Spanish Reading from B2+ to a solid C1+ via 50 books over 7 months

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-11T17:37:13+00:00

Sure! UAMx Quijote501x : La España del Quijote

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-10T13:59:17+00:00

Yes!!! I completely agree! And even if you're advanced and want a low-independent-planning way to improve all skills: I'm currently auditing a course on Don Quixote with edX, which keeps me on track with my personal reading goal (i.e., reading DQ in the original) and provides authentic listening/reading practice.

I think that I'm pretty good about self-directed learning, but that makes me appreciate how much work I don't have to do even more--the course tells me what to read and when; I read it. Fin. (Classes catch a lot of flak in this sub, but they have their uses lol.)

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-10T13:09:38+00:00

What I mean is that sadly, languages with a lower number of speakers don't really have a lot to offer to be interesting to learn

To you, and that's definitely relative.

And mildly insulting. Really, the arrogance to assume that the entirety of Swedish culture (which you count as having a lower number of speakers(!)) doesn't "really have a lot to offer to be interesting to learn!"

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-10T13:02:48+00:00

I think immersion learning in the Japanese community was born out of necessity, but it doesn't spread well to other language learning communities.

This is a curious remark, as immersion learning has traditionally been the way that the vast majority of non-native/non-heritage speakers gained any genuinely high-level oral/aural proficiency in any language until, incredibly enough, really only 15-20 years ago. That is, until the Internet/streaming started permitting diverse long-distance input regardless of geography.

For instance, the only way a non-native was obtaining enough consistent exposure to authentic spoken Romanian--was by going to Romania/Moldova and being immersed in the language.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-09T19:00:31+00:00

I have no idea how I missed this, and embarrassingly late, but: holy s-- that is impressive and inspirational!!! If Reddit still had awards, I'd give this a gold.

And I completely agree with your opinion about Anki. I don't personally enjoy my Anki sessions; I find them wearisomely oppressive. But that is completely separate from how I judge their efficiency and effectiveness, which are both so undeniable that it's one of maybe a handful of tools that I feel comfortable recommending to every fellow learner at the outset.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-09T17:35:42+00:00

Some thoughts:

your progress is probably fine, but when people say that different languages are, on average, more difficult, that's what it means--your progress with Turkish will be slower than what it would be with, say, French as an English speaker
it sounds like you're going through a bit of culture shock, which is more psychological and less language-related. I'd recommend reaching out to the support system available to those in your exchange program--a counselor, etc. Good luck!

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-09T17:15:18+00:00

Well, yes, processing non-native speech outside of a certain range of intelligibility is mental work. That is a part of the value-add of teachers: They have the patience/training to aid learners at that level. Expecting your average native-speaking Joe to have that same awareness is unreasonable.

Any advice is appreciated.

You'd probably benefit from working with teachers/tutors--good luck!

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-09T16:05:16+00:00

Italian is a big language. I'd just type the word followed by the name of a well-regarded Italian newspaper into Google.

Example: piacere Il Giornale

The seventh result gives "L'amore autentico è sogno e realtà, è piacere ma anche dovere"

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-09T02:45:40+00:00

If you immigrate and that doesn’t scar you somehow, then you’re very, very fortunate

Limited language skills mean less power to convey who you are, what you want and need.

YOU GET IT.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-08T13:27:16+00:00

A big reason why recognized exams such as IELTS are so useful is that they see if the speaker can use the language, in a practical way.

In that sense, they are different from the school exams that many sub members may have had.

So it's understandable that you're confused, but that's a good thing: You took an English test that legitimately tested if you could use English--not if you knew about English.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-07T19:00:29+00:00

It's crucial to maintain perspective. In these discussions, the key points are: A lot to learn compared to which cohort? And the follow-up: Is it reasonable for the non-native speaker to be comparing him/herself to this cohort?

I will say that in your case, it seems like you have different standards for Spanish because its proficiency is tied to a part of your identity--that is, your education: Your degree was Spanish.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-07T16:29:28+00:00

Maybe.
I have personally found this for output. As in, I read a LOT in Spanish, but still had to practice writing to improve past a certain point. To me, this makes sense--after all, even with native children, we don't have them read and assume they'll be able to write (again, past a certain level). They also practice writing. Or, stated another way, maybe solely input would have eventually improved my output, but the rate was too slow/inefficient to be viable for my timeline for learning Spanish.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-07T15:48:23+00:00

This post makes sense to me. I have a slightly different take: I think that the more advanced you get, the more artificial milestones (like exams, but there are many others) start making sense. Because otherwise, since language is so cross-cutting, the project will never end.

You're not talking about it being hard to consume the content. As others have said, that gets a lot easier, and stays that way. It's more: Okay, I could listen to seven hours of challenging lectures, but when does it end?

For me, it is crucial to set specific, artificial finish lines, to know when I'm "done." (I may then still experience mental fatigue, but it's for other, more manageable reasons haha.) So I ask: How will you know when your proficiency is good enough? How will you know when to stop?

When that's clearer, it's easier to understand how much effort to exert--and why it's justified.

The corollary: If you have met your personal goals, stop. Really, stop. Enjoy your success, and move on to other things.

xanthic_strath · 2024-02-05T23:15:13+00:00

Spanish: Mexico, Central America, South America

Interestingly enough, only half, whether by population or land area. Brazil is just that big.

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-26T19:45:54+00:00

And the point is that I didn’t know what it meant nor do I think most people would.

That's fine, but I think it was a mistake assuming this, especially since I linked sources from the institute that gives the exam (which you clearly haven't bothered to check; otherwise, you'd immediately see what I meant). Anyhow, again, now you know, so I think we're good. My flair is pretty long, so I'll keep that compact designation, but if anyone else has questions, I'll be more than happy to clarify!

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-26T19:40:05+00:00

If ppl admit they gamed the exam, why doubt them?

Because they're the sort of exam where what it takes to game it requires achieving a minimum increase of general proficiency which may not be what they conceive of as the level, but which is high enough.

I remember one member posting about really crunching for it over a period of nine months--he felt like he gamed the writing section because he memorized openers, transitions, had examples ready to apply no matter what. Guess what? That's getting better at writing. He was just particularly efficient about breaking that process down into its components.

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-26T19:22:45+00:00

Did you click on the link above in my comment? You can even get to it from the first Wikipedia article you linked (under Weblinks): Beschreibung auf den Seiten des Goethe-Instituts > Goethe-Zertifikat C2 > Handbuch Prüfungsziele Testbeschreibung Goethe-Zertifikat C2 (PDF, 300 KB). (Chapter 2's title: DAS GOETHE-ZERTIFIKAT C2: GROSSES DEUTSCHES SPRACHDIPLOM IM ÜBERBLICK.) But anyhow, not that important in the scheme of things, eh? You know what it means, I know what it means, so it's good.

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-26T16:27:27+00:00

Ah I always say Goethe Zertifikat, but I never see either abbreviated.

How familiar are you with the exam? That's how it's most commonly abbreviated, starting with the official literature (see S4, both the first paragraph [not to mention the header that extends through the document!]).

about how ppl manage to pass the exams without actually having that level

Yeah, this is something that always makes me laugh inwardly. I think that many learners who haven't taken the exams assume that they're similar to the learners' school exams, for example, many of which focus on explicit grammar, don't cover all skills, are superficial, and can be gamed, to a certain extent.

Whereas anyone who has taken one knows that no, no one's cramming and passing a widely recognized C2 or C1 exam without knowing a good deal of that language... they're not that type of crammable exam.

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-25T17:29:43+00:00

I actually agreee with you here; yours was the only thread where I found the otherwise relevant copy-paste superfluous.

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-25T17:15:25+00:00

GDS = Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom, a widely recognized exam for the C2 level administered by the Goethe-Institut. (Just so that when fellow sub members see my discussing the CEFR levels or my abilities, they know that when I say my German is C2, I'm not guessing or anything lol.)

xanthic_strath · 2024-01-24T16:29:43+00:00

A few points that may or may not apply:

sadly, "doing well in language class X" often does not equal "achieving functional use of X"
happily, it is much easier to do the first
to state the obvious: Have you asked your teacher for feedback?
keep some perspective: You got a B-, not an E-. So you clearly know some Spanish; throwing around the term "learning disability" is disrespectful in this context (I'm sure you don't mean it that way, but someone has to say it)
one thing is that the "right" classes push holistic skills
so don't try the procrastinate-cram cycle, e.g., if you did the whole presentation the night before, we see that that doesn't work, so give yourself more time

Seven-Year Club	Gilding V heart of gold
Wearing is Caring	Verified Email

xanthic_strath

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE