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Snowflake’s Mandarin Log | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes  Studies: Mandarin | Message 393 of 740 02 May 2011 at 7:47pm | IP Logged |
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I started echoing CLO dialogs 82 days ago. Since learning a language doesn't necessarily have rites of passage or build in markers, I should probably find some way of celebrating reaching 100 days.... haven't the faintest idea how though.
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| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 394 of 740 03 May 2011 at 9:12pm | IP Logged |
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I mentioned that it was overwhelming how many vocabulary terms there are in this current level which aren't necessarily used in the separate dialogs/summaries being used for echoing/shadowing. Thank goodness this is a progressive course so the terms will be reused. A separate column has been added to my spreadsheet to track listening to lessons. I was also looking ahead at the next levels, talk about feeling daunted. Had to remind myself that this is intermediate. Then I looked at the CEFR levels. Assuming I can shake myself into freely conversing with native speakers, by the time I'm finished with all these CLO levels my speaking should be at B2. The thing is changing myself to not be shy about speaking in Mandarin is a pretty large problem so am approaching that as an ABA training exercise.
I was talking to a native speaker who was explaining something using a 成语 (cheng2yu3). She wrote it in characters and pinyin. The thing was she expected me to be familiar with it in Chinese, not even in English. The 成语 was from Lao3zi3 (老子). The only 成语s I know are from the CLO material and those are pretty basic. Edited by Snowflake on 03 May 2011 at 9:25pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 395 of 740 08 May 2011 at 10:03pm | IP Logged |
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I spent more time this week thinking through my approach than actual nose to the grindstone studying. I was mostly thinking about how to get myself to speak more in Mandarin when face-to-face with a native speaker. This weekend I made one tiny change which is making a noticeable difference. I have a habit of often looking away from the speaker so as to concentrate on the content of what is being said. This is in both English and Mandarin. Well instead I made a point of looking at peoples' eyes while they were speaking in Mandarin. It was a different feeling and yes it affected my comprehension (less). The thing is that I found it more natural to respond in Mandarin instead of English....eg I did not automatically respond in English.
Update; Something funny...there are some vocabulary items in this CLO level that I expected would be a while before actually encountering in usage. Well I heard them used this weekend, repeatedly. One particular term came up in the same context as in the associated CLO dialog. I don't know if it's the level or what, but the CLO vocabulary and what I've previously collected seem to be coming together lately. Edited by Snowflake on 09 May 2011 at 12:02am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 396 of 740 11 May 2011 at 5:02am | IP Logged |
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This week is turning out like the last in that I'm spenting more time thinking through my approach. I also got a copy of "Achieving Success in Second Language Acquisition" and am looking through it. Some of the insights have been along the lines of things like...oh, so that's why I don't like typical textbooks. It also has helped to explain my rather odd learning curve for many things.
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| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 397 of 740 14 May 2011 at 5:21am | IP Logged |
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I've started to work on putting together some "islands" ala Boris Shekhtman... tend to think of islands as Toastmasters meets language learning. Given my introvert tendencies, these islands are very important. It's easier for me to talk at length about a hobby that most people won't be interested in instead of talking about myself and my family. But since I am ethnic Chinese, most native speakers are extremely interested in hearing about my family.
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| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 398 of 740 18 May 2011 at 2:42am | IP Logged |
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I’m taking tiny steps forward in talking face-to-face with native speakers. Sometimes what comes out is a bit odd...this morning I said 晚安 (wan3an1) to someone. Then later in the morning we said 早安 to each other in unison which was rather funny. In case people are wondering why that greeting, this particular person is from Taiwan. But beyond that, so far all the mainlanders I've encountered here say 早安, 晚安 and other specific Taiwanese phrases. I think it's part and parcel of these Mandarin speakers, from different places, learning to be in community with each other. Anyhow, most people would scoff at my tiny steps. But this is what I need right now, small non-intimidating steps which encourage me to continue forward...it's about changing my mindset. To use a training term, I'm "shaping" myself.
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| Snowflake Senior Member United States Joined 5957 days ago 1032 posts - 1233 votes Studies: Mandarin | Message 399 of 740 26 May 2011 at 3:52am | IP Logged |
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Doing my periodic bang head here ==> X
How long have I been at this and where am I?! I am getting better at sliding in short Mandarin phrases when speaking with a native speaker, instead of being totally shy about any Mandarin and therefore speaking totally in English. Trying to memorize my first island which frankly will have to change in July since it's about my daughter who just graduated from college. Sigh. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| irrationale Tetraglot Senior Member China Joined 6048 days ago 669 posts - 1023 votes 2 sounds Speaks: English*, Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog Studies: Ancient Greek, Japanese | Message 400 of 740 26 May 2011 at 8:48am | IP Logged |
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Hey I just want to say 加油! I have been following your log off and on for a while now. I know that you have a bunch of commitments between you family, job, etc, which always impresses me that someone keeps moving forward in an already busy life.
So anyway, soldier on my friend. I am rooting for you. 有志者事竟成！ Edited by irrationale on 26 May 2011 at 8:50am 1 person has voted this message useful |
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