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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
 emk Diglot Moderator United States Joined 5524 days ago 2615 posts - 8806 votes  Speaks: English*, FrenchB2 Studies: Spanish, Ancient Egyptian Personal Language Map | Message 433 of 1317 24 January 2013 at 11:38pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Thanks fezmod!
I woke up before the kids and had a slow day at work. So I was able to spend some time reading L'Étrange vie de Nobody Owens, which is a fine translation of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, which I read in English a couple of years ago. As I mentioned earlier, there's a fair bit of tricky vocabulary in this book, but once I hit full speed, I stopped noticing it. Anyway, for the first time ever, I made it through a real French book in day. Well, almost. I was on page 20-something when I went to bed last night, and I finished page 251 a few minutes ago. This really brings back memories of childhood, when I would check 5 "Hardy Boys" books out of the library every week, because that was the limit. One week, they waived the limit and let me check out 10, which I think I actually finished. Oh, how fun it would be to have the freedom of childhood again (or even a long college break). I could finish the Super Challenge in 2 months, and it would be glorious. For those of you like slightly somber fairy tales, I recommend L'Étrange vie de Nobody Owens heartily. For a book about a boy raised by ghosts, it's surprisingly sweet and lyrical. (And much to the annoyance of several reviewers on Amazon.fr, it's some of Gaiman's tightest writing, luxuriating in the essential details but ruthlessly omitting anything that isn't necessary.) But then again, if this book was meant for you, you probably already know who Neil Gaiman is. And if this is the case, well, all I can say is that the translator did a good job with this book. On an unrelated note, I feel like I've mostly said what I had to say on HTLAL. I'll still be around, and I'll still post reviews, and I'll still comment now and then on logs. But I've noticed lately that I'm mostly rewriting posts that I've already written better, and I have a whole stack of French books and DVDs to I want to look through. So I want to thank everybody who's followed my along my journey and given me good advice and words of encouragement. You're a great bunch of folks, and I'm proud to know you. It's been really amazing to claw my way up from semi-conversational to reading a book in a day. And for those of you who are doing this for the first time, I just want to say that if you keep working it, there will be ups and downs, but it will keep getting easier and easier. And having a second language—even an imperfect and awkward one—is one of life's marvels. I'll see you all around! Edited by emk on 24 January 2013 at 11:41pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| aloysius Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6232 days ago 226 posts - 291 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English, German Studies: French, Greek, Italian, Russian | Message 434 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 12:55am | IP Logged | ||||||||
Well, actually Objectif Lune (that's the spelling of my wall poster) and L'Île Noire were my first BD:s (in Swedish of course) at the age of 6 or 7 and while I had to postpone reading the former, because it's certainly not one of the easiest Tinin's to read, I agree that it's one of the best and I soon intend to set my teeth into the Russian edition, which I bought in Brussels last year (but I've always kept The Black Island close at heart because it was my first love). And I must certainly read Persepolis in French. I've seen the movie and I really, really love it! Thank you emk for all your recommendations and a truly inspiring log. See you around! //aloysius Edited by aloysius on 25 January 2013 at 12:56am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Expugnator Hexaglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5158 days ago 3335 posts - 4349 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, Norwegian, French, English, Italian, Papiamento Studies: Mandarin, Georgian, Russian | Message 435 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 1:48am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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emk, I really hope you won't abandon us, hope you'll still watch the topic for giving us
some advice =D Thanks a lot. Btw guys, feel free to visit my log, I'm getting close to the stage emk was when he started this one and maybe we can help each other: French: Business, but not only 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5254 days ago 2241 posts - 6731 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 436 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 4:23am | IP Logged | ||||||||
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Emk, I totally understand the need to take a break. I hope, one day, after you reach your new goal to take your French even farther, that you'll look back over the 55 pages you've written here. I hope you'll use this log (with the trials and tribulations, the techniques and the materials that worked for you) as a basis to write the French version of Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish. It would be well received.
It's all here, you've just got to put it together. Just like Joseph J. Keenan, the non-native Spanish-speaking author of Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish, who better to show a learner of French how to go beyond that first course than someone who was once where they are now! You have inspired so many of us with your Buffy the Vampire Slayer, BD's, and Subs2srs, myself included. We were all rooting for you to pass your B-2 exam, though, really, we all knew you'd pass with flying colors. You have proved that engaging with the language works. Even though I'm not learning French, reading your log makes me want to do just that. I will continue to recommend your log to anyone who asks "what do I do now that I have finished X course?". Your log shows why you should read logs even if they aren't about your TL. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Edited by iguanamon on 25 January 2013 at 4:30am 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
 songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5201 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map | Message 437 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 4:36am | IP Logged | ||||||||
EMK, I was going to post my congratulations on your millestone, echo Iguanamon's comments, and add my thanks...
Your log is/has been amazing: interesting, inspiring, and eloquent. As a forum-reader, I'm a little (selfishly) saddened by your news; but - as a librarian with her own stacks of books awaiting- I entirely understand your decision to focus more on your own reading and film-viewing. - Glad you'll still be around; I'll always look forward to your reviews and insights on language learning, whenever and on whichever thread you post them.
Yes! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| tastyonions Triglot Senior Member United States goo.gl/UIdChYRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4657 days ago 1044 posts - 1823 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: Italian | Message 438 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 1:42pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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I definitely understand the feeling of having said everything I wanted to say on a forum. Thanks for your great posts, recommendations, advice, and also for my first conversation in French ever! All the best to you. :-) Edited by tastyonions on 25 January 2013 at 1:43pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| geoffw Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4680 days ago 1134 posts - 1865 votes Speaks: English*, German, Yiddish Studies: Modern Hebrew, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian | Message 439 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 2:58pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I wasn't studying French or planning to when I first started reading this log. Perhaps I was influenced...
Really? And spoil your bravado ending? A strange man wanders into the troubled French frontier town of DELF, shoots a bunch of badguys with his Anki, and then rides off into the sunset while the mayor's beautiful daughter cries while remembering the sweetness of his subtitles? You can't come back after that! ;-) OK, back in the real world, hope to see you around still! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| mick33 Senior Member United States Joined 5916 days ago 1335 posts - 1632 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Finnish Studies: Thai, Polish, Afrikaans, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish, Swedish | Message 440 of 1317 25 January 2013 at 8:52pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
Mick Edited by mick33 on 25 January 2013 at 9:12pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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