M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

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jmar257
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby jmar257 » Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:40 am

I don't think I've ever read your log before, but just clicked on a whim and read a bit...really sorry to hear about the stroke, M23. Hope your recovery goes well!
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Feel free to give me corrections in any of my target languages!

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M23
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Tue Oct 06, 2020 7:06 pm

lingua wrote:That must really be frustrating M23. Hopefully, you will see improvements over time.


Thanks! I hope I will as well.
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:03 am

Spanish

The fog in my head has gradually begun to lift, and I can think with a bit more clarity now. I'm not "cured," nor will I ever be, so I am doing the best that I can to salvage what was there and build as much as I can out of it. My ability to listen to Spanish varies with each day. Sometimes I am okay, other times I can't make it out to save my life.

I started a Duolingo program since they updated it. It is probably good that I am doing it since I am out to sea without a row, and I need to get my bearings as to how much I have lost and how much I have retained.

I am also watching some Pokemon show in Spanish to try and get that input base filled up. We will see how that goes, though.

German

I am back to Duolingo with German as well, though I recently re-started because the grammar was just to rough on my head. I am still just playing with it to re-evaluate what my goals are going to be with this language. I would not expect much of it, but I will move ahead with it and see where I get to. German is still pretty new, so I don't know. I might drop it again. We will see how things go in the energy department.
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:21 am

Spanish & German

Not too much to report. I am working away at Duolingo. I am really liking the Spanish stuff because it seems like a decent challenge for me since they updated their course material. I have, for some reason, been having problems with conjugations. I'm doing a unit at the moment on the preterit tense to refresh my brain. It was interesting because the first unit I did I almost exhausted my hearts. I did not expect it to be that bad, but these are the things that have gotten muddy with the stroke and it is up to me to refresh them as much as I am able.

German, on the other hand, is painful. I feel like I am starting all over with that language. I keep my lessons down in the lower levels, and I plan on staying down there until I feel like a bit more of the grammar is making sense.

Slowly and steadily...
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Fri Nov 19, 2021 4:32 am

Spanish

Duolingo has been surprising. The upgrades since I last took it are good, and they are offering a decent review for my stroke brain. I am chugging along with it like I should. I also have put Netflix back into rotation with Spanish input. Right now I am watching Pokemon for the easier input, and am struggling along with the newest season of Narcos for the adult stuff. There is a lot with Narcos that I am not understanding because the conversation takes place between people from all over Mexico and Colombia with varying degrees of class. The hardest stuff is definitely with el Chapo's group.

German

Nothing much to report here except that I am slightly increasing difficulty with the Duolingo challenges. This language still does something awful to my brain, and I am not sure how much it will sort out. Nothing much to do but slowly tackle it and see how much I can do.

Speaking with both languages has been challenging. The stroke messed up my pronunciation with both languages, and it has been hard to correct it. Again, nothing much to do but slowly tackle it and see what my brain can keep up with.
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Sat Dec 04, 2021 4:15 am

Not too much to report since I have a couple weeks to go before finals and most of my resources are going to studying up for the tests. These are upper computer science and computer information systems classes, so they will take every last little bit of energy that I have. After that, however, sweet sweet freedom until the end of January. Aside from my holiday stuff I am hoping to get a few things in language land crossed off my list. Let's go over them:

Spanish

Finish reading the sequel to Como Agua Para Chocolate. I have more books to read in Spanish, and I would like to at least start one before next semester swallows me whole.

Try out SpanishInput's "watch a show and write out what you think is going on" technique to see if there is anything to it.

Duolingo.

German

Get back to doing the Deutche Welle class on my phone. I'll need to do a review first, though.

Duolingo.
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby DaveAgain » Sat Dec 04, 2021 11:45 am

M23 wrote:
Try out SpanishInput's "watch a show and write out what you think is going on" technique to see if there is anything to it.
1. Does it matter if you write in your mother/target language?

2. Do you have to check your summary against a master summary (episode guide/review/transcript)?
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:22 am

DaveAgain wrote:
M23 wrote:
Try out SpanishInput's "watch a show and write out what you think is going on" technique to see if there is anything to it.
1. Does it matter if you write in your mother/target language?

2. Do you have to check your summary against a master summary (episode guide/review/transcript)?


What I got from it was that you would listen to the text (in your L2) and write it out in your L2. Then you would check the subtitles to see what you missed (assuming the subtitles do not take too many liberties). The missing/incorrect content highlights weaknesses with your L2 skills, and those are the things you should focus on learning. Hopefully it is useful when I get around to it in the next few weeks.
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Thu Jan 06, 2022 5:32 am

Spanish

I did SpanishInput's "watch a show, write out what they say, and check the subtitles to see how you did" exercise. I did this with Pokemon in Spanish, and I got most of it down... and then one of the characters started describing how to play ping pong and I got the beginning and end of the sentence down and missed what was being said in the middle. The funny thing is that it was not because I did not understand the words, it was the speed that they were saying them at. Once I turned on the subtitles I understood what was being said. I only had to look up two words.

I'm moving through Mi Pasado Negro at a much slower pace than I am used to. Books take much more time after the stroke. There is lots of re-reading because I will be reading along and suddenly I will stop and ask myself what I was just reading, so I will have to backtrack. It's also interesting to read the first book (Como Agua para Chocolate) and see how clear the magical realism is, and then read this book and see how they are touching on multiple themes of magical realism. So far I like the first book, but this one is not a bad follow up.

German

One thing I have discovered is that I cannot just pile on learning methods. I have to pick and choose. Duolingo is good for busy times. In less busy times I have to drop Duolingo and work on something a bit more difficult because the difficulty takes up more bandwidth than I have room for (i.e., do Duolingo or do the difficult thing because you only have room for one thing). Instead of picking up with Nico's Weg I decided to do some reviewing of my German journal. Reviewing has been hard. Having finally gained the sense of naturalness for the language, and having lost it with the stroke, I am back to asking myself "why do I do this with the language?" It's a bit frustrating, but must be endured until I can get that feeling back that I can put sentences together without much hassle.

I am changing my plans a bit to reflect reality. Duolingo goes off the burner during these breaks when I can handle a touch more. Instead of picking up Nico's Weg I am reviewing old material. Hopefully I will still finish my book. There is about a week and some change in my break. Let's make the most of it.
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Re: M23's Language Log: Spanish and German

Postby M23 » Thu Jan 13, 2022 5:03 am

Spanish

I finally finished reading Mi Negro Pasado. It just occurred to me that the title of the book is a double meaning. "My dark past" having a family with secrets is one possible meaning, but "my black ancestors" (because the book is all about having hidden parts of the family tree) is another. I cannot believe it took me this long to pick that up. Whatever. That's life with a stroke brain, I guess.

Anyway, the ending of the book was fairly enjoyable (I will not post spoilers). It made me question my next book. Should I go ahead and crack open the book I have on my shelf to read? It is thick and quite a bit more heady than Mi Negro Pasado. Or should I do something more simple? I should have a copy of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on my shelves. I guess I will sleep on it. The semester is starting up soon, so I should have plenty of time to think about pleasure reading in-between being berried alive with reading for classes.

I also have a virtual meeting I am trying to get set up for with a friend from Colombia. I'll post more about that when I get it set up.

German

I did a few podcasts of Coffee Break German the other day. The grammar is still to difficult for me to put some sentences together, and I am utterly flunking the end of the podcast when I have to do that, but the rest of the podcast is understandable and good to work on. I might have one or two more before I put it away and do Duolingo for awhile longer.
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