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

[Bex]

What are you watching on YouTube as practice?

Oh all sorts...
Peppa Pig because it's easy.
HolaSoyGerman because it's difficult.
Dreaming Spanish
CuriosaMente
AuronPlay
Sometimes just random stuff.

I also watch series on Netflix occasionally but I still find grown up TV quite difficult, so I enjoy watching cartoons more.

HTH

[Bex]

Went to the cinema yesterday with my kids to watch Vengadores: Endgame. They wanted to see it in English so we ended up watching the VOSE version.

It was really interesting, not the film (that was the usual 'save the world' stuff) but the subtitles in Spanish!

I could read and understand probably 99% of it, I noticed many interesting translations where they didn't match up but the translation was obviously trying to portray the meaning instead.

It really shocked me that I understood so much and followed so easily.

Now if only I could speak like a Vengadora

[Cenwalh]

What are you watching on YouTube as practice?

Oh all sorts...
Peppa Pig because it's easy.
HolaSoyGerman because it's difficult.
Dreaming Spanish
CuriosaMente
AuronPlay
Sometimes just random stuff.

I also watch series on Netflix occasionally but I still find grown up TV quite difficult, so I enjoy watching cartoons more.

HTH

Interesting, we're probably at about the same level, I also find Youtube a lot easier than adult TV for some reason. I think perhaps because Youtube often just has one person talking so you get used to their flow, but conversations are harder, I don't know.

[Bex]

Super Challenge April totals:
Books read: 4
Films watched: 5.6

Total so far: 54 books & 69 films

Still not reading enough

[DaveAgain]

Super Challenge April totals:
Books read: 4
Films watched: 5.6

Total so far: 54 books & 69 films

Still not reading enough

Don't knock it, your reading numbers are way better than mine.

[GnomeChomsky]

Went to the cinema yesterday with my kids to watch Vengadores: Endgame. They wanted to see it in English so we ended up watching the VOSE version.

It was really interesting, not the film (that was the usual 'save the world' stuff) but the subtitles in Spanish!

I could read and understand probably 99% of it, I noticed many interesting translations where they didn't match up but the translation was obviously trying to portray the meaning instead.

It really shocked me that I understood so much and followed so easily.

Now if only I could speak like a Vengadora

That's fantastic that you understood so much! My guess is that the subtitles were fast, too. How are you liking readlang? Would you say the reading content is worth the $5 a month? I'm thinking about subscribing myself.

[Bex]

That's fantastic that you understood so much! My guess is that the subtitles were fast, too.

Oh yes they were fast but I had hardly any problem following along, even listening in English and trying to watch! And they say multitasking is a myth

How are you liking readlang? Would you say the reading content is worth the $5 a month? I'm thinking about subscribing myself.

Readlang is good, I'm not much of a reader, I'm still having to force myself and I don't really enjoy it much.

The main reason I chose Readlang is the flashcards, I love the fact it orders them by frequency so I can fill all the holes in my vocabulary in some sort of sensible order.

I think LingQ or LWT are both better but I prefer reading on my phone over my laptop so LWT was a no-go for me .

LingQ is just too buggy/unreliable and expensive for me, but I'm happy to explain more about the issues and good features of LingQ if you're considering it, I've been using it for about a year now.

Readlang is definitely has the most usable extra features, with a good database and it's reliable, and not overpriced. I love that you can add YouTube videos as well, especially after Kraut explained how to capture the subtitles as a text.

https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... es#p138548

All the readers are different there's kindle, Readlang and LingQ all with good content available.
And LWT and https://languagetools.io if you have your own content to read.

I've used them all quite a bit so if you have any questions ask away but it really just depends on what features you'd like to use.

ETA: I just remembered you use Anki, in which case Readlang is better as you can export easily from Readlang to Anki.

[Bex]

Went through FSI lesson 15 today, it was all about Indirect clitic pronouns, so I decided to revise my direct and indirect object pronouns.

Is it just me or does the internet make things overly complicated?

As far as I can see the only difference between direct and indirect forms is in the he/she/formal (+ plural) forms but their meanings are so different that it would be hard to muddle them up...

Direct
Lo/ la = a noun (it, the pizza, the menu, etc) and Los/Las for the plural forms.
Example: I am eating it (the pizza) = La cómo

Indirect
Le = to or from he/she/ formal.
Example: I wrote a letter to him = Le escribé una carta.

Both together
Indirect is always first and you can't have le + lo... so It becomes se lo.

Example together: I wrote him it (a letter) = se la escribé

Or am I missing something really important and it's not that simple?

[AndyMeg]

Direct
Lo/ la = a noun (it, the pizza, the menu, etc) and Los/Las for the plural forms.
Example: I am eating it (the pizza) = La cómo

"Como" va sin tilde. La tilde cambia el significado del verbo "comer" al de una pregunta indirecta (how), lo cual no tendría sentido en esta oración.

Indirect
Le = to or from he/she/ formal.
Example: I wrote a letter to him = Le escribé una carta.

En este caso la oración está en pasado y "escribí" va con "i" no con "e". Si estuviera en presente y fuera otro sujeto (él o ella) sí sería "escribe", pero sin tilde: le escribe una carta (he/she writes a letter to him).

Both together
Indirect is always first and you can't have le + lo... so It becomes se lo.

Example together: I wrote him it (a letter) = se la escribé

"Escribí" va con "i" no con "e".

Or am I missing something really important and it's not that simple?

I'm always amazed by how much explicit grammar foreing language learners get to know. Which sometimes makes me feel embarrassed when I want to explain something about my native language and the only thing I can say is either "it sounds right" or "it sounds wrong/weird"

[Bex]

Direct
Lo/ la = a noun (it, the pizza, the menu, etc) and Los/Las for the plural forms.
Example: I am eating it (the pizza) = La cómo

"Como" va sin tilde. La tilde cambia el significado del verbo "comer" al de una pregunta indirecta (how), lo cual no tendría sentido en esta oración.

Indirect
Le = to or from he/she/ formal.
Example: I wrote a letter to him = Le escribé una carta.

En este caso la oración está en pasado y "escribí" va con "i" no con "e". Si estuviera en presente y fuera otro sujeto (él o ella) sí sería "escribe", pero sin tilde: le escribe una carta (he/she writes a letter to him).

Both together
Indirect is always first and you can't have le + lo... so It becomes se lo.

Example together: I wrote him it (a letter) = se la escribé

"Escribí" va con "i" no con "e".

Or am I missing something really important and it's not that simple?

I'm always amazed by how much explicit grammar foreing language learners get to know. Which sometimes makes me feel embarrassed when I want to explain something about my native language and the only thing I can say is either "it sounds right" or "it sounds wrong/weird"

"Cómo" - este fue mi corrector ortográfico no yo

"Escribí" va con "i" no con "e". - Esta es la razón por la que en este momento estoy trabajando en mi libro "Perfecting the Spanish Past Tenses"...

Muchísimas gracias por tu ayuda.