then, maybe what we know about Earth stands in the way. For example, maybe your story would benefit from another habitable planet in the same solar system. A specific twist? Maybe you want to change too much on alternate Earth? The more you want to play with Earth myths, rumors and conspiracy theories, the better it is to use (alternate) Earth.