Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix
Posted: Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:46 pm
93 hours of French in August.
Best total for a month since August '18.
Spot on average of 3 hours/day.
Principal areas of French language study:
TV = 26 hours 47 min
Extensive reading = 22 hours 55 min
Exam prep books = 22 hours 48 min
Intensive reding/vocab acquisition = 10 hrs 16 min
Standard courses (as opposed to exam prep books/manuals) = 5 hours 52 min
Podcasts = 5 hours 14 min
Language tutoring sessions = 3 hours
Audio books = 20 min
My tutor in the last session mentioned that she felt that my speaking ability would be the easiest component for me for the exam, and writing likely the toughest. She advised that I divide my specific exam preparation study time betwen listening activities and writing activities. I've been hitting the exam books, but I feel as if I've not made it that far, because I haven't. The academic writing styles are a bit of a headache for me, likely because it's a very new aspect of French learning for me, so I'm definitely finding it challenging. Not the writing of French language itself, so much, but the techniques - le compte rendu, le résumé, la synthèse de documents, all of which require specific rules and skills in drawing out the required information to be presented in a very specific manner. Anyway, I shall move forward and hope that it all comes to together somewhat through daily application via the exam prep material and other 'training'.
I know it's dangerous for me to make declarations, but I'll do it anyway - I'm hoping I'll pass the 100 hour mark with French in September for the first time since my beginning of seious French study back in January 2014, when I completed 133 hours! I started with a bang back then, but I'd be pretty pleased with myself if I could just surpass the 100 hour mark for the second time since that début, oh so long ago.
Best total for a month since August '18.
Spot on average of 3 hours/day.
Principal areas of French language study:
TV = 26 hours 47 min
Extensive reading = 22 hours 55 min
Exam prep books = 22 hours 48 min
Intensive reding/vocab acquisition = 10 hrs 16 min
Standard courses (as opposed to exam prep books/manuals) = 5 hours 52 min
Podcasts = 5 hours 14 min
Language tutoring sessions = 3 hours
Audio books = 20 min
My tutor in the last session mentioned that she felt that my speaking ability would be the easiest component for me for the exam, and writing likely the toughest. She advised that I divide my specific exam preparation study time betwen listening activities and writing activities. I've been hitting the exam books, but I feel as if I've not made it that far, because I haven't. The academic writing styles are a bit of a headache for me, likely because it's a very new aspect of French learning for me, so I'm definitely finding it challenging. Not the writing of French language itself, so much, but the techniques - le compte rendu, le résumé, la synthèse de documents, all of which require specific rules and skills in drawing out the required information to be presented in a very specific manner. Anyway, I shall move forward and hope that it all comes to together somewhat through daily application via the exam prep material and other 'training'.
I know it's dangerous for me to make declarations, but I'll do it anyway - I'm hoping I'll pass the 100 hour mark with French in September for the first time since my beginning of seious French study back in January 2014, when I completed 133 hours! I started with a bang back then, but I'd be pretty pleased with myself if I could just surpass the 100 hour mark for the second time since that début, oh so long ago.