2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

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Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Mon Feb 21, 2022 6:51 pm

February 7 – February 20, 2022

One of my physical therapists went to Defense Language Institute where she learned Chinese and then later Indonesian. After she retired from the military, she went into physical therapy. It has been fascinating talking to her about language learning and her insights. She said she knew the set of vocabulary for her job very well, but that didn’t always translate to conversational language. At a party once, a person asked, “How do you say cheesecake in Chinese?” Clearly, this word didn’t come up a lot at work. Unless somewhere, at some time, there was an Operation Cheesecake.

I have finally finished all six seasons of Longmire in Spanish with Spanish subtitles. I will miss the good sheriff but it is time we went our separate ways. I started to dread my Longmire time because certain characters or story lines bored me. Even worse, I was beginning to cheat on him by watching a few episodes of other dubbed series. But in the end, I would recommend this series to those who are ready for something to watch in Spanish and like murder mysteries. It was easy enough to understand and the writing was better than other shows I’ve watched.

In the past, I really, REALLY couldn’t stand using Pimsleur (or other programs like it) in my car. I think the 365 Challenge has helped a lot. I still don’t love it, but I find the 30 minute goal motivates me. I know if I turn on my timer app and Pimsleur in my car, I can hit 30 minutes on my commute. On busy days, this has helped a lot.


    Two weeks’ hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 0:31
  • Pimsleur 3:47
  • Reading 0:03
  • Speaking 1:00
  • Video 17:50
  • Vocabulary 4:05
  • Total time: 27 hours, 18 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day for 31 days - 14 out of 14 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • Read 120 pages - 35 pages out of 120
  • Watch 20 hours of video – 22 hours, 27 minutes out of 20 hours
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 14 out of 14 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 14 out of 14 days
  • Do my exercises for 15 minutes a day – 14 out of 14 days
4 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Tue Mar 08, 2022 5:56 pm

February 21 – February 27, 2022

Now that Longmire has rode his horse off into the distance, I’ve been looking at different Spanish audio / subtitled dubs on Netflix. I’ve searched under “audio in Spanish” but that really just shows you the tip of the ice berg. Shows like “Knightfall” and “Travelers” don’t come up in my searches, but they surprised me with their Spanish-y goodness. Just like finding a $20 bill in your pocket that you forgot you had! I’d like to find a “one episode, one mystery” show but I might find myself sucked into something completely unexpected. If anyone has any suggestions of entertaining but not too entertaining shows dubbed in Spanish, I’d love to hear them. When they are too good, I find it hard to fight the temptation to switch to English. I’m feeling a lot of empathy for language learners with meager resources. Fun video is very motivating. It must be tough to learn a language with few media options.

Speakly’s website is back and running. For this, I am grateful. I don’t tend to use the app on my phone, but I wasn’t going to let my streak die.


    This week’s hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 1:06
  • Pimsleur 0:17
  • Reading 1:20
  • Speaking 1:00
  • Video 2:40
  • Vocabulary 1:10
  • This week’s total time: 7 hours, 36 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day for 31 days - 7 out of 7 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • Read 120 pages - 135 pages out of 120
  • Watch 20 hours of video – 25 hours, 7 minutes out of 20 hours
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 7 out of 7 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 7 out of 7 days
  • Do my exercises for 15 minutes a day – 7 out of 7 days
2 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

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Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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March Goals

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Tue Mar 08, 2022 6:20 pm

March Goals

February went well, but I'm going to keep my goals at the same level. I think it was more motivating to have a very achievable goal and very satisfying to push past it. We'll see how it goes!

365 Challenge
[X] 30 minutes a day for 31 days.

Polyglot Fitness Challenge
[X ] Read 120 pages
[ ] Watch 15 hours of video NOPE. :cry:
[X] Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day
[X] Log my food for 31 days
[ ] Do my exercises for 15 minutes a day. NOPE. :cry: I'm going to consult with my Physical Therapist on this one. After Physical Therapy or my own exercises in a pool, I find resistance exercises tighten up my back. I stopped because it was beginning to hurt.
Last edited by Cerebral_Arbitrage on Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Tue Mar 08, 2022 6:25 pm

February 28 - March 6, 2022

This past week I discovered that Harry Potter wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Granted, I’m not reading it with 100% comprehension or even close to fluently, but I was surprised that I could understand and enjoy a lot of the first book. This past week, I discovered that I could pull up Readlang on my phone and read Harry Potter in bed before I go to sleep. It was a nice way to wind down from the day.

My language partner and I are starting to talk twice a week. It is interesting to compare notes about culture, world events, etc. Last week, he was fascinated by the English saying “Good fences make good neighbors.” This saying goes way back (I think centuries in England?) but many people remember it by Robert Frost’s poem. I always took it to mean that you need to respect your neighbors’ boundaries to get along. He said he couldn’t imagine anyone saying this when he was a child in Spain. We had an interesting conversation about it.

I need to decide what my March goals are. I think I’m going to try to push hard in video and reading, but I have been lagging behind this week. I’m going to need to catch up!

    This week’s hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 0:02
  • Pimsleur 2:13
  • Reading 0:21
  • Speaking 1:00
  • Video 0:47
  • Vocabulary 0:55
  • This week’s total time: 5 hours, 20 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day for 31 days - 7 out of 7 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • Read ? pages I need to figure out Harry Potter pages on Readlang - pages out of 120
  • Watch 20 hours of video – 47 minutes out of 15 hours
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 7 out of 7 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 7 out of 7 days
  • Do my exercises for 15 minutes a day – 7 out of 7 days
4 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

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MorkTheFiddle
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2114
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: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby MorkTheFiddle » Tue Mar 08, 2022 7:06 pm

You're really off to a good start here, Cerebral. Love your enthusiasm. And a belated welcome to LLORG.
1 x
Many things which are false are transmitted from book to book, and gain credit in the world. -- attributed to Samuel Johnson

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:23 pm

March 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022

Thanks Mork The Fiddle! And after that kind comment, I was gone for weeks. March was not the best month for me. My only excuse is that I found myself more uninspired than usual. The 365 challenge was such a fantastic motivation and I’m very grateful for whoever started it. Sometimes at night when I would realize I hadn’t made my 30-minute marker, I’d use my TogglTrack timer and Readlang on my smart phone to make up the difference. It kept me going!

My nephew returned from a weekend in Mexico where he was volunteering. He was helping me with grocery shopping (I’m still working on carrying things, such as gallons of milk). While we were driving to the store, he loved doing Pimsleur audio with me in the car and then watching “Black List” in Spanish later in the day. His enthusiasm was contagious. I became eager to fix my back so I can join him this summer.

And that brings me to my back. Although stretching every day seems to help, I find that the exercises seem to irritate me if I do them the same day I go to Physical Therapy or work out in the pool. I’m thinking about revising this one. I stopped doing them when I could feel my back tightening up and not in a good way.

    This Month’s hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 0:02
  • Pimsleur 3:17
  • Reading 5:58
  • Speaking 3:00
  • Video 4:29
  • Vocabulary 4:10
  • This month’s total time: 20 hours, 57 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day for 31 days - 31 out of 31 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • 142 pages out of 120
  • Watch 20 hours of video – 4 out of 20. Boo!
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 31 out of 31 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 31 out of 31 days
  • Do my exercises for 15 minutes a day – Hmmmm… This goal needs revisiting
4 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
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Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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April Goals

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Sat Apr 02, 2022 1:05 am

April Goals

I don't think 15 hours of video is too much, but I sure didn't meet that goal last month. We'll see how April goes. I've changed my exercise goal to stretching. This will most likely be revised. Let's see how it goes.

365 Challenge
[ ] 30 minutes a day for 31 days.

Polyglot Fitness Challenge
[ ] Read 120 pages
[ ] Watch 15 hours of video
[ ] Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day
[ ] Log my food for 31 days
[ ] Do my stretches every day.
4 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Mon Apr 11, 2022 10:44 pm

April 1, 2022 to April 10, 2022

The past 10 days have gone better than March, but not as good as January or February. I am now watching Marco Polo in Spanish on Netflix more regularly. I am learning all sorts of “Khan” related words that are fun. I heard that it was one of the most expensive shows ever made, second to Game of Thrones. This surprised me. Although there are a lot of things to like about Marco Polo, I didn’t really notice anything out of the ordinary compared to most historical dramas one finds streaming now. Game of Thrones, on the other hand. Wow! I was always impressed by the production.

I have joined the masses and I’m reading Harry Potter. I now know what all the fuss is about. It’s easier to understand because I’ve seen the movies. (Visualizing Quidditch in Spanish would have been much more difficult without that help.) The jokes are still funny in Spanish. I find my reading time goes by quickly, even though I read in a labored and slow way.

I am considering taking the Super Challenge. It seems like a lot of fun and I’m lucky that Spanish has a lot of books and movies to choose from. Now I just have to figure out the bot!

    This week’s hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 0:00
  • Pimsleur 0:55
  • Reading 2:02
  • Speaking 1:00
  • Video 4:58
  • Vocabulary 1:22
  • This week’s total time: 10 hours, 19 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day – 10 out of 10 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • Read 33 pages (I’m on page 175 in the Book #1) - pages out of 120
  • Watch 20 hours of video – 5 hours and 58 minutes out of 20 hours
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 10 out of 10 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 10 out of 10 days
  • Do my exercises for 15 minutes a day – Probably 5 out of 10 days. Ugh! I somehow hurt my back again and moving it makes me spasm.
5 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Mon Apr 18, 2022 5:31 pm

April 10, 2022 to April 17, 2022

My video watching hours took a bump up when I discovered a Turkish drama called “The Gift.” It kind of reminds me of a cross between a telenovela and X-Files. I’m not sure I would recommend it as “must see TV” but I liked seeing Goebleki Tepe and the scenes around Istanbul. I finished season one and I’m still wondering what’s going on. Probably more of a comment on my Spanish than the show’s writing. But that’s just an example of how shows in my target language can be more interesting than shows in English. Struggling with comprehension in some scenes means lots of surprises in those that come after. Who’s that ghost? Is it a ghost? And what do the bad guys want?

I’m still enjoying my bed time ritual of reading Harry Potter. I haven’t been adding vocabulary to my Anki Deck lately and I’m wondering if it means I’m getting less out of my reading. I’ve noticed that I haven’t been very good about practicing Grammar and turning on Pimsleur in my car, either. But at least my numbers are up, so there is that.

    This week’s hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 0:00
  • Pimsleur 0:07
  • Reading 2:40
  • Speaking 1:00
  • Video 8:37
  • Vocabulary 1:07
  • This week’s total time: 13 hours, 33 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day – 7 out of 7 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • Read 46 pages this week (I’m on page 221 in the Book #1) - out of 120 pages
  • Watch 15 hours of video – 13 hours and 36 minutes out of 15 hours
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 7 out of 7 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 7 out of 7 days
4 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200

User avatar
Cerebral_Arbitrage
Yellow Belt
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:19 pm
Languages: English (N), Spanish (intermediate)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18782
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Re: 2022! Logger without a saw & Español with no teeth

Postby Cerebral_Arbitrage » Mon Apr 25, 2022 3:14 pm

April 18, 2022 to April 24, 2022

I am almost finished with “The Gift” and I’m looking forward to moving on to something else. Don’t get me wrong. The show is filled with cheesy fun. Inexplicable flickering lights. Lots of kidnapping and deep dark family secrets. Strange children who appear in the middle of roads. Older women smiling placidly into the distance, calmly speaking in vague commands, like “Remember who you are.” Cheesy fun seems to also be coming in the form of El Internado, Season 2 on Amazon Prime. I’m a fan of its creepy vibe. It’s next on my list.

I’ve really been enjoying rdearman’s adventures in Korea. He is such a good travel writer and hilarious to boot. It made me think that maybe I should take up some “daving” in my daily life. I think “daving,” activity attributed to Dave Pine, could be described as attempting conversations with native speakers despite a lack of perfect fluency. I could use the courage of Dave Pine. There are lots of native Speakers of Spanish around here, but I am usually very shy about speaking. In the next week, one of my goals will be to Dave just once. I’ll report back.


    This week’s hourly breakdown

  • Grammar 0:00
  • Pimsleur 1:23
  • Reading 0:54
  • Speaking 1:00
  • Video 9:37
  • Vocabulary 0:51
  • This week’s total time: 13 hours, 51 minutes


    Challenge Updates this Month

    365 Challenge
  • 30 minutes a day – 7 out of 7 days

    Polyglot Fitness Challenge
  • Read 33 pages this week (I’m on page 254 in the Book #1) - 112 out of 120 pages
  • Watch 15 hours of video – 23 hours and 13 minutes out of 15 hours
  • Review Speakly, Clozemaster, and Anki every day - 7 out of 7 days
  • Log my food for 31 days - 7 out of 7 days
6 x
365 Day Challenge: 0 / 365
PFC - Daily Vocabulary Review: 0 / 365
PFC - Read 500 pages: 0 / 500
PFC - Watch 120 hours of video: 0 / 7200


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