Loading... How do you track your progress in learning a language?

I find speaking the language with native speakers, better still in the relevant country, is the best way both to track and to learn more. However, should you not be able to do that, then whatever goal you've set yourself, practise and practise, then when it's reached, set yourself the next goal, having given yourself a treat! A good way to learn is to tape yourself and play it back, tape again with corrections or find more to say about the subject, or try to improve the accent etc. That way you can monitor yourself, track your progress and improve.

Language exams are fine (past papers just to practise) but really only useful if you need to pass an exam. If you only need the spoken word for conversation and getting about, then don't worry too much about the written side.

Like you say, movies without subtitles is a good idea, even better is the radio because you really have to listen and you'll be surprised how much better you get when your ear becomes 'attuned' to what's going on. Good luck!

When learning a foreign language, there is little to help in "judging how fluent you are". In fact, many of the tests to judge fluency use a very very loose system of judgement:

ACTFL has a system of rankings marked as "Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced", with each grouping furthered divided into "low, mid, high".

For example, your ranking might be "Intermediate mid".

http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=36

The tests are expensive, and they aren't exactly a science: "Write a letter to a friend talking about what you want to do with them when you meet them".

When I was in Japan, the government issued a standardized test which was wrought with idiocy; many people who passed the hardest test came to Japan realizing they were in over their heads.

Praxis used to test language usage, but it was found that native born speakers of a language were failing their tests, so their testing methods have been long abandoned.

The way that I judge my literacy and functionality in Japanese is to simply get into the community as much as possible and see how much I can handle. Once you get to the point where you're understanding most of what's written and spoken, and people understand what you're saying and writing, you're about where you need to be.

Remember that the goal can NEVER be fluency: no one is fluent in a language. My usage of English is fantastic, but I'm not fluent. I'm sure that you're not really fluent in your own native language -- ask a doctor to discuss step by step how to perform a major surgical operation, and you'll see how little you know; then ask that same doctor how to disassemble the engine of a John Deer tractor, and you'll see that he isn't fluent either.

I find that the learning environment is very important for learning a language. For example, if you want to learn Chinese, go to China for a year or two if money and time permit. Otherwise, spend as much time as possible in Chinatown chatting with Chinese. Pay attention to what they say in different settings.

It would seem to depend on what your goal was. If you only want to watch foreign films, then you might judge based on whether you are following the story and dialogue or not. If it's reading foreign literature, do you get what they are talking about? If you want to visit another country, can you understand AND express yourself to the people there?

Fluency is hard to define. I've lived in Ecuador and traveled around Latin America. I can speak to people and I generally understand them (if they don't speak TOO fast) and I can usually make myself understood. But I still don't get all of the jokes and wordplay. And if I am reading something written at a higher level of education, I still might need to go back and reread it in English to catch all of the nuances. Do I consider myself fluent in Spanish - yes. But I am by no means a native speaker.

Now we are learning Portuguese. I can generally converse with Portuguese speakers and understand most of what they say. But I still have problems always getting my ideas expressed. Maybe a trip to Brazil is in order to get some real practice? But I have a friend from Mozambique who I speak with several times a week. If it complicated, we drop back into English - which means HE doesn't always understand! But since he lives in an English-speaking country, his English is somewhat better than my Portuguese.

I also am able to give fairly complicated, 30 minute presentations on a variety of themes in both Spanish and Portuguese. In fact, I make my notes in English, which then forces me to speak simply and clearly using the words and phrasing I know in the foreign language. To me that is a pretty good test - are you translating words in your head, or are you able to express a concept by speaking naturally in the foreign tongue? Portuguese is still a struggle, but I think when it just feels natural and flows (mostly) - you're there.

If you are gaining confidence while learning a language, it means that you progress is in good status.