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Improving my Spanish and french | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes  Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 17 of 30 08 May 2011 at 8:02pm | IP Logged |
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Gracias. Tengo que trabajar mucho for los éxitos. Pero la suerte es siempre útil. :-)
So, another week is behind me. As the exams are coming closer, I have much less time for my languages. Nonetheless I have done a few units of Spanish exercises (the grammar seems quite easy to me, a good sign) and a piece of the German internet course. I doubt I'll have any time for languages during the next week but there is still the weekend to look forward to. I thought of going to an intensive french course during the summer but I have huge troubles finding one for me. Most schools don't open intensive conversational courses and I won't spend whole summer at home to be able to go to the language school twice a week. Some schools only open french for too low levels. And I don't know which level of course to take anyways, because my results in various placement tests vary from A2 to C1. I still think of myself as of a lower B2. I nearly left the idea of going to a course. Perhaps I should complete my grammar knowledge instead. And I started looking for a German textbook. When I was in the bookstore, I looked for some french and Spanish as well and it's horrible. Is it only my feeling or do they really make new textbooks and new versions of old ones thinner and more filled with pictures than text? And they are more expensive (probably because of the colorful pictures). And most of them prides themselves in using as little grammar as possible. And good news for the ending: I think that with my current progress (slow but still existing), I might get my Spanish grammar, vocabulary and listening to A2 during the beginning of the summer. My reading is already there so I'll only need to practice speaking after to catch up. :-) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 18 of 30 15 May 2011 at 10:22pm | IP Logged |
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Hello,
since I started the log, this has been the first week where I had done quite nothing for my languages. I had enough to do for school. I have (barely) passed an exam. Another one comes in the beginning of June. So, next week, I'll be moving my languages forward again. See you than. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 19 of 30 24 May 2011 at 8:03pm | IP Logged |
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Another week (and a few days) gone. I have done about ten units from grammar and vocabulary exercises for Spanish and they are quite short ones. Nothing for the rest of languages. I have lots to do for school, I don't have any chance to pass my nearest exam at first try. Will see how it goes.
Funny is that the less time I have for studying languages, the more of them I want on my hit list. :-) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 20 of 30 03 June 2011 at 3:30pm | IP Logged |
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So, I am back to my log. Even though last week or so was a bit crazy, I have made bits of time for my languages. It's a great way to relax for me. And it's good to see I am progressing at least in something.
Spanish. I have made some exercises of both vocabulary and grammar and now I am at about half of both the exercise books meant for levels A1-A2, I should finish those in a month at most, the exercises are quite easy. But perhaps more important is that I have finally put audio of my main textbook in my mp3 player so I can listen to the dialogues regularly. I have spent about an hour listening during last four days. I actually believe my passive skills are already on the intermediate level, just need to move the active ones there as well. French. I have moved a bit further with my reviewing of basics as I am trying to catch details left from the past. And I have found a non-internet french radio here! I don't know how or why, but my listening comprehension is better than last time I tried (few months ago). If my school studies go right (which doesn't look so at the moment but I shouldn't give up hopes since I have no other choice than to continue and pass the damn exams at some point), I start preparing myself for Dalf C1 (planned for 2012 or 2013). And I postponed my plans for serious learning of German because of Swedish. I listened to Abba in it and realized it might be a better choice of a language studied just for fun. Of course I will learn German in future but I know it will be much more difficult and I don't have the will now. It's kind of adventure to try learning pronounciation without any teacher, this is the first time I am learning true beginnings without anyone. I am in the first lesson of Colloquial (and probably will stay here for some time, no rush). It seems to be a good textbook but the audio has two mistakes. First is, that there are not all the pronunciation exemples on the recording and I could do with them. Second is, that there is too much English. I don't need the recording to slowly read the English explanations for me, it's actually annoying and it's taking away time that could have been filled with Swedish. But one can't have everything. When I have more time, I'll start with FSI. It looks like a course with lots of material. And have you seen the images of vikings and dragons? :-D 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 21 of 30 14 June 2011 at 1:32pm | IP Logged |
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A bit more than a week has passed. I've been busy with school and another exam is planned for this Thursday (I have no chance to pass, next attempt in September,good bye summer holidays). But I have slightly continued with Swedish (Assimil lessons 1-3 and Colloquial lesson 1) and read a great BD in French. Have done a bit of listening for Spanish as well.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 22 of 30 04 July 2011 at 2:31pm | IP Logged |
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Hello, two weeks passed and I'm back to my log. I had to leave my languages aside a bit but I passed an important exam! I am now much closer to getting to the next year of my studies.
I have come back to languages and Assimil which I find wonderful because of the short lessons. My Swedish is still in the beginnings but I consider joining the 6 week challenge and most probably with this (or German if more people decide to try it). Unless something comes to it (like another attempt on a nightmare exam coming in September. hopefully I'll get rid of this exam in July) Now I am still at lesson 8 of Assimil Swedish, since I had to review a bit. Not sure how fast to continue, I'll see. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 23 of 30 13 July 2011 at 12:55pm | IP Logged |
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Back in my log. After longer time, there is more to mention.
I've returned to maintaining my French now. During just a few days, I've read whole first and half of the second book of french translation of Southern Vampire Mysteries. Even though my French had suffered from my lack of attention lately, the books seem quite easy to me. Perhaps because of being traductions, perhaps because the kind of readers they are aimed to. Most times, I don't know only a word or two per page. Sometimes more but it is quite rare. The books are really enjoyable. And it is a really pleasant surprise to be able to read more than just BDs without trouble after longer time. ANd I have come to some useful vocabulary as well. I've even started looking through Assimil New French with Ease. I am doing only the active wave (and rather fast than deep) and most of it is, of course, easy to me. But some of the dialogues are very interesting and I belive Assimil could help me with my active skills. My Spanish lies untouched. A mistake, I know. But I plan to get back to it. Swedish. Really slow progress. I have probably too much fallen in love with French again as completely new horizon opens to me. Not sure why, but somehow I feel more at ease with it than a year ago when I was working more on it. I am looking forward to the August 6wc. It will come at the same time as my preparations for a huge exam so I will take it really lightly. Just fun, something different to study and more importantly, completely different ways of studying. I am still thinking about the language I should participate with. I have already begun with Swedish and I am not sure whether German would not interfere with it. It might not, if I move far enough with German. With German, I could enjoy more the atmospere of being in a team. And most importantly, if I don't trully dive in German now, I am not sure whether I'll get the courage sometime in future. But there is one more thing waiting. It's the latin. I have an exam of medical latin in August. I am about to find my textbook (buried somewhere on my table probably) and start an anki pack of vocabulary. The grammar required is achiavable in a week or two but there is quite an amount of vocabulary. And there are a few tiny bits of Ancient Greek as well included. It's actually funny that I have completely forgotten the grammar for third(?) time, it seems as if me and latin dislike each other. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5000 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 24 of 30 25 July 2011 at 6:09pm | IP Logged |
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Back to my log, after nearly 2 weeks.
Most of my languages is now quietly standing in the corner, waiting for me to have time for them. But there are two exceptions. French- I continue reading and I have started watching a tv series in french (the Vampire Diaries. Yes,there are better series but this is a nice simple thing to relax with (but the French there seems difficult to me sometimes. It most probably depends on who is talking)) Latin- I am in the half of my textbook, writting down grammar and putting vocabulary in anki. I would like to pass my exam well. Funny thing is, that not long ago I thought that the exam would be my good bye to latin. But perhaps, I might continue. You know, I'll have the basics of grammar covered and I found out there is a latin version of Harry Potter. Not that I would need to read that in all the languages necessarily, but it lead me to a question. Are there more modern books translated to latin? And which books of "classics" do you find pleasant to read? Perhaps this is not the best place to ask. Goodbye, see you soon. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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