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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes  Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 17 of 26 01 May 2013 at 7:08pm | IP Logged |
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So, I finished my exams half a month ago and my circadian clock has been going wildly. I never finished those 100 pages of math reading (although can you call math material "reading"?). What I did manage to do though, are several films, videos, musicals etc. that I watched for fun. Below is the list:
1 hour of Michael Sandel's Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do 2 hours of musical Les Miserables 2 hours of musical Legally Blond 6 hours of 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice 2 hours of 1940 version of Pride and Prejudice 5 hours of 1980 version of Pride and Prejudice 2 hours of 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice (yes, I have a thing with it) Anyway, no guarantee for the next several days, I'll slip in a film or two now and then. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 18 of 26 02 May 2013 at 3:03pm | IP Logged |
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OOMMMMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, calm down. I just watched, for 8 hours straight, the "Lizzie Bennet Diaries" series on youtube. And believe me, it's one of those video series that you just can't stop watching once you started it, especially since I'm such a Jane Austen maniac. And I tell you, it's just ammmaaaaaazing!!! And Darcy is sssssoooooooooooo cute!!! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 19 of 26 05 May 2013 at 2:49am | IP Logged |
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I've done some thinking recently and realized that the levels that I'm actually at with virtually all of my languages are much lower than previously thought, and I'm doing practically nothing regarding language learning without some definite course of action to guide my studies. So after some thought, I came up with the following plan for the next two years.
Main focus: English (bring it from B2/C1 to C1/C2, or a definite C2) Break-down of the goal: - VOCABULARY - I'm currently at a rather shaky level of 10,000 words, and I'd like to bring it up to a solid 25,000 (solid meaning really working vocabulary). Methods used: In the first 3 months, list all the words already known and link other words with them according to similarity (spelling and meaning); beginning from the 4th month, learn 30 words every day by making a sentence containing the word to be learned and translate the entire sentence into my native Chinese (takes roughly 1.5 years), then read the words and sentences out loud three times each; reread the words and sentences every two weeks; during the last three months, review all the words learned so far to ensure the words are remembered, make extra sentences if necessary. Attention: phrasal verbs, idioms, jargons, spelling, pronunciation (especially where the stress is). - GRAMMAR - I'm at the point where I'll need some really merticulous scrutinization of grammar. I wish to acquire faultless grammar in both writing and speaking. (I feel like I'll need a master but I don't know where to get one. Perhaps the local bible promoting team could help? I don't mind doing all my writings regarding religious matters.) I also need to get rid of all the redundencies in my writings to make them more concise. Methods used: This is also where the sentence-making method discribed previously comes into play - have the master correct the sentences and memorize them along with the words. Ideally I'd also want to do a piece of writing every month, but I have a feeling that it's not possible. Orally, I'll record all the conversations I had every day and correct the mistakes out loud (get a cell phone that can record sounds asap). Attention: articles, prepositions, placement of adverbs and adverbials, subjunctive and conditional. - TRANSLATION - I have tried my hands at translating both ways between English and Chinese, both in writing and in oral presentation. I found my skills tolerable, but with more vocabulary and improved grammar, I'll be able to translate with more ease and efficiency (and accuracy in the case of oral translation). I'll look into where I could get a certificate in Chinese-English translation (junior level for now), and hopefully I would get one by the end of the two-year period. - The four criteria of language proficiency (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) will all be improved with the above measures. I never really had problems understanding people after the initial 3 months following our arrival in Canada, I just need to get the new words to stick to my subconsciousness so that I don't need to delibrately translate them into Chinese when I hear them. The reason that I'm undertaking such intensive study of English is that I'll really need it in one or two years, when I finish my studies and start looking for jobs. I've done virtually nothing for the last 5 years and I really need to make up for the wasted time. In fact, what I really want to develop is the habit of looking up an unknown word in the dictionary immediately when encountering it, instead of letting it pass as I previously allowed myself to do. Other languages: Chinese: Since I'll be doing translations, I'll keep up with the written form of the language, and learn some more idioms and jargons. Cantonese: Follow and finish the FSI course. It shouldn't be hard for a Chinese, and I could talk to my landlord in Cantonese, who speaks it natively. French: Sneak in a few Pimsleur lessons here and there. Try to retain as much as possible for later studies. Other: Practice the French r and the rolled rr. The plan will start on July 1st, 2013 for me to regulate my life in preparation. After the two-year period I might take 5 years to focus more on Chinese (both modern and ancient), its dialects (Cantonese and my native Shanghainese, and I'll focus on the spoken form), and calligraphy (with pen and brush), while gradually improving English (mostly vocabulary since my grammar will be almost perfect by then), its calligraphy (wouldn't it be nice to write in good hand), and translation between English and Chinese. I've learned my lesson and won't go after the number of languages any more. I'll consolidate Chinese and English first, since these are the languages in which I wish to achieve a high proficiency. As for the rest of the languages, a comfortably functioning level is enough unless I got really interested in a language. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 20 of 26 11 May 2013 at 12:25am | IP Logged |
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Finished (252 pages) Religion and Ethnicity in Canada for the super challenge. It's not very interesting, but I read it just for the heck of it.
I bought 2 German textbooks on sale for a total of $10 today. These books are supposed to bring me up to A2. I'm not quite sure of it, seeing the two little CD's that came with the books and all, but it will be a fine complement to the FSI and pimsleur courses - when I decide to start learning German that is. And I really need to stop buying books even if they are on sale, I already have more than enough books to fill my little basement room... 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 21 of 26 19 May 2013 at 4:25pm | IP Logged |
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I finished Pimsleur I for French today, not quite sure if this is a major language breakthrough, but it's definitely a cornerstone. Perhaps when all this English-Chinese thing is over, I would do Pimsleur all over again to help me get back on track with French.
Since I've been busy with school work for the past two weeks, I haven't been all that into the super challenge thing. But I'll start doing things again soon, hopefully next week. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 22 of 26 20 August 2013 at 3:30am | IP Logged |
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It's been so long since my last post. Anyway, here's some addition to my super
challenge: Read 566 pages of Marketing, 2nd Canadian edition by Grewal et al (finishing the book) - I'm going to claim that I read 1132 pages because it's a large book. Watched 2hrs 15min of the musical "Phantom of the Opera", and MAN the plot is so twisted and yet the musical is so beautiful. Watched 1hr 45min of the film "Phantom of the Opera" - once I fall in love with something, I can't stop myself from wanting more of it. Watched 2hrs of the musical "Love Never Dies", which is a sequel to "Phantom of the Opera". Watched 1.5hrs of the musical "Cats". I only watched it so I could hear "Memory" in context. Frankly, I don't think it's that interesting - well that's only myself. That's it for now. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 23 of 26 25 August 2013 at 1:35am | IP Logged |
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I just realized that I counted that marketing textbook twice. It was my mistake. I'll count more pages but not report it onto twitter until I have the extra pages cleared.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| cacue23 Triglot Groupie Canada Joined 4301 days ago 89 posts - 122 votes Speaks: Shanghainese, Mandarin*, English Studies: Cantonese | Message 24 of 26 07 September 2013 at 9:11pm | IP Logged |
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Read 778 pages of PSYCHOLOGY, 8th ed in modules by Myers (finishing the book). Again, it's a large book and I'll claim I read twice as much, which is 1556 pages; less the 1132 pages I mistakenly included last time will give 424 pages.
Read 791 pages of EARLY TRANSCENDENTALS SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS, 5th ed by Steward (finishing the book). I'm not going to count twice on that one because it's full of mathematical equations. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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