Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

General discussion about learning languages
Cavesa
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby Cavesa » Fri Jan 06, 2023 12:27 pm

1.Complete ALL the Super Challenges I've signed up for and started last year.

2.Take and pass Goethe C1 (Ideally in March/April)

3.Not to buy any language coursebooks without finishing some first (one book finished, zero or one book bought)

4.Get into the Anki habit.

5.Not to take on too much :-D
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tractor
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby tractor » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:59 pm

1. Continue learning Italian.
2. Read more books. Less iPad, less Internet, fewer distractions.

Like Cavesa, I'll try to finish some om my coursebooks before bying more. I have more than I need already.
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby german2k01 » Tue Jan 10, 2023 6:21 pm

I will definitely be reading more books in German. No doubt about that. I am making a transition to reading now as I have developed a very clear image of the German sound system by having done thousands of hours of listening. Reading needs my attention for sure.

Thanks to Le Baron's advice I made a good decision of attending classes and went through grammar concepts in a systematic way under the supervision of qualified teachers. Studying grammar on your own can be a hit-or-miss experience.

While reading texts in German there is no unexpected surprise to face, in hindsight, it was a good decision. Again Thanks to Le Baron's advice.
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Carmody
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby Carmody » Thu Jan 12, 2023 8:09 pm

Looking back on 2022 and forward to 2023


2022 Summary

Ok, this year we moved house from NY to PA which was an all- consuming process. Preparing for selling and then selling the house; preparing for moving, and then moving and settling in –all requiring an awful lot of time and focus. It is only today that I have gotten the chairs delivered that I need to sit in it so I can study.

Iversen talked about his personal upheaval and moving house, so I certainly feel for him and what he went through.
With that said, the rough data for the results of my 2022 efforts are these:

1-Reading –1062 pages.

This consisted of such books as:
Vichy, un passé qui ne passe pas by Conan, Rousso 285 pages
Une Vieby Simone Veil, 352 pages
Jeanne d’Arc by Pernoud and Clin 425 pages

2-Oral Input…254 hours; with a big step in comprehension for me

The sources consisted of :
alice ayel
ehoui!
Enquêtes et Reportages
Français avec Fred
Francais avec Pierre
French mornings with Elisa
Home Language
Secrets d’Histoire Officiel
imineo Documentaires
inner French
Investigations et Enquêtes
L'archéologie subaquatique à l'Inrap
L'Avis de Marie
Les Films de Saint Amant
Michel Lebon
Nota Bene
Passe moi les jumelles
Planète RAW
Reportage et Investigation
Secrets d'Histoire Officiel
| SLICE | Tibet, le chemin des vents

3-Vocabulary -on going

4-Grammar-not much

5-Pronunciation- not much

6-Writing- not much

So what do I think of my efforts in 2022:
1-In some ways I am lucky to have made it through as well as I have. Establishing a study habit and rhythm are essential for me and that was not possible in the midst of the chaos of selling the house and moving. Hopefully I can reestablish a new routine now we have moved.

2-As elementary as my Oral Input sources were, it was nevertheless noteworthy that my comprehension has at long last found its land legs, where I did not before. I do think that Passe moi les jumelles is a wonderful podcast and remain puzzled that it does not get the respect from others that I accord it.

3-So what is my motivation and what are my goals. I know I do not want to spend time writing or speaking the French language since I have no one that I can speak with, and yes I know about italki, etc., but there simply is no use for French in rural PA.

So why do I study this language?
Answer: I love the sound of the language as well as what I can learn from its culture through books and movies. The language can have a musical quality to it that is truly special and the contemporary books of fiction and studying its history are things I love learning.

Peter Mollenberg has mentioned the importance of enjoying the learning process and keeping in touch with it constantly and in any way you can, and I think that is excellent advice that I try to follow.

Some friends I know have a French book reading group and have asked if I would like their extra books that they don’t need, so, from this point in time I will be reading anything and everything that comes my way. I believe rdearman has the same thing going with one of his neighbors. I have never been in this situation before so it will be a new experience to just read what is in front of me.

I must add as well something that Mork the fiddle mentioned and that is to make an effort to not self-sabotage my language efforts. I believe both goals and methodology can undermine my efforts so that I need to not clobber myself with goals and methods. Some people do better clobbering themselves; I do not.

Finally and foremost, a very big thank you to everyone for their comments here and in other threads. I learn greatly as a result of your sharing your journeys with all the successes and of course especially the failures that that entails and count myself fortunate to share in it.

Have a Wonderful 2023 and Stay Healthy!
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby rdearman » Thu Jan 12, 2023 11:22 pm

A system or habit is better than a goal. :D
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Carmody
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby Carmody » Fri Jan 13, 2023 12:30 am

rdearman » Thu Jan 12, 2023 12:22 pm
A system or habit is better than a goal.
Thank you very much; I never heard that before.
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CDR
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby CDR » Fri Jan 13, 2023 6:04 am

1. Study 90 hours of Japanese a month (off to a bad start :()
2. Do 1 one-on-one conversation with a tutor in Portuguese per week (off to a great start!)
3. Complete my Super Challenges (Seems unlikely for my 2x Japanese SC)
4. Write the N2 at the end of the year (I didn't say pass it!)
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby rdearman » Fri Jan 13, 2023 10:00 am

Carmody wrote:
rdearman » Thu Jan 12, 2023 12:22 pm
A system or habit is better than a goal.
Thank you very much; I never heard that before.

Just to elaborate on that a little. If you have a goal that says "I'll be fluent in Korean by the end of the year!" it makes for a great goal. But you don't get any good feelings until you've done it, so you have to wait a year. If you put in place a habit of studying Korean for one hour in the morning, then you can feel a sense of accomplishment immediately, no waiting. Feeling good about it means you are more likely to repeat the action the next day. At the end of the year you might have hit your goal, but because you have a habit, you carry on studying for an hour on January 2nd too. :)
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby Irena » Sat Jan 14, 2023 11:05 am

rdearman wrote:
Carmody wrote:
rdearman » Thu Jan 12, 2023 12:22 pm
A system or habit is better than a goal.
Thank you very much; I never heard that before.

Just to elaborate on that a little. If you have a goal that says "I'll be fluent in Korean by the end of the year!" it makes for a great goal. But you don't get any good feelings until you've done it, so you have to wait a year. If you put in place a habit of studying Korean for one hour in the morning, then you can feel a sense of accomplishment immediately, no waiting. Feeling good about it means you are more likely to repeat the action the next day. At the end of the year you might have hit your goal, but because you have a habit, you carry on studying for an hour on January 2nd too. :)


I agree with this, but I want to add that I don't think fluency is really a goal. It's more of an aspiration, if that's the right word. What is fluency, and how do you know when you're fluent? The only language (other than my native language) that I can confidently claim to be fluent in is English. Anyone disputing that is being ridiculous. My C1 languages, though? Some people would say I'm very fluent, and others would say I still have a way to go. Myself, I make no claims. If you think I'm fluent, then I'm fluent, and if you don't, then that's fine, too. (Oh, and as for English: when exactly did I become fluent? No idea.) So, I'd never make "fluency" my goal, because I don't even know what it is. I set much more measurable goals, such as "read this many pages in my target language" or "pass this exam." For shorter term, it may be something like "read this book" or "have an Italki lesson." Then I know for a fact if I've done it or not. 8-)
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Re: Your Language-related New Year's Resolutions 2023

Postby allf100 » Thu Feb 16, 2023 5:27 am

I just thought of this question a few days ago. Finally I decide to completely brush up my rusty English vocabulary before I start another old language.

Except for English, I learnt a little bit Japanese, German, and Persian, but I don't have time to grasp them all, and lose them all. I even fail to read a Persian alphabetic letter now.
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Anyone who would like to correct my writing mistakes will be always greatly appreciated.


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