What is a foreign language?

Don’t confuse a foreign language with one which we do not know sufficiently well.  There are times when we cannot understand someone who speaks our native language.  We know all of the words, but we still cannot understand what the person is saying.

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.

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.

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anksčiau
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antklodė
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arbata
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atgal
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atsipalaiduoti
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atsiprasau
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atsiprašau
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aukštyn
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autobusas
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automobilis
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avalynė
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ačiū
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bilietas
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blogai
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bulvė
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dabar
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daržovės
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daug
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daugiau
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didelis
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diena
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dokumentai
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drabužiai
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draugas
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du
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duona
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duoti
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eik
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gatvė
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gerai
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gerti
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greitai
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gydytojas
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gyvūnas
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ieškokite
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ir
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kada
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kaip
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kalbėti
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kambarys
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kartu
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karštas
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kas
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kava
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keptas
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kiaušinis
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kiek
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kur
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laikas
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lauke
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laukti
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lova
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lėktuvas
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lėtai
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maišas
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makaronai
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mano
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mažai
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mažiau
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moteris
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mėsa
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naktis
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namas
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ne
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nori
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pabusti
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padaryti
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pagalba
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parašyk
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parduotuvė
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pasiimti
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pavojingai
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pienas
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pinigai
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pirmyn
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po
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prašau
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pusryčiai
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ryžiai
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saldus
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salotos
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skausmas
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skubėk
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spalva
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sriuba
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suprasti
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sveiki
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tai
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taip
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tavo
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telefonas
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ten
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tiesiai
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toli
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traukinys
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tu
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tualetas
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ugnis
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uždaryta
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vaikas
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vairuoti
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vaisiai
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vaistas
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valandą
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valgyk
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valtis
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vanduo
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viduje
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vienas
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virtas
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vištiena
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vyras
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vėliau
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čia
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į
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į dešinę
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į kairę
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šaltis
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žemyn
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žinoti
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žuvis
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anksčiau
before
antklodė
blanket
arbata
tea
atgal
back
atsipalaiduoti
relax
atsiprasau
goodbye
atsiprašau
sorry
aukštyn
up
autobusas
bus
automobilis
car
avalynė
shoes
ačiū
thank you
I
bilietas
ticket
blogai
bad
bulvė
potato
dabar
now
daržovės
vegetables
daug
a lot
daugiau
more
didelis
big
diena
day
dokumentai
documents
drabužiai
clothing
draugas
friend
du
two
duona
bread
duoti
give
eik
go
gatvė
street
gerai
good
gerti
drink
greitai
quickly
gydytojas
doctor
gyvūnas
animal
ieškokite
look for
ir
and
from
kada
when
kaip
how
kalbėti
talk
kambarys
room
kartu
together
karštas
hot
kas
who
kava
coffee
keptas
fried
kiaušinis
egg
kiek
how much
kur
where
laikas
time
lauke
outside
laukti
wait
lova
bed
lėktuvas
airplane
lėtai
slowly
maišas
bag
makaronai
pasta
mano
my
mažai
little
mažiau
less
moteris
woman
mėsa
meat
naktis
night
namas
house
ne
no
nori
want
pabusti
wake
padaryti
do
pagalba
help
parašyk
write
parduotuvė
shop
pasiimti
take
pavojingai
dangerous
pienas
milk
pinigai
money
pirmyn
forward
po
after
prašau
please
pusryčiai
breakfast
ryžiai
rice
saldus
sweet
salotos
salad
skausmas
pain
skubėk
hurry
spalva
color
sriuba
soup
suprasti
understand
sveiki
hello
tai
it
taip
yes
tavo
your
telefonas
phone
ten
there
tiesiai
straight
toli
far
traukinys
train
tu
you
tualetas
toilet
ugnis
fire
uždaryta
closed
vaikas
child
vairuoti
drive
vaisiai
fruit
vaistas
medicine
valandą
hour
valgyk
eat
valtis
boat
vanduo
water
viduje
inside
vienas
one
virtas
boiled
vištiena
chicken
vyras
man
vėliau
later
čia
here
į
to
į dešinę
to the right
į kairę
to the left
šaltis
cold
žemyn
down
žinoti
know
žuvis
fish

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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. 

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.