TAC 2017-2018 Luís

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TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-25, 18:39

So... here's all the stuff I intend to do until the end of 2018... :)

(en)

Not actively learning

(es)

I used it at my old job all the time, but not anymore. I want to keep on reviewing and improving it, though (C1-C2 is my goal). I intend to go through the following books:

- Porto Editora's Gramática práctica del Español (volume I) (most of it should be review) Done!
- Porto Editora's Gramática práctica del Español (volume II) Done!
- Pocket's Civilización española Done!
- Elsevier's ¿Hablas español o portuñol? Done!
- Historia de America Latina Done!
- Cuba, una Historia Done!

I probably should try to watch some Spanish TV series and/or movies, but I haven't chosen which ones yet.

(fr)

I have to use it daily at work, so it's definitely my main focus at the moment (C2 is my goal). I intend to go through the following books:

- Hachette's Les 500 Exercises de Phonétique (most of it should be review) Done!
- Ellipses' Le Français Parlé (this book covers stuff from B1 to C2, so some of it will be new, some of it won't. It mostly focuses on the spoken language in different contexts) Done!
- CLE's Grammaire progressive du français - niveau avancé Done!
- Pocket's Le portugais économique et commercial (this is actually intended for French speakers learning Portuguese, but I'll be using it the other way around. It mostly focuses on business language) Done!
- CLE's Grammaire progressive du français - niveau perfectionnement
OPTIONAL: Editorial Presenças's Manual de Retroversão Francesa (a guide on how to translate Portuguese into French properly)

I'll also try to read some French literature and watch some French TV series and movies. I'm currently watching Fais pas ci, fais pas ça (saison 2) and Pékin Express (saison 7) .

(he)

I'm not starting from zero, since I've studied the language before. My goal is to reach a comfortable B1 level. I'll be using the following books:

- Assimil's Hebrew (I actually got the English version because it was cheaper) Done!
Routledge's Colloquial Hebrew
L'Hébreu dans votre poche
Optional: Routledge's Modern Hebrew: An Essential Grammar

(ar) (Optional)

- Learning to decipher the Arabic alphabet. I plan on using Larousse's Premiers Pas en Arabe, if I get there. Done!

All languages

- Daily Anki reviews
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Car » 2017-10-25, 19:54

I worked through an older version of CLE's Grammaire progressive du français - niveau avancé a couple of years ago and it's definitely good.

I have Gramática de uso del español for Spanish instead, but never got round to finishing that one, but it actually seemed good, too. I think I have the B1/B2 version.
Please correct my mistakes!

księżycowy

Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby księżycowy » 2017-10-25, 20:29

Let me know what you think of Assimil Hebrew, Luís. I'm debating using that, or using the Routledge coursebook when I want to learn Modern Hebrew. I mean, I have copies of both. So wondering which to buy isn't the issue. :P Just curious how you find it.

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-25, 20:53

Car wrote:I worked through an older version of CLE's Grammaire progressive du français - niveau avancé a couple of years ago and it's definitely good.


Yeah, I have the first two volumes (niveau débutant / niveau intermédiaire) and they're pretty good.

księżycowy wrote:Let me know what you think of Assimil Hebrew, Luís. I'm debating using that, or using the Routledge coursebook when I want to learn Modern Hebrew. I mean, I have copies of both. So wondering which to buy isn't the issue. :P Just curious how you find it.


You mean Colloquial Hebrew? That's actually a great book. I think I finished about 2/3 of it last time I was learning Hebrew. I decided to use a different book this time, for the sake of motivation.

I have the older version of Assimil's L'hébreu (in French) and while it's not bad, it's kinda dry and dated. I think the new version is much better, but I'll let you know my opinion once I actually start using it.
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księżycowy

Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby księżycowy » 2017-10-25, 21:10

No, not Colloquial. The Routledge Introductory Course in Modern Hebrew by Etzion.

I was trying to avoid writing that whole title, and look where it got me.

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-26, 9:48

księżycowy wrote:No, not Colloquial. The Routledge Introductory Course in Modern Hebrew by Etzion.

I was trying to avoid writing that whole title, and look where it got me.


That looks way more complete than the Assimil course. But from what I've seen (preview @ amazon.com) I get the impression it's probably not the best book for self study... :hmm:
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby księżycowy » 2017-10-26, 9:52

The official book website makes it much more self-study friendly. Answer keys and the like.

I'm still interested in using Assimil, but the main thing that ticks me off is all the niqqud. I mean, some is fine, but that's not how Modern Hebrew is written generally.

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-26, 10:24

They don't use niqqud in the exercises, but that's about it.

Colloquial Hebrew doesn't use any niqqud at all (but then they transliterate everything).
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby księżycowy » 2017-10-26, 13:14

I wish they had handled it like Assimil Arabic, which presents the dialogue with vowels, but then also presents it voweless for the second cycle (or wave, or whatever they call it).

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-26, 15:23

Yeah, I guess that would be a good idea (I actually have a copy of L'Arabe, but hadn't really noticed this particular feature)

I don't care about the "second wave" anyway. I usually just go over the lessons and add words and sentences to Anki (even in the so called "passive phase"). I don't really bother revisiting old lessons and translating them into the target language, as they suggest.
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby księżycowy » 2017-10-26, 16:12

When I'm trying to get the idea of a script like Hebrew or Arabic in their unvowelled glory, it seems like an attractive idea.

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby voron » 2017-10-26, 18:52

Luís wrote:I don't care about the "second wave" anyway. I usually just go over the lessons and add words and sentences to Anki (even in the so called "passive phase"). I don't really bother revisiting old lessons and translating them into the target language, as they suggest.

Yeah, they suggest doing the second wave supposedly to improve your production skills, but it's clear as day you won't be able to speak anyway if you just translate.

Assimil is lovely in that it presents information in small digestible pieces. I hate language books which have few chapters but where each chapter is gigantic. It would have a gigantic dialogue, with a gigantic list of words, followed by a gigantic sheet of grammar explanations -- and if I can dedicate just 30 mins per day or less for my studies this kind of structure becomes insurmountable. The more chapters the better!

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-26, 19:41

:yep:

Also, there are usually no lessons about booking a hotel, exchanging money and that kind of stuff. You might find some really dry jokes, though... :P
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-10-26, 20:17

You should see Learn Tamil in 30 Days. As one person I once knew said, it's the perfect parody of a phrasebook without intending to be. (One of my favorite parts is "yes, we Americans are very familiar with the sophisticated culture of Tamil Nadu!").

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-26, 20:32

:lol:

I have Learn Bengali in 30 Days (I think it's from the same collection) and it's equally bad.
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby vijayjohn » 2017-10-26, 20:52

Yep, I have that one, too (in fact, I happen to have it in English and Telugu). That whole goddamn series...

Also, I never even really found out wtf Shantiniketan was.

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-10-29, 21:32

Update

(fr)

Les 500 exercises de phonétique (page 52/203)
I've already learned some new expressions and words (the book uses lots of colloquial expressions) and there's plenty of audio. Nothing new when it comes to French phonology, though.

I watched a new episode of Fais pas ci, fais pas ça and understood 99% of it.

(es)

Gramática práctica del español I (Unit 9/50)
Nothing too interesting yet, mostly review.

(he)

Assimil Hebrew (Lesson 4/85)
The first few lessons are pretty easy. Mostly the alphabet and some common words.

I'm not sure yet, but I might take some italki lessons as well for some of my languages (I've done it in the past and it worked well).
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-11-03, 20:29

One complaint I have about Assimil Hebrew: they don't use full spelling (כתיב מלא) when they omit the niqqud in the exercises.
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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby księżycowy » 2017-11-04, 20:00

I've very tempted to follow behind you in Assimil Hebrew.

The text may have some things that urk me, but I never stopped loving Assimil's methodology. And that's one method where I tend to not bother with Anki at all. :P

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Re: TAC 2017-2018 Luís

Postby Luís » 2017-11-04, 20:52

księżycowy wrote:I've very tempted to follow behind you in Assimil Hebrew.


Do it! :twisted:

księżycowy wrote:The text may have some things that urk me, but I never stopped loving Assimil's methodology. And that's one method where I tend to not bother with Anki at all. :P


Why?
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