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Super Challenge Update thread 2014-15 | ||
Tags: Super Challenge | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| kanewai Triglot Senior Member United States justpaste.it/kanewai Joined 4671 days ago 1386 posts - 3054 votes  Speaks: English*, French, Marshallese Studies: Italian, Spanish | Message 25 of 198 12 May 2014 at 8:48pm | IP Logged | |||||
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@ Komma - I think I became an expert in wikitext last week! Go ahead and post any
favorites here (this is true for anyone), and I'll input them onto the wikipage. I'm keeping my eyes out for Montalbano - it looks fun, and I think it's gonna be a challenge finding Italian materials. Thanks for the rec. 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 26 of 198 16 May 2014 at 8:10pm | IP Logged | |||||
I hope dbag doesn’t mind my quoting part of his/her post from the New Super Challenge Discussion thread2014. After writing a response I intended to post in that thread, I realized that here is probably a better fit, given what Cristina wrote in the opening post.
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Similarly, for those doing an English challenge, there’s ABC’s The Book Club. Every month they discuss two books, one new and one “classic”, even though for them “classic” means anything that’s not fresh off the press (for instance, next month they’re discussing Peter Carey’s The Chemistry of Tears which was published just a couple of years ago). You can download the most recent episodes as video podcasts and there’s even an archive with episodes from past seasons. Moreover, in the Jennifer Byrne Presents section of the website there are eight seasons’ worth of thematic episodes (on fantasy, biography, film adaptations etc.) with transcripts for those who need a little help to follow the debates. So if you like reading books and listening to people talking about books this website is a find. And what’s even better is that the videos are not geoblocked and we get to listen to Australian English which is not what we learners are most used to. Edited by Emme on 16 May 2014 at 8:12pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| sfuqua Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4547 days ago 581 posts - 977 votes Speaks: English*, Hawaiian, Tagalog Studies: Spanish | Message 27 of 198 17 May 2014 at 6:41am | IP Logged | |||||
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I'm not sure if anybody is interested, but here is my database of files of various novels in Spanish. I processed them to get a grade level using an automated readability index. There are many flaws with such automatic calculations. I find _La reina del sur_ to be very difficult; this calculation shows it as easy. I find Princesa de Marte easy; this says it's hard.
This list also suggests that Assimil Spanish with Ease and Using Spanish are a good way to prepare to read Spanish; they actually score higher in difficulty than some novels for adults. Hemingway is good for English learners, adult themes with simple, clear English. Enough of these qualities are preserved in translation to make several of his novels high on the Spanish readability list. If I have messed up the title to the point that you can't figure it out, just say :) Rowling HARRY Potter 1 grade level 5.11 Hemingway Adiós a las armas grade level 5.34 Hemingway tener y no tener grade level 5.76 Hemingway fiesta grade level 6.048 Greene honorario cónsul grade level 6.40 Chandler El largo adiós grade level 6.50 Tolkien hobbit grade level 6.52 Perez-Reverte reina del sur grade level 6.67 Chandler Adiós, muñeca grade level 6.71 Lewis león bruja grade level 6.72 Heinlein cadete del espacio grade level 6.73 Lawrence Amante chatterley grade level 6.74 Hemingway viejo y el mar grade level 6.96 Carranza el clan de la loba grade level 6.99 Chandler sueño eterno grade level 7.058 Hemingway Al otro lado del río y entre los árboles grade level 7.19 Greene poder y la gloria grade level 7.21 Hemingway Por quién doblan las campanas grade level 7.31 assimil Spanish with ease and using Spanish grade level 7.33 Greene Americano impasible grade level 7.59 Huxley El mundo feliz grade level 7.741 Allende ines del alma mia grade level 8.16 Fleming rusia con amor grade level 8.18 Zafón sombra del viento grade level 8.21 Follet pilares de la tierra grade level 8.22 Vargas-LLosa Fiesta del chivo grade level 8.29 Rice entrevista con el vampiro grade level 8.29 Bolaño Detectives salvaje grade level 8.84 Auel clan del oso cavernario grade level 8.97 Orwell 1984 grade level 9.40 Belli pergamino de la seducción grade level 9.82 Bonelli indias blancas grade level 10.14 Cornwell El ultimo reino grade level 10.30 Curwood kazán lobo perro grade level 10.71 O'Brian capitán de mar y guerra grade level 11.22 Austen orgullo y prejudicio grade level 11.38 Greene El fin de la aventura grade level 12.28 Burroughs princesa de marte grade level 12.85 Gabo CIEN años de soledad grade level 14.50 Gabo amor en los tiempos del colera grade level 15.71 Edited by sfuqua on 17 May 2014 at 4:07pm 7 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| sfuqua Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 4547 days ago 581 posts - 977 votes Speaks: English*, Hawaiian, Tagalog Studies: Spanish | Message 28 of 198 17 May 2014 at 7:54am | IP Logged | |||||
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I used the automated readability index notepad++ and openoffice calc to calculate these numbers; you can learn more about the index here:http://www.readabilityformulas.com/automated-readabilit y-index.php
Remove spaces in the above url, of course Edited by sfuqua on 17 May 2014 at 7:55am 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| VivianJ5 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 4044 days ago 81 posts - 133 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 29 of 198 17 May 2014 at 8:40am | IP Logged | |||||
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Nice to find this space to discuss what we're actually doing for the Super Challenge...!
So, I'm back to "Twilight," or "Fascination" in French. Since I know the book by heart, practically, wasn't expecting any surprises, but I've been proved (happily!) wrong. I'm finding, on average, about 2 - 5 words per page which are either completely new to me, or are words that I've seen before, but can't remember them, or figure them out from the context. I'm really enjoying the built-in dictionary function of the Sony ebook readers, makes looking up new words a snap, and doesn't substantially change my reading speed. (Really too bad the Sony ereaders have been discontinued, at least in North America - they were a perfect fit for me; thank goodness I've got a couple of backup units when this one dies...) Actually skipped the first Twilight, went straight to "Tentation," or "New Moon," just finished "Hesitation," or "Eclipse," and am now into "Revelation," or "Breaking Dawn." But I'm thinking it's time to get back into original French books, and not books translated into French from English...I've got a bunch, but will look at the Super Challenge language recommendations for ideas... And something interesting I KNEW would be an issue for me: I'm not normally a TV/movie watcher. I'll watch a good movie when I'm traveling, and lately I've gotten into "Mad Men," so have been catching up on past seasons of that series. But in general, if my husband isn't home, the TV stays off, and I read in any and all free time I have - and I have a lot, since I'm not working at the moment, and don't anticipate working in the near future. So making the time to actually sit in front of a screen, and focus on a French TV series, or watch the French news or a documentary, has been a struggle. Especially since, in terms of motivation, I can read 50 pages in French in about 30 - 40 minutes (depending on the difficulty), so the equivalent of a "book." A 90-minute film takes (surprise!) 90- minutes, so almost three times as long. Plus, it's definitely not my preferred activity. I'm finding more interesting things to watch, like French documentaries on history, or the series, "Engrenages," or "Spiral" in English. But still would prefer to be reading ;-) ! And I'm pretty sure, as opposed to most of us, that I'll finish the 100 books WAY before the 100 films... but this is a challenge, so films it is!! 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Jeffers Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4691 days ago 2151 posts - 3960 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Hindi, Ancient Greek, French, Sanskrit, German | Message 30 of 198 17 May 2014 at 10:52am | IP Logged | |||||
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Vivian, you can also use audiobooks and the like for the film half of the challenge. Personally, I like to listen when I'm on the move because I can focus better. Most days I take a walk, during which I'm currently listening to Harry Potter 1 in French. People also listen to news and podcasts.
You mentioned history. There's a podcast series about history others have recommended (I haven't tried it yet myself as I don't think I'm at that level yet): au coeur de l'histoire 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| rdearman Senior Member United Kingdom rdearman.orgRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5018 days ago 881 posts - 1812 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Italian, French, Mandarin | Message 31 of 198 17 May 2014 at 11:31am | IP Logged | |||||
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Here is an podcast I listen to.
LES LUNDIS DE L'HISTOIRE Feed link:http://www.radiofrance.fr/ Feed URL:http://radiofrance-podcast.net/podcast09/rss_10193.xml You can get the list of all the Radio France podcasts here: http://www.radiofrance.fr/espace-pro/podcast-radio-france Edited by rdearman on 17 May 2014 at 11:34am 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| VivianJ5 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 4044 days ago 81 posts - 133 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 32 of 198 17 May 2014 at 12:08pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Oh, thank you for the recommendations...I was doing the podcast thing in the beginning (mainly for news), but got
out of the habit. Think it's time to try it again... The great thing about podcasts, as you said Jeffers, is that you can be doing other things while listening. As long as I'm not trying to read something else at the same time, the listening is great for getting up and out. I have the bad (lazy?) tendency to spend too much time sitting. So can kill two birds with one stone: get my listening in, and be more active, which I desperately need at this point in my life. Thanks again, Jeffers and rdearman! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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