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Kerrie’s TAC ’12 Team Žá / Romantics Log | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 137 of 236 04 July 2012 at 1:13am | IP Logged |
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So, My Assimil Russian book came in the mail today. I am really excited to get started with it. I'm rather impressed with it. It has a 40 page grammar section appended and about 100 page dictionary (50 pages going each way). In addition, each lesson has a reading section and a writing section, to get you accustomed to the alphabet. I don't think I've seen that in other Assimil books with the Cyrillic alphabet, nor with the Modern Greek book that I have. My Spanish El Ruso Sin Esfuerzo doesn't have the reading or writing exercises either. On another note, I watched my first movie in Italian last night. I watched The Magdalene Sisters with Italian audio and English subs. I was really surprised how much of the Italian I could understand. I'm only through lesson 34 in Assimil, but it seems like it's getting easier every day. At first, I had a hard time with all the noun endings (vowel changes instead of adding an s). I'm not sure if it's because my Spanish and my French are both much further along now, or that I'm just getting used to the sounds, or both, but it was a pleasant surprise how much I understood watching the movie. I was also pleasantly surprised while flipping through the Perfectionnement Italien book (that arrived with my Russian book) that I had very little problem understanding the French explanations and dialogs. My French reading is far ahead of my other skills. I haven't tried talking to any native speakers yet, nor tried my hand at writing anything original, but my listening skills are atrocious. So bad that sometimes I wonder what right I have to be learning it! C'est la vie. If I end up "only" being able to read it, I will consider my studies (somewhat of) a success. Once I finish Assimil's Using French, I will start to listen to audiobooks and to read. I have a feeling the rest will come with time. :-) Another movie note: Anyone studying French, check out Le Hérisson / The Hedgehog. It was a really bizarre movie, but I really enjoyed it. (Thanks, Kanewai!) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 138 of 236 06 July 2012 at 4:04am | IP Logged |
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A few ideas for Croatian/Bosnian movies: Wikipedia List of Croatian Films Films by Country Blog Multilingual Books This is just for my reference, but if you want to check them out, let me know if you find a good one. =) 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 139 of 236 07 July 2012 at 4:52am | IP Logged |
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Well, a few movie reviews from the Super Challenge. Le Hérisson / The Hedgehog - recommended by Kanewai (and a few others, I think). From IMBD... "Paloma is a serious and highly articulate but deeply bored 11-year-old who has decided to kill herself on her 12th birthday. Fascinated by art and philosophy, she questions and documents her life and immediate circle, drawing trenchant and often hilarious observations on the world around her. But as her appointment with death approaches, Paloma finally meets some kindred spirits in her building's grumpy janitor and an enigmatic, elegant neighbor, both of whom inspire Paloma to question her rather pessimistic outlook on life." This was a really bizarre movie. I almost turned it off after about 15 minutes, but then the Japanese guy showed up. I ended up really enjoying the movie, though. I never saw the ending coming. And I would recommend it highly. The Magdalene Sisters From IMBD.. "A thoroughly mind provoking film about 3 young women whom, under tragic circumstances see themselves cast away to a Magdalene Asylum for young women in 1964. One of many like institutions, the asylums are run like prisons and young girls are forced to do workhouse laundry and hard labor. The asylum, one of many that existed in Theocratic Catholic Ireland, is for supposedly 'fallen' women. Here, young girls are imprisoned indefinitely and endure agonizing punishments and a long, harsh working system which leaves them physically drained and mentally damaged. As the girls bond together, it soon becomes clear that the only way out of the Magdalene convent is to escape, but with twisted Sister Bridget running the wing, any chances seem limited..." I found this with Italian audio (and English subs) completely on accident. I am so glad I did. Extremely tragic and disturbing to watch, but also thought-provoking. It left me really empty - like watching a war movie and coming face to face with some of the atrocities that humanity has committed. Very highly recommended. Oprosti za Kung Fu / Sorry for Kung Fu From IMBD.. "Mirjana is returning to Croatia from Germany where she spent some time as a refugee. She is pregnant. Now, when the war in Croatia is over and her visa expired, Mirjana is coming back to her family in a remote and devastated village. Her family is trying to move on with their lives after the war. They rebuild their house and they are trying to find a new husband for their pregnant daughter. Being patriarchal and devoted to their tradition they believe a woman needs to have a husband and a child has to have a father. Of course, the child and the father have to be of the same nationality. Problems start when Mirjana gives a birth to a boy with Asian features. The family and the neighbors are shocked. Mirjana¡¦s rigid father refuses to accept a grandchild of a different nationality, not to mention the one of a different race! Mirjana and her son are forced to leave. She returns only when her father falls seriously ill and requests to see his grandson before he dies." It sounded like it could be interesting. Perhaps a chance to see how another culture would deal with this kind of situation. Total dud. Waste of time. Maybe I should stick to Disney movies that are dubbed in Croatian instead. LOL In other news, I noticed looking through the Assimil Perfectionnement Italien book that it has 100 lessons, as opposed to the 50-60 the other three Perfectionnement books. I had told myself I was going to finish the Advanced Assimil books (for French, Italian, and German) before I started reading real books, but I may end up changing my mind with Italian. I already find myself understanding a lot more Italian than I did at this stage with French, and I almost feel like that could hamper my progress. I will probably start reading the same time I start the Perfectionnement, a little like I'm doing with Spanish now. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 140 of 236 09 July 2012 at 8:32pm | IP Logged |
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I'm thinking about language specific goals for the summer, both for the Super Challenges and in general. There are 8 more weeks before the kids go back to school. Spanish - I want to finish Assimil's Using Spanish by the end of August. I've gone through lesson 11, and there are 55 lessons in the book. I also want to finish reading Harry Potter y la Cámara Secreta, Harry Potter y el Prisionero de Azkaban, and El Cáliz de Fuego. I've gotten the Spanish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and would like to start on that by the end of the summer. French - I want to finish Assimil's Using French and begin reading Harry Potter a L'École des Sorciers. I doubt I will get through it by the end of the summer, but if I can get a few chapters into it.. as my first reading foray in French, I'd be happy if I can get through the first four or five chapters by then. My priority is Assimil first, though. Italian - I want to finish Italian with Ease by the beginning of September. I'm around lesson 40, so I have about 60 lessons left to go. I want to listen to the audiobook for Harry Potter e la Pietra Filosfale once through by the time school starts. Then I will start working on Perfecctionnement Italien and reading Harry this fall. German - I want to finish the German with Ease by the end of August, too. I am around lesson 57, so I have about 45 lessons to go. Croatian - Get back to doing Assimil every day. Croatian got lost sometime during the 6WC and never recovered. This is be sporadic until I finish Using French and Using Spanish in the next month or two, though. Russian - It is official. Okay, not really, because I haven't started it yet. Once I am done with the Spanish and French Assimil courses by the end of August, Russian will be part of my daily routine. It will only be Assimil (and probably Michel Thomas) for the foreseeable future. Brazilian Portuguese I finally found a good source for Brazilian Portuguese. At the beginning of the year, it seemed like all the sources I was looking at were either the European variety or some odd mix because the authors couldn't decide. Assimil now has a Brazilian Portuguese course out (and I bought it for $42 - go me!). This will probably not be started until the end of the summer when I'm finished with the Using French and Using Spanish either. I'm already comfortable enough with French to learn from it, but my Italian with be further along as well, and I think the stronger base in the other three Romance languages will make Portuguese easier for me. Plus, I'm already trying to do four Assimil lessons a day. A girl has her limits. :-) So that's the game plan for the next two months. Assimil and lots of reading Spanish. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| kanewai Triglot Senior Member United States justpaste.it/kanewai Joined 4887 days ago 1386 posts - 3054 votes Speaks: English*, French, Marshallese Studies: Italian, Spanish | Message 141 of 236 09 July 2012 at 9:17pm | IP Logged |
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I'm looking forward to hearing how Russian goes! Sometime in the future I want to do the same - I like the idea of using Assimil and Michel Thomas to gain a soft-level of familiarity, without worrying about studying hard or intensely the way I do with French or Spanish.
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| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 142 of 236 21 July 2012 at 10:41pm | IP Logged |
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Well, a few more movie reviews from the Super Challenge. Los Hombres Que No Amaban a Las Mujeres / The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (from IMDb) "Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves." This was, in parts, a very grisly movie. Some scenes I had trouble watching, but it was nevertheless an excellent movie, and I would highly recommend it. Now I want to read the book! Pan's Labyrinth / El laberinto del fauno (from IMDb) "In 1944 fascist Spain, a girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army. During the night, she meets a fairy who takes her to an old faun in the center of the labyrinth. He tells her she's a princess, but must prove her royalty by surviving three gruesome tasks. If she fails, she will never prove herself to be the the true princess and will never see her real father, the king, again." Really good movie. For some odd reason, I had thought this was based on a kids book, and was expected something a little more light-hearted. So during the first part of the movie, I was a little confused, but I was quickly engrossed in the story. I was really impressed with it, though, and I want to come watch it again without subtitles when my comprehension gets a little better. Zivot je Cudo / Live is Beautiful (from IMDb) "What could be better for the village than a scenic railway to bring in the tourists? What could be worse for tourism than war? Luka builds the railway and shuts his eyes to war. Then Luka's wife runs off with a musician and his son is called up to the army. Luka's life is a war zone. Then he meets Sabaha.." Interesting. A little strange. Bizarre, but funny too. Fine Mrtve Djevojke (Fine Dead Girls) (from IMDb) "A lesbian couple rents an apartment in a seemingly normal building which happens to be populated with all kinds of freaks. Initially kind but unaware of their secret, a landlady tries to introduce one of them to his son, but after spying on them through the keyhole, the Pandora's box of hatred and violence has been opened." I really enjoyed this. The landlady is really psychotic. The end was the best part. Definitely recommended. I will definitely come back and watch this again, if only to brush up on all my foul language skills. :-) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 143 of 236 21 July 2012 at 11:11pm | IP Logged |
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Hmm.. The 6WC is coming up really quick. Should I challenge myself with Italian or German? Or should I jump out of my comfort zone and try to actually get somewhere with Croatian? It would be kind of cool to understand all my Bosnian friends when they are talking about me. Or should I do Portuguese, if my Assimil course shows up in time? (It's on backorder.) Or do something crazy like Greek or Turkish or Czech? Hmm. Decisions, decisions. Whatever my "focus" language is, it is still going to take a backseat to regular progression (Assimil and the Super Challenge stuff) for Spanish, French, Italian, and German. I am on a path where I have been making significant regular progress with all four of them, and I don't want that to stop! :-) 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5393 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 144 of 236 29 July 2012 at 11:26pm | IP Logged |
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When I do my Assimil lessons, I always write out the dialogs. I've done this from the beginning, and I think it helps me assimilate things much better. It also helps me pay a lot more attention to grammar and orthography. I've decided I'm not going to be doing that with the Spanish lessons anymore, though. I've only got about 35 lessons left in Using Spanish, and I feel like my Spanish time can be use more productively. I will finish the course, of course, but I am going to shift some of my focus now to reading for the Super Challenge. I still haven't decided on my focus language for the 6WC in August. My Portuguese Assimil course won't be here until the end of August or early September. I thought I had decided on Croatian, but just the thought of trying to do five languages a day is exhausting, and I find that I do /less/ when I set my goals too high, since I know I won't reach them! I will continue daily with Spanish and French: finish up Assimil, and start focusing more on reading for the Super Challenge. I'm about halfway into the Italian with Ease and German with Ease, and will continue with both of them as much as possible. I'm averaging 4-6 lessons per week. My most logical choice for the 6WC would be to focus on one of these two. And I have rapidly fallen in love with Italian. Someone please tell me what to do. :-) 1 person has voted this message useful |
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