log

[FluffyGreenBunnies]

I'm currently learning Spanish.

It went like this.

Jan 25: I should learn Japanese.

       Start learning the kana, get motivated cause it's so easy.

       Start researching how to learn languages.

Jan 27: Wow, I've spent the past two days reading about language learning. Develop irrational (if not warranted) aversion to textbooks.

Feb 4: Start Anki.

Feb 7: 1.2 million hours of research later, realize I'd already be fluent if I'd focused on learning instead of learning how to learn.

Feb 8: Research more. Find Kodansha Kanji Learner Course (KKLC), start it.

Feb 9: Making great progress. Japanese is easy!

Mar 2: ... Switch to Spanish.


Apr 19: Present day. I did continue reviewing Japanese and learning a few new kanji a day in Anki until April 4th, mostly cause I had a streak going. Spent a total of about twenty-five and a half hours (22m/day avg) learning Japanese. (Probably 20 times that reading about learning Japanese.)

I have a 48 day streak of Spanish study; about 17 hours since Mar 2 (~21m/day avg), 11 hours of that in Anki. On April 5th--after realizing that despite knowing like 400 Spanish words, I didn't know any actual Spanish--I quit Anki and switched to Assimil Spanish with Ease (1987), which I like better. Ten minutes in Anki, even though I enjoyed it, felt like a lifetime.

I'm also using the LR method with Harry Potter, where I listen in Spanish to the audiobook and read in English.

I may use,

• Language Transfer Spanish
  
• Superbeginner Dreaming Spanish
  
• Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish
  
• Destinos
  
• Extr@

I'd like to get my average time per day doubled, to 45m a day of Spanish.

[dedalus66]

How is your study going?

[renaissancemedici]

I laughed so much with your

Feb 9: Making great progress. Japanese is easy!

Mar 2: ... Switch to Spanish.

I've been there...

Good luck with your studies!

[FluffyGreenBunnies]

Thanks!

Going good. 54 day streak. My average time is up to 29m/day, and would be 34 if it weren't for the 21st when I only rushed through one Assimil lesson.

Right now I'm doing an Assimil lesson, some Michel Thomas (just started yesterday), and some Destinos every day. I'll probably resume Harry Potter once I'm done with MT or Destinos, which should be by next month.

Not sure if Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish is worth reading if I'm doing MT. Anyone done both?

[zjones]

54 day streak. My average time is up to 29m/day, and would be 34 if it weren't for the 21st when I only rushed through one Assimil lesson.

About how much time do you spend on Assimil per day? Also, if you don't mind me asking, are you using any particular method (like the Passive/Active Wave) with the Assimil? Great job on your 54 day streak, by the way... that's awesome!

[FluffyGreenBunnies]

54 day streak. My average time is up to 29m/day, and would be 34 if it weren't for the 21st when I only rushed through one Assimil lesson.

About how much time do you spend on Assimil per day? Also, if you don't mind me asking, are you using any particular method (like the Passive/Active Wave) with the Assimil? Great job on your 54 day streak, by the way... that's awesome!

Right now lessons are taking me 12-20 minutes.

Yeah, I'm using the steps from I think the Dutch version?

I have these as a checklist in Evernote, and I go through them for each lesson:

1. Listen. It does not matter if you do not understand what is said.

2. Listen / read English.

3. Read Foreign aloud [I skip the aloud part]. Be sure you understand the meaning of each sentence, comparing it with the translation as required.

4. Read the Foreign without looking at the translation.

5. Listen / read English.

6. Listen / read Foreign.

7. Listen. At this point you should understand what is being said.

8. Listen. Pause after each sentence, repeat it aloud. [Again, I skip the aloud part. Still listen though.]

9. Carefully read the comments several times. Examine the Foreign sentences being explained. These notes are very important.

10. Read the exercises. Repeat each sentence several times. The exercises review material from the current lesson and from preceding lessons. If you have forgotten certain words, consult the English translation.

[FluffyGreenBunnies]

I beat my goal of 45m/day average, and have averaged 57 minutes a day since my first post on the 19th. I'm on a 60-day streak.

My new goal is double my old goal, 90m/day average.

I finished Michel Thomas Spanish Foundation (first 8 hours of what's now called Total). I liked it a lot. I laughed out loud several times at the guy's pronunciation and the mistakes he'd make. I couldn't tell if the girl was a kid, or just sounded young, but in any case she did really well. I wonder if either of them ever got fluent.

After finishing the course, I feel like I can now identify the roots of Spanish words, and like I understand why and when the endings change. Still not entirely clear on things like putting lo or me in front of vs hooking it on to the end of the verb. The only rule I didn't follow was that I didn't pause much (the course is 8hr5m, and I spent 8hr30m total on it), so maybe that's why. Perhaps I'll do the 2-hour Foundation Review.

But first I'm going to do Linguaphone Spanish allTalk, which is almost 17 hours, so I should finish it by the 11th. I haven't been doing Assimil for the past couple of days, so I'll probably resume that also, though I might wait since I liked focusing on only one course at a time--sequential instead of parallel.

The last time I watched Destinos was on the 23rd. Not sure if I'll go back to it.

After allTalk, I think I'll see how I do resuming LRing the Spanish Harry Potter audiobook.