Dolly's language log (mainly Spanish)

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DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
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Dolly's language log (mainly Spanish)

Postby DollyG » Sun Mar 17, 2019 9:22 pm

17/03/2019

Language: Spanish

I’m officially starting my language log again. It’s annoying that I didn’t continue studying Spanish after returning from Ecuador 6 years ago when I’d got to a broken conversational level. If I had, I would have been fluent by now. So it’s almost like starting from scratch - or more accurately beginner plus level. But you can't go back, so the only thing is to move forward.

This time, my main goal is consistency. I started redoing the Michel Thomas foundation course last week. If I can consistently study Spanish for 6 months, I can get to a pretty decent level. So, the idea is to do at least 15 minutes every day, but longer whenever possible.

Possible resources:
    Language courses
    Games
    Reading
    Watching TV
    Podcasts
    Writing

Spanish Resources:
https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 19&t=5377/

49 Spanish questions
https://www.fluentin3months.com/spanish ... +months%29

A reminder of some useful techniques:

The Listening + Reading Method
http://how-to-learn-any-language.com/fo ... p?TID=6366

Resources:

L1 = English
L2 = Spanish

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    Spanish Book
    English book
    Spanish audio recording

The order should be exactly as follows:
Read the book in English - because you only remember what you understand
Listen to Spanish recording and follow the Spanish text at the same time - because the flow of speech has no boundaries between words as the written text does. You can separate each word, and get used to speech
Listen to Spanish and read in English (This is the most important step. Do it from the beginning to the end. Usually, 3 times is enough to understand everything. If you’re in the position to skip 1 and 2, do it.
Concentrate on speaking: you repeat after the recording. Do it as many times as necessary to become fluent.
You translate the text from your own language into the language you’re learning. You can do the translation both orally and in writing. That’s why written texts should be placed in verticle column side by side: you can cover one side and check using the other one.

*Listening comprehension should be the most important goal. Don’t try to speak (or write) too soon. It is much better to listen to more texts instead. Concentrate on the meaning. Sooner or later you will feel you’re ready to speak or write. It will come naturally.


Shadowing and Scriptorium
http://www.foreignlanguageexpertise.com ... study.html


Resources I’m using:
Michel Thomas Foundation and Advanced Course
Duolingo
Memrise
L+R Method: Harry Potter y el prisionero de Azkaban
Watch shows/films in Spanish
Read Spanish out loud
Scriptorium - read a sentence, write it while reading each word out loud, read the sentence out loud
Last edited by DollyG on Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:29 pm, edited 3 times in total.
3 x

DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
x 20

Re: Dolly's language log

Postby DollyG » Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:21 am

17/03/2019

Language: Spanish

What I did today

Reviewed some of my old language logs, and familiarised myself with the new language forum
Michel Thomas Foundation Course - on Disc 7, Track 3
L+R - Harry Potter y el prisionero de Azkaban: pages 1 - 12 (top of page 12)
Duoling 10xp
Memrise
Watch an episode of Grace and Frankie in Spanish (no subtitles)

18/03/2019

Netflix

Just Audio in Spanish for things I’m interested in

European Spanish
Eat Pray Love
Love Actually
Gilmore Girls
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Grace and Frankie
Altered Carbon

Spanish
Star Trek Beyond


Audio + Subtitles in Spanish for things I’m interested in:

European Spanish
Cable Girls


Learning techniques
I’ve been reading some logs on the language learners forum. One of the discussions I found on Rdearman’s log (https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... start=1130) was about watching intensively rather than extensively, to focus on understanding everything (or rather as much as possible) rather than just getting the gist of the material. The process for that is:

Watch an episode/film
Watch and pick out what you don’t know, and look them up
Watch again

Beli Tsar suggested a slightly altered method, which they found very powerful and key to making a real breakthrough:

Doing the watching over 3 consecutive days rather than just 1 day.

Day 1
Watch episode 1

Day 2
Watch episode 1, pick out unknowns and look up
Watch episode 2

Day 3
Watch episode 1
Watch episode 2, pick out unknowns and look up
Watch episode 3

Day 4
Watch episode 2
Watch episode 3, pick out unknowns and look up
Watch episode 4
Last edited by DollyG on Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
1 x

DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
x 20

Re: Dolly's language log

Postby DollyG » Mon Mar 18, 2019 10:42 pm

18/03/2019

What I did today:

Watched
Cabel Girls Episode 1

Watched in Spanish, with Spanish subtitles

I’ve never seen this series before, so from this first watching, I got the gist. By reading subtitles, I understood some full sentences, and many words. But I definitely didn’t get every sentence and the meaning of the show as I would have gotten in English.

Watched in English, with Spanish subtitles

Spanish Course
Michel Thomas Foundation Course
Disc 7 - Tracks 3, 4, 5

L+R - Harry Potter y el prisionero de Azkaban: pages 12 - 16

Resources:
Spanish-Spanish Dictionary
https://es.thefreedictionary.com/
1 x

DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
x 20

Re: Dolly's language log

Postby DollyG » Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:45 pm

19/03/2019

Very tired today so didn’t have a lot of energy for Spanish. On the other hand, my English leisure reading was very productive.

What I did today:

Michel Thomas Founation Course
Disc 7 - Tracks 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Duolingo - 20xp
L+R - Harry Potter y el prisionero de Azkaban
Chapter 1 complete pages 17 - 18, audio time stamp 27:49

An easier way to search for Spanish audio and subtitles on Netflix

https://www.netflix.com/browse/audio/es
https://www.netflix.com/browse/subtitles/es


Language: Gujarati

On Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/browse/audio/gu
1 x

DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
x 20

Re: Dolly's language log

Postby DollyG » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:10 pm

Very little time spent on Spanish over the last two days, but I'm going with something is better than nothing approach

20/03/2019

What I did today:

Michel Thomas Foundation Course
Disc 8 - Tracks 1, 2


21/03/2019

What I did today:

Michel Thomas Foundation Course
Disc 8 - Tracks 3, 4
Watched Episode 2 of Cabel Girls - English with Spanish subtitles
1 x

DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
x 20

Re: Dolly's language log

Postby DollyG » Fri Mar 22, 2019 9:05 pm

22/03/2019

Definitely in more Spanish mood today. The last couple of days, outside of work, I was too busy reading books in English. That will begin again no doubt (as reading is my big hobby, and as a writer in English, reading in English is important), but just taking a break from it for today to focus more on Spanish.

Es viernes!

What I did today:

Michel Thomas Foundation Course
Finished this course
Disc 8 - Tracks 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

L+R - Harry Potter y el prisionero de Azkaban
Chapter 2 completepages 19 - 30, audio time stamp 57:58
0 x

DollyG
White Belt
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 17, 2019 1:26 am
Languages: English (N), Gujarati (N), Hindi (N), Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=10254
x 20

Re: Dolly's language log

Postby DollyG » Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:27 pm

24/03/2019
Michel Thomas Advance Course
Disc 1 - Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5


25/03/2019
Michel Thomas Advance Course
Disc 1 - Tracks 6, 7, 8, 9

Do 8 and 9 again. I seem to lose track of where you put person before the subject, and when after, hooking it in with lo.

Diga se lo
No me se lo diga?

Not really sure.
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