Sportyrod’s Comments (group member since Nov 12, 2021)

Sportyrod’s comments from the Language Learners and Polyglots group.

Hi everyone,

I miss reading in a foreign language. I am hoping to read my next book in Bahasa Indonesia but it is my weaker language so I am brushing up on my vocabulary before I am get started. I am doing daily vocab drills. I might have to find a Swedish book to tide me over as I miss the challenge.

Rod

Well done Lenka. That book is a great accomplishment. I’m very impressed. I’ve read some multi-generation books too (only in English). Some are great, others not so great.

Paul, re the speaking ability and vocabulary. I’m only a new foreign language reader but my experience is the same. I can recognise the words well enough. But ask me three days later what the word for wood is and I have no idea. Some words interest me more than others. I like words to do with human experience as it helps me give opinions and what not. I find texting in that language helps alot. I have been exchanging opinions re the eurovision song contest with friends using some of the new vocabulary I have. It’s been fun.

Well done iamthesword. Glad you liked it.

I found both of the last two stories difficult. The language was very uncommon and quite a struggle.

Thanks for the info Berengaria.

Lenka, 600 pages! You will be an expert by the time you finish :)

Ok thanks. I have posted a review of it on it. It’s too long and self-indulgent to post here but the main points are:

Did I learn more words? Definately.

Did I learn most new words? Uh uh. When I read the vocab list at the end, I didn’t get them all. I guess that means I am learning as I go and have the abililty to make sense of new words in context but not ready to use them all for myself.

How did I deal with the increasing difficulty? At first it was a breeeze. I read as instructed without translating. As words got harder, I had a few sneak peeks and in the last two chapters I went straight to the lexicon as there were uncommon words.

Side note: I have been listening to the Swedish auditions competition to qualify for Eurovision and have enjoyed following-ish the commentary in Swedish.

Thanks for the encouragement for my first challenge book.

I just finished the short stories in Swedish. I had to wrap it up as I am back at uni next week 😢. I have drafted my review but won’t post it until Berengaria and Paul W have finished reading their versions.

Hi Lenka,
Welcome to the club. You have some pretty interesting languages to choose from.
Rod

That’s great news. I have just finished the first chapter and I am so in.

That sounds like a really interesting story. A great choice.

Congratulations. What was the story about? Did you keep track of some new words or did you look them up and continue on? It’s good that you were happy with the level.

So far I am. My expectations are set for learning so I can put aside my eye-rolling moments during the flaws. But I do notice them. I thought the adoption/belated reunification was quite insensitive but I figured he just wanted to use certain types of words (re relations) and didn’t think beyond it.

Re Olly. The stories are far-fetched. Some words are obscure but most are common enough. Sometimes I miss a word and it changes the context but I usually get it next read. I am happy with the stories in general. They are simple, build up, repeat so it has helped me learn. I am forgiving of the plot and flaws so long as I keep learning.

I finished the Viking one, so ready anytime.

toutes nos félicitations!! 🎉📕Well done on your first French novel. The story sounds interesting. Would expect higher than B2 level.

Re the Olly crew…I have also read that story, it is interesting isn’t it.

“I’m working from home at the moment” is the norm now.

I don’t think the sports showing have a succinct description. I reckon it would be more longwinded like, “they’re playing the tennis on the big screen outside the arena if you missed out on getting tickets”.

I asked my husband his opinion, he said “why don’t you watch it at one of the outdoor free viewing areas”.

I agree mostly with Paul’s comments. A home office is a place in your own home. Working remotely is working on your laptop at any place eg airport, utility van, home.

There must be some german language quirk if that is how the term is used. In Swedish they say “what is the clock” instead of what is the time. So it could be like that?

Public viewing is harder. I’d say the term is not used often. The open casket example was also what came to mind first. My second thought is “there is a public viewing of the woolly mammoth at the exhibition”. It is not normally for the public but is for a short while. I think (in Australia) you could say it was for a sports event. We also have open-air cinemas in the park and would say we are going to that. So public viewing would be more of a spontaneous, perhaps once-off connotation. Even if I was watching the Australian Open (tennis again, sorry) outside the arena on the big screen I wouldn’t say public viewing. But if someone said they were, I wouldn’t think anything of it and it would make sense.

Swedish

Epic fail. I was reading a short story and kept thinking how weird it was. Apparently a man goes around showing people a picture of a kiss and do they recognise one. Nope, the word was not kiss. It was ‘chest’ as in treasure chest. A similar sounding word that I thought I knew so didn’t check. Has anyone else messed anything up like that?