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Tarvos - TAC 2015 Pushkin/Scan

 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log Post Reply
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solocricket
Tetraglot
Groupie
United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 3684 days ago

68 posts - 106 votes 
Speaks: English*, French, Italian, Spanish
Studies: Dutch, Icelandic, Korean, Polish

 
 Message 1457 of 1511
22 May 2015 at 1:28pm | IP Logged 
I'm certainly jealous of the number of languages you've got going! When are you taking
the Russian C2 exam, and where would you say your level is right now?

Also, best of luck in sorting out your medical issues ^^
1 person has voted this message useful



tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
Joined 4715 days ago

5310 posts - 9399 votes 
Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans
Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish

 
 Message 1458 of 1511
22 May 2015 at 1:46pm | IP Logged 
I don't know yet. We'll have to find a free slot somewhere and do it, I guess. My Russian
level is definitely a C1 (I would apparently pass that test) and the grammar part of C2 I
can handle. Not sure about the rest, but we'll work on it.
1 person has voted this message useful



tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
Joined 4715 days ago

5310 posts - 9399 votes 
Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans
Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish

 
 Message 1459 of 1511
25 May 2015 at 4:08pm | IP Logged 
Сегодня еще занимался русским. В прошлой недели сделал домашку, состоив из 100 вопросов
по грамматике (это часть типового теста ТРКИ-4). Это все заключено в моей подготовке к
экзамену. Оказалось, я бы получил 90 из 100 баллов (значит, далеко не плохо, и сдал бы
часть). Теперь будем бороться с письмом и со чтением.

Еще одна удивительная штука - мой акцент напоминает украинцев. Я даже чуть-чуть гэкаю. Но
пока не стал шокать, поэтому еще украинских корней у меня нет!

In short: my teacher corrected the grammatical part of my mock exam and I would have
passed with a 90% score. I don't think that's bad. For all the times Mark has come here,
I guess I have something to show for it now :D
3 persons have voted this message useful



tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
Joined 4715 days ago

5310 posts - 9399 votes 
Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans
Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish

 
 Message 1460 of 1511
28 May 2015 at 4:03am | IP Logged 
Currently slowly recovering from my skin problems and allergies. This means more time
for language studies. I've been quite busy at work, but next month should be quieter
and that is good because I've planned to do a Greek marathon (pun intended) in order
to get my Greek up to scratch for the fall.

What I've been doing in the past week has mostly been focused on Russian and Greek,
with some side dishes of Finnish and Italian, as well as some Spanish. I'm speaking
Mandarin, of course, but that's a daily occurrence, and not something strange.

The most important projects I have now are to improve my Greek, especially my
listening skills (which are abysmal and need improving). The next month will be spent
entirely on Greek with some side dishes of Korean (and a continuing use of Russian and
Chinese in my life).

I've also been reading Oblomov as my source of literature, and the fact that Russian
is a language I am seriously advanced at, Oblomov is quite difficult. I am only on
page 62 and progressing slowly. The writing in the book is minuscule which doesn't
help; it takes a lot longer to read these pages than in my regular books. But it's
also a good challenge; if I can successfully read Oblomov and The Master and Margarita
in the original then we will all know what level my Russian is at - high.

By the way, I have die Verwandlung in German as well. So you can also assume I speak
good German based on that ;)
3 persons have voted this message useful



tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
Joined 4715 days ago

5310 posts - 9399 votes 
Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans
Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish

 
 Message 1461 of 1511
29 May 2015 at 7:45am | IP Logged 
Bueno, hoy vi un episodio del autobús mágico, que era un de mis programas favoritos
cuando fue un niño. Este episodio se llama perdido en el espacio (es un programa
científico para los niños, en la versión latinoamericano), que me gusta mucho. Mas
como es demasiado vejo, el problema es que Plutón ya no es considerado un planeta, mas
un planeta enano. Por eso el episodio mi parece muy antiguo. Pues cambiaba mi sitio
para Viquipedia, y claro que eso tiene muchas informaciones sobre el planeta y la
exploración que hace Nuevos Horizontes (el satélite artificial de NASA). No tengo la
suerte que el sitio de NASA es en español también: es todo en ingles, mas con la
astronomía no hay mucho esperar. Pero fue un ejercicio bueno para mi de escuchar el
español. No tengo muchas oportunidades aquí para practicarlo, con una excepción - hay
una vez que llegaba un español de Gerona y debía hablar español con ello.

In other news, people have viewed this thread over 250,000 times now. I feel ancient.
And slightly pleased.


4 persons have voted this message useful



tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
Joined 4715 days ago

5310 posts - 9399 votes 
Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans
Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish

 
 Message 1462 of 1511
30 May 2015 at 2:59am | IP Logged 
I think it's a good time to do a sort of meta-analysis of how my languages have
progressed during my time in China (they have, especially Mandarin in China). I won't
describe goals (I've done that before), more to give you an idea of where I'm at.

Dutch and English (and Latin) haven't changed. Some languages I haven't used much
(like Romanian which is pretty useless here), and some others I've let rot away
(Korean and Hebrew jump to mind). Some others have remained constant, some more I've
learned a bit, and some more have improved leaps and bounds (the Romance languages,
Mandarin, Russian).

I think I can divide my languages in about five categories (six if you include native-
like languages)

1. Very advanced languages. I can essentially function like an adult human being in
these. I can do anything an adult would normally be able to do. I may have a few
vocabulary holes, and I may occasionally blunder grammatically, but it all doesn't
matter in the scope of things. I sound like an adult with my own voice. These are
languages that are C1+ (in some cases close to C2).

2. Fluent languages: I can use these languages very well in any situation, but I don't
have the kind of depth needed for 1. However I can always call on them to explain
something to me.

3. Intermediate, fully conversational languages: In these languages I can be socially
active, but I have enormous holes in order to take the next step. However I can
effectively communicate in them.

4. Problem languages: These are the ones for which I have to battle to improve them.
I've got a good deal of grammar behind me, and I can get the gist of things, but here
I really have to fight to talk properly.

5. Beginner languages: Languages that I don't know too much about, or that I dropped.

(6: Languages which are purely passive, but through related languages I can guess
what's going on).

Native: Dutch, English
Category 1: Russian, French, Swedish
Category 2: Romanian, German, Norwegian, Italian (for Norwegian and Italian, they
mostly straddle the border, but I've had complex discussions in them without switching
to English, so I count them. My Norwegian relies heavily on Swedish though, and my
Italian relies on my French and Romanian).
Category 3: Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese
Category 4: Greek, Hebrew, Esperanto
Category 5: Korean, Icelandic, Breton, Finnish
Category 6: Danish, Afrikaans (and probably also Catalan, Occitan etc.)

In terms of levels, Category 1 C1-C2. Russian is closer to C2, Swedish is more like
C1, and French is somewhere in the middle.
Category 2 is about B2-C1. Italian and Norwegian are more B2, whereas my German nearly
hits C1. Romanian is generally a good B2.
Category 3 is B1.
Category 4 is A2-ish. Greek could be a bit higher.
Category 5 is A1
Category 6 contains no active skills.

My goal is to get the Romance languages into group 2 (which is very doable), and to
consolidate category 1 languages. Also to move Greek/Esperanto up a rung to no 3, and
Korean to 4.

Edited by tarvos on 30 May 2015 at 3:01am

3 persons have voted this message useful



tarvos
Super Polyglot
Winner TAC 2012
Senior Member
China
likeapolyglot.wordpr
Joined 4715 days ago

5310 posts - 9399 votes 
Speaks: Dutch*, English, Swedish, French, Russian, German, Italian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Romanian, Afrikaans
Studies: Greek, Modern Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Korean, Esperanto, Finnish

 
 Message 1463 of 1511
02 June 2015 at 3:58am | IP Logged 
Well, in the chaos that is my life I have been studying languages a bit more
intensively over the past few days. Still can't work up the inspiration to do much
Korean or Esperanto (I need a kick up the butt :D) but I am doing well with Russian
and Greek, and that's also necessary because I'm working on complex material in
Russian (namely exams) and improving my Greek (also necessary because I am spending
time in Greece later in the year).

The good news is that my Russian is more than up to the exam task (I was a bit afraid,
but it seems I can handle just about everything - except maybe the listening, which I
haven't practiced yet). I would be scoring ~90% on writing and grammar, and it is
likely that I would pass speaking too fairly easily (and reading will not be too much
of an issue either). That leaves a couple listening tests and if I can handle that
adequately then I am in excellent shape for my Russian exam whenever I decide to take
it.

The bad news is that my spoken Greek needs a lot of work. I'm working on my listening
skills now because they are severely lacking, and the iTalki challenge is all about
Greek for me; except that I have a Finnish class tonight. But that will be the last of
my Finnish experiment, which has been loads of fun, but it's enough speaking Finnish
for now; after a month of getting into the habit of speaking, I seriously feel that I
need to study more Finnish grammar in order to produce proper sentences.

Other languages I am merely using (or letting rot).

Once I pass Russian, by the way, I have decided I can repeat my little trick and do it
for French. And if I can do Russian then I can surely learn how to do it in French.

By the way, I would like to add one more thing to this post, and it's important to all
of you trying to reach fluency: the moment when I started realizing I spoke Russian
very well (there have been two). I'll recount the experiences here for you now, so
that you know what it feels like when someone thinks you are genuinely a fluent
speaker:

When I Found Out I Spoke Fluent Russian

The first moment was back in the Netherlands, almost half a year or more ago now. I
was doing my postman rounds and read on a letter that the addressee was Russian, and
as it happened they were outside, so I handed the letter to them speaking Russian. Of
course they were startled, but the kicker came when the woman asked:

Вы давно здесь? (Have you been here long?) This implies I am, of course, a
native Russian who emigrated to the Netherlands (with my accent and vocabulary, that's
a fairly likely assumption to make - I speak the language with a slight accent and I
use a bit more international words, which leads people to think I must have lived
outside Russia for a long time, if I am genuinely Russian. Which I'm not.).

I answered... "all my life almost, I am Dutch" or something in Russian, and it led to
a 3-minute exchange where the woman flatly REFUSED to believe I was not Russian,
inquiring whether I wasn't half-Russian or hadn't spent years in Russia. She couldn't
wrap her mind around the fact that I was a Dutch person who spoke fluent Russian. Have
you ever had to CONVINCE SOMEONE that you are, in fact, your own nationality? (I've
had to in English, but anyone who knows me personally will tell you that's likely).

The second moment came when studying Chinese, when my student advisor (who is an
émigré Russian to Israel) told me that he had genuinely never heard a foreigner speak
Russian as well as I did, and asserted that "if I take care of my Hebrew/Chinese the
same way as I did with my Russian, then I will surely speak the language excellently".
He is also a polyglot by the way, at a very high level, comparable to many of the
greats here. We still discuss student matters in China in Russian! (can you imagine? I
don't ask for my monthly salary payments in English, but in Russian and Chinese!)

I can make most Russians do a double-take in my private life when I speak it, and
that's a great feeling :D


4 persons have voted this message useful



1e4e6
Octoglot
Senior Member
United Kingdom
Joined 4298 days ago

1013 posts - 1588 votes 
Speaks: English*, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Italian
Studies: German, Danish, Russian, Catalan

 
 Message 1464 of 1511
02 June 2015 at 4:47am | IP Logged 
Heb je het "truco" nog eens probeerd, d.w.z. een echte Russisch te doen alsof? Je niveau
is nog heel goed, dus kan je als je wilt je accent testen als de Russische je een native
vinden.

Hetzelfde is mij soms gebeurt, «Je bent een Argentijnse/Spaanse immigrant hierheen
toch?». Je moet er blij van zijn--het betekent dat je een native of bijna native accent
hebt.

Edited by 1e4e6 on 02 June 2015 at 4:49am



1 person has voted this message useful



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