Lenka’s Comments (group member since Feb 06, 2022)

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

Berengaria wrote: "I'm so excited! Got two books in French yesterday...not that I need more books in French, but they were on super discount and I couldn't resist!


Oh I know that feeling! I got myself 10 (ten!) books on my recent trip to Spain. I entered the bookstore and they were calling my name! :-D

Kalliope wrote: "I finished my March French book. L’anomalie.

A five star for me. I listened to the Audio version while I was reading.


I checked the description for L'anomalie and I'm intrigued! Thanks for the tip!
Listening and reading at the same time is great - I should do it more often... Somehow I rarely have both the book and the audio handy.

Berengaria wrote: "Paul wrote:
I opened the original English book in the middle of nowhere and selected a sample paragraph that seemed very representative of the ..."

From your sample paragraph in English: middle B..."

Interesting discussion, Paul and Berengaria!

Let me point out one often overlooked aspect of A/B/C levels: they are competence-based. There is actually no such thing as A2 grammar or C1 vocabulary - the fact that textbooks claim otherwise is a different thing.

As described in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (which is where we got the A/B/C levels from), your level e. g. in reading depends on what you can do with a text and how comfortable you are doing so.

Here are descriptors for "Reading as a leisure activity":
C2
Can read virtually all forms of the written language including classical or colloquial literary and non-literary writings in different genres, appreciating subtle distinctions of style and implicit as well as explicit meaning.
C1
Can read and appreciate a variety of literary texts, provided that he/she can reread certain sections and that he/she can access reference tools if he/she wishes. Can read contemporary literary texts and non-fiction written in the standard form of the language with little difficulty and with
appreciation of implicit meanings and ideas.
B2
Can read for pleasure with a large degree of independence, adapting style and speed of reading to different texts (e.g. magazines, more straightforward novels, history books, biographies, travelogues, guides, lyrics, poems), using appropriate reference sources selectively. Can read novels that have a strong, narrative plot and that are written in straightforward, unelaborated language, provided
that he/she can take his/her time and use a dictionary.

(https://rm.coe.int/cefr-companion-vol...)

All in all, I think we may discuss if LE MEURTRE DE ROGER ACKROYD has "a strong, narrative plot that is written in straightforward, unelaborated language" or if it goes beyond that but Paul's experience reading it sounds to me more like C1 for sure :-)

I finished Patria by Fernando Aramburu, my first out of six books in Spanish planned for 2022.
It is a story of two families living in a small Basque town and the consequences the activities of the ETA separatist group had for the lives of ordinary people.
Language-wise it wasn't too difficult and quite engaging, so I was able to finish its 642 pages faster than expected. And I even learned a few Basque words :-)
As a book - a bit of a disappointment. It's a vast mosaic of characters, but they are rather flat and have basically no growth, even though we follow them over several decades. I had hoped it would shed some light on the reasons why people decided to join ETA and the general background of the Basque independence movement, but none is provided.
The writer uses a very particular style that reminded me of language textbooks (She went to bed early. At what time?/He received a letter. Who wrote the letter?) and sometimes changes the narrator in mid-sentence (from 3rd person to 1st person) which was interesting at first but got kind of annoying by page 300 or so.

Paul wrote: "Lenka wrote: "Paul wrote: "Lenka wrote: " shows what you still need to learn (prepositions (argh),"

Perhaps you're right. Maybe I should give it a try. I notice you point out prepositions as being..."

Or the women from the girls, in my case :-) Exactly!

Paul wrote: "Lenka wrote: "Wow, well done! Have you tried translating back to French again?"

Well, now that I've seen the actual French translation, that would be sorta cheating, wouldn't it? But, it's an inte..."

No cheating at all! :-)

It's actually a great learning technique - it helps you activate vocabulary (it's easier when you translate to your mother tongue, but can be quite a challenge the other way) and shows what you still need to learn (prepositions (argh), idioms, verb tenses...). I sometimes do the same passage back and forth a couple of times (on different days); it feels great when I finally get things right :-)

Paul wrote: "Just for the heck of it, I decided to try my hand at reverse-translating a piece of the French LE MEURTRE DE ROGER ACKROYD BACK into English as I under stood it. I thought that would be an interest..."

Wow, well done! Have you tried translating back to French again?

Paul wrote: I don't begrudge the time and I certainly know it's required to improve one's skills and language level. I just struggle to find that time each and every day. Four languages..."

I hear you!
With five languages to keep up and one that I'm currently studying, I know the struggle all too well! I spend most of my time with my newest/weakest language (Japanese at the moment) and pick one other language that I want to focus on (Spanish right now). Reading is actually how I keep the other languages from deteriorating too much. Then after a few months, I pick up another one to re-activate.

With seven languages to maintain, and a family to feed, and a piano to play, I just had to accept that I won't be perfectly fluent in all of them all the time. As long as I can read in them, however, I'm happy :-D

Kalliope wrote: I have read this.
Awesome - we can compare notes when I'm done :-)
It's an easy read so far (as far as language goes) and I'm enjoying it, though I'm not entirely impressed.

I started my first non-English book of the year, Patria by Fernando Aramburu. It's going well, the chapters are short so it feels like I'm making good progress :-) But the book has over 600 pages, so it will take a while...

Sportyrod wrote: "Hi Lenka,
Welcome to the club. You have some pretty interesting languages to choose from.
Rod"
Hi Rod,
Thanks! Languages are a passion for me and they are ALL interesting :-)

Berengaria wrote:

Ahoj Lenka! Welcome to the group! I've put you on the members list so feel free to jump in and let us know where you are with your goal reading and how you're enjoy..."

Thanks for the welcome! I hope I won't disappoint you, or myself :-)

Hello everyone,

I'm a bit late to the party, but there are still 10 months and 20 days left, so I guess it's still worth it if you let me join :-) I love this challenge!

I'm Czech, but I read in English most of the time (I should set myself a separate challenge to read a few books in Czech, actually).

This year I want to focus more on Spanish, so the goal is to read 6 books in Spanish, and 1 book in the other languages I speak or study, German, French and Japanese. I will award myself extra credit if I read something in Russian (any tips, anyone?)