Pippa's Log

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Pippa Butterfly
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Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 7:54 pm
Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Mon Aug 21, 2017 8:27 pm

Morgana wrote:You do not seem to be the only person who has had trouble setting up progress bars. I haven't tried myself, but I did find this thread about it:

Progress bar charts

I hope it's helpful?



Thank you very much, Morgana. You're the best. :)
0 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

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Pippa Butterfly
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Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:50 pm

A new start !

Hello there. It's been a while since I posted here. I decided to track my studies in September and it's been only a week. So here's my log for the past week. I set very big crazy goals, things like finish three course books in French a long with an audio course and for English I will do extensive reading a long with extensive listening to my favorite British tv series and it really seems crazy now, doesn't it? :roll:

Okay, now let's see what I have really done in the past week. I didn't study much French as I wanted and planed to. Instead I studied English intensively!

_intensive reading only chapter 2 of a novel by Austin Freeman and I have not finished it yet. I didn't really expected to finish it in the first week anyway -still on going.
_extensive reading to the same novel by Austin Freeman- reached chapter 6.
_extensive listening and heavily to some crime documentaries- which something I enjoy a lot. I've watched more than 10 episodes in a couple of days and that' s what I usually do when I don't feel like studying. While watching sometimes I jot down any noticeable words and that's led me to..
_intensive listening! Yup, and I am enjoying it. I realized how much I miss by listening extensively. I hoped to finish the intensive listening before the end of the week but I only finished 42.5% of the the 40 min episode.
_I added 20 new words from my intensive listening and 12 new words from my intensive reading to ANKI.
_in the last two days I finished only one lesson from the course book element's of French and I didn't stop there, I had to search online for more detailed grammar rules.

I installed TimeMeter to keep a record of how many hours I spend in different activities. I haven't used it much.

What I plan for the new week:
English
>>Finish the intensive listening , add them to Anki, and start a new.
<<Continue my intensive reading-finish at least 4 more intensive reading of chapter 2

French
<<Finish 2 pemsuler lessons
>>Finish 2 more lessons of Element's of French

It's getting slower but I'll stick to the minimum of it. I trying to be more realistic so I aim for
-Maximum 42 hrs per week
-Minimum 14 hrs per week

I hesitate a lot but I was thinking seriously to join the SC for English since I already have a lot of material and I believe I might be able to made it in 15 month only! Idk!! :? I have to make my mind soooon.
3 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

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Pippa Butterfly
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Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Tue Sep 12, 2017 10:39 pm

It's my first time to keep a documented track of my everyday progress and I can tell you it is not easy for me. Anyhow! Since I started my commitment on the 7th of September, I haven't accomplished much.

week 1# 4-10 Sep
I spent total 5 hrs and 28 min of study in that week including :
46 min only of French grammar
3 hr 27 min : sc extensive reading(For the defence, Dr.Thornydke by R. Austin Freeman)
1 hr 14 min : sc intensive listening(six degrees murders : Fresh start)

Six degrees murders is a crime documentary and it's approximately 40 min long and as I studied it intensively, I intend to go through it extensively once or twice more and when I am done, I'll add it to my sc.
I am reading a novel as I said earlier and I am half way through it. I will add it to my sc pot when I'm finish with it as well. I pretty much spending more time reading than watching movies because I am really enjoying this novel by R. Austin Freeman.

My efforts seems a bit random and unfocused. I am thinking to study this novel intensively and read it more than once to gain more vocabulary as reading extensively makes me skip a lot of vocabulary.

Will update this log every Sunday from now on!
1 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

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Pippa Butterfly
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Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:24 pm

week #2 of the late supper challenge

I am here today with my weekly update. I didn't really think I can make such commitment. I had the tendency of setting learning goals but not following through but not this time, hopefully. I almost read in daily basis now, though I skipped two days of last week.

Accomplished: First novel of 225 pages is finished this week, just in the past hour. I have to announce the fact that I've started reading this novel before I officially signed up for the sc.

*total pages this week 119 pages in total of 7 hrs and 37 min
*It took me an hour to finish a chapter of 15 pages. That's one of the reasons why I keep track of the time. I am using Timemeter app.
*I read mostly late at night and I guess this is my best time of reading. I managed to make reading a daily habit, so far!

I already set an earlier goal of minimum of studying hours as 14 hours a week and clearly I haven't met that goal yet.

So, here's my GOALS for the next week:

-Never skip a day during the week. Read daily!
-work on my reading speed. Have to figure out how though, I guess buy reading more!
-start reading a new novel with a 45 pages a day.
-go through the first novel intensively and reread it .
-spend less time lurking the web!!

I forgot to mention in the first week's post that I took an online level test from Oxford and here's the result:
reading : Upper-intermediate 16/20
vocabulary : intermediate 30/40
Grammar : intermediate 31/40
Listening : upper-intermediate 23/24

The fact that my vocabulary is intermediate is really breaking my heart! Just for the record, I found out that I am pretty much classic learner, I have to jot down vocabulary for it to stick in my mind much longer. I couldn't develop the skill of memorizing by typing on my keyboard!!
2 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

Vera-Ver
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Joined: Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:40 am
Languages: Russian (N), English, Spanish (more than just a beginner)

Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Vera-Ver » Wed Sep 20, 2017 12:41 pm

Dear Pippa!
I'm a newbie here :roll: but I wanted to say I have the same difficulties with language learning!
As far as I can see you practice everything (listening, writing, reading) except for speaking... Do you have any possibility to practice speaking in English?
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Pippa Butterfly
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Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:45 pm

Vera-Ver wrote:Dear Pippa!
I'm a newbie here :roll: but I wanted to say I have the same difficulties with language learning!
As far as I can see you practice everything (listening, writing, reading) except for speaking... Do you have any possibility to practice speaking in English?



Hello @Vera-ver and welcome to the forum. I have not focused on writing yet but it is on the long term plan. I focused on grammar though at some point because I needed it to communicate better in English and structure a better sentence. As for reading and listening, it happens that I love reading novels and watching movies. Right now, I am focusing on vocabulary.
For speaking, I am not available for voice chat! :? Sorry to let you down but if there's anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask.
1 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

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Pippa Butterfly
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Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 7:54 pm
Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Sun Sep 24, 2017 10:32 pm

Week #3 of the late SC

SC reading hrs : 2h 56m!
SC movies hrs : 2h 50m!

It's a huge set back, I know! I started a new novel names 'the woman in cabin 10', still ongoing. I also watched first episode of midomer murders s16 (90min long) and 'six degrees of murder' s2 e8 (40 min long/twice).

The French is kinda in hold for the past two weeks! I should be able to pick it up again in the next week!

That's all for now, I guess!!
0 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

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Pippa Butterfly
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Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 7:54 pm
Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:18 pm

>>Monthly Update!

New month, new beginning! I decided to write an over view of my progress for the past month. First things first, I started this log to write mainly about my French studies but then English took over very massively as I realized how much I've been missing and that I still need to work more on my English!

September's books finished

    -For the defence, Dr.Thornydke by Austin Freeman ( Actually my third for the same author)
    -A good man by Jennifer L. Armstrong.

Usually, I read every now and then but since I started the late SC I am reading more often, almost in a daily basis and up to 15 pages per day! And of course they are added to the SC. I read both the books extensively and I started reading the first one intensively.

September's movies finished

    -Midsomer murders s16 e2 --90 min
    -Midsomer murders s16 e5 --90 min
    -six degrees of murders s2 e 2 --40 min
    -six degrees of mureders s2 e8-- 40 min
    -crime documentary 'The Papin sisters --40 min
    -Science and the Swastika :The Deadly Experiment --48min

A total of 16 hrs 51 min in the whole month! including 46 min of French grammar!

I went through the first 25 min of six degrees of murders s2 e 8 intensively so perhaps I will have the chance to finish it in the new month. I also went through e2 intensively but it wasn't as good as e8 when it comes to the new vocab and idioms!!

I've always had a hard time following my plans. I am used to do only what I feel like doing. Mostly, I feel like reading more and more novels!! That has to change and work through strategic plan rather than just doing random activities.

French Log.

Well, I did very little with French!! I started off with a text course books with no audio. It seemed easy enough but following through the text only and with class room method it seems like it is gonna take me ages to finish a 300 pages text book!! I put it in hold for a while and switched to Pimsleur !! I went through lesson one and I am loving Pimsleur. Still have one step yet to consider lesson one finished which is learning the verb conjugation! It's something I can't miss!!

I am pretty much a perfectionist and tend to stop everything and start over again in hope of fixing old mistakes and this doesn't seem to be working!! I wont announce any plans for the new month for now.
1 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

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Pippa Butterfly
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Posts: 26
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Languages: Arabic(N), English(C1), French(false Beginner)
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Pippa Butterfly » Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:32 am

October log.

I intended to post once a week but then I've noticed that things are going very slow so I decided to post my progress monthly instead. In October, English has taken over and I focused on a grammar book. I wished (but not planned) to finish that grammar book by October but I did not happen. I do not want to move on unless I master the topics which I am studying. I have not done much with vocabulary, I do not know why and that is something that is bothering me. I need to plan how to fit in daily vocab. activities to keep things going forward. As for the supper challenge, I have not done much as my grammar studies has taken over as well. Still watching crime documentary extensively though. I had a couple of attempt to read novels and books but things didn't work. I wanted to read 6 shades of gray but I only went through 50 pages and then stopped - not really my things. lol. Then I tried to read a book named 'Discipline is not a dirty word' but then I got distracted again. Perhaps I can borrow it again and read it.

As for French, I finally managed to make a study plan and I am so proud of that. I simply made a list of a grammar book's lessons and fit it into my calendar. The more I do study, the more things get easier and more clear as what do to next. Along with that I am using Pimseulr French 1. Again, my goal is to master the lessons so I can keep going back to some old lessons to review them and make sure I understand them and know how to use them correctly. I still wanna fit more than one book in my studies.

I am aiming for A1-A2 level for French and B2-C1 for grammar. I still want to improve my English writing as well; for tests such as ILETS. This is my main problem now. I don't know how I might pass the writing exams.
Last edited by Pippa Butterfly on Sun Feb 18, 2018 10:11 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2 x
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-Reading:
SC : 0 / 0 Eng-movies:


ENG : 4 / 13 When bad grammar happens to good people:

Ольга
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Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=6206
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Re: Pippa's Log

Postby Ольга » Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:37 am

Well done! I believe you'll manage any exam with enough effort and practice. Have a good learning day! :D
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