Become polylingual

I just got a Russian dictionary and teach yourself book-guess this has been added to the list!

So languages I want to know:

French, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, and Icelandic :)

Advanced: Danish and French

These two are my ‘best’ languages, I have quite a lot of info on them and should really work to improve them both.

Intermediate: Swedish, Norwegian

I was watching the Swedish series Wallander, I’d quite like a basic textbook as I know Danish and have absorbed some Swedish but can’t speak it, same with Norwegian although I’m more interested in Swedish.

Basic: German, Spanish, Italian

I have a German tape set- two in fact which I could use to study, and quite a few text books, general books as my family studies German

Spanish-I just got a novella in Spanish which I’ve already read in English, but think I’ll use the BBC Steps programme which I’ve done before.

Italian- I have a little book of basic phrases and can use the BBC steps programme.

Complete Beginner: Japanese, Russian and Icelandic
Russian I have a teach yourself book, the other two I’m not sure how to approach.

...that a very little is better than nothing at all. I am interested in this, after all, and I have some other background motivation. So have been trying to get in a bit of reading here and there, taking note of whatever vocabulary I am exposed to in whatever language in a rough notebook, takint notes from translations, and just chipping away a word at a time. There’s no reason why I can’t make gradual progress with this goal.

Also, B and I are talking French a bit more, not every day but a few times a week – speaking with another non-native definitely takes the pressure off! And I am getting him to text me a few Mandinka phrases every day which is working better than trying to find time to sit down together so he can teach me.

So I’m going to practice my written Thai now, that I’ve been reminded to do it (as it is on my goal list).

I’ll practice the writing part of it.

I can feel my Thai improving daily as I concentrate on this one language at a time. I’m coming to recognise things more, and I am quiteI know that when I have finished learning the alphabet, and the basics of it’s grammatical structure, then I will feel more able to continue with other languages. I already speak German rather well, so I think I’ll do that, because it’s something I know already, or I could do French, as I’m au fait with that – but until then, Thai gets my concentration. I’m doing this because I also have to study English Literature and Language, and I’m sitting exams for those subjects in January and May.

I will concentrate on two languages only, as doing a lot at once only confuses me and my puny brain.

I can speak Thai fluently almost, but there is the matter of writing it that concerns me. When I am proficient enough to read books and understand most things, then I’ll move onto another language.

However, I do not want to abandon my dreams of being polylingual. I’ll concentrate on my German, and I’ll find a way to get a qualification for it in Germany.

Whilst I iron, I’m going to listen to my Finnish tape. I have a great program to learn Finnish with, but the only problem is that it is incompatible with Vista, so I have to use a crappy computer that I don’t really like. There is another lap top that I have, but it needs a new battery, and I don’t have the money for it at the moment.

Afterwards, I should work on my Thai writing. I am getting along with it pretty well, and when I am good enough to read basic childrens books, I’ll go to lessons and I will read difficult books with them.

I need a better Thai dictionary which is completely devoted to Thai-English, instead of the one that I have at the moment. There are so many books that I want to get, and I know that I should be saving money! I should work through what I have now, and resolve not to spend anymore money on books.

In the morning, whilst doing my housework, I practiced my Norweigan and Japanese.

I hope to do this sort of thing every morning. I’ll be enriching my mind while I actually do housework.

I’ve been practicing my Thai language (the writing and the reading, which is coming along slowly but surely), and I’m going to work on my Latin in a bit. I didn’t get any ink for my computer, so I’ll have to do things from the screen.

On another note, I got the English dictionary today, and I’m going to be doing the work off the computer. It is a shame that I am cordened off from everyone else, because I would like to practice around my friends, but they distract me anyhow.

I practiced several languages today. I spoke a lot of Thai this morning while I was at church. Also, I practiced my Polish, Danish, French anD I would have done Spanish, but I was awfully tired by the time I got through all of those. I enjoy listening to them around the house.

I should try harder and devote more time to this goal. I’d like a qualification to show my Thai skills. I want to get several qualifications, in my German also.

I have no idea what else I am meant to do with my life, but I have to do something. I want to have a future with sprinklings of the past; the past that I enjoy.

I went to Tuscany for a week about a month ago, and I had a great time. Although I know my Italin wasn’t fantastic, i think that I did a good job.

I spoke the best Italian out of my close group of friends. The only person that spoke it better than me was someone who specialises in Spanish, and he speaks many European languages reasonably well. He’s also a pig and wouldn’t let me speak anything because he loves to show off, so I didn’t really learn anything. At least I know that I speak better Thai than he does,but I know that my age, my ability, and etc. make me more of a linguist than he is. He’s in his late 60s, so he’s bound to know more than I am, but at least I’m young enough to be young and mistaken for an Italian. It was worth the study.

I have to concentrate on my written Thai, and I should work on my spoken Thai colloquialisms.