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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| dragonfly Triglot Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 6485 days ago 204 posts - 233 votes  Speaks: Russian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, Mandarin | Message 1 of 128 27 December 2008 at 3:39pm | IP Logged |
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I decided to start a log for different reasons:
1) I hope it will be a good place to practice my English, as now I don't have much opportunity for it because I spend most of my day with my child and teach only beginners; 2) I very much hope to encourage myself to devote more time to studies and become more organized; 3) I would be very greatful if I were corrected should I try writing in my target languages. What I have been doing lately is mainly listening. I'd like to squeeze more exercises into my schedule. So, Spanish: I began learning Spanish 7 or 8 years ago at the University. After graduating my friend and I continued meeting once a week to do exercises together, to retell texts and to chat in Spanish. It really worked! After we both got married this unfortunatelly ended. Since then I've been only listening to the radio and Spanishpod. I can say I can understand podcast intended for upper-intemediate and advanced learners but I can hardly speak. My goal is to continue listening, and to begin working with a good book I have (texts + exercises to them) to increase my vocab. I'd also want to begin watching movies in Spanish. German: My first encounter with German happened, I suppose 7 years ago, I attended language courses for 2 years, and it was a great failure. I was disappointed in the communicative approach and since then I've been a strong advocate of the traditional method. I began studies again several months ago, mainly listening too, to a language course on Deutsche Welle. Always listen to an episode or two before going to bed. One and the same episode for several days, then again in a month. My aim is to continue listening, do the exercises that come along with the audio files, also do the exercises from my grammar book (when at last I buy the keys - hope soon). I tried to follow FSI German, but it seems too boring to me (though very detailed, I must say). Hopefully, I'll add something else to the list. Mandarin: I took up Mandarin two months ago. I use "Начальный курс китайского языка", FSI and chinesepod. I plan to cover the textbook by the end of the year. I know that flashcards work good for me, so I began making them. I usually write characters when my son is asleep (if not working on my thesis). Now studying graphemes. I think, Mandarin will take most of my study time this year. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| dragonfly Triglot Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 6485 days ago 204 posts - 233 votes Speaks: Russian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, Mandarin | Message 2 of 128 29 December 2008 at 8:13am | IP Logged |
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Mandarin: I studied several new characters, made the listening exercises from my textbook. I like to do the same listening exercises tree or four times (but in different sittings), because I feel that everything is better remembered this way. I took the fleshcards when I walked my son, but didn't manage to glance at them, as all the time I sledged him (is it really possible to say in English?) down the hill and along the road. I'll try to sneak a minute later.
German: I listened to a new Lektion three times, and did some exercises. The lesson gave the opinions of people about the events that took place in Eastern Germany after Germany became one again. I'll try to write ny opinion in German (mistakes are unavoidable). Die Lektion erzällt über die Wende in 1990. Die Leute in DDR müssten in die neue ökonomische Situation leben. Viele Menshe waren arbeitsloss. Die Jugend möchte seine Chancen realisiren, aber für manch war ist sehr hart. Die ähnlich Situation war in unserer Staat. Meine Eltern hat auch sein Arbeit verlieren. Sie glauben dass diese Wende siene Lebens einstürzt. Abe rich glaudbe dass alle que gemacht wird für besser gemacht wird. Edited by dragonfly on 29 December 2008 at 8:46am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Seth Diglot Changed to RedKing’sDream Senior Member United States Joined 7230 days ago 240 posts - 252 votes Speaks: English*, Russian Studies: Persian | Message 3 of 128 29 December 2008 at 2:04pm | IP Logged |
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Hello, dragonfly
Your English is truly impressive. I'll point out a few things, since you said you were looking for correction in your target languages (assuming you meant English as well). There are really only some very small details. In you first post it should read "I think Mandarin will take..." That is, without the comma. Clauses that are objects of a verb usually do not include a separating comma. In the second post, as your intuitions told you, "I sledged him" is not possible. I would reword it as "I pushed him in his sled," or something along those lines. Once again, your English overall is great. Я тоже думаю, что надо по-больше писать. Может быть что-то нацарапаю на Russian thread. - Seth Edited by Seth on 29 December 2008 at 2:05pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| dragonfly Triglot Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 6485 days ago 204 posts - 233 votes Speaks: Russian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, Mandarin | Message 4 of 128 30 December 2008 at 6:43am | IP Logged |
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Thank you, Seth, for your corrections and good words. You know in Russian we separate introductory phrases and sentences by a comma (может быть is among them). And this worms into my English.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| dragonfly Triglot Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 6485 days ago 204 posts - 233 votes Speaks: Russian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, Mandarin | Message 5 of 128 31 December 2008 at 1:09am | IP Logged |
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Downloaded Anki and coming to grips with it. I typed in there only my German words and phrases as I don't know how to enter Hanzi yet.
Also did some exercises that come along with Deutsche Welle podcast. I decided to try FSI German again, and did part of Unit 3. But the quality of the audio is terrible. Mandarin: revised all the words I have covered in my textbook. They are quite a few, but for most of them only pinyin is given. Listened to FSI module on numbers, though ignored the exercises that come along. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| dragonfly Triglot Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 6485 days ago 204 posts - 233 votes Speaks: Russian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, Mandarin | Message 6 of 128 02 January 2009 at 3:18pm | IP Logged |
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Mandarin: Typed all the characters I've covered in the textbook into Anki, now I recieve great pleasure revising them three or four times a day. Listened to some old chinesepod lessons. To tell the truth, I better remember words that come in context (for example, in chinesepod dialogs), than separate words (the way it for the time being it goes in my textbook).
German: Continued studying FSI German U3. Also added some interesting phrases into Anki. Did some exercises acompanying DW lessons. Despite holidays did quite a lot. Spanish: He visto unas peliculas humoristicas de lingus.tv, nivel intermediate. Como hablan rapidamente, tengo que leer los subtitulos. Pero me gustan, rei muchisimo. Edited by dragonfly on 02 January 2009 at 3:22pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Seth Diglot Changed to RedKing’sDream Senior Member United States Joined 7230 days ago 240 posts - 252 votes Speaks: English*, Russian Studies: Persian | Message 7 of 128 02 January 2009 at 5:21pm | IP Logged |
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Thanks for the tip, dragonfly.
If my suggestions are annoying, please let me know. I'm not sure if you intended to include English in your list of target languages. "I better remember words that come in context..." is grammatical, but I would change it slightly to "I remember words better from context..." or "I'm better at remembering words from context..." etc. to make it sound more natural. By the way, What is the layout of "Начальный курс китайского языка"? Is there an audio component, dialogs, drills, etc? Thanks, - Seth 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| dragonfly Triglot Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 6485 days ago 204 posts - 233 votes Speaks: Russian*, EnglishC2, Spanish Studies: German, Italian, Mandarin | Message 8 of 128 03 January 2009 at 3:19am | IP Logged |
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Seth, you are welcome!
"Начальный курс китайского языка" includes a textbook, a copy-book, and a CD. The textbook is an example of a classical textbook written by Russian scholars. Every unit includes several components. Firstly come notes on prononciation of a group of sounds. Then there are exercises for practice (they are also on CD). Then a group of words containing those sounds is given for study (a picture and pinyin, no hanzi) - just separate words. There are some exercises with those words, but they are mainly listening ones. Later some notes on grammar are also included. Then there is a list of hanzi, beginning with the basic ones, with translation, but without transcribtion. The same hanzi are practiced in the copybook. Their origin as also explained. There are exercises, e.g. to find the studied elements in compound characters, to revise the characters from the previous units, to try to read some phrases and so on. In later units hanzi is given for the words you are supposed to have previously learnt in pinyin, so you have the whole picture. From Unit 3 there are texts and dialogs included, first just in pinyin. They are also on CD. There are no drills as in FSI. As you see it is rather detailed, though it has some drawbacks. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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