Resolution Update 2015/2016
Jan. 5th, 2016 12:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebTime to end the suspense. (What? There was no suspense? Yeah, I noticed that.)
Last Year
Last year I apparently resolved to learn some Spanish, tutor math, and declutter 52 spaces.
Learn Spanish - Done. I took Spanish II and III, did a lot of reviewing in a similar book, did a fair amount of DuoLingo, and read 12 children's books written in or translated into Spanish. I also learned where all the major Spanish-speaking countries are and, for a little while, their capitals, presidents, and two of their major (legal) exports.
Tutor math - Nope. I half-heartedly researched ways to do that and decided I didn't yet want the responsibility.
I wasn't completely self-centered, though. I did donate blood three times. And I donated the sick leave I had acquired though my career (about three months worth, I believe). (People with major problems who go through all their vacation and sick leave can apply to use this donated stuff. When you're working, you can donate a maximum of 24 hours = 3 days per year. But when you leave you can donate all the rest.) And I contributed to charitable groups and signed a lot of petitions.
Declutter - Ha. I decluttered nine spaces but mostly forgot about it or didn't feel like it.
What I mainly did was learn Spanish, play video games, and read. I'll write more about my idea to consume media from all the countries (but not all in one year) next.
Next Year
I have a few ideas on things to do next year like more decluttering, more exercise, and trying some sort of five-a-day (fruits and vegetables) challenge. But there's nothing I'm willing to commit to at this time beyond taking Spanish IV. I don't even want to say that I want to really learn Spanish. (Because waaah. It's haaard.) But here's what I feel quite confident that I'm going to do:
a) Follow along in Spanish IV with my Spanish III classmates who are taking the course in the spring. All the people in my Spanish III study group have said they want to stay in the study group. Four of the people have signed up for three different classes in the spring and are excited to share cool things their teacher tells them. One is right now visiting her boyfriend in Argentina for a couple of months. And Robin and I will take it in the summer as a study-abroad class if it makes.
So I will follow along, doing all the exercises in the book, making flashcards, researching additional resources, sharing my notes on vocabulary and good resources I find, and getting e-mails from my former classmates about cool things they're learning.
b) Take Spanish IV in the summer if the study-abroad class makes. If it doesn't make, no worries, I'll have given myself the home version of the class.
Other ideas I like include:
1) Review the rest of the chapters in the other textbook I found that's like mine.
2) Do (or re-do) all of the cultural and listening exercises in my online text.
3) Finish DuoLingo for Spanish.
4) Keep reviewing my old flashcards.
5) Keep reading other Spanish, like more children's books and the Spanish weekly newspaper I like.
6) Listen to La Vida Loca again.
Unfortunately, I'm starting to realize that although I'm getting to where I know a few things, I am not fast. I cannot listen well and I cannot talk without fumbling all over the place--I'm much more comfortable reading and writing. So I may try to address that as well, though it sounds utterly un-fun.
Last Year
Last year I apparently resolved to learn some Spanish, tutor math, and declutter 52 spaces.
Learn Spanish - Done. I took Spanish II and III, did a lot of reviewing in a similar book, did a fair amount of DuoLingo, and read 12 children's books written in or translated into Spanish. I also learned where all the major Spanish-speaking countries are and, for a little while, their capitals, presidents, and two of their major (legal) exports.
Tutor math - Nope. I half-heartedly researched ways to do that and decided I didn't yet want the responsibility.
I wasn't completely self-centered, though. I did donate blood three times. And I donated the sick leave I had acquired though my career (about three months worth, I believe). (People with major problems who go through all their vacation and sick leave can apply to use this donated stuff. When you're working, you can donate a maximum of 24 hours = 3 days per year. But when you leave you can donate all the rest.) And I contributed to charitable groups and signed a lot of petitions.
Declutter - Ha. I decluttered nine spaces but mostly forgot about it or didn't feel like it.
- 1-travel shower supplies (1/1)
- 2-headboard (2/13)
- 3-dining room dresser/gift wrap stuff (2/28)
- 4-spice rack (3/10)
- 5-sock drawers
- 6-flash cards (~5/15)
- 7-purse (June)
- 8-office shelves
- 9-light bulb box (10/8-9)
What I mainly did was learn Spanish, play video games, and read. I'll write more about my idea to consume media from all the countries (but not all in one year) next.
Next Year
I have a few ideas on things to do next year like more decluttering, more exercise, and trying some sort of five-a-day (fruits and vegetables) challenge. But there's nothing I'm willing to commit to at this time beyond taking Spanish IV. I don't even want to say that I want to really learn Spanish. (Because waaah. It's haaard.) But here's what I feel quite confident that I'm going to do:
a) Follow along in Spanish IV with my Spanish III classmates who are taking the course in the spring. All the people in my Spanish III study group have said they want to stay in the study group. Four of the people have signed up for three different classes in the spring and are excited to share cool things their teacher tells them. One is right now visiting her boyfriend in Argentina for a couple of months. And Robin and I will take it in the summer as a study-abroad class if it makes.
So I will follow along, doing all the exercises in the book, making flashcards, researching additional resources, sharing my notes on vocabulary and good resources I find, and getting e-mails from my former classmates about cool things they're learning.
b) Take Spanish IV in the summer if the study-abroad class makes. If it doesn't make, no worries, I'll have given myself the home version of the class.
Other ideas I like include:
1) Review the rest of the chapters in the other textbook I found that's like mine.
2) Do (or re-do) all of the cultural and listening exercises in my online text.
3) Finish DuoLingo for Spanish.
4) Keep reviewing my old flashcards.
5) Keep reading other Spanish, like more children's books and the Spanish weekly newspaper I like.
6) Listen to La Vida Loca again.
Unfortunately, I'm starting to realize that although I'm getting to where I know a few things, I am not fast. I cannot listen well and I cannot talk without fumbling all over the place--I'm much more comfortable reading and writing. So I may try to address that as well, though it sounds utterly un-fun.
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no subject
on 2016-01-05 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2016-01-05 08:47 pm (UTC)There are also some meet-ups I could try. The library one didn't work out, but there are more.
no subject
on 2016-01-06 04:16 am (UTC)I'm not exactly sure where you are level-wise since I haven't had any formal Spanish since high school and all the stuff CatMan and I did was pretty much self taught, but we really enjoyed reading the Harry Potter books in Spanish. The hardest part was all of the made-up words. Seriously, I think we looked in 7 or 8 dictionaries trying to find the word "desnomizar" only to find out later that it meant to "de-gnome" as in to remove the gnomes that had infested the garden!
I also really enjoyed a few of the telenovelas. The one that I'm still totally in love with is Corazon Salvaje (the 1993 version.) It's set in turn of the century Mexico and something about the accent that was used, and the fact that a good chunk of the characters were "proper folk" (meaning they used less slang and generally spoke clearly) made it much easier for me to understand than most of the stuff on TV. Anyhow, all of the episodes are up on YouTube... at least they were a year or two ago... I don't dare check lest I get sucked in again! Anyhow, Eduardo Palomo isn't bad either! :-)
no subject
on 2016-01-06 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
on 2016-01-08 02:08 am (UTC)Meanwhile, I am adding your recommendations to my list. Thanks!
no subject
on 2016-01-08 02:10 am (UTC)no subject
on 2016-01-08 08:08 am (UTC)But... aside from the stories, what was really nice about reading the Harry Potter books was that they seemed to start out easier and get progressively more difficult with each book in the series. I think they were meant for kids to read them as they grow up? Maybe? Anyhow, you might look for some sort of series like that where the vocabulary would be similar from one book to the next, but progressively more difficult.
:-) Cat
no subject
on 2016-01-09 04:44 am (UTC)Same with Tolkien. I feel like maybe I should have tried those when I was a kid.
Interesting how the Potter books got more difficult as you progress through the series. Makes sense. Though I wonder how many kids can wait a year (or however long) between books now that they're all actually published!