Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

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samfrances
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Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Wed Jul 22, 2015 4:53 pm

This is a continuation of my Spanish learning log that started here:

http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=37144&PN=0&TPN=1

More recently, since I was accidentally locked out of the HTLAL site for a number of months, I continued the log here:

http://www.fluentin3months.com/forum/my-language-mission/spanish-b2c1-by-june-31st-2016/
0 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

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samfrances
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Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2967
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:04 pm

[copy of post on Fi3m from 2nd April 2015]

I'm currently probably at B1 level (I'm taking a B1 evening class at the moment, anyway). I plan to go to Spain for the whole month of July 2016, and take a month long intensive language course while I'm there. I'll have to sit a placement test when I enrol, and I'd like to be able to attend the C1 class. Hopefully then when I come back to the UK I can skip ahead to a C2 level class.

My current learning plans, in order of priority:

1. Speaking
  • Spanish evening class once a week (It's a pretty talkative class)
  • One-on-one conversational skype lessons twice a week

2. "Fluent forever" method

I'm currently following the method described by Gabriel Wyner in his recent book Fluent Forever. This revolves around using anki to learn both vocabulary and grammar without memorising translations. Vocabulary cards use pictures and monolingual definitions, and grammar cards follow a slightly more complicated version of the "fill in the blank" textbook exercise format.

My path using this method is as follows:
  1. Work through the first half my grammar book making grammar cards (this is what I'm currently working on).
  2. Learn the 1000 most frequent words in Spanish.
  3. Work through the remainder of my grammar book, making grammar cards.
  4. Learn the 1001st - 2000th most common words in Spanish.
  5. Customise my vocabulary from a thematic vocabulary book, concentrating on topics I'm interested in.

3. Listening
  • Listen to Notes in Spanish, News in Slow Spanish. Make "Fluent Forever" flash cards for sentences and vocabulary I don't understand.
  • Watch season 1 of Perdidos (i.e. "Lost" dubbed into Spanish) without subtitles.
  • Watch Destinos (a sort of light-hearted Telenovela for Spanish learners).

4. Reading
  • Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal.
  • El mundo en español. Lecturas de cultura y civilización. Nivel A2.
  • Random newspaper and magazine articles online.
  • Highlight words and structures of interest, and go back later to make "Fluent Forever"-style flash cards.

5. Structured audio courses

Work through the Michel Thomas Vocabulary Course until I'm comfortable with it. Make flash cards to identify which tracks I need to revise.

Things I may move on to once I've completed the tasks or courses above

Listening

Telenovelas and other TV shows:

  • Yo soy Betty la fea (i.e. Ugly Betty, (original?) Columbian version)
  • La Reina del Sur (a telenovela about drug trafficking, which has been recommended to me as a good telenovela for a learner).
  • Peridos, season 2

Reading

El mundo en español. Lecturas de cultura y civilización. Nivel B.

Structured audio courses

Michel Thomas: Insider's Spanish
Assimil Spanish with Ease
FSI Spanish

Sorry if that's all deadly boring to anyone but me, but it's really helped me to clarify my thoughts about how to move forward. If anyone has any tips or thinks I'm going wrong with this plan, please feel free to let me know.

What next?

If I achieve the goal of being accepted into a C1 course in Spain in July 2016, my next goal will be to pass the C1 DELE exam, perhaps by the end of 2016 (I don't want to take the test unless I'm sure I'll pass). If I achieve that, I'll make another goal for the C2 exam a by the end of 2017. After that, who knows?
2 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

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Stelle
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby Stelle » Thu Jul 23, 2015 4:16 am

I'm also considering taking a C1 test someday. I'm not there yet, and I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever bother taking a test, but I do think about it sometimes!

¡Buena suerte! I look forward to following along with your progress!
1 x

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samfrances
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:27 am

Thanks Stelle. Yeah, sometimes I wonder if talking the exam would be worth the effort, but I just love a certificate! :)
0 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

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samfrances
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:18 pm

I've registered for the August 6 week challenge as @Sam6wc. I'm currently at around B1 level, so I might not be able to participate for that many more times, given that the rules say you must be lower-intermediate at most :(

Then again, I've been told that the road between B1 and B2 can be a long and treacherous one.
0 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

User avatar
samfrances
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Posts: 201
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:41 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: Native: British English
Learning: Spanish (B1/B2)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2967
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:24 am

I think for the duration of this 6-week challenge I'm going to drastically simplify my Spanish activities. I'm going to temporarily set aside my Stelle-inspired method of trying every day to talk, listen, read, write, practice vocab and (my additions) do some of my current audio method and do some work on the Fluent Forever method.

I think this is a good plan in general. However, making Fluent Forever grammar cards is really annoying me at the moment, just because it's taking so long to do. So I'm going to take these 6 weeks and have work on only four goals.

  • Finish the Michel Thomas Vocabulary course (because this is annoying me too). I only have about 10 more tracks on this, so this should be finished in a couple of days.
  • Have italki lessons 3 - 4 times a week.
  • Do my flash card reviews every day.
  • Spend all the rest of my time making Fluent Forever grammar flash cards, to get as far through this process as possible.

To work!
0 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

User avatar
samfrances
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Posts: 201
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:41 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: Native: British English
Learning: Spanish (B1/B2)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2967
x 311

Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Sun Aug 02, 2015 9:04 am

Just messing around with some progress bars. :)

Michel Thomas Vocabulary course - tracks completed: 54 / 77
Schaums Spanish Grammar - pages completed using Fluent Forever method: 43 / 167
1 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

User avatar
samfrances
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Posts: 201
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 2:41 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: Native: British English
Learning: Spanish (B1/B2)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=2967
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby samfrances » Sun Aug 09, 2015 10:24 am

Update for week beginning 3rd August 2015

A fairly busy week work-wise. I didn't make much progress on the FF flash cards, but had four lessons over skype, and did some sort of Spanish every day.

I've almost finished the Michel Thomas Vocabulary course, and I'm pondering what audio-course to move on to after. Current candidates are:
  • Insider's Spanish (Michel Thomas)
  • Assimil Spanish with Ease
  • FSI Spanish
Maybe I should bite the bullet and get started with FSI. I know a lot of people here recommend it. The only problem is (a) it's not entirely clear to me how FSI is supposed to be used, (b) it feels like a daunting prospect and (c) the recordings are so horrible!

Anyway, here are some progress bars.

Michel Thomas Vocabulary course - tracks completed: 71 / 77
Schaums Spanish Grammar - pages completed using Fluent Forever method: 43 / 167

I've also started trying to keep up "streaks" of doing certain practice activities every single day (i.e. the Seinfeld "don't break the chain" idea). My current streaks are:
  • Did some Spanish in some form: 5 days
  • Completed flash card reviews: 0 days
  • Made progress with FF grammar cards: 0 days
  • Do some of current audio-course: 0 days
0 x
: 156 / 156 : Schaum's grammar, Fluent Forever
: 642 / 1000 : Learn / make flashcards for 1000 most frequent Spanish words

Sam's Spanish Log
Sam's Year of Reading Only Spanish
Dipping my toe into Latin

bryan
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby bryan » Sun Aug 09, 2015 3:37 pm

When I was A2-early B1 I stayed with courses for way too long. I've actually learned a lot more moving away from courses and getting into native media and books at my level.

Paco Ardit writes some excellent books that are graded by level. The A2 and B1 books are good and have enough new words and phrases to learn from: http://www.amazon.com/Paco-Ardit/e/B00N64TWVK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1439134207&sr=1-1.

If you like audio, you might also check out http://www.notesinspanish.com/

And even better, this one has audio and text http://www.veintemundos.com/en/library/ and there is a large back catalog full of articles on various topics.

Everyone is different, of course, but for me FSI is like watching paint dry. I've tried it more than a few times and couldn't stomach it.
3 x

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Stelle
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Re: Spanish B2/C1 by June 31st 2016

Postby Stelle » Sun Aug 09, 2015 5:43 pm

If you commit to 3-4 conversation classes per week, you'll be amazed at how much progress you'll make in six weeks! I think the B1 level is the perfect time to ramp up the conversation practice.

¡Buena suerte!
1 x


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