Elenia wrote:Reading your update got me all pumped up for you - your commitment and your progress are great to see and all that positivity is infectious! I like your analogy of building the bridges and reclaiming ground. You're using French in such a variety of different ways and, as you said, it is pertinent to your life and your needs right now, so I think you'll be seeing summer soon.
Thanks Elenia
Yeah I think language learning does go that way. In the beginning we have very much words in isolation (particularly if it's our first foreign language with no bridges to other languages either)... as we learn, it seems we just build more and more connections and the islands grow bigger and even join in some areas. It's been difficult doing so much intense study to create strong connections early on. I think for myself entering so many isolated words out of context into my SRS deck from intense study materials that equated to very slow study at times (inefficient really), and meant that my bridges were wooden, in tropical areas, left to rot and rarely having much maintenance except for those I used very frequently. I"ve really got the SRS working for me much better now, my study pace is moving forward as my confidence in my accent is assured and I don't slow down as much to focus on pronunciation (this is something unique to French for me- other languages in the past had nowhere near the amount of focused pronunciation time required). I'm also using more extensive materials- as well as the fact that I've done those hard yards meaning that there are a lot of words now I simply no longer need to look up that probably form the basis of the language (most common words) and all this means i'm speeding up. When I look at your log though (as an example) and see how much reading you do (and I know others read soooo much too) I am still MILES behind in terms of extensive learning. I've never been a big reader, so the focused study has suited me well, but now i'm opening that door. I don't expect to read anywhere near as much as some other learners on here, but eventually i'd like to simply be able to pick up most books and find very few words area an issue (same as my native language) and that conversing and other media simple no longer pose comprehension problems=many years of French learning to come yet.
Thank you for your kind comments btw. We all know though, the journey is not over (is it ever?). As an example, I looked up a word today in the dictionary and found sooo many expressions that I was unfamiliar with and couldn't possibly learn any time soon. My daughter will learn French from me, but it won't be full of idomatic expressions just yet if you know what i mean. Still it's a great head start for her, and a source of motivation and learning for me. I must keep soldiering on so that in a few years I can hopefully use the language much more stylistically with her with a sprinkling of idomatic expressions I have no clue what they would mean right now. It's certainly a journey that's for sure. I just can't fathom studying another language right now, despite really wanting to. I want to make it at least to the C-levels before I wade across to an island where a whole new language is spoken, but at some point I definitely will introduce more langauges, while continuing my French journey.
Cheers,
PM