Gary's TACtivation

[garyb]

I'm just going to post small updates here, I won't start moving posts over or doing any major writing until we know for sure what's happening with HTLAL. Also I don't have loads of time for languages at the moment, so I don't have lots to say and I'd rather spend that limited time on actual study .

At the start of the year I wrote more detail about my goal of "activation" and plans to achieve it on HTLAL. But here's a little summary of my current language learning:

Italian
My main focus at the moment. In particular I'm trying to improve my speaking: conversation ability, pronunciation/accent.
Level: High B2. I'd like to reach C1-ish speaking ability.
Background and motivation: I've met and made friends with a lot of Italians over the years and I like the country, culture, and language.
Currently reading: Testimone inconsapevole by Gianrico Carofiglio (modern crime novel)
Currently watching: Various films and TV, mostly modern comedy and drama, and some Youtube videos: things aimed at learners like "Learn Italian with Lucrezia" and "Sgrammaticando", and some stuff related to music and guitar.
Speaking: I usually converse a few times a week, with Italian friends and a Skype exchange.
Writing: I try to write one log entry in Italian per week, and I do a bit of text chat on Facebook and Skype.

French
For now I've given up trying to get good at speaking French: not useful enough and not enough opportunities. But I'm keeping it alive through input and occasional conversation.
Level: High B2 / low C1.
Background and motivation: I studied French at school, and after several visits to France I decided to pick it up again.
Currently reading: Working through Houellebecq's novels and various other stuff, some modern and some classic.
Currently watching: Around a film per week (all sorts of genres and ages) and some comedy on Youtube.
Speaking: There are a couple of French people who I see and speak to semi-regularly, maybe once or twice a month.
Writing: I write in French occasionally, when I feel like it.

Spanish
I learnt the basics last year (with MT, Assimil, and some input and conversations) then it's been lying dormant since; I want to start studying it again sooner or later.
Level: A2/B1; I understand pretty well thanks to related languages but my speaking is very un-fluent.
Background and motivation: Social and travel - I meet lots of Spanish people, my city is full of them, and I'd like to explore Spain and Latin America one day.
Not reading or watching anything at the moment.
Speaking: I meet a lot of Spanish-speakers socially so I hear and speak it if I want to.
Current plans: nothing definite; I'm thinking of introducing a bit of passive study (film/TV) into the mix later this year if I can find the time, but Italian is still the main priority.

Future language ambitions/dreams
I've been focused on the above three for the last few years and probably will be for the next few, and I'm not much of a dabbler. But I'd also like to learn some Greek (half of my family is from Greece) and at some point in my life I'd like to study German, Russian, and/or Japanese, at least to a basic level.

Travel plans
- Going to London in September, where amongst other things I'll see some Italian friends and visit some famous language bookshops.
- Probably going to Italy sometime in Sept/Oct/Nov for a long weekend or maybe more.
- Considering visiting Spain late this year or early next year. If this becomes definite I'll do a bit more Spanish study.

Methods, strategies, etc.
At the moment my strategy is basically to get a decent amount of input (emphasising material with modern and colloquial language), speak when I can, do a little specific study to improve weak points, and use tools like Anki and DuoLingo for revision. I've done a few lessons through iTalki but at the moment I don't really feel the need or have the time. My progress is slow but usually sure.

If anybody's interested in which particular books/films/series I'm reading and watching, I plan to put a list together soon - it's something I kept meaning to do on HTLAL but never got around to. Plus I'm on Goodreads.

[Serpent]

Welcome!
Team Caesar is by faaar the most active on the new forum

[Elenia]

Good to see you here. I guess none of us really know what's happening with the old forum, or if we'll need to up sticks, but I think it's probably good to keep in the habit of logging (even if only a little bit).

In response to your question on your old log - a day of bookshops sounds like an excellent idea. I'll have to prepare my pocket for that, though!

[garyb]

Now I'm hesitant to post here or on the original HTLAL... But this'll be my third post here so I'll get access to the cool features.

I imagine I'll come by train rather than plane, so I won't have to worry too much about luggage capacity, which has been what's held me back from book shopping on trips to Italy and France. To be honest I'm not sure what I'm looking for, since I'm largely a Kindle convert and I can find most of the Italian stuff I want for that, but I'm sure once I set foot in a bookshop I'll find things I never knew I needed! Plus, French stuff is hard to find for Kindle. Maybe time to start making a list...

Rdearman mentioned on my HTLAL log:
http://www.frenchbookshop.com/
http://www.europeanbookshop.com/contact.php (looks like they also have an Italian bookshop in the same building!)

I've also heard of Foyles, and another one whose name I can't remember.

[Elenia]

It looks like foyles is quite close to the Eurppean bookshop (which I'd never heard of!). Not sure what the other one might be, Foyles and the French Bookshop are the only two I know of. Most of my other foreign language finds are from charity shops. Well, apart from the one time I took a visit to the Russian Bookshop and bought a copy of Master and Margarita in a moment of madness...

[garyb]

Charity shops could be a good shout actually! They didn't cross my mind, since the ones here aren't up to much, but I suppose that just like the regular bookshops they'll be bigger and better in London.

[Elenia]

My charity bookshop mental map is going haywire trying to think of the best ones around Foyles. To be honest, they're very touch and go. I've seen a few newer things, but the offering is mostly classics and obscure titles. I have gotten a few nice things from the second hand section from the Waterstones on Gower Street, but it's mostly out of luck that I find anything I want. Then again, if you're waiting for the books to find you, that would be perfect.

[garyb]

Yeah, charity shops are hit-or-miss which is what attracts me towards the "normal" bookshops. But it's always nice when you find a good deal in them and support a good cause. And I'll be on holiday so I'll have time, especially on weekdays when most of my friends there will be working.

I keep complaining that I've not had any chance to practise my languages recently, so my next post should be in Italian. I was in two minds about whether I want to stay here or go back to the old HTLAL, and I'm still waiting to hear what comes of the current discussions, but if there's one thing that'll convince me towards staying here it's that it won't have that awful feature/bug that capitalises certain words, like changing "italiano" to "Italiano". It's the small things.

[Elenia]

In which case, being around Charing Cross Road can only help. I am always amazed by the quantity of bookshops there, although it is a shame that Blackwell's has moved.

[garyb]

Done a bit of reading and film watching that I can write about, so let's see if my sleep-deprived brain can manage some Italian, with the help of some good coffee of course. First Italian entry on the new forum, exciting times. And a little French too.

Questo weekend dovevo andare in Inghilterra a fare un concerto con il mio gruppo, ma purtroppo il pulmino in cui dovevamo andarci si è guastato il giorno prima e non abbiamo potuto trovare un altro modo per arrivarci senza spendere un botto di soldi e rischiare di non arrivare in orario. È un vero peccato, ma devo guardare il lato positivo: almeno il pulmino si è guastato prima del tragitto e non durante, e inaspettatamente ho avuto un fine settimana libero. Non ho dormito bene ma c'è un altro lato positivo, ho usato il tempo per leggere.

This weekend I was supposed to go to England to play with my band, but unfortunately the van we were supposed to go in broke down the day before and we couldn't find another way to get there without spending a ton of money and risking not arriving in time. It's a real shame, but I need to look on the positive side: at least the van broke down before the journey and not during, and I unexpectedly had a free weekend. I haven't slept well but there's another positive side, I used the time to read.

Ho finito di leggere "Testimone inconsapevole" di Giancarlo Carofiglio, un giallo ambientato a Bari. Tutto sommato il libro mi è piaciuto: malgrado un tema pesante (un avvocato depresso combatte per un extracomunitario imputato per la rapina e l'omicidio di un bambino) è di una lettura abbastanza leggera a parte il vocabolario giudiziale. Nonostante la trama fosse un po' prevedibile e cliché, i personaggi e gli eventi erano interessanti dal punto di vista psicologico - si vede che l'autore ha fatto la sua ricerca - e la storia era a momenti buffa e a momenti triste. È l'esordio dello scrittore e il primo libro di una serie, e forse seguirò con altri suoi libri.

I finished reading "Involuntary Witness" by Giancarlo Carofiglio, a crime novel set in Bari. All things considered I liked the book: despite a heavy theme (a depressed lawyer fights for an immigrant accused of the kidnapping and murder of a child) it was quite a light read aside from the judicial vocabulary. Although the plot was a bit predictable and clichéd, the characters and events were interesting from a psychological perspective - you can see that the author did his research - and the story was funny at moments and sad at moments. It's the writer's debut and the first book of a series, and maybe I'll continue with other books of his.

Ho iniziato un altro libro, "Come dio comanda" di Niccolò Ammaniti. Ho già letto tutti i suoi altri libri - i romanzi e i racconti - e avevo lasciato questo per ultimo perché in generale viene considerato il peggiore, e poi è lungo. Diciamo che lo leggo per completezza.

I've started another book, "The crossroads" by Niccolò Ammaniti. I've already read all his other books - the novels and the short stories - and I had left this one for last because it's generally considered his worst, plus it's long. Basically I'm reading it for completeness.

Ho anche trovato il tempo per guardare un film, "Amarcord" di Fellini. Adesso mi confesso: ormai ho visto quattro o cinque suoi film e non fanno per me, non ci capisco. Succedono delle cose, ci sono momenti buffi, ci sarà un messaggio serio da qualche parte, ma il tutto mi sembra incoerente e non riesco a seguire. Mi arrendo.

I also found the time to watch a film, "Amarcord" by Fellini. Now I'll confess: I've now seen four or five of his films and they're not for me, I don't get them. Some things happen, there are funny moments, there must be a serious message somewhere, but as a whole it seems incoherent and I can't follow. I give up.

J'ai commencé aussi un livre français, pour changer un peu et pour ne pas délaisser complètement mon français : "Zénith Hôtel" d'Oscar Coop-Phane. C'est un roman qui raconte la journée d'une prostituée et parle de quelques-uns de ces clients. J'en ai déjà lu la moitié, c'est un livre court et je lis beaucoup plus vite en français qu'en italien, et... il est un peu bizarre, difficile à dire si ça me plaît ou non.

I also started a French book, for a bit of a change and to not completely neglect my French: "Zénith Hôtel" by Oscar Coop-Phane. It's a novel that narrates a prostitute's day and talks about some of her clients. I've already read half of it, it's a short book and I read French much faster than Italian, and... it's a bit strange, difficult to say whether I like it or not.