日本語 + Русский + norsk (part 1, CLOSED)

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brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Wed Jun 13, 2018 3:02 pm

A little half-way point for the German Experiment: my German is fine. It's fiiiiine. I'm speaking it quite a lot and relatively well, and I'm definitely improving with every time I speak. Ironically, my most successful German encounters are with other non-native speakers.

You'd think that, being at a German congress, I'd have the opportunity to speak German more often. But unfortunately some things never change: the moment Germans (specifically in my field) notice I'm not a native speaker (in other words: instantly) the conversation halts. The same thing happened at the same congress last year. I know my field is by default filled with socially awkward people, but come on :roll: It's disappointing, especially because professionally it's a missed opportunity (they don't switch to English - they just let the conversation end). I made some meaningful contacts at least year's congress - but only with internationally oriented colleagues who were able to speak English and were happy to have a conversation in English with me.

I have to admit it's making me very self-conscious about speaking at all, at the congress at least. I'll cherish my conversations with kebab sellers and Russian bookstore owners instead :)

Besides that, no internet at my current hotel, meaning I'm making progress with Momo. And used the congress wifi *cough* to get Babylon Berlin to watch in my hotel room.
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brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:16 am

Super Challenge update:

Japanese (half challenge)
Reading: 3.6 books, 179 pages (total)
11 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2006年4月23日放送 熊谷講師4 1 pages
14 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2006年4月30日放送 熊谷講師5 1 pages

Watching: 15.3 films, 1,379 minutes (total)
11 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2006年4月23日放送 熊谷講師4(ラジオ) 12 minutes
14 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2006年4月30日放送 熊谷講師5(ラジオ) 12 minutes
17 Jun 2018 僕だけがいない街 s1e9 25 minutes
17 Jun 2018 僕だけがいない街 s1e10 25 minutes
17 Jun 2018 僕だけがいない街 s1e11 25 minutes
17 Jun 2018 僕だけがいない街 s1e12 25 minutes

Just worked on Ainu, and finished watching Erased. I was eager to finish Erased because I had a feeling it was going to turn out disappointing... and I was right. I'm looking forward to starting something new (probably the anime Golden Kamuy, for the extra bit of Ainu goodness).

Russian (half challenge)
Reading: 0.2 books, 10 pages (total)
15 Jun 2018 Ворона и сыр 3 pages

Watching: 15.1 films, 1,363 minutes (total)
11 Jun 2018 Нюхач s3e1 60 minutes

I reread Ворона и сыр and did the exercises that come with it. I'm going to reread it again along with the audio and do some shadowing sometime this week probably. Also started season 3 of The Sniffer. Why did this show start out so brilliantly and is now quickly going downhill? :roll:




As for Ainu: finished lesson 5. I'm going to review lessons 1-5 this week and then start the next lesson.

German: I'm back from Germany. I ended up speaking a lot of German so I'm quite satisfied. I didn't have time to continue reading Momo or to watch anything in German, so that'll have to wait.

My life is a little calmer the upcoming months (with the exception of a short trip to Ukraine), so I'm looking forward to focusing on some more intensive language learning again (i.e. reading, grammar, production, etc.).
1 x

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tarvos
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Languages: Native: NL, EN
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Speak well: DE, FR, RO, EO, SV
Speak reasonably: IT, ZH, PT, NO, EL, CZ
Need improvement: PO, IS, HE, JP, KO, HU, FI
Passive: AF, DK, LAT
Dabbled in: BRT, ZH (SH), BG, EUS, ZH (CAN), and a whole lot more.
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/fo ... PN=1&TPN=1
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby tarvos » Mon Jun 18, 2018 10:17 am

Jesus on a fish stick, you get a lot done in a week X)
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I hope your world is kind.

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brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:57 am

tarvos wrote:Jesus on a fish stick, you get a lot done in a week X)

Not really?? They were all either short or low-mental-energy activities... Aside from Ainu I didn't really learn anything new, just reviewed. (Good thing about congresses: I had a lot of dead time in between talks to review all my Memrise courses)

My current personal 'challenge' is to finish reading Harry Potter in Japanese and Momo in German asap. Especially the first has been on my currently-reading shelf on Goodreads for such a long time that it's starting to piss me off, and I fear the same will happen to Momo if I let it :roll: They have to be finished before summer is over..! (#### my short attention span..)
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tarvos
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Posts: 2889
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:13 am
Location: The Lowlands
Languages: Native: NL, EN
Professional: ES, RU
Speak well: DE, FR, RO, EO, SV
Speak reasonably: IT, ZH, PT, NO, EL, CZ
Need improvement: PO, IS, HE, JP, KO, HU, FI
Passive: AF, DK, LAT
Dabbled in: BRT, ZH (SH), BG, EUS, ZH (CAN), and a whole lot more.
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/fo ... PN=1&TPN=1
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby tarvos » Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:35 pm

That's still more than I got done, which was read one book over the past three weeks :D. And *I* didn't go to a congress.
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I hope your world is kind.

Is a girl.

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brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:31 pm

Japanese (half challenge)
Reading: 5.4 books, 269 pages (total)
18 Jun 2018 ハリー・ポッターと賢者の石 21 pages
19 Jun 2018 ハリー・ポッターと賢者の石 19 pages
20 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2006年5月7日放送 熊谷講師6 1 pages
20 Jun 2018 ハリー・ポッターと賢者の石 11 pages
21 Jun 2018 よつばと!2 38 pages

Watching: 19.5 films, 1,751 minutes (total)
18 Jun 2018 ゴールデンカムイ s1e1 ウェンカムイ 24 minutes
18 Jun 2018 ゴールデンカムイ s1e2 のっぺら坊 24 minutes
19 Jun 2018 ゴールデンカムイ s1e3 カムイモシㇼ 24 minutes
20 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2006年5月7日放送 熊谷講師6(ラジオ) 12 minutes
23 Jun 2018 ゴールデンカムイ s1e4 死神 24 minutes
23 Jun 2018 ゴールデンカムイ s1e5 駆ける 24 minutes
23 Jun 2018 ミス・シャーロック s1e6 50 minutes
24 Jun 2018 ミス・シャーロック s1e7 50 minutes
24 Jun 2018 三度目の殺人 124 minutes

Clearly I felt some determination to finish reading Harry Potter asap... :lol:
I started watching Golden Kamuy. It's so good :o I also continued watching Miss Sherlock, still loving it a lot too. I can highly recommend it! One more episode to go.
Then yesterday I found out The Third Murder is playing at the local cinema so I went to see that. Japan, like the UK and the Netherlands, has only 5 actors. As a former temporary citizen of Nagasaki I enjoyed seeing Masaharu Fukuyama again, he's ageing damn well :lol: Maybe I should finally watch Ryomaden after I finish Miss Sherlock... Ryomaden started when I was still in Nagasaki and you couldn't turn the corner without seeing Fukuyama's face plastered all over the place :roll:

Russian (half challenge)
Reading: 0.4 books, 19 pages (total)
19 Jun 2018 Ворона и сыр 3 pages
19 Jun 2018 Ворона и сыр 3 pages
23 Jun 2018 Жадная старуха 3 pages

Watching: 15.9 films, 1,435 minutes (total)
19 Jun 2018 Ворона и сыр 12 minutes
24 Jun 2018 Нюхач s3e2 60 minutes

I tried to get more active at Russian again. I mostly studied vocab. Besides keeping up with my Memrise reviews and learning some new vocabulary (in preparation for next semester), I started using the Drops app for Russian. The voice is kind of shouty, and the vocabulary is by no means complete, but it's fun and it's filling some gaps (themes that our textbook hasn't mentioned yet, mostly). I like that I can only do it 2x 5min/day at most, so I don't really feel any pressure.
I'm also reading a bit more. Repeated the crow and the cheese a couple of times and started the next story.




Ainu
I've decided to adopt the 2003 STV course in my studies as well. I wasn't going to mix the 2006 and 2003 courses at first but they teach different topics. The 2006 course starts off with basic grammar, whereas the 2003 course starts with useful phrases (i.e. "Nice to meet you"). I'll switch between them whenever I feel like it.
Unilang hasn't finished translating the 2003 course as far as I'm aware - which is no problem for me, obviously, but now I'm contemplating continuing the translation work. If people are interested, that is. I haven't made up my mind yet (and haven't reached that lesson yet anyway).
1 x

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brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:13 am

Messy log post ahead! No need to read the whole thing but please watch the video because it's very awesome.

I've been bordering on depression for the past weeks... or probably months. I'm ok for the most part, but lately I don't handle negativity (in the news/world) as well as I should, so I've been avoiding news and social media as much as I can. Instead living in my little bubble for most of the time :roll:

This also means that I mostly just want to binge super happy positive comforting things like Brooklyn Nine-Nine or The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or Queer Eye :lol:

I'm still studying my languages but I'm not watching/reading as much as I'd ideally like to because I just want to go back to the aforementioned series all the time. I just have to find the right material (damn you, Kitchen, for your lack of subtitles everywhere - you would have been perfect!). So, recommendations are welcome, particularly in Russian!

The one thing that always comforts me is musicals. I wasn't going to count listening to them for the Super Challenge, but then I remembered how much that helped my Japanese and my German in the past. To me it's not so different from listening to audio books, just slightly more appealing. I'm using my best judgement and counting them. I'm now binging Japanese and Russian musicals during work :lol: (gotta be able to be dramatic and Extra™ in all of your languages, surely?!)

My highlight of the week is finding a Russian performance of Elisabeth on YouTube, by an all-women troupe. Not pro, and not the full show, but the troupe is pretty awesome and the audio is good.

Let me also leave this absolute gem here for all you language lovers:

Sadly no Pia Douwes in this performance, but I've been lucky enough to see both Annemieke van Dam (she's Dutch, singing in German) and Maki Ichiro (the Japanese actress) in actual performances of Elisabeth. They're both phenomenal! Especially Ichiro Maki: I've seen her in Japan as both Elisabeth and Der Tod and gosh, she is breathtaking.
1 x

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brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:10 pm

Yes, I'm talking about Кухня. Thank you for sharing the link! I'm aware there are transcripts available, but watching a show with transcripts just isn't as relaxing as watching with subtitles... So that's what's holding me back right now. But I love Кухня so eventually I'll cave and watch the rest :lol:
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User avatar
tarvos
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2889
Joined: Sun Jul 26, 2015 11:13 am
Location: The Lowlands
Languages: Native: NL, EN
Professional: ES, RU
Speak well: DE, FR, RO, EO, SV
Speak reasonably: IT, ZH, PT, NO, EL, CZ
Need improvement: PO, IS, HE, JP, KO, HU, FI
Passive: AF, DK, LAT
Dabbled in: BRT, ZH (SH), BG, EUS, ZH (CAN), and a whole lot more.
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/fo ... PN=1&TPN=1
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Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby tarvos » Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:30 pm

You'll be okay, I know you will. Promise. Take it from someone who knows what depression is.
1 x
I hope your world is kind.

Is a girl.

User avatar
brilliantyears
Green Belt
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2015 11:52 am
Location: Netherlands
Languages: Dutch, English
Active: Japanese (JLPT N2~N1), Russian (B1)
Maintaining: German (?)
Low-key: Ainu, Mandarin (A2?)
Dropped: Arabic, Korean, French, Latin, classical Manchu, Norwegian, SLN
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19020
x 911

Re: brilliantyears' language log: 日本語 + Русский focus

Postby brilliantyears » Sun Jul 01, 2018 8:33 pm

Japanese (half challenge)
Reading: 5.4 books, 270 pages (total)
27 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2003年4月6日放送 萱野講師1 1 pages

Watching: 22.7 films, 2,044 minutes (total)
26 Jun 2018 ハリー・ポッターと賢者の石 disc 1 65 minutes
27 Jun 2018 (アイヌ語)2003年4月6日放送 萱野講師1 (ラジオ) 12 minutes
27 Jun 2018 エリザベート 宝塚20周年 スペシャル・ガラ・コンサート 2012年11月26日 151 minutes
29 Jun 2018 ミス・シャーロック s1e8 50 minutes
01 Jul 2018 マイドリーム大作戦!1話 (ポッドキャスト) 5 minutes
01 Jul 2018 マイドリーム大作戦!2話 (ポッドキャスト) 5 minutes
01 Jul 2018 マイドリーム大作戦!3話 (ポッドキャスト) 5 minutes

Virtually no reading, but a bunch of listening. One of my colleagues was listening to the Harry Potter audiobook (in English) during work and that reminded me I had the Japanese one lying around. It's perfect: I don't get too distracted doing my work yet understand basically everything (it helps of course that I'm also still in the process of reading the book).
That gave me the confidence to start looking for podcasts. I listen to a lot of podcasts anyway (all English, almost all sci-fi), so why not try Japanese? I found マイドリーム大作戦! and listened to the first three episodes in a row. Quite funny, very easy to understand. I'm going to continue listening to this one, and start looking for sci-fi ones in the mean time (although I suspect the level will be a lot higher for those).

Besides that: I finished the first season of Miss Sherlock, and I hated what they did to Wato-san in the last episode. She was such an interesting character and then... meh.
As I said earlier, lots of musicals these days, so I watched a musical concert (Elisabeth, Takarazuka OG version).

Russian (half challenge)
Reading: 0.6 books, 28 pages (total)
29 Jun 2018 Жадная старуха 3 pages
01 Jul 2018 Красивый пейзаж 3 pages
01 Jul 2018 Красивый пейзаж 3 pages

Watching: 22.2 films, 2,001 minutes (total)
25 Jun 2018 Нюхач s3e3 60 minutes
26 Jun 2018 Ромео и Джульетта - Акт 1 (Мюзикл, 2006) 56 minutes
26 Jun 2018 Ромео и Джульетта - Акт 2 (Мюзикл, 2006) 68 minutes
27 Jun 2018 Нюхач s3e4 60 minutes
29 Jun 2018 Элизабет (Мюзикл, 2012) 40 minutes
29 Jun 2018 Бал Вампиров (Мюзикл, 2017) 57 minutes
30 Jun 2018 Служебный роман 159 minutes
01 Jul 2018 Красивый пейзаж 6 minutes
01 Jul 2018 Нюхач s3e5 60 minutes

I'm trying to read more regularly. I started a new story in my A2 level book :) But I still have no illusions about making it to 50 books before the end of next year.

And lots of listening this week. Three musicals (Romeo & Juliet, Tanz der Vampire, and Elisabeth). I won't rest until I can sing along with each of them :lol: I continued The Sniffer, and watched Office Romance as recommended by @Teango in the Russian Study Group.




No update next week! I'm heading to Ukraine for a short-ish vacation on Thursday :D That's also the last vacation I have planned, which makes me a little nervous :lol:
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