Lawyer&Mom, Less is More (French & German)

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Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:38 pm

Well for all the talk of Russian Assimil and German Tagesshau, both have fallen by the wayside. I’m still doing some Clozemaster in both languages, but my focus has redoubled on French. (If I were an Olympic athlete in French, the Russian and German Clozemaster would be the cross-training they would show in my background clip. “Look at her struggle with Cyrillic! That will build valuble mental strength she’ll need in the French compulsories!”)

I really feel like I’m approaching a breakthrough with my French. I’m really enjoying FSI French, and super glad I waited a year or so before starting this course. I can really focus on the minutia of pronunciation and grammar because I’m already comfortable with comprehension and intonation.

It’s a nice time to remember that this is a language that actually has a defined goal and deadline: I want to teach my kids French. I’d like to be at least a B2 by the time my oldest starts third grade so I have three years. This is totally doable. Maybe I should raise the bar? C1?
1 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Mon Apr 23, 2018 8:05 pm

Just finished reading a summer camp romance written for 10 year olds. (No really, it says so on the cover. Cœur Grenadine: Passion de lire à partir de 10-11 ans.) And it was a translation too! So yes, easy reading. But it got me back on the reading bandwagon, and it fit so well into my purse. Must keep an eye out for more really young YA.
3 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:56 pm

I’ve been playing with Clozemaster and Norwegian. Perhaps you all can help me solve a mystery? The App on my iPhone says Norwegian TTS is not supported on my device. But I know my phone has Norwegian TTS. I even downloaded the enhanced voice! Meanwhile I can use Norwegian TTS on my Mac computer, both Firefox and Safari.

Why not my iPhone!?!

Is it some kind of licensing thing? That would be very annoying, if app developers had to pay to use what is suppposed to be an accessibility feature. Grr.
0 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Sun Apr 29, 2018 4:52 am

Still flirting with Norwegian. Even without TTS, it’s been added to the daily iPhone Clozemaster rotation. I’ve also been poking around the SuperNRK website. The pickings are slimmer outside of Norway (without a VPN), but there is still plenty of kids content to choose from. If I watch with Norwegian subs, I can follow just fine.

Someone, and I wish I remembered who, recently recommended Deutsche Welle as a good source of non-German content. They were using it for Spanish. I decided to check it out for French. A lot of it was aimed at Francophone Africa, but I really liked Vue d’Allemagne. Each episode is between 12 and 20 minutes, which is kind of the sweet spot, and it’s general interest topics about Germany and Europe. (Hey, I have a general interest in these topics!) The French is definitely aimed at native speakers, but they don’t assume familiarity with the topics, so additional context and explanations are provided which helps me as a non-native listener. A nice find!
1 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Wed May 02, 2018 2:22 am

Thoughts at Goodwill: Do I already own The Little Prince in French? At $1.29 does it matter?
4 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
x 3767

Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Wed May 02, 2018 4:30 am

Yay! Can confirm the book I already owned was Der Kleine Prinz! I have not spent $1.29 in vain!
2 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

User avatar
aokoye
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1818
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 6:14 pm
Location: Portland, OR
Languages: English (N), German (~C1), French (Intermediate), Japanese (N4), Swedish (beginner), Dutch (A2)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=19262
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby aokoye » Wed May 02, 2018 5:59 am

Lawyer&Mom wrote:Thoughts at Goodwill: Do I already own The Little Prince in French? At $1.29 does it matter?

There is a very large Goodwill near my therapist's office and I've managed not to give into the temptation and go on my way there or back. It has generally either been an issue of forgetting or of flat out not having the time. I honestly really only want to go for the books. Maybe after Spring term ends or on a day when I don't have choir right after, whichever comes first.
0 x
Prefered gender pronouns: Masculine

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
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Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Wed May 02, 2018 4:06 pm

We Goodwill weekly. I look at foreign language books, my husband checks out the records and CDs, the kids explore the kids section. Something for everyone.

It can be frustrating to be surrounded by so many good English books. All the classics, quality popular fiction and non-fiction... Sure, there is plenty of schlock, but you could do read really well using just my Goodwill. Except I don’t do any reading in English! I fantasize about creating ESL care-packages... Someone should benefit from
all these books (and my ability to pick them!)
1 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
x 3767

Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Thu May 03, 2018 7:33 pm

My first SC book! Suzie la Chipie by Barbara Park. (French translation of Junie B. Jones.) The one where a stomach virus threatens the school play of the Christopher Columbus story. Susie gets to be the Piñta!

Hey, it was fun. The language is lively, fast-paced, lots of dialogue. Added bonus: kid-level descriptions of bodily functions. So there was useful vocabulary.

If I came across another in the series, I would buy it. Only 100 words per page (average is at least 300), plus some illustrations, so I’ll divide the 120 pages by four, and call it 30 pages towards my goal!
5 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5

Lawyer&Mom
Blue Belt
Posts: 980
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2018 6:08 am
Languages: English (N), German (B2), French (B1)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... =15&t=7786
x 3767

Re: Lawyer&Mom does it all (French, German, Russian)

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Sat May 05, 2018 3:03 am

Quite pleased with my next SC book(s). It’s a compilation of three Harlequin romances. The level is a dream: written for grown-ups, but not *too* literary. Plenty of unknown vocabulary, but not whole paragraphs of scene setting and world making. (I’m looking at you, Eragon!) Just a southern belle alone at her father’s plantation and a world weary cowboy... what could go wrong?
5 x
Grammaire progressive du français -
niveau debutant
: 60 / 60

Grammaire progressive du francais -
intermédiaire
: 25 / 52

Pimsleur French 1-5
: 3 / 5


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