Language Learners and Polyglots discussion
Our 2022 Foreign Language Reading Challenge Group Status Chat
Iamthesword wrote: "I finished the first book: Éric Vuillard's CONGO. "Congrats! 👏 1 down, 10 to go! Glad to hear it was enjoyable.
Has everybody finished the 2nd story in Olly's Short Story book? What are your thoughts, Paul & Rod?
I'll admit I haven't been reading them from the point of view of assessing their literary merits. They're certainly not going to win any Nobel or Pulitzer prizes. My main objective was getting to the point where I could read the story and understand the flow with minimal reference to the vocabulary list. If I could get to the point where I'm not mentally translating every sentence, so much the better.I have to give Richards full marks for finding just the right level of repetition and reconstruction in slightly different order without crossing over into tedious.
Yes. I am partway through story three. I’m also focusing on the same things as Paul. I agree the repetition is good and the gradually increasing level of difficulty. I had a refer to the dictionary (just once) in story three.
Completed 2 books 1.Arabic 1. FrenchThe Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It
Une disparition mystérieuse
Reading 2 now
Alif Baa: An Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds
Learn French: By Reading Fantasy
Berengaria wrote: "For everybody's New Year's enjoyment, here is a comedy video about "11 things only Polyglots will understand" from Olly Richards-- many of us are reading his short story books.I recognise all of ..."
sooo true.
When you can't keep other languages out of your English
Berengaria wrote: "Welcome to the 2022 Foreign Language Reading Challenge Status chat. Here is where you can post how far along you are with your challenge, any questions you might have for others in the group (bes..."
Can I add to my list 2 in swahili and 1 in chinese(Mandarin)?
Calla wrote: "Can I add to my list 2 in swahili and 1 in chinese? "Ah, c'mon, LOL! That's just showing off!
On a more serious note, any particular reason why you've selected those two languages?
Paul wrote: "Calla wrote: "Can I add to my list 2 in swahili and 1 in chinese? "Ah, c'mon, LOL! That's just showing off!
On a more serious note, any particular reason why you've selected those two languages?"
Kiswahili honestly just because lol. It overlaps a lot with arabic.
Chinese because I think that its going to be big in the business sectors. A very useful language to know.
Calla wrote: "Paul wrote: "Calla wrote: "Can I add to my list 2 in swahili and 1 in chinese? "Ah, c'mon, LOL! That's just showing off!
On a more serious note, any particular reason why you've selected those tw..."
I agree. If I were a young person learning a new language, or a young parent choosing to suggest that my children take advantage of language learning opportunities, the two big suggestions would be Arabic or Mandarin Chinese. My guess is that if you were genuinely fluent in either of those two (as well as English, of course), the world would be your oyster. Spanish would be third only because it's one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.
Hi Berengaria and everyone else! For my challenge I've decided on the following:--Russian: Mayakovski, Poems Владимир Маяковский. Стихи и поэмы
--German: for this challenge I plan to plough through the Erich Salomon archive of letters, etc. on the Berlinische Gallerie website. This follows on from an earlier project focused on his photographic work.
Good luck to everyone here!
I look forward to it but not without some trepidation!
can I add 2 in swahili and 1 in chinese(Mandarin.."They're added! Really, Swahili has overlap with Arabic? Cool! I didn't know that. 👍
Congratulations on finishing 2 of your goal reads!!
Vicky wrote: "Hi Berengaria and everyone else! For my challenge I've decided on the following:--Russian: Mayakovski, Poems Владимир Маяковский. Стихи и поэмы
--German: for this challenge I plan to plough thro..."
Good luck: you can do it! *shakes pom poms*
Dave is also doing a Russian goal, although he's a beginner. I haven't heard of Erich Salomon, but if you already read older German texts, then you can handle private correspondence. No worries there!
Sportyrod wrote: "Yes. I am partway through story three. I’m also focusing on the same things as Paul. I agree the repetition is good and the gradually increasing level of difficulty. I had a refer to the dictionary..."Me three. The repetitions are great. I also really like the fact that he includes different genres!
I've had to refer to a dictionary more than a few times, as a fairly good amount phrases that are not explained I don't know. I'm not quite up to A2 yet.
On Memrise, I'm also making a vocabulary course for the stories to support the retention of new words. That's taking some time, as it also includes "useful phrases" in order to learn some grammar in context.
That's been a great help in getting the words to stick even if frustrating when I type an entire sentence...and get it wrong because I forgot ONE accent mark! (Arg!!😂).
Berengaria wrote: "We have a Spanish native speaker now, so you can pose questions directly if some come up to Kalliope. (Nice extra!)..."Hello, yes, sorry for replying late to this, but as Berengaria says, I am a native Spanish speaker. Any questions are welcome (although it is always difficult to consider one's language from a foreign point of view...
:)
I have signed up for 4 books in German. After the first one, I may increase it to 6 or so.As for French and Italian, I could include 12 for each - one a month.
I have already read one of each - L'exposition and Novecento. Un monologo, although I will read the latter one again - I have been traveling and left my iPad at home - finishing the book in my handheld - not optimal. Besides, I am reading it mostly to improve my Italian - rereading is an excellent thing to do.
As for Russian - I have ordered a bilingual edition of short stories - I don't have it yet. If I think I can handle it already I shall include it. I am at a very elementary level.
Hey Kalliope,I know what you mean. I didn’t understand the mechanics of English until I was in a Swedish language school. I like your goal. One a month sounds great.
Rod
Kalliope wrote: " As for French and Italian, I could include 12 for each - one a month.."You're goal's been updated! Really well done, Kalliope, congrats on already having completed the January goal!
I'm working on improving my Italian, too, but I'm not nearly as advanced as you are. 1 in Italian per month sounds wonderful!
LE MEURTRE DE ROGER ACKROYD arrived on my porch this afternoon so, of course, I quickly opened it to scan a couple of paragraphs to see what level of French I had challenged myself to read. I don't think I'll be having any difficulty overall with the vocabulary or the grammar but I will admit right off the bat ... I really HATE the literary past tense. What sick-minded historical French grammarian ever decided that something like that was necessary?
Paul wrote: "LE MEURTRE DE ROGER ACKROYD arrived on my porch this afternoon so, of course, I quickly opened it to scan a couple of paragraphs to see what level of French I had challenged myself to read. I don't..."Excellent the book arrived. Do you have a reading timeline or target time for the book to be finished by?
Haha we may never know.
Calla wrote: "Paul wrote: "LE MEURTRE DE ROGER ACKROYD arrived on my porch this afternoon so, of course, I quickly opened it to scan a couple of paragraphs to see what level of French I had challenged myself to ..."I don't have a target but it will be reasonably soon. Without patting myself too hard on the back, I think my skill in French is advanced enough that I should read this one like a novel rather than a learner's practice book. So my plan is, once I pick it up, to read it through from front to back, exactly the way I would read the same title in English. I don't want to go too slowly either. I want to test my ability to pick up all of Agatha Christie's clues, nuances, plot twists and so on. Another reason for trying to read more quickly is to force myself OUT OF the habit of translating.
Starting my first book Spanish novel for upper-beginners (A2): Enigma en la playa. Downloadable Audio . Vol.8. Spanish Edition.: Learn Spanish. Improve Spanish Reading. Graded reading. Aprender español. Lecturas graduadas.Should be fun :)
Go Dave! I’m reading an A2 level too. I hope you enjoy it.
Sportyrod wrote: "Go Dave! I’m reading an A2 level too. I hope you enjoy it."Thanks! I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I took college Spanish but that was many years ago. I'll see how much I remember by trying an A2 level.
Paul wrote: "I really HATE the literary past tense. What sick-minded historical French grammarian ever decided that something like that was necessary "*Warning: language teacher & hobbyist info coming in*
Blame Latin! They started it and now all the Romance languages have the two literary past tenses.👍
We still have the remnant of it in English that we got from Latin/French.
When we start a story, we oft paint the backdrop to our tale in past progressive: "I was walking on the beach when" or "When we were travelling around Spain last year..." That sets the scene for the action, which we then switch to simple past to tell.
Romance langs just continue this initial scene setting / action sequence switch up throughout the story. We quit early, but essentially, we use the same pattern. Display backdrop, then send actors out to act.
What gets me is the subjunctive! Cool concept, annoying to learn.
Agatha Christie is great practice in any language. I'm sure you won't have any problems handling the level!
Dave wrote: "Starting my first book in Spanish..."Woo hoo!👏 Let us know how it goes!
Paul wrote: "Calla wrote: "Paul wrote: "LE MEURTRE DE ROGER ACKROYD arrived on my porch this afternoon so, of course, I quickly opened it to scan a couple of paragraphs to see what level of French I had challen..."Excellent idea as it is beyond hard to stop translating when reading in another language.
Dave wrote: "Starting my first book [book:Spanish novel for upper-beginners (A2): Enigma en la playa. Downloadable Audio . Vol.8. Spanish Edition.: Learn Spanish. Improve Spanish Reading. Graded reading. Aprend..."Yay, let us know how it goes!!
Just completed my first goal book for Dutch! Yay! 1 down, 4 more to go.I've always thought that "bodice rippers" had potential for learners -- clear plot, clear motivations, no difficult vocab, many adjectives and adverbs, fast pacing -- but have never tested the theory myself because I despise romances.
I'd heard of Barbara Cartland and how wretched her romances are, so when I found a copy of one of hers called "Blue-Eyed Witch" in Dutch (Voorgoed betoverd: Forever Enchanted) in a give-away box I thought -- perfect opportunity!
And, I'd say the theory is correct. This type of book is excellent for language development. Written on about the mid-B1 level and as far as story goes, a VERY good easy reader far better in plot and character than any I've ever read!
Not that Dame Cartland intended that...😂
Berengaria wrote: "Just completed my first goal book for Dutch! Yay! 1 down, 4 more to go.I've always thought that "bodice rippers" had potential for learners -- clear plot, clear motivations, no difficult vocab, m..."
I think I'd be having trouble learning a language while I was too busy gagging, LOL!
Well done Berengaria! Seems like you picked a good option. I’m a bit behind in my reading as I’m in a tennis tournament at the moment.
To those concerned or disappointed about misogynistic female stereotypes in Richard Olly's, SHORT STORIES IN ..., I'm pleased to discover that the fourth story, a somewhat more challenging sci-fi story on time travel to the Spanish Main in the 17th century, portrays a man who admits he is out of his depth and asks for help from his female companion!
Paul wrote: "To those concerned or disappointed about misogynistic female stereotypes in Richard Olly's, SHORT STORIES IN ..., I'm pleased to discover that the fourth story, a somewhat more challenging sci-fi s..."Shock! Horror! 😂 Thanks for the heads-up, Paul. Looking forward to it. It does seem as if the stories are getting incrementally more difficult.
Sportyrod wrote: "Well done Berengaria! Seems like you picked a good option. I’m a bit behind in my reading as I’m in a tennis tournament at the moment."GOOD LUCK, Rod! Now that Djokovic is out of the way, there's nothing to stop you! 🤞😉
Sci-fi sounds good Paul! Looking forward to it. I have three weeks off after the tennis so I will have some time to get into the short stories again.
I just finished story three. A bit of cliff hanger there I think. I agree, the stories are getting slightly more difficult. The repetition of new vocabulary is pushing me to learn more words than just making sense of the ones I already know. PS I came runners up in the tennis tournament 🎾🥈.
Sportyrod wrote: "I just finished story three."Congrats on placing in the tournament! That's super! 🎾 🍰🥂
I've just finished the 3rd story as well and am re-reading. I was expecting a chapter 4 like with the first story but then....end. I'm not sure I got all the details of the two kings' machinations, so hopefully that'll clear up on the re-read.
Re: vocab: I agree, I'm noticing I really need to learn the words out of the previous story before going on.
Berengaria wrote: "Just completed my first goal book for Dutch! Yay! 1 down, 4 more to go.I've always thought that "bodice rippers" had potential for learners -- clear plot, clear motivations, no difficult vocab, m..."
Congrats!!!
I finished Billie B. Es Muy Curiosa- Billie B. Brown: The Extra-Special Helper/The Perfect Present! There were two stories, and they were both cute and fun to read. My library has 3 more in this series in Spanish, so I'll also read those this year. There are definitely words I don't know in these stories, but they are at a good reading level for me, where I can follow the story and pick things up in context
Rebecca (pagescollective) wrote: "I finished [book:Billie B. Es Muy Curiosa- Billie B. Brown: ."Yay! Congratulations!👏 Excellent to hear that the books were at your level and fun!
Do you have a way to learn vocab? Anki, Memrise or Quizlet, for example? I always find it's good to learn some words out of Book 1 because Book 2+ often contains those same words, so you're ahead of the game.
Well done (pagescollective). Sounds fun/rewarding. I just finished story four. The vocabulary is getting harder but I was able to guess their meanings fairly well. Are the Short Stories in…readers rereading the chapter after seeing the vocabulary at the end? I must admit I’ve been less studious than previously.
Very impressed by your hard work! atm I am stuck reading french documents for work all day, and very much hate the idea of reading anything at night. I hope that changes soon - or I will have to be more strict with myself in order to get something read. I'll plan a few pages for the weekend. fingers crossed!
Hi Anna,Yes you have to be in the right mood for certain books/learning. I have some really easy leisure reads going between the language ones.
Rod
Berengaria wrote: "Do you have a way to learn vocab? Anki, Memrise or Quizlet, for example?"Are you making your own vocabulary lists for subsequent study based on the stories?
Sportyrod wrote: "I just finished story four. The vocabulary is getting harder but I was able to guess their meanings fairly well. Are the Short Stories in…reader...readers rereading the chapter after seeing the vocabulary at the end? "
I've wanted to but you guys KEEP ZOOMING AHEAD!!! 😱😬😂
Seriously, it's been more important to me to keep up with both you and Paul for our ad hoc reading group than re-read, but I've been trying to go back and look over most of the chapters.
My vocab level isn't as high as you guys', so it's harder going over in the Icelandic department. There are always about 10-15 words a chapter I can't guess and aren't in the notes even if I can follow the story.
Should finish story 4 tonight. Question: who would choose to get whisked back to a pirate enclave like that? Only the suicidal!
Started my first French goal novel: La mélancolie des sirènes par trente mètres de fond At about page 30 now and it's REALLY good. Don't know all the words because I don't scuba dive, but the writing and images are fantastic. Hope it continues like this!
Paul wrote: "Berengaria wrote: "Do you have a way to learn vocab? Anki, Memrise or Quizlet, for example?"Are you making your own vocabulary lists for subsequent study based on the stories?"
Yes. I write down all (important) unknown words and then add them to a self-created course on Memrise so I can practice/learn them regularly. That's also what slows down my advancement in the book somewhat: entering in all the vocab on Memrise.
Berengaria wrote: "Paul wrote: "Berengaria wrote: "Do you have a way to learn vocab? Anki, Memrise or Quizlet, for example?"Are you making your own vocabulary lists for subsequent study based on the stories?"
Yes...."
Thanks. I'll have to see if I can figure out how to do that!
Berengaria wrote: "Paul wrote: "Berengaria wrote: "Do you have a way to learn vocab? Anki, Memrise or Quizlet, for example?"Are you making your own vocabulary lists for subsequent study based on the stories?"
Yes...."
I'm not sure but I THINK I've found the link to create a custom course. But (if I may be VERY cheeky and bold) it also looks like courses can be shared. Would you be willing to share the link to what you've done so I can look at it?
Paul wrote: "Berengaria wrote: "Paul wrote: "Berengaria wrote: "Do you have a way to learn vocab? Anki, Memrise or Quizlet, for example?"Are you making your own vocabulary lists for subsequent study based on ..."
Sure! I've published it. It's called "Olly's Short Story Icelandic". If you go to all the Icelandic courses and search for it, it should be there...maybe now, maybe in a few hours. I don't know how fast Memrise updates.
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Yes, that's correct