Motylyok's log: German, Russian and Ukrainian

[motylyok]

Hehe, I consider studying in Germany too, although Sweden or Austria would also be good. I would recommend looking into studying in Russia, you probably even can get a place paid by our government here. We have more opportunities in having our BSc degrees paid by the federal budget, but it doesn't mean there are no free MSc (althogh definitely less).

Thanks for the information! I think I'd do an MA if I go into further education though, just because my current degree is a BA.

[motylyok]

The Northern European countries are known for their low university fees or free in general. It could be worse though--in North America they pay a lot more. I heard that it is normal in the USA to pay something like £150000 for a BSc, and then spend the next 20 years in debt repaying loans. Continental Europe are so lucky

Hey this is very true! Germany is the most obvious choice for me because I have already been to Germany several times, I've studied in Germany and I can speak German, and mein Herz schlägt schwarz, rot, gold!

Quick update

Russian: I haven't actually done any German lately (I swear I will!) so this is what I'm writing about. I gave up on the idea of reading Агент 013 because intensive reading is very boring to me if I don't understand most of the text already, and even when I have to look up words in German texts, it makes me roll my eyes. So that's out the window. I've been working through Colloquial Russian 2 again, I've nearly finished Unit 5 now, and I've also found a copy of Living Language Ultimate Advanced Russian which I a-hem acquired a while ago on my laptop. I saw they have audio files for "on the go learning" which is a really sick idea, so I've downloaded them onto my iPod. I also saw that it was recommended by Expugnator on his language log on the .com website. I recall him saying that it made the transition from B1 to B2 slightly easier, which is exactly the view I have in mind for my Russian in the near future, so I'm definitely going to give it a go once I've worked through some more of Colloquial.

In addition (I love this website) neofight78 tipped me about Star Media and many of their TV shows being available on YouTube with Russian subtitles. I already had access to transcripts of Кухня and a few other shows through Polydog, but I watched the first episode of Кухня and really disliked it. However, Star Media has done this TV show called Бомба which is set during the Great Patriotic War and seems more interesting to me (a significant reason I started to learn Russian was because I studied Russian history at college and I wanted to understand those weird letters on the propaganda posters which were blu-tacked up in the history classroom as decor). There's a bit too much romance in the first episode for my taste but I really can't afford to be as picky as I am. I probably also like it because I find it easy to follow with the subtitles and the sort of "military language" which I've become accustomed to through translating newspaper articles for my course at uni.

[Arnaud]

deleted

[motylyok]

Deutsch: I'm having a go at some intensive reading (which I must admit is much less frustrating to do in German than Russian). I have set myself a goal of going through a minimum of 5 pages a day. What also helps is that the book I'm reading is quite interesting to me (Luise Rinser, Gefängnistagebuch) and I'm using post-it notes, using one per page to write down the unfamiliar words from that page. It is a little bit frustrating with German to work out whether I really need to write down the word, a lot of the time I completely understand the sense of the word, it's just that I'd be unable to translate it into English! But I'm being strict with myself. For some listening practice, I am going to watch last week's episode of Lindenstraße later on.

Russian: I am planning to finish Unit 5 of CR2 and watch the second episode of Бомба with the Russian subtitles on.

[neofight78]

...I've also found a copy of Living Language Ultimate Advanced Russian which I a-hem acquired a while ago on my laptop. I saw they have audio files for "on the go learning" which is a really sick idea, so I've downloaded them onto my iPod. I also saw that it was recommended by Expugnator on his language log on the .com website. I recall him saying that it made the transition from B1 to B2 slightly easier...

Let me know how this goes. I somehow feel my listening time is not that effective and I could get more out of it, so I'm interested to know if and how these recordings help.

[motylyok]

It is ample time for an update.

Russian: I've been watching TV shows on StarMedia (finished watching Бомба) and I have started on the soap opera type shows, which I am watching "intensively" for the vocabulary. They're doing things like getting stuck in lifts and leaving money on the kitchen table, so it's pretty practical vocabulary, but I can't say I'm enjoying them for their masterful quality and gripping story lines... I've also been meaning to start doing Ultimate Russian Advanced, but haven't really got round to doing much except listening to the first recording and reading through the notes on it. I've also found people who are actually just normal people with good intentions on conversationexchange.com to chat with. I would definitely recommend this website over Interpals.

Overall my attitude towards my Russian has been negative lately, I've been thinking negatively about my abilities and whether it's possible to achieve any kind of basic fluency, which means it's been difficult to motivate myself. I've been quite disciplined about watching things, but I'm not too disciplined about sitting there with a textbook yet. It's definitely something I need to work on. It'd be much more productive to not think this way as well, so I'm trying to stop and think about what I HAVE achieved in 2 years.

German: I've been intensively reading Luise Rinser's Gefängnistagebuch and that's about it. I've been meaning to go through the vocabulary I picked up whilst I was in Germany last month, but I'm out of a working routine and finding it difficult to get back into one!

I've been learning German for so long that I've realised I can leave it for a while before speaking any German and find it's easy to get back into, so I'm not very disciplined about learning it, but of course, I'm not going to improve if I don't do anything, so I really need to make a start.

[neofight78]

Overall my attitude towards my Russian has been negative lately, I've been thinking negatively about my abilities and whether it's possible to achieve any kind of basic fluency, which means it's been difficult to motivate myself.

I know this is hackneyed advice that you've probably heard a million times already, but just keep going and you'll get there. For 2.5 years I was incredibly frustrated with my speaking ability and 6 months ago I had a bit of a breakthrough and I am no longer tormented in the same way. Russian is a hard language for English speakers and it takes that much more longer to get to the same level of speaking ability.

It's not very scientific with a sample size of 1, but here's what I *think* unlocked it for me. I found that repeating corrections from my lessons out loud was useful (using flashcards). That way I practiced the kind of things I want to say, and it helped practice putting all the different elements together to form a sentence. I also had a month long blitz where I spoke with someone for 30 minutes everyday. As far as I can tell, it was this combination that gave me a big boost.

But anyhow, I am sure the problem is more to do with your expectations rather than with your progress. It is possible, and you will get there, I have confidence in you

[neofight78]

Apologies for the double post, but just to say my progress has tended to follow this pattern:

struggle, struggle, struggle, big jump, struggle, struggle, struggle, big jump.

Apart from the first few months where there was rapid progress, my results have shown this erratic but continuing improvement. In my experience intense frustration is a sign that a month or two down the line there will be a big improvement.

[motylyok]

Nothing of interest to report on the language learning front. I've kind of lost a lot of discipline and given up with intensive studying from any textbook (see mitigating circumstances below). Instead I've been watching TV and talking to people on conversationexchange.com. I find it's quite helpful in drilling particular phrases, finally consolidated the verb in this sentence: Вы ее тетрадки украли by watching Шулер on YouTube (A StarMedia production, available with English and Russian subtitles) due to repeated references of said action.

I've been watching Lindenstraße in German, with and without German subtitles depending on the availability on YouTube. I absolutely love this TV series. I've started skim reading a few articles on an IR journal, I have 2 years to get used to the high register, gimmicky IR language and the key terms they use in Politikwissenschaft in general. That's if my life plans don't change.

Semi-relevant life update: I've been trying to enjoy my final days of holiday (even though it feels very surreal that they are about to end) by relaxing and taking it easy, only doing things I enjoy, which is not sitting in front of a textbook reading about Pasha and Masha and Sasha and Dasha and Kasha. Equally, I'm hoping that just learning passively at this stage will stop me from getting stressed about how bad or good I perceive my level of Russian to be, and will mean I am more confident when I get off the plane on Sunday.

There is also a possibility that my plan to study IR/political science in Germany in the next few years might be off the cards. I may be able to get a job in the same industry as my father when I graduate which will potentially give me opportunities to work in Germany. Nothing's certain in life, right?

[motylyok]

The time I stopped updating this log coincided approximately with the time that I went out to Moscow. There was a lot to prepare, mentally and physically, and I have been in Moscow for 6 weeks. I've seen rain, wind, sun, snow, 27 degree heat, and -1 cold. I have also learned Russian.

The course at my language school is intensive. I study there Monday-Thursday (3 day weekend!) but I also have a lot of homework. Currently I am struggling my way through a story called Банальная история (Н.А. Тэффи) for my Russian literature class. But I love it, and my Russian is improving, or at least, my confidence is improving. I wouldn't say I'm suddenly fluent, but I think this year should be reasonably helpful.

I also love Moscow! And I sometimes speak German. I've read a German translation of Polina Dashkova's Эфирное время which I bought for a euro in a used book shop in Germany and I am reading a dual reader German-English full of short stories (first in English, then German). I'm also watching Lindenstrasse (I love it) and TV shows that are available for free outside of Germany on RTL, Doktor Meets Dorf. Even though my German speaking skills are going to suffer for the short term, my vocabulary shouldn't deplete too far since I love reading on the metro in German!! Next step, reading the books in Russian that I have optimistically and enthusiastically bought in various Moscow book shops.