|
 |
Gemüse auf einem Spaziergang | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 4811 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes  Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 113 of 180 19 June 2014 at 10:15am | IP Logged | ||
|
Don't feel bad about the classes, the speed of exercises is such a minor and unimportant skill.
Yes, retaining the grammar or vocabulary easily is great and completing the exercises correctly and fast is a very good first step of the learning process. But after that, there comes a different world where you need to put those things in real use, in sentences, in contexts, in real conversations and your own emails and other texts, where you need to understand speech or articles noone has predigested for you. Real world where you need to apply all you have learnt, not just the content of the unit from the last week's class. And that is where most shiny bright look-how-fast-I-finish-the-exercise people fail terribly, unless they put in extra hours and extra activities. Other than that, it means very little in the long run because of the memory. Yes, they may have much better short term memory, especially if they are significantly younger and you older (oh, how can I only say that without sounding offensive? sorry if it looks bad, especially as I have no clue concerning your age). But you need the long term memories in your brain. And long term memories take time, repetition, many encounters with the item in question. If you put in significantly more time and efforts, than it is very likely the comparison will prove you the winner a few months or a year after the last class. There are so many people who had high grades at school exactly because of the exercise completing skill and they were lead formally to a B1 level. A few years later, so many are at the edge of not being able to buy a cup of tea. You know, I was always one of those "fast learners" in classes as a child and teenager. I would be a "fast learner" now if I joined a class. I might be a bit of a specific case since I had to self-study a language for the first time when I was 9 and I was better than the typical exercise fillers in many aspects due to low levels of shyness in class and high IQ but still those two arcticles above are totally about me as well. Everything changed when I began to put in extra time, to do larger scale of activities. When I became more like You (even though I have a lot to catch up and to admire about you, such as constant work you make time for no matter what and great "not giving up" attitude, the way you bite in your chosen resource and don't let go until you're finished with the thing. I believe all that will lead you far.). So, please don't let them make you feel down :-) 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Gemuse Senior Member Germany Joined 3884 days ago 818 posts - 1189 votes Speaks: English Studies: German | Message 114 of 180 19 June 2014 at 1:21pm | IP Logged | ||
|
Thanks for the encouraging words Tereza.
Especially as you are one of these fast learners and memorizers I am so envious of. You could have chosen to make fun of me for being slow, you chose instead to encourage. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 4811 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 115 of 180 19 June 2014 at 6:03pm | IP Logged | ||
|
I balance being a fast learner with lack of time and perseverance :-)
If I were as hardworking as you are, that would be a log worth reading :-D 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Gemuse Senior Member Germany Joined 3884 days ago 818 posts - 1189 votes Speaks: English Studies: German | Message 116 of 180 20 June 2014 at 1:56am | IP Logged | ||
|
I'm not a hardworker!
I'm über lazy. Standard lazy people look at me and say "dude!". I'm sure you work much more than me (taking all work into account, not just language learning). Edited by Gemuse on 20 June 2014 at 1:57am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patrickwilken Senior Member Germany radiant-flux.net Joined 4335 days ago 1546 posts - 3200 votes Studies: German | Message 117 of 180 20 June 2014 at 9:39am | IP Logged | ||
|
It doesn't have to be a question of hard work or speed if you enjoy what you are doing.
I watch TV shows I like and learn German. I read books I like and learn German. I talk to friends whom I I like and learn German. Classes make me think of exams, grades and comparison to other students. It doesn't have to be like that. I think you've probably learnt enough grammar for now. Why don't you find a TV show you like and watch it and see how much you can understand? Or pick a book that you wouldn't mind reading? Or just go out to a bar and practice with some random strangers? Edited by patrickwilken on 20 June 2014 at 11:18am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Gemuse Senior Member Germany Joined 3884 days ago 818 posts - 1189 votes Speaks: English Studies: German | Message 118 of 180 23 June 2014 at 5:19am | IP Logged | ||
|
I got some German comics for kids, still can not understand them. Tons of missing vocab.
Speaking: I dont think it would be fair to subject people to my German outside of a class setting till I am at least B1. Just gotta swallow this pain till I am B1. This week I did some catching up on class backlog (noting down vocab etc). Time logged: 15h 25 min (at the expense of other activities I should have been doing). On the plus side, the vocab I need to note down for the Kursebuch has been going down. I am also noting that there are tons of "small" words which keep getting repeated. Like sonst, nun, statt, außerdem, eigene, sogar, ziemlich, sicher, mindestens, gleich, dazu, noch, eben, los. I have to find a way to get these flavor words into my active vocabulary. Edited by Gemuse on 23 June 2014 at 5:39am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| soclydeza85 Senior Member United States Joined 3709 days ago 357 posts - 502 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, French | Message 119 of 180 23 June 2014 at 6:47am | IP Logged | ||
You should definitely talk to people outside of class! (I'm assuming you're living in Germany since it says so under your name) You have an opportunity to do something that many language learners don't have: being able to walk right outside and practice the language you are learning with natives. I pay money just to simulate that experience for just an hour a week. I'm in week 11 of Hugo and I know what you mean now: a lot is covered without many examples to practice with. I see it more as an introduction to the topic; the examples/practice will come in future exposure to the language now that you are conscious of it. I hope all is well, and don't call yourself lazy! Putting in effort to learn a language, no matter how much, is not something lazy people do. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patrickwilken Senior Member Germany radiant-flux.net Joined 4335 days ago 1546 posts - 3200 votes Studies: German | Message 120 of 180 23 June 2014 at 8:46am | IP Logged | ||
When you read native materials you will suddenly see how little vocabulary you really have. I was shocked by the first book I read, 200 pages, which took me a month to read. At the same time there is something very satisfying when you finally complete reading something that a native would read too; whether this be a larger book or a comic. I would recommend trying to start reading with a cheap Kindle. Then you'll have a pop-up dictionary and it's much easier to make sense of things. I don't think it will make much difference if you wait until B1. The amount of vocabulary you are going to learn is small in comparison to how much you will know. I personally didn't worry about talking until I was at a higher level, but of course there are others that have a different opinion, but I was doing a lot of native materials from the very beginning. 1 person has voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
