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

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

Postby IronMike » Tue Jun 15, 2021 11:27 pm

BCS going well. So is the Esperanto. I'm now reading Atenco by Julian Modest. Very good book so far. Been listening to Pimsleur Croatian. Also been translating small news bits from Deutsche Welle in Bosnian. Starting lesson 2 of the BCS text tomorrow or the next day.

Plus, our Army daughter is coming home on Thursday. First time in about 1.5 years. Can't wait to see her!
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, DEU, RUS, BCS?)

Postby IronMike » Tue Jun 29, 2021 12:30 am

Finished Atenco a while back. Ok book. Author doesn't know much about espionage or intelligence. He should have read John Le Carre. Next Esperanto book I'll start on 4 July when the julia Sumoo begins will be Kiel Akvo de l' Rivero by Raymond Schwartz.

BCS still progressing, slowly. That's the way I planned it. About to start Hippocrene lesson 2. I'm loving the Hippocrene Croatian. They start right in with verb conjugations and some cases, not to mention the vocab. None of this "Where is the hotel?" nonsense for 5 lessons. Love it.

Been in a reading mood. At 36 books for the year so far. Hard to pick a favorite so far, but on top are Six Four, by Hideo Yokoyama; Warlight by Michael Ondaatje; The Big Hello, by Morris Renek; and China Mieville's The City and the City. OK, I was wrong. I can pick. The City and the City so far is my favorite. Genius.
9 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 7264
Contact:

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

Postby IronMike » Fri Jul 02, 2021 9:47 pm

I'm thinking of adding Swahili to my year. I went to the Resources thread and found those few. But if you guys have any recommended resources, let me know!
4 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 7264
Contact:

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

Postby IronMike » Mon Jul 05, 2021 8:22 pm

So far been going through my very old (1967?) Teach Yourself Swahili and just started the Duolingo Swahili tree. I see there exists a Colloquial Swahili as well as Complete Swahili from the Teach Yourself folks. Still searching for reviews, though. Don't need to add a book that'll suck to my already overloaded bookshelves.

Esperanto going well as the latest Sumoo started yesterday. For this month's Sumoo I'm reading Raymond Schwartz's Kiel Akvo de l' Rivero. Two chapters in and very good so far. Excellent and creative use of the language.
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.

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Le Baron
Black Belt - 3rd Dan
Posts: 3480
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:14 pm
Location: Koude kikkerland
Languages: English (N), fr, nl, de, eo, Sranantongo,
Maintaining: es, swahili.
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18796
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Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO, DEU, RUS, BCS, SWA)

Postby Le Baron » Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:29 pm

Oh! I didn't know you were going through Swahili. Three cheers! I'm currently going through the Colloquial Swahili and I've even read a few simple books. I don't find it super easy, but it has many things going for it like the pronunciation and not teeming with exceptions.

I used the first 10 units of Pimsleur Swahili to get a handle on things from an audio perspective (I found these online). As to books I have the Living Language course, but not the audio so I started on the Colloquial course. I do have the audio for the Teach Yourself, so it was just a toss-up for which would be first. I'm using the TY Swahili dictionary and another older book 'Simplified Swahili' by Peter Wilson, which covers grammar points while going through lessons.

Up to now I've had a go at listening to the dialogues posted by leosmith in that resources thread, most of them are difficult. I haven't ramped it up as much as Spanish at the moment (I'm not a juggler), so it could probably be better than it is right now.

How far are you?
6 x

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 7264
Contact:

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

Postby IronMike » Mon Jul 05, 2021 9:57 pm

Le Baron wrote:How far are you?

Two lessons into my old TY, that's it! I also did find the Complete Swahili from Language Transfer which so far seems good. Lesson 1 is just an intro to their method, so really lesson 2 is the first. It's pretty good so far. I can already say "I want to sleep now" Ninataka kulala sasa. ;)

Thanks for the review of Colloquial. I'll probably get that one as my second text to go through. I did just download the Complete Swahili on Kindle...I know, I know. Those are horrible on Kindle. But it was only $4! I've looked at DLI and FSI but don't think I'll do those. I can get the Pimsleur from work, which I just requested, so hopefully I'll get that soon and that'll be my to/from the train/work listen. I'll follow the multi-track approach which I love, do 5 lessons of Complete and Colloquial then start to venture out to maybe some Deutsche Welle. We'll see.
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.

DaveAgain
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1961
Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:26 am
Languages: English (native), French & German (learning).
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... &start=200
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Re: My Scanner Life. IronMike's 2021 log (EO, DEU, RUS, BCS, SWA)

Postby DaveAgain » Tue Jul 06, 2021 3:29 pm

IronMike wrote: I've looked at DLI and FSI but don't think I'll do those. I can get the Pimsleur from work, which I just requested, so hopefully I'll get that soon and that'll be my to/from the train/work listen. I'll follow the multi-track approach which I love, do 5 lessons of Complete and Colloquial then start to venture out to maybe some Deutsche Welle. We'll see.
Gloss have 80 lessons.

https://gloss.dliflc.edu/
3 x

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 7264
Contact:

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

Postby IronMike » Wed Jul 07, 2021 8:55 pm

DaveAgain wrote:Gloss have 80 lessons.

https://gloss.dliflc.edu/

I love Gloss. I've used it for years for Russian and BCS. I'm a big proponent of it. Not talked about enough on here!
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 7264
Contact:

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

Postby IronMike » Thu Jul 08, 2021 8:21 pm

Huge thanks to @iguanamon for his suggestion in his log to DW's Swahili page. I had been to DW's news in Swahili page, but hadn't found this other page. Looks like once I get a bit of proficiency in the language (A2) I can start using it. Looks really good.

I ordered a couple books recently: Colloquial Swahili and Swahili Grammar and Workbook. Got them both from Routledge, who is having a 20% off sale. And I did a search for coupon codes and got another 20% off. Can't wait till they come in.

I also have Pimsleur Swahili now. On Lesson 2, first time through. This language is different enough from all other languages I've studied that I'm going to do each Pimsleur lesson twice.

Le Baron wrote:I'm currently going through the Colloquial Swahili and I've even read a few simple books.

I'm very interested in the books you've read. Do tell!
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
Le Baron
Black Belt - 3rd Dan
Posts: 3480
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2021 5:14 pm
Location: Koude kikkerland
Languages: English (N), fr, nl, de, eo, Sranantongo,
Maintaining: es, swahili.
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18796
x 9315

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

Postby Le Baron » Thu Jul 08, 2021 9:04 pm

when I say 'simple books' I mean really simple! Stuff I found online for kids. After going through a short book of basics I found online, I started on this sort of thing and a dictionary (and google translate):

http://ierc-publicfiles.s3.amazonaws.co ... 20FILE.pdf

https://ierc-publicfiles.s3.amazonaws.c ... 20Book.pdf
2 x


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