IronMike's 2023 log: Fewer means better, right? (EO & RUS)

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User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
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Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Sun Aug 08, 2021 12:38 pm

Joined the 6WC. Late, as usual. But as I stated on the thread, not in it to win in. I signed up for Swahili as I am certainly a beginner. A0 probably accurately describes my current proficiency.

I learned a few years ago when the 365 challenge came around that committing to 30 min per day, and sticking to it, really, really improves my languages. My Russian and Esperanto that year just exploded (the 3/3 in Russian being just one example). I came back to this forum too late to do the 365 this year, but you can bet your butt I'll be doing it next year.

For the 6WC, I had to go back to Twitter. I did as advised and made it limited. I'm following a few people from before, but mostly it is simply languagey places. I'm following newspapers in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Russia, Italy, several countries in East Africa, VOA Russian, BCS, Swahili, Italian.
12 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
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Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Wed Aug 18, 2021 9:18 pm

Sorry been out of pocket. Been moving. A few days had no time for Swahili unfortunately, but am back to it now.

IronMike's wife wrote:We have too many books.
5 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:42 pm

In the last week we've donated literally 300lbs of books to Goodwill. Some really good ones in the bunch, but really, if you're not going to read it, and you're going to live the lifestyle where you move every few years, why keep them? We've been really good in the last few years using the library, so as soon as we can we're going to get our library cards for here. I'm at 48 books read for the year so far and I gotta say a large percentage of them I read from the library. I'll have to compile those data at the end of the year. Of the two I'm reading now, one is an audiobook from the library and the other we bought years ago on Kindle.

Not much Swahili lately, unfortunately, but that's mostly due to emptying boxes and moving our youngest into her college dorm room. We're empty nesters now and, well, I hate it. Where's the noise? I miss my kids, but I guess one must let them fly at some point.

I'm starting back at swimming tomorrow. Been almost two weeks. Will work on Swahili starting tomorrow as well. Back to normal soon.
14 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Tue Aug 31, 2021 12:25 am

Swahili back on track. I think I found an error in the Complete Swahili book though:
Image
The singular should be Teksi inatoka wapi?

Also started the 3rd Expanse book today, reading in Russian and listening in English. I'll read that till the next Esperanto Sumoo starts on 12 September. Not sure yet what I'm going to read for that.
Last edited by IronMike on Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
8 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:02 am

Found the third Expanse book in Russian audio, so today switched it up to L in Russian, R in English.

Also narrowing down on what book I'll read for the next Sumoo. Either La arto labori kune (The art of working together) or En la mondon venis nova lingvo (A new language arrived in the world). We'll see. I still have time before picking.
5 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Sun Sep 05, 2021 9:46 pm

About done with Lesson 3 of Colloquial Swahili now. And in Pimsleur, I've been doing each lesson twice. On 16 now.

The Expanse book #3 (Врата Абаддона) going well. Doing a chapter a day. Won't finish it before I switch over to Esperanto for the next Sumoo, but that's ok. Just reminding my brain what Russian sounds like.
7 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Mon Sep 06, 2021 5:00 pm

Finished unit 3 of Colloquial Swahili today. Tomorrow I'm going to review the entire unit. Lots of info in it, esp. familial terms. And those contract. Need more practice on those. After the review, I'll do chapter 3 of Mpiranya.

Still following Iguanamon's Multitrack approach, and glad I am. Colloquial is mostly Swahili spoken in Tanzania while Complete (TY) is Swahili spoken in Kenya. The Mpiranya Grammar....well, I'm not too sure. Only a couple chapters in.
7 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Sun Sep 12, 2021 12:32 am

I'm reminded at least once a week how wise Iguanamon is (No, he doesn't pay me for all the kudos). His multitrack method is fantastic. While listening to Pimsleur recently a section of Mpiranya's third chapter came to mind, the one where the author covers verbs, mainly subject pronouns, object pronouns and tense (not in that order). I had read over the chapter then went driving somewhere and put Pimsleur on. And sure as sh!t it clicked.

Tunakuona "We see you"
tu-na-ku-ona
We-PRES-you (sing)-see

Unatuona "You see us"
u-na-tu-ona
You (sing)-PRES-us-see

I've been going through Colloquial, TY (Complete Swahili) and Mpiranya (Swahili Grammar & Workbook), unit by unit. Just like Iguanamon says, I've learned different things in each book, and they complement each other.

I've also gotten close to be able to read Tweets in Swahili now. Lately, I've managed to identify a few words in some BBC Swahili tweets. And elsewhere I've managed to identify the verbs, and determine the subject and object pronouns as well as the tense. Still think it'll be a few lessons of Colloquial and TY before I know enough verbs to read some of these tweets.
10 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Sun Sep 12, 2021 11:46 pm

Day 1 of the 71st Esperanto Sumoo off to a good start. Reading an article in the book En la Mondon Venis Nova Lingvo (A new language has arrived in the world) about Esperanto in the early days in Indonesia. Read 10 pages today. For this Sumoo I've commited to 5 pages a day. I almost always "over-read" on the weekends to cover for busy weekdays. This article is 20 pages long. Hope to finish it tomorrow.

Also re-listened to Pimsleur Swahili unit 18 today, as I was driving to my open water swim workout. (Another 2 miles towards my goal of 300 miles for the year in the Polyglot Fitness Challenge.)

Been thinking I might continue the Sumoo in the "off months" between the official Sumooj. I gain so much through reading, I should probably keep doing it. I think what I'll do is limit it to the languages I have at B2 (2-2+) or higher, which now means only Russian and Esperanto. Therefore maybe in October I'll pick two weeks to read a Russian book. Like the Esperanto Sumoo, the purpose won't be to complete the book, but to commit to reading a set number of pages per day. I have plenty of Russian books and audiobooks to choose from. More to follow.
10 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.

User avatar
IronMike
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2554
Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 6:13 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Languages: Studying: Esperanto
Maintaining: nada
Tested:
BCS, 1+L/1+R (DLPT5, 2022)
Russian, 3/3 (DLPT5, 2022) 2+ (OPI, 2022)
German, 2L/1+R (DLPT5, 2021)
Italian, 1L/2R (DLPT IV, 2019)
Esperanto, C1 (KER skriba ekzameno, 2017)
Slovene, 2+L/3R (DLPT II in, yes, 1999)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5189
x 7265
Contact:

Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO,SWA,RUS,BCS,DEU)

Postby IronMike » Sat Sep 18, 2021 1:10 pm

At work there is (at least) one native-fluent Swahili speaker and another with 3/3 (C1). I had my first no-sh!t convo with the native speaker on Thursday, telling her the wife and I have four children, two boys and two girls. Yeah, I know that's not much, but it felt good to be able to recall what I had heard in the car (Pimsleur) hours earlier and then reproducing it.

I also checked out of the work library An Elementary Swahili Newspaper Reader and looked at the first article. Not too terrible. I'm at the "this is a verb, and it is in past and 3SG" and "identify some vocab" stage but that alone gave me hope. I think I'm a matter of weeks away from being able to understand some of these very simple articles.

I'm committing myself to taking the DLPT in November. Probably stupid, but my goal is simply 1/1. But part of my timing is selfish as I want to get back into that Complete Old English book before I have to start cramming for my Russian DLPT (cramming begins early Jan for a late Feb test).
14 x
You're not a C1 (or B1 or whatever) if you haven't tested.
CEFR --> ILR/DLPT equivalencies
My swimming life.
My reading life.


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