Isn't it Romantic? SCMT learns Spanish and French

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Caromarlyse
Green Belt
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Languages: English (N), French (C1-ish), German (B2/C1-ish), Russian (B1-ish), Portuguese (B1-ish), Welsh (complete beginner), Spanish (in hibernation)
(All levels estimates and given as a guide only)
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby Caromarlyse » Sat Feb 27, 2021 10:23 am

Interestingly, the subjunctive was brought up in my Portuguese lesson this week. Must be the time of year for it! The approach adopted was one of which phrases require the subjunctive, rather than trying to analyse where there is fact as against supposition, because that test often breaks down anyway. Interesting that you have a teacher going each way. I've ordered myself a reference grammar book, as I think a thorough overview will be helpful, alongside drilling the most frequent instances of usage.
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SCMT
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Languages: Engilsh (N)
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Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10551
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:32 pm

A quick update on a mostly non-eventful week:

I finished Diablero season 1 and watched the first episode of season 2 once. I really liked the first season as both a language exercise and a program, although it is certainly pop-fiction rather than literature. The second season starts off, well, silly, and I"m not sure the trajectory is a good one. I also watched the first episode of the Columbian miniseries Frontera Verde. I tried to use the experimental technique of sleep learning during the second half of the show, so I'm not sure how much I got out of it, other than the fact that it seemed harder to understand than Diablero, although whether that was because of the accent, the content, or the audio quality is beyond me. I'll watch it again and try to sleep through the first half next time.

I briefly lost El viejo y el mar, but I found it again, so I will keep trucking on. My main complaint with the book is its size, as it slips between the couch cushions too easily and is not readily recognizable under a stack of papers on my bedside table. Also the print seems designed for younger eyes or perhaps ants, especially in the less than ideal reading light that my spouse seems to prefer at bedtime. I also read some news in my Spanish papers, although not as regularly as most weeks.

I listened to my ElExplicador podcast for perhaps 90 minutes last week spread between a couple of different occasions, but I have accidentally discovered a couple of English language podcasts that I like, and they sometimes occupy my attention during podcast time. I also watched the news on Telemundo once or twice.

As for French, I am semi-regularly working my way through the PMP vocab book. I think I am starting chapter 5. I hope this is refreshing something in my French brain, but I really don't know. Sooner or later I'm going to have to increase the time and intensity if I'm ever going to make a successful effort.
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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:49 pm

Last week was not my most productive.

I watched the first episode of Diablero season 2 for the second time. I listened to my podcast for an hour or so. I read several news articles in El Pais and BBCmundo. I watched the news in Spanish once or twice, and I watched a couple of BBC videos. That's it for Spanish.

In French, I started accumulating word lists that are mostly verbs, because they seem important and aren't really a focus of my workbook.

And that's it. Hopefully, this week will have a little more Romance in it, at least from a language standpoint.
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MorkTheFiddle
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Languages: English (N). Read (only) French and Spanish. Studying Ancient Greek. Studying a bit of Latin. Once studied Old Norse. Dabbled in Catalan, Provençal and Italian.
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 11#p133911
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Mon Mar 15, 2021 4:58 pm

SCMT wrote: Hopefully, this week will have a little more Romance in it, at least from a language standpoint.
:) :) :)
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Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson

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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon Mar 22, 2021 2:06 pm

As the posts from the last couple of weeks indicate, I'm having a hard time finding both time and motivation for languages. I'm forcing myself to listen to podcasts or watch a show or read the news just about every day, but the intensity of my study and use of Spanish has decreased dramatically, and despite good intentions, I haven't done much to start French. I'm also aware that everything I'm doing is receptive, and with no italki sessions lately, I'm not really producing anything. A month long recess from serious study isn't going to hurt too badly, but sooner or later I'm going to have to get back in the groove and flex my language muscles a little more strenuously.

Last week:

several articles in BBCmundo

Diablero season 2, episode 3, which I need to watch again

about an hour of El Explicador, half of which was given half attention
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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon Mar 29, 2021 7:12 pm

Another weak weekly update:

It seems funny to write given the activity level, but I do feel like last week was a little more intense than the previous two, at least until the weekend when I spent both days watching youth soccer in the wind and the rain (and having fun doing it, btw :D )

I listened to my podcast for a couple of hours on my commute. I went back to breaking the sessions into smaller chunks to be repeated, as i find that more than 15-30 just results in more time for my mind to wander. I also watched the news on Telemundo several times, and I read the news on bbcMundo, several articles almost every day.

I did review a little bit of French vocab, mostly stuff about vacations that gives me travel lust just before the Spring Break recess in the US for elementary kids.

And that's it. No italki, no Diablero, no Hemingway. At least I have plenty of things to look forward to!
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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon Apr 19, 2021 7:15 pm

I haven't posted in a while because I haven't really done much study in a while. I have consumed stuff in Spanish, but as for an organized plan of action or intentional improvement in the language, there just hasn't been any in the last few weeks. It has been Spring Break in the US, and between a little travel, work, and my second job as a volunteer youth sports coach (for which I am overpaid,) language learning has been on hold. A lack of motivation and the absence of any real near term goals haven't helped, either. I have an idea for a study plan and some goals going forward, but really, for the next couple of weeks, I might as well wait, as my time isn't going to get any more free.

I am still reading news in Spanish regularly.

I have listened to the news in Spanish and my podcast sporadically.

I have about 5 pages left in El viejo y el mar.
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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:39 pm

A quick update on my still somewhat limited activities:

I finally finished El viejo y el mar. I started this book a couple of years ago and could not get through it. It was much easier this time, and it took so long not because I struggled with the reading but because it was hard to find time to actually read it. Also, I read this book in high school and enjoyed reading it again. It's classic for a reason.

I watched the news in Spanish a couple of times and read Spanish language newspapers almost every day. There a couple of Mexican newspapers listed in the List of Resources that I will try to check out this week.

I also listened to about an hour of the El Explicador podcast.
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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Mon May 10, 2021 1:14 pm

Another non-update:

I'm trying very hard to get daily Spanish input, and I'm mostly succeeding. I'd guess between my podcast, reading online newspapers, and watching the news on TV I'm averaging 30-40 minutes per day of the language coming into my head. It would be nice to have a conversation, though, but I'm still not sure when I can get back on that train. I dreamed in Spanish last night, so I guess that's someting.
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SCMT
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Re: 40something Spanish Log

Postby SCMT » Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:53 pm

Wow... 90 days without a log entry. That says something about my dedication to study over the summer, I think.

It doesn't mean I have been without Spanish, though. After a long stretch without interacting with the language very much other than the occasional news article or program on TV, I actually spent last week working in Mexico. I started a new book, Allende's La Casa de los Espiritus, to try to prime my brain for the trip. I don't know if it helped or not, but I do like it, although I am only one chapter (~60 pages) into it so far.

My speaking skills really didn't seem to have deteriorated that much despite lack of practice. Listening skills are another matter. Add noisy environments, masks, slang, words that run together and the superfast broken way most humans actually talk to each other, and you get the poor Spanish student saying "otra vez, por favor," while cupping his ear a lot of times during a week.

So I need to get back to reading on a regular basis; the book is a good start, and El Pais is open in the window behind this one right now. I need to get back to listening on a regular basis--news in the afternoons, TV shows and movies at least a couple of times a week. And I need conversation practice, which for me means mostly italki. I also think I might try one of those sites where you submit written work for correction by native speakers; someone (cavesa?) listed several in a post that I have saved somewhere. I don't have a lot of call to write in Spanish, but I figure that production of the language that receives good correction probably is helpful to all of the other skills. Anyway, I will try to find the post and check out the sites this week.

In some ways, it is encouraging that my language ability is stable enough to knock off active study for a few months and really take a break from the language, yet I can come back to it at a competent level. On the other hand, the trip also reminded me that I have a lot of polishing to do on all of my skills, but most especially listening comprehension. So it is time to get back on the train, I guess, certainly with more Spanish, hopefully with more log entries to track some progress.
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