A language learners’ forum

After the turbulent times of the last year, my language learning has been up and down. At some points during the national lockdown in my country I was able to get through significant amounts of language learning, and at others I stagnated significantly.

I want to change that, and feel keeping a log might help.

I've not quite worked out a set program yet, although I've set one "goal", that even if I only do one 5 minute segment of Michel Thomas for a language a day, that's acceptable so long as I keep a chain going. Dutch is the language that takes precedent in my studies. I'd like to take my rusty A1 in Dutch to an A2 by May (hoping I can pass the CNaVT Informeel in the process) and take my A0 in Swedish to an A1 by the end of the year.

Materials for Dutch:
Michel Thomas Foundation and Advanced
Assimil Dutch (I've already completed this but feel like I need to refresh myself on the second half of the book)
Colloquial Dutch 1 and 2 (was about halfway through book 1 before my studies dropped off as I was able to start work again)

Materials for Swedish:
Michel Thomas Foundation Swedish
Colloquial Swedish? - I like the Colloquial Dutch course, but have seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding their Swedish course, don't suppose anyone here has used both and can offer a comparison?
I own a copy of Linguaphone Swedish, but don't feel like I'm ready yet linguistically, and couldn't justify spending too much time on it at present.

13/01/2021:

Complete the first five tracks of Michel Thomas Dutch. Didn't have time to complete anything else today and still need to work out a decent plan for using multiple materials.

Ug_Caveman wrote:Materials for Swedish:
Michel Thomas Foundation Swedish
Colloquial Swedish? - I like the Colloquial Dutch course, but have seen a lot of mixed reviews regarding their Swedish course, don't suppose anyone here has used both and can offer a comparison?

What exactly has been said if it? I have done all of the first volume for Dutch recently, and thought it was a pretty good text. I haven't done the Swedish one on front to back, but have done parts of it in the past and didn't find anything about it objectionable. However, I was using it as someone who already knows a bit of Swedish, and I didn't use the audio. There are volumes of that series that I don't like very much, like the Japanese one, but the Swedish volume seemed fine to me from my limited experience with it.

Cèid Donn wrote:What exactly has been said if it? I have done all of the first volume for Dutch recently, and thought it was a pretty good text. I haven't done the Swedish one on front to back, but have done parts of it in the past and didn't find anything about it objectionable. However, I was using it as someone who already knows a bit of Swedish, and I didn't use the audio. There are volumes of that series that I don't like very much, like the Japanese one, but the Swedish volume seemed fine to me from my limited experience with it.

I’ve seen some comments comparing it unfavourably to the Colloquial courses for Danish and Norwegian (I have never used these, but nonetheless it piqued my interest).

My experience with the Dutch course has been very positive though, so I was just curious how some who has used both would compare them

14/01/2021

Read two short stories in “First Dutch Reader” - didn’t need the English translation for either

Over the last seven days I've read one story each night in the First Dutch bilingual reader (things have been much busier than I expected recently, but I should be able to start something a bit more... Serious soon)

Decided I won't bring any Swedish in until I'm a bit more grounded in my Dutch routine. Given my plan is to only reach A1 in Swedish by the end of the year, that doesn't concern me for now.

You used Colloquial Dutch and you didn't use the audio. I am disappointed, for you have missed my glorious voice.

tarvos wrote:You used Colloquial Dutch and you didn't use the audio. I am disappointed, for you have missed my glorious voice.

(Not sure if this is a forum in-joke...)

Oh, I did use the audio! As a matter of fact the audio for Colloquial Dutch was one of the major reasons I chose to use it over TY or Hugo, as I know it's spoken pretty much at native speed from the outset. I just sort of fell off the wagon a bit with my studies in general towards the end of summer/early autumn last year and need to get back on it.

It's not an in-joke. I literally did some of the recordings

24/01/2020:

Working on a short time allowance today, but got started with some more robust programs:
Michel Thomas Foundation CD-1, tracks 1-3