So - I’m once again uncertain about logging and getting lost in the time-suck that a forum can be. But, I also see this as immensely valuable, motivating and a good companion to language learning. I’ve kept logs on paper, HTLAL, a personal blog (my wordpress blog died an ugly death) and other places I’ve forgotten …
I hope this blog will help me think about method and language learning. As such I will try to remind myself not to just check off the lessons done and what not but to actually work on the ‘meta’ of the learning - the why, hows and ways.
As an intro post, I’ll keep it brief before I go and dig out some of the things I need from HTLAL, etc.
Language relevant background:
- I’m an old fart in the language learning arena - I started at an early age and was on HTLAL since 2006.
- I live in between Germany and France and travel almost weekly to one or the other.
- Born in France, I grew up in Mexico and California and spent many years in the US where I studied at the university level. I moved to France, did graduate work there and lived for over twenty years. I've spent 8+ years in Germany or traveling between both.
- My family background and travel has brought me into contact to different levels with a lot of languages - Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew, Chinese, Arabic, Ladakhi to name a few.
Current focus - 2022
Learning: Persian/Farsi A0 - started Dec 20, 2021 from nothing.
German: Would like to maintain and strengthen from my B2 level.
French, Spanish: Maintenance and practice of core native-level.
Dabbling in Hebrew, Yiddish and others...
Main Language Tools - Currently Using - updated 01.2022
Actively working only on Farsi/Persian with:
- John Mac - Teach Yourself Books - Modern Persian
- D. Halbout, M. H. Karimi - Assimil - Le persan
- An Introduction to Persian - Wheeler M. Thackston
- Daily flashcards with Anki
Language Tools - old - from 2019
- Hebrew - HebrewPod101 also using italki with a teacher, Hebrew from Scratch, Anki, Memrise, FSI, ASSIMIL and Living Language, Shtisel
- German - duolingo, variety of books, DW site, ASSIMIL (the advanced module) and various test prep books. Now at level that I'm working with a lot of native material
- Tibetan - On and off, Italki teacher
- Setswana
Memrise:
-- Intro to Setswana completed
-- There are 2-3 other courses but I'm not yet actively working with them
Anki:
-- Setswana - unisa Deck (of my making) w/sound
-- Setswana - Peace Corps Deck - rdearman - w/sound
-- Fluent Forever Deck (meh, can't recommend, hard memorisation of animals you don't need)
Books:
A Course in Tswana
Peace Corps: Intro to Spoken Setswana
Peace Corp : There is no word for grammar in Setswana
Kauderwelsch Setswana
Apps:
uTalk modules
- Yiddish - only incidentally (2019) - primarily books, ASSIMIL and Memrise course
Lyric Translation Site - not currently using
Fast Link to My Log Posts
Hebrew Log Entries
German Log Entries
Setswana Log Entries
My Hebrew Resource List
My Anki subs2srs guide
Thanks for reading.
Comments, corrections are always welcome.
Now, to go sort some things ...