Japanese and Mandarin in 50 years, with a lot of detours.

Continue or start your personal language log here, including logs for challenge participants
David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Fri May 08, 2020 1:59 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rtot6vfft9c&t=0s
Un buon video sul dialetto romano o sulla parlata romana di Davide di podcast italiano, un polyglot italiano con un podcast e canale buonissimo. Dimostro un video popolare di Svevo Moltrasio, che non riesco a capire tutto, ma quando lui lo disseziona è molto comprensibile, e se un giorno vivessi in Roma o se passi piu di tempo la giu, credo che posso impararlo con un puo di sforzo. Anche mi abbono al canale di Svevo Moltrasio per piu di pratica. Mi sembra un tipo molto divertente.
0 x

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Fri May 08, 2020 9:50 pm

Anyone have suggestions for low-intermediate level podcasts for learning Chinese? Something preferably that I can download directly with my cell phone rather than go through a website and computer, as I like to listen as I walk, and I’ve been having computer trouble recently so my old podcast popup Chinese is no longer a viable option for me.
0 x

Aloyse
Orange Belt
Posts: 244
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 9:00 am
Languages: Fr (N), EN (C1),
ES (B1?), ZH (B1),
JP (A1), ARB (A1?),
ARQ (A0), KAB (A0)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... php?t=9983
x 603

Re: My language log

Postby Aloyse » Sun May 10, 2020 5:41 am

Do you mean podcasts which can be accessed through an app ?
I'm a bit confused because most smartphones have an internet browser... not having a computed should not prevent using most websites.
1 x
Future me already did it.

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Sun May 10, 2020 11:27 am

Yeah, I like listening to them when out walking my dog, going to work,or grocery shopping and prefer not to use data, so an app would be preferable for me, but unfortunately I know this will limit options.
0 x

Aloyse
Orange Belt
Posts: 244
Joined: Sat Jan 19, 2019 9:00 am
Languages: Fr (N), EN (C1),
ES (B1?), ZH (B1),
JP (A1), ARB (A1?),
ARQ (A0), KAB (A0)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... php?t=9983
x 603

Re: My language log

Postby Aloyse » Sun May 10, 2020 12:01 pm

I don't know what phone you have and what browser you're using.
On my Samsung phone, using the Samsung web browser, when I do a long press on an mp3 link, it opens a contextual menu instead of playing the mp3 directly.
This contextual menu has several options, including "download this link" or "save this link" (not sure what it would be in English). After pressing this, it asks for confirmation that I want to download the file.
So, I download the mp3s at home on Wifi.
When I want to play the file, I use the Samsung File explorer and navigate to "internal storage", then to the "Downloads" folder. There I find my downloaded file and press on it to play it back.
2 x
Future me already did it.

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Sun May 10, 2020 2:02 pm

iPhone 7, which unfortunately all files have to go through iTunes and then downloaded to the phone unless you have a separate app (on podcast app, or japanesepod101 has their own app that I use). There are some workarounds or other pay apps you can purchase that can play downloaded files like a podcast, but this is all getting cumbersome, and for now I still have enough Chinese audio purchased and on file to last me a bit, so I’ve avoided that option. The way you explained sounds like such a more logical way to do things. I want to get a Samsung the next time I upgrade.
1 x

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Thu May 21, 2020 2:34 am

Today I had to use a Bengali interpreter for over 30 minutes, and even with the quite limited Bengali I knew it was so much more enjoyable compared to no knowledge. A month ago I had a similar experience with Sinhalese, and even with my interest in language, when I’m focusing on the task at hand, and waiting for an answer (or hearing them go back and forth for awhile clarifying, while I don’t understand what is going on), it can be frustrating and there’s also the feeling sometimes that the proper information is not conveyed, doubling back and rewording, etc... It can be a challenge and very time consuming. However knowing some Bengali helped me know if he’s talking about things in a positive or negative sense, if the sentence is a question, what number he is saying (if the number is <20), and this helps me stay more engaged and feel connected in the conversation.

It made me think of people who speak French or Spanish And no English, that come to see me, and how happy many of them are when they hear I speak the language (Which they don’t assume due to my Caucasian name and face). Going to a health care provider where you don’t understand the language has got to be a nerve wracking experience, and I always try to empathize and be cognizant of that. Unfortunately, due to the extra time lost through interpretation, I fear many of them Unfortunately don’t get the same amount of time to discuss issues with their providers, which is one of the motivating factors for me to work in a Spanish speaking area. Since I have the ability, I feel it is my duty to try to contribute and help where I can in the community.
6 x

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Sat May 23, 2020 3:06 am

Posted in the book club forum, but since it has to do with my ongoing Russian study will put here My thoughts on the winter queen by Boris Akunin as well:

Briefly, I enjoyed the book for a trainer for learning Russian. A modern book that thematically fits into the the early 2000s (international secret Organisation, conspiracy, lack of trust in leadership) but that takes place in 19th century (a more fun setting in my eyes), so I also get vocabulary that will be useful as I move onto more serious works that were actually written in the 19th century (vocabulary on horses, carriages, military of the time, political positions and formal addresses, etc). It’s the third book of Akunin now that I’ve read, also having read Turkish Gambit and Death of Achilles. I would say Death of Achilles was the best of them, Turkish Gambit and Winter Queen about the same (with the caveat that I still have to finish the book, but now that I started writing and am on a roll I’m just putting all my thoughts out there). Comparing to Metro 2033, I far prefer Akunin.

If you want to read a modern female Russian author (tired of Russian machismo and bravado), then I can suggest Виктория Токарева. Her writing is good. I bought a book of her short stories and read a few years ago, but unfortunately lent it out to someone and never got it back. увы!
1 x

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 4:21 pm

May Language Hours:

In May, I spent a lot of time reading in Russian. I am noticing increased comfort and speed in my Russian reading. I finished the Winter Queen, then this past week went back and read 4 stories by Виктория Токарева that I had read 6 years ago. I remember then struggling with them, looking up words, and taking months to slowly work through them, this time I was able to read them in 5 days, leisurely, and just being able to take the stories in without a dictionary rather than having to study vocabulary and the language.

All of this Russian reading did take slightly away from my Chinese and Japanese. I almost hit my goal, fell short about ~1-2 days worth of study. I've been watching less Japanese television, and actually going into my course book and japanesepod101 lesson transcripts to try to pick up more vocabulary and strengthen my fundamentals. This requires more effort than watching shows, but I think I need to balance out the 2. For Mandarin, I've never found shows or movies that I've enjoyed, so it's all textbook work, podcasts with transcripts, growing up chinese, or reading LingQ. If anyone has Netflix Chinese suggestions, I'm all ears. Netflix has been great for my Japanese, so I'd like to incorporate it more for Mandarin as well.

For next month, I'm going to start a new Mandarin textbook. This week I'm doing a final "fast pass" reading through Assimil and picking up characters that I don't have memorized and reading, and just getting experience reading something that is super familiar to me in Chinese, then I'm going to shelve it for good as I think I've exhausted it as a resource. Once that is done, I'm moving on to John DeFrancis, and will continue to do Chinese listening podcasts while out walking. For Japanese, I'm hoping to finish Genki book I, and continue Japanesepod101 intermediate series with transcripts. I will continue some reading in Russian, but not to the same extent that I did in May and maybe do more podcasts. Maybe ~5-10 hours of Russian, and instead take some time to read Camus in French with the book club here. I have read the stranger in the past, but it's been over a decade and last time I read it quickly, so details are fuzzy.

As for wanderlust, I've still had a constant nag to pick up a Nordic language (which I've mentioned multiple times here now). The only thing that is helping me suppress it is the fact that I'm so torn between Swedish and Norwegian that it helps me not start anything. And as for Norwegian, which I've been leaning towards recently as I think some day I could see myself vacationing awhile in the beautiful Norwegian outdoors, I struggle with picking a variant because I think I would love to visit the West coast, which uses more Nynorsk writing I understand, but urban centers and most texts/resources are written in Bokmal. However I have a friend who is Swedish-American, and there are bit more Swedish speakers and resources available, and I like the sound of Swedish and its use of pitch-accent... So in the end whenever that Sehnsucht bubbles up, I'll pick up something in Dutch for 5-10 minutes and that usually soothes the cravings a bit.

Hace un rato que no escribo en español. En este mes vi con mi esposa la pelicula el laborinto del fauno de Guillermo del Toro que ahora esta en Netflix. Salió cuando estaba en la escuela secondaria, y me gustó mucho. Pero como muchas cosas, con el tiempo mi opinión cambia. Lo que me gustó en este tiempo ahora a revisarle no me impresiona tanto. Prefiero mas complejidad en los personajes y en la trama, los efectos especiales no han envejecidos bien (si se puede decirlo asi en español), y sin la sorpresa del final se pierde un poco de su poder sobre el espectador.

May Hours:
Russian: 19 hours, 40 minutes
Mandarin: 15 hours, 5 minutes
Japanese: 14 hours, 45 minutes
Spanish: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Italian: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Dutch: 1 hour, 15 minutes
French: 1 hour, 10 minutes
German: 30 minutes
Portuguese: 20 minutes
Polish: 15 minutes

2020 Running total:
Japanese: 77 hours, 10 minutes
Mandarin: 76 hours, 25 minutes
Russian: 64 hours, 30 minutes
German: 14 hours, 10 minutes
Spanish: 13 hours, 25 minutes
Italian: 7 hours, 5 minutes
Portuguese: 6 hours, 40 minutes
Levantine Arabic: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Dutch: 5 hours, 0 minutes
French: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Polish: 2 hours, 40 minutes
Bengali: 2 hours, 5 minutes
4 x

David27
Green Belt
Posts: 279
Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2017 8:52 pm
Languages: English (N)
French, Spanish (advanced)
Russian, Portuguese, Italian, German (proficient)
Mandarin, Japanese, Dutch (low-intermediate)
Latin, Polish: (beginner)
Abandoned languages (for now) :( Greek, Czech, Bengali, Arabic, Norwegian
x 987

Re: My language log

Postby David27 » Fri Jul 03, 2020 1:23 pm

Last month was good to me. I had time to exercise, read, study, avoided excessive distractions, and find a good balance. This goes for my language study as well. I had a week off in the first week of June, and in that time I read some Russian short stories and also read l'étranger by Albert Camus. Also just being immersed in the French language again takes me back to 2008, when I did a summer study abroad in Lyon. The host family really took me in and became great friends (even though it was a short period of time, I really feel like I bonded with them), but over time our communication has gotten less frequent, so I felt guilty about that and reached out to them again. I very rarely use French now, but when I actually put a few hours into it in a week, it gives me a nice warm feeling like home to me again.

Outside of that I continued my usual Mandarin studies, except now I started the DeFrancis beginning Chinese reader on top of my other resources. I'm finding it too simple, but I love the way it's broken down and it's a good review of characters, especially helping me learn them in traditional format (which is good for my study to understanding traditional, Japanese, and simplified variants, as a lot of times it seems the Japanese simplified is closer to traditional than the Mandarin simplified). For Japanese I continue supplementing traditional textbook study with television shows. I'm also making good progress through Genki I (>200 pages done). To annoy my wife (in a playful loving way) I've been introducing small Japanese phrases into our everyday life over the past months... saying soooo desu neeee (usually whenever she says something that's pretty clear or obvious), maji de/maji ka for "really?", ittekimasu/itterasshai, Tadaima/okaeri, itadakimasu/gochisousama, etc. And then basic greetings. She now also pretty much knows and can say any of these words and probably has a good 30-50 word active Japanese vocabulary lol.

In the second half of the month, I've changed my podcasts around, and started downloading a lot of Spanish ones to find channels I like, and decreased my Russian listening to maybe 30 minutes a week these past 2 weeks. I've also done a lot more Dutch. I watched an episode of Wie is de Mol? A Dutch reality TV show. I find reality TV to be good for more authentic language input than dramas, as more of it is just everyday greetings and small talk. Though they use the English F word far too often for my comfort. I don't know if this is common for Dutch speakers or just for this group (reality TV does attract certain, how shall we say... 'exuberant' personalities).

Lastly I couldn't resist. Someone somewhere posted about NTNU.edu. And I went to check it out and it was too easy to bookmark the site and do 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there in the last few weeks of Norwegian. I can quit anytime I want... I'm still in control here. 

Japanese: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Mandarin: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Russian: 11 hours, 25 minutes
French: 6 hours, 40 minutes
Spanish: 4 hours, 40 minutes
Dutch: 2 hours, 35 minutes
German: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Italian: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Norwegian: 25 minutes
Portuguese: 15 minutes

2020 Running total:
Japanese: 92 hours, 30 minutes
Mandarin: 91 hours, 45 minutes
Russian: 75 hours, 55 minutes
Spanish: 18 hours, 5 minutes
German: 15 hours, 55 minutes
French: 10 hours, 50 minutes
Italian: 8 hours, 50 minutes
Dutch: 7 hours, 35 minutes
Portuguese: 6 hours, 55 minutes
Levantine Arabic: 6 hours, 15 minutes
Polish: 2 hours, 40 minutes
Bengali: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Norwegian: 25 minutes
6 x


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