Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Continue or start your personal language log here, including logs for challenge participants
User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Mon May 29, 2023 3:44 am

24May23–28May23

French
I finally started reviewing Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar. I began with Chapter 11, which covers the conditional, and did the first two exercises. I also continued reading Claudine à l'école. I'm almost done: the students just finished their exams.

Lastly, on the 28th, I had a one-hour lesson with Marylène. We discussed shopping for an engagement ring, which is what I did with my boyfriend this weekend. :D Even though it was my first lesson in three weeks, I thought I did a decent job at speaking.

German
I did Mango Languages Lessons 7–9. Then I took a break for a few days because of work.
9 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Sat Jun 03, 2023 8:56 pm

29May23–02Jun23

French
I listened to episodes of French Expat, Transfert, and The Ultimatum: France. I also finished reading Claudine à l'école. I started to get bored once the students finished their exams, so I rushed through the final 50 pages. Next, I think I'll read Le Consentement by Vanessa Springora. It was recommended to me by my sister's friend, who studies French at university.

I took Thursday off from work, so I recorded myself speaking for 20 minutes. Later, I did some more grammar study, focusing on the futur simple and the present conditional.

German
I did Pimsleur Lesson 2. I also switched my Speechling account from French to German and submitted three sentences for feedback. All the feedback was positive, so I'm not sure whether I trust it!

I need to pick up the pace with German. I haven't made much progress. The problem is, I still haven't decided whether this is a serious language-learning endeavor or just a side project. I'm not ready to put French on the back burner, and I don't feel as interested in German as I do about Italian or Greek. I'm curious how I'll feel after our trip to Berlin in August—maybe I'll fall in love with the city and want to focus on German for a while. There are other reasons to learn German too: there are lots of German shows on Netflix, and it would help me with Yiddish, which I've always dreamed of learning.

Writing
I read the short story A&P by John Updike, but I didn't do any actual writing. Next week, however, I'm starting a six-week writing course!
4 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Sun Jun 11, 2023 4:07 am

03Jun23–10Jun23

French
I've been feeling pretty good about French lately. Maybe next year I'll stop actively learning and put it in maintenance mode. However, this week I didn't do much with French. I didn't even keep up with my Anki reviews. :( For most of the week, the only thing I did was start reading Le Consentement by Vanessa Springora. I read the first 50 pages in one sitting, and then read the next 50 pages throughout the week.

On the 10th, I had a 1-hour French lesson with Kevin, where we discussed his recent trip to the United States. Later, I took a long walk while listening to several episodes of Transfert.

German
I did Pimsleur Lesson 3, but I kept putting off doing more lessons. On the 10th, I spent some time watching YouTube videos about German pronunciation. Then I submitted a couple more sentences for feedback on Speechling.
Last edited by philomath on Mon Jun 26, 2023 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
6 x

User avatar
diaconia
Yellow Belt
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Apr 24, 2023 4:31 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: English (N), German (C1 in 2004), Russian (beginner), Ancient Greek (beginner), French (needs refreshing)
x 260
Contact:

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby diaconia » Wed Jun 14, 2023 5:48 pm

Hi Philomath/Amanda!

I see you've signed up for the 30:30 Challenge in July. I'm happy to see another beginner sign up. I'll be doing Russian and I don't know many words at all. If I might ask: will you be using your Pimsleur lessons to make your vocabulary?
1 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Thu Jun 15, 2023 2:40 am

diaconia wrote:Hi Philomath/Amanda!

I see you've signed up for the 30:30 Challenge in July. I'm happy to see another beginner sign up. I'll be doing Russian and I don't know many words at all. If I might ask: will you be using your Pimsleur lessons to make your vocabulary?

Hello! Yes I'm planning to count Pimsleur vocabulary, but they don't introduce many words per lesson. I will probably find words that are relevant to my life or use frequency lists to learn the rest of the words for the challenge.
1 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Thu Jun 15, 2023 2:47 am

11Jun23–14Jun23

French
12Jun23: I listened to Transfert for 2 hours while doing some tedious tasks at work. I also read more of Le Consentement during my commute.

14Jun23: I read more of Le Consentement. I also decided that next I will read Les Impatientes by Djaïli Amadou Amal.

German
12Jun23: I did Pimsleur Lesson 4. It was difficult to pronounce [ç] so often in sentences like "Ich spreche nicht gut." Then they added [x] by introducing the phrase "Doch!". I think I'm pronouncing these sounds correctly, and my Speechling feedback seems to agree. But pronunciation still requires a lot of focus and it makes learning less fun.

14Jun23: I signed up for the new 30:30 vocabulary challenge, which will involve learning 30 new words for 30 days and then testing myself on July 31st. I’m curious to see how this goes! I'm a complete beginner and I feel like the challenge would be best for someone at an A2 or B1 level. I already feel more motivated to learn German though. Later, I downloaded the Language Tools add-on for Anki and set it up to add IPA transliterations to my German cards. I don't have any German cards yet, but I will definitely make some for the 30:30 challenge. And even though the Awesome TTS add-on is amazing, the sounds of German are so new to me that I think an IPA transcription would be useful.

I also did Pimsleur Lesson 5. I've learned that I enjoy doing Pimsleur lessons while cooking or doing dishes.

Writing
11Jun23: I began the Intro to Fiction class I'm taking through a local writing center. The first lecture was pretty basic, but good. There are only five other people in the class, so hopefully I won't feel too intimidated to share my writing.

12Jun23: I read the short story Black Harness by Courtney Sender.

14Jun23: I read the short story To Do With the Body by Courtney Sender. A few years ago I went to an event at the Boston Book Festival where she read the beginning of the story out loud.
2 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:43 pm

15Jun23–21Jun23

French
I finished Le Consentement. I enjoyed the author's writing style and found it to be a very quick read. After the first 20 pages or so, I stopped looking up words. Next, I started reading Les Impatientes by Djaïli Amadou Amal. I bought the Kindle version, so it's easier to look up words if I need to. I haven’t needed to look up many though. I’m already around 35% done with the book.

German
I did Pimsleur Lessons 6–10. I’d like to find another resource to use in addition to Pimsleur. Mango Languages is pretty boring, so I decided to drop it. I was tempted to get an Assimil book, but I only have six weeks before my trip to Berlin, and who knows how long it will take it to arrive from France. (I know they have a new online version, but the app looked confusing.) Anyway, it might be nice to pick a more grammar-focused resource.
6 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Sun Jun 25, 2023 8:51 pm

22Jun23–25Jun23

French
I finished Les Impatientes, which was 283 pages. I may take a break from reading books in French. Instead, I'd like to read more articles and write responses.

On the 25th, I had a 1-hour lesson with Marylène. We discussed my plan for learning German, the recent submersible accident, and a bunch of would-you-rather questions.

German
I bought a used copy of Colloquial German and read the introduction and pronunciation section. I appreciate that the book gives the IPA symbols for each sound, unlike many textbooks. However, I didn't start Lesson 1 because I decided to try a new routine, where I focus on languages during the week and writing on the weekend. (The only exception is reviewing Anki cards and having iTalki lessons.)

Writing
Writing is... not going well. I'm taking an intro course which meets for three hours on Sunday nights. During the class, the instructor sometimes gives us ten or fifteen minutes to respond to a writing prompt. For me, that isn't enough time to come up with something good, and the prompts don't give me much inspiration. We're supposed to write a short story before the final class, and I'm definitely feeling the pressure. I was planning to work on an old idea I had, but I'm feeling stuck. I tried to work on the sci-fi novel, and I also feel stuck with that project. Maybe it's time to work on something new.
4 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Tue Jun 27, 2023 2:34 am

26Jun23

Today I felt very productive, so here's a pretty long update:

Spanish
I listened to the same episode of Hoy en El País two times, for a total of 40 minutes. It was about recent advances in organ transplantation. Later, I also listened to an episode of Niñas Bien.

French
I listened to an episode of Amies.

German
I did Pimsleur Lesson 12. This one was pretty repetitive, since it was teaching numbers. After that, I started Colloquial German Unit 1. First I listened to Text 1A twice, once without reading the transcript and then while reading it. Next, I listened again and tried to repeat after the speakers. Then I listened and paused after each sentence to read the notes below. I was excited to see that the word for waitress, Kellnerin, is similar to Esperanto's kelnerino. :)

Finally, I did some of the exercises. The first exercise involved translating some phrases from English to German. I was surprised at how much I remembered from the dialogue. The rest of the exercises were related to numbers. One thing that confused me was that the book sometimes said "ein Euro" and other times it said "eine Euro". Is that a typo?

I'm having fun with German so far! It's refreshing to learn a new language. Right now I'm not intimidated by the declensions (I've studied Latin and Ancient Greek), but I am nervous about remembering the gender of each noun. Does color-coding flashcards by gender actually work?

Actually, I still haven't made any German flashcards yet. I'm going to wait until I get to Unit 2 of Colloquial German, and then I'll review Unit 1 and add the words that I still don't remember. And of course, I'm going to make a ton of flashcards for the 30:30 challenge starting in July.

Esperanto
I'm not studying Esperanto right now, but I was looking at iTalki teachers the other day and I found one who teaches Esperanto. I liked his teaching profile and it made me think, I've probably learned enough grammar and vocabulary to start learning through conversations, like I did with French. It's tempting... but I really don't have time for more iTalki lessons. If anything, I should pick up Spanish again, so I don't completely forget it!
8 x

User avatar
philomath
Blue Belt
Posts: 739
Joined: Wed May 11, 2016 2:57 pm
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Languages: English (Native), Spanish (Intermediate/Advanced), French (Intermediate/Advanced), German (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 13#p235313
x 3020

Re: Amanda's 2023 Log: Mostly French, Some German

Postby philomath » Sat Jul 01, 2023 4:34 am

27Jun23–30Jun23

Spanish
28Jun23: I listened to two episodes of Hoy en El País while I did lab work.

French
29Jun23: I listened to an episode of Transfert.

30Jun23: I listened to another episode of Transfert.

German
27Jun23: I did Pimsleur Lesson 13.

28Jun23: I did Pimsleur Lesson 14 and continued going through Unit 1 of Colloquial German. I also watched some videos from the Easy German YouTube channel.

29Jun23: I did Pimsleur Lesson 15, which means I’m halfway done with Level 1!

30Jun23: I finished Unit 1 of Colloquial German. :)

Tomorrow is the first day of the 30:30 Challenge. I still haven't decided where I'll find my 30 words every day. If all else fails, I'll just find a frequency list somewhere.

Writing
Earlier in the week, I decided to stop working on my sci-fi novel. I've been stuck on it for several years and it's not getting anywhere; it's just preventing me from working on other projects. When I decided to stop working on it, I felt relieved but also a little sad. I spent a lot of time on it! Later in the week, I decided to compromise and turn it into a novella. That will give me the chance to turn the idea into something finished without spending four more years on it (hopefully).
7 x


Return to “Language logs”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Henkkles and 2 guests