~ribbit’s TAC2 (Language Learning Log) Language Learning Forum

~ribbit’s TAC2
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Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log

~ribbit Newbie United States Joined 5984 days ago 17 posts - 16 votes Speaks: English	Message 1 of 2 11 May 2008 at 3:59pm \| IP Logged
	I'm game for the TAC2 for the rest of the year. I have no idea how much time I'll actually be able to put into it, seeing as "life" seems to get in the way of language learning quite often - but here are my goals for the remainder of 2008: SPANISH - I am low-intermediate, but need to work mainly on my vocabulary. I would like to pick out three books to read through for the rest of the year, focusing on new vocabulary from each one. My goal by 1.1.2009 is to be at a functional fluency where I am comfortable enough to hold lengthy conversations without any major communication issues. TURKISH - I'm a beginner. I started Pimsleur last week and am on lesson 4. I want to work through Hugo's Turkish in Three Months, and will probably work simultaneously through FSI & Teach Yourself. I have the Assimil course as well, but my French is not strong enough to use that course as a base. (Anyone have it and want to send me English translations of the dialogs?) FRENCH - I'm a little past beginner stage with French, and would like to get a better understand of the grammar and work on general comprehension. I can read relatively well, but my active command of the language is very minimal. I plan to work through Assimil, perhaps supplementing it with the Living Language Ultimate book/audio. Focus on grammar basics and vocabulary. ITALIAN & German - same as French - both in my abilities and goals. RUSSIAN - Beginner here too, although I spent some time studying Russian about 10 years ago, so it won't be completely new. I recently picked up the Learn in Your Car series for Russian, and will focus on this for a month or two (to get re-accustomed with the language) before I dive into Assimil's Russian Without Toil later in the year. Russian is the last "serious" language on my "to do" list for this year, and might get a little lost with all the others. The Spanish, French, Italian and German will be very "easy" going (compared with the Turkish and Russian) and I should be able to make decent progress in all four of those. Turkish will be my real test this year, as I have no particular "reason" for learning it, other than that I want to. Finally: ARABIC - not high on my priority list, but on my long-term list. I'd like to work with the alphabet and get comfortable with that throughout the year. Hopefully that will make it easier once I decide which dialect I plan to learn and start working on it in full force next year. I will be working on my specific plans for each language over the next few days, but will be focusing on 2-4 languages at a time, probably rotating the rest in and out every few weeks, so I don't get lax. (I get bored easily, which is why my Spanish is only mediocre. LOL) 1 person has voted this message useful
JamesBates Bilingual Triglot Newbie Pakistan Joined 6133 days ago 27 posts - 28 votes Speaks: English, Hindi, Arabic (Written) Studies: Persian, German	Message 2 of 2 23 May 2008 at 4:41am \| IP Logged
	Before you delve into Arabic, know that there is only one form of Arabic that is uniform throughout the Arab world: Modern Standard Arabic. It is also the only kind of Arabic that is usually written. The dialects, on the other hand, are rarely written outside of comic strips and vary from city to city. Unless you plan on eavesdropping on your Arab hosts or communicating with uneducated Arabs, you will not need to be able to understand any city's dialect, as Arabs will reciprocate when you speak to them in MSA. However, if you plan on working with uneducated Arabs you will need to be able to understand their dialect, as they may not be able to reply to you in MSA. You should also know that you will never need to be able to speak a dialect, as MSA is understood throughout the Arab world. To sum it up, learn only MSA. If you plan on travelling to the Arab world and know your exact destination and plan on speaking to less educated Arabs, then it would certainly be a good idea to be able to understand that city's dialect, but you need never waste time learning to speak it. 1 person has voted this message useful

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~ribbit Newbie United States Joined 5984 days ago 17 posts - 16 votes Speaks: English	Message 1 of 2 11 May 2008 at 3:59pm \| IP Logged
	I'm game for the TAC2 for the rest of the year. I have no idea how much time I'll actually be able to put into it, seeing as "life" seems to get in the way of language learning quite often - but here are my goals for the remainder of 2008: SPANISH - I am low-intermediate, but need to work mainly on my vocabulary. I would like to pick out three books to read through for the rest of the year, focusing on new vocabulary from each one. My goal by 1.1.2009 is to be at a functional fluency where I am comfortable enough to hold lengthy conversations without any major communication issues. TURKISH - I'm a beginner. I started Pimsleur last week and am on lesson 4. I want to work through Hugo's Turkish in Three Months, and will probably work simultaneously through FSI & Teach Yourself. I have the Assimil course as well, but my French is not strong enough to use that course as a base. (Anyone have it and want to send me English translations of the dialogs?) FRENCH - I'm a little past beginner stage with French, and would like to get a better understand of the grammar and work on general comprehension. I can read relatively well, but my active command of the language is very minimal. I plan to work through Assimil, perhaps supplementing it with the Living Language Ultimate book/audio. Focus on grammar basics and vocabulary. ITALIAN & German - same as French - both in my abilities and goals. RUSSIAN - Beginner here too, although I spent some time studying Russian about 10 years ago, so it won't be completely new. I recently picked up the Learn in Your Car series for Russian, and will focus on this for a month or two (to get re-accustomed with the language) before I dive into Assimil's Russian Without Toil later in the year. Russian is the last "serious" language on my "to do" list for this year, and might get a little lost with all the others. The Spanish, French, Italian and German will be very "easy" going (compared with the Turkish and Russian) and I should be able to make decent progress in all four of those. Turkish will be my real test this year, as I have no particular "reason" for learning it, other than that I want to. Finally: ARABIC - not high on my priority list, but on my long-term list. I'd like to work with the alphabet and get comfortable with that throughout the year. Hopefully that will make it easier once I decide which dialect I plan to learn and start working on it in full force next year. I will be working on my specific plans for each language over the next few days, but will be focusing on 2-4 languages at a time, probably rotating the rest in and out every few weeks, so I don't get lax. (I get bored easily, which is why my Spanish is only mediocre. LOL) 1 person has voted this message useful
JamesBates Bilingual Triglot Newbie Pakistan Joined 6133 days ago 27 posts - 28 votes Speaks: English, Hindi, Arabic (Written) Studies: Persian, German	Message 2 of 2 23 May 2008 at 4:41am \| IP Logged
	Before you delve into Arabic, know that there is only one form of Arabic that is uniform throughout the Arab world: Modern Standard Arabic. It is also the only kind of Arabic that is usually written. The dialects, on the other hand, are rarely written outside of comic strips and vary from city to city. Unless you plan on eavesdropping on your Arab hosts or communicating with uneducated Arabs, you will not need to be able to understand any city's dialect, as Arabs will reciprocate when you speak to them in MSA. However, if you plan on working with uneducated Arabs you will need to be able to understand their dialect, as they may not be able to reply to you in MSA. You should also know that you will never need to be able to speak a dialect, as MSA is understood throughout the Arab world. To sum it up, learn only MSA. If you plan on travelling to the Arab world and know your exact destination and plan on speaking to less educated Arabs, then it would certainly be a good idea to be able to understand that city's dialect, but you need never waste time learning to speak it. 1 person has voted this message useful