Ogrim's Krambu - a plethora of languages, mostly European, both old and new

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Ogrim
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Location: Alsace, France
Languages: Norwegian (N) English (C2), French (C2), Spanish (C2), German (B2), Romansh (B2), Italian (B2), Catalan (B2), Russian (B1), Latin (B2), Dutch (B1), Croatian (A2), Arabic (on hold), Ancient Greek (learning), Romanian (on hold)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Ogrim » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:07 pm

A belated Happy New Year to all of you!

I spent Christmas and New Year in Spain, two weeks in total, which was great. I did not do as much studying and reading as I would have liked, in Spain I tend to spend a lot of time out of the house, meeting up with people, going to the beach (yes, it was about 20 degrees C in Valencia), and having pinchos in the bars of Salamanca, where we went the second week of the holidays.

Still, I managed to advance a bit with Arabic, although I seem to spend an awful lot of time just repeating vocabulary. I find it very hard to get the words to stick in my memory, even more so than it did with Russian. Still, I am more motivated than ever to advance, so I am trying to find as much time as I can for studying Arabic.

During the holidays I started to read Игрок (the Gambler) by Dostyevsky. It is one of his shorter novels, so I should be able to get through it in reasonable time. Then I will pick up Апокалипсис от Владимира (Vladimir's Apocalypse), the sequel to Евангелие от Соловьёва which I read last year.

And I've already been through a book in Spanish this year, La cena secreta by Javier Sierra. Although entertaining, I did not rate it very highly on Goodreads. Sierra himself has stressed that he wrote his book before the appearence of the Da Vinci code, but although his story is different, Leonardo Da Vinci plays a central role in the plot, and the thematic is similar. In short, without making any spoilers, I found it too much of a mix between the Dan Brown book and Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose. I have got a bit tired of novels about secret societies and esoteric messages hidden in paintings, architecture, books or what have you. I think thousands of such books must have been written over the last 10-15 years, many of dubious quality by people who wanted to ride the "Da Vinci code-wave".

My language plans for the year have not changed, and I will stay well away from starting on another language in 2018, although a little bit of Czech could be tempting as an unexpected trip to Prague has come up for Easter (my son will play a football tournament there). But no, diving into Czech for the sake of a long holiday in March/April does not make any sense. Does it? :roll:
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Ogrim
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Location: Alsace, France
Languages: Norwegian (N) English (C2), French (C2), Spanish (C2), German (B2), Romansh (B2), Italian (B2), Catalan (B2), Russian (B1), Latin (B2), Dutch (B1), Croatian (A2), Arabic (on hold), Ancient Greek (learning), Romanian (on hold)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Ogrim » Thu Jan 11, 2018 12:46 pm

In November I wrote about the reMarkable paper tablet which I've purchased. Now that I have been using it for some weeks I thought I would say something here about my experience with it. Now there are plenty of reviews on the internet made by various tech magazines, so I won't go into all the different aspects of the device, but rather focus on my own use of it in particular in relation to language learning.

Just so it is said: I have no commercial interest in this product, nor do I know anyone who works for the company, so this is my own personal view on the product and nothing else.

Maybe I should say that if you seek attention, get a reMarkable! The first time I took it to a team meeting for taking notes we started 20 minutes late because everyone wanted a demonstration of how it works. :) Most people get really impressed, but are taken aback when I mention the price (currently selling in Europe for 629 euros including VAT and shipping - I put in a preorder last year so got it for less).

It took a little bit of time to get used to writing with it and to find out how to switch between the different pens, pencils and brush, pick a template etc., but after a few hours of use it felt comfortable and easy to move around. Since the end of November, when working I take amost all my notes on the reMarkable. The advantage compared to good old paper is that my notes are stored on the device and in the cloud, meaning I can also consult them on other devices, such as my iPad or smartphone. This is really handy.

The reMarkable is great for reading both pdf documents and e-books published in the epub format (currently these are the only two formats the reMarkable recongizes, but the company has promised to add more in future software updates). Compared to a Kindle Paperwhite, the much larger screen means you get more text on one page (or you can choose a bigger font and still get a lot of text on the page), and the e-ink is very neat and clear. There is one drawback when it comes to language learning though. You don't have a pop-up dictionary like in the Kindle, so if you want/need to look up the meaning of a word you have to consult a dictionary on the side. On the other hand, the inbuilt dictionaries in Kindle do not always have the words you want to look up either. That is certainly my experience with Russian, so in the end I often have to go to another dictionary anyway. In the reMarkable, with the marker you can make annotations directly in the book or document you are reading, highlight or underline words or sentences etc.

With regard to language learning, I've been using it lately in two ways: I have a "notebook" file where I write down new Russian words and sentences I come across e.g. when reading an article or a novel. The plan is to review these words on a regular basis, and once they stick I can easily delete them from the file and put in new words instead. So it is a sort of wordlist that will keep changing regularly. I also use it to store interesting articles or news stories in Russian (and other languages for that matter) by creating pdf files which I upload to the cloud.

Then I use it to study Arabic. I also have a notebook file for Arabic vocabulary, and I scanned my Langenscheidt course and uploaded it - a file for each lesson. This way I don't have to write anything in the book, but can highlight, underline and fill in the exercises on the reMarkable. As it takes a second or two to erase anything you have written or marked, it means that I can do an exercise, check against the key if I got something wrong, then erase my answers and redo the exercise if I wish.

In conclusion: I enjoy very much using the reMarkable. It does have a number of limitations, some of which will hopefully be addressed in future software updates, but for me it is a product that helps me to focus when reading or doing written exercises. It is great for note-taking, and if I were good at drawing it would probably be great for that too.

Is it worth the price? Hard to say. It certainly is a niche product, and you can get an iPad with 128Go for less than what the reMarkable costs (and you're not far from the cheapest iPad Pro). However, if you are "paper people" and look for something which combines traditional pen and paper with modern technology, then this is probably the best product there is on the market.
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Ogrim
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Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:29 am
Location: Alsace, France
Languages: Norwegian (N) English (C2), French (C2), Spanish (C2), German (B2), Romansh (B2), Italian (B2), Catalan (B2), Russian (B1), Latin (B2), Dutch (B1), Croatian (A2), Arabic (on hold), Ancient Greek (learning), Romanian (on hold)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Ogrim » Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:37 pm

My Russian classes started again this week, which is a good thing because I have been somewhat lazy when it comes to Russian over the last month, having focused much more on Arabic. We did a grammar exercise reviewing the use of imperfective/perfective in the infinitive, and I am happy to say that I got most questions right, only beaten by a fellow student, but she is Czech so I guess the logic in the use of the two forms is pretty much the same in her language. We then discussed anglicisms in Russian and other European languages and read an article about the phenomenon called Flashmob (which is Russian is Флэшмоб, of course).

When it comes to speaking, I was a little bit rusy at the start, not having practised anything during the Christmas break, but when I finally started to warm up it went better. I still need to work on the case endings though, especially the genitive plural, and how to decline numerals. Vocabulary is also always an issue.

Not a lot to say about Arabic. I am trying to improve my "caligraphy" by writing out word lists by hand. My handwriting is awful no matter the alphabet, and given that there are tiny differences between certain Arabic letters, I find it really hard to make sense of my own writing in Arabic. However, typing in Arabic also has its issues. With the iPad it is certainly quite easy, as the software will automatically joint the letters in the correct way, but I would still need a lot of practice to write with some fluency and not spend twice the time typing compared to writing by hand.

On a more personal note, my mother recently celebrated her 88th birthday. Not a round figure, but still a respectable number, and thankfully she is in good health and has a clear head. Unfortunately I could not be there on the day, but we spoke on the phone. My mother obviously does not read this forum, she is one of those rare Norwegian monoglots who never got around to learning another language. Still I'll use her birthday as an excuse for posting two videoclips from two totally different cultures and languages, but with a common theme - a celebration of mothers.

The first clip is by the Romansh rap/pop duo Giganto & Mattiu, with the self-explanatory title Mumma. The second is by the Qatari singer Humood, and the song is called Lughat al'aalam (لغات العالم) - Languages of the World. A very appropriate title for this forum, but it is really about how all the languages of the world call out the word mother.



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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Expugnator » Fri Jan 19, 2018 6:54 pm

Ogrim, it's been a joy to read your log, especially with the soundtrack! I'm more motivated to keeping struggling with Russian, hoping one day I'll get there. Not to mention the passion you carry on about learning Arabic. By the way, I'm happy to know the iPad is reliable for inputting Arabic.
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Ogrim
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Location: Alsace, France
Languages: Norwegian (N) English (C2), French (C2), Spanish (C2), German (B2), Romansh (B2), Italian (B2), Catalan (B2), Russian (B1), Latin (B2), Dutch (B1), Croatian (A2), Arabic (on hold), Ancient Greek (learning), Romanian (on hold)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Ogrim » Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:44 am

Expugnator wrote:Ogrim, it's been a joy to read your log, especially with the soundtrack! I'm more motivated to keeping struggling with Russian, hoping one day I'll get there. Not to mention the passion you carry on about learning Arabic. By the way, I'm happy to know the iPad is reliable for inputting Arabic.


Mange takk. Hyggelig å høre at du liker loggen min. Oh yes, the soundtrack... Music is a very important part of my life, and I am quite eclectic. I enjoy most kinds of music, be that classical (from Bach to Schoenberg and Stravinksy), jazz, pop, rock, folk, grunge or even rap. Given that this is not a music forum though, I tend to limit my posting of music clips to such that are related to my language learning.

Arabic has indeed become kind of a passion, although it can sometimes feel like a love/hate relationship, but that happened to me in the earlier stages of learning Russian as well. I only regret that I did not persevere with Arabic ten years ago, when I made a first serious attempt at getting into the language. The reason I gave it up then was partly due to external circumstances, but also that I did not find very good resources at the time. So now the time has come to make up for that.

In another thread I made a link to an article from a blog called A Frog in the Fjord. It is written by a French lady who lives in Norway, and many of her articles are a humorous take on particularities of Norwegian culture and behaviour seen through French eyes. As a Norwegian living in France I can easily understand her amazement at some of the more curious expressions of Norwegian way of life, so the blog is worth a read if you are interested in Norway and want to know a "foreigner's" view of the country.

She has also written a book which has been published in Norwegian with the title En frosk i fjorden - kunsten å bli norsk (A Frog in the Fjord - the Art of becoming Norwegian). I got the e-book version for my Kindle and read it in a few hours over the weekend. Like the blog a good read. It made me laugh out loud sometimes, so I had to explain to my wife what was so funny.
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby rdearman » Mon Jan 22, 2018 11:50 am

Ogrim wrote:In another thread I made a link to an article from a blog called A Frog in the Fjord. It is written by a French lady who lives in Norway, and many of her articles are a humorous take on particularities of Norwegian culture and behaviour seen through French eyes.


Interesting, pity she seems to write in English. (Or did I find the wrong place?)
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Ogrim
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Languages: Norwegian (N) English (C2), French (C2), Spanish (C2), German (B2), Romansh (B2), Italian (B2), Catalan (B2), Russian (B1), Latin (B2), Dutch (B1), Croatian (A2), Arabic (on hold), Ancient Greek (learning), Romanian (on hold)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Ogrim » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:00 pm

rdearman wrote:
Ogrim wrote:In another thread I made a link to an article from a blog called A Frog in the Fjord. It is written by a French lady who lives in Norway, and many of her articles are a humorous take on particularities of Norwegian culture and behaviour seen through French eyes.


Interesting, pity she seems to write in English. (Or did I find the wrong place?)


You found the right place and yes, she is writing in English I guess to make sure that more people, especially Norwegians, can read it. She's written herself somewhere that she does not feel competent to write in Norwegian (yet) and most Norwegians don't know French.
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Josquin » Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:42 pm

Ogrim wrote:I enjoy most kinds of music, be that classical (from Bach to Schoenberg and Stravinksy), jazz, pop, rock, folk, grunge or even rap.

You're a braver man than I am... :D

But seriously, although I've studied music history at university, I've never come to terms with twelve-tone music and everything beyond. My taste for classical music starts around 1500 and ends around 1900 with some focus on the Renaissance, (early) Baroque, and Romanticism from Beethoven to Brahms. I also do enjoy modern music like folk and folk rock, but I've never gotten around to liking grunge or rap. So, your music taste looks really interesting through my musician's eye. ;)
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Ogrim
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Posts: 1009
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:29 am
Location: Alsace, France
Languages: Norwegian (N) English (C2), French (C2), Spanish (C2), German (B2), Romansh (B2), Italian (B2), Catalan (B2), Russian (B1), Latin (B2), Dutch (B1), Croatian (A2), Arabic (on hold), Ancient Greek (learning), Romanian (on hold)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?t=873
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Ogrim » Mon Jan 22, 2018 2:27 pm

Josquin wrote:
Ogrim wrote:I enjoy most kinds of music, be that classical (from Bach to Schoenberg and Stravinksy), jazz, pop, rock, folk, grunge or even rap.

You're a braver man than I am... :D

But seriously, although I've studied music history at university, I've never come to terms with twelve-tone music and everything beyond. My taste for classical music starts around 1500 and ends around 1900 with some focus on the Renaissance, (early) Baroque, and Romanticism from Beethoven to Brahms. I also do enjoy modern music like folk and folk rock, but I've never gotten around to liking grunge or rap. So, your music taste looks really interesting through my musician's eye. ;)


Well, I guess I am something of an omnivore when it comes to music. There was a time I was very much into Schoenberg, Alban Berg, Anton Webern etc, but nowadays I do not listen to their music very often. However I find it intellectually stimulating to challenge myself with atonal music from time to time. Grunge was at its height in the early 1990s when I was a young man, and there were a couple of good grunge clubs in Oslo I used to frequent, so that is where I developed a taste for it. With rap it depends on the language ;) , I prefer rap in French, Spanish or Romansh to English/American rap. I guess the only music genres I don't have any time for is country and western, techno/house and heavy metal.
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Re: Ogrim's language experiences - Russian, Romansh, Arabic and more

Postby Expugnator » Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:29 pm

Thank you for the suggestions, Ogrim. I lost some good minutes browsing her blog. I checked her book, it's on my to-read list.
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