Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

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badger
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby badger » Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:01 am

well done - that's great progress! :)
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby DaveAgain » Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:13 am

Bex wrote:What a difference from February...

I could follow the whole thing, there wasn't a single section I didn't follow. There were words I didn't get and I missed bits here and there but nothing noticeable. I didn't really even notice I was following so easily until it had finished, because I was just watching it....like normal TV :shock:
That's great news Bex :-)
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Bex
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby Bex » Thu Jun 06, 2019 6:30 am

badger wrote:well done - that's great progress! :)

DaveAgain wrote:That's great news Bex :-)

Thanks, it's really great to finally have an "up" moment. It means that the push I made a few months ago through my "down" moment was worth it :D

Seems the fog may finally be clearing on Spanish, maybe my head's just in a better place now? I am very aware I still have a long way to go but it's a nice feeling when the language finally starts to feel less alien and the work I've been putting in over the last few months finally seems to be paying off.
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby PeterMollenburg » Thu Jun 06, 2019 7:24 am

Hi Bex,

Occasionally I drop in on your log, which I’ve done today as I stalk the forum instead of attending to things I should, ah well, provided I don’t make a habit of it!

It’s great to see your listening skills have taken a leap forward, and that you are progressing well through courses like the massive FSI course and the PMP series while focusing on your weaknesses. It’s really nice to read about your gains of late! Also it’s nice to see you’re sticking at it - that’s the most important element, is it not, in learning a FL, right? No need to answer. Great work Bex! Great progress! Your dedication and determination is paying off!
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Bex
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby Bex » Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:59 am

PeterMollenburg wrote:Hi Bex,

Occasionally I drop in on your log, which I’ve done today as I stalk the forum instead of attending to things I should, ah well, provided I don’t make a habit of it!

It’s great to see your listening skills have taken a leap forward, and that you are progressing well through courses like the massive FSI course and the PMP series while focusing on your weaknesses. It’s really nice to read about your gains of late! Also it’s nice to see you’re sticking at it - that’s the most important element, is it not, in learning a FL, right? No need to answer. Great work Bex! Great progress! Your dedication and determination is paying off!

Thanks PM, it's nice to know you pop in from time to time.

I read all your logs and other musings all the time. But I'm just a novice so I'm too scared to comment ;)

One day I'll be a pro like yourself and the rest of the pros on here....good luck with your courses and your C1/C2 misson.
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Bex
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby Bex » Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:06 pm

FSI Basic Spanish unit 19 - Preterite & imperfect combined.

I am still struggling with past tense conjugations I have repeated this lesson twice already this week and as I have with all the lessons I will repeat for a 3rd time (probably tomorrow) before moving on to the next lesson. I write out all the dialogues by hand and read through each lesson notes and drills before I listen to it, so each lesson I pass through 4 times in total. I have little trouble repeating the dialogues after the 3rd attempt (thus far).

But the verb conjugations are still killing me in the preterite because there are so many irregular ones. I am getting the drills right because of the way they are set up, for example tuve -> tuviste is pretty easy but tienes -> tuviste is not so straight forward due to its irregular root and I'd like to practice this tricky stuff more.

As I say I'm getting most of the drills right (over 90%) and I have come a long way since I started drilling preterite the verb conjugations on https://maestrospanish.com/ but I'm not sure if I should move on to the next lesson or not. I'm not sure I'm gaining anything by keep repeating this lesson but I need a way to continue drilling those preterite forms into my brain?

I think I would prefer some thing with more context as I'm feeling a bit like FSI is drilling the conjugations but sometimes I'm conjugating a verb correctly but I'm not totally sure what the verb means, and I don't think I'd be able to recall it quickly enough in an actual conversation even after all the drilling :?

I'm wondering if should find something to work alongside the FSI lessons but with more context, for example writing out sentences or just keep on with my reading and listening to native content and with enough exposure it'll all start to sink in. I think I have the PMP verb tenses workbook somewhere maybe that would help...

Feeling a little lost...
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Brun Ugle
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby Brun Ugle » Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:49 pm

I think I would move on and possibly review the lesson again later. I find often that something that seems very difficult can resolve itself when I go back to it a few chapters later.

I would also combine FSI with other activities. Perhaps a regular textbook or workbook. I never rely on just one course.

It sounds like you’re making really good progress though. Congratulations on that. And don’t worry, what seems hard now will soon be easy.
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby eido » Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:24 pm

Are you studying the conjugations in terms of their patterns?

One thing that I thought was brilliant about my classes in high school was that they drilled the patterns of the conjugations into us. (Mostly by singing or chanting.) Sometimes we learned how each mini pattern was connected to an overall one, but mostly we just memorized the mini pattern. That was fine with me, because I just connected the dots myself and I found that more efficient because of the way I chose to augment my studies. I practiced on my own, by writing, which was its own form of drilling.

There are categories of verbs and it might be useful to study a category at a time and drill each, then connect them to a bigger pattern by just writing paragraphs. Then they'll stick.

Like, for instance:
Poner, suponer, etc. are in the same category. You can tell because they have similar spelling/roots.
The conjugation is as follows:
Puse Pusimos
Pusiste Pusisteis
Puso Pusieron

You can ask yourself, "why did this pattern evolve?" and there might be a technical answer out there but the simple answer you can give yourself is "it just sounds better. Would anything else sound good?" Maybe, but...

And notice that the pattern isn't all that different from a regular verb like "comer," with regard to the endings. It's just the stem that changes; that's why they're called stem-changing verbs.
You can memorize the titles of the categories, if that helps -- like "o --> ue" or suchlike.

I have a kind of hippie-ish way of approaching verb conjugation and I still get verbs wrong because of this (and I HAVE studied them formally by memorizing tables, as I've mentioned). I've just learned to get a feel for them and if saying them aloud doesn't help, my Spanish sense not picking up on it, I guess I'll just get corrected :D

I don't think that helped much, but I was just trying to boost your morale. Hopefully it worked.
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Bex
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby Bex » Wed Jun 12, 2019 5:44 pm

Brun Ugle wrote:I think I would move on and possibly review the lesson again later. I find often that something that seems very difficult can resolve itself when I go back to it a few chapters later.

I would also combine FSI with other activities. Perhaps a regular textbook or workbook. I never rely on just one course.

It sounds like you’re making really good progress though. Congratulations on that. And don’t worry, what seems hard now will soon be easy.


I hope you're right and that it will soon be easy. I have been looking for a course to use along side FSI but I'm yet to find one.
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Re: Bex Spanish log 2019: a definitive guide on the slowest way to learn Spanish ever!

Postby StringerBell » Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:00 pm

Bex wrote:I think I would prefer some thing with more context as I'm feeling a bit like FSI is drilling the conjugations but sometimes I'm conjugating a verb correctly but I'm not totally sure what the verb means, and I don't think I'd be able to recall it quickly enough in an actual conversation even after all the drilling :?


I have the same issue with doing drills. For some reason I get the feeling that drills work well for other people but not for me and it makes me think I'm doing something wrong. So maybe I'm not the only one :roll:
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