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Marco’s Odyssey | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| marco.of.europa Groupie Ireland Joined 5049 days ago 46 posts - 47 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 25 of 56 08 February 2011 at 1:02am | IP Logged | ||
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Le jour de l'odyssée: Dix-neuf Le jour: Lundi, le 7 février, 2011 Current Challenge: Initial Twenty Day Challenge, Day: Dix-huit Initial Twenty Day Challenge.: oui IP1: non IP2: oui SP-Mem: non Mini Challenge: non Le français: Oui Aujourd'hui: F1: J'ai écouté a la deuxième unité du Pimsleur II. (Pimsleur II - 2/30). F2: Le 20 Hrs ne marche pas! :( J'ai regardé le 13 Hrs pour 25 min. F3: J'ai lu un article de 'Le monde', et aussi j'ai écrit les nouveaux mots dans mon carnet. F4: Assimil: (5/113) F5: La grammaire: (7/297) IP2 - La grande campagne! Oui Le délai: 31/3/2011 : Les jours restant: 52. A. .5 - (2.5/23) Mes pensées: Le français: Je ne veux pas écrire en français ce soir. J'en ai marre parce que le 20 hrs ne marche pas. L'allemand: Je le commencerai en 69 jours. Le japanais (le kanji): Je le commencerai en 69 jours. En anglais I'm very jittery today. I still haven't settled into a routine and my efforts with the 'mini-challenge' are failing miserably. Discipline... I really need to get a grip on this area of my life. Each day feels like a struggle, I'm pushing back French further and further each day, playing brinkmanship with myself... is this the day I fail, is this the day I quit? So much pointless stress. So much pointless musing. Tomorrow is only the 20th day of this Odyssey, yet it feels an eternity since I started. My French grammar needs a lot of work, and while I'm enjoying the audio courses I don't think they're the best method for me. I think I learn best working through formal exercises and identifying my mistakes. It also makes me feel that I am 'getting somewhere'. I've decided to start working through a grammar book. I've chosen 'Schaum's French Grammar' and it seems like a good place to start. It's not too simple and it's not too complex. It has many exercises in each chapter and provides answers. It has 297 pages (main text), so if I were to get through a page a day I'd be finished before year's end. Ideally I would also learn the new vocabulary it introduces using flashcards or something. However, given that I'm already spending a lot of time each day studying French, I'll be satisfied if I just read through a page every day and do the exercises as they arise. I may decided to start on a second basic grammar book too. I subscribe to the idea that two teachers are better than one. Having a small goal of one page a day would give me time to look at a second grammar book too. Ultimately, I envisage that I will need to study a more comprehensive grammar book if I am to attain my goal of a C2 in French. But for now this one should help me a lot. ---- Okay after writing the above, I did my Pimsleur unit, I got really in it (there was no one else in the house at the time), and I felt much better afterwards. Then I started on IP2, but I only managed half a segment, and I'm disappointed with myself. Then I did 7 pages from the grammar book, and found that I really enjoyed doing the exercises. However my enjoyment was a little marred by my failure to complete today's work on IP2. I did my unit of Assimil, and then I decided to watch 'le 20 hrs', but it was blocked for my region! I hope it's just temporary... I really like that show. At the end of a confusing news piece Laurence Ferrari's quirky little smile is always very reassuring! M 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| mr_chinnery Senior Member England Joined 5748 days ago 202 posts - 297 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 26 of 56 08 February 2011 at 4:14pm | IP Logged | ||
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Don't put yourself under so much pressure dude, just enjoy it! Not doing any French for a
day or two doesn't mean you've quit. Your log suggests you're pretty dedicated IMO! If you don't like your current grammar book you could do alot worse than ISBN=9781406652345">this , I bought the Italian version not long ago and it's superb. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| marco.of.europa Groupie Ireland Joined 5049 days ago 46 posts - 47 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 27 of 56 08 February 2011 at 11:46pm | IP Logged | ||
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@ mr chinnery. Thanks for the support. I'm afraid that if I miss just one day, then I might stop for a whole year or more. That has happened with other projects in the past. :(
I had a flick through the book you recommended on google books. The paragraph about rhythm on page 19 answered a question I had. Thanks for the tip! :) http://books.google.ie/books?id=Z8mDFKXljqwC&lpg=PP1&ots=2iA dFw4YcK&dq=ISBN%3D9781406652345&pg=PP20#v=onepage&q&f=false 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| marco.of.europa Groupie Ireland Joined 5049 days ago 46 posts - 47 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 28 of 56 09 February 2011 at 1:00am | IP Logged | ||
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Le jour de l'odyssée: Vingt Le jour: Mardi, le 8 février, 2011 Current Challenge: Initial Twenty Day Challenge, Day: Dix-neuf Initial Twenty Day Challenge.: non IP1: non IP2: non SP-Mem: non Mini Challenge: non Le français: Oui Aujourd'hui: F1: J'ai écouté a une unité du Pimsleur II. (Pimsleur II - 3/30). F2: J'ai regardé le TF1 pour 50 min F3: J'ai lu un article de 'Le monde', et aussi j'ai écrit les nouveaux mots dans mon carnet. F4: Assimil: (6/113) F5: La grammaire: (14/297) IP2 - La grande campagne! malheureusement, non Le délai: 31/3/2011 : Les jours restant: 51. A. rien - - (2.5/23) Mes pensées: Le français: 'Le 20 hrs' marche encore. :) L'allemand: Je le commencerai en 68 jours. Le japanais (le kanji): Je le commencerai en 68 jours. En anglais: The Good: Did my Pim, Assimil, tf1, grammar and Le Monde. Again. The not so good: - I skipped work on IP2 again (and for that matter IP1). - I watched part of a French film today, les visiters and understood very little of it, even though I've watched it now a few times. - I went to the DALF website last night after posting the log and read the requirements for B1 - C2. I felt intimidated. - Overall I've felt a little discouraged today. I'm expecting too much, too soon. I'm being irrational. This is only day 20 of this log, and only day 19 of watching tf1 and tracking my progress. I should give it more time. What do I expect? To be speaking fluently after 19 days of watching TF1? That's ridiculous. I need to stop continually evaluating my progress. It's not helping. I need a distant focal point. A hundred days has a nice ring to it. I'll try to stop evaluating (and worrying) about my progress until a 100 days of watching TF1, le monde etc have elapsed. I've already had 19 days, so there's only 81 remaining ~ sometime mid May ~ By then I should have brushed up on my grammar and finished pim, and most of assimil (part one). Now that I think about it, mid May is summer time, maybe I could hop on a jet and stay in France for a week, I could do with a holiday, and a reward, I'd also find out how good my French is... pourquoi non? Ok! - I just had a look on ryanair and flights to Paris in May and June are reasonable.... pourquoi non indeed! It's funny, but typing this log really helps. I feel much better now. Thoughts clarified, sights reset. M (19/100) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| mr_chinnery Senior Member England Joined 5748 days ago 202 posts - 297 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 29 of 56 09 February 2011 at 2:21am | IP Logged | ||
That's how I felt when I first started. I think we're at a similar level, albeit in different languages. I've given up being frustrated by trying (perhaps expecting) to understand entire conversations I see on Italian TV, and instead get most satisfaction from hearing an Italian word and not having to consciously translate it. If I hear for example, 'voglio', in Italian I may as well be hearing 'I want' in English. It just makes sense instantly, know what I mean? Hopefully In a year or so entire conversations will be thus, and these early hard yards will all be worth it! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| marco.of.europa Groupie Ireland Joined 5049 days ago 46 posts - 47 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 30 of 56 10 February 2011 at 2:12am | IP Logged | ||
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@ mr chinnery: - Yes you're right about the unconscious translation bit. I still find myself translating it in my head, which of course completely throws me. Only sometimes do I get my french groove on and just seem to understand them without having to translate it. Unfortunately those periods are short, few, and far between.
I found I followed TF1 better today than yesterday. I was more relaxed today too. Maybe there's a sweet spot between concentrating too much on what is being said (and thus consciously translating), and not paying enough attention (and thus missing it). - oh and roll on the 9th Feb 2012 when hopefully we'll both be following the tv discussions sans problem ;) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| marco.of.europa Groupie Ireland Joined 5049 days ago 46 posts - 47 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 31 of 56 10 February 2011 at 2:28am | IP Logged | ||
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Le jour de l'odyssée: Vingt et un Le jour: Mercredi, le 9 février, 2011 Current Challenge: Initial Twenty Day Challenge, Day: 20 Initial Twenty Day Challenge.: non IP1: non IP2: non SP-Mem: non Mini Challenge: non Le français: Oui Aujourd'hui: F1: J'ai écouté a une unité du Pimsleur II. (Pimsleur II - 4/30). F2: J'ai regardé le TF1 pour 30 min F3: J'ai lu un article de 'Le monde', et aussi j'ai écrit les nouveaux mots dans mon carnet. F4: Assimil: (7/113) F5: La grammaire: (19/297) IP2 - La grande campagne! malheureusement, non Le délai: 31/3/2011 : Les jours restant: 50. A. rien - - (2.5/23) Mes pensées: Le français: ... ??? ... L'allemand: Je le commencerai en 67 jours. Le japanais (le kanji): Je le commencerai en 67jours. En anglais: The 'Initial Twenty Day Challenge' has been completed, thank heavens, I was getting rather sick of looking at it at the top of each post. Grammar - I'll have to review it, I'm not sure it's sinking in as much as I'd like. Side benefits - The grammar exercises are also improving my handwriting and spelling as I'm rewriting the entire sentence in each exercise. Le Monde - I transcribed some sentences into my vocab copybook. I liked their construction. I really must investigate flashcard software though, as I don't think I'm making the most of the exercise without it. TF1 - today was a little better. There was a nice moment when some of the vocab (in le monde) which I had looked up yesterday was mentioned in a news segment and I recognised it. Ahh the little victories. :) Assimil - Has it been a week already? I can't believe it. M (20/100 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| marco.of.europa Groupie Ireland Joined 5049 days ago 46 posts - 47 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 32 of 56 10 February 2011 at 11:53pm | IP Logged | ||
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Le jour de l'odyssée: Vingt-deux Le jour: Jeudi, le 10 février, 2011 Le français: Oui Aujourd'hui: F1: J'ai écouté a une unité du Pimsleur II. (Pimsleur II - 5/30). F2: J'ai regardé le TF1 pour 20 min F3: J'ai lu un article de 'Le monde', et aussi j'ai écrit les nouveaux mots dans mon carnet. F4: Assimil: (8/113) F5: La grammaire: (22/297) IP2 - La grande campagne! malheureusement, non Le délai: 31/3/2011 : Les jours restant: 49. A. rien - - (2.5/23) Mes pensées: Le français: Aujourd'hui je ne pense pas en français. IP2 - La grande campage - ...? L'allemand: Je le commencerai en 66 jours. Le japanais (le kanji): Je le commencerai en 66 jours. En anglais: Listened to the Pimsleur unit twice. The lessons mentioned taking a taxi or taking the subway, - now I have a crazy urge to watch the movies 'taxi' and 'subway' again. I investigated flashcard software - Anki. I watched some tutorial videos on youtube to learn how to use it. I downloaded it and experimented a little with the Kanji deck. It looks good. Ever since my schooldays (when I was about 8/9 years old) I've had a prejudice against flashcards. As part of this odyssey I'd like to move past it and implement this useful learning technique. I also had a quick look at dailyfrenchpod.com. It also looks good. I think I might add it to my daily French study activities. Balance - I was able to surf the web looking at sites about language learning today without getting completely side-tracked. In the end, I did my own language activities today. For me that's progress. However I'm still not working on IP2 - I think this is because I'm at an important stage with it, and I've become a little intimidated. Tomorrow I have to take it on again. M (21/100) 1 person has voted this message useful |
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