Thank you qwertyup23. I think that most new users overlook this option, perhaps due to lack of attention, or maybe because they think that the quality of the conversations will be better in the "North" (aka General board). But the fact is that many of the best posters here are active in their respective local boards too, and many interesting topics have already been translated, too. So yes, starting your Bitcointalk journey from the local boards is some of the best advice you could've given.
A good idea. I have also tried this and it was quite helpful by going through my local board threads to understand basic information about the forum and also realized that the forum isn't as hectic as thought when you first visit it and see the not so fancy interface. I also tried to reach out to few senior members of the local board to help guide me on the basics and integral aspect of the forum like the posts and activities count and the merit system.