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Iawia’s TAC 2013 Asian 鶴 | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| iawia Bilingual Pentaglot Newbie Taiwan Joined 4588 days ago 35 posts - 55 votes  Speaks: EnglishC2, Mandarin*, Taiwanese*, Cantonese, Spanish Studies: Thai, Japanese | Message 1 of 26 31 December 2012 at 9:19am | IP Logged |
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This is my first language learning log, and I plan to use it to record my
progress in my language learning adventure. I am a native Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese speaker from Taiwan, and I had learned English since elementary school. When I was in junior high and high school, there were few students willing to learn a Second Foreign Language, and I thought the same. It wasn't until my second year in university that I discovered my passion for learning languages. There was a period of "wanderlust" and I dabbled in Arabic, German and French. Somehow, I managed to reach some basic fluency in Spanish after 2 years of study, a conversational-fluent level in Cantonese, and an intermediate level in Thai. I also began my study of Japanese half an year ago. So this year my main languages of focus will be: Spanish, Japanese and Thai. Spanish Background and Level I have been studying Spanish for 2 years and a half, with one year doing nothing in Spanish. I regret not discovering this forum sooner, because I spent much time in vain studying and trying to improve my Spanish. I currently take lessons in the Cervantes Institute in Taipei, and having completed the Nuevo ELE Intermedio textbook and having augmented my studies with reading and watching telenovelas, I place myself from B1 to a low B2 level. (I'm somewhat confused by my profile, because I do not speak it that well! ) Listening I enjoy listening to Podcasts and watching Spanish cinema and series. I have watched 101 films by the standards of the Super Challenge on this forum. (each film counts as one, and episodes less than one hour count as half) However, it is still very difficult for me to watch Spanish movies or telenovelas without subtitles. (I can enjoy the process and understand what's going on, but I can not understand completely each sentence.) Speaking I can hold conversations with native Spanish speakers, pausing to think about the grammar, but I think I have sufficient vocabulary to cover topics ranging from politics, economy, culture and certainly everyday life. Reading I can read a newspaper article, with about 10-15 words that I do not understand completely. I still read at a slow pace, and this will be a main objective for me this year. Writing I did not put too much emphasis on this before, occasionally writing some assignments, so this active ability will also be a main priority. Goals and Methods My overall goal is to pass B2 by May(or to reach a high B2 by then). I tried taking the exam with the exam papers available on the Internet, and I am around the 70-passable area, so I think this goal is do-able. 1.Listening: to understand 90% of news and radio broadcasts, to be able to watch telenovelas and movies without subtitles 2.Reading: to read 20 novels or books this year. In order to complete this, I need to enhancen my reading speed. 3.Speaking: no clear goals in mind 4.Writing: passable in the DELE B2 exam, clear and concise with good structure I plan to achieve these goals with: -Conversation-based, theme-oriented classes at the Cervantes Institute.(Although this is a bit easy for me, it is interesting and I enjoy the company of my compañeros de clase) -Weekly movie or daily episode (Recently I developed the habit of waking up at 5am to watch a Spanish serie before going to school. It is a nice habit, and the concept of "Rise early to reward yourself with the things you enjoy, instead of punishing yourself with the daily ordeal of work or study." is extremely appealing.) -Grammar using USO(Preparación de DELE B2) to review -Language exchange(I still haven't found one yet) -Reading novels! In short:I will use authentic materials to improve my Spanish, along with some exam-oriented courses to improve my test-taking abilities. Thai Background: During my wanderlust stage of language learning, I found a place offering Thai lessons in Taipei. There were conversational classes and alphabet/reading classes. I started with the conversational classes. I have to admit that the teacher there uses a method quite efficient, similar to the Michel Thomas and Pimsleur approach. Each lesson started with some basic vocabulary, using cognates and some mnemonics to facilitate the memory process.(like MT) Afterwards, the teacher would throw out questions like "How do you say..." (like SRS with Pimsleur) One drawback was that the conversational classes used a transcription system, and if one desires to learn Thai to a more proficient level, learning the alphabet is inevitable. Therefore, I attended the alphabet lessons available at the same institute. Besides the lessons provided, I used Thai for Beginners, 標準泰國語(88 30-min lessons in Chinese that taught the alphabet, some dialogues, etc.), and some websites. I tried using FSI, Colloquial, and other courses, but I found them unsuitable or too easy to my use. Level: Speaking: For certain this is my most proficient skill. I would say A2 to B1. Listening: I can understand 40-50% of the news, Lakorns(Thai sit-coms) and radio if it is in clear speech. Here and there I understand some complete sentences. Reading: I used ANKI and Thai with Beginners,標準泰國語, and I think I can understand most basic texts passively. Writing: Almost zero! Only basic words and nothing more. Goals and methods(short-term): 1. Reading: to reach a level where I can read authentic texts with the help of a dictionary. This will be my primary focus. 2. Listening: to understand 50%-70% of Thai news and Lakorns. 3. Speaking: I will be doing a language exchange, and I hope that I can talk about topics that require more technical vocabulary. 4. Writing: This will not be a primary focus. I would be revising my goals after my winter vacation, from 1/20-2/17. Here is a short term goal for my Thai studies. I would try to spend 3 hours studying Thai everyday during the first two weeks of my winter vacation. 1 hour: pure input. I might try watching some Thai drama or movie. Or some podcasts, like NHK or SBS. 2 hours: Mainly completing Thai for Intermediate learners, Thai Basic Reader from the SEASite website.(with 56 lessons) I may try the Manee readers. Goals and methods(long-term): The winter vacation will be a period for me to improve my reading skills, after that I hope to obtain the ability to read more authentic texts, and to chat with my Thai friends through the internet. After the start of the next semester, results will be assessed and study methods will be adjusted. My long-term goals by July include: 1.Reading: to understand 80% of most texts 2.Listening: to understand most conversations, except for some technical terms 3.Speaking: 4.Writing: to write short entries on Lang8 I will try to achieve this by using: Reading -Thai reader project, Wisconsin university of SE studies (This contains many authentic texts, and I hope to progress through this fast) -Advanced Thai Reader by Hugh Leong. -Thairecordings website by Bakunin. -L-R method using whatever materials I can get my hands on. Listening -Mainly L-R method -with some authentic material, news, TV programs, podcasts(NHK & SBS) Speaking -Continue doing language exchange -I plan to volunteer in an organization that helps migrant brides integrate into Taiwanese society. Some of this work will undoubtedly help my Thai studies. (For those who do not understand, there is a sizable proportion of immigrants from South-East Asia in Taiwan, most of these are migrant brides. There are also many migrant workers here in Taiwan.) Writing Again, this will not be a primary objective for me. Japanese Background and Level Being in Taiwan, a former colony of the Japanese empire, Japanese has some presence here.(For example, many of my grandparents' generation speak Japanese, the number of Japanese restaurants in the world are surpassed only by Japan.) Due to historical reasons, influence of Japanese pop culture, Japanese is a top choice for second foreign language learning in Taiwan. I decided to start learning Japanese in October of 2012. I enrolled in a language school in Taiwan that provided courses that put a heavy emphasis on grammar. The course were sorted with JLPT levels, and I am about to finish the N5 course by March. I compensated for the lack of listening and speaking by using Assimil Japanese with Ease(I'm on Lesson 23 now), Pimsleur Japanese(completed I), Michel Thomas(finished foundation course), and Japanese Podcast 101(finished the Absolute Beginner and Newbie 1 course). I have to admit that these resources are more suitable with those using English to learn Japanese, and to follow the course plan provided by my 学塾 is more feasible. I also found it difficult to balance my Japanese with my academic studies and my other languages. Therefore, how to make smart progress in Japanese is a major concern for me in 2013. Goals and Methods I think that the courses provided at my 学塾 are excellent, and I would continue on with the courses. If all goes well, I will finish the N3 course by December, after 13 months of Japanese study. However, I would not attempt the JLPT exam so soon. In short, I don't have many clear goals for my Japanese studies, just to follow the course plan provided. I do have some short-term goals for the winter vacation(1/21-2/17) that is Speaking: do language exchange and join a Japanese study group I plan to reach a very basic conversational fluent level by the end of the winter break. Enough to carry out basic tasks and chat about everyday situations. Cantonese Cantonese is more of a maintaining language. I have some friends here from Hong Kong, Macau, or Malaysia(where there are overseas Chinese communities that speak Cantonese), and I know some Canton-style restaurants near where I live that employ or are owned by some Cantonese-speaking people. In addition, there are always many tourists from HK or Macau, so I guess I have some opportunities to speak Cantonese here. I would also occasionally watch a HK movie or drama, listen to Cantonese songs, or podcasts from RTHK(Radio Television Hong Kong). I think this will be sufficient. Edited by iawia on 01 January 2013 at 7:00am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| druckfehler Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 4867 days ago 1181 posts - 1912 votes Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Korean Studies: Persian | Message 2 of 26 31 December 2012 at 11:09am | IP Logged |
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Good luck with your studies, iawia! Is learning Thai popular in Taiwan? How did you choose the language?
I think it's great that we have a native speaker of Mandarin and Taiwanese on the team! In TAC 2013 many teams have native speakers as godmothers/godfathers, who help out when questions about their languages come up. Would you be interested in taking on the role of our godmother? We'll also have a godfather for Korean. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| iawia Bilingual Pentaglot Newbie Taiwan Joined 4588 days ago 35 posts - 55 votes Speaks: EnglishC2, Mandarin*, Taiwanese*, Cantonese, Spanish Studies: Thai, Japanese | Message 3 of 26 31 December 2012 at 12:11pm | IP Logged |
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Druckfehler,
Why did I learn Thai? Well, during my wanderlust stage, I found a place offering Thai lessons in Taipei. Before long, I was fascinated with the language, and since Thailand is a popular tourist destination especially for those in East Asia, I thought it would be quite useful to learn Thai to a more proficient level. Thai is quite related to the Teochew dialect(潮州話), which in turn also quite similar to Taiwanese and Cantonese, and I find it interesting spotting the similarities in these languages. Regarding the role of godfather, I'll try to help when I can, but I can't really answer questions related to grammar. I think I can answer questions regarding everyday usage(from a Taiwanese point of view, as some terms or popular usage differ between Mainland China & Taiwan), literature, and even some classic Chinese. Edited by iawia on 31 December 2012 at 12:12pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| druckfehler Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 4867 days ago 1181 posts - 1912 votes Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Korean Studies: Persian | Message 4 of 26 31 December 2012 at 12:52pm | IP Logged |
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Godfather it is, then :) Great! I'm sure other members with good Mandarin skills will be able to help out with grammar questions.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Bakunin Diglot Senior Member Switzerland outerkhmer.blogspot. Joined 5129 days ago 531 posts - 1126 votes Speaks: German*, Thai Studies: Khmer | Message 5 of 26 31 December 2012 at 1:27pm | IP Logged |
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Great to have you on the team, fellow Thai learner! I'm looking forward to following your progress.
You may already know this, but there are several providers offering TV on demand outside of Thailand. I personally use dootv.tv, but there are more. My provider seems to archive the complete Thai TV program since they started operating a few years ago. This gives you an enormous amount of stuff to watch at your convenience. I pay around 8 USD per month for unlimited access, which is not much for the amount of TV accessible. When I was in the lower intermediate stages, I loved to watch travel shows and other documentaries (lifestyle shows, food etc.) because such content is easier to comprehend than the constant bickering in Thai soaps. But this could also be a matter of preference... and I'm still not watching Thai soaps :) One show I can really recommend is the Tonight Show on channel 3 (I think). They have half an hour of travel stuff which they discuss in a group of 4, and then half an hour a talk show. Good luck with TAC 2013! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| yuhakko Tetraglot Senior Member FranceRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4631 days ago 414 posts - 582 votes Speaks: French*, EnglishB2, EnglishC2, Spanish, Japanese Studies: Korean, Norwegian, Mandarin | Message 6 of 26 01 January 2013 at 10:39pm | IP Logged |
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Great introduction! Quite the combination and I like it very much. I had no idea Thai was
a bit related to a Chinese dialect ! That must be quite pleasuring to find those similar points. How long have you been learning Thai by the way? I've heard it was really difficult but you make it look like a piece of cake ;) Anyway, good luck with your journey teammate! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| iawia Bilingual Pentaglot Newbie Taiwan Joined 4588 days ago 35 posts - 55 votes Speaks: EnglishC2, Mandarin*, Taiwanese*, Cantonese, Spanish Studies: Thai, Japanese | Message 7 of 26 01 January 2013 at 11:28pm | IP Logged |
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@Yuhakko
It seems that although Thai and Chinese are in separate language families, Tai-Kadai and Sino-Tibetan, there are many borrow words from Chinese, especially from the Teochews, who make up the biggest group of Chinese immigrants in Thailand. Chinese borrow words have replaced many words with Indian or Khmer roots, mostly in colloquial use. Teochew in turn is quite similar to Minnan or Taiwanese(whatever you call it), so yeah, it was quite pleasant spotting the similarities. Regarding the difficulty, Thai is placed in Category 2 (for English speakers) by FSI standards, along with Turkish, Persian, but not so difficult as Chinese and the East Asian languages. But I'm a native speaker of Chinese, so I basically had some advantages in vocabulary, tones(5 tones in Thai compared to 9 in Cantonese, 8 in Taiwanese and 4 in Mandarin), and word combinations(like short phrases with the words "come" and "go"). Sometimes the word order is similar, so I hardly learned any grammar during my study of Thai. Therefore, I am quite satisfied with my progress in Thai, for which I studied for about 14 months. The biggest difficulties for me now are the words with Pali, Sanskrit and Khmer roots, these are the words that are considered "more elegant" and more often used in official situations, and are quite often used in the news, government and religion related topics, and so on. These words also use some letters seldom used in the Thai alphabet, and the spelling rules are more irregular. I also have the idea that Thai is more difficult to master, more difficult to sound like a native speaker, for there are some times in which the sentence structure is very peculiar. Edited by iawia on 01 January 2013 at 11:28pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| kraemder Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5183 days ago 1497 posts - 1648 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Spanish, Japanese | Message 8 of 26 02 January 2013 at 12:09am | IP Logged |
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I'm impressed with your foreign language achievements to date and look forward to reading your log. Typically I'll see people with wanderlust studying several languages at once and I don't expect much but it seems you have a good track record of learning several languages at the same time already so you're one of the few who can do it. がんばってください！
1 person has voted this message useful |
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