Never had classes but have reached a wall (Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies) Language Learning Forum

Never had classes but have reached a wall
Tags: Silent period \| Burn-out \| Intermediate \| Dutch \| Grammar
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Language Learning Forum : Learning Techniques, Methods & Strategies

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Jeffers
Senior Member
United Kingdom
Joined 4909 days ago
2151 posts - 3960 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German

Message 73 of 77

18 December 2013 at 7:27pm | IP Logged

patrickwilken wrote:

emk wrote:

By the time you reached 10 years old, you read between 8,000 and 1,000,000 words per year, and continued to do so throughout your school years.

At least for reading that seems actually pretty easy to achieve if you have a daily reading habit:

1/2 SuperChallenge per year = 5000 pages = 250 words per page x 5000 = 1.25 million words

which is 100 pages per week for a year (including a 2 week holiday). or about 14 pages of a novel per day.

Sure it's doable. Now do it in one language for the next 10 years.
3 persons have voted this message useful

rolf
Senior Member
United Kingdom
improvingmydutch.blo
Joined 6007 days ago
107 posts - 134 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Dutch

Message 74 of 77

18 December 2013 at 9:54pm | IP Logged

Jeffers wrote:

EDIT: as a further idea to get you reading, have you tried comics/BDs? The language
can be very colloquial, but obviously the pictures help a lot.

That's a good idea, thanks. I do have some comics that I acquired a few years back but
found too tough going. They will be ideal now.
1 person has voted this message useful

pesahson
Diglot
Senior Member
Poland
Joined 5728 days ago
448 posts - 840 votes

Speaks: Polish*, English
Studies: French, Portuguese, Norwegian

Message 75 of 77

05 January 2014 at 10:36am | IP Logged

Any news, Rolf? Let us know what you have decided and whether you found classes or tutoring useful. :)
2 persons have voted this message useful

rolf
Senior Member
United Kingdom
improvingmydutch.blo
Joined 6007 days ago
107 posts - 134 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Dutch

Message 76 of 77

06 January 2015 at 7:58pm | IP Logged

pesahson wrote:

Any news, Rolf? Let us know what you have decided and whether you
found classes or tutoring useful. :)

Hi!

I've been lurking a lot recently but forgot about this thread!

Well I did end up doing lessons. I was clearly the best in the class but I did learn
some things (grammar) and was forced to speak. Although of limited benefit, it was
certainly of some benefit.

Then early last year I suddenly got a new job over here in Amsterdam. Have been here
since then.

Slowly but surely, my Dutch has improved organically. My listening is very good now, I
can understand almost all every day conversation so long as it's not heavily accented.

My speaking has also improved incrementally, albeit a little at a time.

I have a few plans now:

- force myself to do the whole of Colloquial Dutch. To get that grammar dose I need
badly.

- complete Assimil Dutch. Sadly not as high a level as I would have liked but still
worth doing.

- create my own Glossika style recordings/drills.

- read but with assistance of self-created aligned texts. Going back and forth between
separate books I find a big hindrance as one has to find their place each time.

- I am considering italki.
2 persons have voted this message useful

Speakeasy
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 4052 days ago
507 posts - 1098 votes

Studies: German

Message 77 of 77

07 January 2015 at 12:35am | IP Logged

Hi Rolf!

As you mentioned ASSIMIL DUTCH, you might wish to consider their follow-up advanced course "ASSIMIL PRATIQUE DU NÉERLANDAIS" that, sadly, is no longer published. Like most of the advanced Assimil courses, the language of instruction is French. Here are the links to offers for used copies:
2iememain

Amazon.FR

Also, if you French is up to the challenge, you might consider the series by de boeck

Finally, although the material might seem a little dated at times, the DLI Dutch Refresher Course on the JLU.BTRAIN website is worth the detour.

3 persons have voted this message useful

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