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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
 jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes  Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 1 of 9 24 June 2007 at 4:56pm | IP Logged |
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I continue my series about my language studies...
Spanish is a language that I've loved since high school. I studied it for two years, and then switched program, which resulted in two years of reviewing old stuff, and the "third" year (really my fifth) with new stuff. During the summer in -94 I worked at a snackbar and on rare occasions I even got to speak Spanish with some customers. I've brushed it up now and then, and a few years ago I got more interested in it again (one of my colleagues was from Chile). I listened to a couple of Michel Thomas CDs and planned to go through the three Pimsleur volumes, but got busy with work (and other languages). About a year and a half ago I started chatting in Spanish, at SharedTalk. It was quite easy to find people to talk to, although my level was still very basic. The last two years I've used some Spanish in real life during weekend seminars (in martial arts), which have happened to attract people from Spain. Over the years I have borrowed children's book and Easy Readers from the library, at the lowest level possible. I'm familiar with the Assimil method from the German and Mandarin courses (which I'm still struggling with), and a few weeks ago I decided to get the Spanish course. It arrived this Monday, so today is day #7. During the first four days I listened to lessons 1-7, 8-14, 15-21 and 22-28 to get accustomed to the sound of the language again (and get some basic sentences). However, I will stick to intended one-lesson-a-day approach and today I reviewed the first seven lessons. I may feel that the tempo is too slow, and do two lessons a day. Who knows. Obvious goals: Finish Assimil. Maybe continue with Using Spanish (is there a Business Spanish?). --- If have time: Pimsleur 1-3 FSI Any other courses from my collection (TY, the books from high school, grammar books et.c.) --- Semi-passive methods: Online radio. Children's books and Easy readers This will serve as an introduction. I won't write each time I finish a new lesson... :) Edited by jeff_lindqvist on 24 June 2007 at 5:13pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| Shinn Trilingual Tetraglot Groupie India gallery.takingitglob Joined 6200 days ago 61 posts - 69 votes Speaks: English*, Hindi*, Oriya*, SpanishB2 Studies: FrenchB1, Japanese, Irish | Message 2 of 9 25 June 2007 at 2:49am | IP Logged |
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I would highly recommend the "Notes in Spanish" podcasts. They really helped me brush up on my comprehension and speaking skills, and they give you a nice insight into life in Spain.
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| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 3 of 9 06 September 2007 at 6:38pm | IP Logged |
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I've worked more than usual during the summer and haven't had the time to study as much as I wanted. This being said, I have used Spanish at work on one or two occasions.
Last week I listened to the first Assimil CD up to lesson 21, which was the last I did in late June/early July. This week I started at lesson 22, and have (so far) managed to do one lesson per day. I usually listen to it between five and ten times, all in one go. I read along and after the second time I'm able to shadow it (without the script) close to the CD speed. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 4 of 9 20 October 2007 at 2:44pm | IP Logged |
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I've just finished lesson 56 (which means the first week of the active wave). Listening to the dialogues (as well as shadowing) works fine, and my translation of the first lessons into Spanish is also quite OK.
An interesting thing is that I understand most of the new lessons without even reading the English text. Perhaps it is my previous knowledge of the language that makes it easier for me to "fill in the gaps" in the slightly longer sentences. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 5 of 9 03 February 2010 at 3:00am | IP Logged |
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Oh my, it was ages since I updated this log.
I don't know when I "finished" Assimil, but I did, probably in late 2007. In 2008 I hardly studied any Spanish at all. My spreadsheet has two entries: Listening: 1.75 hours Shadowing: 3.5 hours Total: 5.25 hours... Did I do anything in 2009, then? I went through Assimil again, this time only as a reading exercise (sometimes silently, sometimes aloud. Other reading material: "Extractos castellanos para la versión" (a leaflet for highschool students) "Eso sí" 1 and 2 (the textbooks I had in highschool) "El Código Da Vinci" (by Dan Brown; L-R, the whole book in Swedish (+audio in Spanish), then again in Spanish (+Spanish) "Ángeles y demonios" (also by Dan Brown, L-R; see above) "Marcelino 1. Spansk nybörjarkurs i radio" "Lärobok i spanska" (by Kristoffer Nyrop & Ragnar Stigen) "Versiones y temas españoles" (Kaj Heurlin) "Don Quijote de la Mancha 1" (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Easy Reader) "Don Quijote de la Mancha 2" (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Easy Reader) "La estrella misteriosa" (Hergé) Spreadsheet stats: Listening: 93 hours Reading: 90 hours Total: 183 hours Average: 30 min/day My goals for 2010 is to work on my vocabulary, mostly by reading, and L-R. I'm currently doing L-R with "Los hombres qué no amaban a los mujeres" - translation of Swedish crime novel "Män som hatar kvinnor" by Stieg Larsson. There are two more novels in the series, and when I'm done with those I'll turn to some more easy readers I have. Maybe the children/youth section at the library. I might watch the Seinfeld episodes in Spanish). 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 9 17 October 2011 at 12:09am | IP Logged |
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2010 wasn't a particularly good year for Spanish.
A few easy readers - "Las inquietudes de Shanti Andía" (by Pío Baroja), and "Estampas madrileñas" (by Kaj Heurlin). I finished "Los hombres que no amaban a las mujeres" (a translation from the Swedish "Män som hatar kvinnor" by Stieg Larsson) - one L-R round of Spanish audio+Spanish text. Spreadsheet stats: Listening: 18,25 hours Reading: 19,25 hours Analysis: 1 hours (wherever that came from, I must have devoted some time to grammar) Total: 38,5 hours Average: 6 min/day Since then, I've started with volume 2 ("La chica que soñaba con una cerilla y un bidón de gasolina" and will hopefully finish it one day. Edited by jeff_lindqvist on 17 October 2011 at 12:12am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |
| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 9 02 May 2012 at 1:25am | IP Logged |
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Did I do anything with my Spanish in 2011?
My spreadsheet says that I've listened to the language for an impressive 30 minutes, and read for 30 minutes. Who knows where those figures come from. Maybe some L-R. Gladly, I've devoted more time to Spanish this year. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6697 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 8 of 9 01 January 2014 at 5:28pm | IP Logged |
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What did I do in 2012?
Apparently something. There may have been some L-R. I remember that I in October decided to go through all my Assimil courses (Arguelles style; shadowing, scriptorium and all that) before New Year's Eve (hint: epic fail). Spreadsheets stats: Scriptorium: 2.75 hours Listening: 3.75 hours Reading: 3.25 hours Analysis: 4 hours (grammar etc.) Shadowing: 14.75 hours Total: 28.5 hours Average: 5 minutes/day And in 2013? Spreadsheets stats: Scriptorium: 0.5 hour Listening: 2.5 hours Reading: 1 hour Analysis: 0 hours (grammar etc.) Shadowing: 0.5 hours Total: 4.5 hours Average: 1 minute/day Most of that impressive amount was done during the beginning of 2013, when I still thought I was going to be able to finish all Assimil courses. The I did one hour of L-R just a few weeks ago. But - I spent a couple of days in Barcelona in late August. It was my first time in a Spanish speaking country, and I found that my Spanish worked. I generally don't approach people I don't know just to practice the language, so a lot of my spoken Spanish could have been taken from the average tourist phrase book. Nevertheless, a French family took me for a Spaniard outside Parc Güell, and I chatted with a bookstore manager for a short while. Goals: Finish "La chica que soñaba con una cerilla y un bidón de gasolina" and continiue my L-R project with the third part in the series, "La reina en el palacio de las corrientes de aire" Review the Michel Thomas - Spanish for beginners 1 person has voted this message useful |
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