tiia's log (FIN, SPA, SWE, EUS)

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tiia
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Thu Jun 03, 2021 4:46 pm

Thanks a lot.

jeff_lindqvist wrote:Först trodde jag att den nya kursen är bara/bara är för att paus i sommaren är inte/inte är så långt. Word order; not sure what you mean - summer holidays?;word order; gender agreement (paus - lång).

In English I would call it a semester break or summer break.
There's usually a a spring semester from Janurary till mid-April and a autumn semester from September till November/December. Most courses are on a break from mid-April till September (4,5 months).
There may be some summer courses and the Summer Universities of course, but the "normal" courses are on hold.

jeff_lindqvist wrote:Nu vet jag att det finns en liknande kurs i augusti och sedan i höstas till december. I höstas refers to the past - do you mean this upcoming autumn?

Stupid mistake, it should have been i höst.

jeff_lindqvist wrote:(Det var ganska praktiskt (innan)/före coronapandemin: går till kursen och sedan direkt till språkcaféet.) Word choice - innan is used before verbs, and före before nouns;verb tense.

Could I say ... innan coronapandemin började?

jeff_lindqvist wrote:Ganska spännande hur det förändras i kort distans. Not sure what you mean - smth like på kort tid?

I meant a short (physical) distance, like 10-20 km or so.
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Thu Jun 03, 2021 9:16 pm

tiia wrote:In English I would call it a semester break or summer break.
There's usually a a spring semester from Janurary till mid-April and a autumn semester from September till November/December. Most courses are on a break from mid-April till September (4,5 months).
There may be some summer courses and the Summer Universities of course, but the "normal" courses are on hold.


OK, then it's sommarlovet and långt.

tiia wrote:Could I say ... innan coronapandemin började?


Yeah, that works fine!

tiia wrote:
jeff_lindqvist wrote:Ganska spännande hur det förändras i kort distans. Not sure what you mean - smth like på kort tid?

I meant a short (physical) distance, like 10-20 km or so.


Alright, then I would say smth like:
Ganska spännande hur annorlunda det kan vara på så nära håll.

I wouldn't use ...hur det förändras... as my #1 choice. That makes me think of something ongoing, as in the expression "tiderna förändras" (the times are changing (right now as we speak, or over the course of a long period)) - unless you're thinking of language spread. Wait a second - you're in Finland, right? If that's the case, and you're thinking of how Swedish is being used more and more in certain cities for example, you could say "hur det förändras". But the sentence still feels somewhat awkward, even if you say smth else than "på kort distans". (That makes me think of Usain Bolt setting a world record on 100m.)
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tiia
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Fri Jun 04, 2021 3:02 pm

jeff_lindqvist wrote:
tiia wrote:
jeff_lindqvist wrote:Ganska spännande hur det förändras i kort distans. Not sure what you mean - smth like på kort tid?

I meant a short (physical) distance, like 10-20 km or so.


Alright, then I would say smth like:
Ganska spännande hur annorlunda det kan vara på så nära håll.

I wouldn't use ...hur det förändras... as my #1 choice. That makes me think of something ongoing, as in the expression "tiderna förändras" (the times are changing (right now as we speak, or over the course of a long period)) - unless you're thinking of language spread. Wait a second - you're in Finland, right? If that's the case, and you're thinking of how Swedish is being used more and more in certain cities for example, you could say "hur det förändras". But the sentence still feels somewhat awkward, even if you say smth else than "på kort distans". (That makes me think of Usain Bolt setting a world record on 100m.)


Exactly I'm in Southern Finland and the percentage of native Swedish-speakers can change quite a lot between neighbouring cities. When I wrote the sentence I had indeed some problems to think of any suitable way to express this.


Yesterday I stumbled about another issue that left me wondering:
I learned that words such as sig, några, de/dem are pronounced sej, nåra, dom. (Though it seemed that the g in några is not always omitted). But we had been told not to write those forms. At least that's what my first Swedish teacher (from Sweden) told us in the very first Swedish course.
However, I was a bit confused when I read those words in two very different texts: "dom" in a current text from "Yle Nyheter på lätt svenska" and all three of them in a children's book from Astrid Lindgren (from 1952). Everything I found out, was that you may use it if it's rather informal, which may explain the appereance in a children's book somehow. But in the news?
Maybe you have some kind of explanation for this?
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby jeff_lindqvist » Fri Jun 04, 2021 5:31 pm

My short answer is that it's spoken language. Why it's used on the Yle website, I can't say (well, maybe because it's lätt svenska). In the Astrid Lindgren case it's probably because the target group is children, and that's how they speak. It really took off in the 60s/70s/(80s). I've never written mej/dej/sej. I don't pronounce them that way (but rather [mi:], [di:], [si:]!)

Another word is säga (säger etc.) which sometimes is spelled säja, säjer... (I don't know when I last heard someone pronounce them with a hard g, other than the older generation in my area.)

I just found something:
https://www.sprakbruk.fi/-/ska-vi-skriv ... och-sajer-
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tiia
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:22 pm

Por alguna razon he escrito un corto cuento en español. El amigo mio ya ha corregido eso. :)
Alma (y el pez gigante)

La noche era oscura y el pueblo estaba muy tranquilo. No se podía oír más que los pasos de una joven mujer. Alma trabajaba en un restaurante que era conocido por sus platos extraordinarios de pescado. Ella era normalmente la última persona en ir a casa, pero ella no temía la noche ni la oscuridad. Al contrario, la tranquilidad de la noche era la única oportunidad para calmarse después de un largo día en el restaurante.
Pero cuando ella cruzó el puente esa noche, escuchó algo extraño. Había algo en el aire. Alma miró hacia arriba, pero no vio nada. Ella miró en todas las direcciones, pero nada. Entonces miró abajo hacia el río.
Había un pez gigante que flotaba sobre el río, y cuando Alma lo miró, el pez habló:
”Tienes que venir conmigo. ¡Es tu destino!”
Alma temió. Eso no era normal. ¡Los peces no podían hablar!
”Sin duda no sabías que eres la reina de los peces. Hemos decidido que debes estar con tu propia familia.”
”No. Tengo una familia aquí en el pueblo. Una familia humana.”
”No y no. Tú no puedes vivir sin nosotros, porque nosotros somos tu propia familia. Te nutrimos.”
”¡No, eso no es verdad!” Alma gritó.
”Tú vas a venir conmigo, para que no mates más de tu familia.”
Alma no sabía que pasó, pero escaló a la balaustrada y siguió al pez gigante. En el agua ella nadó como un pez. ¡Ella era realmente un pez!

Al amanecer un viandante encontró el cuerpo de una mujer muerta al lado del río. Nadie supo nunca que pasó en esa noche.


Pensaba un poquito y recordó que ya escribí un cuento en español en ese log: Elias, el tiburón
¡No, no estoy obsesionado con peces!

Cuando leo ese cuento viejo otra vez, para mí es claro que buscé más palabras y que los cursos tenían una influencia buena. Pero sé que ahora puedo hablar más fluidamente. Y que entiendo más.
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tiia
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:57 am

The course plans have been published by all the relevant adult education institutions for the upcoming term. The Swedish course that I took the last 2 years doesn't continue and the next level will only be held in Janurary 2022. This is at least making it relatively easy to decide how to continue the next semester:
Waiting to continue with Rivstart B1+B2 till Janurary would be rather useless, as I would have prefered a somehow faster course anyway.
So, most likely it will be the same course that I recently did as a gap filler and which I liked a lot, plus continuing with Rivstart B1+B2 on my own. Let's see how far I get till the end of the year, though I hope to finish the book util then. After that I'll have to decide again, what makes sense the most.
I'm having smehow the idea that I may take course at some point that will use the Rivstart B2+C1 book. Those are rather rare, but they do exist and could be an interesting option once my level sufficient. At least there are advanced (and affordable!) Swedish classes, so I'm somehow free to just see what will come and how far I'll get.

The most important thing for me is to continue with the languages that I learn and integrate them into my normal life (a weekly course counts). I'm not for the most "efficient" nor for the fastest method possible, I'd just burn out trying that. No pressure like daily goals, but more or less constant contact to at least keep up with them, practise etc.

Otherwise I noticed that it is possible to take the Spanish DELE exam in Vantaa. Although I'm not planning to take this any time soon, it's good to know and to keep in mind. Never really thought that this may be an option here. I could actually take an exam in all the languages that I'm learning without even leaving the region.

Oh and I finally got my first vaccination this week, though I'll get the second dose just after my vacation (probably not really travelling anywhere).
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tiia
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:09 pm

One week summer holidays left. The new Swedish class has started and I've been doing some chapters of Rivstart B1+B2.

Otherwise I spent a few days in Ostrobothnia with my bike (because I didn't make it to Åland). The majority language can change from one town to another there. It's pretty interesting.
It has been the first time I ordered something in Swedish, which is also the first time I spoke Swedish outside a course or a language cafe, but in order to really get my point across. The first waiter had asked in both languages, but I was in a good mood and tried. I did understand the additional information afterwards.
The second try was buying postcards at the tourist information, because it was so difficult to find postcards.
And the third situation was again in a cafe. The woman came from some Spanish speaking country it seems, because later there was another Spanish speaking person and they switched back and forth and back and forth. Almost like every second sentence.
It doesn't sound like it's a lot considering when I started to learn Swedish. But before there was never the need to use it...
Anyway, I probably used mostly Finnish during the trip. But it's okay. The cycling was great and I'd like to do something like that again.
Cykel.jpg

Because the year has not yet been bad enough, my friend from Spain decided to move back to their home town. :cry: This is definitely the worst thing regarding real life contacts that could happen and I had not expected this. Though we'll aim to keep in contact, it simply won't be the same, because cooking or outdoor activities are hard to supplement online. I knew that I had to find more real life contacts before (f*** covid took me almost all the non-online freetime activities since last autumn) and already had tried to find *something* to start in September, but now this is pretty urgent. To be honest, it's (almost) impossible to solve in time. I'm working on it, but the situation is pretty depressing.
Please no comments like "I know how that feels", or "you will make it". I already got such and they made me feel worse.

Well, now I have one more reason to travel to Spanin next year. Not travelling there isn't an option anymore.
Even moving myself to Spain doesn't sound like something completely out of question at the moment. Though I won't do that. I know myself to well and I have a job and everything... But if the situation doesn't clear up at all... who knows? Never say never
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tiia
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Wed Feb 23, 2022 9:31 pm

I just realised how long I haven't been posting anything. Guess, because there wasn't much to say language-wise since last time?

I've had quite some struggles with my menal health (as I suspected already in the last post, that this will come up again). Had a few appointments with some professionals because of that. Not sure how much sense that all made. I'm definitely not satisfied how things went. Cannot say how much of it had to to with the people, but a huge portion has to do with the system and how it is organized.

One issue is my extreme lack of motivation, especially when it comes to doing things on my own while being alone in a room. Outdoor activities are definitely more rewarding, if they're possible due to the weather.

So it's no surprise I haven't finish Rivstart B1+B2 yet. Anyway I took the same Swedish course as in summer and autumn again. I will have to find another course after this semester, in order to make sure I'm improving in all the areas more equally. Alternatively I may seek out for a suitable Spanish class.
The weekly schedule of a course is - once again - quite essential to keep me going.

Otherwise I'm trying some choir singing right now, because I needed *something* in real life as well and maybe not just language classes. Singing with other people seemed interesting enough to try. That way I'm actually improving my musical vocabulary in Finnish, plus I get to know some songs that seems to be rather known here. So this may also act as some way of diving a bit more into the culture.
Anyway, I have no idea how long I will continue with it. May want to try other activities later on.

Apropos improving Finnish: I may consider taking the YKI exam this year. However, since my goal is to take the ylin taso (C1-C2) I may need some more preparation for that. I'm worried especially about my writing skills, since I never practised writing longer texts fast.

Went to some inofficial language meetups again in autumn and now in february. (Which has been mentally the most useful activity of all.) Luckily the bars are now finally allowed to open long enough again after the restrictions that started around christmas. Practised some Swedish there, and a little bit of Spanish.

Last week there was also again an online Spanish practise. I may have mentioned it earlier at some point. My father is also attending those meetings and in fact he wrote me afterwards, that his dream is to speak Spanish as well as I do. :oops: That is quite a huge compliment.
(I'm still having quite some problems with Spanish, though I can speak more or less fluently nowadays. It's really not thaaat great.)

Oh and at christmas I finally saw my family again after more than a year. There were reasons, why I couldn't visit earlier, that had nothing to do with me (nor my work).
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tiia
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x 1997

Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby tiia » Wed Feb 23, 2022 9:59 pm

I'm considering to maybe start a new language soon. I don't think my other languages would be harmed by another new language. So on that side it's probably ok. There are just a few things to keep in mind:

1. There are too many interesting languages.
2. The currently most interesting and fascinating language doesn't have classes where I live that I could attend. Only one during my working hours.* Material exists, but not in masses and not from any base language. Though I know the most important base language. (It's not English.) I know a speaker of that language though.
3. My Finnish languageexchange partner suggested we could also start a new language together. They suggested yet another language. Interesting here: we have to consider, that the languages we're both interested in are mostly already learned by one of us.
4. Would I end up starting two new languages that way?
(5. How do I keep up with all those languages including the current ones?)

Can you guess which languages may be the ones considered in point 2 and 3?

*After reading the previous post it should be clear, that this is a critical point to take into account.
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Re: tiia's log (Finnish, Spanish, Swedish)

Postby luke » Wed Feb 23, 2022 10:52 pm

tiia wrote:Can you guess which languages may be the ones considered in point 2 and 3?

*After reading the previous post it should be clear, that this is a critical point to take into account.

I'm thinking the two languages have a lot in common. Each has 7 letters. They both start with "S". The last three letters are also shared between the two. They end with three letters that make up a common suffix in English.
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