Journaling to Keep Learning
In just a few minutes, I'll be going to listen to Pimsleur Spanish, Level 2, Lesson 4. Looking at my language journal, I've done at least one Pimsleur Spanish lesson every day since October 24. And I've done something with language every day going back further than that. As a result, Spanish is coming fairly naturally these days. I'm not saying I'm fluent, but what I do know is fully activated. Part of that is from the regular Spanish study. And part of that is from doing the regular Spanish study so that I don't have to leave a day in my journal blank.
I talked earlier about needing a reward to keep you going when you weren't feeling the benefits. When I finished up my planned sequence, I looked at the Michel Thomas Arabic program I had on my wish list, and realized that I really wanted to go further with my Spanish or Italian, not go in a new direction just now. I got Stephenie Meyers' Crepúsculo - Twilight in Spanish. It's not the sort of thing I normally go for, but it was on an end cap at Barnes and Noble and the cover was striking. I didn't realize until this weekend that it's just about to pop up on the big screen (in English, of course).
Earlier this weekend, I found Eco's Estructura Ausente - Introducción a la semiótica online (in Spanish). Given my background, it's no harder to read in Spanish than it is in English. Not so with Spanish contemporary fiction, where the vocabulary doesn't line up with my earlier studies. So I've enjoyed Crepúsculo not least because I can understand it with relative ease. A few weeks ago, the Foreign Language Blogger mentioned "The cartoon and trash-novel method of language learning." I've always heard about reading a favorite book in other languages, but from Le Petit Prince to Alice in Wonderland to The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I've always gotten hung up on the translations of old phrases I've come to know and love, and instead of making me better know my new language, it's just made me cross with it. A trashy teen novel that I don't know but can follow seems a better fit. I can't give advice on what you should read to gain another entry point into your new language, but if the Great Books haven't been doing it for you, go for something simple with lots of dialog. It might be just what you're looking for.
I talked earlier about needing a reward to keep you going when you weren't feeling the benefits. When I finished up my planned sequence, I looked at the Michel Thomas Arabic program I had on my wish list, and realized that I really wanted to go further with my Spanish or Italian, not go in a new direction just now. I got Stephenie Meyers' Crepúsculo - Twilight in Spanish. It's not the sort of thing I normally go for, but it was on an end cap at Barnes and Noble and the cover was striking. I didn't realize until this weekend that it's just about to pop up on the big screen (in English, of course).
Earlier this weekend, I found Eco's Estructura Ausente - Introducción a la semiótica online (in Spanish). Given my background, it's no harder to read in Spanish than it is in English. Not so with Spanish contemporary fiction, where the vocabulary doesn't line up with my earlier studies. So I've enjoyed Crepúsculo not least because I can understand it with relative ease. A few weeks ago, the Foreign Language Blogger mentioned "The cartoon and trash-novel method of language learning." I've always heard about reading a favorite book in other languages, but from Le Petit Prince to Alice in Wonderland to The Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I've always gotten hung up on the translations of old phrases I've come to know and love, and instead of making me better know my new language, it's just made me cross with it. A trashy teen novel that I don't know but can follow seems a better fit. I can't give advice on what you should read to gain another entry point into your new language, but if the Great Books haven't been doing it for you, go for something simple with lots of dialog. It might be just what you're looking for.
2 Comments:
I'm trying to work up to the novel method, in chinese. The completely different script and vocabulary make it significantly harder to read than spanish (even though i can barely stumble out a few semi-coherent words in spanish, i find it easier to read than chinese). But i haven't tried reading any novels that i've already read. Perhaps this would be easier, but i just haven't found the appropriate translations.
instead, i just focus on finding something i know i'll be interested in. Currently, i'm working on a book of collected sci-fi short stories, with Ray Bradbury and George R.R. Martin, etc (translated to chinese). I haven't read the stories before so i won't get too caught up on the translation, but i'll still be interested enough to keep plowing through it.
While reading, i tend to alternate between doing a little bit of continuous reading without looking anything up, and then reading while making some notes about things to look up later. the phrases that i note down usually go into Anki flashcards for me to review.
For tougher books i found that having the english version around is quite handy. no time wasted looking things up in the dictionary, just glance over at the english version and then i know what they're trying to say.
I've been trying to work up to reading novels gradually. I start off with manga or comics, then go onto children's books, then teenager books, then finally novels.
Right now, I've read a lot of my manga and am getting a bit bored with it, so I moved onto the children's book (ゾロリ). I'm really enjoying it so far. It's got illustrations on every page and is set out in a kind-of combined manga/novel structure. There are pictures & speech bubbles but also text. It's a really fun book and really easy to work out what individual words mean, from repetition and looking at the pictures.
I definitely agree with trying the so-called 'trashy' novel approach. Something with the tone of 'The Princess Diaries'; fun and fluffy to keep you interested.
There's nothing worse than trying a novel and realising you're nowhere near a good enough level to read it.
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