Kelvin's RU, JP, ESP log <- In this order

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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
English (C1-2)
Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
Russian (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Tue Apr 13, 2021 3:31 pm

I have been pretty overwhelmed by studies recently because I have spent too many time watching anime :lol:
That's why I havn't updated much.

Anyway, I have finished N3 material and now starting N2 Grammar and Vocab. As a progress check, I have done 2 JLPT official papers previously obtained.
[Dec 2011]
Vocab - 32/35
Grammar - 23/23
Reading - 16/16
Listening - 25/27

[July 2010]
Vocab - 29/35
Grammar - 22/23
Reading - 16/16
Listening - 27/28
I think reading and listening have never been a big problem to me (as I can pass the N2 one). All along my weakness / area of focus is grammar and vocab. For N3 level, grammar should be the only focus and therefore by getting the above results I think I have push my grammar knowledge to the level where I can safely start N2 materials.

The July 2010 paper is apparently more difficult (at least for the vocab part). One main weakness I can see in both attempts is that I often can't remember / differentiate the long vowels and short vowels.

I think now I have no doubt reached N3 level (of course, not for writing and speaking) and according to plan I should be able to reach N2 level on time (July 2021). As things are getting more and more intensive for both Japanese and Russian, I have to cut down on my Spanish time and immersion time. The coming 3 months will be very tough. I have to postpone a lot of reading until after JLPT.

[Next update: Japanese and Russian, + español si tengo tiempo extra]
[Edit note: little update on my comments on the papers]
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golyplot
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1719
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:41 pm
Languages: Am. English (N), German, French, ASL (abandoned), Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Japanese (N2)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=12230
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby golyplot » Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:23 am

kelvin921019 wrote:I have been pretty overwhelmed by studies recently because I have spent too many time watching anime


Not sure if you're open to English corrections, but in case you are, that should be "too much time".
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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
English (C1-2)
Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
Russian (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Wed Apr 14, 2021 5:57 am

golyplot wrote:
kelvin921019 wrote:I have been pretty overwhelmed by studies recently because I have spent too many time watching anime


Not sure if you're open to English corrections, but in case you are, that should be "too much time".

Corrections are always welcomed :D :D
And just wonder if you're interested in some stupidly funny anime, I recently watched
"痛いのは嫌なので防御力に極振りしたいと思います BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense" on Netflix (not sure if it's available in your country tho)
I remembered that you have watched SAO (or Gun Gale online) so that MMORPG vocabulary can be helpful to you in watching this one :lol:
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dampingwire
Blue Belt
Posts: 559
Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:11 pm
Location: Abingdon, UK
Languages: Italian (N), English (N), French (poor, not studying), Japanese (studying, JLPT N3)
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby dampingwire » Wed Apr 14, 2021 3:13 pm

kelvin921019 wrote: As a progress check, I have done 2 JLPT official papers previously obtained.


There are (or were) books of actual JLPT past papers in the early years but I didn't think that there were any official copies of the JLPT N (new style) exams other than the few samples on the website (and those are no tactual exams that people sat, just "similar" questions).

So have I missed the release of new information?
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新完全マスター N2聴解 : 94 / 103新完全マスター N2読解 : 99 / 177
新完全マスター N2文法 : 197 / 197TY Comp. German : 0 / 389

golyplot
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1719
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:41 pm
Languages: Am. English (N), German, French, ASL (abandoned), Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Japanese (N2)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=12230
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby golyplot » Wed Apr 14, 2021 4:06 pm

kelvin921019 wrote:And just wonder if you're interested in some stupidly funny anime, I recently watched
"痛いのは嫌なので防御力に極振りしたいと思います BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense" on Netflix (not sure if it's available in your country tho)
I remembered that you have watched SAO (or Gun Gale online) so that MMORPG vocabulary can be helpful to you in watching this one :lol:


Sadly, it doesn't appear to be on US Netflix, but thanks for the recommendation anyway.
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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
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Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
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Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:13 am

Little update on Japanese
I recently got hooked by a gaming youtube channel:-
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChn5TjkeEqd-JxzizMVSkOw
I really enjoy watching his playing of "Cities Skylines". Especially when he's doing a lot of crazy things (like setting a hospital at a extremely far location and see if people will use it). One big problem with learning Japanese is that I really like watching Japanese contents so much that I have forgotten to learn (or sleep) :lol: :lol: :lol:
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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
English (C1-2)
Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
Russian (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Thu Apr 22, 2021 1:26 pm

Japanese: NKZM N2, N2 2500 vocab, YOASOBI novel reading
Spanish: Reviewing B2 materials
Russian: NPRC, Pimsleur


Japanese
N2 material, as expected, is much difficult than N3. It represents a big jump from the more straight forward N3 materials. The first 2 chapter of NKZM indeed gave me some kind of fear but as soon as I start working on it daily I start getting used to that level of difficulty. Similarly, memorizing 20-30 new words everyday is a chore (and I start forgetting quite a lot of them but luckily Anki help me on that) but I think I start picking up the pace and that's completely fine.

I slacked a bit on reading as the reading time was occupied by Pimsleur Russian. I spent most of the time now watching anime, stupidly funny youtube videos and listening to J-pop (recently I'm into ヨルシカ)

Russian
Verdict on Pimsleur (finished lesson 30 of the first level):
Pros:
- It's very useful in helping me picking up the sound and forming simple sentence
- Actually with the help of NPRC, I can start guessing the spelling of the words from its sound
- Also in tandem with NPRC, I use it as a conjugation / declension practice. It trains up my spontaneity
Now here comes the bad part:
- I don't think it's as useful as the Spanish one in instilling grammar. If I had not started NPRC before using it, I am pretty sure that I cannot understand how declension works and why some words take different form, or even when certain form is used
- It's slower than NPRC (turn out to be something good as well) but I think as a standalone course it will be way too slow and way too inefficient. For grammar freak like me this certain would leave me a lot of question marks if I used it alone.

I am now on Chpt 12 of NPRC and just touch upon dative case and imperfective and perfective verb. I used to think that Russian would be about 2 times the effort of Spanish / Japanese but I'm quite wrong. I am adding on average 8 words everyday (cf 20-30 for Japanese) but I am having the same forgetting rate (around 8-10% of the materials). It really represents how difficult it is. Perhaps I'm too ambitious to aim for a B2 level by the end of 2022.

The fourth language
I am planning that next year I will do passive french. By passive I mean I will only aim for comprehension but not production (so no writing and no speaking at all). The reason being that I see the need to use french to read documents and Assimil. Honestly it's not a language that gives me a "calling" to learn and let see a comprehension oriented learning will be lighter or not.
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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
English (C1-2)
Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
Russian (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:17 am

Little update on Japanese
I found on youtube some clips of IPPON competition (which is a competition for 大喜利, some kind of giving instant funny response competition). I used to enjoy watching IPPON (with sub) few years ago and have completely forgotten about it. Now it pops up in my youtube recommendation I'm going to watch as much as I can (side effect including uncontrollable laughter, so watching at work is not recommended).

I found a few that does not contain so much inside-joke here just for sharing

バズーカを持ってるところを職務質問されました 言い逃れして下さい
(Please excuse yourself when you got questioned by a police while carrying a bazooka)
https://youtu.be/WNMkx2sc5_w

「今、言うことか!」と言わせてください
(Please make me say "it's the thing to say now?"
https://youtu.be/F5eCiUwL8BM
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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
English (C1-2)
Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
Russian (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Mon May 03, 2021 6:21 am

Quick update

The language learning has become tougher and tougher for me (as expected and foreseen), just a quick summary of why things are spiralling out of control (will update the full details later)
- Going through 5-6 grammatical N2 items everyday is demanding
- I start forgetting quite a lot N2 words (the forget rate is around 10% daily)

On the other hand, Russian is also starting to ramp up its difficulty. While juggling with 5 cases is difficult, I think they are still manageable because most of them are logical and there are quite a lot of repetitions. However, when perfective form of verb had came into play, the actual revision amount has doubled (I need to remember 2 forms of verb and sometimes there's not yet any pattern where I can follow). My forgetting rate is around 10% daily.

Worse things is that I now slacked quite a lot because I have spent excessive amounts of time on anime and youtube. It can be useful but the fact is that since I can start enjoying anime without sub (comprehension rate of about 80%+) I started exploring a larger library uncontrollably. That compromise all the serious studies.
Last edited by kelvin921019 on Thu May 06, 2021 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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kelvin921019
Green Belt
Posts: 388
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:11 pm
Location: Hong Kong
Languages: Cantonese (N)
Chinese Mandarin (Semi-Native)
English (C1-2)
Spanish (B2)
Japanese (N1)
Russian (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=16306
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Re: Kelvin's JP, ESP, RU log: Looking for a better title to this log

Postby kelvin921019 » Wed May 05, 2021 7:47 pm

Russian
I am planning to start Pimsleur 2 Russian next week and according to the projection, I should be able to reach Chpt 18 or 19 of NCPR before starting Assimil. I have peaked a bit of an A1 Russian paper but apparently I'm still far from it.

I think Assimil should be able to lift me to A2 level and I will follow it with a graded reader, completing the NCPR book and do the "Russian in Exercise" book. All of these should be able to bring me to the entrance of the intermediate stage by the end of this year.

I think I have somehow expected things to go faster but clearly it doubles the effort to remember things in Russian for the lack of cognates, lack of clear patterns on how words are formed (the pattern starts to emerge but before I can grasp such pattern I can only rely on Anki).
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