Second update... maybe a day late?
So, in my last update I set myself some goals. Let's see how that went (oh boy).
* Complete the first page of Harry Potter en De Steen der Wijzen
* Complete Chapter 2 of Shin Kanzen Goi & Bunpou
* Read 10 more pages of また、同じ夢を見ている
*
2 hours of listening to Japanese media*
1 hour of listening to Dutch medica*
Reach Unit 10 of TYD*
Continue writing short passages in Dutch and Japanese on IG*
Practice conversations in Dutch with boyfriendYikes.
More than half but not a lot done.
DutchTeach Yourself Dutch: (10/16)
Harry Potter en De Steen der Wijzen chapters: (0/17)
Well... I managed to reach my TY goal. I have to say I'm really enjoying the book. I'm using it without the audio (boyfriend has been filling in for that part
) but I really feel like I'm actually making progress. The units are getting longer, the grammar is getting more complex, and thankfully the example conversations are getting more colloquial and applicable to real life. I made a start on Unit 11 this morning, it covers how to express thoughts, likes and dislikes, comparisons and something else I can't quite remember of the top of my head (I'm sure it's important
). I find I can read a lot more, and can keep up with the new conversations it introduces, however I seem to struggle with recreating what I'm learning/reading. I manage the exercises all right. If I make a mistake, I can look back and realise why (mainly forgetting to conjugate the verb correctly!). I know it's too early to expect myself to perfectly write out sentences using the grammar the book has taught me just yet, and that it is going to take a lot of practice. I'm trying to make a start on this by writing short paragraphs on Instagram using the grammar I've learned. It's really simple stuff, such as
Ik ga naar de stad om boodschappen te doen.,
Ik woon al 24 jaar in Engeland., en zo
I'm feeling the increasing need to start working on vocabulary though. For some reason, I love learning grammar. I love learning how to formulate sentences, which is a good thing I guess... but this leads me to neglecting vocabulary. I'm still trying to decide between Memrise or Anki, but I think I'll go with Memrise for now as Anki needs some setting up, and I can be quite meticulous about the cards...
I love to use colours when I study. I'm the kind of person who gives nouns, verbs, grammar constructions their own colours
I'm considering buying some different colour highlighters for my notes
Studying should be fun, after all!
I managed to hit out 1 hour of Dutch listening. I usually do this while at work. It's common to listen to podcasts or the radio while we work, so I opted for a Dutch podcast. This week it was
Button Bashers NL, Podcast 73: Muziek in Games 4. I kind of half listened, half listened to it as background "music", but I was able to pick out some words and phrases. I'm certainly getting used to the sounds, and can visualise a spelling of a word somewhat easier. I always cross-check with my boyfriend though upon coming home
. I find the harsh "g", an incredible noise. Especially how it seems to have so many variations (one of my friends is from near the Belgium border, and uses the soft "g", which my boyfriend really enjoys mimicking and teasing him for), and it really sounds (no offence to the Dutchies!) that they're trying to bring up phlegm. "r" is another sound that alludes me. It's so... I can't even say. It's something I need to work on, I'll say that much for now
But, overall, listening is going as one would expect. Very little comprehension, but with each time my ears are getting more adjusted, and the sounds becoming clearer.
If you read my mini update, you will have known I managed to get my grubby little hands on a Dutch(/Belgian) magazine, and that my boyfriend picked out an article for me to work on. I set myself this as "homework", a little weekend project. Well, yesterday I ended up spending the majority of the day out of the house and so I didn't get to finish the article. I did however, manage to do the first few paragraphs. I was delighted to see not one, but two grammar constructions that I had just recently learned, being used in the article! (That sentence was a mess...
) "om + te" was used in "Handig om te weten" and "zin in ..." was used in "zin in Dublin". I should probably mention the article was about Dublin, recommending cafes, shops and places to see. It's actually enjoyable to read, as I have Irish heritage, have never been to Ireland, and would love to visit Dublin. Two birds with one stone
I've noted down some places the article recommended, especially a cafe which serves matcha latte (!!). I'm learning Dutch, and I'm learning about Dublin, and getting some nice recommendations in the process. It's great! After working through the first few paragraphs, where I mainly underlined words I didn't know, I then read it out-loud with the help of my boyfriend. My "g"'s are getting better, however I need to work on "ui". My neighbours must think we're insane. Yesterday, as I was reading out the article, I was trying to say the word "gebruikt", which contains three of my weakest sounds "g" and "r" and "ui". My boyfriend kept repeating it and asking me to, and for about 10 minutes we were sat there going, "gebruikt", "ui", "ui", "uuuuiiii", "ui", "no, ui", "ui", "gebruikt"...
He really likes to make sure I say it perfectly. I suppose it's good practice!
I didn't get a chance to work on HP, though I'm not too disappointed. It is still ahead of my level, and I picked it up to "challenge" myself, and to see what I could gleam from it. I'll definitely be taking it slow. I'm thinking after I've finished TY Dutch, I'll pick up a grammar book and maybe begin to work on it more seriously.
I'm still writing on IG, as I wrote earlier. With each post, my paragraphs get a little longer and a little more detailed
JapaneseMata, onaji yume o miteita: Shinkanzen masutaa goi and bunpou: I... uh... mhm.
My Japanese is at the level where I can safely not spend too much time on actual studying... why does that sound like an excuse?
But, no, seriously, since my Dutch is quite "young", I'm definitely focusing on it more. I've said before but Japanese is very deeply ingrained in my day-to-day life, so I don't have to worry about not using it. As I write this post I'm currently catching up with some old Japanese friends via Twitter. I did listen to two hours of Japanese media, though. I follow a Youtuber called Kinoshita Yuka. You may have heard of her...
She's a petite Japanese woman who can eat enormous amounts. Her videos are entertaining, and although it's been said her Japanese isn't very clear (even Japanese speakers complain about her pronunciation), her videos come with Japanese subtitles so it's very easy to follow. I also watched the latest episode of Attack on Titan season 2. It's fantastic. I'm very much enjoying it. The new opening song is great too. I find myself singing along all the time... 捧げよう、捧げよう、心臓を捧げよう~ The chorus is too catchy! My boyfriend also came up with a theory from the opening song once I told him the lyrics
But yes, enjoying it, although I will say I purely watch it for entertainment. I can follow the dialogue pretty easy, but they do sometimes uses words I don't know, but I usually don't try and commit them to memory since they're usually 'anime-specific'. I don't really have much else to report on Japanese... other than, I guess I'll try and get around to reading the book, and working through Shinzen Master
But for now, I think I'll focus on Dutch, and keep the status quo on Japanese... i.e, doing what I do anyway!
How next week is looking...
* Reach Unit 13/14 of TY Dutch
* 1 hour listening to Dutch
* 2 hours listening to Japanese
* Read 10 more pages of また、同じ夢を見ていた
* Continue to write short paragraphs in Dutch and long paragraphs in Japanese