There are worse things I could do... (FR, RU, ES)

[Cavesa]

I am one of those criticising the classes in general but I am still sorry to hear about your disappointment. It would be awesome, if my opinions on classes were mistaken and the distrust towards my criticisms was founded. It sucks to be right sometimes.

I recommend really insisting on either change of class of getting the money back. You were not allowed to try the lessons out and had different expectations they are not fulfilling (and those expectations were logical). Perhaps they are just not used to serious learners, or to people who mean what they say, and they'll find a solution rather that be bothered for a long time.

I do not recommend DALF preparation classes though, unless you can try them out too. I have never heard of a single good preparation class, which would be better than just the book or the book and/or individual lessons. It is highly probable the classes will be mostly focused on the stuff you can do on your own, such as explaining the exam format, the comprehension exercises, etc. All the exam preparation classes I have ever heard of were actually leaving little space to the important stuff, which is writing and speaking feedback.

If you want a teacher for that, go for 1 on 1 lessons. And don't make my mistake, demand to know how many people has the teacher prepared, for what exams, and with what results. Don't be a guinea pig.

[MamaPata]

I was also quite surprised by the classmembers. I tried to talk to people before class in French and several just replied in English. Why are you there paying if you don't want to put in the effort? This always bemuses me. I am trying to change the class, but that has just been a disaster. On the plus side, it meant I spoke to several people on the phone and wrote two cross e-mails, so some output I guess. They won't refund me so I am trying to change to a DALF prep class, but they're continuing to be unhelpful about it. We'll see what happens. I am not staying in that class, so ...

I hope everything works out for you. I hate it when people are like that. I remember being so excited to join the French Society especially when I learnt that there was a weekly hour along event hour dedicated to French 'immersion'/speaking. Unfortunately, it seemed to be dedicated to just chit chat in English and eat French snacks. I never understand these types of people- I mean you can literally chat in English at any other time and place. The people that were meant to be moderating the discussion were also speaking English as well. At least the snacks were decent.

What made you decide to take a French course instead of lessons on sites like Italki? I'm considering signing up for a DALF prep class in the holidays. But I don't know if paying for a teacher on Italki that is familar with exam would be better use of my money.

Snacks are an important thing.

yeah, I don't get it either! I sort of understand how you start in English out of habit or nerves, I've definitely done that. But if someone addresses you in French, would you not reply in French? Surely that is the point? Ho hum.

For you, I'd probably agree with Cavesa and say it would be more worthwhile working through some prep books and getting a couple of individual lessons. I wanted to do a class because I like language classes, they work for me and I have done a lot of good ones. I also wanted to do something where I would see other human beings and get out of the house - I love italki (especially for Russian, which tends to be much cheaper than French) but I also already have quite a few solitary hobbies! I'm trying to meet more new people, so a language class seemed like a good option as we would already have an interest in common. This is also a factor in why I'm looking at book groups - I read a lot on my own, I'd like to make that a more social activity. Also irrelevant to you, I'm not fantastic at making myself take lessons regularly (I tend to do a bunch at once and then none for ages), my lessons often end up being very informal and conversational (which is what my French already is, I need to increase my writing/grammar/complexity), and I wanted a bit more focus. You're a lot more dedicated than I am so I suspect you will make yourself overcome issues like that. I know I won't for italki, but a class avoids most of those so it seemed like a good investment.

[MamaPata]

I am now doing a DALF class! I do agree with Cavesa that a lot of what you do in a DALF prep class, you could easily do at home. But she is also much more impressive than me and I know that I wouldn't. (I also wasn't going to get my money back, they are pretty clear in their terms and conditions). Also, the possibility to have long works (and particularly synthèses) corrected every week by an actual examiner is a pretty fantastic opportunity for someone who writes really badly (I have a new log where I prove this in great and excrutiating detail. Feel free to check it out). The first class was more relaxed, but every week we will do a mini expose or watch someone else's and hear the feedback, which will be very useful for me.

Other than that, it has been mostly French, but that has been a bit limited. I listened to a few podcasts - not any new ones, I don't think. Magma had a new episode that I finally got around to listening to, I tried another Vieille Branche episode with the new presenter, and more NoCiné. I love NoCiné and would 100% recommend it (in general, I like film podcasts! I also listened to El Juego de Megan in Spanish... last week? Which I also like). In general, I really like podcasts where the presenters laugh and genuinely seem to have fun and like each other. I do want to increase the Serious Programmes that I listen to (I do listen to Aujourd'hui dans l'histoire regularly, and La Marche d'Histoire from time to time). My French is *very* colloquial (thank you Plan Coeur and All The Podcasts Ever). Which is great! It means that when I talk, I sound very French, despite a dodgy accent. But it's not really setting me up for C1 or to get me to work level French. So I will be working on that.

I'm also reading Le Dernier des Nôtres. I don't think it's brilliant but I am enjoying it (though I have some strong reservations). I picked it up at my local library, which has reopened. We have lost half the libraries in the borough, which is pretty common across the UK, but this one has reopened. It has been there for ages, but it's been shut on and off throughout my life - asbestos, a dead roof. The building has now been bought by a cinema, which has meant that they redid the library and moved it back in - I assume the company got some sort of reduced rate in exchange. It now looks much better than it has for over a decade! And (probably because of the other closures) it has a much bigger foreign language section! Multiple shelves! Apparently I can also reserve some Russian books, though they don't have any in this one. I'll probably try to read something I already own when I finish this, but it's very exciting.

Other than that, not much on the language front, though I did do a Russian italki lesson. I find it very hard to balance languages. I really want to just shove my French to a point where it's more useful, but in doing that, I feel like it's copping out if I do the others. I'm working on it. The 365 day challenge doesn't work for me, but I might try and do a version of it where I try and do 5 mins in Spanish/Russian every day and 20mins in French. (I normally do more French than that because my commute is over an hour each way and I often do something on my lunchbreak. But I prefer to aim low and then hit it on crazy/exhausted days). We'll see. I can swap from one language to another, but it feels very weird so once I've started in one, I tend to just keep going with it. If anyone has any advice, please let me know!

[MamaPata]

How is it February? I am not ready to be this far in 2019. I didn't set any new years resolutions or language goals for the year, because I knew that everything was quite up in the air. And it has been. In some ways, I am struggling quite a bit because some things I wanted to be in place by now aren't, and I don't have a clear sense of what is to come. It's not how I work well and it's making it very hard to make any decisions, because I don't know what will be changing or what I ought to be focusing on. (Not just with languages, but in general). I also had a big thing going on, so I've found it very hard to a) find time for languages and b) concentrate on anything. I have listened to a bunch of podcasts that I'm not counting just because I would find myself starting to think and fade out. Never for long, but it just didn't feel right.

That said, because it has been two weeks since I last posted and because I have had a bit of a cold, I did try to take it a little easy last week and I managed to get some good stuff in. I finished the YA book in Russian I started ages ago, I watched the Chalet, I listened to various podcasts (mostly French, some Spanish), finished Le Dernier des Nôtres, I started the 4th Rois Maudits book (I'm about halfway). I'm a bit burnt out on Les Rois Maudits and on French crime shows, now. I can't see myself watching another French series for a while. I should hopefully managed to finish Le Loi des Mâles, but then think I will leave Druon for quite some time.

My grandma is staying with us this week, so will have very little time for anything other than family responsibilities.

I don't know, this is a bit of a non-post. I continue to do some stuff, but just feel very tired.

[zjones]

How is it February? I am not ready to be this far in 2019. I didn't set any new years resolutions or language goals for the year, because I knew that everything was quite up in the air. And it has been. In some ways, I am struggling quite a bit because some things I wanted to be in place by now aren't, and I don't have a clear sense of what is to come. It's not how I work well and it's making it very hard to make any decisions, because I don't know what will be changing or what I ought to be focusing on. (Not just with languages, but in general). I also had a big thing going on, so I've found it very hard to a) find time for languages and b) concentrate on anything. I have listened to a bunch of podcasts that I'm not counting just because I would find myself starting to think and fade out. Never for long, but it just didn't feel right.

...

I don't know, this is a bit of a non-post. I continue to do some stuff, but just feel very tired.

It'll be okay, hang in there. Sometimes we just have bad days, weeks or even months! It can be useful to change up your routine if you're not feeling inspired by things in life (I'm not just talking about your language studies), but most of the time you just need time to get through this "blah" period and you'll start feeling better and more alert later. Plus if you have something big going on in your life, regardless of whether it's good or bad, you can experience stress during and especially after the event. And stress can manifest as inability to focus or make decisions.

Bon courage !

[zenmonkey]

The 365 day challenge doesn't work for me, but I might try and do a version of it where I try and do 5 mins in Spanish/Russian every day and 20mins in French. (I normally do more French than that because my commute is over an hour each way and I often do something on my lunchbreak. But I prefer to aim low and then hit it on crazy/exhausted days). We'll see. I can swap from one language to another, but it feels very weird so once I've started in one, I tend to just keep going with it. If anyone has any advice, please let me know!

That's why I stuck with the generic. I too tend to keep going, take a break and then do a different language and I'm not going to change that. I consider that the challenges should motivate us to do more or to do things we tend to lag on and not that they should add more stress because of some random rules.

Hang in there, the chaos isn't necessarily bad. Hope Feb is better for you.

[MamaPata]

I did actually mean to post slightly earlier than this! (How is it nearly the end of February? (Yes, I know I start all my posts this way, but 2019 is going really fast!))

Things are better than they were. I still don't know what's happening in my life - that seems like it's going to continue for a while. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm still struggling to concentrate a bit, but it's getting better. Language learning has been... mixed? I went to Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) last weekend, which was delightful but fairly full on. That said, I did do quite a bit of French.

And speaking of French, I have signed up for the C1 exam in March. I must be mad. I'm still not entirely sure why I am doing this or what my chances are. (No, but seriously, I finished studying, why have I signed myself up for 4.5 hours of exam, that I don't need? Somebody please explain my logic.) I don't think I'm going to do well - I am basically aiming to scrape a pass. I am hoping that the listening portion will pull up the others really. Anyway, for obvious reasons, all other languages have been dropped until April.

Anyway, things I have done recently (checks back over previous posts to work out where she stopped):

Watching/Listening
- Emmanuel Macron: l’ascent au pouvoir
- Ils sont partout
- Je ne suis pas un homme facile

Basically, on the way to and from Glasgow, I downloaded and then watched all the things I thought were documentaries. As it turned out, none of them really were. I had assumed the Macron thing was going to be an account of his background, his development, etc. Eh, no, it's just a campaign film. Not going to go futher, given that it's obviously a political thing (although, short on politics). I wouldn't particularly recommend it, either for interest or for languages. Ils sont partout and Je ne suis pas un homme facile were interesting and in the general sphere that I am keen on, but I wasn't particularly into either of them. I definitely need some suggestions now - nothing on Netflix is really doing it for me (I have watched so many French crime shows and they are all the same, I can't cope).

Also, podcasts as per usual. I've only got two more episodes of Entre nos lèvres, which is one of the few things I am able to concentrate on properly. Fortunately, they seem to have restarted. Everything else lately, I find myself tuning in and out. I think I just got quite tired because I was filling every spare minute, and now I'm struggling. But in general, trying to listen to more radio radio (political talk shows, France Inter, France Culture, etc) in preparation for the exam but success is limited.

Reading

- Finished La Loi des Mâles. Definitely want to finish this series, but it's lost steam a bit so I'll take a break and come back.
- Être ici est un splendeur
- Je l'aimais.

Être ici est un splendeur and Je l'aimais are both very short, which really helped. Etre ici... is a sort of biography of the artist Paula Modersohn-Becker, who I hadn't heard of before. It's not a strict biography, it kind of dips in and out and the author is very present (she is also clear that it's not a traditional biography, I'm not criticising). It felt quite poetic in a way. I struggled to get into it but did enjoy it overall. The number of words I didn't know varied a lot - I went back through and reread about 75 pages, going through and noting the words I didn't know. It probably worked out to about 4 per page, but it wasn't at all even. I had chunks were everything was great and then sentences were I missed loads of words. (Particularly anything related to nature). I think in general, vocabulary is one of my biggest weaknesses. I really want to start doing much more targeted study - extensive reading and watching has taken me a long way, but I now need to focus and do more intensive work and translation. Je l'aimais, I enjoyed but didn't really like. It's very readable though, especially for learners.

Currently I'm just about on track/half way with the super challenge for French (my results for Spanish and Russian are going to be pitiful!). Fingers crossed I can push on a bit with it in March.

[DaveAgain]

I definitely need some suggestions now - nothing on Netflix is really doing it for me (I have watched so many French crime shows and they are all the same, I can't cope).

Arte.tv have some nature documentaries about the UK: La grande bretagne sauvage.

[MamaPata]

I definitely need some suggestions now - nothing on Netflix is really doing it for me (I have watched so many French crime shows and they are all the same, I can't cope).

Arte.tv have some nature documentaries about the UK: La grande bretagne sauvage.

They don’t have to be about the UK! But looks good. I have a couple of arte documentaries saved in my to watch queue on YouTube, that’s a good reminder. The issue I have had with arte in the past was that I couldn’t work out what was dubbed from German and I’m trying to concentrate on native content. I’ll start with your suggestions and see how it goes.

[MamaPata]

Have been continuing Frenching. Quantity has been a bit minimal, just because there's been some big things. I've also been finding it very hard to concentrate, as I mentioned last time, so I took a bit of a break, which has helped. I think I have been so focused on listening to serious things in preparation for the exam (and not listening to dubs) that it was making me a bit resentful. So while I do still want to listen to those things, I'm also allowing myself to just listen to trash in French as well - better easy things than nothing! For example, I've been watching Miss Fisher episodes in French, which I've done previously. But because I'm not counting dubbed content for my French super challenge, I didn't want to do it. However, watching it and not counting it is an option! Somehow I had forgotten.

Anyway, a not very clear post basically saying that I continue to French.