#Duolingo is good practice but it's not as good as a textbook or actual conversation

[necromancy-savant]

I miss foreign language classes so much. Truly one of the great joys of my life that I haven't experienced in years

[shu-of-the-wind]

hello! apologies if you've answered this before (I tried searching but Tumblr search is awful). I recall you mentioning all the languages you have studied, many of which are quite distinct from each other. I was wondering if you have any advice for learning a new language? specifically any tips for someone with ADHD as a lot of the common tips I see online haven't helped me keep up with my language learning goals :/ thank you in advance for any advice/resources you can point me to!

hi @kyradic!! i haven't answered this before actually and i love questions like these so i'm so happy you asked!!

so for context for me i have inattentive adhd, which means if something is not right in front of me, i WILL forget it. this means i set a lot of alarms for myself, book time in my schedule to at least try to study (i do welsh on monday, arabic on wednesday, japanese on thursday, and chinese on saturday). i don't always succeed--a lot of the time i forget or have something else i need to do--but having that time booked means it keeps it in my mind that i need to study or at least look at some vocab.

to actually study, i do a lot of vocab games (you can find these online for a lot of languages, for japanese there's shiritori or other flashcard games you can find if you google) and i listen to a lot of podcasts in the langauge i'm trying to learn even if i don't have a fucking clue what someone is saying. the biggest thing about learning a language is hearing it, getting used to the rhythm, understanding how native speakers pronounce things, and (this is a big one) i listen to a lot of music in the language i'm trying to learn and try to teach myself the lyrics. it makes it more of an activity (karaoke baybee) but also teaches you how to speak faster, more fluidly, and with more native speaker-style pronunciation than just reciting shit off of duolingo or rosetta.

i also watch a LOT of tv in the target language. telenovelas have been my best albeit dramatic friend for spanish listening comp. it does way more for me than studying out of textbooks because it means i'm listening to native speakers, their contractions, different styles of speech, and i get some entertainment out of it. legit i know someone who studied for their chinese exams in college by watching c-dramas and aced all their courses.

the biggest and most important thing for me though is finding a buddy. language is not a thing you can learn on your own. there are loads of discord channels for various languages (if you're looking for a japanese learning community, seitokai's nihongo is a good one that i am a member of, and i can get you a link to their discord). it lets you body-double or find an accountability-buddy to make sure you study instead of getting distracted. generally there's also a bunch of other learners in those communities of various levels so you can ask for advice or help, you can have conversations (or try to, part of learning a language is learning how to be okay with communicating in broken grammar until you get better, and that is 100% okay; so long as you can make your meaning understood, that is all that matters) or practice pronunciation or play games or read books or do anything you need to do that will help you, specifically.

i hope this helps! i'm not sure what language you're trying to learn but there are definitely adhd friendly resources out there that aren't just "knuckle down and memorize these words." that being said if you're learning a language with a new alphabet, you WILL have to do that sometimes, and it's best to do that with a body double so you don't get bored, annoyed, or frustrate yourself into executive dysfunction about it.

[bestselftaughtspanishnearme]

User Guide On Self Taught Spanish

A new language could be an exciting, but also challenging journey. Spanish, with its diverse cultural roots and widespread usage, is a very popular choice among language learners. Beginning the process of learning Spanish is easy with the right materials and techniques. Here are Top Tips for Beginners to Start Learning Spanish to help you begin your language learning journey with ease and efficiency. The first thing to consider is choosing the correct resources is important. There are a variety of Spanish learning websites that provide structured classes as well as materials. These websites usually offer an range of tools for learning including grammar lessons to interactive quizzes. Some of the good Spanish learning sites consist of Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone. These sites are user-friendly and cater to different styles of learning, making it easier for beginners to grasp the basics. In addition, using cheap Spanish lessons online can be cost-effective while still providing quality education. Incorporating audio Spanish courses into your learning routine will greatly enhance your learning experience. Hearing native speakers can help in understanding the pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm of the Spanish language. Websites like Pimsleur as well as Rocket Languages offer comprehensive Spanish language audio lessons that are ideal for those who are just beginning. These audio lessons in Spanish enable you to be immersed in the language, even when you're out and about. If you're looking for additional info on self taught spanish, look into the mentioned above website.

Listening to Spanish audio lessons can improve your listening abilities and aid you become more comfortable in the language. Learning to communicate is essential for anyone who is learning a language. For learning conversational Spanish online and in other ways, you can participate in the language exchange program or join virtual language classes. Platforms like italki and HelloTalk connect learners with native speakers for conversationsal Spanish lessons online. The lessons focus on the actual usage of the language so that you can learn to speak casual Spanish easily. Engaging in regular practice of conversation will improve your confidence and proficiency which will make it easier to converse effectively in real-life scenarios. Self-study is an alternative method to master Spanish. Many learners enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with self-learn Spanish methods. Using a mixture of textbooks, online resources and practice exercises will help you progress at your own speed. For those who are seeking affordable Spanish lessons there are many free resources available online which include YouTube channels podcasts and forums. Self-taught Spanish will require discipline as well as perseverance, but it can be an extremely satisfying experience as you adapt your learning to your personal needs and style.In the end, making learning fun and enjoyable is essential in keeping you motivated.

Include Spanish into your everyday life by watching Spanish movies or listen to Spanish music, and then reading Spanish books. This not only reinforces your learning but also exposes you to the cultural nuances of the Spanish language. Websites that offer low-cost Spanish lessons typically include cultural content that makes learning more enjoyable. As well, joining online community and participating in Spanish challenges to improve your Spanish keeps you motivated and connected to other Spanish language learners. In the end, these Top Tips for those who are just beginning to learn Spanish highlight the importance of selecting the best sources, including recordings, utilizing speaking skills and adopting an approach to self-study. Utilizing Spanish learning websites as well as good Spanish learning websites gives you an effective foundation. audio Spanish lessons and conversations Spanish lessons online will improve your listening and speaking abilities. The self-study Spanish approach allows for flexibility and making learning enjoyable ensures continuous motivation. With the proper dedication and strategies, it is possible to successfully begin your journey towards becoming fluent in Spanish.

[audiolessonsspanish]

Audio Lessons Spanish - An Overview

A new language could be an exciting, but also challenging journey. Spanish, with its diverse cultural roots and widespread usage, is a very popular choice among language learners. Beginning the process of learning Spanish is easy with the right materials and techniques. Here are Top Tips for Beginners to Start Learning Spanish to help you begin your language learning journey with ease and efficiency. The first thing to consider is choosing the correct resources is important. There are a variety of Spanish learning websites that provide structured classes as well as materials. These websites usually offer an range of tools for learning including grammar lessons to interactive quizzes. Some of the good Spanish learning sites consist of Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone. These sites are user-friendly and cater to different styles of learning, making it easier for beginners to grasp the basics. In addition, using cheap Spanish lessons online can be cost-effective while still providing quality education. Incorporating audio Spanish courses into your learning routine will greatly enhance your learning experience. Visit the below mentioned site, if you are looking for additional information concerning audio lessons spanish.

Hearing native speakers can help in understanding the pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm of the Spanish language. Websites like Pimsleur as well as Rocket Languages offer comprehensive Spanish language audio lessons that are ideal for those who are just beginning. These audio lessons in Spanish enable you to be immersed in the language, even when you're out and about. Listening to Spanish audio lessons can improve your listening abilities and aid you become more comfortable in the language. Learning to communicate is essential for anyone who is learning a language. For learning conversational Spanish online and in other ways, you can participate in the language exchange program or join virtual language classes. Platforms like italki and HelloTalk connect learners with native speakers for conversationsal Spanish lessons online. The lessons focus on the actual usage of the language so that you can learn to speak casual Spanish easily. Engaging in regular practice of conversation will improve your confidence and proficiency which will make it easier to converse effectively in real-life scenarios. Self-study is an alternative method to master Spanish. Many learners enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with self-learn Spanish methods.

Using a mixture of textbooks, online resources and practice exercises will help you progress at your own speed. For those who are seeking affordable Spanish lessons there are many free resources available online which include YouTube channels podcasts and forums. Self-taught Spanish will require discipline as well as perseverance, but it can be an extremely satisfying experience as you adapt your learning to your personal needs and style. In the end, making learning fun and enjoyable is essential in keeping you motivated. Include Spanish into your everyday life by watching Spanish movies or listen to Spanish music, and then reading Spanish books. This not only reinforces your learning but also exposes you to the cultural nuances of the Spanish language. Websites that offer low-cost Spanish lessons typically include cultural content that makes learning more enjoyable. As well, joining online community and participating in Spanish challenges to improve your Spanish keeps you motivated and connected to other Spanish language learners.

[distress]

hii sorry if this is an annoying question but i was curious how you went about learning japanese. are you self taught or did you take courses? any tips or things you wish you knew or did?

Not annoying at all, this is literally the first ask I’ve gotten in over a year LMAO. If anything I hope my response isn’t annoying. But I do wanna clarify that I am absolutely not fluent, I am just pretty good conversationally & pronunciation-wise. That being said I have dabbled in a lot of learning methods though I haven’t formally studied in quite a while (but keep trying to get back into it). This is going to be probably not great advice but pls feel free to ask for clarification/specifics

How I studied at first was self-study over a summer to reach intermediate level because the elementary level classes were always full at my college. When I did that, I used the Genki Textbooks, which I bought at that time since studying with a physical book & workbook is a LOT easier IMO, but you can find them for free online.

Over about 2.5 months I made it through all of Genki I. IIRC I made sure to do 2 chapters a week, all their workbook pages & textbook exercises sans listening. I was on a time crunch, which helped my motivation and is the only reason I did it so quickly.

I then took Intermediate Japanese I & II at my college, and my teacher was not very good, so I didn’t gain much from it outside of the kanji quizzes. Most of my classmates were a bit behind me (like bc they took the elem with the same not great teacher) or literally fluent and taking an easy A lmao.

If you want to self-study, definitely “shop around” to find what method works best for you. A physical textbook & workbook has always been my preferred method. DuoLingo is really good for the absolute basics & REALLY good for learning hiragana and katakana but is dogshit for grammar. Also finding an ideal study environment is super important.

If you are going to self-study but need a concrete goal/motivator, I would recommend signing up to take the JLPT IF IT IS ACCESSIBLE FOR YOU. It is only offered once a year in specific cities however. Here are the US locations for this December: https://www.aatj.org/jlpt-us/ (other locations https://www.jlpt.jp/e/application/overseas_list.html) I live in Florida, and I’m still a 5.5 hour drive away from the nearest test site ( which I will go to -_- )

ANYWAY, if you are starting from the beginning, I would definitely recommend focusing heavily on Hiragana & Katakana until you can identify them (even if you can’t write them all from memory yet). When you start studying vocab and grammar, you should avoid relying on the romaji. Don’t be scared of making mistakes. If you already watch anime, slice of life can be really good for listening practice to hear non text-book language & general pronunciation (beware of anime accent). Kimi ni Todoke is great if you want to test your progress with listening comprehension.

I also follow a lot of Japanese tiktokers, both randos and people doing Japanese lessons. A lot of these accounts are really good for brief lessons on how the language is actually used vs how it is taught.

Finally, don't be too intimidated by Kanji and the alphabet in general. It is the hardest part of Japanese, but it isn't as hard as it seems. Kanji are basically made up of a bunch of stylized/combined katakana, so if you master katakana it will be easier to remember Kanji. I think my biggest regret is not mastering katakana early like I did with Hiragana. I feel like it stunted my ability to learn Kanji. Also, textbooks will make it seem like it isn't used as much as it actually is. Japan has an insane amount of loan words and many of them are only recently being the common use vs non loan version.

cjdidhfjdkdjfjg

Edited to add I am a firm believer that the most important part of using language is being understood. So if you find a place to speak or a conversation partner, don't stop speaking or refuse to speak if you aren't sure you're correct. Like, if you're at a restaraunt and say toire wa koko desu ka (is the toilet here) instead of asking toire wa doko desu ka (where is the toilet), you're probably gonna be understood and you'll be practicing speaking. If you get embarrassed just question if you have ever judged anyone for fumbling your native language. You probably have never paid it any mind! Embarrassment is a HUGE, massive part of why adults do not learn languages as quickly as kids.

[abbyofthecosmos]

How I study Spanish

I started learning Spanish in school 9 years ago, but I only did it for 3 years. I’ve tried to keep up with the practice since then, but life always seems to get in the way of really dedicating myself to it. Here are a few things I do to keep it ticking over. These tips are aimed for Spanish learning but most can be applied to any language!

The main thing to get down is vocab. Even with limited grammar knowledge, you can understand a a great deal if you have a lot of vocab under your belt. So if you’re like me and don’t have an awful lot of time to spend studying, make vocab your focus. The grammar will come too with time, but don’t hold yourself back by trying to understand every single conjugation or new tense that pops up.

Pretty much all language learning boils down to the more content you consume = the more you know. So make sure you’re keeping on getting that input as that’s the way you’re going to improve.

You can find loads of free short stories online just by googling, for example The Fable Cottage has a bunch of traditional stories, and you can choose whether to hide or show the English translations.

People advise differently when it comes to reading: some say read a whole chapter without looking things up, others say try and understand every single word before moving on. My preferred method is read the whole thing once through to see how much I can understand, maybe reread it a second time to try and understand even more, and on the third time through look up any vocab I’m missing.

Any new vocab I find I make flashcards for: Anki is great for this if you don’t use it already – and it’s free to download on desktop!

Your next great source of free content for keeping up that input is YouTube! Whether you’re watching vlogs in Spanish, 5 minute grammar/vocab lessons, or shows designed for beginners like Extra, there are so many different options. Have a search about and you’ll definitely find some channels that work for your way of learning. Some channels I like to watch are Spanish Playground, Why Not Spanish and Spanish Like a Pro.

The next tip that you’re bound to hear on any “How to Learn a Language” advice page/video is to talk to people in that language. Now if you’re extremely socially awkward like me, this is easier said than done. I can’t think of anything worse than talking to strangers in my terrible accent and getting all of my words muddled! So the ways I get around this are:

Join online groups on social media such as Tumblr and Discord. Talking over text is way less daunting than in person, and if there are native Spanish speakers in the group you can also pick up on the way people talk casually to each other (rather than the formal speech that is taught in textbooks), ask for tips on anything you are confused about, as well as pick up some internet speak!

Talk to yourself! This might feel a bit awkward at first, but just having a ramble to yourself when alone is a great way to practice speaking without actually having to talk to people. Narrate what you’re doing, talk to an imaginary person about your day, or as I sometimes do, have a one sided conversation with your pet!

Another easy thing you can do to increase your exposure to the language is to change the language of your phone. Chances are you’re familiar with where everything is located anyway, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to navigate even when it’s in a different language. You can always switch back if you get confused!

Linked to the tip about talking out loud, is when reading, say it out loud as well. While reading stories or sentences in your textbook, say the phrases out loud to get a feel for the pronunciation. This also gets you more used to speaking, and makes what you’re learning sink in better. I personally really like Duolingo (they also have a really good Spanish podcast if you haven’t checked it out!), and I find it helpful to repeat the sentences out loud when doing lessons. You can also try echoing people when watching videos – pause and repeat phrases you hear to try and echo the proper pronunciation as best as you can.

Finally, one tip that I really need to listen to myself, is write! Writing for 10 minutes about your day is a great way to pick up on any gaps in your vocabulary, and put everything you have learnt in to practice. It’s also really fun to go back to earlier entries and see how far you’ve come since then!

I hope these tips were helpful, and happy learning! 💫

[frenchlitclub]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but I'm new to learning this(self taught), so I was wondering if there's any apps or sites that you would like to recommend? Or if there's any suggestions on where I should start with learning, or just tips in general. Thank you in advance and I hope you have a great day ahead!

Hi!

I'm a native french speaker, so I've only learned the language at school, but in my experience with other languages I've learned, I would say immersion through consuming content in your target language is the most important part of the learning process. (That is, if you're not in France already, cause that would be the ultimate immersion😅) So that could be TV shows, movies, YouTube videos, a french person on social media, etc. Hearing the language will help you a lot with pronounciation, comprehension, and memory. At the beginning, you won't retain much consciously, but your brain does remember things and it'll be easier when you study. You'll be able to call back to things you've heard and make connections that way, thereby making more out of your studying. Use subtitles to help you know what they're saying, so you can take notes when there's an expression or a sentence you want to remember!

I've used the apps Memrise and DuoLingo for languages. An app alone will not make you fluent, but it will give you a pretty good base from which to continue. I also recommend starting with an app so you can see if you actually enjoy the language!! Try it for a few days or more, and see how it feels. Maybe you'll be even more interested the more you learn, or the opposite will happen, and you'll realize you actually don't like the sound of it. Both are okay! If you're learning for leisure, don't pressure yourself with a specific idea that you have of a language. Get to know it a little so you can decide if you wanna dive in.

Then if you do want to keep going, do some writing exercises. Maybe write a paragraph or a sentence in a language you know, and try to write it a second time in French. Pick topics you love talking about, things that are central to your life, stuff you want to actually be able to say! You could even pick a celebrity, show or whatever, and write an introduction to them. The key, to me, is keeping the interest of learning alive, by using other things you're already interested in. That's another reason why immersion is important: you can find new things to like that are ALREADY in your target language, and it's very likely you'll be motivated by the desire to understand them without needing to translate.

Speak out loud to yourself!! Have fun with it! It will not be perfect, but you're learning, it doesn't matter! Repeat out loud sentences that you hear in the content you watch! I do this, and I love it. Exaggerate the accent, do impersonations of characters from shows or movies you watch. It lightens the mood when you study, and it also makes you remember what you're saying better.

When you feel you know enough to have a conversation with someone else, I'd definitely recommend reaching out to other people through apps like Tandem! If you're not exactly there yet, but you want some practice with interacting with others, try writing comments under french YouTube videos, or under posts by french people you follow on social media.

As for resources, I don't have experience with any bilingual website, but elearningfrench.com seems pretty good! If you're studying for school or work, I think the best option would be a grammar textbook. It's a resource you'll use throughout the learning process, so if you had to buy anything for French, it'd probably be that. There's gotta be more helpful websites for grammar, but I don't know them, unfortunately.

I hope this helps a bit! Thank you for your question, and I hope you have a nice day too. 😊 If you have any more questions, don't hesitate! 🐝

[seherstudies]

Hi Seher-senpai,

I take it you study Japanese at university?

Feel like sharing what it's like?

I only took a course back when I was a uni student at a uni of applied science. Since then, I've been dabbling in self-studying but that is kind of hard to keep up at times... I'd like to get back into "proper" studying, so I would like to ask whether you have some tips?

Anyways, thanks for your blog, I just found it and scrolled a little through it. Always cool to meet other JP learners 😊

Sending some good vibes from Bavaria

-Bee

Sorry that it took me some time to get back to you. Life is busy at the moment, oh and servus aus Österreich! :)

I take it you study Japanese at university?

I do! I am a Japanese studies major, so they come in the bundle haha

Feel like sharing what it's like?

Sure thing! Beforehand, I have two types (?) of Japanese classes, Japanische Theorie (Theoretical Japanese), which is held in German, and Japanische Praxis (Practical Japanese), which is entirely in Japanese

The pace can sometimes be a bit too fast for me, sometimes we would do an entire chapter in one lesson.... But overall, I enjoy most parts of my classes!

In Theory, we learn about grammar passively and you could also say about how to translate Japanese into German and it's also profs way to check if we understood the grammar. The exams of the class kill me though. In a semester we have two kanji and two translation exams and I don't know which one is worse lmao The first two few years we only worked with textbooks (we used Bunka Shokyu Nihongo 1+2 and now we use the Advanced Tobira) but now, I am in my last year, we moved on to different types of texts like song lyrics, essays and learn more about slang, spoken Japanese and that sort. I am grateful for that because Tobira can be quite dry at times. It’s definitely my favourite out of the two simply because the prof makes it a heap of fun with his random, while educational, rambles or anecdotes.

Praxis we should learn how to apply the grammar studied in Theory, so we do a lot of grammar exercises (complete the sentences mostly). It certainly helped with building a strong foundation, but I do wish we would… actually use the language in class more ya know. The only “speaking” we do is by reading sentences out loud and I am not sure about my peers, but it certainly doesn’t help me learn how to speak Japanese. We are not learning Japanese to be able to communicate but simply for class where we cover topics you will most likely never have a conversation about. At least I know I will never talk about robots. But I have the feeling that is an issue with most language classes...

I'd like to get back into "proper" studying, so I would like to ask whether you have some tips?

Good question. I had to think about it a bit ngl and I hope some things will be useful to you in a way.

Build discipline while you still have a lot of motivation. The first one or two weeks use apps like Duolingo or Lingodeer simply to build the habit of daily learning. Even better if you can set a specific time every day. For example, every day after dinner it is Anki/Memrise/Lingodeer/etc. o’clock. You HAVE to do a bit every day - even if it's just for 3 minutes. If you teach your brain that sometimes you can skip, then it will try to find excuses to skip another day and soon you will slip.

Have different activities for different levels of energy/attention. This kind of latches on to the previous point. Have core activities you do every day for the sake of progress and on days where you are more motivated and alert, do something that requires more effort and have a set of relaxing activities for your low days to keep your TL floating around in your head.

consistency > efficiency. The best method is not the most optimized one or what someone says is more efficient but the one you actually enjoy and stick to. This also goes when you choose media to consume, read/watch what you enjoy. Keep a healthy mix though: Each medium has it's own speaking style. You won't learn everyday Japanese if you only watch dramas or anime, so include a variety like drama, anime, podcasts, Youtube videos, news etc.

Choose a resource for grammar, vocab etc. and stick with it until the end unless you really don't like it. This video (~12min) by Robin McPherson goes more into depth of the 'Paradox of Choice' and what it means for language learners in this day and age and how you can counter choice paralysis. Japanese is a popular language. Therefore there are many resources out there and it’s easy to start doubting our decision. You see the next shiny thing and want to try that out and often we don’t even think twice about purchasing another textbook because you have heard something good about it. I highly recommend the video!

I can also recommend you this video by Livakivi on how to learn Japanese but it's a general guide. His videos are great! The most important part though is having fun with the language though. Best of luck!

[thetimelordofcamelot]

Hi, I’m going to give you some GCSE advice and I know you are going to listen cause these exams are hard and you need all the help you can get.

Anyway, let me introduce myself. I’m Harri and I got eight grade 9s and two grade 8s at GCSE (those two eights still haunt me to this day) while recovering from major surgery which involved being on strong painkillers. I think I’m qualified to give you advice. I’m going to do this subject by subject so you only need to read the bits relevant to you.

English Language: learn how to do the questions using Mr Bruff videos on YouTube. Other than that just make sure you know grammar and punctuation and have a wide vocabulary. Reading a lot also helps.

English Literature: you NEED to know your quotes. It’s almost half the marks. So this means flashcards, quizlet sets, rereading the set texts and watch the film adaptations so many times. (I watched the BBC’s An Inspector Calls so many times I can literally quote the whole thing back it’s so sad.) Seneca learning website can be quite good for quotes.

Maths: practice, practice, PRACTICE. The CGP books are good for notes and the websites physics and maths tutor, maths genie and Corbett maths are good for questions. Do every past paper you can find, even ones from other exam boards because the exams are almost exactly the same.

Science: I did triple science but these would work for double too: don’t learn all the crap in the textbook, just learn what is on the specification. Download it to your computer or print it out or something. Just make sure you can access it. Use quizlet or flashcards for key terms and equations (only learn the equations NOT on the equation sheet, I made this mistake and wasted hours). I personally didn’t do well with freesciencelessons even though everyone seems to love that guy, I actually found Primrose Kitten much more helpful. However, her “entire of GCSE xxxx in xx hours” videos are a bit pointless. A lot of people use them as night before the exam revision but it’s much more productive to do flashcards and active recall, passive revision won’t get you anywhere. Seneca learning is a bloody life saver, I promise you. Also, learn your required practicals because I guarantee you will be asked about at least two in the exam.

Languages: (I did French but these should work for all languages, I taught myself Latin at the same time and used most of the same techniques.) Learn vocabulary using quizlet or flashcards. Duolingo is good as you can practice speaking, writing, reading and listening. I personally didn’t find Memrise that helpful for GCSE as it’s too conversational but if you want to use it, it’s not bad. Seneca learning is absolutely brilliant for languages. Try and listen to music and podcasts or read books in the language. You can watch films with subtitles too but I just ended up getting distracted by the film and not learning anything! If you have friends who take the same language you could practice speaking together or even text in the language. I did this with friends and it helped so much with spontaneous responses in the language, which helped in my speaking exam. If you don’t have friends who take the language or friends at all, the apps Tandem and HelloTalk are good.

History: I’m not going to sugarcoat it, history is hard. It’s the hardest GCSE I did. I started at a grade 4 and managed to get a grade 9 so it can be done. However, for every hour I spent on another subject, I spent two hours on history. I found it super difficult. But I had friends who were getting 7s and above right off the bat so it really does depend. I’m not an essay person. Anyway… Don’t spend ages writing notes and making them concise because with history there is no such thing as concise. You have to learn everything in painful detail. My best advice is learn your details like dates, names, places, book titles etc. Make flashcards and quizlets and just learn them. It’s hard, it’s boring but it’s literally half the marks. Also, make sure you are actually answering the question, not just writing a chronological story of the event. If you get bored revising the dates, there’s some good YouTube videos and also Seneca learning which can help with the bigger picture and can be a bit more fun. For the exams, make sure you have a plan and know how long you will spend on each question depending on how many marks they’re worth and how difficult you find that topic. The only thing I have to say now is good luck with history.

Computer Science: I must admit that computer science has always come naturally to me. I picked up coding pretty quickly in year 9 before I even started the GCSE and my teacher was amazing and taught the theory in a really memorable way. My first bit of advice is to learn python. It’s the easiest coding language to use for your coursework and it’s an acceptable pseudo code to use in exam questions. Also, practice the long answer questions about ethics and legal stuff because they are easy marks if you know how to answer them. And as with most subjects, flashcards and quizlets are great. There’s also an amazing YouTube channel called CraignDave. I’ve been using them for my A Level as well and they’ve been sooo helpful! Their videos explain everything on the specification and they are really easy to make notes from. Physics and maths tutor also has some good notes.

Music: GCSE music and I didn’t always see eye to eye. This is possibly to do with the fact that the music department in my school was very elitist. There was two tiers of club as well, the open ones which I was in (I did jazz band, orchestra and choir) and the elitist invite only ones. I never got invited to the invite only ones. But my best friend did and I was basically always in her shadow. Anyway, I got a 9 and I’m smug about it, because I always felt second best. Enough about me. LEARN GRADE 5 MUSIC THEORY. It’ll make your life so much easier as a lot of questions require the literal theory and it’s useful for the long answers as it gives you a wider range of features to reference.

I hope you found this helpful. Good luck, and remember you are only as good as your last exam.

[yukusaki]

Do you have any recommendations for someone that wants to start learning Japanese? It seems overwhelming but so neat. Thank you!

Yes! My main advice is to 1. think of why you want to learn Japanese and keep that in mind as you study. If you only want to use Japanese for casual conversation and don't intend on taking the JLPT, you don't need to worry about formal and written grammar--and unfortunately after about N3, that's what you'll be learning in any classes or textbooks. Another piece of advice is that you should learn you learning style to make your study more effective and more fun for you! Don't spend hours struggling through flashcards if writing sentences is more fun or effective for you. Make sure you're enjoying studying. Do you like music? The repetitions is a fantastic way to learn vocab, so look up the words you hear often. Do you like anime/dramas? Leave English subtitles on and learn a few phrases that way (it's also very good for pronunciation and intonation practice if you have the patience to pause and repeat lines aloud).

As for resources, as a beginner I really recommend you try some textbooks or a course if you have the means. They'll give you a sort of structure and path to learn and makes it a little less overwhelming. I used the Genki series in university and it's supposed to be one of the good ones. If you can't buy it, try to find some sort of course online or something, or try a library or thrift store.

For a more reference side of things, I recommend what I'm pretty sure is called "The Basics of Japanese Grammar, " there's a few of those for different areas of grammar, and I downloaded the verbs one for like 2 bucks and found it very useful for having a lot of conjusgations all just listed out for quick reference.

For something you can use for most levels of Japanese I really like "Common Japanese Collocations," which is a book of words that just "go together" (like "take a bath" → "お風呂に入る" for example). It'll help tons with learning the most natural way to say things.

I also used the Pimsleur program (audio lessons) at the very beginning, which I got from my library. If you do use it, however, you should definitely supplement it with something to learn hiragna/katakana/kanji, and maybe some grammar. I haven't personally used Rosetta Stone or Duolingo for Japanese but you could also give those a try.

Most of these are for beginners! Once you get to about conversational you'll want to move towards actually using Japanese rather than book study!

Finally, remember that immersion is usually not a good method for adult beginners! The one advantage we have over kids for languages is understanding and learning rules, so do that! Dropping yourself into an immersion situation without enough to get by is not as effective as people like to tell you.

[magistralucis]

Heya! I always envied how you’re able to learn all these languages so fast. Do you have any tips? Especially for someone who can be a bit lazy

Hello anon! I do not, unfortunately, have any tips that deviate from the norm - my language-learning skills were attained when I was studying at university, with nothing but dictionaries and primers and a rapidly ticking time limit behind me, usually with other baffled students in tow. I was a medievalist, I needed those dead languages, and I needed to learn them within a term or two 😳

Nowadays I do more modern languages, but I still use dictionaries and textbooks as a primary learning aid, and fill out numbered exercises the way one might do at school. I’m used to working like this, and this method is good for me because I always needed reading/writing skills more than any others. My current target language is Russian, and when I am not busy I do the following activities daily:

Textbook exercises (The New Penguin Russian Course, moving onto Conversational Russian Dialogues)

Drops (Vocabulary building app)

Memrise (Phrases and vocabulary, a wide selection of courses)

Duolingo (English -> Russian when I started, Russian -> English now)

Writing exercises (Original, attempts at journaling or ficcing)

Translation exercises (Usually of a poem or a song; I bought a fairly hefty dictionary to help me with this)

Cursive exercises (Coupled with the translation/writing usually)

When I am busy and cannot commit as much time to learning, I do these:

Drops

Memrise

Duolingo

Translation + cursive exercises

I think language apps are good for reviewing purposes, but because they’re not so good at teaching you actual grammatical concepts, I don’t recommend them as your primary learning method. This second variation is intended more for information retention purposes than active learning - but because I translate different things every day, there is still new information being processed. And that’s the most important advice I can give. Language learning is like training muscle memory. You must do something for it every day - how much you do is not actually relevant, but you have to do something, whether it be review or progress. Someone devoting 15 mins every single day to a language, maybe learning a concept per day, will go further than someone who crams in a single 2-hour session per week. Build this habit, and the hardest part of the work is already done for you.

As for actual learning recommendations, that depends heavily on the individual. I'd advise considering those factors before you choose a learning method:

What about your target language do you want to improve? (e.g. Does your language have an unfamiliar writing system? Pronunciation? Do you want to read in that language? Write or listen? Do you have friends who are native speakers of that language whom you wish to converse with?)

How do you retain your information? (e.g. Can you read-and-retain information directly? Do you prefer to make notes or do little exercises? Do you like to talk things through?)

How much time in a day can you devote to your target language?

If you prioritize listening and speaking, you would do well listening to podcasts or videos or broadcast material, as well as searching out native speakers to practice with. You might want to take lessons as a class, or you might seek out a tutor. If you prioritize reading/writing, you might need less person-to-person interaction, but you have to seek out as many related materials as possible: books, news articles, even things like fanfiction. You might be able to learn passively, through leaving lessons or videos on in the background, or by constantly listening to speech in your target language. If you have to actively take notes or copy out things, feel free to do that too. If you’re confident you can learn purely by exposure and context (generally happens when your target language is similar to one you already know), then language apps aren’t a bad idea either. All of this, of course, can be done in your own time depending on how much time you can spare. Language learning is a journey, rather than a set path, so please take as much time as you want and experiment with what you like. Just be sure to make it a habit, even if a small one, and it will pay off in spades.

I hope that was in some way helpful 💖

[nordic-language-love]

Language Learning Log 2021 - Week 28 (12.07 - 18.07)

Norwegian

Read 3x Harry Potter og Mysteriekammeret chapters

Listened to the radio

Listened to 1x Siri og de gode hjelperne episode

Watched 3x Kveldsnytt broadcasts

Italki lessons (1h 45 mins)

Spanish

Collins Spanish Grammar & Practice: Adjectives exercises 9-20

Spanish Tutor: Unit 3 exercises C-O, Unit 4 exercises A-O, Unit 5 exercises A-R

Listened to 3x Hoy Hablamos episodes

Listened to 2x Lost in Barcelona episodes

Watched 1x Dreaming Spanish video

Read 1x article (read aloud)

Watched 2x SKAM España episodes

Japanese

Duolingo: Hiragana 1, Intro 2, Counting, Time

Summary

All in all, a fairly mixed week. I’m feeling burned out and depressed and anxious and I feel like I have nowhere to turn to and I’m not about to bother anyone with my own stupid non-problems. But then, I’ve been feeling that way for months, so I guess I’m gonna just keep pushing on through and hoping that things will change soon. I have my italki pre-approval meeting on Wednesday and then I finally get to start teaching. I’m terrified, but hopefully having something extra to do and keep my brain occupied will help (it’s a risk though because if I get even 1 not-so-great review my confidence will probably be ruined, but I have nothing else going for me so I guess it’s worth a shot). A change is as good as a rest, right?

Norwegian

I tried out a new italki tutor this week and she was lovely! We had such a nice relaxed conversation :) She said to me she wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to learn from her because I speak so well and she didn’t have to correct me at all haha. So next time I’ll come armed with some more advanced topics to discuss instead of just making small talk about familiar topics (performance arts, cats and the pandemic mostly).

I’m still not sure what to do in regards to tutors... I’ve been using two different ones and the original plan was to alternate weekly. Unfortunately because I have Problems, that ended up being two lessons a week. But now I feel like shaking it up and trying out different tutors but I still like the ones I have? And I’d feel sad if I ditch them (even though one of them is always rescheduling and honestly I’m kinda sick of it lol). But also I want to cut down to one session a week again (that makes me sound like an addict which tbf isn’t necessarily inaccurate) and if I’m trying out different tutors then I won’t be able to keep up lessons with my current tutors.

I’ll think about it.

Spanish

I can feel myself getting burned out with this intense Spanish already lmao. I guess because I’m just trying to get my grammar back up to speed and refreshing vocabulary. Also, I’m mostly using textbooks and the immersion I’m doing is quite difficult so I can’t just relax and enjoy it. I need to find something fun to get into! I started watching SKAM España in an attempt to do just that, but I don’t really understand much without English subtitles. Still, it’s something. And I enjoyed Dreaming Spanish and didn’t find that too hard, so I’ll try watching more of that this week.

I’m still considering italki lessons. Once I’m back up to speed on a few more verb tenses I probably will (right now I’m aware of them and roughly how to form them/use them but they need refreshing for sure). I’ve had a look at some tutors and there’s a few that look nice and aren’t too pricey. Although I’ve gotta say, I wish more of them would tell me about themselves and their classes in their bio/intro video. They basically all just list their qualifications and it’s. so boring? Like congratulations you’re qualified so is every other professional teacher on this website that’s literally what professional teacher means. I wanna know if you’re someone I can vibe with, y’know?

Japanese

Again, I’ve just been working with Duolingo refreshing certain skills. And once again, I’m realising that things that once made no sense at all now click and I can recognise a lot of kanji that I previously struggled with. It’s actually inspiring me to get back to it properly because I can see how much progress I’ve actually made. But it’s probably a good thing to go over and strengthen my foundations right now.

[angelicsaggie]

How to Learn a Language at Home

Applications

HelloTalk: You can practice your target language(s) with natives in this application. It is essential to practice with natives since many textbooks are outdated and are not focused on colloquial speech. For example, I often hear native Spanish speakers say “so-so.” This phrase is correct however based on my personal experience, I have never heard someone use it in everyday speech.

WhatsApp: If Facebook Messenger, KIK, and Snapchat without filters had a baby then that baby would be named WhatsApp. I guarantee you that 99% of your language partners have this app and will eventually ask to speak to you on it. Do not forget to ask your language partner for their country code. For example, if your friend is from the United States then the country code is +1.

YouTube: You can find a plethora of lessons, vloggers, cooking recipes, gameplays, and more. In addition, make a YouTube account that is solely based on the language(s) that you are learning to control your video suggestions since we are all stuck in an algorithm trap.

Duolingo: Duolingo teaches you common vocabulary, verbs and how to construct sentences.

SpanishDict: If you are learning Spanish then this is a great app for you. SpanishDict translates verbs, phrases and words that you do not understand but slang is not usually found on this app. If you are learning a different language then write the word dict or dictionary with your target language in your web, Google Playstore or Apple store to find a similar application.

—

Family Matters:

English, French, Italian and Spanish.

These are cousin languages. If you already speak one of these languages or another group of languages that are from the same or a similar family tree like Russian and Ukrainian then you will find many cognates (words that relate in meaning.)

English- biology

Italian- biologia

Spanish- biología

French- biologie

—

Pick a Region:

There are many different accents and slang even in English!

For example, Guapo in Mexico means “handsome” and Guapo in the Dominican Republic means “mad.”

Usually when you learn Spanish, you are given the option to learn Spanish from Mexico or Spain, but there are actually many countries to choose from. The same thing applies to other languages like Italian. In Italy there are many different dialects to choose from which changes from city to city.

On HelloTalk, you can choose to speak with people from a specific age range, country and city.

—

Immerse Yourself:

Immerse yourself in the culture through music, television shows, articles, blogs, movies, apps, podcasts, children books, newspapers, and memes. You can also change your phone to the language you are learning.

—

What Can I Start With to Help Me Learn a New Language?

Remember these two quotes: “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and “the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit”

The first thing you need to do is learn the alphabet. After you learn the alphabet then learn basic words because you cannot construct sentences without knowing any vocabulary.

After you learn vocabulary, you can learn verbs and how to conjugate them, structure sentences, and basic grammar.

Listen to music or watch television in your target language as much as possible in order to practice your listening skills and vice versa with your speaking skills.

If you use a translator then memorize the sentence structure, words and verbs so you begin to remember them by heart. Your language partner(s) will correct you if your sentence is structured incorrectly because computers are not perfect.

You need to practice writing, sending voice memos, and having phone conversations. Get a buddy or two and do not be shy or ashamed to practice. Remember to learn a language is impressive and noble.

Practice every day and do not forget to have fun! Good luck language learners 😉

—

More posts

Language Learners Master List

[abbieestudia]

Language achievements during 2020

My language goals that I achieved/didn’t achieve in 2020:

Japanese:

Get to N2 level - Complete - although not in Japan as I’d hoped, but instead by working my butt off during summer quarantine through studying textbooks

Read a few books - Complete - I read 3 and a half books in Japanese this year! I really suffered at the beginning not knowing kanji and wanting to cry but I got used to it.

Play a game in Japanese - Complete - I’ve played one and a half Ace Attorney games in Japanese by now and it’s not been as difficult as I thought it would be which is real nice?

Spanish

Speak more - Not complete - I am ashamed to say I haven’t really completed this despite living in Spain mid-2019 (and holy hell does it not feel like that long ago) to Jan 2020. I couldn’t really understand anyone and didn’t have the confidence to speak and I still feel pathetic about it

Finish my semester abroad uni and get good grades - Complete - I actually did get good grades during my semester abroad! I got almost the highest grade possible in my medieval literature class despite feeling like I struggled with it the most and I’m really proud of myself for that?

Read a book in Spanish - Complete? - I read a few short books for the medieval literature class, but I did read some of them with English translations on the side so I feel like it was cheating, and I’d like to properly read a book in Spanish at some point to expand my vocabulary.

Portuguese:

Work on Duolingo - Complete - Portuguese is more a language I am “dabbling” in or experimenting in because I wanted to see how close it was to Spanish, so I’ve only been doing daily Duolingo lessons of it, but I’m currently on a 361 day streak and I think I want to continue it, because Portgual is beautiful and I want to visit one day.

Korean:

Learn basic conversational Korean - Not complete - Korean is a language I’ve wanted to learn for so long since I’ve been into kpop for around 10 years now, and I just wanna know what they’re saying and understand random shows when I watch them, but I still somehow didn’t get round to it because I was focusing on Japanese and know that it will take time and effort to learn from basics that I just didn’t have.

I practiced my languages a lot on this blog this year through various challenges and then weekly updates, and it really has been good at keeping me motivated to actually write things and think about basic vocabulary, so even if the posts aren’t particularly popular, or they may just be me chatting to myself, I’m grateful to anyone who’s seen them or read them or left me comments to correct a bit of vocab or grammar. I hope that despite the circumstances, you are healthy both physically and mentally, and if not, that’s okay too. If you didn’t make lots of progress in your languages, that’s also fine. I know that sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s worth doing anything when the world is crumbling around us. But I’m proud of you for making it this far! :)

[purplesurveys]

1252

A - Appearance.

What are you wearing? I have a gray turtleneck and brown shorts at the moment.

What are on your feet right now? I never wear anything for my feet when I’m at home.

What color are your fingernails? I say this a lot on surveys but mine are never painted. Nothing against them, I’ve just never felt the need to spend on something like my nails.

What does your hair look like right now? I have apple hair at the moment to temporarily get rid of my bangs, which I am more than sick of at this point.

B - Best Friend

Who is your best friend? Angela and Andi.

What was the last thing you two did together? The last time I saw Angela we went to the BTS pop-up store. I haven’t seen Andi since January, but when we hung out that evening we just had Korean barbecue and we also parked somewhere in UP to just talk about life in my car. My breakup had been fresh at the time and back then I just needed someone to whom I could vent.

What is (s)he doing right now? I’m sure Andi’s doing something with Leigh, maybe having a video call or something since I think they tend to have one every evening. I’m not sure what Angela’s up to but considering her replies have been a bit slow tonight, I guess she’s somewhat busy at home.

Are you talking to her/him online right now? Angela just replied to something I sent her around 15 minutes ago but the exchange wasn’t meant to be a full-blown conversation, if that’s what you mean.

C - Crush.

Who is (s)he? Eh, I don’t have a crush these days; too obsessed with work to figure out what I find attractive lmaooooo. I do have a main celebrity crush and I might just cite them instead so that I can at least fill this section out. 

What does (s)he look like? Curly hair; mismatched eyes; moles underneath his right eye, on his nose, and on his lower lip, and the widest smile I’ve seen on any person.

What was the last thing you two talked about? He’s a celebrity crush...

Does (s)he make you smile? Yes.

D - Dad

What’s your dad’s name? Edgardo.

What does he do for a living? He’s an executive chef for a luxury liner company. He hasn’t worked in a year and a half due to the pandemic and has stayed in the country this whole time, but we’ve *very* recently been informed that he can go back abroad in around two weeks! Of course it will suck letting go of him again after having him back for such a long time, but I’m just glad the family can finally be on track again, financially speaking. It had been something I’ve been worrying silently about.

What was the last thing you two did together? Had dinner last night, but we did that with the whole family too. We don’t really do things that’s just the two of us.

Do you get along better with him than your mother? Yes.

E - Ebay.

Have you ever bought anything from ebay? No. I’m not sure we have eBay here anyway.

Do you just shop around when you’re online? I don’t really shop ‘around.’ I usually have an idea of what I want to get myself, and it’s just a matter of finding the right shop from which to buy.

Do you know anybody who is addicted to it? I know a couple of co-workers who love shopping, like Gabi.

Have you ever sold anything on it? I’ve never tried selling, but I’m actually in the middle of doing something for the very first time – I’ve decided to get into trading! I got my BTS Butter album yesterday but didn’t get to pull the photocard I was vying for – the pull I got, though, was of the most popular member, which means it would be a very easy trade. I put the trade offer up the other day and I finally got a match yesterday.

F - Facebook.

When was the last time you logged on? Like five minutes ago. I constantly check it.

How many friends do you have? Just checked and it says I have 686. I wanna get rid like half of them though.

Do you hate when your facebook chat messes up? Hmm, that doesn’t really happen.

Who was the last person to leave you a wall post? Angela.

G - Google.

Do you Google everything? Yeah, I think I look up a random item or phrase at least once a day. Doesn’t hurt to learn a new thing each day. :)

What was the last thing you Googled? The K-Pop group g.o.d., since my teacher mentioned them in our Korean lessons earlier.

Would you ever trade Google in for Bing? No, I haven’t used Bing in like 12 years.

What do you Google the most? Synonyms, I think, since I’m constantly writing for work.

H - Hair.

Do you like your hair? It’s a love-hate relationship most days because I hate how thick and frizzy it can be...but I recently had mine trimmed all the way up to my neck and for some reason it’s taken on a wavy form, which I didn’t expect to come out at all. And I’ve found that it actually suits me quite a bit, so I’m enjoying my hair for now.

What color is your hair? Black.

What does it look like right now? Slightly damp since I took a shower not too long ago.

What kind of shampoo for you use? Just a normal Dove one.

I - Ibuprofen 

When was the last time you took ibuprofen? I don’t think I’ve ever taken it? I usually take paracetamol...idrk the difference either. Do you rely on it for everything (cramps, headache)? I only ever take medicine for headaches/migraines.

Are you so thankful people made it? I mean sure, I’m glad there are those who have been able to create products that can instantly relieve pain or discomfort, but I’m not obsessively grateful.

Do you have any right now? I don’t think we have any.

J - Jobs.

Do you need a job? Nah, I already have one.

Where do you work? Media/PR industry.

Where would you work? I wouldn’t change jobs/industries. This is where I wanted to end up in, and I’m really really glad and fortunate to have landed here on my first shot, right out of college, and during a pendemic.

How much money would you like to get paid? An additional P5k (~$100) would probably be more satisfying, but considering my parents aren’t the traditional Filipino parents who suck 100% of my earnings right out of me the second payday comes, I’m able to enjoy a substantial chunk of money to myself, give them a portion of my earnings, and still be able to save.

K - Kissing.

Who was the last person you kissed? That would be my ex.

Will you next kiss be a mistake? I have no idea when that would be and with whom it will be shared, so I won’t be able to give you a definite answer.

Do you kiss someone everyday? Other than my dogs, nah.

Who was your first kiss? The aforementioned ex.

L - Love.

Who do you love the most in your life? My best friends. I’m also doing a whole lot better in the self-love department these days, so that too :)

Have you ever been in love before? Yeah.

Does it make you so happy when you feel the feeling of love? Sure. It feels light and comfortable, especially when it’s shared.

Why is this word so hard to describe? Because everyone feels love differently. < There we go.

M - Mom.

What is your mom’s name? Abigail.

What is she doing right now? She was watching The Good Doctor the last time I checked on her like five minutes ago. It’s her latest obsession.

Where does she work? She works in the food and beverage department of a 5-star hotel in the city.

Do you two shop together a lot? I rarely do my shopping with either of my parents.

N - Netflix.

Do you have Netflix? Technically, I guess. My dad pays for it and we have a family account.

If not, what movies would you order? I don’t think I’ve ever ordered a movie before. Before streaming on Netflix, I just used to get illegal torrents lol.

Do you rent a lot of movies? I’ve never rented a movie. Was too young for it, I think.

Do you have the tool where it just downloads to your tv? No.

O - Ohio.

Is this the state in which you live in? I don’t even live in the US. Never been there either. < Same.

Is Ohio State your favorite football team? I don’t like football.

Did you know Ohio Is For Lovers? I’m not familiar.

Have you ever been to Ohio? See first answer in this section.

Q - Quitting.

What was the last thing you quit doing? Practicing on Duolingo. I had an extremely short period of using the app again a couple of months ago, but I lasted all of two days hahaha I had been trying to get back on learning Korean, but I enrolled in official lessons not long after that anyway so it didn’t make sense to continue the stages in the app.

Do you need to quit talking to someone right now? Nope. The people I’m talking to right now in between this survey are all welcome conversations.

Would you ever quit school? That wasn’t an option for me and I never would’ve done it anyway. 

Don’t you think quitting is stupid? No. Sometimes it can be the strongest thing you can do for yourself.

R - Reading.

What was the last book you read? Does my Korean lesson textbook count hahaha...if not, I haven’t really read anything in years.

Do you own a lot of books? I do, but they are all books from my childhood and teenage years. It’s been a while since I last updated my bookshelf.

Do you have a library card? No, haven’t had one since Grade 1.

Have you ever read a book that changed your life? Without Seeing the Dawn was pretty influential to me, but I dunno about ‘life-changing.’ I need to read more to find the book that would have that effect on me.

S - Safety.

Do you always wear your seat belt? I do these days. I didn’t really practice it when I used to drive to school, whoops. Always forgot to do it.

When riding a four-wheeler do you wear a helmet? I rarely get to do that.

Did you ever wear knee pads and a helmet when riding your bike? Nah. I can’t ride a bike either. Do you always think safety first? In COVID terms, yeah. I have a face mask and shield on as soon as I find myself outdoors.

T - Talk

Who was the last person you talked to? Reena. Who are you talking to right now? Nobody. It’s just me, this survey, and some music in the background.

Who did you last talk to before you went to bed last night? Angela and Reena, if I’m not mistaken.

Do you need to talk to anybody right now? No, I’m good.

U - US ARMY

Do you support it? I don’t know enough about it to have a bold opinion, considering I’m not even from the US and it’s been a while since their army has had any strong contact with my country.

Do you know anybody who is in the army right now? I think one of Angela’s uncles has a high position in our national army.

Don’t you ever wonder why their camo doesn’t match anything? Not really.

Would you ever go to the army? No.

V - Virgin.

Are you a virgin? Nope.

When did you lose your virginity? I was 18.

Do you wish you would’ve waited? Nah, it felt right when I did it the first time; and I maintain that stance now even though I’m no longer with that person.

Do you think you could have stayed a virgin until marriage? I could. Sex isn’t a big deal to me.

W - What.

What are you doing right now besides this survey? I’m also listening to mono. and taking bites from my doughnut every now and then.

What are you craving? Spicy tuna salad, but it can wait. Andi got me my favorite truffle baked macaroni because it’s CM Punk day today :D :D and that’s able to satisfy my savory cravings for now.

What do you need to buy? Shelves.

Why are you taking my survey? I’ve mentioned this before but I like categorized/themed surveys, so alphabetical ones are always fun for me.

X -Xanax 

Do you know anybody who is addicted to Xanax? I don’t think so.

Have you ever taken it before? No.

Do you even know what it is? No, actually.

Have you ever suffered from anxiety or depression? I’m sure I have.

Y - Yourself.

Name. Robyn.

Age. 23.

Do you smile a lot? Sure, I’d say that’s common these days.

Z - Zebra.

Are you addicted to zebra striped? Not really.

Do you own anything zebra striped? Nah. I have some stuff that come in black and white stripes, but not zebra print. Is anything on any of your websites zebra striped? No.

[budo-bujo]

Language Update: 2 months

I have given myself the task for 2021 to learn as much Spanish as I can to prep for coursework at an intermediate level. I need to have reading fluency for my degree, so that’s where my focus is right now, but being able to speak/listen will obviously also be important to develop at some point since I’m aiming for eventual full fluency (or at least conversational competence).

I started in January with almost 0 knowledge outside of the general osmosis that comes from living in an area where Spanish is the most common native language other than English for my whole life.

Today is March 3, so it is my first of 6 updates for the year, and I’ll be giving a rundown of the resources I’m using alongside my fluency progress.

Resources:

Duolingo: I know, Duolingo gets a bad rep among language enthusiasts, but honestly I think it is a useful starting point and a simple way to get daily practice as a true beginner. The Spanish course especially is designed quite effectively compared to the others I’ve tried in the past (Looking at you Swedish), and I particularly enjoy the Stories feature since it feels like I’m actually reading. They’re also usually pretty funny and it feels great to understand the joke. They also have a podcast, which I haven’t started yet but plan to before the next update.

Language Transfer: I don’t know if I can recommend language transfer highly enough. All of their audio lessons are free to access on Youtube or through their website. The host is bilingual, and they work with someone else who is a complete beginner, guiding them through the process of sentence and word formation without using technical grammar terms, so it’s very accessible to less academically experienced people. The method is based on getting you to think in your target language and search for the words based on what you already know instead of memorizing vocab lists and grammar tables. I am about halfway through the Spanish lessons and I will probably listen to them all again when I’m done. They also have courses in French, Swahili, Italian, Greek, Arabic, German, Turkish, and English for Spanish speakers. Definitely check them out. For a free resource you can’t really get much better than this.

Textbooks: I picked up the textbook my university uses for it’s beginner/early intermediate classes so I could direct my learning in a way that would make it easy to jump in if I decided to take classes at a lower level (once I don’t have deal with online class), and it’s really not a very good book on it’s own without the $200 online workbooks and audio files. I won’t even put the name of it bc it’s so clearly a cash grab for the publisher and not actually a great learning resource I also have a couple grammar books on pdf which are more helpful, but I haven’t spent too much time on just because the grammar I’m working on right now is very basic.

Other: I’ve also been working on small amounts of immersion for additional practice. This is mostly just reading tweets and listening to tiktoks in Spanish when I come across them, and I’ve watched a few shows with Spanish subtitles. This isn’t the most intense form of practice, but it is nice to see words I learned showing up in real life.

Progress:

I definitely haven’t made as much progress as I probably could if I spent all my time on studying, but I’m also in a PhD program and teaching a class which takes up a lot of my time. On top of that I’m trying not to go crazy in isolation. Still, I have taken a couple assessments and I’m at a fairly confident beginner level (solidly A1). That’s not a whole lot, but I feel pretty proud of it, and it’s certainly a huge improvement from where I started in January.

I’ll post another update in May, and I’m hoping to be much closer to A2 by then, but we’ll see if I can keep up this pace through midterms and finals.