Re: PM’s French Re-entry into the Matrix - Phase 1: 500 Hours Extensive Reading

[PeterMollenburg]

I’m done with this log (for now). It’s become meandering waffle, I’ve little to say, my direction is changing, there’s both too much politics within and not enough. I’m also kinda tired of my own BS and not as keen with logging currently. Maybe I’ll start another log maybe I won’t. My activities shall be limited to the overseeing of the 365 day Challenge. Thank you all for your help along the way, there’s been an incredible amount of it, and it’s been absolutely invaluable for my progress. Throw a turd over your middle shoulder.

[PeterMollenburg]

It didn’t take long and I didn’t expect to be doing this, but I’m resurrecting this log. Why? Because I’m resurrecting my French course mission. I’m sure I’ve said this several times already but this is the last attempt just yet another attempt to plough through all my French courses. It’s a burden over my head and I cannot seem to move on without accomplishing this. Call it fixation, call it perfectionism, call it stupidity, call it determination, call it nothing at all as it warrants no attention. This may fail, whatever ‘fail’ means, but I must attempt it. This time I am more determined than ever to succeed, whatever ‘succeed’ means.

Since this thread If you had 3 hours a day, could you advance well in 6 or 7 languages? made me ponder where the hell I’d find the time to study so many languages AND complete all my French courses, well in the end it made me think/feel yet again that I must get RID of all the French courses on my list. Well only one way to rid myself of them right? Complete them!

Okay, there are plenty of people that will not think much of this, will want to criticise my direction here, will ignore what I am saying (I would too) or probably won’t even read this because they’re tired of reading such garbage, tired of my constant change of plans and direction and tired of my perfectionism, ignorance, pig-headedness, conspiracy crap, offensive posts, and well they’ve got much better things to do with their time.

Well we’re in a new house now, back close to my family in my home town and I’ve already done more exercise in the last week than I have for a good while. It’s good - I’ll have the influence of sporty people in my family to keep me healthy because for too long I studied like mad and failed to maintain a good exercise routine.

Arabic is gone. Temptation to commence Spanish and Norwegian almost eradicated. Dutch studies on hold. But, since I have started reading in Dutch to the kids, I will continue with 30 min/day reading Dutch to them and I will occasionally maybe read a Spanish story too. This way, when these languages become more active in our lives and in my studies the transition will be rather smooth, I hope.

After reading MamaPata’s log and the Dalf C1 success, I’d like to follow that path too, however, yet again, I have a road block. Can’t go around it, can’t go over it, can’t go under it, must go through it. I’m debating whether to return to SRS. I think I will.

I’ll update my log this time around, not with ramblings, not with conspiracies, not when procrastinating, but when I complete a course.

I ask for those desperate to criticise my approach here to hold their tongue. I’m doing this regardless and criticism will not steer me off my course I know what some of you might be thinking, and if I were you, I’d think the same. This lesson needs to be learned (yet again).

[Carmody]

[eido]

I’m doing this regardless and criticism will not steer me off my course...

...courses?

[rdearman]

yet again that I must get RID of all the French courses on my list.

Good idea! Take them all to the nearest charity shop and let somone else get some benefit from them while you move on with your life.

[Sarafina]

Good luck. Which courses do you have left to finish? I wish that I had your disclipine when it comes to using courses. It would be really beneficial to my French if I actually devoted an hour to two a day into finishing the small handful of French pronunciation/grammar courses that I have.

[iguanamon]

As they say in Star Wars- "May the course be with you", PM!

[PeterMollenburg]

yet again that I must get RID of all the French courses on my list.

Good idea! Take them all to the nearest charity shop and let somone else get some benefit from them while you move on with your life.

I could seriously imagine the charity shops flatly refusing them here, even in many parts of Australia, so I’m doing them and everyone else a favour by hanging onto them.

...on the moving on with my life. This IS my life

Good luck. Which courses do you have left to finish? I wish that I had your disclipine when it comes to using courses. It would be really beneficial to my French if I actually devoted an hour to two a day into finishing the small handful of French pronunciation/grammar courses that I have.

I will not list them here. I’d be run out of town (a.k.a. LLORG) on grounds of insanity. But like I said to rdearman I’m doing everyone else a favour, that’s the sort of helpful guy I am.

As they say in Star Wars- "May the course be with you", PM!

I don’t remember them saying that, but I’m sure it’s correct. It has me concerned though because there is a conspiracy theory around Star Wars and Star Trek (and many other films/series), that... hmmm well I won’t go into it actually. I’ll just leave you with one word ‘pre-programming’ and if it’s a valid theory and they did indeed say ‘May the... ahem... French.... ahem... courseS be with you’ (quoting you exactly there, iguanamon), then I have been programmed well and truly!

Hold up... i’m nowhere near as fanatical as some other Star Wars/Star Trek language learner fans out there.... Is there something a little bit wrong with me ? No, no, it’s fine, it’s just the water! (distilled, spiked with fulvic acid).

[PeterMollenburg]

Good luck. Which courses do you have left to finish? I wish that I had your disclipine when it comes to using courses. It would be really beneficial to my French if I actually devoted an hour to two a day into finishing the small handful of French pronunciation/grammar courses that I have.

Okay I changed my mind. Thank you for the compliment, Sarafina, btw, and thank you for the good luck wishes. Seems like I like running fromthe law, I mean the forum, no, my own ridiculous nature is what I'm running from. Although I'm not running, I'm just sitting here. Just thought I'd mention that in case some of you get confused and actually think I am running, coz I'm not. So here's my lists, beginning with courses I have completed in French which has hardly budged much in a very long time:

FRENCH COURSES COMPLETED

1 First Thousand Words in French
2 Hugo French in 3 Months
3 Colloquial French
4 Usborne French Dictionary for Beg's
5 Michel Thomas Total French
6 Michel Thomas Perfect French
7 Michel Thomas Masterclass French
8 Pimsleur French I
9 Fluenz French I
10 Pimsleur French II
11 French all talk - Linguaphone
12 Learn French with Paul Noble
13 Rocket French Premium
14 Fluenz French 2
15 Mastering French 1 (FSI units 1-6)
16 Pimsleur French III
17 Living Language Essential French
18 Pimsleur French IV
19 Fluenz French 3
20 Rocket French Premium Plus
21 Assimil New French with Ease
22 Rocket French Platinum
23 Pimsleur French V
24 Teach Yourself Get Started in French
25 Fluenz French 4
26 DLI : Headstart for Belgium
27 Living Language Intermediate French
28 CLE : Gram Prog du FR (débutant)
29 Assimil Using French
30 Glossika EN-FR Level 1
31 Glossika EN-FR Level 2
32 Glossika EN-FR Level 3

What follows are a handful of vocabulary resources. They are not part of my must do course list, they are side projects, that can even be worked on alongside native content here in there in the process of acquiring more vocabulary in an abstract way. I expect to be referring to/using these vocab resources sporadically throughout my French journey, courses or not.

VOCABULARY RESOURCES
1. Michel Durand's Words, Phrases & Sentences
2. French Vocabulary Lists
3. CLE : Vocabulaire Progressif du Français (débutant)
4. CLE : Vocabulaire Progressif du Français (intermédiaire)
5. A Frequency Dictionary of French (5000 words)
6. Bilingual French Visual Dictionary (6000 words)
7. FR - EN/NL speakers (9000 wds)
8. CLE : Vocabulaire Progressif du Français (avancé)
9. Barron's Mastering French Vocab.
10. Van Dale Groot Beeldwoordenboek (EN/NL/DE/FR/ES) (22,500 words)
11. Mot à Mot New Advanced French Vocabulary
12. Streetwise French Dict / Thesarus
13. Dirty French
14. CLE : Vocabulaire Progressif du Français (perfectionnement)

And here is my massive list of courses. I'm currently working on numbers 1, 2 and 3 as of the last couple of days. I'm not focusing on any components of courses that I know like the back of my hand. In the beginning sections of numbers 1 and 2 for example I'm flying through pages as it's stuff I've covered before, i'm just mining for unkown words and contstructions, avoiding much of the English waffle in Vis-à-vis and not caring too much about detail at the beginner's stages. Unlike in the past, I will not listen to every piece of audio, read every piece of text nor do every exercise. When the content becomes harder I'll slow down and focus.

Tous Mes Manuels et Programmes d’ordinateur :
1. Living Language Advanced French
2. Vis-à-vis
3. Practice Makes Perfect : The French Subjunctive
4. Fluenz French 5
5. La prononciation française pour de vrai (DVD)
6. The Ultimate French Verb Review and Practice
7. Cortina Method : Conv. FR in 20 Lessons
8. The Berlitz Self Teacher French
9. CLE : Gram. en dialogues (déb)
10. Assimil French Without Toil
11. Le Mauger Bleu I : up to Leçon 25 (piste 5, 02,26)
12. Tell Me More (Beginner’s)
13. CLE : Gram Prog du FR (1inter)
14. CLE : Gram. en dialogues (inter)
15. Le Mauger Bleu II
16. Hugo French Advanced
17. Tell Me More (Int-Adv)
18. Colloquial French 2
19. French in Action : up to Leçon 19
20. Le Français par la méthode nature
21. FSI Basic French Vol 1: up to Piste 60, 12,12, A-7
22. Tell Me More (levels 1-10)
23. Le Mauger Bleu III
24. French Verbs Made Simple(r)
25. TY French Grammar
26. The Ultimate FR Rev. & Practice
27. Pract. makes Per. Adv French Gram.
28. DLI French Basic Course
29. CLE : Gram. en dialogues (avancé)
30. CLE : Gram Prog du FR (avancé)
31. Tell Me More (Business/advanced)
32. FSI Basic French Vol 2
33. Linguaphone Français Deuxième étape
34. Peace Corps - Le français basé sur la compétence : Avancé
35. Assimil Business French
36. CLE : Gram Prog du FR (perfect.)
37. French in Action (3rd ed.)
38. Peace Corps - Le français basé sur la compétence : Supérieure
39. Le Mauger Bleu IV
40. Le français des infirmiers
41. Streetwise French
42. Learn French with Jokes 1
43. Learn French with Jokes 2
44. Production écrite : niv. B1 / B2
45. Réussir le Delf B2
46. Préparation à l’examen du Delf B2
47. Activités pour le cadre européen commun de référence : niveau b2
48. Production écrite : niv. C1 / C2
49. Réussir le Dalf : niveaux C1 et C2
50. Dalf C1 : Tests complets corrigés

Although I did an hour yesterday and 3 hours today, i'm going to get serious from tomorrow. I'll be working on all kinds of tricks to milk more time out of my day without ruining my day to day life outside of language learning. This means eating really well, excellent sleep routine, avoiding distractions (no courses aren't distractions, are they? ), exercising regularly, basically becoming a robot, which I've always wanted to be. Here's to May 1st, course mission (drinks to self, Kombucha, of course). Peace out

Oh and i'll aim to do semi-regular posts, perhaps monthly on how much ground I've covered.

[StringerBell]

Wow, I didn't even know they made that many courses!

I have some questions, and I hope this doesn't seem like criticism, because I am asking out of genuine curiosity and I don't want you to assume there is any kind of judgment on my part (I'm actually really impressed that you've been able to do so many courses!)

1) Do you feel that you got something really worthwhile (skill increases) in doing those 32 beginner courses that you wouldn't have still gotten from doing 5 or 10 of them?

2) If you had to start from scratch knowing what you know now, would you have done anything differently? (not done certain courses at all, done them in a different order, done more courses, etc...)

3) What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses in French at this point? In knowing that your level is close to (if not already at C1) some of the courses you still want to do seem like they are very much below your current level (unless I'm mistaken) so I'm curious to hear what skills/problem areas you think these courses will improve.

Specifically, what do you think these courses can offer you at your current level: Cortina Method : Conv. FR in 20 Lessons, The Berlitz Self Teacher French, Assimil French Without Toil, Tell Me More (Beginner’s), Le Français par la méthode nature, FSI Basic French Vol 1: up to Piste 60, 12,12, A-7, Tell Me More (levels 1-10), French Verbs Made Simple(r), TY French Grammar, DLI French Basic Course, FSI Basic French Vol 2

4) Do you do this many courses because you feel like you need a lot of repetition to really "get" some of this stuff, or is it because you find that there are massive holes in each course that need to be supplemented by different courses? I can totally understand doing 1 or 2 grammar courses at an intermediate or advanced level, but what's the reasoning behind doing 10 grammar books? I guess my long-winded question is: is the purpose of doing this many courses to fill in major gaps that they all have, or is it about seeing the same lessons multiple times in slightly different ways because that's what helps you to understand better?