Chove's Log

[chove]

I have found your log only today because I was busy during the last few days. Now I am following it so if you need help, ask. If only my free time allows, I will gladly answer.

Thanks!

[chove]

Something DuoLingo has made clearer to me with German: a subordinate clause is one that isn't a complete sentence on its own, and the verb goes to the end in those clauses. Aber and denn don't count because while "because" may not seem like a proper sentence, there's a verb and a subject and an object like in a proper sentence.

German has done so much for my understanding of the parts of a sentence in English! I got through most of my life without knowing what an Indirect Object is but now I can usually spot them when they show up. One of my favourite things about languages is learning how things work, which is why I have some books on languages I don't plan on learning just to browse the grammar and see how stuff happens. Which actually can be useful when it's something related to a language I'm learning, because it can show me patterns that exist in families and sometimes a new way of explaining something suddenly makes sense of a bit I've been struggling with. Like how I finally learned what cases are for when I looked at Latin for a week or two and now I can more or less understand cases.

[chove]

What's with textbooks that don't have the answers in the back? How am I supposed to know how wrong I was?

[cjareck]

Ask here, especially if they are Polish ones

[chove]

I did a fair bit of DuoLingo today, which I like because it drills the language into my head properly. I find when I work with books that I often end up lost because earlier stuff hasn't gone in properly, because I don't really know how to consolidate as I go along. Also intensively read a page of Harry Potter in Spanish, highlighting all the words/phrases I didn't know. I'm at a level where I can read it for the gist but I want to use it to learn all these things that I probably learned before but forgot.

Also, and this is Big, I started looking into online tutors on iTalki etc, because I think my Polish might benefit from it. But my anxiety has so far stopped me doing any sort of tutor thing or language exchange because I'm so shy about meeting new people, even online. I'd like to get past that and I suppose the only way to do it is to try. So maybe I will pay someone to talk to me over the internet.

[zjones]

Also, and this is Big, I started looking into online tutors on iTalki etc, because I think my Polish might benefit from it. But my anxiety has so far stopped me doing any sort of tutor thing or language exchange because I'm so shy about meeting new people, even online. I'd like to get past that and I suppose the only way to do it is to try. So maybe I will pay someone to talk to me over the internet.

That's awesome! It can be really scary to take the first step on iTalki. I remember that I was super anxious before my first lesson, but I told my teacher about my anxiety and he assured me that it would be fine. You could also try searching for language exchange partners on ConversationExchange.com, which could be easier because you can start by writing or sending audio messages to someone, and then progress to calls or video-calls if you want.

[cjareck]

But my anxiety has so far stopped me doing any sort of tutor thing or language exchange because I'm so shy about meeting new people, even online. I'd like to get past that and I suppose the only way to do it is to try. So maybe I will pay someone to talk to me over the internet.

You know, I am also shy. I thought that I do not apply for any Language Exchange because of my shyness, but I read somewhere (and found it correct) that it is not shyness but pride. You do not want to show your weaknesses to the other people. This should motivate you
If you wish, call me via Skype, and you will see how it is going.

[chove]

But my anxiety has so far stopped me doing any sort of tutor thing or language exchange because I'm so shy about meeting new people, even online. I'd like to get past that and I suppose the only way to do it is to try. So maybe I will pay someone to talk to me over the internet.

You know, I am also shy. I thought that I do not apply for any Language Exchange because of my shyness, but I read somewhere (and found it correct) that it is not shyness but pride. You do not want to show your weaknesses to the other people. This should motivate you
If you wish, call me via Skype, and you will see how it is going.

I don't know enough Polish to have a conversation with anyone yet. I know some basic sentences and a lot of randomish words but nothing I could build a conversation from I don't think. So I am not really worried about my weaknesses so much as just communicating with people. I find online communication a lot easier than real life but it is still quite hard. But I need to face it!

[cjareck]

The level of the language does not matter. For me, the most important was to break a psychological barrier. And I managed it, I can speak, at least with my language partners, without a problem. But often I miss a necessary word and stop midst of a sentence. I hope to improve that gradually by learning new vocabulary.

[chove]

I now have an italki lesson scheduled for Wednesday evening! I hope it goes okay!