Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese, bits of French)

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gsbod
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby gsbod » Sat Jan 21, 2023 2:07 pm

If you are ever in the mood for a nice nature documentary, here's a link to the nature documentaries on ZDF: https://www.zdf.de/doku-wissen/natur-tiere-102.html. Some of it is geoblocked if they've licensed it from other providers (e.g. Eisige Welten II is on there at the moment which is the BBC's Frozen Planet II, therefore geoblocked), but I usually don't have trouble finding something interesting enough to watch here that isn't geoblocked.

Tatort is also good though :)
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garyb
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby garyb » Mon Jan 30, 2023 4:37 pm

Yesterday I finally finished Spektrum A1! Even managed it before the end of January, which was my optimistic estimate.

I was reading (and agreeing with) posts about how you really need to be studying for a few hours per day to make serious progress which did make me feel a bit embarrassed to be boasting about finishing an A1 course in a language that I must've been studying for a few years now. I think it was just before Covid that I started learning German, but it's been on-and-off since and I've only really got serious recently, and these days my definition of "serious" is about half an hour per day. But hey, I knowingly chose the slow approach and I'm not kidding myself otherwise.

There were times in the past when I was putting a few hours a day into languages and I did see the difference, but I don't feel it was worth the effort or think I'd ever do it again unless I moved abroad...

Anyway I do think I'm finally past the absolute beginner level and I've got a decent handle on things like cases and word endings that I was struggling with before, so I have progressed. And my Tatort consumption is staying quite high: I'm getting through around one episode every two days.

So how does life beyond A1 look? Quite the same I suppose, just a different book. But it could also be a good point to pick up on some of the ideas that I've been procrastinating on, like watching documentaries (gsbod's post above, which I've only noticed now, will be a great starting point!), attempting more non-subtitled listening, and maybe even attempting to read again (either picking up Harry Potter again, which I gave up on months ago because there were too many unknown words for it to be enjoyable, or finding something more appropriate to my level if that's still the case). Still sticking with Duo for now to keep drilling the basics, but keeping it as a second priority after Spektrum.

Nothing to report on other languages, as usual, except that I have got back into the podcast listening habit so I'm hearing a bit more Spanish and Italian again.

I have been getting tempted to subscribe to Netflix or another streaming service again, just for easy access to input as well as a bit of English-language entertainment (often with TL subtitles available) since I'm trying to relax a bit more and put more downtime into my routine. After my shaky start to 2023 I'm admitting that my lifestyle of doing too much, getting burnt out, then repeating the cycle isn't sustainable.
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DaveAgain
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby DaveAgain » Mon Jan 30, 2023 5:13 pm

garyb wrote:I have been getting tempted to subscribe to Netflix or another streaming service again, just for easy access to input as well as a bit of English-language entertainment (often with TL subtitles available) since I'm trying to relax a bit more and put more downtime into my routine. After my shaky start to 2023 I'm admitting that my lifestyle of doing too much, getting burnt out, then repeating the cycle isn't sustainable.
You might want to see what TV apps are available in your target languages. Arte have one, (but my TV isn't supported anymore :( ), TV5Monde claim to have one. What about the Italian broadcasters?
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garyb
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby garyb » Sat Feb 04, 2023 2:41 pm

DaveAgain wrote:You might want to see what TV apps are available in your target languages. Arte have one, (but my TV isn't supported anymore :( ), TV5Monde claim to have one. What about the Italian broadcasters?
If I had a modern TV rather than the old analogue thing that my landlord gave us for free I'd look into it! A smart TV is probably a good investment for a language learner anyway, again to make input more accessible. I mostly just watch things on my computer, but as we all know computers are full of distractions and there's something nice about just sitting on the sofa and watching the telly. My flatmate is currently away on holiday so I've been using the Chromecast in the living room more again.

Spektrum A2 definitely feels like a level up... Funny that! Quite a lot of new vocab, and some focus on grammar that I still need to polish up like prepositions and the genitive case. Great stuff but I am finding that I sometimes need a DuoLingo lesson or two beforehand to "warm up" and motivate myself to start the real work.

I've also tried some yoga and guided meditations in German. Stuff like "atmet ein, atmet aus" is quite self-explanatory, and many names of body parts are closer to English than they are in the other languages I've attempted. I'm trying to get back into these habits anyway and a bit of language exposure does sweeten the deal, although perhaps also makes it less relaxing if understanding it requires effort so I'm trying to be mindful of that. But despite the reputation, gently-spoken German can have a very relaxing quality about it and I don't mind letting unknown language just wash over me.

I did also have a look at the ZDF link and it's very promising, especially as German subs are available for many of the videos.
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garyb
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby garyb » Tue Feb 21, 2023 1:12 pm

I had a very productive week with German, then a not-so-much one but still keeping it up and I've already done the first three units of Spektrum A2 and consumed a healthy amount of Tatort.

I also just saw Good Bye, Lenin, which was entertaining enough and interesting for the history and culture, but after having seen Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis and the Italian remakes the whole trope of convincing someone that they're in different surroundings has just worn a bit thin for me.

I did have the realisation during the productive week that I was using language study as a way of avoiding my problems. But I'll take it; there are much unhealthier ways of avoiding problems, and if languages have become a pleasant distraction that must mean I have a healthier relationship with them again.

On a completely unrelated note, I have career options on my mind again, and possible moves alongside that. But it's not looking great. Berlin still appeals, but there aren't as many opportunities there as there were in the past few years and the housing crisis, which was already bad when I was considering moving there three and a half years ago, just seems off the charts now. Up there with Amsterdam, which I also liked a lot and could maybe see myself living in but the economics just wouldn't add up unless I found an exceptional job. I'd also consider Barcelona again (and I admit I'm still a bit upset at not being offered the job there last time after getting so close...) but again the prospects seem quite limited right now. I'm also thinking about international companies where I might be able to spend some time working in different locations, but the ones I was considering are no longer offering the positions I was suited to.

There's definitely a lesson in there about doing things while the opportunities are there, even if it doesn't seem like the ideal moment, since they won't always be there. But maybe I'm just making excuses this time round too? I think the best I can do is to try to always be somewhat ready ("dig your well before you're thirsty"), so if another Barcelona-like opportunity does ever appear I'm not woefully unprepared like last time.

So it seems like the plan is to stay in limbo for another few months at least - time for more preparation and hopefully to collect a bonus - but my current job is starting to take a toll on my mental health, hence avoiding problems, so I do need to get a move on sooner or later and also get better at dealing with stress and/or find ways to reduce it in the meantime. And one of these is to keep having a life outside of work, and keep up the languages.
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garyb
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby garyb » Sun Mar 05, 2023 1:48 pm

So maybe Duo is worth keeping because sometimes it really does make me laugh, like this wedding gossip about the bride seeming far too good for the groom who "looks like a potato" and "never showers"...
Image

On the other hand, the keyboard input option has disappeared for some exercises on the web app, which I've reported as a bug but I have a feeling it might be a "feature" to ensure users use their brains as little as possible. At least you can still use the keyboard to select words from the word bank by typing the first letters, so if I do that and avoid looking at the words it's almost the same.

I admit I got stuck on Spektrum because the next chapter is all about work/office vocabulary and since I'm struggling at work I didn't want to face it. I might just skip the chapter and come back to it another time, especially since as I mentioned previously that kind of vocabulary was already covered more extensively than I really need in the A1 book.

German has been a bit slower in the last couple of weeks, but rest assured I'm still doing my best to avoid my problems and procrastinate on interview prep, just in other ways: my guitar playing has really been coming along! And I'm meeting up with my Italian friends later today so looking forward to practising that.
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby stell » Sun Mar 05, 2023 2:04 pm

garyb wrote:I admit I got stuck on Spektrum because the next chapter is all about work/office vocabulary and since I'm struggling at work I didn't want to face it. I might just skip the chapter and come back to it another time, especially since as I mentioned previously that kind of vocabulary was already covered more extensively than I really need in the A1 book.

I think that skipping the chapter for now is a good idea! I’ve found myself in similar situations, where the theme of a learning resource just brings up negative feelings. I suppose that it depends on a person’s reason for learning a language, but I have zero reasons to force myself to do things that feel bad!
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby gsbod » Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:10 pm

garyb wrote:I admit I got stuck on Spektrum because the next chapter is all about work/office vocabulary and since I'm struggling at work I didn't want to face it. I might just skip the chapter and come back to it another time, especially since as I mentioned previously that kind of vocabulary was already covered more extensively than I really need in the A1 book.


I totally get this. I also find that when language textbooks deal with the world of work, it is so general that it's not going to help with your career, it just makes for a dull chapter. Maybe just focus on the grammar bits of the chapter and skip the rest? I've realised, maybe a little late, that you don't need to learn all the vocabulary in your textbook. It's ok to skip bits that aren't relevant/interesting. (Unless you're studying with a specific course for a specific exam...)
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garyb
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby garyb » Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:03 pm

Thanks, glad to see that others agree! I was hesitant to skip it partly because I'm still a bit perfectionist about working through resources in their entirety to make sure I don't "miss" anything (which is a case of not practising what I preach, since I've advised other beginners that if something is important enough it'll come up again pretty soon!) and partly because the lessons aren't just about thematic vocabulary but also have a lot of good grammar content that builds on previous material. I think my plan is to just skim through it and focus on the grammar side.

In other things, I've been getting some definite Greek envy recently. It's a language that normally I almost never hear so I conveniently forget about, but I was at a Greek band's gig a few weeks ago and a lot of the local community put in an appearance and I ended up out drinking with a dozen Greeks afterwards; I heard more of it at another gig yesterday; then tonight I was at a Greek restaurant where the staff were speaking it with customers. And there's Tastyonions's log on here, although that Assimil course will absolutely not be my first choice whenever I pick it up again! I always feel a little sad in these situations that it's my father's language yet I've never properly learnt it, in spite of now knowing several other languages that I have no real connection to.

I'm not going to pick it up again now on a whim, as much as yet another means of procrastination is appealing, as I'd rather keep up my German studies and get to a useable level now that they've gathered some momentum. And I still want to squeeze in some Portuguese in the next few months. Oh and I want to go to Japan sometime in the next couple of years so should pick up some absolute basics at least. And I'm usually not prone to wanderlust... But Greek's day will come.
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Re: Languages and Life: Gary's log (Italian, Spanish, bits of French, and now German!)

Postby tastyonions » Sun Mar 05, 2023 11:54 pm

Portuguese is awesome and should go smoothly for you with your other Romance languages. Would you go for BR-PT or PT-PT?

I’ve met lots of Americans learning Portuguese and I’m the only one who went for the PT variety, heh.
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