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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Rhadryn Triglot Groupie United States Joined 5165 days ago 53 posts - 60 votes  Speaks: English*, Japanese, French Studies: Spanish, Russian, Arabic (Written), Mandarin, Latin, German | Message 1 of 42 01 January 2013 at 11:21pm | IP Logged |
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Hello everyone. My name is Joshua, and I'm a (currently unemployed) EFL teacher. I teach English partially because I want to find better ways to improve my own language learning.
This year I'm on a team! (Actually two!) I'm really excited because I think I might be able to actually stay consistent with something for once in my life. I did adequately on my own last year but I'm sure having teammates will help more. Last year I only started in mid-July, but you can find my log here. It's a goal of mine to learn 13 languages (though I add one every year) to reading fluency by the time I turn 35. I now have just over 10 years left to make that happen, and I think it's possible but I don't have time to waste. This year my focus languages will be Japanese and Russian. I'll also be studying German, French, Spanish, Latin, and Arabic. If I dabble at all, I'm hoping it will be in Chinese. (If you're curious about the other five languages, they are: Italian, Koine/Classic Greek, Hebrew, Persian, and Sanskrit).  Currently about at B2 level. I don't have much trouble reading, and even when I don't know a word I can usually infer the meaning from the kanji. I'm fairly comfortable conversing though I don't do much of it. Goal: By the end of the year I'd like to reach sufficient fluency that I can read real books and newspapers and understand enough that I don't become frustrated. Quantitatively, I want to put in 400 hours in the next year; or about 8 hours a week. I hope I'm around A2. I've studied this language for nearly two years and have made what I feel to be very little progress, but I want to learn too much to give up. Currently I can produce about 500 words and recognize more. Goal: By the end of the year I'd like to have started reading something (anything!) without looking up every single word, and have enough fluency to understand it. My hour goal is 260 hours over the next year; 5 hours a week. I loved studying this language last year, so if I put extra time into anything, it will probably be here. I've finished the first 85 lessons of Assimil, so I'd say I'm about A2. Goal: To have read Harry Potter (or other YA fiction) with enjoyment. That's ambitious, I realize, but that's definitely my goal. Hourwise, I'd like to put in at least 180 hours in the year, so about 3.5 hours a week. My parents often encourage me to study Spanish, and I enjoy it, but I just don't have the same level of motivation as with most of my other languages. Two years ago I read three Harry Potter books in Spanish, but I haven't used it much since. So I'm probably an A2 here as well, though I'm sure I could get to B1 with a little more work. Goal: To have read one book with enjoyment by the end of the year. (Do you see a pattern here?) I'm planning to put in 150 hours over the year, or about 3 hours a week. This is my most fluent language (though I've never been good at conversing in it) and I can read it with ease. Sometimes so much ease that I don't concentrate very hard, which resulted in confusion during my latest novel reading attempt. I used to feel that my reading was pretty close to C2, but I'm less certain since I had that difficulty. Goal: To complete the textbook “XIXe Siecle” by Lagarde and Michard. I'd also like to watch the news 2-3 times a week. I should easily be able to do this with an investment of 100 hours over the year, or 2 hours per week. I just couldn't give this up, though I intend to just dabble in it. I took two years of Latin in high school, and then I studied it haphazardly last year, so I'd say I'm around A2. Goal: To finish “Lingua Latina 2: Roma Aeterna” with a reasonable amount of understanding. I plan to do this and more in 100 hours over the year; 2 hours per week. I've now tried to learn the script twice, but I don't really have anything to show for it. I'm basically starting at the beginning. Goal: A vocabulary of 500 words and the ability to read (though not necessarily understand) Arabic script. I intend to spend 100 hours over the year, or 2 hours per week. I'll update with progress reports once a week, hopefully on Tuesday. Edited by Rhadryn on 10 April 2013 at 4:07am 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Rhadryn Triglot Groupie United States Joined 5165 days ago 53 posts - 60 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese, French Studies: Spanish, Russian, Arabic (Written), Mandarin, Latin, German | Message 2 of 42 01 January 2013 at 11:43pm | IP Logged |
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I'm relatively satisfied with my progress in Japanese, so I intend to continue as I have for the last three months or so:
I really don't know where to go in Russian. I've tried to do Assimil (not the latest) four or five times and have made it to lesson 50 of 70, but I'm so frustrated with it that I think I need to find something different. For now I'll definitely:
I'll finish Assimil, and then I'll move on to readers. If I get frustrated I might go back through Assimil. If I become crazy enough, I might find a way to drill grammar rules. And I plan to skype with my friend who knows German. I'm not really sure what to do here either. For now I'll try to go through some readers. When I finish Assimil in German, I'll start with lesson 40 and try to finish Assimil Spanish. After that I'll hopefully continue with readers. I'm excited about my French studies. Most days I plan to read 5-6 pages of a French textbook that I had to buy in college: “XIXe Siecle” by Lagarde and Michard. Apparently it is/was a high school textbook which includes lots of history and literature. It has lots of short sections which is perfect for my idea of bite-sized studying. I also hope to watch the news in French at least twice a week. Right now I'm reading through 38 stories to accompany Wheelock's Latin. When I finish those, I think I'll go back through Lingua Latina book 1 (Familia Romana), using flashcards to learn vocabulary. Then I'll try Roma Aeterna again (my first attempt was really painful). I'll also try to read the Latin Vulgate with a dictionary on my Kindle when I don't feel like learning more vocab. First I will learn the writing system (and pronunciation) through Alif Baa. Once I've gone through that, hopefully I'll be finished with Assimil Spanish and I can start Assimil Arabic. I intend to be more deliberate than usual with this Assimil experience though—I'll probably make flashcards. Japanese:
Russian:
German:
Spanish:
French:
Latin:
Arabic:
Edited by Rhadryn on 08 January 2013 at 7:12pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| zecchino1991 Senior Member United States facebook.com/amyybur Joined 5040 days ago 778 posts - 885 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, Modern Hebrew, Russian, Arabic (Written), Romanian, Icelandic, Georgian | Message 3 of 42 01 January 2013 at 11:54pm | IP Logged |
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Hi! I am also on Team Mir and want to wish you luck with all your languages this year! I
look forward to studying Russian with you and following your progress. By the way, I love Arabic and have studied it a little too. Good luck! :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Silbermond Diglot Groupie United Kingdom xuexisprachen.wordprRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4138 days ago 64 posts - 79 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Mandarin, Italian, Spanish | Message 4 of 42 02 January 2013 at 1:01am | IP Logged |
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Wow, I love your list of goals - both for individual languages and overall; learning 13
languages by the time you're 35 is ambitious and awesome :D. I wish you luck in all your languages, but especially German and Russian (we have some overlap there, haha). 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Emme Triglot Senior Member Italy Joined 5129 days ago 980 posts - 1594 votes Speaks: Italian*, English, German Studies: Russian, Swedish, French | Message 5 of 42 02 January 2013 at 2:17am | IP Logged |
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Wow! Your plan for language learning is really impressive! And as you are on a tight schedule to achieve your goals in 10 years from now I wish you a very productive 2013, so that you get closer and closer to your destination.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| ancpem1 Groupie United States Joined 4170 days ago 56 posts - 60 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Russian, Greek, Latin, French | Message 6 of 42 02 January 2013 at 2:58am | IP Logged |
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Hi, Rhadryn! I'm also on Team Mir, and it looks like we have several languages in common! I look forward to seeing your progress.
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| riff Newbie United States Joined 5076 days ago 32 posts - 36 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Russian | Message 7 of 42 02 January 2013 at 3:01am | IP Logged |
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I admire your ambition, Rhadryn. I'm going crazy trying to learn one language, Russian,
let alone thirteen! I look forward to seeing your progress this year, particularly with Russian. Good luck! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Kerrie Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Kerrie2 Joined 5177 days ago 1232 posts - 1740 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 8 of 42 02 January 2013 at 7:39am | IP Logged |
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Hey, I'm learning Russian, French, Spanish, and German, too. Well, the German is on the back burner for now. So many languages, not enough time. :)
Will you be "currently unemployed" for long, or is that just a seasonal thing? I have thought about teaching ESL/EFL abroad, but I am a single mom, so it probably isn't in the cards until the rugrats go off to college in about 10 years. How did you end up in Vietnam? Best of luck with all your languages this year! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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