Linguistics, do you think it works like this? Options

[Machiavelli]

Hi Folks, long time no see^^

regarding the above mentioned topic, I have a little question. I just created a surged mystical-adept-bookworm who owns the adept ability "linguistics" as well as the corresponding quality. (can come in handy if you have to translate old books with magical secrets, eh?).
Now I tried to get some new languages by consulting foreign movies, matrix-language instructors etc. but our gamemaster sees this ability more like Antonio Banderas learn norway in "The 13th Warrior". The description of the power only says that it contains advanced memorization and mimicry abilities and that you have to see/hear the language in use. For me, this doesn´t imply the need of facing the speaker face to face or in reality. Now what do you think about that?

[Skip]

Are you talking about learning the language from hearing it, or just reading it? As written I would think you'd have to at least hear it, maybe with a test to see if you got enough of it.

If you are talking about deciphering written languages, I'd say you need something else. Maybe create a new power that allows you to comprehend writen languages you don't know - subject to an Arcana test or something?

[Steampunk]

Imho, it should be enough to watch foreign trid for a while to pick up the new language. IIRC it doesn't cover written language and doesn't help you understand ancient languages you've never heard...

[Eryk the Red]

I'd require the character to be around people speaking the language for real, simply because allowing a character to use recordings basically transforms the power into "You have rating 1 in every language" (or, at least, every language you can think of and reasonably expect to find movies in). I don't know if I'm comfortable with that.

[Chrysalis]

Could someone paste the descriptions of the adept power and quality for me?

Thanks.

[Skip]

From "Street Magic" page 177:

Linguistics
Cost: .25

The Linguistics power combines enhanced memorization and mimicry to allow an adept to pick up a new language after minimal exposure - no Karma expenditure or test required. After (10 - Magic) hours of contact to the new language in use, the Adept makes an Intuition + Logic Test using a threshold as noted on the Linguistics Table (p.177). If successful, the adept develops the Language Skill at Rating 1 and no Karma cost. Increasing the skill beyond this point requires normal Karma expenditure, but the base learning time for the Adept is halved.

I would not necessarily require the exposure be with a live person, but there is no way I would allow it for written languages.

The Linguistics Table is just, common (1), uncommon (2), and rare (3).

[Edited to explain the table]

[Aaron]

From what I know of language acquisition in real life (I'm not an expert; I've only written two papers on the subject), it's possible to learn a language from recordings, especially recordings of conversations. I think films and songs in the target language would be fine.

[Machiavelli]

SR doesn´t split the language skill in "speaking" and "writing". So (as unlogical as is is) the power should also grant the ability to write in this language. For sure, the GM has the last word on this, but besides all the other powers that exist as well as super-cheap linguasofts that also grant the ability to write in this language, this shouldn´t be a problem.

[Falconer]

Slightly off topic, but the linguist quality also says treat the speakers language skills as if they were two points higher. So this pair strikes me as a big one to get for faces. Remember folks, social skills are capped by language skills, pretty much assures you a min 3 dice w/ any common language. And it's amusing to learn/advance languages 4x as fast as normal.

I agree, access to audio should be sufficient. Books no. However, that 4x learning speed kicks in again for obscure book languages. So long as you have a resource available to learn the book's language you should be able to spend a minimal 2-4 karma for 1-2 ranks in the language and have it in record time. (only thing faster would be buying a linguasoft/knowsoft... so I don't see it being all that problematic as the cyberware answer is still superior though not as cool as the adept+quality approach IMO).

[jago668]

From what I know of language acquisition in real life (I'm not an expert; I've only written two papers on the subject), it's possible to learn a language from recordings, especially recordings of conversations. I think films and songs in the target language would be fine.

An ex-gf of mind basically taught herself japanese from anime, manga, and an english to japanese dictionary. Now she practiced with a couple of exchange students after she had gotten the hang of it. However I could see an adept with the linguistics power picking up languages in the same way.

Besides, having a good many languages at 1, or if you have the matching quality, at 3 isn't going to be game breaking. Especially considering that trodes + sim module or datajack will let you have any language at 5 whenever you need it.