Summer TAC - aaakknu

[aaakknu]

I decided to do a TAC once again, this time a shorter one, 5 months long (1st of May - 30th of October).

Goals:

Spanish
For the past couple of years, I used Spanish only passively. I want to bring my speaking and writing skills up to the same level as my passive skills. I will focus on the revision of vocabulary and writing practice.

Polish
I need to learn some Polish before moving to Poland, so maybe up to B1 level. Polish is going to be easy.
I need something for listening practice: Youtube, movies, TV shows, etc, but preferably something that's available for free.

Indonesian
I need to finally do my B1 textbook. I hope to finish it by the end of September. Also need to find something for listening practice (at an appropriate level, preferably with subtitles). Does anybody know of anything?

[aaakknu]

From "Fahrenheit 451"

scurry move hurriedly with short quick steps
blotches marks on the skin
proboscis the nose of a mammal, especially when it is long and mobile such as the trunk of an elephant or the snout of a tapir
pawn a chess piece of the smallest size and value
incinerator an apparatus for burning waste material, especially industrial waste, at high temperatures until it is reduced to ash
kennel a small shelter for a dog
muzzle the projecting part of the face, including the nose and mouth, of an animal such as a dog or horse
sizzle a hissing sound, as of food frying or cooking (or a state or quality of great excitement or passion)
cog a wheel with square or triangular teeth around the edge, which is used in a machine to turn another wheel or part
simmer (of water or food that is being heated) stay just below boiling point while bubbling gently
ballistics the science of projectiles and firearms,
the scientific study of the effects of being fired on a bullet, cartridge, or gun
furnace an enclosed structure in which material can be heated to very high temperatures, e.g. for smelting metals;
an appliance fired by gas or oil in which air or water is heated to be circulated throughout a building in a heating system
(used to describe a very hot place)

From YouTube

confabulate to fill in gaps in memory by fabrication

[azhong]

scurry move hurriedly with short quick steps

I still remember I learned this word for the first time from this sentence:

Now he[=wormtail] scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room, leaving nothing behind him but a curious gleam of silver. (Ch1, Harry Potter 7)

[aaakknu]

scurry move hurriedly with short quick steps

I still remember I learned this word for the first time from this sentence:

Now he[=wormtail] scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room, leaving nothing behind him but a curious gleam of silver. (Ch1, Harry Potter 7)

Cool! I'm now reading Fahrenheit 451, so I learned the word from there, don't remember the exact sentence.
Are you also reading something now to improve your English?

[azhong]

Fahrenheit 451 is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, the novel presents a future American society where books are outlawed and "firemen" burn any that are found.

Are you also reading something now to improve your English?

Yes, my English is poor (and such a feeling is strong especially when I am interacting here in UniLang with you all, all Westerners and interested in learning languages). I live in (Chinese-speaking) Taiwan in the country where I can hardly find any person to practice English, so I've always been improving my English by reading this or that, the most practical way for me to study languages. Now that you have introduced this classical novel to me, I might also find it layer and have a read. (In fact, I've forgotten the word "scurry"; your post helped me remember it. Thank you.)

I am reading Holes by American writer Louis Sachar, an awarded novel for children. I've read about one-fifth. The words and sentence constructions used in the book are simple but its cimplex plot and succinct narration is attractive. I recommend this novel.

BTW, I hope you've already gotten totally recovered from your illness when you were in FUBAR 2021.

[aaakknu]

a grand a thousand dollars or pounds

[Linguaphile]

a grand a thousand dollars or pounds

Maybe you already found this usage too, but it's often used for multiples of one thousand as well:
eight grand eight thousand dollars
twenty grand twenty thousand dollars
etc.

[aaakknu]

a grand a thousand dollars or pounds

Maybe you already found this usage too, but it's often used for multiples of one thousand as well:
eight grand eight thousand dollars
twenty grand twenty thousand dollars
etc.

Thanks!

[aaakknu]

personal incredulity - when someone dismisses something because they either don't understand it or choose to ignore it

(from a video on logical fallacies. I'll add others later)
https://youtu.be/eBdJB3pdMSQ

[aaakknu]

EMT emergency medical technician
scarecrow an object made to resemble a human figure, set up to scare birds away from a field where crops are growing
veracity conformity to facts; accuracy
effervescence an appealingly lively quality; the state of being active, positive, and full of energy
presumptuous failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate
shackles a pair of fetters connected together by a chain, used to fasten a prisoner's wrists or ankles together
vestigial (of an organ or part of the body) degenerate, rudimentary, or atrophied, having become functionless in the course of evolution (another meaning: forming a very small remnant of something that was once greater or more noticeable)
iniquity immoral or grossly unfair behaviour
pesky causing trouble; annoying
brush (sth) under the rug to ignore, deny, or conceal from public view or knowledge something that is embarrassing, unappealing, or damaging to one's reputation
precarious not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse; dependent on chance; uncertain
to hold water stand up to critical examination, be sound and valid
awry away from the usual or expected course; amiss; out of the normal or correct position; askew
underbelly the soft underside or abdomen of an animal
(an area vulnerable to attack.
"these multinationals have a soft underbelly"
a hidden unpleasant or criminal part of society.
"the dark underbelly of a ghetto")
tenacious not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined

[aaakknu]

sprout (of a plant) put out shoots - пускати паростки
conman a man who cheats or tricks someone by gaining their trust and persuading them to believe something that is not true
napkin a square piece of cloth or paper used at a meal to wipe the fingers or lips and to protect garments
glean obtain (information) from various sources, often with difficulty ("the information is gleaned from press cuttings")
hindsight understanding of a situation or event only after it has happened or developed
panoply an extensive or impressive collection
insinuation an unpleasant hint or suggestion of something bad
making mountains out of molehills робити з мухи слона

[aaakknu]

disoluto [persona] Que se entrega fácil o frecuentemente a lo que es contrario a la moral.
antepasado Individuo del que desciende otro, especialmente si vivió en una época pasada remota. ([tiempo] Que es inmediatamente anterior a otro tiempo pasado.)
dejar / quedarse con la boca abierta impresionado, embobado o pasmado por algo extraordinario e inesperado.
rompecabezas puzzle
reprochar Decir a una persona lo que se considera que no ha hecho bien, mediante críticas, censuras y reproches.
aletargado es aquel o aquello que experimenta un letargo. Este concepto (letargo), por su parte, alude al reposo, la falta de actividad, el entumecimiento, la somnolencia o el adormecimiento
derrocar Hacer caer un gobierno o un régimen político.
"derrocar una dictadura"
Desposeer a una persona de su cargo, normalmente por medios violentos. "los revolucionarios derrocaron al rey"
desalmado [persona] Que comete acciones crueles sin mostrar pena o compasión, especialmente contra personas o animales.
advertencia warning
de antemano beforehand

[aaakknu]

I had to take off one star from Spanish and Estonian in my profile, because I realized just how much I have forgotten. It makes me really sad, all the effort I've put into studying these languages and now I still can't use them fluently

[aaakknu]

gestionar manage
perjudicar harm
almendra almond (мигдаль)
en homenaje in tribute
sobrepasar exceed, surpass

get/have a handle on
: to understand and be able to deal with (something)

wide swathes of

[Linguaphile]

I had to take off one star from Spanish and Estonian in my profile, because I realized just how much I have forgotten. It makes me really sad, all the effort I've put into studying these languages and now I still can't use them fluently

Don't be discouraged, it happens to many people. Things you've already learned can come back to you much more easily compared to learning them the first time around so no effort put into learning a language is ever wasted or lost. Also, with Spanish, how easily you can understand really can depend on the dialect. Sometimes I'll read things written in some varieties of Mexican Spanish or written by authors who avoid regionalisms and I understand it as easily as I understand English; other times I'll read something written by an author from another part of the Spanish-speaking world and I'm shocked at how many new words I learn and how many words I have to look up or how many passages I struggle with understanding. This happens even to native speakers. It's easy to sometimes feel fluent and other times feel like a novice with Spanish.

[azhong]

Nicht zu vielen Leuten aber zu jedem Menschen, ich denke. Ich denke, dass nur ein Computer alles nie vergessen kann, was er gelernt hat. Es muss noch immer etwas bleiben in uns selbst wenn wir alles vergessen, was wir gelernt haben. Das glaube ich auch.

(Passage has been edited for correcting grammer errors. And quotation has also been deleted. See Linguaphile's quotation.)

[Linguaphile]

I had to take off one star from Spanish and Estonian in my profile, because I realized just how much I have forgotten. It makes me really sad, all the effort I've put into studying these languages and now I still can't use them fluently

Don't be discouraged, it happens to many people.

Nicht zu vielen Leuten aber zu jedem Menschen, ich denke. Ich denke, dass nur ein Computer kann alles, was er gelernt hat, nie vergessen. Es muss noch etwas in uns hinterlassen selbst wir alles, was wir gelernt haben, vergessen. Das glaube ich auch.

I did almost write "it happens to everyone" but sometimes I second-guess myself too much. I imagined others chiming in with "it's never happened to me!" so it seemed best to just say "it happens to many people". I can be certain of that, from personal experience and experiences of many others I know, while I can't be certain that it happens to everyone. But I think you are right.