A language learners’ forum

Lots have happened since I've done an update. I changed Eo books to Oni ne pafas en Jamburg. This book covers the youth Esperanto movement in the USSR during the 1970s. Very interesting time.

Italian was going well. But I've put it on the backburner. Gonna finish the year up with Esperanto, up to 15 December. On that day, I'll start the Complete Old English mini-challenge. I created a thread for it in the Language Challenges forum.

Polyglot Fitness Challenge continuing. Not sure I'm gonna hit 370# in deadlift by 31 Dec, but we'll see.

Wow, 19 Nov as my last post? Jeez, what's up IronMike?

Well, I've been busy. I started a writing class in Nov. I've had 1000 or so words due every Sunday. It's been fun, but I've been busy.

I've still been studying language, of course. Esperanto mostly. I've perused the TY Complete Old English and I'm getting excited about that. (10 days!)

Other than that, not much to update you all on. Still lifting, although the last week I haven't due to a pulled muscle in my back. Now I'm just hoping for 300# in deadlift by the end of December. Probably not gonna get to 370#!

For those following along at home...

I've created a post the 2020 Polyglot Fitness Challenge, if you're so inclined.

I've set the dates for the TY Complete Old English holiday mini-challenge, running 15 Dec to 11 Jan.

Hope this finds all of you well!

On Unit 2 of the TY Complete Old English already as part of the mini-challenge. It's a lot of fun so far.

Still deciding on my Polyglot Fitness Challenge goals. Unsure exactly what to set down so far.

Wrote this in the Polyglot Fitness challenge thread.

Getting my 2020 goals solidified.

Language I: I was so happy to get great scores in Russian this year; thank you 365 challenge! I'd like to keep those scores, so goal of 2+/2+/2+ on Russian DLPT and OPI. Aim for late June/early July test.
Language II: At one point (1999?) I was a 3/2+ in the DLPT and a 2 in the OPI in BCS. I'd love to get even some of that back as I simply love the language. Therefore, next goal (but first in the calendar) will be 1/1/1 on BCS DLPT and OPI. Aim for late April/early May test.
Language III: So, the Esperanto world's Universala Kongreso (UK) will be in Montreal this year, and I'm going! It's 1-8 August. At some point during that week+ they will hold the KER exams. I've taken the KER skriba (reading and writing) exam already, in Moscow in 2017, passing the C1 exam. Not sure I can pass the C1 in the parola (listening and speaking), but perhaps the B2? Therefore, I'll set a goal of passing the B2 KER parola exam at the UK in August. I'll use the time after the Russian DLPT/OPI to work on my Esperanto again, maybe attending one of those weekly meetings they have here.

Fitness I: I'd like to hit 200 miles swum in 2020.
Fitness II: I really want to be able to lift, one time, 135lbs in strict overhead press.

That's about it. For language, all my tests are done by the summer, so maybe I'll add another one for the latter part of 2020. We'll see.

2019, for all intents and purposes, is done for me. Language- and fitness-wise. I lifted today, but wasn't even interested in trying 300# in deadlift for fear of pulling my back again. So let's make this official vis-a-vis the 2019 Polyglot Fitness Challenge:

Fitness goals:
a) I've done a swim in Chattanooga a couple times, called Swim the Suck. It's a 10-ish mile swim in the Tennessee river. Last year I did it in 5:15. I'm doing it again this year. I'd like to do it in under 5:00. Fitness goal #1.

As discussed elsewhere, this was a fail. I swam the 10+ miles in 5:23.24.

b) I've been lifting for a little over a year. I started primarily because my lower back would start to affect my swimming at the 4-hour mark. So I thought lifting would strengthen my back and sure enough it has. Along with that I've become stronger and I've liked lifting heavy. I lift three days a week except between about mid-May to end of August when I lift just twice a week (spend more time swimming). The wife and I did a power-lifting competition last year at our Y; she of course destroyed it getting 2nd and 3rd in squat and bench. I only did deadlift and hit a PR for myself (325lbs). That was September. Next one is...wait for it...in September. Not sure if this goal is too much of a stretch but I'd love to deadlift 370lbs. Fitness goal #2.

Nope. I took the summer off of lifting to concentrate (increase) my swimming. That didn't help this fitness goal (or the swimming one, apparently)! I think this upcoming summer I'll go down to 2x a week from 3x so as to not lose too much.

Language goals:
a) Been doing the Italian class since end of January. It's a slow class, so I've supplemented with my own studying. I've scheduled myself for an Italian DLPT on 22 May. The Italian DLPT is a IV, which I love: 65 questions in the listening test and 65 in the reading. Just under 4 hours for each section. I'm not aiming for anything crazy here, but I think I can realistically study for and possibly earn a 1/1 on the DLPT. Language goal #1.

This was a success with my 1 in the listening and 2 in the reading on the DLPT IV back in May. w00t!

b) Russian is my strongest language and I haven't taken a DLPT in a while. And my history of DLPT prep has proven to me that I can only study hard for about a month before I get burned out. So maybe in November or so I'll cram and take the Russian DLPT and OPI. I think I can realistically get a 2+/2+ on the DLPT and a 2 on the OPI. Language goal #2.

Super result here! I haven't had a 2+/2+/2+ since 2014 after 5 weeks of one-on-one instruction. The fact I got back to that level on my own I can credit to the 365 Challenge directly (thank you Peter!).
So, two fails (both fitness!) and two successes.

In other 2019 news, I failed again at the SC. Which is fine. It's hard to get minutes/pages when some of the things you read are textbooks vs. actually books. I think I'll do Russian and Esperanto the next time the SC comes around.

But for the 365 Challenge, I count that as a success. My points are low, due to the 7-day penalty for each missed day, but that's been solved for 2020. I think the longest I've gone without studying any month was 4 days. I'm fine with that. And this Challenge, as discussed above, is 100% the reason why my Russian DLPT and OPI scores were so high.

Onward to 2020. Happy New Year to you all!

Updated the title of my log, and updated my signature block. 2020 starting out great already!

Are you giving up on Italian?

lingua wrote:Are you giving up on Italian?

Yes, won't have time in this upcoming year with Russian and BCS. It was fun. Might pick it up later, especially if I can get stationed in Europe somewhere.

IronMike wrote:Language I: I was so happy to get great scores in Russian this year; thank you 365 challenge! I'd like to keep those scores, so goal of 2+/2+/2+ on Russian DLPT and OPI. Aim for late June/early July test.
Language II: At one point (1999?) I was a 3/2+ in the DLPT and a 2 in the OPI in BCS. I'd love to get even some of that back as I simply love the language. Therefore, next goal (but first in the calendar) will be 1/1/1 on BCS DLPT and OPI. Aim for late April/early May test.
Language III: So, the Esperanto world's Universala Kongreso (UK) will be in Montreal this year, and I'm going! It's 1-8 August. At some point during that week+ they will hold the KER exams. I've taken the KER skriba (reading and writing) exam already, in Moscow in 2017, passing the C1 exam. Not sure I can pass the C1 in the parola (listening and speaking), but perhaps the B2? Therefore, I'll set a goal of passing the B2 KER parola exam at the UK in August. I'll use the time after the Russian DLPT/OPI to work on my Esperanto again, maybe attending one of those weekly meetings they have here.

Fitness I: I'd like to hit 200 miles swum in 2020.
Fitness II: I really want to be able to lift, one time, 135lbs in strict overhead press.

Already a change!

I got offered a one-week Russian class in February that I can't pass up. Therefore, I'm changing the timing of my studying for the first half of the year.

Language I: I was so happy to get great scores in Russian in 2019; thank you Peter for the 365 challenge! I'd like to keep those scores, so goal of 2+/2+/2+ on Russian DLPT and OPI. Aim for late April tests.
Language II: So, the Esperanto world's Universala Kongreso (UK) will be in Montreal this year, and I'm going! It's 1-8 August. At some point during that week+ they will hold the KER exams. I've taken the KER skriba (reading and writing) exam already, in Moscow in 2017, passing the C1 exam. Not sure I can pass the C1 in the parola (listening and speaking), but perhaps the B2? Therefore, I'll set a goal of passing the B2 KER parola exam at the UK in August. I'll use the time after the Russian DLPT/OPI to work on my Esperanto again, maybe attending one of those weekly meetings they have here.
Language III: At one point (1999?) I was a 3/2+ in the DLPT and a 2 in the OPI in BCS. I'd love to get even some of that back as I simply love the language. Therefore, next goal will be 1/1/1 on BCS DLPT and OPI. I'll start working BCS after the Esperanto UK in August, so I'll aim for late November/early December tests.

Fitness goals have not changed. (Yet?)