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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2016 8:32 pm
by Carmody
Thank you Tom.

I find it truly encouraging and supportive to be part of this community. It makes a real difference being able to share the journey.

Thanks as always.

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:31 am
by Carmody
Since last Dec. I have completed 93% of the 800 hrs. set down by the Foreign Service Institute to learn a language, in my case French.

My thoughts after a year's wk. is that

1- Peter Mollenberg is absolutely correct when he says that 800 hrs. is only a drop in the bucket when it comes to learning French.

2-I have developed a learning methodology which is a mix of course work in French In Action together with book reading.

3-For my work on the Oral skills, I find the following websites to be really good tools:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2MHCbolHvw
https://www.youtube.com/user/francaisauthentique
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFu6uJ ... IyN9KpMPLg

4-I also agree with Tom Gosse when he says that using French in Action is like climbing Mt. Everest. For me that means putting one foot in front of the other and to keep on keeping on...

5-My greatest luck is to have come across this Forum which has proven to be for me an excellent resource.

Thanks everyone.

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 1:24 am
by Carmody
A slight update:

As of tonight and for the past 12 months I have completed 759 hrs. of French study; that is 95% of the 800 hrs. that FSI states is necessary for fluency.

I don't know about other people's 800 hours but mine is a long ways away from fluency.

My studies have included FIA, reading of books and extensive YouTube videos noted above.

I am curious what another 800 hrs. will bring.

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 2:42 am
by PeterMollenburg
Well done for studying so much French in 2016 Carmody! I did a similar number of hours in 2016 and a little more for each of the preceding two years. All I can say is keep going! Don't, like I did to a degree, become exasperated that it takes longer than you originally thought to get to a decently proficient level in French (whatever that means). Best to accept that this is an ongoing journey. Enjoy the scenery along the way- if you don't go down that path towards your goal, you will never reach it. So proceed, enjoy the journey and stay committed. Don't stop until you get there! Then you will get there! All the best for 2017!

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 9:44 am
by Fortheo
Carmody wrote:A slight update:

As of tonight and for the past 12 months I have completed 759 hrs. of French study; that is 95% of the 800 hrs. that FSI states is necessary for fluency.

I don't know about other people's 800 hours but mine is a long ways away from fluency.

My studies have included FIA, reading of books and extensive YouTube videos noted above.

I am curious what another 800 hrs. will bring.



That's extremely impressive Carmody. Keep doing what you're doing and I don't see how you won't reach your goals.

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 10:11 am
by Carmody
Fortheo

Thank you for your support; it is very much appreciated.

Greatly appreciated also was your suggestion of Patricia of the Home Language website. She is wonder full, and the robbery of her possessions was heartbreaking. It is hard not to love her, respect her, and wish her well.

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 12:57 pm
by Rebecca
Carmody wrote:A slight update:

As of tonight and for the past 12 months I have completed 759 hrs. of French study; that is 95% of the 800 hrs. that FSI states is necessary for fluency.


What a wonderful achievement in just 12 months! You should be really proud of yourself for such effort and consistency! :)

Personally I have always been suspicious of those FSI numbers telling us what level we should have achieved after so many hours. I have always suspected that it takes far longer than they suggest.

Anyway, good luck in 2017! If you can put in the same number of hours next year you'll be flying! I will look forward to following along with your journey. :)

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 5:16 pm
by Carmody
Rabecca

Many thanks for the visit and yes I totally agree "it takes longer."

The big thing for me is that you and others saying so helps me to feel that I am not alone in terms of the 800. Learning a language it is very easy for someone to feel stupid, but with the shared experience of others requiring greater time than 800 also, it makes my journey more manageable.

Have a wonder full 2017!

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 6:11 pm
by Carmody
In the interests of full disclosure I should say something that I have never said publicly before: I am slow. I think slow, I walk slow, I learn slow. I even talk slowly, which drives my wonder full wife crazy . But slow is who I am. I was at the gym today looking at the different styles of workouts for people. So many people; so many speeds and styles.

My wife was a librarian before retiring and happens to be a very fast paced thinker with excellent critical thinking skills.

Most everyone in the world thinks slow is dumb, but I have come to question the meaning of dumb. The turtle and the hare is a story that often comes to mind.

I am raising this issue now because of the 800 hrs. that FSI has set down and realizing today that maybe like at the gym today everyone has their own speed.

This first year of language learning has been truly unique for me in that:

1-I found this Forum, which is a true blessing on countless levels

2-I have discovered how it is that I am going to learn my language. Everyone has their own road to travel when it comes to language learning and each person needs to discover their own road. This Forum has helped me do this. So I have established my own particular product mix of: FIA, book reading, and YouTube videos.

3-Please note: I keep a running spreadsheet of how my time is used when studying. That log would drive most people Crazy but it helps me to see how I am spending my time and how to best redistribute it. It also helps me feel accomplished at the end of the day. The 30 min. time segments here and there do add up with the hour here or there at the end of the day. Keeping a time log is critical for me in keeping me honest. It shows me what I have and have not done for the week, and the year. If I am not honest with it, then the log becomes useless.

3-Learned that I need to be patient with myself, not to push myself too hard, and to think long term in my methodology and my goals.

With thanks to all and best wishes for 2017!

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:51 am
by Carmody
So my work with FIA and book reading and the YouTube videos has resulted in a very large listing for vocabulary words to learn. I know about SRS and Anki, etc., but prefer not to use it. Still the number of words keep stacking up and over time I forget what I have learned and need to relearn. I do wish there were some way to insert them in a concrete / permanent memory portion of the brain or to take a magic injection and have them inserted into word depository in my brain. But there isn't.

At 2-3 hrs./day of study per week with one day off for good behavior the stack grows.

Am really beginning to identify with Sisyphus. Really. I see no way out.