What is a foreign language?

A foreign language is basically the same kind of language as the one which we speak.  The only difference is that we do not understand any of the words that we hear.  A true foreign language differs from a language that we simply do not speak in one very elementary way.

A completely foreign language turns into one which we do not understand sufficiently well if we hear a few words in the flow of sound which we understand. 

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color
25 words of 123
doctor
29 words of 123
house
53 words of 123
I
57 words of 123
later
61 words of 123
meat
66 words of 123
night
72 words of 123
straight
92 words of 123
there
99 words of 123
to
102 words of 123
to the right
104 words of 123
together
105 words of 123
vegetables
111 words of 123
a lot
много
after
после
airplane
самолет
and
и
animal
животное
back
назад
bad
плохо
bag
сумка
bed
кровать
before
раньше
big
большой
blanket
одеяло
boat
лодка
boiled
вареный
bread
хлеб
breakfast
завтрак
bus
автобус
car
автомобиль
chicken
курица
child
ребенок
closed
закрыто
clothing
одежда
coffee
кофе
cold
холодный
color
цвет
dangerous
опасно
day
день
do
делать
doctor
доктор
documents
документы
down
вниз
drink
пить
drive
ехать
eat
кушать
egg
яйцо
far
далеко
fire
огонь
fish
рыба
forward
вперед
fried
жареный
friend
друг
from
из
fruit
фрукты
give
давать
go
идти
good
хорошо
goodbye
до свидания
hello
привет
help
помогать
here
здесь
hot
горячий
hour
час
house
дом
how
как
how much
сколько
hurry
торопиться
I
я
inside
внутри
it
это
know
знать
later
позже
less
меньше
little
мало
look for
искать
man
мужчина
meat
мясо
medicine
лекарство
milk
молоко
money
деньги
more
больше
my
мой
night
ночь
no
нет
now
сейчас
one
один
outside
снаружи
pain
боль
pasta
макароны
phone
телефон
please
пожалуйста
potato
картофель
quickly
быстро
relax
отдохнуть
rice
рис
room
комната
salad
салат
shoes
обувь
shop
магазин
slowly
медленно
sorry
извините
soup
суп
straight
прямо
street
улица
sweet
сладкий
take
брать
talk
говорить
tea
чай
thank you
спасибо
there
там
ticket
билет
time
время
to
на
to the left
налево
to the right
направо
together
вместе
toilet
туалет
train
поезд
two
два
understand
понимать
up
вверх
vegetables
овощи
wait
ждать
wake
разбудить
want
хотеть
water
вода
when
когда
where
где
who
кто
woman
женщина
write
писать
yes
да
you
ты
your
твой

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When we listen to people who are speaking in a foreign language, it seems that the conversation is an uninterrupted flow of incomprehensible sounds.  It is an insurmountable river of funny noises, and you cannot see its beginning or its end.

We understand those words and can understand the topic – food, travel, sports, shopping, prices, the weather, etc.  That is all, however.  We cannot move beyond the overall topic that is being discussed.  Don’t fear, though – if you understand the general topic of discussion, then that means that you can identify the language that is being spoken – Spanish, French, Italian, etc.  This means that this is not a completely foreign language to you.  You simply do not understand it sufficiently well.

The next thing is this:  A language will turn from an incomprehensible into an understandable one only when you not only recognise the words that are spoken, but also understand the point to what is being said.

Sadly, some people who want to communicate in a foreign language in a comprehensible way must first learn to do so in their own language.  You have to remember a few things here.  If people talk to one another they only use words which the others will understand, and they use those words so that everyone understands the point to what is being said.