An unexpected journey

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bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Sat Jul 30, 2022 10:27 pm

I never thought I would write a log like this but I need some accountability. I've failed to learn Spanish more times than I can count. I've been off and on (mostly off) learning Spanish for 5 years now. Now I intend to really actually do this.

Like most people, I struggle with consistency. Hopefully writing here can be motivation enough to keep it up for a while longer than usual.

I've got a holiday planned to Spain for March next year.. I certainly don't want any restaurants to have to call over the English speaking waitress.

Things I've tried:

Duolingo as a new years resolution, 365 days streak - didn't really learn that much. Certainly no real comprehension from here. Felt a bit let down after the promises.

Learn Spanish with Paul Noble. Listened to this audiobook over a month while out jogging. This did help me with the past tense a bit actually.

In person class at university as an extra option. Learned basically nothing, class was above my level. I got a good mark in this only because covid happened and I was able to cheat when completing the exams from home.

Learn Spanish with Michel Thomas. I just didn't get on with this.

I'd say I'm certainly a false beginner. I wouldn't really benefit from a Spanish 1 class at all but I don't know enough to be comfortable in a more advanced setting.

=====
The Plan
=====
Mornings
Assimil Spanish with Ease - the 1987 edition, 1 lesson a day every morning for 109 days.
Assimil Using Spanish following on from Spanish with Ease 1 lesson a day

Evenings
FSI Spanish - Programmatic - 1 tape an evening until complete
FSI Basic Spanish - after Programmatic start on this 1 tape an evening

Currently on day 2 of this and I'm quite impressed with the FSI course so far, it's an interesting approach.
14 x

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:27 pm

Completed both today, Sundays are going to be hard. Got a baby and girlfriend to spend time with so it's always going to be very late in the day before getting round to the FSI.

Assimil is very very easy at the moment. I'm expecting good things as the course progresses.

FSI programmatic course is interesting for sure. I did not expect to enjoy it this much, it's already clearing up some problems with my pronunciation I've had for a long while. I'm glad I chose to start here instead of going for the basic course straight away.

Managed to learn a new word already did not expect that either. Basante as in pretty close or quite well not sure how I'd never come across that before.
2 x

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Mon Aug 01, 2022 10:57 pm

Doing FSI Programmatic Spanish in the hour before bedtime when bedtime for me is midnight isn't a good idea. It's certainly helping my Spanish but when tired its hard to focus. I'm going to try and complete it earlier in the day from now on.

I really think the pronunciation drills are good and the way the dialog is broken down is overkill but helps the material really settle in my mind.

Assimil was once again really easy today but I don't expect it to be any real challenge for the first half. I'm just completing it all for completeness and practise.
1 x

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Tue Aug 02, 2022 10:50 pm

Well, the studying FSI earlier in the day didn't pan out today so I had to settle for only half a unit tonight. In the past I think I would have stopped here but this log makes me feel weirdly accountable.

I can also see progress with FSI Programmatic that I haven't seen in other resources before. The way sounds are broken down really allow me to recognise words and know how to correctly pronounce them.

Assimil once again was very easy and I completed it quite quickly since I already knew all of the words it wasn't anything worth mentioning. I completed this while waiting for a meeting at work.
2 x
Assimil French: 7 / 100
FSI French Phonology: 4 / 20
French in Action: 4 / 52

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:56 pm

I'll have to be more disciplined with my time if I intend to stick to this. I didn't get time to study assimil this morning because work was busier than normal and I spent my only free time during work reading about Esperanto.

Is it normal to look longingly at other languages this soon into a commitment to one?

Finished up Unit 5 of FSI Programmatic this evening though, getting a bit more involved now with some grammar thrown in so I don't think it'll be a unit a day from here on out probably more like half a unit a day - the tapes are split from now on too so that's more than likely.
3 x
Assimil French: 7 / 100
FSI French Phonology: 4 / 20
French in Action: 4 / 52

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Thu Aug 04, 2022 10:47 pm

Classic, just a week in and already dropping Assimil.

A combination of it being too easy and me not really having time to do two sit down study sessions in a day at the moment.

Still enjoying the FSI Programmatic course. Completed another tape tonight.
3 x
Assimil French: 7 / 100
FSI French Phonology: 4 / 20
French in Action: 4 / 52

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Sat Aug 06, 2022 10:58 pm

Took a day off yesterday was just too tired.

Completed FSI Spanish Programmatic unit 6 tonight. Bit more grammar. Lots of drills. Perfection by repetition seems to be the order of the day on this course.
1 x
Assimil French: 7 / 100
FSI French Phonology: 4 / 20
French in Action: 4 / 52

User avatar
lusan
Green Belt
Posts: 463
Joined: Sat Aug 15, 2015 1:25 pm
Location: Greensboro, NC, USA
Languages: Spanish(Native)
English (Naïve)
French(Intermediate)
Italian(Intermediate)
Polish(In Alcatraz)
x 985

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby lusan » Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:57 pm

bilbobaggins wrote:I never thought I would write a log like this but I need some accountability. I've failed to learn Spanish more times than I can count. I've been off and on (mostly off) learning Spanish for 5 years now. Now I intend to really actually do this.

......................................................
=====
The Plan
=====
Mornings
Assimil Spanish with Ease - the 1987 edition, 1 lesson a day every morning for 109 days.
Assimil Using Spanish following on from Spanish with Ease 1 lesson a day

Evenings
FSI Spanish - Programmatic - 1 tape an evening until complete
FSI Basic Spanish - after Programmatic start on this 1 tape an evening
.......


Welcome. Nice materials to do the job. A thought: Why not focusing only on one of them and dedicate the rest of the time to watch a serial? It would help a lot with training listening. I have not done FSI Spanish, since i am native, but I did it for French and I discovered that helps a lot with speaking. Listening is essential and a slow skill to get. The earlier working on listening, the better.

Good luck.
1 x
Italian, polish, and French dance
FSI Basic French Lessons : 10 / 24 17 of 24 goal

bilbobaggins
White Belt
Posts: 12
Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2022 5:23 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Languages: English (N), Spanish (beginner)
x 34

Re: An unexpected journey

Postby bilbobaggins » Sat Sep 03, 2022 10:59 pm

Well, life got in the way of this a bit. I got a last minute slot for septoplasty surgery and honestly didn't really feel like language learning for a while.

Now I'm on the mend I have a new goal because we have a trip to France next year I'm going to be learning French.

I'm taking a bit of a dual approach similar to how I started with the previous Spanish attempt.

Every day: Assimil French
Every other day: FSI french phonology 1 tape
Every other day: 1 French in action episode

I'm just under a week in so far and it's going well - I'm particularly enjoying french in action
5 x
Assimil French: 7 / 100
FSI French Phonology: 4 / 20
French in Action: 4 / 52


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