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PMs TAC 2015 crazy? French course mission | ||
Tags: TellMeMore | Fluenz | Linguaphone | Flash cards | Michel Thomas | Self-Study | Spaced Repetition (SRS) | Diploma/Certificate | Study Plan | Fluency | Dutch | Pimsleur | FSI | Total Annihilation Challenge (TAC) | Assimil | French | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5264 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 321 of 451 25 March 2015 at 3:43am | IP Logged | ||
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With Jeffers recent comments on studying Dutch (or another language) from a French
base coupled with my wanderlust of late, and the fact that it took Cavesa 5 years to go from B2 to C2 (if I understood correctly and is probably a reasonable amount of time to expect to take)... then I've decided that.. If it's going to take some years to get from B2 to C2 (looks more than likely), perhaps what I could do is take my 3 hours of daily French 'desk study' (I decided yet again 4 hours was too much), and reduce it to 2hrs daily and use the 3rd hour for Dutch or Spanish or both alternating days... ie pass my B2 French exam, reduce daily French study to 2 hours at my desk (still do extra activities such as watching series, movies, podcasts outside of desk study with French as the main language) and then introduce other languages as my 3rd hour. I know I just repeated myself, I have a habit of doing this when verbally discussing plans somehow thinking i'm reinforcing the plan. This still means that I have a fair amount of French study ahead of me before introducing more languages/another language. B2 seems to be an appropriate level to introduce other languages given emk's sensible approach and he's recently introduced Spanish while his French had reached the B2 level (altho he does do some Egyptian too), and given the long path of diminishing returns beyond B2 focusing only on French might in fact become demotivating. So once again, I soldier on towards B2 (if I can get my %^&* together) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4697 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 322 of 451 25 March 2015 at 2:06pm | IP Logged | ||
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All this talk of sitting the B2 exam is kind of making me think about getting off my butt to do the B1 exam one of these days. One issue is that the exam dates in London are always on a weekday. The other issue is fear. Sometimes I think I'm getting towards B1, but when I think of what I'd have to do for the exam it just seems like too much. Edited by Jeffers on 25 March 2015 at 2:07pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Mohave Senior Member United States justpaste.it/Mohave1 Joined 3795 days ago 291 posts - 444 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 323 of 451 25 March 2015 at 5:33pm | IP Logged | ||
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PM - It's interesting that you are also thinking of adding another language later this year. One of my goals is
to start Spanish in 2015 - so my vote is for you to study Spanish!! ;) I'm struggling on the timing of when to start - probably 4th quarter as I would like to try to complete a 1/2 Super Challenge in Spanish the next round. I too have decided it will probably be years before I reach an advanced level in French. French is my first love, but Spanish will be more useful living in the US as-well-as future travel plans. I too have thought about taking an exam, but I am not sure what it would do for me at this stage in my life I think it would be more to validate my own assessment of where I am. Anyway, you are doing great! Keep up the great work! 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| luke Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6993 days ago 3133 posts - 4351 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Esperanto, French | Message 324 of 451 25 March 2015 at 6:14pm | IP Logged | ||
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I vote that you don't hang another albatross around your neck.
2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4697 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 325 of 451 25 March 2015 at 7:57pm | IP Logged | ||
https://youtu.be/Z_u7VGiMO0U 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5264 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 326 of 451 26 March 2015 at 1:22am | IP Logged | ||
The reason I'm aiming for these exams is twofold. First it's something to motivate myself towards- a goal, a certification that I've accomplished part of my goal as I progress through each level. Secondly, it remains to be seen, but there may be a requirement one day if I ever work in a Francophone environment (I'd like to) to provide evidence of my level of French- all the more motivating. Of course there are downfalls with this kind of testing and some believe they are even pointless or representative of something they don't want to be a part of, or at least uphold by taking part, and that in the end the real-deal is simply when one can use the language in the way that they aimed to eventually use it when they started their learning journey - conversations with natives at normal speed for example, reading decent literature, whatever it may be. Is a certificate needed for that? No. All in all this is something that motivates me. So is there a valid reason to take such a French exam that applies to you Jeffers? Of course your reason doesn't have to be as good as I think mine is- in fact it can be entirely absurd and not so valid at all- but if it motivates you then that's fine. All in all if you want to do it, then do it, if you can organise the time to do it that is, which in fact seems like a tricky situation for you. Don't stress if you don't pass. I believe you would, but I'm basing that on my interactions in English with you regarding your French over the net, not on what I see you do when you're learning French at home, in your car etc. If you don't pass, it doesn't matter as you're not relying on a job for it. Although it could be demotivating if you are not as good as you believe you are. However it could in fact in that case motivate you to change the way you study, be more determined, whatever. You could see such a test as a way to get a real understanding of where your French really lies according to the AF. Anyway keep learning Jeffers and marching towards your goals, I think it wouldn't hurt to sit the exam if it motivates you, but it's just a piece of paper don't be worried about it- you're progressing and that's the main thing. But I actually think you'd pass a B1 myself. Flat out faces in my face in that, that's just the for realio. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5264 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 327 of 451 26 March 2015 at 1:31am | IP Logged | ||
You know it's funny what pre-conceieved notions do to our behaviour. I have heard hear and there that if you expect to live to 94, you're likely to come pretty close to it. If you expect to live to 60, you're likely to. I'm sure such predictions are not accurate by any means, but the point is that we intrinsically influence our biology with our beliefs and our mind. I have a belief that when I pick up Spanish I'm going to move fast. In fact I might even catch up or even pass my French ability- not that I want to- I just have a pre- conceived notion of Spanish being easy. I've also had some experience with the language before and know that the matierals i've used in the past and will re-use and go further with in future will see me progress pretty swiftly. Almost the same goes for Dutch but rather that I have had more opportunity to 'activate' my Dutch in the past than any other language, so it feels like it's still there almost in the front of my mind. Some days when I want to say random things to my dog or my wife in another language, Dutch just flows out so easily (at least for basic sentences). So what I'm geting at is that I expect to progress pretty quickly in Spanish or Dutch when I add it, even while doing a lot less with them than French up to that point and at the same time while studying 2 or 3 languages. French it seems I can't get passed the fact that I think it's going to take some time indeed to get to an advanced level, maybe I need to work on my mindset? Maybe that's why I bought so many French courses over time, because I felt so convinced subconsciously that it was going to take some hammering in to my brain to really get somewhere with the language. So do I really need to start another language in 2015? or should I progress further but slowly beyond B2 first? I've not entirely come to the decision of introducing another language in 2015 or even 2016. I'm so damn flippant with my language plans it's rediculous, however currently I am thinking if I do introduce another language it's highly likely (the way i feel today) that I'll introduce both! 2hrs French every day, an hour of Dutch one day, an hour of Spanish the next. But I'd rather my French remain my strongest of all foreign languages so i've got some work to do if i want to get through those courses into the more advanced matieral and stay out in front of an eagerly awaited Dutch and Spanish languages almost knocking down my door. Thanks for your vote Mohave but Dutch is just as eager :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| PeterMollenburg Senior Member AustraliaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5264 days ago 821 posts - 1273 votes Speaks: English* Studies: FrenchB1 | Message 328 of 451 26 March 2015 at 1:41am | IP Logged | ||
That's flat-out bullshit, straight-up, know what i'm sayin? I ain't even goin' out like that. If an albatross is another language, one will do for now. If by 'abatross' you actually mean 'albatross' Alors, dans ce cas-là j'en prends six pour ajouter à les six autres que j'ai déjà autour de mon cou 1 person has voted this message useful |
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