Well, this week is the polyglot gathering (online) and although I was going to do a presentation it is probably better for me to save it for the live event. Assuming of course it ever happens. When it was in Bratislava, and they announced they were going to change the venue I really hoped it wouldn't be Poland. Not that I have anything against Poland, but I was going there a lot for a job I had, mostly Poznań, and I was hoping for somewhere I hadn't been. There are a lot of places I haven't been, so why did they pick Poland?
I had not been to Berlin or Bratislava before, so it was nice getting to know new cities. Although the last two have happened at the desk in my house, which I'm getting a little sick of as well after all the bloody lockdowns.
I purchased this book at the last (in-person) gathering:
(I have added a scaleable image to the BBCode options, used above)
But I haven't used the book. I also have the USB with the audio and a couple of books for LR in Polish. What I lack is motivation!
Just a quick review of my language failures:
- Korean - I have done very badly with Korean, just picking up some random phrases really.
- Mandarin - Did it for a couple of years, but didn't study hard enough
- Czech - Did this for about 2 weeks, discovered it was hard and quit.
- Setswana - Persisted for a while, but lost motivation and quit.
- Esperanto - Played about years ago, wasn't really interested and quit.
The only two I have been remotely successful with is Italian and French. I believe this is because I talk to people. I know it is a shock, but I am only interested in a language if I can talk to someone!
Speaking to people motivates me to learn some more and to expand my vocabulary through reading or films or whatever. So all the ones which I've bailed out on were mainly because there wasn't anyone to talk to, so it was boring, and I quit. Studying languages just for the sake of studying is not my thing. If I want to study then there are thousands of other topics I would like to know, electronics, physics, maths, astronomy, etc. Oh, and before someone suggests I learn physics via Mandarin,
not going to happen. They have books in English which are easier to get!
I probably could do Polish because I know a lot of Poles both here in the UK and in Poznań. But lack of motivation is a factor. Learning languages is a drain mentally and physically long before you get to the point where you can have a reasonable conversation with someone. I frequently think I should just pick one. (I tend to shout this at other drivers on the motorway, "Three lanes! Pick One!")
I am still only on page 38 of this 874 page monster:
And about halfway through another French SciFi book. (which I can't find an image for)
I had a language exchange in Italian this morning, and I have another one in about 30 minutes time.
There is a lovely lady in China who was helping me with Chinese, but I can't actually speak with her other than in English. But because there is someone to speak with I've been half-heartedly reviewing all the Mandarin stuff I have. Recently I have been applying for jobs in Singapore because it would definitely give me a reason to learn Mandarin.
Well, gotta go get my brain prepared for more Italian and to stop this rambling.