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Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 1 of 12 03 January 2013 at 8:52pm | IP Logged |
I've decided to join TAC 2013, and keep a regular log in an effort to maintain my Italian studies. I started learning Italian last year, and completed a 30 hour A1.1 course at the Italian Cultural Institute. While I really enjoyed it, I felt that progress was slow, and felt the need to supplement the classes with self-study. After this course I gave the HTLAL Assimil Experiment a try, however I can't stick to one resource, so I've decided to try TAC 2013 as an alternative means of motivation. I aim to post once a week throughout 2013.
Experiences in Language Learning
In the past three years, I've developed a true love for language learning, encouraged by German, which I initially started learning due to my fascination with German art and silent movies. With regard to time, German generally gets most of my 'allocated language hours'. I attend classes at level C1, and will continue to do so. I also attend Irish classes at an intermediate level (B1-2), which will end in late February following oral and written assessments.
I also know some French having learned it in school for 6 years, but I've very poor application and endurance when it comes to French so it's very rusty,a low B1 perhaps. I aim to start again once I achieve a basic fluency in Italian. Lastly, I have a basic grasp on Russian, which certainly doesn't exceed an A1!
I've decided to only record my progress in Italian (except for when my other languages might interfere or monopolise my time!), since I only have a few months, as opposed to years in the case of German and Irish, learning it, and want to encourage myself to form a normal routine.
Method
I'm not particularly systematic when it comes to learning languages. I like to use lots of different resources, and alas never study at regular times or days. What has helped me, is a simple spreadsheet log, whereby I aim to study for a set number of hours each month. Last month I managed 35 hours of German (Aim: 32), 21.5 hours of Italian (Aim: 25) and 18 hours of Irish (Aim: 23). This month is rather ambitious; in light of my impending Irish tests I'm aiming for 40 hours in Irish, 25 hours in German and 20 hours in Italian.
But from March my goals will be German: 30 hours; Italian: 24 hours; Irish: 12 hours, and generally my learning will follow this pattern.
A bit convuluted perhaps, but this works for me from everything from exercise to languages. I work full-time so I'm unlikely to be able to commit more than 70 hours a month in total, and realistically not more than 30 hours for Italian. At the end of the year if I've commited 300 hours to Italian I will be happy!
Level
I'd estimate, based on prior learning and an online test, that my Italian is a solid A1 standard. By the end of the year, I aim to be a solid B2 at least.
Method
I'm slightly obsessed with resources! I'll be using the following books:
-Contatto 1 (A1-A2); my former class textbook
-Routledge Intensive Italian Course text and workbook
-Italian Grammar Made Easy
-Soluzioni; a grammar book for later in my endeavours
-Assimil Italian Made Easy
I will also make use of Yabla Italian, the about.com Italian website, and other blogs and websites, such as the Online Italian club.
If finances and work timetables allow, I will take more classes in Italian during the year since I love person-to-person learning.
Finally, I am now logging into Yabla, since I have no hours as yet recorded for Italian this year! Arrivederci!
Originally German Irish and Italian
Edited by Laurae on 04 September 2013 at 4:01pm
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| Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 2 of 12 07 January 2013 at 12:56pm | IP Logged |
I've decided to add German and Irish to my log; if I study any other languages (hopefully Russian!) this year, I'll add them too.
Aims this weeks:
Italian
- Assimil: 4 Lessons
- Italian Grammar Made Easy: 'Prounouns' & 'Nouns & Determiners'
- Contatto 1: Chapter 4
- Anki: Add 100 cards
- Yabla, Internet resource back up if I have time!
German
- Conversation C1 Class
- Novel: 'When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit'
- Studio D B2/2: Chapter 4
- Anki: Add 100 cards
Irish
- Working with course material
- Gramadach gan Stro
Edited by Laurae on 07 January 2013 at 12:57pm
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| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5554 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona
| Message 3 of 12 08 January 2013 at 7:13am | IP Logged |
Go n-éirí leat with the Irish this year, and it looks like you're off to a good start in all your languages so far! :)
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| Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 4 of 12 16 January 2013 at 12:15am | IP Logged |
Go raibh míle maith agat a Theango; tá súil agam go bhfuil tú ag éirí go maith leis an dúshlán freisin.
Gaeilge
Rinne mé a lán Gaeilge i rith na seachtaine; Chaith mé ocht uaireanna ag foghlaim Gaeilge, mar tosfaidh mo chúrsa arís amárach agus beidh triail chluastuisceana agam freisin! Táim ag obair chomh maith le sin le Gramadach gan Stró mar tá mo ghramadach go huafásach ar fad.
Gabh mo leithscéal - táim cinnte go rinne mé a lán bótúin i rith an téacs seo.
I also saw the Team Lugus blog, so I hope to keep an eye on that, and wish all the best to everybody involved. I'm not sure how conistently I'll be able to learn Irish this year (aiming for 200 hours, not including TG4 which I can't count as effort realistically as it's on too much, but we'll see), hence the individual blog.
Italian
Not too bad this week. I completed Units 0,1 and 2 of the Routledge Intensive Italian course, and added 125 words to Anki. I also spent about an hour on Yabla watching easy videos and making flascards. I also attended my Italian class, I found it a little slow, but I hope I reinforced some knowledge.
Completely avoided any grammar and Assimil unfortunately so grammar topics and Assimil are this week's focus and well as re-watching my viewing list on Yabla.
I found a wonderful Italian blog here Ciao Italia blogso I hope to use this, as well as the Online Italian club.
I've put a limit on my online Italian resources to these two sites and Yabla for the moment, as I'm prone to distraction, and feel that too many resources, be it in book, audio or online form distract me!
Maybe I should try Italian Pod 101 too though, since I've read positive reviews of it on this forum.
German
Deutsch, mein Liebe. Alas, I always neglect one language a week, and this week I feel it's been German. I didn't get the chance to read any of my novel or do any writing exercises, but I did revise 5 chapters of my B2/2 coursebook and did a few grammar exercises on articles, as well as an hour and a half on Anki.
This week: Novel, written exercises from coursebook, grammar exercises in Em
Edited by Laurae on 16 January 2013 at 5:56pm
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| Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 5 of 12 16 January 2013 at 4:39pm | IP Logged |
Hours update
Halfway through the month:
German: 13/25
Italian: 10/20
Irish: 14.5/40
I'm not likely to match my hour-based ambitions with regard to Irish, but one can only try and hope.
Edited by Laurae on 16 January 2013 at 5:51pm
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| Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 6 of 12 05 March 2013 at 5:46pm | IP Logged |
I haven't posted for such a long time. Unfortunately my progress has veritably halted in Italian, mostly due to the concentration given to my Irish studies throughout February. I'm also questioning whether I should continue with Italian or revive my school French, given the similarities between the languages. Perhaps 3 languages are simply too much for me to pay due attention to.
German and Irish have proved far more successful so far. I have to ease off on the 'formal' Irish studing for a while, since I want to pay close attention to German, given that I'm taking a holiday there soon. I've also started a C1 extensive German course which serves well as motivation.
I've finished my current Irish classes, so I'm aiming to take a step back in March in an effort to revive Italian and consider whether I really want to persist with it.
This is a breakdown of the hours I've spent learning throughout January and February. I don't count reading of novels etc, but the hourly consideration helps motivate me to further study
January
Italian: 16.5
Irish: 32
German: 13.5
February
Italian: 0
Irish: 46
German: 30
Edited by Laurae on 05 March 2013 at 5:47pm
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| Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 7 of 12 05 March 2013 at 5:51pm | IP Logged |
So, by the year's end, my goals are in short:
-A strong C1 in German
-A strong B2 in Irish
If I continue Italian, I expect to reach B2 standard, and if I give it up in favour of French, I expect to achieve a strong B2 in French.
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| Laurae Diglot Groupie Germany Joined 5036 days ago 51 posts - 67 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Dutch
| Message 8 of 12 02 July 2013 at 11:11am | IP Logged |
I haven't posted here in such a long time, and to be entirely honest, I've strayed completely from my goals.
However, in the first 6 months of the year I've managed to complete 253 hours of language study, not including casual readuing of novels, easy readers etc. Basically I consider study as doing grammar exercises and writing exercises, attending classes and completing homework assignments, actively learning vocabulary, looking up vocabularly when reading and taking notes while watching movies and TV.
Truthfully however, most of my studies have focused on German, which I love unconditionally.
Breakdown:
German: 153 hours (actively studying)
Italian: 16.5 hours (no study since February)
Irish: 78 hours (no study since March)
French: 5.5 hours (actively studing)
I've decided to swap Italian for French at the moment, given that I have a far superior level from school, which I think I can reactivate easily. I'll try to get back to Italian withing the year because I do like it, moreso than French to be honest, but given that I'm certain my French is a good A2/low B1 standard, it seems a shame not to capitalise on all that school work of days past.
Irish is in limbo for me, I'm not sure how to progress or whether I truly want to at the moment.
Edited by Laurae on 02 July 2013 at 11:18am
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