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Sunja’s Newspaper/TV Challenge --TAC 09 | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes  1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 81 of 232 08 February 2009 at 1:15pm | IP Logged |
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I went over some of my flashcards. It seems two days made a difference because I missed quite a few.
睫 - I added an extra consonant - wrong. 瓜実顔 I got "gao" correct but the rest wrong. I knew it had something to do with "face" 瞳 - first part wrong, rest correct 包み - correct 一面 - correct 仰向きに - first part correct, middle wrong. 指す - correct 程よく - so incredibly-wrong 奥 - correct 覗き込む - almost had it but wrong ぱっちりと - meaning wrong 無論 - correct 程度 - word correct, meaning wrong 輪郭 - wroooooong The story is a bit abstract -- and I haven't gone through it enough to know the vocabulary well. With every shadowing I get closer to understanding it. it reeks Existentialism. It's the kind of stuff (Beckett) I had to read in high school -- many moons ago. I have to be careful. I'm starting to get impatient. The first few times of shadowing (both the Spanish and Japanese stories) I was tickled just to be able to keep up. Now I want to master it .. tomorrow. Paaatience. I was feeling pretty good today and I went outside to do my shadowing. Big mistake. Biiiig mistake. Frozen lips and ice on the ground are not suitable conditions for shadowing a foreign language. I have to wait for a thaw before I venture one foot into that forest again. I came back and tried to make good on my attempt and shadowed the Japanese story twice. That makes it my 6th shadowing if I'm not mistaken. I've gotten half way through with the scriptorium technique. The passages are starting to make sense. I made it to the part where I though the woman was talking about a box and she was actually talking about a grave. Bit of a difference in meaning, there. "hako no soba ni" and haka no soba ni" sound the about same in that particular context. The Spanish story I decided to take more slowly. I went through it few words, pause, few words, pause, etc. I'm having pronunciation problems. I have no troulble doing the Japanese but my Spanish pronunciation is a bit rusty. I have to really pay attention to "Hizo seña..." and "...y le ofrecí el brazo..." and "Bernárdez". The narrator speaks with a heavy lisp accent. It´s hard to follow her at that speed. I´m taking it slow. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 82 of 232 10 February 2009 at 3:19am | IP Logged |
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Shadowing Soseki #7 and #8 (c. 8.00min) -- I'm getting closer. I'm starting to match the timing of the speaker now. Especially over the parts where I've used the scriptorium technique. Half of the story is still "blind" - that is, I haven't used the scriptorium technique on all of it yet. So I get tripped up on some really fast word/sound combinations but I'm getting better. The last part of the story will be challenging. I still can't keep up with the last paragraph. However, I can match the speaker's exhasperation as he's sitting next to that woman's grave, waiting and waiting for those 100 years to pass! Luckily I won't have to wait quite that long before I've mastered this short story.
I like keeping track of how many times I shadow. It disciplines me to do it correctly (according to the demonstration video). The only difference is that I'm not outside. Other than that I think I'm doing it as the professor dictates. The reason I'm being so rigid is because I've been through over 2,000 words with IKnow! since November and I don't feel like I know these words. Obviously it's a question of EXPOSURE. I simply haven't had enough. I've tried allJapaneseallthetime, I've tried "shadowing" while doing dishes and driving in my car. I've done this ever since TAC started. All those IKnow! sentences are starting to blur together -- I think I'm approaching "IKnow! Burn-Out Syndrom". If I want to achieve my TAC goal I have to be more efficient. Shadowing in this manner is the only thing I haven't tried. These 2,000 words are MINE. I'm motivated. I'm ready. I have to work more closely with my "Sara y Agar" (Spanish) story. I'm going through it piece by piece. I'm grouping just a few words and a time and repeating them. It will take a loooot of work. I have to get back to my scriptorium technique -- say, is there a verb for this word?? -- scripting, copying??? I don't have much time today. I'd better get to it. Edited by Sunja on 10 February 2009 at 3:23am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 83 of 232 12 February 2009 at 12:43pm | IP Logged |
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Shadowing Soseki #9 (c. 8.00min) -- I'm about 2 sentences shy of finishing writing (scriptorium). Super. I've never really been over the last part of the story before, but thanks to all the shadowing, I can feel the speaker's voice echoing in my head as I'm sounding out the words. I'm getting a little tired of the story and I feel like I'm memorizing it. It's almost time to move on.
I've been keeping up (barely) at IKnow!. I'm still on schedule to start Core 6000, and I'm debating on whether I should put it off a month. I've started going over the sentences from Level 6 (a random pick) and I'm using the scriptorium technique. I haven't gotten very far. I just feel like I need something do do other than Soseki. I'm anxious to start shadowing the second story "The Third Night". What a creepy tale. Love it. Spanish: I'm thinking about changing stories for Spanish. "Sara y Agar" is just too damn long. I have "The Open Window" already printed out and ready to go, but the audio wasn't working today so I had to put off shadowing. I did 40 minutes dictation, "Inspired Beginners" with NiS.com. I'm sure my spelling is terrible but it's worth it for the practice. I'm behind in my work with these stories.. I've had the kids here for three days -- we've all been sick. I've had to help one make up her school work and the others are just bored to tears here at home. I've had my hands full with them. I can't wait to have a moment to myself tonight....just a few hours more... Edited by Sunja on 12 February 2009 at 1:33pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 84 of 232 13 February 2009 at 6:50am | IP Logged |
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Shadowing Soseki #10 (c. 8.00min)-- I finished copying the story and I worked a bit more with the last paragraph. There's a lot of unknown words and it moves fast at the climax. I was happy with the shadowing. What more be said. I'll be going over it every other day to give time for the new words to settle.
Shadowing "the Third Night" #1 (c. 5.00) -- I got interrupted so I didn't finish. It's easier to follow than the first one. I'm hoping to copy all of the story down today. I won't rush but the sentences "sound" relatively straightforward and easy. IKnow! Level 9 is at 70% completion, Level 10 will be done tomorrow (90%). I've decided not to start Core 6000 until I finish reviewing with those other two lists that I started a few weeks ago. I want to get back to my original schedule. Shadowing is more fun than grammar, but grammar must play a part. I'm going back to the book. I think I'll just pay attention to the grammar points and shadow the dialogues. I won't worry about speaking practice. I wanted to test myself at the end of February but I may put that off as well. No sense stressing myself out about it. I have a mock test of the JLPT 3 that I plan to use as a benchmark. I'll do it when I feel like it.. I'll be back in on Monday (I'm awaiting a response to a post I wrote). Aside from that I want to take a break from the Forum. I've been here too much. It's too easy to spend an hour here reading and posting when I'm stuck here in bed with the flu. There's really nothing interesting to read right now and that fact makes it all the more aggravating. Nothing warrants me spending so much time here. I'll keep a log ouside and update this one sometime next week. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 85 of 232 17 February 2009 at 5:32pm | IP Logged |
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I'm getting back to normal and playing catch-up.
I'm looking around for my noootesss.........the desk is complete chaos... No matter. I'm still hanging around in IKnow! Level 9 at 85%. I've gotten caught up with those two lists of JLPT Grammar and vocabulary -- they're both at 35% (completion) or so. I had to do 50 words (five lessons) each list for two days. It's been hard. This flu has really set me back. I still feel like I've been hit by a truck. I haven't done any shadowing (the Arguelles-way) since Friday. Today I went over some old material while driving. Right now I'm working on Lesson 4 Unit 2 out of my JFBP book, using the scriptorium technique. Here's news: Japanese will take somewhat of a backseat until I get used to this new Nachhilfe course that's just been dropped in my lap. It won't be much money but I'll be out Thursday and Friday nights tutoring. That means no study on those days. I'm really psyched to be working again. It's really bothered me this fall, not having a job. So that will change things around a bit. I'm afraid I'll have to put off Spanish until I'm sure I can keep up will all the things I have going for Japanese. (I was all set up to shadow a new story, too!) Level 9 will be completed in a few days. I guess the rest of those lists plus the book plus shadowing Soseki will be hard to juggle for a while. I'll do what I can to keep up (and stay focused.) Geez, it's already 5:30. Gotta go pick up my kids.. Edited by Sunja on 17 February 2009 at 5:36pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 86 of 232 19 February 2009 at 1:29pm | IP Logged |
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Yesterday: I got through all my current course lessons at IKnow! and I listened to a dialogue from my book. Then we had a bit of a sledding mishap and I spent the rest of the late afternoon with one of my kids at the Krankenhaus, doctoring a cut in the forehead. It was quite an ordeal...
This morning I spent a lot of time at IKnow! I've gone ahead and started Core 6000, Step 1 and I'm doing 3 lessons per day/30 words. They're a little harder than what I'm used to so I've decided to review. I switched all my completed courses "long-term" to start reviewing all the 2000 words that I've completed so far. I'll try to do 20 words for each of the levels 1-10 each day. It seems that IKnow! is the only thing I can do on days like what I've had lately. It takes such a great effort for me to pull out a book and study. It's shameful to just rely on these SRS programs, but it's nice that I can do these lessons without having to think too much about what it is I should be learning. I have to help my kids with their Hausaufgaben, we have Turnen to go to, and then I have to work tonight. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 87 of 232 24 February 2009 at 11:07am | IP Logged |
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Let's see, where was I...
I've been struggling to get back into the groove I was in before my new course started -- then Fasching hit. Today is Fat Tuesday and everyone is acting like it's spring already. There's been four kids' birthday parties this month alone. One birthday happening this afternoon and another one on Thursday. I've been buying birthday presents and I'm now completely broke for the rest of the month. I'm trying to keep up with IKnow!, reviewing 2,000 words. I've never gotten out of IKnow! without one of those "most urgent, need to study!" messages. I'm at 15% with Core6000 - 1 and still going strong on those two lists -- both half-way finished. The author, Doyle completed his audio -- man, his mother-in-law talks fast! It's grammar, so I still feel like I'm killing two birds with one stone when I try to follow the sentences. I can shadow the short ones. The longer ones I have to take piece by piece. I'm still trying to get back to my book. I haven't been very successful with that. I was originally supposed to be through it by now. I haven't goten through the first three chapters yet. As long as I study something everyday I think my TAC ist still in-TAC-t -- *gufaw* 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6089 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin | Message 88 of 232 27 February 2009 at 9:43pm | IP Logged |
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ugh, I've really been getting into my new job lately. I haven't done much in terms of Japanese or Spanish, unfortunately. I usually steal time out of the day to do language but lately that time has been filled with making lesson plans for the new students I've been tutoring. It will take some time before I've found time for everything. I'm probably overdoing it at work as usual.
I have a couple of things to do tomorrow but it won't take up too much time. I think I can get caught up with vocabulary. I can at least manage to do listening practice. I've been so preoccupied this week that I've even forgotten to lay in a CD or listen through the headphones. This log kind of serves as a personal reminder; no matter how hectic it gets, no matter how much I've got going on, the language I've accumulated along with the combined effort also deserves a share of the attention. I'll find time. Das lässt sich alles organisieren! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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