Ingaræð's Language Labyrinth (DE/FR/RU...)
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:32 am
Hi! After lurking here for several months I've decided to start a log, in an effort to make better progress with my language-learning. Languages are my absolute favourite thing, and my brain wants to learn a lot of them.
Current goals
I'd like to reach at least an intermediate level in anything I study. At the moment, I'm mainly focussed on 3 languages. The most important one for me to learn (ideally to C1-2/native) is German, because of my family background. I also really love Russian, and then there's French, my main high school/university language.
Current ability
Generally, I'd say poor. That is, nowhere near where I should be given the number of years I've spent formally studying. I know a lot of French and German grammar, but little vocabulary, so I feel I can't actually use the languages, or understand much. I did a semester of Russian a long time ago, but I've forgotten virtually everything.
The 'Wanderlust'
By nature, I'll be super-interested in something specific for 2 weeks, declining interest over the 3rd week, in the 4th week a new interest has grabbed me and I've forgotten the other one, then the cycle repeats ad infinitum. After an 8-year break from languages in general, I returned to German in April, French in mid-September, and started Russian at the beginning of October. I haven't progressed very far because I'm stopping/starting every few weeks, and it's getting increasingly frustrating. Sometimes I've done two languages at the same time. And periodically I'm exposed to another language in some way, and then I really want to learn it as well ("Oooh, Hungarian!...Oooh, Norwegian!...Oooh, Basque!"). Eurovision's a killer.
The Plan
Although starting from scratch has been highly beneficial for me overall, I've finally realised that one Pimsleur and Assimil lesson per day, for a steady few months, just isn't feasible for me. So I'm going to change tack and embrace my 'mini-obsessions'. I've been inspired by AML's Assimil Hebrew in 2 weeks, and I'm going to try a sort of 'how much of this course can I get through in x weeks' challenge. Based on my overall progress this year, and the base languages in my Assimil collection, I think I'll do French, then German, then Russian.
I'm starting with FSI French Phonology. I previously reached chapter 5, so I think I'll carry on from there after doing a quick review of the first 4 dialogues. I'll try to get through most of that on Day 1, and finish it during Day 2. After that I'll alternate Pimsleur and Assimil throughout each day (I'll come up with a more detailed routine by then).
I think I can keep this first experiment/challenge going for 2 weeks, or hopefully three. Then I'll evaluate the process and my improvement.
Current goals
I'd like to reach at least an intermediate level in anything I study. At the moment, I'm mainly focussed on 3 languages. The most important one for me to learn (ideally to C1-2/native) is German, because of my family background. I also really love Russian, and then there's French, my main high school/university language.
Current ability
Generally, I'd say poor. That is, nowhere near where I should be given the number of years I've spent formally studying. I know a lot of French and German grammar, but little vocabulary, so I feel I can't actually use the languages, or understand much. I did a semester of Russian a long time ago, but I've forgotten virtually everything.
The 'Wanderlust'
By nature, I'll be super-interested in something specific for 2 weeks, declining interest over the 3rd week, in the 4th week a new interest has grabbed me and I've forgotten the other one, then the cycle repeats ad infinitum. After an 8-year break from languages in general, I returned to German in April, French in mid-September, and started Russian at the beginning of October. I haven't progressed very far because I'm stopping/starting every few weeks, and it's getting increasingly frustrating. Sometimes I've done two languages at the same time. And periodically I'm exposed to another language in some way, and then I really want to learn it as well ("Oooh, Hungarian!...Oooh, Norwegian!...Oooh, Basque!"). Eurovision's a killer.
The Plan
Although starting from scratch has been highly beneficial for me overall, I've finally realised that one Pimsleur and Assimil lesson per day, for a steady few months, just isn't feasible for me. So I'm going to change tack and embrace my 'mini-obsessions'. I've been inspired by AML's Assimil Hebrew in 2 weeks, and I'm going to try a sort of 'how much of this course can I get through in x weeks' challenge. Based on my overall progress this year, and the base languages in my Assimil collection, I think I'll do French, then German, then Russian.
I'm starting with FSI French Phonology. I previously reached chapter 5, so I think I'll carry on from there after doing a quick review of the first 4 dialogues. I'll try to get through most of that on Day 1, and finish it during Day 2. After that I'll alternate Pimsleur and Assimil throughout each day (I'll come up with a more detailed routine by then).
I think I can keep this first experiment/challenge going for 2 weeks, or hopefully three. Then I'll evaluate the process and my improvement.