And, as the title of my log points out, I'm studying (at least) four languages this year: German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish and Japanese! I really want to work on my Mandarin because I'm applying for a master's programme this coming September and that's the weakest of my main pair - so I think that being a part of the Team East Asian Languages will help me reach my goals (and means I'll focus a little on Japanese, too!).
I'm also putting a heavy focus on consuming native materials in German, Mandarin, and Spanish this year, as well as the usual studying, because I've definitely noticed a marked improvement in my German since I started doing this in earnest last year. That means I'll be joining the Super Challenge again when (if?) it starts in May and before that I'll be trying to read/watch TV shows/films as much as possible.
Specific Plans:
German
- Be ready to sit a C2 exam (either in Austria or in the UK)
- Read 5,000-10,000 pages
- Watch 50 hours of media (TV, films, YouTube, etc.)
- Write 10,000 words
- Meet a tandem partner once a week
Mandarin
- Be ready to sit HSK 5 - I have no plans to actually sit the exam this year, but since I want to use the language at uni still, it's a good indicator of where I should be.
- Read three books (~750 pages)
- Watch 500 hours of media (may be ambitious, but still...)
- Write 10,000 words
- Meet a tandem partner once a week
Spanish
- Get to (and stay at) around a B1/B2 level
- Read five books (~1,250 pages)
- Watch 100 hours of media
- Write 5,000 words
Japanese
- Be able to pass an N5 exam (I'm trying to use only free online resources to learn Japanese, so this is good for me in terms of setting a reasonable study plan)
- Study 20 minutes a day
Yeah, so that's it, that's my goals. I guess it could change (and probably will in later months), but I'm pretty happy with those for now.