L-R Method Clarifications (Questions About Your Target Languages) Language Learning Forum

L-R Method Clarifications
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Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages

Kitchen.Sink
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United States
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Speaks: English*
Studies: Japanese, Korean

Message 1 of 4

23 June 2008 at 2:59pm | IP Logged

I've read through quite a lot of the original L-R thread, yet there are still some questions that I have regarding the method's mechanics, which I pose to those who have put this method into practice.

I have several German-English parallel texts as well as the necessary audio files, and, with those, I assumed that I could simply plunge into the method headfirst. I found, however, that what had seemed so simple, so deliciously appealing in my mind proved to be rather bewildering in practice. These questions reflect my difficulties.

(1) I read the English text much faster than the spoken, recorded German. This is logically to be expected. The problem is that I do not know how far ahead of the spoken reading I should go. Do I simply blaze ahead, finishing the entire chapter eons before the recording?
(2) I notice that my concentration can only do one of two things: it can concentrate mostly on the English text and pay only partial attention to the German recording, or it can conentrate only partially on the English text and mostly on the German recording. Which should I be doing?

Please, put an end to this perpetual confusion of mine!
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jeff_lindqvist
Diglot
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Joined 6910 days ago
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Speaks: Swedish*, English
Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French
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Message 3 of 4

23 June 2008 at 4:12pm | IP Logged

I'm experimenting with this right now: I listen to a Russian audiobook and read the English translation, and just as Kitchen.Sink I sometimes are pages ahead of the speaker. Slowing down (to snail pace, I might add) doesn't help as much as I've hoped. Probably something with the language combination, or the text itself. Although I did try L-R last summer with German audio and Swedish translation (and later German original text, of course) (and didn't find it particularly helpful) I had no problems reading and listening at the same time, finding my way if I get lost et.c.

I hope I get used to the slow tempo.
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luke
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
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3133 posts - 4351 votes

Speaks: English*, Spanish
Studies: Esperanto, French

Message 4 of 4

23 June 2008 at 6:20pm | IP Logged

Miss Hopper wrote:

You all seem to overlook one important factor: if you don't enjoy (I might say "passionately in love") the texts you're going to "listen-read" to, you won't get much out of it, you're attention will be constantly distracted and you will get bored. And then .... happy-go-lucky Miss Hopper won't be done good and proper.

"Le petit prince" is not enough, it is far too short.

What you should do in STEP 3 is not just look at the translation but READ it before the matching texts in the recording reaches your brain, and try to simultaneously attach the meaning to what you're hearing, at least part of it, without stopping the tape(=audiofile) all the time. If you're not able to do it, you must repeat Step 2.

And it would be wonderful if you knew why the idiolect of the author is so important and why the texts should be long.

And do not forget to be passionately in love with what you're listening-reading. The whole process is far from mechanical, it is not school. You have to use all your imagination and power of concentration.

It was also mentioned as helpful - and I have found it so - that a great familiarity with the original work is tremendously helpful.

What I was doing this week with French is as Miss Hopper explained. Read the translation at the same time and attach meaning just as the sound of the French audiobook was hitting my ears.

If you are reading way way way ahead, perhaps it would be worthwhile to speed up the recording by 20% or so. I have done that with some recordings and it makes them more enjoyable if the original speaker has too leisurely of a pace for my taste.

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