Komma’s Log: Focus on French

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Komma
Orange Belt
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:00 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (N); learning actively: Japanese (beginner); learning passively: English (probably C1/2), French (false beginner); on halt: Spanish (beginner)
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.org/vi ... =15&t=1067
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Komma’s Log: Focus on French

Postby Komma » Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:31 pm

Hello everyone,
I think only a few of you remember me being a member of original HTLAL for almost 2 years now ( :o ) because I have been on and off learning languages and talking about it. University work always gets in the way. However, I am now through with the Bachelor work, I can focuse again on a bit of studying.

As I am not up to date with all the forum stuff, but realized that a move to this forum might be upon us soon, I want to start my log here. Like this it is is licensed the right way.

I finished my French course at university last month which was not really good, as expected. I also bought the Assimil course and want to go through this in the next few weeks, though I'm going to spain in the first two weeks of September. It might be not that good learning French now instead of Spanish, but I don't want to mix them up again, so I just skip Spanish further away until I have a better knowledge of French.

Note: I somehow forgot to structure my log before adding some progress stuff, so you'll find a few links to resources, background, progress bars etc for my languages below.


Languages: (background)
Speak:
  • German (Native)
  • English

Learning:
actively~

passively*

On hold:
[/list]


~active vocab and grammar study plus extensive and intensive reading, watching TV, listening to podcasts, doing courses etc.
*i.e. reading, watching TV/films, listening to podcast for natives etc. (just 'using' the language)



EDIT (21.4.2016) added the 'learning' and 'speak' category with links to progress, resource and intro links to these languages
EDIT2 (07.09.2016): added 'on hold' and link to French-Focus log start
EDIT3 (01.03.2017): French 'on hold', learning Japanese
EDIT4 (01.07.2018): Japanese 'on hold', actively learning French
Last edited by Komma on Sun Jul 01, 2018 2:29 pm, edited 15 times in total.
4 x
: 38 / 113 Assimil French - passive
: 5 / 40 Language Transfer
: 20 / 81 Le petit Prince
: 0 / 52 Grammaire progressive - intermédiaire
: 0 / 28 Vocabulaire progressf - débutant

User avatar
iguanamon
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2353
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 11:14 am
Location: Virgin Islands
Languages: Speaks: English (Native); Spanish (C2); Portuguese (C2); Haitian Creole (C1); Ladino/Djudeo-espanyol (C1); Lesser Antilles French Creole (B2)
Studies: Catalan
Language Log: viewtopic.php?t=797
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Re: Komma’s Log: Fr (TAC 15), En (TAC 15)

Postby iguanamon » Fri Aug 14, 2015 12:02 am

Welcome back and welcome to the forum , Komma. It's good to see you posting again :)
0 x

Cavesa
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4960
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:46 am
Languages: Czech (N), French (C2) English (C1), Italian (C1), Spanish, German (C1)
x 17566

Re: Komma’s Log: Fr (TAC 15), En (TAC 15)

Postby Cavesa » Fri Aug 14, 2015 3:10 am

Yay! You're here, awesome!
0 x

User avatar
PeterMollenburg
Black Belt - 3rd Dan
Posts: 3229
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:54 am
Location: Australia
Languages: English (N), French (B2-certified), Dutch (High A2?), Spanish (~A1), German (long-forgotten 99%), Norwegian (false starts in 2020 & 2021)
Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... 15&t=18080
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Re: Komma’s Log: Fr (TAC 15), En (TAC 15)

Postby PeterMollenburg » Tue Aug 25, 2015 3:23 am

Glad I found you Komma,

How's things with regards to your language learning?

PM

Edit: Feel free to drop by the French team log (currently in the challenges section, likely to be moved to the language log section). NOt much has been said there yet, so I'm hoping a few French learners will make the thread a little more active again :)
0 x

Komma
Orange Belt
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:00 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (N); learning actively: Japanese (beginner); learning passively: English (probably C1/2), French (false beginner); on halt: Spanish (beginner)
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.org/vi ... =15&t=1067
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Komma’s Log: French 2016

Postby Komma » Thu Jan 07, 2016 7:32 pm

though it has been a while @PeterMollenburg: sorry, I have been busy again... I don't think TAC's are the best thing for me. I just learn on my own this year and keep this log anyway.

Since I am here, I can update my progress. One of my many new year's resolution is to continue with French and reach somewhat like B1 in 3 months (so until 31st of March). Since I already have a background learning French I think this is realistic. I am not sure about taking a real test, but I want to do a mock exam for myself (using this or a preparation booklet for DELF or similar. If anyone reads this and want to recommend something, I would be more than happy).
If I find the courage to go to the international meetings of my university I would also like to talk to someone in French. But maybe that would only be the next step (after March 31st).

For reaching B1 my plan defenitely needs a bit revision. At the moment I try to study at least 15 minutes a day and go through one lesson of Assimil a day (at least). Probably this is not very efficient to get to B1 until March. I need to get a grammar study book to test myself. I think my passive knowledge is probably already at B1 level, but my active is not (I think... actually I don't really like these levels, since I can't really estimate what I have to know and can do for which level. Maybe I need another way to quantify my progress and my aim, but doing a bit every day is what counts more for now. I don't have time pressure, I just want consistency.)

Since the 1st of January I already progressed two lessons in Assimil and watched half of Harry Potter 1 (which I did on those days where 'studying' wasn't possible. At least I listened to French for about 15-20 minutes).
In the next 3 days I haven't got university, so I will find a bit more time to get a roadmap of my learning journey with 5-15 minute bits of learning. (I'd like to test the 'first-brick method' I encountered on a german study blog... haven't found anything else while searching for first brick method, so it might be called differently... it is not a really new concept: You have your aim and determine your task that you have to do in order to reach the aim or get closer. This task you break down into smaller tasks where each task is so trivial that you can do it in a minute or two and it does not feel like work, but you get some motivation of just having accomplished a task. You then just keep going with your mini-tasks until your done. The aim is to begin doing something, because the beginning is the most difficult thing. Once you started going further is less difficult. Like I said it isn't really new, but the article was quite motivating, so I want to give it a try. If someone is interested you can find it here(it's German))
0 x
: 38 / 113 Assimil French - passive
: 5 / 40 Language Transfer
: 20 / 81 Le petit Prince
: 0 / 52 Grammaire progressive - intermédiaire
: 0 / 28 Vocabulaire progressf - débutant

Komma
Orange Belt
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:00 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (N); learning actively: Japanese (beginner); learning passively: English (probably C1/2), French (false beginner); on halt: Spanish (beginner)
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.org/vi ... =15&t=1067
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Re: Komma’s Log: French 2016

Postby Komma » Sun Jan 10, 2016 9:32 pm

The first week (or 1 and a half week..) of 2016 is over, so it's time for a first progress review.

Assimil New French with ease: leçons 8-11
I already started with Assimil last year, doing lessons 1-7.
My method for new lessons is something like this:
1. Listen to new lesson 3 times and try to understand.
2. Listen a 4th time while reading the text and look at the translation of unknown words (as I am refreshing my french there are only very few words unknown at the moment)
3. Listen and speak along (loud) 3 times. Though at the 3rd time I stop after each sentence and repeat and also read the annotations.
4. Excercises. Understanding: Listen and try to shadow. Repeat on my own and try to understand. (Mostly they are easy to understand)
I don't normally write down the fill in excercises, but I kind of imagine the spelling in my head and compare to the solution.
5. Listen and shadow (or at least what I understand of shadowing: speaking along..)

At the moment I kind of do a new lesson each time I open Assimil, but there are days where I don't do Assimil, but other things (mostly because I have not much time and only watch tv or listen to the radio while having dinner).

My routine for older lessons:
Before I do a new lesson on a session I repeat the 4 previous lessons only like following:
1. Listen
2. Listen and shadow.
Depends on the lesson whether I only do this once or twice.

So in total it would look like this:
new lesson: 12
repeating older lessons: 8,9,10,11
next day: new lesson: 13
repeating older lessons: 9,10,11,12

Like this I repeat every lesson 4 times after my 'new lesson routine' before I leave them.

Yesterday I also recorded my voice on each of the lessons I did, just to see how this sounds and it was quite fun. I had not much a problem of hearning my voice, but I didn't like to listen to my accent :D

Output challenge (written only)
I wrote a post in the thread "Cette semaine en français" of 64 words (I counted combinations like 'j'ai' as one word though. Not sure whether you normally count it as two words or one?).

Native Material:
I started watching Harry Potter et l'école des sorciers because I can do so while having lunch and still doing something fun AND informative. Of course I know the story and often also the exact phrases (in german) which makes it easy to follow, however, I have the impression I don't really follow the language very much. Because I don't need to concentrate to get the action.
I belive this will be better for HP 3-7, because I haven't watched those movies that often ^^

Although I haven't started, I plan to read HP 1 as well. I only skimmed through the first two pages, and it seems quite hard. But I want to read something where I like the story. Graded reader's are sometimes nice, but I'm not sure I'd enjoy them very much... And I think my biggest problem is the tenses and some other grammatical expressions that I am not that familiar with. And I could look them up and learn them as I go (reminds me that I still have to get a practice booklet).

Other material
I found a 'grammar in pictures' at my library. I really like the concept, but I read that there were some flaws in the grammar there. It has been corrected in the newest edition according to Pons, but I think the version I have is the uncorrected one. That's sad, because I'm no expert to mention the flaws myself, I guess. I hope that at least my mini grammar by pons is flawless..

I guess that's my review of the first days in 2016. I learned everyday (starting on 2nd because I wasn't home on 1st ^^) until now, and I want to continue learning everyday. (I am using Habitica and the 'don't break the chain' method for staying motivated to make this a habit, by the way. The latter is good to make it visible. I think it works best with a few weeks of having developed a chain, because then you really don't want to break it so easily. But that depends on how you think about it.)
2 x
: 38 / 113 Assimil French - passive
: 5 / 40 Language Transfer
: 20 / 81 Le petit Prince
: 0 / 52 Grammaire progressive - intermédiaire
: 0 / 28 Vocabulaire progressf - débutant

User avatar
Rebecca
Yellow Belt
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:08 am
Location: UK
Languages: English (N), French (Beginner)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1821
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Re: Komma’s Log: French 2016

Postby Rebecca » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:08 pm

Hi Komma! Welcome! :)

I'm a beginner in French and hoping to reach B1 this year too. I've subscribed to your log and will look forward to following along with your progress! Good luck! :)
1 x
: 13 / 100 French Super Challenge - 100 Films
: 0 / 5000 French Super Challenge - 100 Books

Super Challenge Log

User avatar
jennybenny25
Orange Belt
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:39 pm
Location: UK
Languages: English (N), BSL (Lvl2), French (Beginner A1), Spanish (Beginner), Turkish (Beginner), Japanese (Beginner)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1743&p=17622#p17586
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Re: Komma’s Log: French 2016

Postby jennybenny25 » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:35 pm

Well done with revision so far techniques are good-I too reading harry potter :)

I'm also learning French :) look forward to reading more of your log

X
0 x
SpanishDuolingo: 20 / 64

SC Films: 1 / 50

SC Books: 0 / 50

Outputchallenge: 220 / 50000

FirstSpanishReader: 5 / 29

CoffeeBreakSpanishSeason1: 10 / 40


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FirstFrenchReader: 15 / 29

Writing: 243 / 1000

FrenchDuolingo: 29 / 78

CoffeeBreakFrenchSeason1: 15 / 40

LiveFrench: 2 / 25

Komma
Orange Belt
Posts: 146
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:00 pm
Location: Germany
Languages: German (N); learning actively: Japanese (beginner); learning passively: English (probably C1/2), French (false beginner); on halt: Spanish (beginner)
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.org/vi ... =15&t=1067
x 155

Re: Komma’s Log: French 2016

Postby Komma » Tue Jan 12, 2016 6:28 am

Thanks @Rebecca and @jennybenny25 :D

I wish you good luck as well for your studies and just subscribed to your logs. It's always nice to know that people really are reading a log. I also like reading other's logs. I think the Assimil method I used was also on the forum or wiki somewhere. At least quite similar to what I do. And I kind of make good progress with it (But I also already know French. I don't know how this would change if I had no clue at all of the language..)

@jennybenny25:
Are you also ready HP1? I have just started yesterday and am actually quite happy, I didn't have to look up too many words (I'm reading the ebook which is super awesome because looking up words is just one press away). I have to get used to the Imparfait that's used. It's not that I don't know this tense, but I haven't really read much French yet, so mostly stuff was in present and Imparfait still looks a bit unfamiliar. Especially with new words (I am really happy of the dictionary of my reader. In English it often does not find words that are not in the exact form that is in the dict. But with French it almost finds anything. And if the French-English one does not work, the French only has found EVERYTHING so far. But I did not really understand the explanations yet...)
Anyway, Have fun reading ;)
2 x
: 38 / 113 Assimil French - passive
: 5 / 40 Language Transfer
: 20 / 81 Le petit Prince
: 0 / 52 Grammaire progressive - intermédiaire
: 0 / 28 Vocabulaire progressf - débutant

User avatar
jennybenny25
Orange Belt
Posts: 168
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2015 12:39 pm
Location: UK
Languages: English (N), BSL (Lvl2), French (Beginner A1), Spanish (Beginner), Turkish (Beginner), Japanese (Beginner)
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1743&p=17622#p17586
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Re: Komma’s Log: French 2016

Postby jennybenny25 » Tue Jan 12, 2016 2:59 pm

Bonjour!

Yes its the 1st book and only on page 2 at mo :S but find that im not looking up too much as familiar with story so :) kindle sounds better and quicker... might look into this :)

x
0 x
SpanishDuolingo: 20 / 64

SC Films: 1 / 50

SC Books: 0 / 50

Outputchallenge: 220 / 50000

FirstSpanishReader: 5 / 29

CoffeeBreakSpanishSeason1: 10 / 40


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FirstFrenchReader: 15 / 29

Writing: 243 / 1000

FrenchDuolingo: 29 / 78

CoffeeBreakFrenchSeason1: 15 / 40

LiveFrench: 2 / 25


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