Clara's Spanish Log

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Araminta
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Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2021 5:45 pm
Location: California, Estados Unidos
Languages: English (N) Español (intermediate)
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby Araminta » Wed May 12, 2021 10:19 pm

Thanks so much for that list of Netflix series with Spanish audio. You are right. Many of those weren't coming up in the search function. Your Super Challenge Watched stats were also inspiring. I hadn't known that many of those movies or limited series had Spanish Audio either. I started watching Vampire Diaries after work yesterday. You know what? I like it better in Spanish. I remember watching a few episodes in English when it first came out, but eventually felt like I was a little too old for its demographic. Now it's perfect. Interesting enough to enough to enjoy watching, but not so interesting that I'm frustrated if I don't understand everything.
2 x

clara
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby clara » Sun May 16, 2021 4:41 pm

Araminta wrote:I started watching Vampire Diaries after work yesterday. You know what? I like it better in Spanish. I remember watching a few episodes in English when it first came out, but eventually felt like I was a little too old for its demographic. Now it's perfect. Interesting enough to enough to enjoy watching, but not so interesting that I'm frustrated if I don't understand everything.


Hahaha, that is exactly how I feel about a lot of series! I've asked my friends for recommendations of "fluff" shows that are kind of fun but kind of dumb and not too good. I loved Altered Carbon, but I had to watch a lot of it 3 times (Spanish audio only, Spanish audio and subtitles, English audio) because I felt a lot was lost in the translation, and the acting was good. In Vampire Diaries, there's definitely no need to re-watch to pick up any nuance!
2 x
Spanish Goals
22/23 SC Films: 438 / 18000 438 / 18000 minutes
22/23 SC Books: 6454 / 10000 6454 / 10000 pages
2022 Reading: 8061 / 8000 8061 / 10000 8000 pages

clara
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Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... hp?t=16333
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby clara » Sun May 16, 2021 4:51 pm

Week ending May 15

Reading
After a long break from books, I read El Hombre que cayó en la tierra. I plan to take a break from Netflix for a bit and binge read for a month or so. I want to finish the regular Super Challenge (just over 500 pages to go) and see if the double reading challenge is feasible.

Anki
Still adding 25 words per day. I’m not sure if my pacing is on track to get to 10k mature words by early July, since it takes time for new cards to mature. By the time I know whether the pacing is right or not, it may be too late to adjust.

Online Lessons
I had two sessions with my usual tutor before his vacation. I can’t believe how much difference recording my sessions has made! First, I realized my microphone was terrible and started using a better one. Second, I’ve started speaking a lot more. Listening to sessions after the fact helps drive points home. I know I’ve made great progress on conjugation and gender and other “basics” but I always feel like I mess up more than I should. It’s reassuring to see that I don’t make those errors when I’m fresh, but when I run out of steam, so my perception is marred by the last 10 minutes.

I tried three new tutors on Italki. The first was a total bust. The second and third were decent enough that I’m willing to try more sessions with them. I wish I’d recorded my session with the third tutor because I felt like I spoke so well!

Everything else
I didn’t do that much listening, just some podcasts, a documentary on Youtube, the news, etc. I read a few news articles, kept up with daily conjugation practice, and did sections 6-10 in the McGraw Hill Intermediate Spanish Grammar book. I've maintained my daily streak for the 365 Day Challenge.
6 x
Spanish Goals
22/23 SC Films: 438 / 18000 438 / 18000 minutes
22/23 SC Books: 6454 / 10000 6454 / 10000 pages
2022 Reading: 8061 / 8000 8061 / 10000 8000 pages

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Araminta
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby Araminta » Sun May 16, 2021 5:16 pm

clara wrote: Hahaha, that is exactly how I feel about a lot of series! I've asked my friends for recommendations of "fluff" shows that are kind of fun but kind of dumb and not too good.


Yes, that's the sweet spot for me too!

clara wrote:I loved Altered Carbon, but I had to watch a lot of it 3 times (Spanish audio only, Spanish audio and subtitles, English audio) because I felt a lot was lost in the translation, and the acting was good. In Vampire Diaries, there's definitely no need to re-watch to pick up any nuance!


I absolutely loved Altered Carbon too, but I would have had a tough time following it in Spanish. So much world building and so many plot twists. But I bet all of that intensive study took your Spanish to another level. Vampire Diaries is wonderfully obvious and has all those close up shots of people looking evil (or surprised or in love) just in case you don't get it through the dialogue.
1 x

clara
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby clara » Tue Jun 01, 2021 6:53 am

16 day period ending May 31

I feel like I've been slacking off recently, but I've been studying more than an hour a day. I also finished the reading portion of the Super Challenge!! (Stats in next post) I started La Ciudad de las bestias by Isabel Allende, but put it down to read Proyecto Hail Mary, the new novel from Andy Weir. I enjoyed it and have read that there’s already a movie in the works. I’m curious to see how they pull it off.

I have been absolutely terrible in lessons lately. I wonder if it’s because I’m doing significantly less listening than before. I kept up with Anki and Ella (conjugation app) daily. I also did a sections 11-14 from the McGraw Hill Grammar book. I think I’m on track to hit 10k mature cards in Anki by the end of June. Currently at 9756 mature + 1129 young = 10,885 total

Going forward
I’d like to read more in June and stay on break from Netflix. I know the next big push for listening is watching lots of native series, but I hope that building up vocabulary from reading will help. Depending on how much I read in June, I may commit to a double Super Challenge. My energy levels have been very low this month, and I'd like to ease back into my exercise routine later in June.
3 x
Spanish Goals
22/23 SC Films: 438 / 18000 438 / 18000 minutes
22/23 SC Books: 6454 / 10000 6454 / 10000 pages
2022 Reading: 8061 / 8000 8061 / 10000 8000 pages

clara
Yellow Belt
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:46 am
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... hp?t=16333
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby clara » Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:02 am
















PagesSuper Challenge Books
512Crepúsculo
540Sol de medianoche
480Ready Player One
432Armada
368El Juego de Ender
63Perdida (Incomplete)
528Zona peligrosa
320Gambito de dama
238El Príncipe de la niebla
272El Ruido de las cosas al caer
504La Vida invisible de Addie LaRue
224El Hombre que cayó en la Tierra
182La Ciudad de las bestias (In progress)
406Proyecto Hail Mary
5070Total pages read
7 x
Spanish Goals
22/23 SC Films: 438 / 18000 438 / 18000 minutes
22/23 SC Books: 6454 / 10000 6454 / 10000 pages
2022 Reading: 8061 / 8000 8061 / 10000 8000 pages

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Araminta
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Posts: 44
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Location: California, Estados Unidos
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Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 2ec7b88c80
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby Araminta » Tue Jun 01, 2021 7:10 pm

Yes, congratulations on completing your challenge. That's quite a lot of reading and Netflix. And the fact that you survived and are up for a possible DOUBLE Superchallenge is quite an achievement. When I'm traveling, I find it easy to do my Anki cards and Speakly app too. Thank goodness for technology!
1 x

clara
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby clara » Sat Jul 03, 2021 7:56 pm

June Progress

Progress has slowed down, so I guess I'm switching to monthly updates instead of weekly. My daily Anki and verb conjugation habit is still going strong and ensures I always hit my 30 minutes for the 365 day challenge even if I slack off on everything else. I hit my 10k mature words in Anki milestone a couple weeks ago (YAY!) and lessened the number of new words per day to 12 which is much more manageable. The new words are getting more difficult to make cards for, but I still encounter 1 to 2.5 unknown words per page when reading. That feels significant.

I hoped to read 1500 pages in June but fell way short at 1029: Reina roja (568 pages), La buena suerte (320 pages), and 21% of Como polvo en el viento (141/672 pages). Reina roja was a pretty standard thriller, but the action was very fast paced and kept me reading. I was surprised by how many references to American culture were made, including one about Kirk Douglas in Spartacus! I enjoyed La buena suerte, though I'm sure a lot of word play and cultural references went completely over my head. Slang and colloquialisms still give me a lot of trouble, heck I'm still looking up some words that I don't recognize as diminutives.

I came across this fabulous online tool that tests number comprehension in various languages. I've learned just how terrible I am at it! I keep meaning to do a minute or so of it every day along with my other daily habits, but I keep forgetting. I just wish there was a way to quantify how well I'm doing with it, perhaps stats like how many numbers I get through per minute and how often I have to hit the replay button.

Other stuff has been minimal. A few grammar lessons, a few hours of Netflix, Youtube, listening to music, 15 hours of conversation practice, and reading the news. I've been flailing at the Polyglot Fitness Challenge, but I just started going back to the gym and am loving it. The first day back was awful, but I've gotten past the worst hurdle.
6 x
Spanish Goals
22/23 SC Films: 438 / 18000 438 / 18000 minutes
22/23 SC Books: 6454 / 10000 6454 / 10000 pages
2022 Reading: 8061 / 8000 8061 / 10000 8000 pages

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MorkTheFiddle
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 8:59 pm
Location: North Texas USA
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: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Sun Jul 04, 2021 5:17 pm

clara wrote:

PagesSuper Challenge Books
5070Total pages read

Indeed a fine achievment. Congratulations.
1 x
Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson

clara
Yellow Belt
Posts: 96
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:46 am
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... hp?t=16333
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Re: Clara's Spanish Log

Postby clara » Mon Aug 02, 2021 5:40 pm

July Recap

July was a bare bones kind of month. I took my first vacation since Covid, and it was wonderful. I managed to fit in 30 minutes per day of Spanish study while on vacation which felt like a big win. To be honest, the 365 day challenge was the motivating factor there, otherwise I probably would have just taken a break. I skipped one day of Anki but otherwise kept up with it, verb conjugation practice, and reading while on vacation.

Plus I had my first opportunity to use Spanish in the "wild"! I went to a Colombian restaurant, and the waitress seemed uncomfortable with English, so I spoke Spanish. She had no difficulty understanding me, so that was reassuring. I did have difficulties hearing her because of masks and ambient noise, but overall it was pretty smooth.

I hoped to finish Como polvo en el viento but I only read 390 pages (currently at 531/672). That feels like so little, but I guess at a reading pace of ~25pp/hr, that's over 15 hours of reading and I should beat myself up less over slacking. I've been tempted to start another book to read in parallel, but I'm sure I would end up abandoning Como polve en el viento if I did that, so instead I'm plodding along very very slowly.

I listened to podcasts and videos but didn't track them. My brain felt a bit tired all month, so I listened to easier stuff like news in the background while doing other things.

Polyglot fitness challenge: I've been getting back into fitness and have gone to the gym 3+ times per week pre- and post- vacation. Vacation was also pretty active with lots of scuba diving. Jetlag has worked in my favor, and my sleep schedule is much better now than pre-vacation. I'm waking up earlier and feel like I get so much done before noon!
7 x
Spanish Goals
22/23 SC Films: 438 / 18000 438 / 18000 minutes
22/23 SC Books: 6454 / 10000 6454 / 10000 pages
2022 Reading: 8061 / 8000 8061 / 10000 8000 pages


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