Five Golden Trees

[Xmmm]

I find it much easier to do russian on duolingo via the phone app. This due to the need to switch keyboards frequently.

Also, I don't know if this cheating per se, but it is much easier to plow through a duolingo tree and then golden it afterwards, than to maintain it in a constant golden state as you go along.

There is no way to make forward progress if you are only doing 15 or 20 minutes a day and trying to keep everything gold as you go. The reviews will take all of the time and tree will never quiet down. Whereas, once you finish the tree, stuff that you make gold stays gold for a very long time.

Seems like a design flaw of some kind, but that's how it appears to be.

[jeff_lindqvist]

I agree about completing the whole tree first. I started three languages from scratch nearly a year ago, and never repeated anything until I had finished them all (which I did a little more than six-seven weeks later).

[lavengro]

Thanks Xmmm and Jeff, I'll definitely keep in mind your advice about moving forward v. gilding earlier units. At present, the review time involved in keeping units gold is super modest, mostly just because I have not gotten very far so far.

I find it much easier to do russian on duolingo via the phone app. This due to the need to switch keyboards frequently.

That does look it will be a pain. Hopefully by the time I get to Duolingo Russian, (not this year, perhaps late next year), there will be some improvement in this regard on the main site.

There is no way to make forward progress if you are only doing 15 or 20 minutes a day and trying to keep everything gold as you go.

I don't know whether this was in relation to the comment about my plan to spend 15 minutes per day on Russian. I am trying to spend 90 minutes per day on language learning. Right now core learning is Italian; the 15 minutes per day of Russian is mostly just pre-learning: sort of reconnaissance before the real battle down the road, or in terms more relevant to me, a timid swimmer splashing cold water on his arms before jumping into a cold ocean. I am working on the Cyrillic alphabet via two Memrise courses (which should not be challenging) and pronunciation (which decidedly is super challenging for me). I picked up a copy of Living Language Essential Russian including audio CDs for working on pronunciation issues. Regular 15 minutes per day will hopefully get the alphabet, pronunciation issues and some basic vocabulary under my belt before ever turning to Duolingo Russian in earnest down the road.

[lavengro]

Tell no one, but I am sneaking some Japanese language in each day as well. Fifteen minutes per day, strictly enforced so that it does not become too distracting. Not via Duolingo. Working on refreshing the hiragana (previously learned), via a copy of Japanese for Busy People, Kana Workbook, I have had for a while, and via two Memrise courses. Will move on to the katakana in due course, and then resume with working through Heisig's Remembering the Kanji.

[lavengro]

Weekly status update:

Italian:
Duolingo, level 8, 14 units completed/golden
- started reviewing: McGraw-Hill, Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Italian
- listening to various podcasts
- started listen to Italian for Dummies audio course

Russian:
- working on Cyrillic alphabet and pronunciation

Japanese:
- reviewing hiragana

[lavengro]

This week's reward for consistency in daily study:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gCWOb7V-b0 - A. Family home dancing videos

Munna, nya Valyrio mirrī pungilla issa

[lavengro]

I`ve fallen madly in love:

https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Metropolitan-Collection-Fountain-91107/dp/B009X9Z2FW/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1501396138&sr=1-4&keywords=pilot+metropolitan

I recently purchased one of these, my first fountain pen, medium nib, paired with Namiki ink (just via cartridge at this point). Outstanding! My life prior to handling one of these magnificent creatures just seems so empty in retrospect. It makes the act of writing fun. Which is convenient because I have been writing a lot - copying out hiragana for practice, the Russian alphabet as well as Russian cursive characters (the latter because one of the Memrise courses I was working through unexpectedly starting sneaking in cursive).

[lavengro]

Weekly status update:

Italian:
- Duolingo, level 8, 18 units completed
- Memrise, Italian 1, level 15
- started listening to Coffee Break Italian podcasts

Russian:
- still working on Cyrillic alphabet and pronunciation
- completed short Memrise course: “Russian alphabet” created by NRcG
- 1/3 way through a longer Memrise course: “Russian Alphabet” created by bartok, which includes cursive characters
- youtube video on Russian pronunciation
- 15 minutes per day, each day

Japanese:
- still reviewing hiragana, 15 mins per day

[lavengro]

This week`s reward for consistent daily study:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofkzvM7Skxg - the band I most regret never having seen live.

[blaurebell]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofkzvM7Skxg - the band I most regret never having seen live.

ME TOO! *sigh*