Time for the mid-week update...
---Spanish---I've started going through a grammar review using Gramatica Del Uso Del Espanol A1-B2. Today is lesson 7. I've been doing these 2 per day and will continue at that rate.
I've been looking around the web for short authentic Spanish audio/video with a transcript for listening practice. I found this one
http://www.spanishlistening.org and have listened to a couple of them. They are ok so far. I'd like to make sure my listening is in the solid B2 range so I can pass the DELE B1 with plenty of room to spare. I'm not sure how to go about that other than doing a lot of listening.
123TeachMe has a nice section for listening (website here:
http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish ... on_index_2) but there is no transcript. After I listen a few times, I like to be able to go back and see the transcript to check myself. I do like the comprehension exercises though.
I had planned to use Assimil Spanish as a listening resource but I simply don't like that Assimil edition and probably won't use it unless I can't find anything better.
---Random---During drive time I've been reviewing Paul Noble German Level 1. There are so many things about German that bugs me and that I find overly complicated for no apparent (or useful) reason. A couple examples, such as:
- die Mutter but mit der Mutter. Masculine, feminine and neuter words all change after mit and nach. I can't see any logical reason for this other than this is just how it is.
- eine, einen, einem, einer...all ways to say 'a' and depends on the noun gender and how it's used in the sentence. If you mess up the gender of the noun, basically the rest of the sentence is messed up. That's frustrating. My Austrian buddy says that each one has a reason and each one serves a purpose but he couldn't elaborate on that. Actually, most questions I ask him end in "well, I can't explain it but that's just the way it works"
I'll wrap up with that but these have been my experiences with German the past couple of days. More annoyance than fun. I have a feeling German and I are headed for an ugly breakup that ends with yelling and one of us throwing the others clothes out the window.
Until next time...