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Intermediate Thai | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Bakunin Diglot Senior Member Switzerland outerkhmer.blogspot. Joined 5122 days ago 531 posts - 1126 votes  Speaks: German*, Thai Studies: Khmer | Message 9 of 12 30 June 2012 at 1:59pm | IP Logged |
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Week 26 (-30.06.2012)
Listening: 8.5 hours Reading: 9 hours Speaking: 4.5 hours, of which 2 hours tutoring Writing: 2.5 hours Daily Scriptorum (20 min) and memorization (1 simple dialogue) I've reached all my weekly targets. In the tutoring sessions, after consulting the HTLAL forum, I've chosen to do the following for the next few weeks: about 10 minutes chatting, about 20-30 minutes working on conversational phrases (see below), and the rest talking about a topic chosen by my tutor (and sent to me in advance). I like being given a topic (rather than choosing one), because it helps me to broaden my vocabulary in areas that are not necessarily my main areas of interest. Ever since reading about FluentCzechs 'connectors', it was clear to me that I needed to work on them. I understand those 'connectors' perfectly well, but they are not part of my active vocabulary. Moreover, I often struggle to maintain fluency in conversations, because I can't express certain concepts. So I came up with a list of topics or concepts that I want to work on, like expressing certainty/uncertainty, expressing doubt, buying time, making suggestions, denying suggestions, asking for opinions etc. I will go through that list with my tutor one at a time and look at typical constructions. So far we've covered expressing opinions and expressing certainty/uncertainty. None of the expressions were new, but I actively use only a few of them. Even though I provide my tutor with examples in English in advance (so that he can prepare himself), we've agreed that he doesn't just translate them, and we've already seen that the differences between Thai and Western culture make a big difference in what to say and how to say it. My tutoring sessions are 100% in Thai. If I don't understand something and think I need to understand it, I want to have an explanation in Thai. If I still don't get it, then I rather leave it for now, knowing that I will learn it at some later point. I finished reading the 'Neverending Story' and started with คดีลึกลับ สืบจากศพ (หมา), a detective story. I briefly started to read a book for children about life in Southern Thailand, but I was so bored by the first two chapters that I threw it away. The detective story is really captivating, I just wish I had more time (energy?) to read... Edited by Bakunin on 30 June 2012 at 3:11pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Bakunin Diglot Senior Member Switzerland outerkhmer.blogspot. Joined 5122 days ago 531 posts - 1126 votes Speaks: German*, Thai Studies: Khmer | Message 10 of 12 07 July 2012 at 2:55pm | IP Logged |
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Week 25 (–07.07.2012)
Listening: 8.5 hours Reading: 7.5 hours Speaking: 5 hours, of which 1 hour tutoring Writing: 3 hours Daily Scriptorum (20 min) and memorization (1 simple dialogue) I've reached all my weekly targets. My tutoring sessions are coming along fine. I'm working on connectors and conversational helpers in the first part (after some chit-chat, of course, which can take up to 15 minutes), and in the second we discuss a topic that my tutor suggests and I prepare. So far, we've covered Songran, ladyboys and the Chinese space program, and up next is health risks from mobile phones. It's a diverse range of subjects and I like it that way. It's maybe a bit early, but I think I can already notice that I can express myself better. I also notice that I use some of the connectors and conversational phrases as well as phrases from my Scriptorum and memorization practice in private chats with friends. They just pop up. The book I'm reading at the moment, คดีลึกลับ สืบจากศพ (หมา) (a detective story), is clearly more difficult than the Neverending Story. I'm well below the suggested 98% for extensive reading, and sometimes there are full sentences that I don't get. I also didn't get a few key facts necessary to appreciate the details of the unfolding plot. Never mind. It's still interesting, I get the overall story quite well, and I don't have any other book with me that I want to read right now (I'm traveling at the moment). A few months ago, I bought a lot of books for young readers that have already arrived at home, so I will be able to return to easier stuff soon. I'm thinking about adjusting my weekly targets to Listening 5, Reading 4, Speaking 3 and Writing 2, plus Scriptorum and memorization. Or about going to monthly targets and writing only monthly summaries here. Need to give it more thought, though. Edited by Bakunin on 07 July 2012 at 4:14pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Bakunin Diglot Senior Member Switzerland outerkhmer.blogspot. Joined 5122 days ago 531 posts - 1126 votes Speaks: German*, Thai Studies: Khmer | Message 11 of 12 14 July 2012 at 4:45pm | IP Logged |
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Week 26 (–14.07.2012)
Listening: 9 hours Reading: 5 hours Speaking: 10.5 hours, of which 2 hours tutoring Writing: 2 hours 5 x Scriptorum (20 min) and memorization (1 simple dialogue) This week, I didn't reach my targets for Scriptorum and Memorization. The reason being that I'm in Thailand for a few days and just don't find the time to work quietly. Never mind. On the positive side, I'm getting a lot of speaking practice. I clearly see my speaking benefitting from all the activities I undertake: Scriptorum, Memorization, tutoring (conversing on particular subjects plus working on connectors), and, of course, listening and reading. As other people here have observed as well, it is important to mix up your study habits once you've reached intermediate. I'm also working on a website where I'm planning to publish 5-minute audio clips and the corresponding transcripts on a variety of everyday subjects (going to the dentist, beach vacation, taking a long-distance bus, etc.). The clips are unscripted, natural speech, basically story-telling. I've got about 35 clips waiting to be transcribed, and I'm planning on commissioning a lot more. Not sure if this will be met with a lot of interest, but I'll do it all the same :) Edited by Bakunin on 14 July 2012 at 7:08pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Bakunin Diglot Senior Member Switzerland outerkhmer.blogspot. Joined 5122 days ago 531 posts - 1126 votes Speaks: German*, Thai Studies: Khmer | Message 12 of 12 19 August 2012 at 7:23pm | IP Logged |
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After the crash of this site in July or August, I've decided to stop updating my log for the time being. The main goal
was anyway to enforce some discipline, and I feel like I've achieved that. My monthly totals are at about 70-100 hours, and my speaking time is usually at or above target. There's still a hell of a lot to do, but I'll get there eventually. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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