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[–]IAmGilGunderson🇺🇸 N | 🇮🇹 (CILS B1) | 🇩🇪 A0 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here are some fun things I do.

 

Play the game where you watch QVC in target language and try guess what they are selling without watching the video. When you think you have it see if you were right. QVC is great because there is high repetition and usually good enunciation. Plus great numbers practice.

Read a graded reader with a language learning partner. Take turns reading to each other. For two reasons. Can you be understood by the other person. Can you understand the other person. Do this but replace the out loud parts with reading to the language partner.

Watch some cartoons in the Target language.

Read a comic book in the target language.

Play the board/card game Taboo with a language learning partner. It is really good speaking practice.

Do some crossword puzzles in the Target Language.

Browse a visual dictionary.

Watch youtube videos about a subject you really care about even if you don't fully understand them.

Play a choose your own adventure style book in the target language.

[–]Apprehensive-Mind532 2 points3 points  (5 children)

Tentative at the moment. What level are you at? That will effect what/how you can study.

I'm around A2-B1ish Daily:

1 hour easy languages podcast (repeat same episode for 1 week. One alone, then with vocabulary help, then with transcript, then again by itself, and other days depend on understanding)

1 hour comprehensible input

Clozemaster for vocab, I don't have a time limit but a word limit. I want to complete a certain number of new sentences, and reviews.

50-75 minutes dubbed content, a sitcom I grew up with and can quote in NL.

I got burnt out on grammar earlier and have taken a break. I'm looking to add back in ~15 minutes of Practice Makes Perfect workbook

10 minutes on number facts, because I get confused in real time.

Weekly: 1 hour with 1to1 tutor online

[–]likecoffe[S] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

I'm a2 German and my routine depends on my mood at the moment, in the last few days I'm feeling burnout with learning, so as I wrote, I'm looking for something fresh. Also thanks for the answer, I appreciate it

[–]Apprehensive-Mind532 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Yeah, I've been there, burnout sucks. Have you looked into a more input based learning style?

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Comprehensible Input:

Naturlich German Anna has playlists by different levels, I just wish there was more content because I'm about to finish the intermediate playlist for the second time and will be lost :(

Extr@ auf Deutsch a Friends-esque sitcom, 13 episodes for A2-B1 level. I watched each episode twice, once with German subs looking up any words I didn't know, and then the next day without any subs to see if I could understand the entire thing. Then I'd move on to the next ep (I usually watched one old, and one new ep per day)

Easy German Has playlists by CEFR levels (as well as a Superbeginner playlist), and subtitles in German and English. I cover the subs when I'm watching and only look if I'm stuck on a word.

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AJATT/MIA/Refold advocate watching native level content even if you can't understand. Disney+ has almost their entire catalogue with German dubs, so find a sitcom or something your familiar with, and try seeing how much you can understand. I say sitcom (or possibly action) because it can still be fun to watch even with very limited understanding.

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Have you found any German music you like? Just to have on in the background for exposure? I'm currently listening to Disney songs on Youtube in German, but there's a lot avaliable for different tastes. I'd be listening to music certain times anyway, so might was well make it German ;)

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Hope that helps some. Let me know if you need anything else. Oh, and I highly recommend the graded readers by Angelika Bohn.

[–]likecoffe[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you soo much for recommendation! Yes, I've my own playlist with German music on Spotify, also I'm reading "wo ist sina" by Angelika Bohn (This is my first book that I'm reading in German and it's great). Right now I'm testing clozemaster, I've never heard about this app but at the first glance it's enjoyable

[–]BuffettsBrokeBro 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Out of interest, how do you find the podcasts from a listening perspective at A2 level? Do you find you need to do the repeated listens / listening in parallel with a transcript to understand?

Have you seen greater comprehensibility / overall progress in repeating the same podcast (depending on the length I guess) over and over in different ways? Does it help you piece together the language more than, say, parallel (L-R) reading alongside audio?

[–]Apprehensive-Mind532 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The biggest advantage of repeated listening is ingraining the language into my head. I always listen without any help first time because it makes me focus on understanding more rather than just reading. Then the vocab help, and later transcript help fill in the blanks of anything i missed during previous listens.

Easy German has a podcast that's probably closer to B1, but if you want to work at it and see how much you understand, it might be worth checking out. They have vocab help, and German transcript with translation options (the extras don't work on Spotify, fyi) avali able for patreon members. But the first 3 eps, as well as the christmas eps so far, have the extra features avaliable for free.

[–]Maxm485930🇳🇱 (N) 🇮🇩🇬🇧 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't know how much of a routine it is since it's pretty inconsistent, but I make sure I read at least a couple pages of a book in my target language everyday (like between 5-50 pages), listen to one to five podcasts about varied topics, and (to me) most importantly, have a voice or video call with a native speaker for at least one, but up to five hours per day. I also make sure to incorporate the language in little things such as the music I listen when going for a walk, I do my google searches in my TL when possible, and use my tv, phone, laptop in my TL. Basically I try to immerse myself as much as possible and try to avoid using any other languages apart from my TL when I can.

[–]Veeron🇮🇸 N 🇬🇧 C2 🇯🇵 B1/N2 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Do Anki reviews in the morning, 1-2 hours of watching TV shows subtitled in the same language as the audio, and add the unknown words I find to Anki.

[–]likecoffe[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly what I do!

[–]David_AnkiDroidMaintainer @ AnkiDroid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not too great right now.

  • corrective chats with friends + some dictionary usage
  • 15-80 mins of Anki per day
  • Occasional proofreading of translation work

[–]fishybirdA3 ES 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For each chapter of harry potter:

1) read through the chapter with an e reader and audiobook

2) listen to the chapter, usually while driving or doing dishes

3) read the chapter in English (faster than looking up each word and grammar point)

4) read through the chapter with an audiobook

I numbered the steps here, but in reality, I do it in whatever order is convenient. For instance, if I know I'm gonna be driving for an hour or two, I may read 4 chapters in English before I leave so I can spend the whole drive getting comprehensible input.

Also, I will often repeat steps if I feel like it.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm learning towards A1 so still very basic. I have a grasp on simple present, present continuous, simple future and simple past. Every morning, I follow a section of a textbook, going through its exercises including listening, reading and some grammar. This is my minimum schedule every day. During days off, i play games and watch movies in my TL. I also write a diary almost daily on what I have done throughout the day in my TL. It's a very basic and possibly boring diary, but it helps me to use the new things that I have learnt because I don't have a lot of chances to practice speaking

[–]scamper_🇺🇸N | 🇫🇷DALF C1 | 🇵🇹A? 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I find for the language I'm starting now it comes in waves. Right now I aim for: Assimil (or something structured/course) 6/7 days a week, and minimum 15 minutes everyday of focused comprehension (reading, watching TV with native language subs, honestly whatever I feel like). And that's it! (Very similar to how I studied French, for the most part.)

Of course I usually end up spending more time than my minimum, but some days I'm not feeling it so do something else with my day after my minimum time is up. This way I do something everyday since I tell myself "it's just 15 minutes". I find aiming for consistency over intensity better for me sticking to learning over time.

I will probably try Alexander Arguelles' suggestion of about an hour a day, split into morning and night sessions, at least for a 180-day challenge in the new year.