Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:15 pm

Bumped into un viejo amigo y mi vecino
Yesterday I bumped into a fellow from Mexico that I'd spoken with a few times before a year or so ago. The conversation went well. A friend who was with me said it sounded completely natural. I also had a meaningful conversation with my neighbor today. He's from Mexico too.

I was thinking about what made these conversations smoother than ever before and I immediately thought of FSI:
: 42 / 45 FSI Variations
: 4 / 10 FSI 46-55 review (3x)

But it could be another change I've been working on over the last few days...

Reading and vocabulary
I pulled the progress bar below out of my history and have started reading more systematically again.

: 3195 / 3500 3500 pages - counting again

I'm looking to improve and consolidate the "Essential" (frequent) 5000 words.
: 7002 / 9440 Essential 5000 Vocabulary

Over the last 4 days, I've re-adjusted the daily time for this deck from 8-10 minutes to around 30. I'd done a calculation after last week's post and if I were only to do about 8 minutes each day this deck, it might take another 8 months to see all the cards for the first time.

I'd heard that sometimes being busy can actually make one more productive. With that in mind, I'm thinking maybe I can accomplish more around the house AND learn more Spanish by putting my foot back on the gas (pedal). You can see that in the 30 day review image here:
20230416_5000_30_day_repasos.png


I'm in the camp of those who find that augmenting a card can help me learn a word. Here's one I enhanced today:
cuna.png


Other progress
Continuing with these two:
: 115 / 133 Don Quijote - Trapiello - Modern translation - audiobook
: 28 / 60 Assimil Using Spanish

Today's Assimil lesson is on Manuel de Falla. I'm listening to one of his pieces for better comprehension:
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11 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Sun Apr 23, 2023 9:28 pm

Finished a couple
This past week I finished my study of the FSI Variations and Don Quijote translated into modern Spanish.
: 45 / 45 FSI Variations
: 133 / 133 Don Quijote - Trapiello

Happy to open up some space in my schedule
I'm thinking a podcast will be a nice change of pace. The one I've selected is:
asp.png


15 episodes. The first one is with Elena from linguarosa, who has a lot of entertaining youtube videos.


The Study Bucket
Someday I'll clear up more space for extensive activities, like just listening to the radio in the bathroom, but for now, we're still counting.

This FSI review is taking place primarily on walks. Maybe after this run, I'll treat myself to something less demanding.
: 5 / 10 FSI 46-55 review (3x)
: 3221 / 3500 3500 pages - counting again
: 36 / 60 Using Spanish

If I can keep up my recent pace, I may finish seeing all the cards in about 2 months. This is what the last year looks like:
: 7035 / 9436 Essential 5000 Vocabulary

20230423_5000_repasos_1_anyo.png
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10 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Tue May 02, 2023 9:42 pm

Advanced Spanish Podcast was pretty good
Advanced Spanish Podcast is a series of 16 interviews with various Spanish speakers. Some were native, some were not. Several were entrepreneurs. It was pretty good.
: 16 / 16 Advanced Spanish Podcast

Other progress
I like to think that the progress bars indicate I'm making progress. Here is the current state:
: 3236 / 3500 3500 pages - counting again
: 46 / 60 Using Spanish
: 7193 / 9416 Essential 5000 Vocabulary
: 6 / 10 FSI 46-55 review (3x)

Here is an image of the "Easiness of cards" for the Essential 5000 deck:
20230502_5000_facilidad.png


That shows that more of the cards are easy than hard. The average of 266% means that if I saw the average card a year ago and still think my retention is good, then I'll see that card again in 2.66 years (32 months). That's probably obvious. This particular view gives an idea of how challenging the deck might be. Cards start out at 250% interval. If you rate them as "hard" or "fail", the interval drops. If they are easy, the interval increases.

Supercomunicadores - Habla claro, defiende tus ideas y sé siempre tú
This is a new audiobook. It's read by the author. I would call it her obra maestra, even though I believe it's her one and only book. She's deep into her career as a communications trainer and coach and decided to write down her secrets. I understand she's originally from Barcelona. This is a really good book to listen to while taking a walk. As language learners, we are ultimately concerned with communication, so the topic is very relevant, and she seems to have a solid approach to improving all types of communication.
supercomunicadores.png

: 6 / 19 Supercomunicadores - Habla claro, defiende tus ideas y sé siempre tú
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10 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Mon May 08, 2023 9:27 pm

Supercomunicadores
The author of Supercomunicadores has a website, https://www.auroramichavila.com/. There, she has lengthy podcasts and blogs:
aurora_michavila.png

: 13 / 19 Supercomunicadores

Preparing for a visit
My sister is coming to visit for a week. I've dialed back Anki for a few days so that it doesn't get in the way during the visit. Here are the last 30 days and the forecast for the next 30 days for my "collection" of decks:
20230508_collection_30_day_forecast.png

20230508_collection_repasos_30.png

You can see in the Promedios (averages) that the next 30 days forecasts a lot less cards per day than the last 30 days.

: 3240 / 3500 3500 pages - Reading
: 53 / 60 Using Spanish
: 7375 / 9404 Essential 5000 Vocabulary
: 6 / 10 FSI 46-55 review (3x)
: 12 / 45 FSI 1-45 review (2x)
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
5 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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luke
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Posts: 1243
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Languages: English (N). Spanish (intermediate), Esperanto (B1), French (intermediate but rusting)
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Fri May 19, 2023 6:55 pm

Wrapped up
I finished up the Supercomunicadores - Habla claro, defiende tus ideas y sé siempre tú audiobook a few days ago. It was good and not particularly difficult. She had a lot more tips than sé sincero - (be sincere) - but that's the one that stuck out the most.
: 19 / 19 Supercomunicadores

Doing Assimil Using Spanish from lesson 60 to lesson 1 had the benefit that when I wanted to wrap it up before my sister came to visit, I was hurrying through the early lessons rather than the later ones.
: 60 / 60 Using Spanish

Vocabulary study
Keeping a page count for reading gets me reading at times when I would be inclined to do something else.
: 3284 / 3500 3500 pages - Reading

I'm going to be moving in about 4 weeks. I'm thinking maybe I can see all of the cards in the frequency deck I've been focusing on lately:
20230519_5000_pastel.png
: 7718 / 9404 Essential 5000 Vocabulary

and if I'm really productive...
I'm trying to be thorough in my FSI review, but hopeful that I can complete the unit 46-55 (3x) review and tack those units again on to the end of the other review track before I relocate in a month:
: 7 / 10 FSI 46-55 review (3x)
: 15 / 45 FSI 1-45 review (2x)
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8 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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Le Baron
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby Le Baron » Fri May 19, 2023 11:52 pm

Where are you moving to?
0 x

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Sat May 20, 2023 7:04 am

Le Baron wrote:Where are you moving to?
Not certain, but staying on this side of the pond.
0 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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Le Baron
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby Le Baron » Sat May 20, 2023 9:21 am

4 weeks is a short time-span!
1 x

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Sat May 20, 2023 10:29 am

Le Baron wrote:4 weeks is a short time-span!
That's what I'm thinking. :lol:

Also making a note that I'm making use of the number learning site, https://langpractice.com/spanish-spain/ that rdearman mentioned a while back. This is the level that I'm finding challenging right now:
numeros.png

And to change things up in the bathroom, I've switched the CD player to one of the local Spanish speaking stations.
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4 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo

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luke
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Re: Luke's very confused Spanish Learning Log

Postby luke » Thu May 25, 2023 10:03 am

In a Spanish only thread, this Chat GPT output was presented. I'd like to say a bit more about it, but in English:

Detalles concretos de Cien años de soledad:
Specific details of One Hundred Years of Solitude:

Macondo: Macondo es el pueblo ficticio donde se desarrolla gran parte de la historia. Es un lugar lleno de detalles descriptivos, como la estación del tren, las casas de adobe, el río y la vegetación exuberante. La descripción de Macondo es tan vívida que se convierte en un personaje en sí mismo.
Macondo: Macondo is the fictional town where much of the story takes place. It is a place full of descriptive details, such as the train station, the adobe houses, the river and the exuberant vegetation. Macondo's description is so vivid that it becomes a character unto himself.

The bolded part may be normal literary license and the tool may have picked up the conclusion from the myriad literary discussions of the book, but in my mind saying that the setting of a story is character in the story - although probably commonly done by professionals who don't create works as great as they criticize - is not a definitive conclusion.

Aureliano Buendía: Aureliano Buendía es uno de los personajes principales de la novela. Es descrito como un hombre solitario y reflexivo, con ojos de hielo y una personalidad introvertida. Sus manos siempre están manchadas de tinta debido a su pasión por la escritura y su participación en la guerra civil.
Aureliano Buendía: Aureliano Buendía is one of the main characters of the novel. He is described as a solitary and thoughtful man with icy eyes and an introverted personality. His hands are always stained with ink due to his passion for writing and his involvement in the civil war.

Always? I don't think this is supported by the text.

El hielo: A lo largo de la novela, el hielo es un elemento recurrente y simbólico. Se describe detalladamente cómo se importa el hielo a Macondo y cómo se derrite lentamente en el calor del trópico. Este detalle representa el contraste entre la ilusión y la realidad, y el inevitable paso del tiempo.
Ice: Throughout the novel, ice is a recurring and symbolic element. It describes in detail how the ice is imported to Macondo and how it slowly melts in the heat of the tropics. This detail represents the contrast between illusion and reality, and the inevitable passage of time.

This is a more interesting proposition, but it would stand scrutiny better if it said, "may represent" or "could represent".

Las mariposas amarillas: En Cien años de soledad, las mariposas amarillas son un símbolo recurrente que anuncian la cercanía de la muerte. Estas mariposas aparecen en momentos clave de la historia y se posan en personajes que están cerca de su fin, creando una atmósfera de misterio y fatalidad.
Yellow butterflies: In One Hundred Years of Solitude, yellow butterflies are a recurring symbol that announce the proximity of death. These butterflies appear at key moments in the story and land on characters nearing their end, creating an atmosphere of mystery and doom.

This is the statement that made me want to write a response. The yellow butterflies are associated with Mauricio Babilonia and they do follow Meme after his demise, but I didn't notice them appearing as any other character was approaching death. Even with Mauricio Babilonia, they are there from the start and appear to be more of a sign of his animal magnetism and their gradual disappearance into the water wheels of the steamship as Meme is being taken to the convent are more indicative that she will never again experience that animal magetism.

A much better explanation of the yellow butterflies is https://centrogabo.org/gabo/contemos-gabo/la-verdadera-historia-de-las-mariposas-amarillas-de-garcia-marquez


La lluvia de flores: En un momento crucial de la novela, Macondo es azotado por una lluvia de flores amarillas. Este fenómeno se describe con gran detalle, inundando las calles y las casas con una alfombra de pétalos. Esta imagen colorida y evocadora representa la decadencia y el inevitable declive de la familia Buendía.
The rain of flowers: At a crucial moment in the novel, Macondo is hit by a shower of yellow flowers. This phenomenon is described in great detail, flooding the streets and houses with a carpet of petals. This colorful and evocative image represents the decadence and inevitable decline of the Buendía family.

The conclusion by Chat GPT again seems to completely miss the point of the fantastic rain of flowers. The groundwork for the "decline of the Buendía family" has been laid long before this fantastic image draws the curtain on Jose Arcadio Buendía. A better analysis of flores amarillas is https://centrogabo.org/gabo/hablemos-de-gabo/los-buenos-presagios-de-la-flor-amarilla.

That's a wall of text, and I do intend to watch more for the conclusions of Chat GPT when I read Cien años de soledad again, but like people who are often touted as "leaders", ChatGPT will probably snowball more people than it ultimately informs. (at least in its current rendition).

Image
8 x
: 124 / 124 Cien años de soledad 20x
: 5479 / 5500 5500 pages - Reading
: 51 / 55 FSI Basic Spanish 3x
: 309 / 506 Camino a Macondo


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