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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Crush Tetraglot Senior Member ChinaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5651 days ago 1622 posts - 2299 votes  Speaks: English*, Spanish, Mandarin, Esperanto Studies: Basque | Message 257 of 319 10 April 2014 at 9:34pm | IP Logged | |||||
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| dbag Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4808 days ago 605 posts - 1046 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 258 of 319 10 April 2014 at 10:06pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Yep, I think "complete a level of FSI" or something would make a great challenge. Unless your very advanced already, your practically guaranteed to see visible improvement.
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| Warp3 Senior Member United States forum_posts.asp?TID= Joined 5321 days ago 1419 posts - 1766 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Korean, Japanese | Message 259 of 319 11 April 2014 at 12:59pm | IP Logged | |||||
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After the previous discussions about Platiquemos in this thread, I have acquired it
as well (and already had FSI Basic). As a short term target, though, (i.e. something to do immediately after finishing Pimsleur IV which will happen later this morning), I may just redirect my focus on finding some native Spanish media that catches my interest for a while to ensure I meet my "find a hook" goal. As I've noted previously, I honestly don't think I'd still be studying Korean at 4.5 years in, if I didn't have so many media sources to which I'm thoroughly addicted now. If I can ensure that happens with Spanish, that should greatly reduce the odds of me dropping it again this time around (then the rest becomes more a matter of improving my ability to understand the items that I'm going to listen to or watch regardless). Also, I do still have the goal of going through Assimil (which is 109 lessons by itself x 2 passes), but I almost wonder if it is one of the reasons I've dropped Spanish the last couple times (or perhaps it's more the way I've been using Assimil rather than the course itself), since I was working through Assimil both times when I lost interest and stopped studying Spanish. In fact, it's tempting to actually replace that goal with FSI Basic or Platiquemos instead (especially since Assimil is continental Spanish unlike my other materials which have been focused more toward Latin American / Mexican Spanish which is more useful in the US). Regardless, I still have enough goals to last me a decent amount of time (so I don't have to choose something right this second), it's just when I look at Spanish and see how many fewer goals I have left than I do for Korean (to the point where if I attack those goals consistently I can be finished with Spanish's goal list, except for weekly/monthly goals of course, long before the year is up), I wonder if I need to shift some things around a bit. That imbalance isn't due to lack of working on Korean, either. I intentionally weighted it that way, so I didn't over-exert myself in Spanish and burn out early in the year. Plus my Korean is farther along than my Spanish, so it can take a bit more load. Edited by Warp3 on 11 April 2014 at 1:02pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| mrwarper Diglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member Spain forum_posts.asp?TID=Registered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5012 days ago 1493 posts - 2500 votes Speaks: Spanish*, EnglishC2 Studies: German, Russian, Japanese | Message 260 of 319 11 April 2014 at 1:53pm | IP Logged | |||||
How do you think little differences in vocabulary affect 'usefulness'? Maybe Portuguese or French are different, but I don't think people crossing the pond either way have to work a lot on their native Spanish or English before they can function normally on the other side. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Crush Tetraglot Senior Member ChinaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5651 days ago 1622 posts - 2299 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Mandarin, Esperanto Studies: Basque | Message 261 of 319 11 April 2014 at 3:27pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I agree, there's very little difference between the two, at least not that's going to make communication difficult. You'll probably find just as many if not more differences (especially when you start to get colloquial) within the different countries of Latin America. But FSI/Platiquemos is a good choice regardless, as would be Assimil if only as a supplement to get you used to some Spanish accents from Spain. I generally use Assimil as a passive course anyway, especially as the active wave starts to get really annoying when the lessons get much longer and more complex. That 5-15 extra minutes quickly turns into nearly an hour, so i just drop it and finish up the passive wave. I really like the passive wave of Assimil, so that i'm fine with that :)
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| Warp3 Senior Member United States forum_posts.asp?TID= Joined 5321 days ago 1419 posts - 1766 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Korean, Japanese | Message 262 of 319 12 April 2014 at 3:14am | IP Logged | |||||
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Well one example that immediately springs to mind is that Assimil heavily uses
coger for situations where you would tend to use "safer" words like tomar in Mexican and Latin American Spanish due to the other more risqué meanings that coger has in certain dialects. However Assimil never seems to actually mention that caveat (at least not that I've seen yet) when using that word. For example, the only note they have about "coge" in lesson 4 (the first time coger is used) is regarding how to pronounce it. If they seem to give no thought to a difference like that (which I already know fortunately), then what about the differences I don't know about in advance and would just blindly learn then possibly have to unlearn later (for active, not passive use)? Then again, maybe that's really more of a reason to drop the SRS portion of my Assimil study method (which I was already pondering anyway, due to the fact that it is such a big time sink). That way I at least I'm less likely to get those phrases drilled into my head that aren't considered "normal phrasings" in the Spanish dialects I'm more likely to actually use in person. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| mrwarper Diglot Winner TAC 2012 Senior Member Spain forum_posts.asp?TID=Registered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5012 days ago 1493 posts - 2500 votes Speaks: Spanish*, EnglishC2 Studies: German, Russian, Japanese | Message 263 of 319 12 April 2014 at 5:38pm | IP Logged | |||||
Right, but although that concern is valid in principle, I wonder how severe the problem actually is (besides not really affecting usefulness as I understand it). I mean, 1) that's by far the worst, most cause-for-concern caveat I could mention off the top my head, as a somewhat knowledgeable native. 2) coger is used as a vulgarism meaning 'to have sex' in Mexico often enough that I know it, but how often really (I don't live there, I just listen to/watch *stuff I like*: a strong filter for starters)? RAE has it as definition #~25 in their dictionary, and it is specifically listed as an American vulgarism, after 20+ other more innocuous, general meanings. Maybe the RAE did a botch job, but if I trusted them for a second I'd conclude you're pretty safe using "coger" in Mexico meaning "tomar" (which, BTW, when used alone there can also mean to drink alcohol, just like "beber" does in Spain) unless you get into specific situations. Not saying you can't get into 'hot water', only that it seems less likely to me than it apparently seems to you :) Edited by mrwarper on 12 April 2014 at 5:40pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| James29 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5161 days ago 1265 posts - 2113 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French | Message 264 of 319 12 April 2014 at 5:47pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Anyone who is at a level where they are using Assimil is going to have much more serious communication problems than the "coger" issue.
I do think it is somewhat important to be moderately familiar with the general differences in Spanish so when you hear/see them you are not confused or surprised. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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