鹊 (què) - TEAM THREAD - TAC’14 (Language Learning Log) Language Learning Forum

鹊 (què) - TEAM THREAD - TAC’14
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Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log

266 messages over 34 pages: << Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 31 ... 33 34 Next >>

proudft
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Message 241 of 266

08 April 2014 at 9:33pm | IP Logged

Someone had posted a year-long list of stuff from last year's challenge (I think) at some point, but for the life of me I can't find it. But maybe the April idea from that would be useful. If anyone can find it.

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Sunja
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Message 242 of 266

09 April 2014 at 8:38am | IP Logged

Here's the Crane Thread

It looks like April's challenge was about production, either written or spoken.
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LangWanderer
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Message 243 of 266

09 April 2014 at 3:41pm | IP Logged

I think that sounds good. It gives people a chance to adapt the challenge to their level, which is something that I liked about last month's challenge.

I started the month with my first ever output in Chinese: "请给我一张到东直门去的票。" I bought a train ticket at Beijing airport. I was successful on the first try too! (By which I mean that I received a ticket to Dongzhimen. I still don't really know whether what I said was grammatically correct.)

However, I'll need to set my goal a bit higher than that for the monthly challenge.

I think that if we go with this challenge, my goal will be to invite a new Chinese friend (or friends) for a meal using Mandarin and then speak Mandarin for the majority of the meal.

The ideal scenario would be that we only use Mandarin for the whole meal, but - let's be realistic - that would require an awfully patient friend. There would be countless uncomfortable silences while I try to think of things to say or search for words.

I guess, though, those frantic searches for words *are* half the fun of being a beginner! Finding the right word always seems like such a victory.

Edited by LangWanderer on 09 April 2014 at 3:44pm
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DavidStyles
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Message 244 of 266

13 April 2014 at 2:41am | IP Logged

So is this the challenge?

Quote:

Language study can be a lonely hobby. The April Challenge wants to change that. For this month, the goal is to communicate in your target language(s). As always, it's up to you to define how exactly you want to tackle the challenge. If you're well advanced, you might look for a language tandem or prepare a challenging topic for discussion with someone who speaks your target language. If finding someone to talk to in your target language is difficult where you live, you could try chat sites like Shared Talk. If voice chatting isn't possible, you can resort to text chatting or penpalling on sites like InterPals. Communicating through writing is also a good option for the less advanced learners, just like ordering food at a restaurant in your target language. We could even have a Skype meeting and complete the challenge together. It doesn't matter how much or little you say or write, as long as you've made an effort to put the language you're studying to use. Ideally, you'll do something that suits your level of proficiency and is a little challenging. You have time to post about your experiences with the challenge until April 30.

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Sunja
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Message 245 of 266

13 April 2014 at 4:18pm | IP Logged

We can certainly make it the challenge! Not many have responded other than LangWanderer who is in a perfect situation for this type of thing :)

me, I'm like ninibo and don't exactly have many options for finding partners where I live and going online just to find somebody is personally awkward for me, especially since I've never spoken it before.

I'll have to think up my own little challenge. I might write a dialog.
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Sunja
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Message 246 of 266

13 April 2014 at 4:35pm | IP Logged

BTW!

I found a great source for essays categorized by themes, with audio. Chinese Voices Project "a collection of mini-essays with mp3 audio for students of Chinese language and culture"

You can even -sort- the essays according to level: low-intermediate , high-intermediate and advanced!

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shk00design
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Canada
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Message 247 of 266

13 April 2014 at 7:36pm | IP Logged

LangWanderer wrote:

I started the month with my first ever output in Chinese: "请给我一张到东直门去
的票。" I bought a train ticket at Beijing airport. I was successful on the first try too! (By which I mean
that I received a ticket to Dongzhimen. I still don't really know whether what I said was grammatically
correct.)

As long as you pronounce the phrase correctly or close enough you can be understood. I think the
characters 到 & 去 means the same thing so using 1 of them would be sufficient: 请给我一张到东直门的
票。or 请给我一张去东直门的票。
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DavidStyles
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Message 248 of 266

03 May 2014 at 1:31am | IP Logged

Thanks, Sunja. I've been listening to those now, and downloaded the transcripts also.

As for the April Challenge, my (very modest) production has been an attempt at playing United Nations - I'm one of the managers for an online chess team that represents England, so I've all so recently interacted my Chinese and Taiwanese counterparts where our teams have crossed swords or may do so. Just pleasantries, wishing well and such, and arranging some small practicalities with them.

So, all this to say: just a few lines of Chinese written here and there, but more than I've done previously with this language that is still quite foreign to me for the moment.

I'll work my way up to (probably in a month or so yet) suggesting a language exchange with some local Chinese that speak Mandarin (in Britain, many Chinese immigrants are from Hong Kong and speak Cantonese, with Mandarin usually being an (admittedly strong) L2 for them).

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