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The drunk snail’s journey (TAC14) | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes  Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 97 of 161 11 September 2014 at 11:08am | IP Logged |
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Good news everyone!
Cavesa is back at languages,life and everything! On tuesday, I passed my last exam. It was a hellish experience, this september. So, I am now choosing new textbooks and so on, enjoying lots of sleep (lots and lots), trying to turn the chaos-my appartment- into some order again. And I am READING!!! All the promised Spain posts are coming soon. And so is progress in my languages. For now, SC update: ASCR: English books: Guyton:Textbook of Medical Physiology, part of it, +4 books. It is the best physiology textbook one can choose. Clear explanations, plesant style meant to be read easily (even though I still needed a few reads to understand some more complicated points). R.Jordan: The Dragon Reborn, finally finished! I'd been keeping the last fifty pages or so for over half a year! +6 books. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 98 of 161 13 September 2014 at 10:29am | IP Logged |
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ASCR:
French movies: an episode of Profilage = +0,5 French books: Pierre Grimbert:La Malerune 1-Les Armes des Garamont +4,6 I really like this series. The style is refreshing, story good, characters interesting. It follows the usual rules of the genre but still offers lots of new. English books:Raymond E. Feist: Silverthorn +4,2 Second part of the Magician trilogy, or rather the Riftwar saga. I love it. So thrilling, original, entertaining and breathtaking! I don't know why isn't Feist just as well known as many others. His books trully stand out among the normal anglophone fantasy. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 99 of 161 14 September 2014 at 10:37pm | IP Logged |
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ASCR:
French movies: 1 episode de Profilage = +0,5 movie French books: Phillip Pullman: Les Royaumes du Nord + 5,2 I was a little bit disappointed in the beginning but then the book got the usual Pullman's drive. Sure, he writes basically for kids but the stories surely aren't stupid or too simple. It is not a French author but I got the dilogy of the "Golden Compass" cheaply last year and it's time to fight the crowd on my to read bookshelf. ;-) Apart from that: some grammar review and search for a tutor for the spoken part of Dalf preparation ASCS Count Update: English Books: 100,4 out of 200! yay! French movies: 152,5/200 (well, I need to get more reading done now that I've got time) French books:96,4/200 still not in the second half. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 100 of 161 16 September 2014 at 11:46pm | IP Logged |
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Where to begin. I know what I've promised to put in the log. I'm thinking of you, no worries, my charming remarks about Spain and the people are coming! ;-)
Yesterday, I had a French day, today is a grammar day. Or I'm at least trying. I went swiftly through fifty or so pages of Grammaire Progressive intermediare because I've got the book (half completed), need to finally get through my huge grammar review and it doesn't feel right to jump right to avance and perfectionnement. It is a nice easy review 99% of the time but there were two or three interesting pieces today. I absolutely know why there are things I struggle with after 15 years of French. I can use them correctly most of the times in speech thanks to the tv series and reading. Or at least with so few mistakes of little consequence that it nearly doesn't matter (but I am a perfectionnist sometimes, so it does matter actually) but it is a nightmare during writing! When I write, I have time to think about those few points (like some of the pronouns) and I read everything several times, question myself, cross out the correct words and exchange them for wrong ones and so on. There are probably three chapters in the French grammar I've been struggling with for years like that. And I can remember very precisely how those chapters were presented to me by various teachers and these memories are making it all even worse. So, here are my few troubles: -Sometimes, direct and indirect object. Funnily, I have no trouble as soon as they are in the sentence together. The more complicated the structure is, the less trouble I have as my subconscious skills from immersion kick in. But the easy sentences, while having time during writing, those make me doubt everything, including status of my brain. -Connectors. I can use the basic twenty or so of mais, comme, pour, afin que, depuis and so on without any trouble. But there are many more! And I use them often correctly, thanks to the immersion again, but I am not sure. -Commas, full stops, quotation marks and all that tiny stuff scattered across sentences. I've never systematically learnt that. Really, how comes no coursebooks or teachers mention it? I'll need to look it up finally and learn to use it all correctly. Btw, ASCR French movies +2= movie Ne te retourne pas (good thriller, stupid me for watching it alone in the night) and 2 episodes of Profilage But my grammar day wasn't only about French. I am back with my overlooked friend-German! I really like the language I used to hate. I am reviewing some basic grammar. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 101 of 161 20 September 2014 at 3:20pm | IP Logged |
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So, Cavesa's horror ride through the grammar is continuing. I have a particular trouble with French. I've been studying it for far too long with far too many changes, teachers etc. I am not enjoying the grammar as I do in my other languages. I find gaps all those teachers not only didn't cover, they basically made them. Fortunately, extensive reading and listening took care of lots of the grammar but I need to build the foundation anyways, especially for my writing skills.
Why so much attention to French grammar now? I've been wishing to sit a DALF C1 since I joined this forum or even earlier. And now, I have the opportunity and I am going to use it to the fullest. My awesome dad is being a sponsor for my language studies as long as they concern useful languages. I am the family's translator ;-) I am sometimes translating some work documents for him and so on. So, I can buy the needed books and I can get a tutor for the spoken part of the exam. I don't think a tutor is needed at all up to B1 levels and a B2 exam can be done without the tutor. But a C1 is already a little bit high without regular advanced practice (a holiday spent in French won't be sufficient if anyone wants to ask). So, I am having my first lesson next week hopefully. But the rest is on my own shoulders. I need to get as much not so fun stuff done before the beginning of new year at university. I want to finally get my German to B1 as well and perhaps try an exam next year. But I don't need any teacher for that. Just some time and efforts. I like it. I am using my usual methods (courses, grammar books, dw websites and native input asap). I tried the "new" busuu for ipad and I didn't like it at all. I am having an Anki crisis. After a looooong break from anki, I am having trouble making myself return. But I need it. I desperately need it for my active vocabulary. Yeah, Spanish is high on my list of priorities as well. So, let's get back to grammar today. And if I complete enough pages, I will finally reward myself with the promised Spain related posts here ;-) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Gemuse Senior Member Germany Joined 4083 days ago 818 posts - 1189 votes Speaks: English Studies: German | Message 102 of 161 20 September 2014 at 8:32pm | IP Logged |
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How do you use Anki Tereza? You make up your own decks?
And awesome job on having learned so many languages :) Edited by Gemuse on 20 September 2014 at 8:48pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 103 of 161 20 September 2014 at 8:41pm | IP Logged |
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I make up my own decks as I find the preexisting ones too different from my needs. Yes, it takes time and it's often annoying but I learn by creating the cards as well. Single word cards work just fine for me. I don't make sentence cards as those comprehension ones are useless for me (I understand well just from exposure) and the translation of sentences (active skill from L1 to L2) usually leads to various options and I can't have all on the card. Another type of anki card is conjugation. I find anki awesome for verb memorisation and practice as well, automatisation of the common models, irregularities and my personal trouble spots makes my speech much more fluent.
Thanks, Gemuse, but my path is far from finished. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Mareike Senior Member Germany Joined 6225 days ago 267 posts - 323 votes Speaks: German* Studies: English, Swedish | Message 104 of 161 22 September 2014 at 11:19am | IP Logged |
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Ha I know what you mean. Anki isn't made for having breaks. It takes some time to get back.
1 person has voted this message useful |
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