Tutescrew's Spanish Log

[Tutescrew]

I've decided to remove the other three languages from the title of my log ("FIG"), because I do not really need to see those at this time .

I have been averaging 6 Pimsleur lessons per week, and it is getting easier to follow the two-way dialogs at the beginning of each Pimsleur lesson. Usually I am doing each lesson twice per day. I am doing somewhat less with the Paul Noble course, perhaps 20 minutes in the morning, but I do like the limited amount of explanation he provides. As for Hugo, I have probably spent 2 hours total on Unit 1, and I have started Unit 2. So, I would day that my daily learning time is about 90 minutes.

While I am not counting the added time, I have been maintaining a Duolingo streak with ONE lesson per day . More importantly, I have perused the first half of Dover's Essential Spanish Grammar, up to where the cognate list starts. At first, I was intimidated be the sheer number of concepts, especially the verb tenses. However, Resnick does imply that most of the time one can get away with the simple tenses. Then I realized that I was already being exposed to some of the forms in the two audio courses...."I would like, "I have visited", etc. I think that just proceeding with what is in front of me, and not ruminating on the grammar too much, is the way to go.

Tutescrew

[Tutescrew]

Pimsleur and Paul Noble courses are going well, nothing really to add this week regarding those. Hugo in 3 Months has not progressed much, though, and I am still on Lesson 2. I will be honest, I don't really like the Hugo course. It is probably a case of me wanting to like a more traditional grammar course, but deep down I don't like it? Whatever the reason is, I have decided to to move on from it. I DO want a "book" course, however, if only because I want to "see" something. What does this mean? ASSIMIL Spanish (2014), which I purchased 3 years and one false start ago. This time, I am putting a few MP3 lessons on my phone per week, and carrying around the book. I have read MANY posts here and elsewhere on how to use ASSIMIL, and I have an idea on how I want to do it. I want to try it out a few days before I clutter this space with my method, because it will probably be tweaked.

Tutescrew

[golyplot]

While I am not counting the added time, I have been maintaining a Duolingo streak with ONE lesson per day .

I think my Duolingo streak got up to 600 something that way, until I decided that the whole thing was pointless and deliberately let my streak lapse.

[Tutescrew]

While I am not counting the added time, I have been maintaining a Duolingo streak with ONE lesson per day .

I think my Duolingo streak got up to 600 something that way, until I decided that the whole thing was pointless and deliberately let my streak lapse.

I can't really disagree, Golyplot. I started the streak doing Esperanto right before the pandemic started, finished the tree, and switched a couple of months ago. I have been spending literally 2 minutes on it in the morning, right before I do some Paul Noble. It's an emotional thing, and probably not worth the trouble.

Tutescrew

Edited - typo

[Tutescrew]

Well, as one can see from my signature, I have paused Spanish and Esperanto for now. It has been a case of wanderlust, lack of a serious schedule, and over reaching. I have been on a decent run with Pimsleur French since November, so I thought that I would come in here and take credit for that. I think that I mentioned above that Pimsleur works great on my commute, sometimes I do one unit each way. I average at least one 30 minute session 6 days/week, usually taking 2-3 days per unit. Unsurprisingly, I do much better on the morning commute.

I also started a "sit at the desk" course, finally. I chose FSI French Phonology, before Assimil 2020, in an attempt to drill in correct pronunciation at the outset. I do it early in the morning for about 20 minutes, logging progress into a paper notebook. I display the text on an old Ipad, and I run the audio on my Windows PC (Audactity). I did clean up the audio with noise reduction and amplification...the results seem acceptable, but if there are any other suggestions to make it sound better, I will listen.

Mid-Term Plan - Assimil 2020 at home, after I finish French Phonology, probably mid-March 2023

Michel Thomas (Foundation) - after I finish Pimsleur French III, on the commute, probably late March 2023. I am not sure
how the "pause button" method will work. If it's a problem, I will review Assimil audio instead.

Native Media - TBD start date, sometime after I start Assimil and get into that groove. I like the idea of taking an NHK World
news article, say once per week, and plugging away at it. Hat tip - Iguanamon.

Long Term Plan - Hopefully B1-ish - by October 2023, for a trip to Quebec City.

[Tutescrew]

Not a bad week, I will start Unit 17 of Pimsleur French II this morning.

I like French Phonology so far...a few minutes ago I started Chapter 3, in which the authors go over the French "R" in heure pretty thoroughly. This has been demonstrated "passively" in Pimsleur, but now I will pay more attention to it. It is different that the Esperanto trilled R, at least it seems so to me.