Little by little (TUR, DUT, ITA, FRE)

[Sonjaconjota]

Weekly update for the 2023 365 Day Challenge

2023/10/30
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/10/31
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1
Today I finally managed to do my half hour of Turkish first things in the morning again after some time. This really is what works best for me.


2023/11/01
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin B1
I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost right now with Turkish. I miss the clear way my first resource laid out and explained grammar topics, and the many exercises for each new topic.
My first resource was a distance course that was actually based on Klett Kolay Gelsin! A1-A2. I don’t own the book itself, so I don’t know how much they moved away from the original material to make it more appropriate for self-study. But based on the B1-book, it seems that they changed a lot, because the B1 one relies much more on reading and listening, the same as PONS Power-Sprachkus Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1. I like those books, but when it comes to grammar, I would like both to be a bit more “for dummies”.


2023/11/02
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/11/03
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/11/04
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/11/05
Turkish 30 min
- Yeah, I finished unit 1, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1! I still had some time to start with unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1

[Sonjaconjota]

Weekly update for the 2023 365 Day Challenge

2023/11/06
Turkish 30 min
- Working on unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1

2023/11/07
Turkish 30 min
- Working on unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/11/08
Turkish 30 min
- Working on unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/11/09
Turkish 30 min
- Working on unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/11/10
Turkish 30 min
- Working on unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/11/11
Turkish 30 min
- I finished unit 7, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1, and started unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1.


2023/11/12
Turkish 30 min
- I started working with unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1, but noticed that I never finished the exercise part of unit 1, so I went back to that.
I’m arriving at the conclusion that this book is definitely too difficult for me. I’m going to do unit 2, then finish PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1 and then maybe do something else before getting back to the Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1.

[Sonjaconjota]

Because I’ve mainly been absent from the forum for the last months, I’ve only now become aware of a post about giving up Turkish due to the complexity of the sentence structures from the start of November. The poster didn’t enjoy the process because they found it impossible to speak the language actively.
I think that the OP didn’t reply to any of the comments in the thread, and it’s old by now, so I’m not going back there. But from what I gathered, they only had been studying for half a year or so.
This month marks my Turkish-studying anniversary - I’ve spent the last four years with this language and I can’t speak it, but I actually never try ...
Starting to speak is definitely going to be my goal for next year.

[Sonjaconjota]

Weekly update for the 2023 365 Day Challenge

2023/11/13
Turkish 30 min
- working on the exercise part of Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1, unit 1.


2023/11/14
Turkish 30 min
- working on the exercise part of Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1, unit 1.


2023/11/15
Turkish 30 min
- I finished the exercise part of Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1, unit 1, and went on to work on unit 2.


2023/11/16
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/11/17
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/11/18
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


2023/11/19
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1


You probably have noticed that I have not logged any content at all in my target languages for some time now.
I was having a bit of a content crisis. I didn’t feel like reading, like watching anything, like listening to audiobooks, in any language. I was kind of okay with music, but not thrilled either.
So I searched and searched and found some things that piqued my interested: I bought two issues of Stern Crime, a German magazine about true crime that I’m slowly reading, and I basically binge-watched Stranger Things. The show has its problems and is a bit too scary and yukky for my taste, but the characters and the eighties nostalgia sucked me in.
Let’s hope it will make me go back to enjoy other things as well.
In the absence of content, I’ve started to get into cooking again, which I’m very happy about. I usually rotate hobbies and interests, but I had not been enjoying cooking since 2020 (when I overdid it during lockdown). So, that’s a plus.

[DaveAgain]

So I searched and searched and found some things that piqued my interested: I bought two issues of Stern Crime, a German magazine about true crime that I’m slowly reading, and I basically binge-watched Stranger Things. The show has its problems and is a bit too scary and yukky for my taste, but the characters and the eighties nostalgia sucked me in.

I've never seen the TV show, but I've got Kate Bush's Running up that Hill song rattling around in my head as an indirect result of them using it.

[Sonjaconjota]

I've never seen the TV show, but I've got Kate Bush's Running up that Hill song rattling around in my head as an indirect result of them using it.

Me, too, actually right now when I opened your answer.

[Sonjaconjota]

Weekly update for the 2023 365 Day Challenge

2023/11/20
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1
- I also watched a short youtube video about the history of the blues in Turkish.

I mentioned in my last post that I usually rotate interests and hobbies. Language learning videos fall into that category, and this morning I clicked on a youtube video by Elysse Speaks, which led to others, so I watched several today.
I got reminded of the importance of listening. I’m not one of those input-learning-fanatics, quite the opposite, but I think I’m at a point now where I could benefit from more listening and should make an active effort.
After losing my ipod because my handbag got stolen, I now use a music player app on my new phone. (I’m not totally convinced though, because having everything on my phone means that I always have it in my hand and get distracted by faceboook or messages easily. Maybe I’ll end up buying an additional device, but the ipod sadly isn’t made anymore.)
I’m going to finally finish listening to the biographies of famous people I gathered in the past, and then I’ll probably re-listen to my list of fairytales.


2023/11/21
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1
- listening: short biography Nikola Tesla

Italian
- listening: La condanna del sangue (about 20 min)
(Yeah, I did something else apart from Turkish!)


2023/11/22
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1
- listening: short fairy tale

Italian
- listening: La condanna del sangue (about 30 min)

2023/11/23
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1
I’m nearly done with this!

French
- Youtube video about David Bowie by Fashion Quiche
DaveAgain had recommend her channel to me ages ago, thank you for that. I learned the words “rixe” and “pochette”.


2023/11/24
Turkish 30 min
- I finished unit 2, Klett Kolay Gelsin! B1!


2023/11/25
Turkish 30 min
- I started unit 8, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1. I’ll concentrate on finishing this book for the time being, it works better for my level.


2023/11/26
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 8, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1

[Sonjaconjota]

Weekly update for the 2023 365 Day Challenge

2023/11/27
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 8, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1
- watching: 1 episode of Daire on youtube.
I don’t know if I have mentioned this youtube channel before. It’s about people showing their gorgeously stylish living spaces, from tiny houses to hypermodern lofts. The videos are beautiful and there are subtitles in English and Turkish. Another advantage is the type of content. People walk around their place pointing and saying things like “Here’s the kitchen” or “We bought this painting in Italy”. That’s language learners’ gold. Regardless, it’s still difficult for me and I also would prefer the videos to be shorter. Knowing that it will be 20 or 30 minutes long intimidates me a bit.


2023/11/28
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 8, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/11/29
Turkish 30 min
- I finished unit 8, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1.


2023/11/30
Turkish 30 min
- I started working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1.
- listening: short biography Che Guevara (youtube)

Italian
- 1 topic Nuova grammatica pratica della lingua italiana A1-B2
- listening: La condanna del sangue (about 30 min)


2023/12/01
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1
- Watching: İstanbul için son çağırın on netflix
It’s so funny how most female protagonists on Turkish netflix shows (and even some soap operas) are the same type: very independent, very thin women from “good families”, dressing revealingly in superstylish clothes, but basically only in black and white. They are always successful professionally and work in something like advertising or marketing, or are (jewellery) designers. There’s also a female doctor here and there. Add the fact that they are often played by the same actresses, and it actually starts to get confusing.


2023/12/02
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1
- listening: short biography of Marilyn Monroe


French
- watching: 2 youtube videos, one about cosmetic surgery by Fashion Quiche and one about medical practices of the past by Nota Bene. I learned the word sangsue (leech).

2023/12/03
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1
- listening: short biography Frida Kahlo (youtube)


I’m finishing my last big translation project for this year, and now I’ll probably have a month or so till my next project. I’ll be visiting my family in Germany for Christmas, and I’ll keep busy with things like my photo project and doing some of the stuff that always gets postponed because there are more urgent things to do.
But I will also have mental capacity to think about my language learning. I’m usually not that interested in planning and setting goals, but the 365 year challenge was so productive for me this year that I would like to make at least SOME language-related commitment for 2024.
I should concentrate on speaking for Turkish, and I should probably do some writing in French. I never practice writing, it’s high time!
I’ve had a look at the Annual Output Challenge, but it’s too strict for me, so I will probably just use “want to produce more output” as a general guideline for myself.
Then there’s the question of learning a new language or not. I’ve been good and disciplined for some years now. But I’m itching to start something new ...
So, here are the options: I have all the necessary beginner’s resources for Greek, Swedish, Urdu and Yiddish. (And Japanese, but that’s out for now.) Swedish and probably Urdu are languages that I would like to learn well, so starting them would mean a long-term commitment. When it comes to Greek and Yiddish I would mainly like to familiarize myself with the basics, I think. So they would be ideal for some short-time dabbling, but I know that the alphabets are going to be challenging for me ... Hm, I still have some thinking to do.
And another question: Do I want to participate in the 365 (or in 2024 366) Day Challenge again? I don’t want to start it if there’s a risk of opting out soon. But I might be able to pull it off if I chose “generic” and gave myself more freedom of counting input.
So many doubts ...

[DaveAgain]

and one about medical practices of the past by Nota Bene. I learned the word sangsue (leech).

I was watching an English documentary the other day, I forget what about, and one tidbit mentioned was that leech as a synonym for doctor was not related to leech the ickky, slimy, blood-sucking creature, they have different word-origins.

Looking that up in now in etymonline.com gives:

leech (n.1)

"bloodsucking aquatic worm," from Old English læce (Kentish lyce), of unknown origin (with a cognate in Middle Dutch lake). Commonly regarded as a transferred use of leech (n.2), but according to OED the Old English forms suggest this is a distinct word, which has been assimilated to leech (n.2) by folk etymology. Figuratively applied to human parasites since 1784.

leech (n.2)

"physician" (obsolete, poetical, or archaic), from Old English læce "leech," probably from Old Danish læke, from Proto-Germanic *lekjaz "enchanter, one who speaks magic words; healer, physician" (source also of Old Frisian letza, Old Saxon laki, Old Norse læknir, Old High German lahhi, Gothic lekeis "physician"), literally "one who counsels," perhaps connected with a root found in Celtic (compare Irish liaig "charmer, exorcist, physician") and Slavic (compare Serbo-Croatian lijekar, Polish lekarz), from PIE *lep-agi "conjurer," from root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather," with derivatives meaning "to speak (to 'pick out words')."

For sense development, compare Old Church Slavonic baliji "doctor," originally "conjurer," related to Serbo-Croatian bajati "enchant, conjure;" Old Church Slavonic vrači, Russian vrač "doctor," related to Serbo-Croatian vrač "sorcerer, fortune-teller." The form merged with leech (n.1) in Middle English, apparently by folk etymology. In early Middle English the word also was used of God and Christ; but by 17c. the sense had so deteriorated that leech typically was applied only to veterinary practitioners, and soon it was entirely archaic.

The fourth finger of the hand, in Old English, was læcfinger, translating Latin digitus medicus, Greek daktylus iatrikos, supposedly because a vein from that finger stretches straight to the heart.

[Sonjaconjota]

Weekly update for the 2023 365 Day Challenge

2023/12/04
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1
- listening: Short biography Cleopatra youtube - That was the last of the audios I had prepared based on youtube biographies.

2023/12/05
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


Italian
- I listened to the rest of La condanna del sangue, about 2 hours.


2023/12/06
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1
- listening: 1 relistened to one of the fairytales-audios from youtube


2023/12/07
Turkish 30 min
- I finished unit 9, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1.

Two new words I learned today: In the PONS book I read that “to flirt” is “flört etmek” in Turkish, which isn’t that surprising, but still made me giggle a bit because of the ö.
I also had to go to a haberdashery and buy a bikini clasp, so I looked up the Catalan word for “clasp”. It’s “sivella”, which I had never heard before, but the saleswoman used the more general word “tanca”.


2023/12/08
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 10, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/12/09
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 10, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


2023/12/10
Turkish 30 min
- working on unit 10, PONS Power-Sprachkurs Türkisch für Fortgeschrittene A2-B1


My boyfriend’s father has a workshop that we also use as a storage room. While I was there the other day, I was thinking: Oh, all my Greek resources are here, maybe I should take them with me. Oops, I think I had unconsciously already come to a decision regarding my language learning in 2024. So, here’s what I’ve been thinking about doing so far:

- start learning Greek
- 35 half-hour conversation classes in Turkish on italki
- write 15 texts in French
- start the daily 30 min challenge in the category “generic”, but giving myself more freedom and the option to stop if I see that it just stresses me
- at least 5 minutes per day working on French conjugation - I really have to learn it one day, after all those years