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Team Lobo TAC 2014

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Crush
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 Message 257 of 319
10 April 2014 at 9:34pm | IP Logged 
mrwarper wrote:
Warp3 wrote:
[...] I'm running out of Spanish goals
already for TAC 2014[...]

Would you let me suggest "improve production speed"? That would pretty much cascade redefining other goals as necessary by itself... };D
Along those lines, FSI or Platiquemos would be an excellent "time-filler". You certainly won't be running out of Spanish goals then ;)
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dbag
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 Message 258 of 319
10 April 2014 at 10:06pm | IP Logged 
Yep, I think "complete a level of FSI" or something would make a great challenge. Unless your very advanced already, your practically guaranteed to see visible improvement.
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Warp3
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 Message 259 of 319
11 April 2014 at 12:59pm | IP Logged 
After the previous discussions about Platiquemos in this thread, I have acquired it
as well (and already had FSI Basic). As a short term target, though, (i.e. something
to do immediately after finishing Pimsleur IV which will happen later this morning),
I may just redirect my focus on finding some native Spanish media that catches my
interest for a while to ensure I meet my "find a hook" goal. As I've noted previously,
I honestly don't think I'd still be studying Korean at 4.5 years in, if I didn't have so
many media sources to which I'm thoroughly addicted now. If I can ensure that
happens with Spanish, that should greatly reduce the odds of me dropping it again
this time around (then the rest becomes more a matter of improving my ability to
understand the items that I'm going to listen to or watch regardless).

Also, I do still have the goal of going through Assimil (which is 109 lessons by itself
x 2 passes), but I almost wonder if it is one of the reasons I've dropped Spanish the
last couple times (or perhaps it's more the way I've been using Assimil rather than
the course itself), since I was working through Assimil both times when I lost
interest and stopped studying Spanish. In fact, it's tempting to actually replace
that goal with FSI Basic or Platiquemos instead (especially since Assimil is
continental Spanish unlike my other materials which have been focused more
toward Latin American / Mexican Spanish which is more useful in the US).

Regardless, I still have enough goals to last me a decent amount of time (so I don't
have to choose something right this second), it's just when I look at Spanish and
see how many fewer goals I have left than I do for Korean (to the point where if I
attack those goals consistently I can be finished with Spanish's goal list, except for
weekly/monthly goals of course, long before the year is up), I wonder if I need to
shift some things around a bit. That imbalance isn't due to lack of working on
Korean, either. I intentionally weighted it that way, so I didn't over-exert myself in
Spanish and burn out early in the year. Plus my Korean is farther along than my
Spanish, so it can take a bit more load.

Edited by Warp3 on 11 April 2014 at 1:02pm

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mrwarper
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 Message 260 of 319
11 April 2014 at 1:53pm | IP Logged 
Warp3 wrote:
[...] Latin American / Mexican Spanish which is more useful in the US).

How do you think little differences in vocabulary affect 'usefulness'? Maybe Portuguese or French are different, but I don't think people crossing the pond either way have to work a lot on their native Spanish or English before they can function normally on the other side.
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Crush
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 Message 261 of 319
11 April 2014 at 3:27pm | IP Logged 
I agree, there's very little difference between the two, at least not that's going to make communication difficult. You'll probably find just as many if not more differences (especially when you start to get colloquial) within the different countries of Latin America. But FSI/Platiquemos is a good choice regardless, as would be Assimil if only as a supplement to get you used to some Spanish accents from Spain. I generally use Assimil as a passive course anyway, especially as the active wave starts to get really annoying when the lessons get much longer and more complex. That 5-15 extra minutes quickly turns into nearly an hour, so i just drop it and finish up the passive wave. I really like the passive wave of Assimil, so that i'm fine with that :)
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Warp3
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 Message 262 of 319
12 April 2014 at 3:14am | IP Logged 
Well one example that immediately springs to mind is that Assimil heavily uses
coger for situations where you would tend to use "safer" words like tomar in
Mexican and Latin American Spanish due to the other more risqué meanings that
coger has in certain dialects. However Assimil never seems to actually mention that
caveat (at least not that I've seen yet) when using that word. For example, the only
note they have about "coge" in lesson 4 (the first time coger is used) is regarding
how to pronounce it. If they seem to give no thought to a difference like that
(which I already know fortunately), then what about the differences I don't know
about in advance and would just blindly learn then possibly have to unlearn later
(for active, not passive use)?

Then again, maybe that's really more of a reason to drop the SRS portion of my
Assimil study method (which I was already pondering anyway, due to the fact that it
is such a big time sink). That way I at least I'm less likely to get those phrases drilled
into my head that aren't considered "normal phrasings" in the Spanish dialects I'm
more likely to actually use in person.
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mrwarper
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 Message 263 of 319
12 April 2014 at 5:38pm | IP Logged 
Warp3 wrote:
[...]one example that immediately springs to mind is that Assimil heavily uses coger for situations [...] other more risqué meanings that coger has [...] never seems to actually mention that caveat [...] then what about the differences I don't know about in advance [...]

Right, but although that concern is valid in principle, I wonder how severe the problem actually is (besides not really affecting usefulness as I understand it). I mean,

1) that's by far the worst, most cause-for-concern caveat I could mention off the top my head, as a somewhat knowledgeable native.
2) coger is used as a vulgarism meaning 'to have sex' in Mexico often enough that I know it, but how often really (I don't live there, I just listen to/watch *stuff I like*: a strong filter for starters)?

RAE has it as definition #~25 in their dictionary, and it is specifically listed as an American vulgarism, after 20+ other more innocuous, general meanings. Maybe the RAE did a botch job, but if I trusted them for a second I'd conclude you're pretty safe using "coger" in Mexico meaning "tomar" (which, BTW, when used alone there can also mean to drink alcohol, just like "beber" does in Spain) unless you get into specific situations.

Not saying you can't get into 'hot water', only that it seems less likely to me than it apparently seems to you :)

Edited by mrwarper on 12 April 2014 at 5:40pm

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James29
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 Message 264 of 319
12 April 2014 at 5:47pm | IP Logged 
Anyone who is at a level where they are using Assimil is going to have much more serious communication problems than the "coger" issue.

I do think it is somewhat important to be moderately familiar with the general differences in Spanish so when you hear/see them you are not confused or surprised.


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