Sculptor7

For a long time I have avoided getting "plugged in" to music or other stuff but lately I have combined my informal learning of French with my time on the bike trainer in the basement.

Yesterday I was echoing the tapes in trying my pronunciation when my wife quietly came downstairs.
She said she thought I was talking on the phone with a girlfriend. Nice compliment I thought. The great thing is that the time goes by much faster and I can't believe I have avoided combining one activity with another.

Use headphones rather than earbuds because I can't stand the feel of those things in my ears.

zonatandem

Switch to Flemish tapes; time will really fly!

Dudelsack 

Switch to Russian tapes. You'll get a migraine and have to lie down.

Doug64

Great idea!!

David Bierbaum

You could try learning German! Try saying "Betäubungsmittelverschreibungsverordnung" three times fast! You really will need a prescription for an anesthetic after that!

cplager

C'est fantastique! Allons-y!

h2oxtc

Thank you for bringing a smile to my day. Now time to read the latest issue of Bicycling which came in the mail today. Another smile.

Coal Buster

Learning a new language after age 50 je crois il sera trèy difficile.

Rowan

Fixed for linguistic accuracy.

Sculptor7

It is with little hope of becoming proficient in French that I enter upon my study at this advanced age but rather to enjoy the journey. Much as I enjoy riding my bike.

Coal Buster

Seriously though, it might depend on whether you're a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner. I'm a visual learner and found that trying to refresh my knowledge of the french I learned in college was almost impossible using CD's in my car. I needed to read (see) the words in order to strengthen the memory.

Learning styles: https://www2.yk.psu.edu/learncenter/LearningStyle.html

JanMM

Even if you do achieve proficiency in French, you still are not allowed to claim kilometres ridden on a trainer.

berner

Well done Sculptor. I've wanted to learn a new language myself but which one? There are so many to choose from.

bing181

Je crois qu'il sera très difficile.

Mais non … if Lance can do it, anyone can.

Road Fan

Ok, considering my new job it would be good for me to try this with German. Can anybody suggest some tapes or CDs? Rosetta Stone is pretty $$.

MinnMan

Good for you.

I used to listen to music - something with a strong fast beat helps me keep the cadence up. Recently I've been watching television shows, and that's not so hot. But I think if I did something that required my concentration, like language tapes, it would slow me down - that I'd ease off the intensity pedaling when I needed to concentrate to hear or remember something. This hasn't been an issue?

Anything that keeps us working out in our basements is probably a good thing. Last winter I was outside riding, and I prefer that to indoor work even when it's Minnesota-cold, but for a few reasons I've been in the basement this winter. Hating it.

Sculptor7

Possibly I am not working as hard as when solely concentrating on my workout. However, the fact that it is easier to get on the trainer and eliminate the boredom is a good thing and makes me more consistent in using it. Working up a sweat and the good feeling afterward is satisfying. Simply listening to the tapes (having read the lessons a number of times before) allows me to concentrate on remembering the meanings and focusing on the pronunciations. In French I find it quite a workout to roll "r"s, pop out d"s and "p"s. The work of speaking French becomes a distraction to the discomfort of a road bike's seat and aerodynamic posture. Every once in a while I stand and pedal for a break.
Le bon solution pour moi!

zonatandem

English was my 5th language.
Vlaams was mijne eerst taal.
Nederlands was de tweede.
Francais etat langue troisieme.
Deutsch ist der vierde zu sprechen.

Zinger

If you guys want a challenge then take on a tonal Asian language.

Thai is a 5 tonal language with 56 vowels and consonants, none of them quite like ours. And yes, the tones matter in that language. Westerners don't have an easy time with those. And no, I'm not proficient at it.

MinnMan

Yeah, I get that - getting yourself onto the trainer and staying there is more important than whether the workout is 100% effort. I don't think this would work for me, but good for you on both counts - the exercise and what they used to call the self-betterment.

VNA

J'aurai écrit: (I would have written)

"Je crois que ce sera très difficile"

Dudelsack 

La plume de ma tante!

(OK,,which movie did that come from?)

JimF22003

It's over there:

Sur la table.

Coal Buster

Oh, dear, our postillion has been struck by lightning!

fietsbob

My long rural commute was made better with Books-on-Tape.. was playing cassettes in that era.