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PMs TAC 2015 crazy? French course mission | ||
Tags: TellMeMore | Fluenz | Linguaphone | Flash cards | Michel Thomas | Self-Study | Spaced Repetition (SRS) | Diploma/Certificate | Study Plan | Fluency | Dutch | Pimsleur | FSI | Total Annihilation Challenge (TAC) | Assimil | French | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5468 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 337 of 451 07 April 2015 at 11:35am | IP Logged | ||
Merci monsieur le président :) Toi aussi ! Tu continues à faire beaucoup d'études... alors... bonne continuation ! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5468 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 338 of 451 13 April 2015 at 12:30am | IP Logged | ||
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Just a warning first before I post this message- it's yet another declared change to my study plan.
This one is almost unexpected but its been building for some time, and if I'm honest with myself it needs to be adressed. I realised that my dream of owning French property is simply not going to happen without some consistent daily effort. Thus I concluded I must sacrifice something to create the potential to realise this dream sooner rather than later. I also despise the rat race and feel that the majority of the human population (myself included) are not educated but indoctrinated (or 'trained') into a life of consumerism in which we are chasing their tails in a seemingly endless cycle of debt... all the while the cost of living teases with heading for the clouds and almost at every moment someone is trying to sell us something. So i'm best to act sooner rather than later in an attempt to break free and in the process realise my dreams. so I'm going to cut my French study roughly in half. And rather than adding another language I'll be adding time to research and apply changes to improve my finances. Learning languages on my own has taught me than you can learn a lot of things independently. I see both French language and financial 'studies' as essentially both working towards the same goal. The sooner I realise this goal the sooner I will be able to use the French I am learning and if this plan goes really well I'll be creating more time to learn more languages in the future. PM 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4901 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 339 of 451 13 April 2015 at 4:05pm | IP Logged | ||
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As always, it seems you have a sound plan, even if it's quite a revision of what you've been doing. Have you thought of anything to combine these two things, e.g. books on finance in French? I know you don't need another course, but have you seen this book: Buying a Home in France Book/CD Pack (Teach Yourself)? I had a flick through a copy in a used book shop and it looks pretty good. It's about 60% buying guide, 40% language guide from what I remember, but it obviously covers vocabulary & conversation rather than grammar. I know I'm a b**** for introducing you to another book, but it seems appropriate!
Anyway, when you do finally move to France, make sure you buy a house with a visitor's flat or at least a guest room so I can come and visit! 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| eyðimörk Triglot Senior Member France goo.gl/aT4FY7 Joined 4091 days ago 490 posts - 1158 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English, French Studies: Breton, Italian | Message 340 of 451 13 April 2015 at 5:01pm | IP Logged | ||
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Personally, I wouldn't recommend a "buying a home in France" book unless you're looking to buy today. There are new editions every year, because of changes in laws. Also, it's all available for free online in the language of your choice, including specific glossary lists. As someone who has passed a B1 test, you're linguistically qualified to become a French citizen so you don't need the language training, just the glossary.
But that might just be me. I'm a cheapskate, both with my money and my time. 2 persons have 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 341 of 451 13 April 2015 at 6:04pm | IP Logged | ||
I agree with Jeffers, in that you could combine your French-language study with books, podcasts and videos about personal finance en français. Now is a perfect opportunity to pare down your courses, learn about how you can better organize your financial affairs and use French to do it. There are a ton of self-help books and videos in English (mostly American) on the subject and I'm sure all the popular ones have been translated into French. I'm certain there is also native literature on the subject. Your knowledge of French is more than adequate to read such books in French at your level. These type of non-fiction books are much easier to read than novels. As a bonus you will learn a lot about French while at the same time you learn how to better organize your finances. Since you have announced that you'll cut your formal study time in half, it's probably the only way to move you to add more native-literature, listening and extensive reading into your studies and ease you out of your "crazy" language course focus. :) I believe you will learn more French this way, help your financial IQ and feel less guilty all at the same time. This is an opportunity, seize it! You may have to change the name of your log to PM's sane French mission, though ;) I would think seriously about an ocw university type course in personal finance in French or, have a look at the video series ecole des finances personnelles. Good luck, monsieur le PM. Edited by iguanamon on 13 April 2015 at 6:06pm 4 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7197 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 342 of 451 13 April 2015 at 6:28pm | IP Logged | ||
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My two cents...
If you are going to continue studying French AND use a course, I'd drop them all but Fluenz, which it sounds like you have gotten a lot out of. If Fluenz has lost its luster AND you already have Assimil Business French, that's a good choice for a single course. If you are going the native materials route, others and your heart have better suggestions than I can offer. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5468 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 343 of 451 14 April 2015 at 5:20am | IP Logged | ||
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Hi guys,
There are some really considerate replies here. Thanks everyone for your input. I think I need to clarify things a little... * I want to buy a property in France that my family and i can spend a considerable amount of time in. * My current financial situation does not allow for this to occur. * I am very typical when it comes to finances to the average Joe- I pay them little attention. * I have some experience in share trading as I attempted to make a living from it a while back and concluded after a bit over a year that without super substantial capital to deal with its incredibly difficult to rely on share trading as a primary source of income- and day trading is not for the faint hearted. * My father has built houses, painted, can do plumbing is great with electrical work, can plaster, has done house extensions, built his own in-ground pool. * The Australian property market has grown in value more than any other country except Norway- some suggest it's seriously over-valued (bubble anybody?) * One of my first ideas was to read the information in French. However French language information on finances will not apply to Australian real estate- or at least very little of it will (assumption) * I already own many books of whih I've read not even one in full (and I intend to buy more at some point- provided they are relevant) Conclusions: I'm not going to get rich easily trying to dive into the French property market any time soon. I believe there could be ways to make money out of it but that's making an already large undertaking a little stupid in my opinion, given everything I need is in my own backyard. Thus although i'm open to any French property or French language information on 'finances' (now clarified to be mainly real estate in Australia- and possibly some share trading again). I will remain open to reading French material as it is certainly beneficial from a language perspective I agree. So my father is looking more and more likely to be selling his one investment property in a year maybe two. I hope it's sooner. We (my wife and i) are working slowly through (stupid) accumulated high interest credit card debt- the going is slow but steady. We need to rid ourselves completely of that and avoid the trap in future, build some equity/capital and find a property for renovation in Melbourne. My father can (and is definitely open to this) teach me the tricks of the trade while we work together to 'flip' a house, and if all goes well another house and another.. Sounds like fanciful stuff really and only really action will get this happening. The initial stages will involve clearing debt, building capital, reading/learning/researching as well as getting everyday finances in order, cutting down expenses and so on. If I don't do all this now it's only going to get harder with financial pressure building from all directions (we want more children, cost of living here is going up and up and up, real estate could be peaking?- careful research required). So perhaps this paints a clearer... or more rediculous picture? I really do want to study more French but I must realise the end goal here, if i study 90min a day i'm still well ahead of many in how much time they can allow for language study. Perhaps i'm going down the snail path with a course heavy schedule but so be it I think- i'm keen on working my way through these courses. PM 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4901 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 344 of 451 14 April 2015 at 10:31am | IP Logged | ||
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That does make it a lot clearer. I have also been in difficulties with a lot of credit card debt so I can feel your pain. The company has no interest in you getting out of debt because you have become a nice steady source of income, so it's up to you to do it. Well done taking the first step.
I do see one language related positive to your plan to work on and flip houses. When you are doing mindless maintenance/improvement tasks (e.g. painting) you could listen to stuff in French. You might need to avoid that when doing something noisy or more dangerous like electrical work! Good luck with your research and your plans. Edited by Jeffers on 14 April 2015 at 10:31am 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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