A language learners’ forum

My running internal conflict is between (1) wanting to push Danish from intermediate to advanced and (2) giving attention to the other languages on my list (Spanish, Latin, Netherlands, and Polish).

My current idea is to plan in six week chunks. When a 6 Week Challenge is running, I will focus on one of the other languages for the challenge. During the periods between the 6 week challenges, I will put the focus on Danish.

Hopefully, there will be another 6 Week Challenge beginning on May 1.

That means I have 17 days until Danish goes into maintenance mode. Maintenance mode will mean that I will still keep up with my 30 minutes for the 365-day challenge, but those minutes will be likely be extensively consuming native content.

Elsa Maria wrote:Polish
This is my FLC language. I had a start date of March 15, and I have not done much yet. But I have sampled lots of YouTubers and free courses. And now I have a plan. I am going to do the FSI course.

Just in case you decide that you don't like the FSI course (I hated it and couldn't get past the first lesson), you might want to try the DLI Polish course. I have a link to it in my resources list on the first page of my log. The DLI course is basically a series of graded reader stories with audio. Even though it's very dated, I think it's a good free and legal resource to start with. But if you like FSI, then carry on!

StringerBell wrote:

Elsa Maria wrote:Polish
This is my FLC language. I had a start date of March 15, and I have not done much yet. But I have sampled lots of YouTubers and free courses. And now I have a plan. I am going to do the FSI course.

Just in case you decide that you don't like the FSI course (I hated it and couldn't get past the first lesson), you might want to try the DLI Polish course. I have a link to it in my resources list on the first page of my log. The DLI course is basically a series of graded reader stories with audio. Even though it's very dated, I think it's a good free and legal resource to start with. But if you like FSI, then carry on!

Thank you so much, StringerBell for your ideas. I am mostly squirreling them away for the not-so-distant future, in which I do genuinely expect to have more time for Polish. I intend to give your log a thorough read, too. I have also realized that there is a Polish church about an hour away, and I am hoping to go there soon.

You wrote that you signed for FLC with Polish. Yojik website:
https://www.yojik.eu/languages/DLI/DLI-Polish.html
and Live Lingua
https://www.livelingua.com/courses/Polish/
are probably known to you. But maybe you do not know about the 15-volume set of Polish DLI Course?
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED033357
Unfortunately, there is no audio for this one.

On the language front, things have been going well.
Thanks to eido's new log and PM's comments within, I am adding Frisian to my 30 year plan. Why not? I have at least two more trips to the Netherlands scheduled, and I might as well pick up some Frisian books while I have the chance.

I'll start my updates with Polish.


Polish I will start really focusing on Polish on May 1. I'm going to make it my 6WC language. We went to an event at the Polish church last weekend. It was the Blessing of the Easter Baskets. I spoke three words of Polish, and I understood five. I'm calling that a win!

Danish
I went to my book club yesterday. I usually understand about 75% of the conversations / discussions, and yesterday was about the same. I did prepare more than before, and had notes for what I wanted to say. I can't go in May, and we take the summer off so this activity is on hiatus for now. I've been loving my fat Danish Grammar book.

Spanish
Shaking off the cobwebs. I have listened to 13 Pimsleur lessons. They have been 95% review, but I need that. I have not really touched Spanish in over a decade.

Latin
Still waiting for my NLE exam results. My class ends sometime in May. It's winding down, and I don't plan to spend much time on Latin over the summer.

Dutch
I was the only person who showed up for class yesterday (?!), so I had a two-hour private lesson. I think I have three classes left, and then it will be self-study only after that. I hit a milestone! I finished my first book - one of the Jip en Janneke books. I found a new-to-me podcast that I am excited about: Zeg het in het Nederlands. It is a podcast in slow Dutch for learners. There are show notes on the website, and transcripts you can purchase.

cjareck wrote:You wrote that you signed for FLC with Polish. Yojik website:
https://www.yojik.eu/languages/DLI/DLI-Polish.html
and Live Lingua
https://www.livelingua.com/courses/Polish/
are probably known to you. But maybe you do not know about the 15-volume set of Polish DLI Course?
https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED033357
Unfortunately, there is no audio for this one.

Thank you, cjareck! I have been appreciating all of your helpful comments on the forum as I explore my entry into the amazing Polish language. I did not know about that big DLI course. I admit that I get confused by the variants of the FSI and DLI courses.

Elsa Maria wrote:I admit that I get confused by the variants of the FSI and DLI courses.

Me either Nevertheless, here is an explanation of the variants:
http://www.fsi-language-courses.net/blo ... i-courses/

I got a perfect paper on my National Latin Exam (Intro Level)!
Hooray!

Elsa Maria wrote:I found a new-to-me podcast that I am excited about: Zeg het in het Nederlands. It is a podcast in slow Dutch for learners. There are show notes on the website, and transcripts you can purchase.

Interesting. I found this podcast a little while back too. I didn’t know there were notes and transcripts. I’ll be interested to see what you think of it.

LATIN

I took a little break from Latin after my class ending on May 16. I started doing some revision today. In the meanwhile, I have been reading A Natural History of Latin: The story of the world's most successful language by Tore Janson. My edition is a translated edition, and Tore Janson is a Swedish professor, so the original is presumably in Swedish - take note, Swedish-speakers-who-are-interested-in-the-history-of-Latin.

I found this quote motivating (page 131):

Anyone who wants to study the history of Europe and read the sources will either have to learn Latin or limit their attention to the last 250-300 years.

POLISH
FLC version

I have been floundering around. I was benefiting from Pimsleur, but had to return it to the library. I have an Oscar Swan text on order through interlibrary loan, but it is not really the Oscar Swan book that I would like to see. I am doing OK with FSI and YouTube, although I am only on the second FSI lesson

I think I really need some Polish cartoons for motivation. Any suggestions?

SUMMARY
I have been floundering with Polish, and can never give Dutch and Danish the hours that I want to give them. So of course, I have done the sensible thing and decided to put European Portuguese in my mix. I am an inch away from ordering the Linguaphone course. I just want to sit on the idea for a few days, so that I don't get buyer's remorse.

I will save Danish and Dutch updates for another post.