Systematiker's attempt at a log

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Systematiker
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm
Languages: ENG (N); DEU (C2+) // SWG (~C1); BAR (~C1); SPA (4/3); FRA (~C1); SCO (~C1); NLD (~B2*); LAT (Latinum Bavaricum); GRC (Graecum Bavaricum); CAT (~B2*); POR (~B2*); SWE (~B2*); HBO (Hebraicum); DAN (~B1*); RUS (~A2); KOR (~A1); FAS (still a raw beginner)
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Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7332
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Systematiker » Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:36 pm

So here's a look back at the week, with all the adjustments and changes (Lord, let this be the last week I decide to change something major for a while!). I'm going to break it up into every single language, so I can also see my own insanity; I'm also putting laddering languages next to their L2, so it's out of my normal order. Prepare for far too much text below. I also am back to using SRS for many things, as noted below. The smaller moments of SRS also allow me to squeeze in some of the less-regular languages more often, if I want to.

Spanish
Spanish just runs along, I listen, I read, and as I mentioned before, until either a group on here or my wife wants to start doing the green book, it's just going to run. I can't focus on one novel (or nonfiction work) at a time, but I figure I'm reading about 50-60 pages most days. I'll get back to watching...after I finish my French series.

Catalan
Parla.cat being monolingal made laddering not great, and the memrise course I got to go along with it is ES-CAT, but arranged alphabetically and not by unit. This is frustrating. I'm doing a bit of memrise each day, but mostly focussing on the duolingo course, since it actually serves the laddering purpose. I'm probably listening to at least 15 minutes of Radio Catalunya each weekday as well.

Basque
Basque is threatening to escape its boundaries. I've got ikasten and the Gorka course, and I put the first section's vocab into quizlet. But then I started an EN-Basque memrise course as well (it's only 140 items, but still). Crush, who posted several music videos in the Basque group, is to blame for this (I gotta blame someone!), as he posted one that made me go and find the whole album; my son likes to dance to Huntza :lol:

French
French gets daily listening and reading, in each case less than Spanish, and as I have time I'm going to be watching as well. I also worked in a shorter lauds podcast into my morning routine, so there will never be a day without at least some French.

Russian
I'm really trying to keep Russian down to once a week and laddering. I did far too much of RVR earlier this week, and will have to go back over it. I also grabbed a EN-RU memrise course, for when I need to build vocabulary, but I'm hoping I can keep things FR-RU for a while (note to self: look for such a memrise course).

Korean
15/30 done in Pimsleur. This is where I bailed on Korean last time in the 6WC, because the numbers are so mind-numbingly boring. After nearly 25 years of a Korean martial art, in which exercises are counted in one set of numbers and patterns in the other, I can already count just fine thankyouverymuch. On the plus side, though, I can do a couple lessons per day. I also dusted off a memrise course, and it's sticking better this time, so I'll keep it up this time around. I might thus leave the text until I have Pimsleur done, then do the text and put its vocab into quizlet while still pushing through the 2k memrise course. If I can keep up, that should give me enough plan for the rest of the year.

Swedish
This is going to be a rabbit trail. What is both good and bad about learning Swedish? Synergy. Let's look at some numbers. A normal C1 has, what, around 9k word families of vocabulary? And they say C2 is like 20k? (A brief internet search returns similar numbers) Even if you lowball the lexical similarity from German and English (say, between the two I get 35% of the average of the two), given the size of my vocabulary in those (not bragging, complaining), I'm probably pushing that upper number (beyond it, in my field). That's great, and all, but it also sucks, because it creates a massive disparity. I watch På spåret and have one or two sentences where I really didn't know what was going on in an hour show (usually some of the wordplay in the clues), or listen to podcasts and get a lot - but I seriously write and speak at like A1-A2. I read slowly, but I understand FSI has helped, but carving out the time to do it is hard. This is probably a good test of how much input one needs to roll over into ability in output. On the other hand, I should probably stop stressing about it and just enjoy the things I can enjoy in it, as I don't actually have anyone to really speak to in it anyway. So, anyway, I've been reading the Bible, and waiting on På spåret, and I should pick up my novel as well.

Danish
Same issues as Swedish, made better by a daily podcast, and then made worse by a lack of audio-Bible and a quiz show (as well as a lack of a book I'm really enjoying).

Dutch
Dutch had some changes this week, as I described in my last few posts, but it's for reasons like those in Danish and Swedish that I won't give it up entirely. I can't spell, I can't speak without getting German in it, but I understand way too much to abandon it (and I'm past the high-water mark from the first time I gave it a go).

Latin
I'm still trying to decide what to do here. Going back through LLPSI won't happen, I've got too much I'd rather do than repeat those lessons. I probably need to start a reading plan - I read it extensively anyway, as I'm too lazy to look things up, so maybe I'll try reading the Gospels or Genesis or something, I probably have few missed words per page there.

Ancient Greek
Still working on the Spanish book and calling that "study" for Ancient Greek - I need to set myself a regimen to read and translate (and parse!) daily, or at least a couple times per week.

Hebrew
Consolidation. I'm trying SRS to consolidate the vocabulary from the first 9 chapters of my textbook, before I move forward; I'm also doubling or tripling the number of times I listen to the Pimsleur units (it's not sticking at speed otherwise). Hebrew is actually what made me go back to SRS - I used SRS very effectively the first time around, so why am I averse to it now? I've just got to use the right sets, or suck it up and make them myself. Hmm, I wonder if I could use a transcript of Pimsleur to make an SRS set...EDIT: Someone on quizlet already has :)

Arabic
Continuing with MT and LT, and some word and phrase SRS to keep up and improve my reading. I'll slowly go through both of those, perhaps also the short Pimsleur I have, and then look for a real program. Or do FSI.

Welsh
SSiW is what really threw me for a loop on Tuesday - I've done one lesson each day since. There must be some terrible grammar or mutation surprise around the corner, because between SSiW and duolingo Welsh feels quite easy. I'm looking at going through all the levels of SSiW while finishing duolingo, and then maybe giving native materials a shot (if I can struggle through at that point, I can get away without needing another formal course). I'm not sure if that will work, but I'm a few months from finding out in any case.

Scottish Gaelic
Here's another place where I'm waiting on the other shoe to drop, because it feels too easy. I've done the whole first chapter of Colloquial Scottish Gaelic (of which there are 16), put all the words and phrases into quizlet, and worked with the audio twice. Even if I only do one chapter a week, I'll run out of material by the end of April - and then to native material? Slim pickings, and I don't know if I'll be up to it by then (but I'm sure willing to try!). I've been listening to a bit of music, and can already pick out a few words here and there (not enough to make any sense of it though).

Scots
Wait, what? Yeah, I didn't want to be neglecting it too much, so I'm back to reading some in Scots, just to keep it up.


I didn't do anything with Chaldean or Anglo-Saxon this week, but it's only noon on Friday, so... :lol: :lol:
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Brun Ugle
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Brun Ugle » Fri Jan 13, 2017 5:54 pm

Every time I read your log, I feel so embarrassed that I'm learning so few languages.
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Systematiker
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Posts: 823
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm
Languages: ENG (N); DEU (C2+) // SWG (~C1); BAR (~C1); SPA (4/3); FRA (~C1); SCO (~C1); NLD (~B2*); LAT (Latinum Bavaricum); GRC (Graecum Bavaricum); CAT (~B2*); POR (~B2*); SWE (~B2*); HBO (Hebraicum); DAN (~B1*); RUS (~A2); KOR (~A1); FAS (still a raw beginner)
*Averaged for high receptive skill
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7332
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Systematiker » Fri Jan 13, 2017 6:12 pm

Brun Ugle wrote:Every time I read your log, I feel so embarrassed that I'm learning so few languages.


You shouldn't! I'm basically cheating for most of them anyway! Most of the langauges I'm any good at I either had to learn for a pressing reason, or they are so related to something I had to learn (+English) that it wasn't like I put in a lot of work.

Seriously, take off Greek and Hebrew, because I literally have to have them for my vocation, plus I've spent forever messing with them.

Take off German, because I had to have it for my studies.

Take off Latin, because I had to have it in my studies, and it's not like I'm doing much anyway.

French, Spanish, Swedish, Danish - 99% of the time, all I do is watch stuff or listen or read, and it's not like I got there through hard work (definitely not with the Scandinavian langauges, since probably 90% of my "study" has been riding on synergy).

That just leaves me with a handful of beginner languages - it's easy to be A1 or A2 in a bunch.

Seriously, I'm not trying to be "that guy" - I've just taken the path of least resistance each time.
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crush
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby crush » Fri Jan 13, 2017 7:07 pm

Systematiker, have you had a look at Assimil's El catalán sin esfuerzo? I think it's really all you need to be able to at least understand Catalan. I was watching movies and tv shows (without subtitles) and read several books after having only gone through that course. In fact, other than a couple Parla.cat lessons, that's all i've ever done of formal Catalan study. I haven't touched Catalan in several years now though so my writing has slipped a bit, but my comprehension is still there.

I'm also glad to have helped you enjoy Basque a bit more :D
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Jar-Ptitsa
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Jar-Ptitsa » Fri Jan 13, 2017 9:24 pm

You're Iversen Jr haha
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Elenia » Fri Jan 13, 2017 10:30 pm

Systematiker wrote:Swedish
This is going to be a rabbit trail. What is both good and bad about learning Swedish? Synergy. Let's look at some numbers. A normal C1 has, what, around 9k word families of vocabulary? And they say C2 is like 20k? (A brief internet search returns similar numbers) Even if you lowball the lexical similarity from German and English (say, between the two I get 35% of the average of the two), given the size of my vocabulary in those (not bragging, complaining), I'm probably pushing that upper number (beyond it, in my field). That's great, and all, but it also sucks, because it creates a massive disparity. I watch På spåret and have one or two sentences where I really didn't know what was going on in an hour show (usually some of the wordplay in the clues), or listen to podcasts and get a lot - but I seriously write and speak at like A1-A2. I read slowly, but I understand FSI has helped, but carving out the time to do it is hard. This is probably a good test of how much input one needs to roll over into ability in output. On the other hand, I should probably stop stressing about it and just enjoy the things I can enjoy in it, as I don't actually have anyone to really speak to in it anyway. So, anyway, I've been reading the Bible, and waiting on På spåret, and I should pick up my novel as well.


Vi borde nog prata lite mer på svenska då :)

På Spåret: fick elva poäng med min pojkvän, sex utan honom. Full pott med språk och mat frågan, ingen överaskning där :lol: Du då? Jeff och Brun Ugle?
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jeff_lindqvist
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:36 am

Appen registrerade bara 22 poäng, men jag hade ytterligare 11 - med andra ord 33 poäng. Den funkade inte så bra som jag hade hoppats. Till exempel så visste jag svaret på frågan om musikinstrumentet, men det fanns inte med bland alternativen. Och sista resmålet som kunde stavas på två sätt - men appen godkände bara ett av namnen.
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Systematiker
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm
Languages: ENG (N); DEU (C2+) // SWG (~C1); BAR (~C1); SPA (4/3); FRA (~C1); SCO (~C1); NLD (~B2*); LAT (Latinum Bavaricum); GRC (Graecum Bavaricum); CAT (~B2*); POR (~B2*); SWE (~B2*); HBO (Hebraicum); DAN (~B1*); RUS (~A2); KOR (~A1); FAS (still a raw beginner)
*Averaged for high receptive skill
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7332
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Systematiker » Sat Jan 14, 2017 12:53 am

crush wrote:Systematiker, have you had a look at Assimil's El catalán sin esfuerzo?


Well, now I've searched for it on Amazon....
I might just buy it, I can get a used copy for not too much, and I'm sure either someone has the audio or I can get by without it.

vogeltje wrote:You're Iversen Jr haha


He's rather more skilled than I



På spåret: har tittat inte är
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Jar-Ptitsa
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Jar-Ptitsa » Sat Jan 14, 2017 2:44 am

Systematiker wrote:
vogeltje wrote:You're Iversen Jr haha


He's rather more skilled than I


That's true, that's why you're the Junior.
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-w- I am Jar-ptitsa and my Hawaiian name is ʻā ʻaia. Please correct my mistakes in all the languages. Thank you very much.
: 1 / 50 Spanish grammar
: 5 / 50 Spanish vocabulary

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Systematiker
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Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 6:09 pm
Languages: ENG (N); DEU (C2+) // SWG (~C1); BAR (~C1); SPA (4/3); FRA (~C1); SCO (~C1); NLD (~B2*); LAT (Latinum Bavaricum); GRC (Graecum Bavaricum); CAT (~B2*); POR (~B2*); SWE (~B2*); HBO (Hebraicum); DAN (~B1*); RUS (~A2); KOR (~A1); FAS (still a raw beginner)
*Averaged for high receptive skill
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7332
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Re: Systematiker's attempt at a log

Postby Systematiker » Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:17 am

På spåret: Jag fick 21 poäng, inte dålig. Men just på förste 45-50 minut, för SVT kraschade. Jag skulle titta förtig på morgon.

Now, how bad did I screw that up?

Oh, and of course after talking about understanding it so well, I had trouble with more of it this time around.
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