2021: A Spanish Odyssey

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Skynet
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby Skynet » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:57 am

SGP wrote: Glad to hear about the recovery.

Thanks, buddy!

SGP wrote:
Skynet wrote:After much soul searching, I have agreed to reduce the number of non-native courses to just (gulp!!!) three:

Assimil: German Without Toil (1965): 126 lessons by A. Cherel
Assimil: German With Ease (2001): 100 lessons by H. Schneider
Assimil: German With Ease (2014): 100 lessons by M. Roemer


In case you already read another Assimil book before (any language), or even if you didn't:
do you intend to do the book's courses one time only without repetition, the "what sticks that sticks and what doesn't that doesn't" way, or do you intend to repeat?


I used both French Without Toil and New French With Ease. When I started with both French and German, I started writing and doing the active phase from the very beginning. My memory thrives on writing things down, and this has been an absolute boon for my language learning. I did do the official active wave too, but at lightning speed because it was not challenging at all. I completed 7 lessons of both FWOT and NFWE (14 in total) a day in less than 3 weeks. Basing on my experiences with French, I shall not be doing the official active wave for German.

My logic in using multiple courses simultaneously is this: if course A explains something that you don't comprehend, then courses B, C and D should explain the same thing, but in different ways. This should result in one completing courses at a much faster pace than normal because at some point, one will encounter concepts (with increasing frequency) with which one is familiar. This is how I was able to finish 28 courses in 6 weeks during summer.
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SGP
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby SGP » Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:17 am

Skynet wrote:I used both French Without Toil and New French With Ease. When I started with both French and German, I started writing and doing the active phase from the very beginning. My memory thrives on writing things down, and this has been an absolute boon for my language learning. I did do the official active wave too, but at lightning speed because it was not challenging at all. I completed 7 lessons of both FWOT and NFWE (14 in total) a day in less than 3 weeks. Basing on my experiences with French, I shall not be doing the official active wave for German.


When you did so for French, were you able to recall its very specialities (accents and silent letters) too?
As for me, I didn't write too many Spanish notes when I was still using my previous methodology (although there are several overlaps with my current one). Still, I am thankful for being able to recall a lot of it. As for French, it was different, possibly because one a dem languij (Spanish) got a phonetical spelling, but the other one doesn't (French).

Skynet wrote:My logic in using multiple courses simultaneously is this: if course A explains something that you don't comprehend, then courses B, C and D should explain the same thing, but in different ways. This should result in one completing courses at a much faster pace than normal because at some point, one will encounter concepts (with increasing frequency) with which one is familiar. This is how I was able to finish 28 courses in 6 weeks during summer.


Now is this about reading an explanation of the very same thing several times, but using different wordings? As in "getting a more complete picture"? Aisee... [Swahili for "I say"] there is a certain effect that you wouldn't get by re-reading the very same book several times, rite or no?
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Previously known as SGP. But my mental username now is langmon.

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DaveAgain
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby DaveAgain » Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:20 am

Skynet wrote: Speaking of Christianity and French, could anyone kindly recommend good podcasts?
France Culture broadcast sunday services for protestants and catholics.
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Skynet
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby Skynet » Sat Nov 03, 2018 11:47 am

SGP wrote: When you did so for French, were you able to recall its very specialities (accents and silent letters) too? As for me, I didn't write too many Spanish notes when I was still using my previous methodology (although there are several overlaps with my current one). Still, I am thankful for being able to recall a lot of it. As for French, it was different, possibly because one a dem languij (Spanish) got a phonetical spelling, but the other one doesn't (French).


I am someone who vehemently opposes the canard that French is an especially difficult language to learn. I did FSI Phonology when I did my 6 week experiment. Yes, those pesky accented vowels (especially e) irked me for a while, but after practising and simply remembering the exceptions that I encountered, I was able to master them and the silent letters. I am now able to spell nearly all French words that I hear for the first time accurately (with the exception of the occasional accent that is slanted the wrong way). French is infinitely more phonetic that English, but admittedly not as phonetic as Spanish and German.

SGP wrote: Now is this about reading an explanation of the very same thing several times, but using different wordings? As in "getting a more complete picture"? Aisee... [Swahili for "I say"] there is a certain effect that you wouldn't get by re-reading the very same book several times, rite or no?


Hahaha, I used and emboldened should because it is a theory that I am yet to prove with my own learning experience. French was not a new language to me - it was just something that I hadn't used since high school 11 years ago. I did not have to read and write something more than once to understand it. I plan on using this theory with Assimil (which has inadequate notes and expects you to infer a lot from the context of the passages) with German, and subsequent languages. I highly doubt that different courses would explain the same concept using the same words and examples. Some people just need to see something explained to them in a wide variety of contexts for it to make sense. Perhaps that could be me in German?

I am averse to re-reading books as that's the fastest way to the cul de sac known as Accidie!
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SGP
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby SGP » Sat Nov 03, 2018 12:20 pm

Skynet wrote:I am someone who vehemently opposes the canard that French is an especially difficult language to learn. I did FSI Phonology when I did my 6 week experiment. Yes, those pesky accented vowels (especially e) irked me for a while, but after practising and simply remembering the exceptions that I encountered, I was able to master them and the silent letters. I am now able to spell nearly all French words that I hear for the first time accurately (with the exception of the occasional accent that is slanted the wrong way).


And as for me (as mentioned elsewhere here), I do not label any language as Truly And Genuinely Difficult To Learn either. ;) Not even Japanese.

Skynet wrote:French is infinitely more phonetic that English, but admittedly not as phonetic as Spanish and German.


Yes it is definitely much more phonetic than English, no doubt.

Skynet wrote:
SGP wrote: Now is this about reading an explanation of the very same thing several times, but using different wordings? As in "getting a more complete picture"? Aisee... [Swahili for "I say"] there is a certain effect that you wouldn't get by re-reading the very same book several times, rite or no?


Hahaha, I used and emboldened should because it is a theory that I am yet to prove with my own learning experience.


Well, now it is more clear to me.


Skynet wrote:French was not a new language to me - it was just something that I hadn't used since high school 11 years ago. I did not have to read and write something more than once to understand it. I plan on using this theory with Assimil (which has inadequate notes and expects you to infer a lot from the context of the passages) with German, and subsequent languages. I highly doubt that different courses would explain the same concept using the same words and examples.


Not in a 1:1 fashion of course. But at many times, there still is a least common denominator between them that is a lot greater than same language only/similar level/etc.

Skynet wrote:Some people just need to see something explained to them in a wide variety of contexts for it to make sense. Perhaps that could be me in German?


Neither confirming nor denying. ;)
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Previously known as SGP. But my mental username now is langmon.

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Skynet
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby Skynet » Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:18 pm

DaveAgain wrote:
Skynet wrote: Speaking of Christianity and French, could anyone kindly recommend good podcasts?
France Culture broadcast sunday services for protestants and catholics.


+1,000,000!
Thank-you so much DaveAgain!
I really enjoyed listening to, and reading "Les cadeaux de la Grâce."
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Skynet
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby Skynet » Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:45 pm

After a much needed hardware upgrade...

I can do this! I can still change the timeline.

DELF B2 = Q1 2019

Goethe B2 (or Test DAF?) = Q4 2019
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Melkor
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby Melkor » Mon Nov 05, 2018 6:30 am

Skynet wrote: Goethe B2 (or Test DAF?) = Q4 2019


From what I have read and understood, the TestDaf is similar to the C1, so it would be more challenging than a Goethe B2.

As an aside, since you are clearly interested in cyberpunk, why not watch this franchise in French? :lol:
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Skynet
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby Skynet » Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:10 pm

FRENCH

Finished: CLE Vocabulaire PdF ( 250 L, Int.), CLE Grammaire PdF ( 500 L, Int.) and CLE Communication PdF (365 L, Int.)

Starting: CLE Vocabulaire PdF ( 250 L, Ava.), CLE Grammaire PdF (400 L, Ava.), CLE Orthographe PdF (405 L, Ava.) and CLE Comprehension Orale (50 L, Int). These should keep me very busy for the next 2-3 months!

I really cannot believe that it has been a century since the not-at-all Great War ended. Naturally, this day is very important to France as the armistice was signed at Compiegne. Armed with a new VPN with magical anti-geo-blocking abilities, I managed to follow the whole event from several previously inaccessible French news sites. I thoroughly enjoyed the reporters' reactions to the US-Russian presidents' greeting, the FEMEN protesters, Macron's speech (which included my favourite phrase of the month: "old demons are resurfacing") and my observation that the German chancellor (!!) was using interpreter earphones for French. I also noticed that Macron's speech was slower than that of the reporters of the various channels that I was surfing through. Nothing prepared me for Trudeau's umbrella-trolling and his claim that WW1 ended 75 years ago. These two events left me on the floor with split sides, as I laughed uncontrollably.

French Culture Christian podcasts have been a blessing indeed. I have been going through 4 a week, and am thoroughly enjoying them. Perhaps it is just me, but there is something different about hearing the Bible in another language, it makes it come alive!

GERMAN

My triple Assimil combo was under threat from the old language demon of hoarding, when I briefly added LP 1960 and LP 1990 to the extant program. Upon discussing with my newfound CHA (course hoarders anonymous) accountability partner, I was talked out of the asininity of languishing at the A0-B1 forever. I am back to just 3 Assimil lessons a day.

German is more complicated than French, yet both GWOT and (N)GWE have shorter lessons than their French counterparts, FWOT and NFWE (126 vs 140 and 100 vs 113 respectively). Would anyone want to speculate why Assimil did that?

I have an exam first thing in the morning and should actually head to bed now.
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PeterMollenburg
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Re: SKYNET goes online! World domination log.

Postby PeterMollenburg » Mon Nov 12, 2018 11:49 pm

Skynet wrote:German is more complicated than French, yet both GWOT and (N)GWE have shorter lessons than their French counterparts, FWOT and NFWE (126 vs 140 and 100 vs 113 respectively). Would anyone want to speculate why Assimil did that?


I don’t strictly have an answer for you, but..,

GWOT: 126 lessons, 2 hours 52 min audio
FWOT: 140 lessons, 2 hours 14 min audio

So which course is bigger? :?

Just out of interest-
Spanish WOT: 111 lessons, 2 hours 56 min audio

As far as the above demonstrates, less lessons = more audio.

Although....
(N)GWE: 100 lessons, 3hrs 2min
NFWE: 113 lessons, 3 hrs 11min

Some other numbers:
Dutch WOT: 132 lessons, 1hr 55min

Dutch with Ease/ Le nouveau néerlandais sans peine : 83 lessons, 2hrs 55min

Le Néerlandais : 100 lessons, 3hrs 16min

Le norvégien sans peine : 100 lessons, 4hrs

L’Arabe sans peine (1975): 100 lessons, 4hrs 29min
L’Arabe (collection sans peine): 77 lessons, 3hrs 15min

Awesome progress on your French, btw!
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