Sentence reps investigation.

[sfuqua]

In looking at the structure of GSR files, I wonder what would happen if you took a bilingual book and read aloud first the L1 and then the L2 sentences.
The brain would switch back and forth between the L1 and L2, but it is doing that with GSR files anyway. If you could add a way to listen to a section before you start the reading, it might make a system similar to what you have with GSR, except with the content of the book you read.

[sfuqua]

I am not nearly as tired today as I was yesterday.
I did my GSM-C and GSR files with little drama. Since I am still plugging around through sentences I did in July, it is very easy. No drama here. I can really feel my French falling into place, and I am certain that the GSR files work, whether they are optimal or not. Right now, I can easily tell that I am learning from the GSR program, but somehow I'm dissatisfied.

I'm at a very low motivational level right now with language.
I don't know why, but it all seems futile. I'll work forever and then I'll still suck.
Maybe I'm just bored.

Maybe I should try Assimil for a while or something and then go back to GSR files. I suspect, however, that GSR files are more effective for building the ability to spontaneously produce sentences. If you shadow, or read aloud Assimil, you quickly start to remember sentences, not based on meaning, but based on its location in a set of sentences. I can remember shadowing _Spanish with Ease_ while surfing the web. I don't think this is a very good way to study. I am not, however, anywhere near finished with _French with Ease_, _Using French_, and _Using Spanish_.
Assimil is a good, low pressure program that fits nicely into a busy schedule.

I wonder if extensive reading aloud wouldn't have many of the effects of GSR files, since the sentences are related. Reading an L2 aloud has at least two problems:
1)pronunciation
2)meaning
When you read aloud, you may need a pronunciation check unless the language has pretty complete transparency in its sight/sound relationship, and only when you are already very familiar with its pronunciation system.
Reading books aloud that you don't understand wouldn't be any fun and I doubt if it would cause you to learn very much.

I think these factors may be why I find GSR files to be a fairly unique resource. I just wish they were more fun.
Assimil is probably not as effective for fluency, but it is at least funny.

[sfuqua]

I plugged away at GSR again today.
No big problems.
I suppose that GSR is not a complete approach to learning a language. Of course, the creator doesn't think that it is either.
I know that some of the problems I will have with GSR is because I am trying to do two languages at once.

In truth, I'm not sure that Spanish GSR, of either the Mexican and or European version is doing very much, but I'm in the early part of all of this.
The French seems to be working fine.

While I'm not terribly entertained by GSR files, I think they work. I watched two French movies today, and, you know what, I was over 50% comprehension.

The glass is half full; I insist.

I did my GSR files in the corner of the living room tonight. My wife, the beautiful Filipina, fellow middle school teacher was asleep. My daughter, the stunningly beautiful, smart girl, who just made the school basketball team today, was shouting at her Facetime connection to her friends.
I was doing GSR file in the corner. I watched a French movie movie before the chaos ensued in the living room.
Peace, All.

[sfuqua]

Another day of GSR.
We're up to 15 000 reps in both French and Spanish. Glossika definitely has an effect, but I've been searching for something which I can squeeze into my schedule, that would make a good complement to GSR.
I've tried various books and didn't find anything that was easy enough and fun enough. I made various plans about Anki decks and vocabulary lists, but they all seemed like work.
While I've been working trying to figure this out, been watching some French and Spanish movies, you know for fun, not really studying. Today it occurred to me that I am watching at least an hour of either French or Spanish everyday. (OK, I was using subtitles on the French). Glossika in French and Spanish and an hour of movies everyday might actually really stimulate my hippocampus between sleep cycles.
I really had trouble with the Spanish in the movie I saw tonight. It was a movie called Una Noche from Cuba. I found myself mentally invoking French "drop the consonant at the end of the word" rule, which of course is wrong for Cuban Spanish, but it made a little of it fall into focus.
Have a good night, or a good morning, everybody

[sfuqua]

OK, 16000 reps in both Spanish and French.
Not much more to say today, I keep starting other activities besides GSR and then stopping them because of scheduling constraints. GSR continues to work and continues to have an effect. It looks like it is going to work as planned. I find that I do better with my pronunciation when I don't try to analyze structure or think about the written form of the language.

I wish I had thoroughly shadowed French Assimil before I started the GSR files. Assimil has some pretty basic survival stuff mixed in that glossika does not cover. I probably just need to read through a phrasebook before going in country.

In rereading the introduction to the GSR program, I noticed that Michael suggests just repeating GSR files, if the learner starts hitting a wall with the course. I plan to do that if I get into trouble, so I have stopped reviewing the GMS-C files each day.

The most solid result I have so far is that I can read French aloud with much more fluency, confidence, and accuracy than I did when I started.

Edited to add a word and fix typos.

[sfuqua]

17000 reps in both Spanish and French. GSR has become easier recently. I'm not sure why. It just seems that both of the languages are just more familiar that they were. I think this is a good sign.

No problems at all.

I've sort of floundered trying to come up with something that fits my lifestyle and is fun. I took off reading in Spanish yesterday and read about 30 pages. It was fun and it was easy. I have the same book in French; I'm going to try the French version later, maybe during lunch.

A quick experiment seemed to show that my French reading is better than it was a few weeks ago.

Maybe I'll come up with some bars in my signature to show what I'm doing with GSR and extensive reading.

[sfuqua]

FR
GSR: 17000 / 60000 60000 reps
reading: 150 / 10000 10000 pages
watching: 270 / 20000 20000 minutes
ES
GSR: 17000 / 60000 60000 reps
reading: 5530 / 10000 10000 pages
watching: 9000 / 20000 20000 minutes

I think the initial version of the Super Challenge showed that 7000-10000 pages of reading will get many learners up to the level where they can read their L2 without a lot of problems with vocabulary; so I put that as the target. 10000 pages will take longer than finishing GSR. Unless I go nuts and start another language; I have a lifetime of input ahead to push my French and Spanish as far as I can.

I based the 20000 minutes of watching on something Cavesa said about what it takes to get to C2. And I've really enjoyed French movies lately, even though it takes a lot of repetition for it to be very meaningful.
edited to add more nonsense

[Xmmm]

I based the 20000 minutes of watching on something Cavesa said about what it takes to get to C2.

I'm skeptical about this number. I've done more than 15000 minutes of TV watching in Italian and I'm something like a B 1.5 in listening.

Maybe if you are already C2 in a couple related languages ... or maybe if you front-load all your reading and vocab and do 20000 minutes of watching on the back end of your TL studies ... or maybe I have less than average linguistic skills (entirely possible).

[sfuqua]

I think she said she was starting from B2 or something. I wouldn't want her to get blamed for my misquote.
Of course there is nothing automatic about some level of improvement from some level of input.

20000 means a lot

[DaveBee]

20000 means a lot

What's that in football stadiums? 6?