I'd been hoping to start my new log on the first but life got in the way (as it does) and besides, it's kind of nice to start off the year a little late--takes the pressure off.
Anyway, I'm Charlotte. I lurk a lot more than I post, though I've been on this forum and the old HTLAL for years. I have a long and chequered history with languages, which in 2017 included improving my German a lot to finish my MA, without focusing much time on any other languages.
I'm starting 2018 then as a recent graduate slowly sliding into her mid-20s and with an awful lot of free time. Both my degrees are language-related (German & Mandarin; translation) so I have interconnected career goals with my language goals, though my key word for this year is definitely consistency.
Onto the languages!
German | Deutsch
My oldest friend; I've been learning German since I was in school and I'm almost in a place where I'd say I'm fluent. (Only to non-German speakers though! ) German was my L2 for my translation degree (i.e., I translate German to English) and so, despite not speaking the language much in 2017, I still noticed a marked improvement from all the reading I was doing. However, I also went back to Vienna for a week in December and my listening skills are absolutely not where they should be (soooo rusty), so there's still a fair bit I've got to work on.
Focus Areas:
- Listening: podcasts, TV/film, conversation
- Vocabulary: target specific areas related to translation interests, nail down common words with multiple meanings
- Output: output challenge
Spanish | Español
I started learning Spanish the year after I first began German, but I've never given it the same amount of focus. Part of this is because I always think Spanish should be easier than it is and so I get frustrated when I have to try (ridiculous, I know), but I've been to Spain three or four times in the last few years and I love it. My wildly fluctuating level of Spanish is enough to deal with most situations (probably A2/B1 but with some massive gaps), but I want to improve this. I need to stop trying to go back to the beginning with Spanish and just deal with it the way I did with German: start reading, though I don't feel ready; watch things (with subtitles); and fill in the gaps as they arise.
Focus Areas:
- Input: read and listen (esp. podcasts), take part in the Super Challenge from May (presumably?), don't worry about understanding everything
- Output: output challenge
- Grammar: targeted grammar practice, especially for tenses
Mandarin | 中文
Mandarin was the other half of my bachelor's degree and in the four years I studied, I got to a fairly good level. This was significantly helped by the fact that I had some previous exposure (some classes at school) and got the chance to visit China on multiple occasions. Since finishing that first degree, I've let my Mandarin slide--and there's really no good excuse. Speaking is still kind of okay, but I've never been able to read well and I've definitely forgotten a tonne of characters.
Focus Areas:
- Duolingo: finish tree for revision
- Characters: practise reading and writing; I find it makes characters easier to remember
- Input: SC, reading and listening, have to remember not to give up when it's slow-going
Basque | Euskara
Basque is my semi-new 2018 language. I say semi-new because I tried to learn some Basque in 2017 but never carved out enough time--but I also never went past the first couple of units in Colloquial Basque. I've wanted to learn Basque for years just because it looks so interesting, as does the Basque Country and culture, but a lack of resources has meant I'd need more time to dedicate to it. I have collected a bunch of things together now (including the Assimil course, which uses Spanish as a base) and there's the added bonus that if I did learn it to a high standard, I could translate into English, which would be a lot of fun.
Focus Areas:
- Use Colloquial Basque / Assimil to get a good base
- Input: watch TV (cartoons/kid's shows); read (probably Harry Potter?)
- Output: from the get-go, though not enough to complete the output challenge in this language
I'd like to say they're the only languages I'll focus on this year, but moving back home last September means I'm suddenly exposed to a lot more Polish (ahh, the British Midlands), which means I'm getting the urge to try that out too. I'm also fighting the desire to start learning Japanese and/or Korean (not helped by the fact I recently found out about the TTMIK app), but they definitely aren't on the table for at least the first few months.
And, as usual, I might be being ambitious, but considering all I do right now is work part-time, this seems like the best year for it. Plus, it's fun to start a new year being uncontrollably optimistic!
Here's to everyone's best year, no matter your goals!