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renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4356 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew
| Message 57 of 63 15 March 2013 at 8:07am | IP Logged |
This post has a title:
Time wasted
I have been doing some thinking about were I am with languages. Since I joined this forum I have been trying to find a fixed course of action, and only recently have I achieved that.
I wasted so much time though. I kept changing languages, material, my mind in general. Pimsleur has been particularly seductive.
To make a long story short, here is where I am now:
German: Assimil Le Nouvel Allemand Sans Peine
Russian: Assimil 1971
Danish: Colloquial
French: My German and Russian have a french base, so that helps. Also, I translate texts from readers I have.
The material is complemented by Pimsler and/or MT (except Danish), and by exposure to the languages.
So, a couple of months after all this started, I am basically at the beginning again. All my challenges went to hell, but at least I have a steady plan now and it will not change. I have wasted too much time, but now my mind is set. I know others have been struggling with the fact that we want to learn too many languages all at once, so I know you understand me.
Although I haven't advanced as much as I had been hoping, at least now I know were I am going.
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| BAnna Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4620 days ago 409 posts - 616 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish Studies: Russian, Turkish
| Message 58 of 63 18 March 2013 at 1:24am | IP Logged |
It's not worth the energy spent in having regrets.
I'm 50 and just started studying German a couple of years ago. If I had not been busying with other things (life), I could probably speak multiple languages by now. But, there's nothing we can do at all to change anything that happened in the past, only what we are doing now, so please don't beat yourself up. I think it's really cool you are studying multiple languages simultaneously. I really cannot even imagine doing that. What is seductive about Pimsleur? I have no experience with it, so don't know if it is seductive in a good or bad way?
Oh, and on an earlier topic: most Americans aren't obsessed with football (soccer). My husband is an American citizen but originally from Latin America, hence the obsession. Funny poem, by the way:)
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| renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4356 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew
| Message 59 of 63 19 March 2013 at 7:30am | IP Logged |
Thanks BAnna, for your words of strength. You are so right!
Pimsleur is an audio only course, so I kept starting new languages because it's easy and you learn dialogue immediately. So, I spent my time doing that, instead of focusing on the particular languages I really wanted. As for learning three languages all at once, let me tell you I haven't mastered that art yet. I think that's my problem right there.
Latin America has amazing teams, and they play with style. I love watching them as well!
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| renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4356 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew
| Message 60 of 63 29 May 2013 at 6:59pm | IP Logged |
I have finished the 3 first CDs from MT basic German.
I am very pleased so far, because the syntax of the language is becoming very clear to me, I find myself thinking up sentences instead of just learning things by heart, and it all happens quite effortlessly. I hope that if I keep this up, I will be able to achieve my original goal which is to have some conversations with my Danish friend who will be here in July (she speaks excellent German).
I have the full course, and I have put everything else on hold, in terms of languages. I haven't been in the mood for learning lately anyway, rather in a mood of being constantly stressed for several reasons. MT actually relaxed me because it gives me a much needed sense of accomplishment. I know different people respond to different methods of learning, and this very good for me.
So, it's a rave review so far. I understand that after I finish the MT course (vocab. and language builder included), I am supposed to add to my vocabulary on my own efforts. This is fine by me. I intend to learn really good German anyway, but I like the fact that I will be able to communicate from the start.
I have the booklets and I learn the spelling as well, so that it's not only audio.
Does anyone know the number of words you learn in that course?
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| Sunja Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 6083 days ago 2020 posts - 2295 votes 1 sounds Speaks: English*, German Studies: French, Mandarin
| Message 61 of 63 30 May 2013 at 9:44am | IP Logged |
renaissancemedi wrote:
Does anyone know the number of words you learn in that course?
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What's the name? Is it MT German Foundation? Does it give the amount of the vocab in the inlet or course description?
According to Prof. Arguelles, -750 words constitute those that are used every single day by every person who speaks the language. I'd be willing to guess that would be the amount in the MT foundation courses. Many of the words are repeated in phrases over and over. It's probably tough to get an accurate count.
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| renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4356 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew
| Message 62 of 63 30 May 2013 at 10:12am | IP Logged |
I have the foundation, advanced, language builder and vocabulary course. I am not sure how many words that is, but I assume enough. I will learn more words, as I plan (at the end of the MT courses), to read frequency lists and to cover a couple of books I have from the 50s and 80s, with lots of vocabulary. I also plan to write and read a lot, so I will absorb things.
750 words, wow not much. That's encouraging for a beginner.
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| renaissancemedi Bilingual Triglot Senior Member Greece Joined 4356 days ago 941 posts - 1309 votes Speaks: Greek*, Ancient Greek*, EnglishC2 Studies: French, Russian, Turkish, Modern Hebrew
| Message 63 of 63 05 December 2013 at 10:56am | IP Logged |
2013 German adventure:
I didn't really learn German.
But I spent some time with it, and:
- I fell in love with the language
- I learned a lot about its history
- I was enchanted by the old script, and decided to learn it someday
- I put German in my to do list for 2014, even if it is only a beginners course
That's the end of this log.
Thanks for the input and support.
See you on the 2014 log!
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