Comments on: Language Juggling http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/ just blogging about my language geekery Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:33:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Puttering along | Language Geek http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-579 Puttering along | Language Geek Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:49:45 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-579 [...] ironically, in poking around in my archives, I discovered that I faced a similar dilemma back in June of 2009 – actually, the exact same dilemma: how to handle trying to learn [...] [...] ironically, in poking around in my archives, I discovered that I faced a similar dilemma back in June of 2009 – actually, the exact same dilemma: how to handle trying to learn [...]

]]> By: Josh http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-578 Josh Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:10:38 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-578 Thanks for the ideas, all. Geoff, I can now safely say that keeping a diary failed; I still like the idea of doing so, but on many days, the idea of spending 15-20 minutes tracking what I've done, then writing it up, just isn't appealing. I've largely fallen back to doing what you recommend: grabbing language materials based solely on inspiration. Some days I'll hit two or three of them; other days, just one. Jess, that's an interesting idea, and it may indeed work better than having a set rotation. My problem with a rigid rotation is that it's, well, too rigid. If Tuesday is a "German and French" day, Tuesdays tend to be pretty infuriating if I'm really, really wanting to work on some Russian! Thanks for the ideas, all.

Geoff, I can now safely say that keeping a diary failed; I still like the idea of doing so, but on many days, the idea of spending 15-20 minutes tracking what I’ve done, then writing it up, just isn’t appealing. I’ve largely fallen back to doing what you recommend: grabbing language materials based solely on inspiration. Some days I’ll hit two or three of them; other days, just one.

Jess, that’s an interesting idea, and it may indeed work better than having a set rotation. My problem with a rigid rotation is that it’s, well, too rigid. If Tuesday is a “German and French” day, Tuesdays tend to be pretty infuriating if I’m really, really wanting to work on some Russian!

]]> By: Jess http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-577 Jess Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:29:48 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-577 One of the things I've done, rather than make a daily schedule or rotation, is to make a weekly checklist, and then move by inspiration during the week until most or all of the items on the list are completed. For example, a weekly checklist might include 20 minutes of Japanese kanji and vocabulary building, 30 minutes of watching a Japanese film, 30 minutes of reading Japanese literature, 20 minutes with a Spanish language news article, 30 minutes of an Egyptian Arabic dialect film, 20 minutes x 3 with Arabic news articles, and 30 minutes x 3 working on my academic reading skills in French with a dictionary. (I am actively studying Arabic at the graduate level and use French for research; the rest is for maintenance of my other languages, or at the most very gradual vocab acquisition.) But I find that smaller chunks of time, and the flexibility and variety on my checklist, are less discouraging - I can always continue past the 20-30 minute mark if I have the time or inclination, I can switch to another language if I start to feel burnout, or I can add on other activities in the same language if I hit a good stride. The less of a burden I "require" of myself, the more likely I am to actually pursue the language practice, and I find I usually exceed my minimum requirements because I am enjoying myself. One of the things I’ve done, rather than make a daily schedule or rotation, is to make a weekly checklist, and then move by inspiration during the week until most or all of the items on the list are completed. For example, a weekly checklist might include 20 minutes of Japanese kanji and vocabulary building, 30 minutes of watching a Japanese film, 30 minutes of reading Japanese literature, 20 minutes with a Spanish language news article, 30 minutes of an Egyptian Arabic dialect film, 20 minutes x 3 with Arabic news articles, and 30 minutes x 3 working on my academic reading skills in French with a dictionary. (I am actively studying Arabic at the graduate level and use French for research; the rest is for maintenance of my other languages, or at the most very gradual vocab acquisition.) But I find that smaller chunks of time, and the flexibility and variety on my checklist, are less discouraging – I can always continue past the 20-30 minute mark if I have the time or inclination, I can switch to another language if I start to feel burnout, or I can add on other activities in the same language if I hit a good stride. The less of a burden I “require” of myself, the more likely I am to actually pursue the language practice, and I find I usually exceed my minimum requirements because I am enjoying myself.

]]> By: Francis O Reilly http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-576 Francis O Reilly Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:24:36 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-576 Hi Josh, Good work on the Language Geek blog - very interesting stuff there. Liked your post a while back on motivation / stop skirting around following your study plan for learning languages and actually go do it! On the post though, if you're starting out from scratch in a number of different languages and want to build up a bit of vocabulary quickly, may I recommend looking at www.memorista.com - a free service that provides mnemonics for basic vocabulary in a number of languages. Doesn't cover all the languages you're simultaneously studying yet, but the coverage will expand over time. It's ideal for students beginning from scratch or for those wishing to quickly pick up the basics for that foreign vacation or business trip. Please feel free to have a look at http://www.memorista.com, and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask! (email franREMOVEME@REMOVEMEmemorista.com) Only too glad to oblige. Any comments or suggestions are very welcome also. Francis Hi Josh,

Good work on the Language Geek blog – very interesting stuff there. Liked your post a while back on motivation / stop skirting around following your study plan for learning languages and actually go do it!

On the post though, if you’re starting out from scratch in a number of different languages and want to build up a bit of vocabulary quickly, may I recommend looking at http://www.memorista.com – a free service that provides mnemonics for basic vocabulary in a number of languages. Doesn’t cover all the languages you’re simultaneously studying yet, but the coverage will expand over time.

It’s ideal for students beginning from scratch or for those wishing to quickly pick up the basics for that foreign vacation or business trip.

Please feel free to have a look at http://www.memorista.com, and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask! (email franREMOVEME@REMOVEMEmemorista.com) Only too glad to oblige. Any comments or suggestions are very welcome also.

Francis

]]> By: Maria http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-575 Maria Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:19:19 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-575 If are good in English then you may learn all these languages easily. You are a Blogger and you are having good knowledge of English so it's not going to be very difficult for you to learn. However, it needs to make certain plan and strategies. You make a plan according to your daily routine. If possible make month wise plan, I mean to say in January month German, in February Spanish, in March French and so on. However, you need to revise all these daily. I would suggest you one thing and that is listen of your heart and do accordingly. :) If you want to <a href="http://www.babylon-idiomas.com/eng/htm/learn-spanish-madrid-spain-city.htm" rel="nofollow">earn Spanish in madrid</a> then contact us at <b>babylon-idiomas<b>. If are good in English then you may learn all these languages easily. You are a Blogger and you are having good knowledge of English so it’s not going to be very difficult for you to learn. However, it needs to make certain plan and strategies. You make a plan according to your daily routine. If possible make month wise plan, I mean to say in January month German, in February Spanish, in March French and so on. However, you need to revise all these daily.

I would suggest you one thing and that is listen of your heart and do accordingly. :) If you want to earn Spanish in madrid then contact us at babylon-idiomas.

]]> By: GeoffB http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-574 GeoffB Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:29:00 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-574 <i>For those of you who have tackled numerous languages at once, how have you handled this dilemma?</i> <b>Poorly.</b> Seriously, though, if you don't <i>need</i> to know any of these languages, you're best off setting your studies by inspiration than a schedule. Make sure you've got some music for all the languages on your MP3 and listen in spare moments. Then, make sure you've got a dedicated half-hour or hour a day for language. When that time comes, study whatever you feel like. With the music, you'll have all the languages rolling around in your brain. With that, your own instinct will guide you to study where it will do the most good - where you're most enthused, thus most likely to stay focused and maybe even go over your allotted time. Some languages will get more attention for a few days, others none at all. But with the music there, you'll start missing the ones you haven't studied and come back to them on your own. The program I propose is neither scientific nor efficient. But if this is something you're doing over the course of years for personal satisfaction, not months to win a contest, you'll probably learn about the same amount in the long term but you'll have a cheerier attitude about "language time" than you'd have about the fact you "have to study German" because it's what's up on the rotation. Best of all, if you notice you just don't seem to come back to a language, you'll know you're ready to drop it - at least until you pick it up again. I know there are people out there who are really competitive about how many languages they know well and how many they're learning. Maybe it's worth their while to mess with training schedules, etc. In my experience, however, I can ignore a language for as much as two or three months and after a couple hours of music and study it starts coming back. So, if you just want to be able to chat a little bit with others who speak your languages, don't worry about day to day work to maintain language. Focus on a program that maintains the fun in language and you'll achieve your goals over time. (I say this as someone who has tried tables, calendars, diaries and everything else in the book - you can check my archives!) For those of you who have tackled numerous languages at once, how have you handled this dilemma? Poorly.

Seriously, though, if you don’t need to know any of these languages, you’re best off setting your studies by inspiration than a schedule. Make sure you’ve got some music for all the languages on your MP3 and listen in spare moments. Then, make sure you’ve got a dedicated half-hour or hour a day for language. When that time comes, study whatever you feel like. With the music, you’ll have all the languages rolling around in your brain. With that, your own instinct will guide you to study where it will do the most good – where you’re most enthused, thus most likely to stay focused and maybe even go over your allotted time. Some languages will get more attention for a few days, others none at all. But with the music there, you’ll start missing the ones you haven’t studied and come back to them on your own.

The program I propose is neither scientific nor efficient. But if this is something you’re doing over the course of years for personal satisfaction, not months to win a contest, you’ll probably learn about the same amount in the long term but you’ll have a cheerier attitude about “language time” than you’d have about the fact you “have to study German” because it’s what’s up on the rotation. Best of all, if you notice you just don’t seem to come back to a language, you’ll know you’re ready to drop it – at least until you pick it up again.

I know there are people out there who are really competitive about how many languages they know well and how many they’re learning. Maybe it’s worth their while to mess with training schedules, etc. In my experience, however, I can ignore a language for as much as two or three months and after a couple hours of music and study it starts coming back. So, if you just want to be able to chat a little bit with others who speak your languages, don’t worry about day to day work to maintain language. Focus on a program that maintains the fun in language and you’ll achieve your goals over time.

(I say this as someone who has tried tables, calendars, diaries and everything else in the book – you can check my archives!)

]]> By: Petr http://languagegeek.net/2009/06/24/language-juggling-2/#comment-573 Petr Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:48:30 +0000 http://languagegeek.net/?p=356#comment-573 Personally I'm trying hard to resist the temptation to look into another language until my Russian is at least at the point where my English is, which won't be for several years. But one language in functional state beats two half-broken, half-unbuilt any time, I reckon. Personally I’m trying hard to resist the temptation to look into another language until my Russian is at least at the point where my English is, which won’t be for several years. But one language in functional state beats two half-broken, half-unbuilt any time, I reckon.

]]>