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TAC 2012 (Žá) - João’s log

 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log Post Reply
JoaoCorreia
Triglot
Newbie
Portugal
Joined 4758 days ago

26 posts - 32 votes
Speaks: Portuguese*, English, FrenchC2

 
 Message 1 of 7
13 December 2011 at 1:06am | IP Logged 
This will be my year long log!
As I said in my team's thread, I don't really have defined goals when it comes to language learning. I often do not know where I want to go with a language nor set deadlines for that matter. I will, however, try to emend this flaw, as I know deadlines and goals will help me reach those milestones we need to keep our motivation up.

So, I will be studying French, Russian and perhaps Norwegian. Although I am not compromising here because it might happen I won't enjoy studying Russian and will make the appropriate replacement to pursue my studies. One thing is for sure, I will be studying a languages during this next year and one of them will be French

Languages

French - I have taught myself this language. I've had plenty of opportunities to speak it with my Belgian friends and my proficiency has improved a lot in the past year. I am now studying this language full time at the university. I'm doing a degree in Translation so I study French linguistics, alongside with an actual French class that is more towards philosophy and art interpretation.
I will be pursuing my studies with normal activities, such as listening, reading, watching TV, so on and so forth.

Russian - I know nothing about this language. I've taught myself the Cyrillic alphabet about a year or two ago, but I have never mastered it, so I will be starting with this when my journey begins.

Norwegian - I guess I can say this language is what I really want to learn, but I find it difficult to spend time in something that I won't make any useful use of. Therefore I'm still considering whether to tackle Norwegian or not.
I taught myself a little Norwegian last year, and I can have a basic conversation and understand a few beginner's texts. Vocabulary is an issue, so if I start again with this language I will definitely work on that first.

So this is how my messy journey begins, I'm hoping to learn more about planning and study as I go further into this challenge! I really need some serious discipline.
If you have any suggestions feel free to drop them below!

Edited by JoaoCorreia on 13 December 2011 at 1:07am

1 person has voted this message useful



JoaoCorreia
Triglot
Newbie
Portugal
Joined 4758 days ago

26 posts - 32 votes
Speaks: Portuguese*, English, FrenchC2

 
 Message 2 of 7
13 December 2011 at 1:17am | IP Logged 
I've actually started reading books in French to prepare myself for TAC, and I finished the awesome work by Vercors, Les Animaux Dénaturés!
It took me exactly 6.07h, and one week worth of reading, to finish the book.
I am kind of a slow reader, and I try to read aloud (or well, just so I can hear my pronunciation) every time.

Vercors - Les Animaux Dénaturés: 6.07h (seven days) - finished

I've started another book and have done 1 hour worth of reading today, although I was kind of interrupted a few times. The book is Anne Karénine by Tolstoy.

Tolstoï - Anne Karénine: 0.52h - in progress

I've also written a psychological portrait of one of the characters in Vercors' book.
1 person has voted this message useful



JoaoCorreia
Triglot
Newbie
Portugal
Joined 4758 days ago

26 posts - 32 votes
Speaks: Portuguese*, English, FrenchC2

 
 Message 3 of 7
29 December 2011 at 4:27am | IP Logged 
I have been busy studying for finals and was away from home for Christmas, in a remote village with no internet connection whatsoever. Still, I managed to get a little reading on my Anne Karénine, did 5.43h of reading in French. Also, watched an American series on college sports life subtitled in French.
Today I watched Banlieue 13, a French movie about a problematic neighbourhood that is on the edge of destruction. No subtitles, that counts for listening comprehension!

Hope to have more time once the finals are done.
Ah big news, I'm going to Belgium for my birthday, in February, to spend 10 days with my cousin and our friends. It will be an awesome opportunity to brush up my French and to put in practice some expressions I've been acquiring along the way.

So for the hour count of the books:
Tolstoï - Anna Karénine: 6.35h - in progress

Edited by JoaoCorreia on 29 December 2011 at 4:30am

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 4 of 7
29 December 2011 at 4:46am | IP Logged 
Hello, JoãoCorreia. Anna Karenina is a great book. Tolstoy is actually one of the reasons I want to learn to read Russian. (Okay, it would be cool to speak it, too.)

I wish someone would take me to Belgium for my birthday! That sounds like it will be lots of fun! :)

1 person has voted this message useful



JoaoCorreia
Triglot
Newbie
Portugal
Joined 4758 days ago

26 posts - 32 votes
Speaks: Portuguese*, English, FrenchC2

 
 Message 5 of 7
30 December 2011 at 3:52am | IP Logged 
I really am looking forward to my trip to Belgium. Got plenty of friends there and in February the university parties begin, so it's promising :D

I once made a promise to myself that I would read Anna Karennina in the original one day! We'll see how it goes!
1 person has voted this message useful



Serpent
Octoglot
Senior Member
Russian Federation
serpent-849.livejour
Joined 6595 days ago

9753 posts - 15779 votes 
4 sounds
Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish

 
 Message 6 of 7
30 December 2011 at 1:32pm | IP Logged 
You guys make me feel embarrassed that I haven't read neither War and Peace nor Anna Karenina ;__; lol.
great that he inspires you to learn more Russian!
1 person has voted this message useful



JoaoCorreia
Triglot
Newbie
Portugal
Joined 4758 days ago

26 posts - 32 votes
Speaks: Portuguese*, English, FrenchC2

 
 Message 7 of 7
04 January 2012 at 4:49am | IP Logged 
Nothing to be embarrassed about! Though I kinda envy you for being a Russian native speaker when it comes to literature!

So I haven't got anything done these past few days as I'm still studying for finals until the 19th of January. That will be my last test and will be on French linguistics, so that kinda counts as TAC study for French!

Anyway, been flirting a bit with Norwegian in the background, listening to NRK P3 radio where I found this awesome song by Maria Mena - Mitt Lille Land (I found out later that there are many versions of this song but I like hers best). It's a song about Norway and I absolutely love the lyrics and so I've been singing them out loud for quite a long time now! I just had to share it with you:

Mitt lille land
Et lite sted, en håndfull fred
slengt ut blant vidder og fjord

Mitt lille land
Der høye fjell står plantet
mellom hus og mennesker og ord
Og der stillhet og drømmer gror
Som et ekko i karrig jord

Mitt lille land
Der havet stryker mildt og mykt
som kjærtegn fra kyst til kyst

Mitt lille land
Der stjerner glir forbi
og blir et landskap når det blir lyst
mens natten står blek og tyst



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