Postby galaxyrocker » Fri Dec 29, 2023 2:25 am
It's been a while since I've posted, but I guess it'd be good to give an update and discuss some of my plans for 2024. So I'll consider this the start of my 2024 log, though I have a feeling it's going to be another year of very sporadic posting, even if I do frequent the forum.
2023 in Review
Out of all my goals, I've achieved maybe one of them, and that was continuing with French. I've read over 1000 pages of French stuff this year, finished two entire books. I've got one waiting for me back in Dublin, but will have to get some French books soon. Sadly, Ireland's libraries don't have many in French, nor does my university library. The good news is, I've found I can pretty much read French quite well without a dictionary, at least simple stuff like this. I should probably switch to fiction to branch out and expand my vocabulary there, but I think doing some Celtic studies stuff might actually be better - it'll allow me to get a fuller range of vocab in the field I want to study, and the reason I picked up French again in the first place. I haven't done much active stuff, though I do listen to podcasts. I've found some neat ones on the history of Rome, a philosophy one and one I've listened to on esoteric stuff (even if it's not as academic as I'd like). Hopefully these will lead me to more. I'd also be open to any TV show recommendations, even though I rarely watch TV in any language. I downloaded Tandem, but haven't had much luck finding people who don't just want to resort to English all the time. Maybe I'll get lucky!
With Irish, I need to work on removing anglicisms from my speech, and really focusing on my pronunciation. That said, I gave my first professional talk in Irish this year, on the metaphors/imagery that was used in proverbs dealing with death from the three main proverb collections. It was nice to do it, even if I was dead nervous and rushed through my talk. Practice is what is needed, and I made some good connections with the two other people who are working in the field of Irish phraseology/paremiology as well as with a few others. Got some more reading recommendations as well for academic literature on the topic. Overall, it was a great conference (and everything except my dinners was fully paid for!)
All the other goals have pretty much been failed. I've dabbled in the other languages some, but never stuck with them. So it goes, really. I'm not too worried about it, though I do need to get focused.
2024 Goals
These are going to be about as ambitious as last years. My visa will come up in 2024 in Ireland and unless there's a job waiting for me, it means I'll have to leave. To that ends, since I'm uncertain about wanting to return to the States quite yet (being at home makes me want to, but there's other reasons not to), that means Brest or international school teaching. I've applied to some jobs already for the latter, but am focusing on Brest as I feel if I return in the future without doing it I'll forever regret it, and if it leads to a PhD all the better even if I don't stick around in academia afterwards.
So, for 2024 I'll likely be working on getting my reading skills up to par. That means mostly focusing on Latin and the Old Celtic languages. However, I got a book on Old English for Christmas, so will likely work through that at a much slower pace. It helps that as long as I can get reading skills in these languages, I'm good. I've gotten some books on Old French too, and have found the best ones are written in French. So that'll be killing two birds with one stone.
Now, I don't want to overextend myself like I did at the beginning of 2023, but I only have a 5 teaching hours this coming term (so far, it can change until the term starts), so honestly I really don't have any excuses time-wise. I have pretty much all the free time in the world. That said, I want to develop some other hobbies, and other languages do always call me. Indeed, I'll be taking Genki back with me to Ireland just in case Brest doesn't work out either and I get the international teaching gig in Japan (I've applied to a few there, but they generally don't accept first time international school teachers in Japan due to the demand). One of those 'just in case' things. As for the other hobbies, I hope to return to martial arts if I stay in Ireland, though otherwise I need to save. I do hope to travel more, and get more into cooking instead of eating out alone as much as I do. Otherwise, it's mostly a fitness-oriented year for me. I gained a bit of weight this past year, despite averaging almost 10k walking a day, and I really need to work on getting back into shape and cutting my calorie count (thus the cooking). But language goals are the main focus: Old Irish, Middle Welsh and Latin, with dabblings of Old French and Old English on the side. As said I hope that, since it's all for reading, it'll be a bit easier and I don't have the worry I do with my (lack of) French active skills.
With French itself, I just want to improve my speaking/writing. Ideally, I'll find someone in Dublin who I can meet with, or via Tandem. Even if I just practiced my writing skills, it'd be great. Perhaps one of the Write Streak subreddits could be useful for that? It honestly might be best to just pay someone on iTalki though. We'll just have to see what happens though, really.
I might also take up another job when I return to Dublin, just to help save more for France if I do the masters there. If I do that, I hope to actually use some of the money I'll earn to do an immersion course in France. Actually, I hope to do that regardless of whether I stay in Ireland or move to France, but it all comes down to finances, especially as I want to travel more if I stay in Ireland (which I can, since I won't need to save as much each month). Either way, I think I'll end up in Brest at some point as long as I don't go the international teaching route, it's just a matter of when (next year, or after I get Irish citizenship).
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