Prohairesis' Log : C2 German by 2019

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schlaraffenland
Orange Belt
Posts: 130
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2016 11:50 pm
Location: West Side
Languages: English (N), German (C2)
Actively studying: French (C1), Japanese (~N5)
My old flames: Latin, Ancient Greek (Koine, Attic, Homeric)
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Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5831
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Re: Prohairesis' Log : C2 German by 2019

Postby schlaraffenland » Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:44 am

Prohairesis wrote:I remember finding myself in an awkward situation when I was living in Geneva back in 2009-10. At that point in time, my French was rudimentary but I only challenged myself with classic French literature like Maupassant, Zola, Balzac, etc. I remember walking into the Relais d'Entrecôte and asking one of the waitresses where the toilet was. A simple Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ? would have sufficed but my actual formulation was too pretentious. And indeed, they had a good laugh as I asked them Pourriez-vous me diriger vers les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ?


I can picture this perfectly, and it makes me very happy. :lol:
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: 120 / 150 Expressions françaises (120/150)

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Prohairesis
White Belt
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 2:29 pm
Languages: Thai (N), English (N), French (C2), German (C1)
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Re: Prohairesis' Log : C2 German by 2019

Postby Prohairesis » Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:08 pm

I realise that I've neglected my log for quite a while now, so here's a little poem I wrote in German about a visit to Lyon earlier this year.

In einem kleinen Studio
mit Einzelbett, Bücherregal und Büro
bin ich auf der Fensterbank hingesetzt
die Landschaft zu genießen.

Lyon - eine ehemalige Stadt des Römerreiches
nicht zu groß, nicht zu klein
Und ganz oben am blauen Himmel
die Sonne scheint

Von meiner Fensterbank sehe ich
eine ältere Frau, die seinen kleinen Hund führt
Bei diesem schönen Tag am Flussufer
geht sie an einem Ehepaar vorüber

Der Mann umarmt die Frau fest
Sie bleiben zusammen mitten in der kalten Winterluft
Sie küssen sich, sie sagen sich
„ich liebe dich“

Bei solchen Wörter scheint sich dann
Die Welt langsamer zu drehen
Und Lyon lässt sich entdecken
Wie eine Petrischale
Sie gehört zu mir
Und ich zu ihr.
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Prohairesis
White Belt
Posts: 35
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 2:29 pm
Languages: Thai (N), English (N), French (C2), German (C1)
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Re: Prohairesis' Log : C2 German by 2019

Postby Prohairesis » Mon Sep 25, 2017 9:11 pm

The lack of log entries over the last couple of months speaks for itself. Indeed, I have been busy with my master's course in Paris and though I am currently reviewing German at C1 level via a mandatory language course, I find two hours of German per week not enough for the target I have set myself -- to reach C2 in German by 2019. At the same time, it seems I will be doing my six-month internship in Germany after all starting from July 2018, and am hoping to spend a minimum of three months in Freiburg, prior to starting my internship, to study German intensively.

Some of you who have been following my log may remember that my current goal is to review and consolidate my German at C1 level. Little by little, I hope to build a strong foundation as I move closer to C2. After those intense couple of weeks spent preparing for the Goethe-Zertifikat C1, I am quite surprised that my listening skills still serve me well -- especially keeping myself updated with the German election results via sometimes complex political commentaries. That said, I can't help but realise that my vocabulary is no longer as extensive as before, as I have forgotten quite a few words due to lack of practice. This obviously affects my productive skills, and I am now working hard to express myself more fluently and spontaneously.

The good thing about my uni is that they allot up to four hours of tutorial sessions per week. Tutorial sessions are basically a time slot during the week where I can practise German in a more freeform and less curriculum-based setting. And at this stage, I am quickly coming to realise that the transition from C1 to C2 is less readily measurable by number of words learned/pages read, mainly because such activities are becoming second nature to me as the endeavour to perfect my German takes on a sense of urgency.

At this time, I am most definitely not thinking of preparing for the C2 GDS exam, as I do not want to limit my learning to mastering the format of the exam -- which was what I did precisely for the C1 exam. For now, I am keeping my eyes and ears open for new knowledge and working to improve my language-based skills.
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