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Luso’s Silk Thread - Yürükler, TAC Rare | ||
Tags: Arabic (classical) | Sanskrit | Arabic | Total Annihilation Challenge (TAC) | Italian | German | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6053 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes  Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 145 of 162 11 November 2014 at 4:00pm | IP Logged | ||
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There's something I've been wanting to write for some time now, and it concerns the Arabic language. I'm under the impression that it will be useful to some people wondering whether to go for a more exotic language or not.
I've decided to call it: Reasons for learning Arabic - a personal journey Growing up in my country, one learned English and French. A true linguist would also go for German. Learning something else meant that you were placed in a remote overseas outpost (like Macau), that your family had other roots, or that you were a professor in an University. Period. After a couple of futile attempts (pre-internet and pre-language-school-explosion), I began learning Arabic in 2008. Why Arabic? Because I wanted a non-Indo-European language (more on this below) and because Arabs (and/or Moors, if you want) are culturally and geographically closer to us than, say, Chinese or Japanese. When you come to think of it, they were here for a few centuries (they still are not that far away) and our language is full of words borrowed from them. And I also wanted a language culturally and demographically relevant. Why not an Indo-European language? Whether we like it or not, we are shaped by our language, and I wanted to look at the world from a different perspective. As Indo-Europeans, we share a lot of similarities we don't even think about. Like prefixes: "moral", "ammoral", "immoral"; "himsa" (violence) and ahimsa (non-violence); "glaublich" and "unglaublich", etc.. And it's the same thing with verbs, mutatis mutandis. Arabic is a Semitic language, like Hebrew, Aramaic, or Syriac. It is the language of a people, and also happens to be the vehicle for a major religion, which is Islam. I don't want to dwell too much on this point, but most Muslims are not Arabs, nor do they speak Arabic. Conversely, many Arabs are not Muslims (some are Christians, for instance). I'm sure this is redundant information to a lot of people in the forum, but I had to make it clear. In 2006-7, I took a course in History, Culture and Civilisation of India. The professor was also a specialist in Oriental (Christian) Churches, and once he told us that in Syriac liturgy, when you address immortality, you always get something like "the-one-who-does-not-die". That's because this Semitic language (similar to the Aramaic that Jesus Christ spoke) does not resort to prefixes. As the New Testament was written in Greek, i.e., an Indo-European language, "Western" Christians don't have this problem. So, I thought (and this is the crux of the question): so, these guys don't use prefixes, they don't have ponctuation, they only have a few verb tenses (later I discovered it was three)... how did they manage to create one of the most vibrant civilisations the world has ever seen in a very short period of time? Well, I'm sure a lot doesn't have to do with grammar. For instance, they borrowed the concept of zero from the Indians, the use of paper from the Chinese, Aristotelic philosophy from the Greeks, and so on. And maybe you don't need a lot of grammar to create algebra, or to take medicine to unparalelled heights. But still, they had a large body of literature and, more than that, poetry. So, I learned about other grammatical solutions, like the use of the dual number, specific particles (for coordination or asking questions), words that express certainty or doubt, verbs that mean an action (when isolated) or the beginning of another (when used as auxiliary), and a lot on the use of context. All in all, it's an experience I would recommend. If not with Arabic, go for Mandarin, Swahili or Vietnamese. Apart from the language, there's always the exposure to people and culture (especially food). I have the feeling this wouldn't be complete without a reference to diglossia. I know a lot of people want to proselytize this or that method, this or that dialect. I have started with MSA, and I'm happy with it. I've been able to talk to Arabs from various countries and dialectal origins. Of course, this was achieved more because of their niceness and tolerance, than because of my skills. But still, I don't regret having had this broader approach from the beginning. If someone feels more comfortable beginning with, say, Egyptian, go for it. Regardless of what you do, just don't tell everyone afterwards that it's "better", or that you mastered the language in "X" months. So, that's it. I hope this was useful to someone. Regardless of that, one thing I want to ask is that, if you don't agree, feel free to say, but please don't bring the usual controversies in here. I tried not to be confrontational and, after all, this is just a learning log, reflecting my personal experience. 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6053 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 146 of 162 22 November 2014 at 4:13pm | IP Logged | ||
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German
In the past few weeks, I've frequented Goethe-Institut's library. I've been reading about the origin and development of languages. Surprisingly (or not) I've managed to read entire chapters without resorting to dictionaries. This (along with a few chats with former teachers) has managed to keep the language alive in my mind. Italian Still going strong. I've been attending the classes for level C.2.2. I've managed to finish my reading assignment, even though the presentation will only take place in the beginning of next year. I'm a bit lazy keeping up with reading from other sources, though. Arabic I've just watched Né quelque part. It's a film that takes place, for the most part, in Algeria. It's spoken in French but part of the dialogue is in Darija. I've managed to understand large chunks of it. Sanskrit Going strong. I've started to use The Bhagavad-Gita as it is as a means to broaden my vocabulary. This well-known version of the sacred text has the original Sanskrit, a transliteration, a glossary, a translation and a commentary to every shloka. And I also like the plot. ;) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6053 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 147 of 162 16 December 2014 at 5:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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γνῶθι σεαυτόν. Know thyself. Conhece-te a ti mesmo.
Wise words, which I think apply here, as I start to write my year-end summary. It's not very nice to fall short of one's objectives, but it's worse to deny it. So, I'll try to be honest to myself. German At the beginning of the year, I set a half-hearted goal for myself. I thought I could revamp my German. My TAC team didn't get far. Neither did my efforts. I read a bit and talked a bit, but if I had to take a C1 exam tomorrow, I'd fail it. Lesson learned. Italian A success story. As I prepare to finish the formal part of my studies, I must say that progress was made. There are things I still need to secure - not annihilate - in my head, but the overall balance is very positive. Arabic This is, and will continue to be for a while still, the big achievement of the language learning side of my life. I must try to bring it to the level it deserves. It hasn't happened this year, though. Sanskrit When I embarked in this new adventure, I knew it was going to be hard. Now I know why. After a year of learning, I'm happy with my progress. It could have been a bit better, but I'm learning a language most people don't dare to try. This is no walk in the park. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6053 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 148 of 162 30 December 2014 at 10:53pm | IP Logged | ||
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OBJECTIVES FOR 2015
Italian I'm currently preparing myself for the last month of classes of this language. This will include presenting a book in front of the class and taking a written test at the end. My book is Tabucchi's Notturno Indiano. After that, it will just be my participation in the Super Challenge. Arabic As soon as my Italian studies stop, I'll be getting my Arabic back in track. I have good materials and a firm resolution to make it so. Sanskrit The discovery of a difficult language is one of the small pleasures of life. There's a special feeling when one manages to persevere and triumph against such a challenge. I believe Sanskrit will be one of these instances. In the mean time, the small discoveries concerning Vedic quotations and Yoga terminology make it worthwhile. Turkic languages This year, I'll be dabbling in Turkish. For now, I'm just browsing through a grammar. When you have a few languages under your belt, this is the kind of approach that helps to size up your task. In my case, at least. HTLAL activities I'll participate in TAC via Team Rare (again), which I'll also be leading (again, again). I'm also joining the Turkic adventure proposed by Chung. I like the fact that it doesn't take place under the TAC umbrella. I'm still tweeting my Super Challenge films and books. I'm using it more as a way to keep track of my Italian and French maintenance. As such, I'll not participate in the discussion anymore. If emk decides to ressuscitate (pun intended) his intention of creating a Dead Languages Challenge, I'll certainly ponder joining in. Neugierigkeit über alles. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Chung Diglot Senior Member Joined 7148 days ago 4228 posts - 8259 votes 20 sounds Speaks: English*, French Studies: Polish, Slovak, Uzbek, Turkish, Korean, Finnish | Message 149 of 162 31 December 2014 at 12:01am | IP Logged | ||
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Aramıza hoşgeldin, Luso Bey!
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6053 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 150 of 162 31 December 2014 at 1:31am | IP Logged | ||
Teşekkür ederim, Chung Bey (this is all you'll get from me at this point, I'm afraid). You may have noticed that I still haven't made up my mind about the other Turkic language I'll be dabbling in. My decision will probably be a mix of resources and exotism, since the "serious" part will have been covered by Turkish. In the mean time, my knowledge of these languages (and peoples) has improved considerably. I'm a longtime fan of the Silk Road and the Great Game, and that makes this challenge all more interesting. Teşekkür ederim indeed. And I still haven't decided to eliminate Uyghur (although it's not on your list). Blame it on Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road. Or maybe on that beautiful script... 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Luso Hexaglot Senior Member Portugal Joined 6053 days ago 819 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, French, EnglishC2, GermanB1, Italian, Spanish Studies: Sanskrit, Arabic (classical) | Message 151 of 162 09 January 2015 at 11:54am | IP Logged | ||
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Short update:
Immersion language: Italian This year, I'll try to focus on one language at a time. For the past fortnight, it has been Italian. I've been able to keep up a frequency of two to three hours a day (mostly audiobooks, but also small bits of grammar). Slow language: Sanskrit Just my weekly classes, for the moment. It's not a lot, but I'm a beginner anyway. Learning consonants' sandhi at the moment. Waiting language: Arabic There's no pressing matter (classes, exams) concerning Arabic; therefore, it waits its turn. Turkic Challenge Currently browsing through Lewis' Turkish Grammar. I'd rather begin with a structured approach than to use the usual "My name is..., what's yours?" routine. Super Challenge Adding classics' audiobook hours to Italian. That's funny, suddenly the deadline seems close. Edited by Luso on 09 January 2015 at 12:39pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Chung Diglot Senior Member Joined 7148 days ago 4228 posts - 8259 votes 20 sounds Speaks: English*, French Studies: Polish, Slovak, Uzbek, Turkish, Korean, Finnish | Message 152 of 162 09 January 2015 at 9:47pm | IP Logged | ||
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How do you find Lewis' book? I've never read it, but do have an older edition of it on my shelf just in case I can't figure something out with my more contemporary resources.
1 person has voted this message useful |
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