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Greek in 30 Days... | ||
Tags: Greek | Learning Technique/Method | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| smallwhite Pentaglot Senior Member Australia Joined 5117 days ago 537 posts - 1045 votes  Speaks: Cantonese*, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish | Message 9 of 21 22 October 2014 at 7:47am | IP Logged | ||
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30 day's over, so, what's his level now? I downloaded the placement test he wrote but I couldn't open it. I don't understand Greek anyway. He mentioned in his 30th-day video that he expects to achieve B1 in Jan or Feb 2015? So he's not B1 yet?
I attained B1+ in Swedish after 20 days / 81 hours of self-study with no tutor, no prior knowledge and not a dollar spent, according to this test. I'd like to know if Michael's method is better than mine and would worth me watching his 30 videos. I listened to some and they didn't seem to contain any new or useful information. BTW, I'm now a bit tempted to do Greek for the 6WC, aiming for B1 in 30 days! - Edited by smallwhite on 22 October 2014 at 9:29am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patrickwilken Senior Member Germany radiant-flux.net Joined 4342 days ago 1546 posts - 3200 votes Studies: German | Message 10 of 21 22 October 2014 at 8:37am | IP Logged | ||
I did a double take when you said B1 was needed for German citizenship. That's amazingly low given you are also required to have been living in the country for EIGHT YEARS. In which case a 30-day language course really seems to be leaving things to the last moment. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_nationality_law#Naturali sation_as_a_German_citizen Edited by patrickwilken on 22 October 2014 at 8:38am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| smallwhite Pentaglot Senior Member Australia Joined 5117 days ago 537 posts - 1045 votes Speaks: Cantonese*, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish | Message 11 of 21 22 October 2014 at 9:26am | IP Logged | ||
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With Australian citizenship, I think you have to pass a B1-ish test FIRST, THEN start living there, and AFTER X years you get citizenship.
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| patrickwilken Senior Member Germany radiant-flux.net Joined 4342 days ago 1546 posts - 3200 votes Studies: German | Message 12 of 21 22 October 2014 at 9:39am | IP Logged | ||
I just find it amazing that anyone could live here (Germany) for eight years and not be at B1-level at least. Though I know of lots of examples of this. I already have an unrestricted visa (essentially a Green card) so the only benefit from German citizenship would be the ability to vote, which would be very nice, but isn't worth giving up my Australian passport for. Sooner or later Germany will allow dual citizenship and I'll apply then. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| drygramul Tetraglot Senior Member Italy Joined 4277 days ago 165 posts - 269 votes Speaks: Persian, Italian*, EnglishC2, GermanB2 Studies: French, Polish | Message 13 of 21 22 October 2014 at 11:21am | IP Logged | ||
People don't improve automatically by staying in another country. Working in a Hospital as a stretcher bearer most of your life won't bring you to the B1 equivalent in medical jargon. Having Hochdeutsch in writing, media, formal contests and at school doesn't bring every Swiss citizen to a B1 in spoken Hochdeutsch. Language learning requires work and money, and not everyone has the privilege, the will or the need for that, especially when you're not that young once immigrated. I speak from experience. Most daily tasks can be accomplished with an A1/A2 level. The biggest interaction I get till now with natives, for instance, is at the local supermarket: usually I just need to mumble 2 or 3 sentences, if any at all. Why should a housewife, a construction worker, or a mailman know more than what he needs for getting by? I personally know plumbers who are at C1 for French in their field vocabulary and yet can't go beyond greetings. Additionally, no one is surprised when the 70 year old or the guy who works in the field can't speak Hochdeutsch, although they both lived their whole life in Germany. IMHO this criticism towards the language skills of migrants is a very hard-harted attitude, if not implicitly racist or superior, by people (German natives and German-speaking migrants too) who judge others without knowing their reasons or their backgrounds. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patrickwilken Senior Member Germany radiant-flux.net Joined 4342 days ago 1546 posts - 3200 votes Studies: German | Message 14 of 21 22 October 2014 at 11:35am | IP Logged | ||
I don't think it's hard hearted, and certainly not racist (where did race come in here?). I do think it's a failure of the German system at some level that many people don't learn the language of the country for so long. I am afraid if anyone is being "superior" it's you, as you seem to imply that it's simply too hard for various types of workers to learn a language to a very basic level over an eight year time period. It's incredibly limiting for people. To use one of your examples: The housewife who doesn't learn German is really stuck with her family. This might be good for some, but there are certainly stories (perhaps apocryphal) of women whose husband's have stopped them attending language classes as a way of controlling their lives more. Studies show that if you don't speak the language of your host country that you are at a disadvantage, both politically and financially. This is just as true for Turkish immigrants in Germany and for Uzbek workers in Russia (or for that matter Australian immigrants in Berlin). I guess my question is how can you really be an immigrant (as opposed to a guest worker) if you can't engage with the country by speaking the language? I would say that if you can't do the following (with perhaps the exception of the last point) after eight years, you are going to be limited in working/living/participating in any country you live in: B1 Threshold or intermediate * Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. * Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken. * Can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest. * Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans. Also various sources suggest you can reach B1 with 300-400 hours work. That suggests that you would have to do a little over an hour a day for a year to reach B1 or (more ridiculously) about 8 minutes/day for eight years -- in the language of country you are living in. Edited by patrickwilken on 22 October 2014 at 12:01pm 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| drygramul Tetraglot Senior Member Italy Joined 4277 days ago 165 posts - 269 votes Speaks: Persian, Italian*, EnglishC2, GermanB2 Studies: French, Polish | Message 15 of 21 22 October 2014 at 12:26pm | IP Logged | ||
I'll leave you to your certainties and amazement. I'll keep mine. No need to get personal about it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| smallwhite Pentaglot Senior Member Australia Joined 5117 days ago 537 posts - 1045 votes Speaks: Cantonese*, English, Mandarin, French, Spanish | Message 16 of 21 22 October 2014 at 1:11pm | IP Logged | ||
If it's Hong Kong you're immigrating to, by us speaking in English with you. Like how I write in English with you. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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