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12 entries this month
17:48 Nov 27 2019
Times Read: 661
Duolingo is a free language learning program and app. You can use it on your computer, iOS device or Android. There are currently 35 different languages to choose from for English speakers.
It’s set up like a game with achievements, leagues, and levels to keep you motivated. There is also “streak” to keep up. I’m currently on an 87 day streak- that many uninterrupted days of lessons (yesterday alone I completed over 130 lessons!). It may sound impressive, but there are people who’ve already gathered several years straight with their streaks. With the leagues, there are Bronze, Silver, and Gold positions for XP gatherers to keep you eyeing and vying for those spots during the week. All this is a good recipe for keeping people going if you come into it with a couple things: a *real* passion/desire to learn a language, and a drive for gaming competition. You need to have the kind of response that pushes you to be number one. That is... if you’re using it this way. You can always slow-roll it and pay no attention to the leagues, levels, and achievements. But if you do pay attention- the incredible bonus is that you LEARN more and fast.
All that being said- people learn differently. Some methods don’t work for everyone. Most people give up in short time. But there is definitely a strong number of people who are in this program near fanatically and have completed dozens of languages already. And seriously- I can’t think of a better thing to be fanatic about than learning and retaining knowledge.
It’s not the only or even best way to learn (depending on your preferred learning style)- but it works for a lot of people. No program is going to make you fluent by itself. But you can get an incredible foundation with Duolingo, couple that with a word frequency book to pick up the most common vocabulary and you can then head out into the community of whatever specific language it is and communicate pretty effectively. Join and add me as a friend (marinesaxon). I get no bonus or money from this LOL… It’s just helpful to have friends watch you advance as you watch them do the same.
05:00 Nov 25 2019
Times Read: 721
I was going to post an entry complaining about something, but decided to backspace over it all... good for me!
Worked a lot on Duolingo today, and adjusted my goals.
I am feeling really great about how I spend my free time. I think about how I am sitting here busting my ass studying things on my own- and how people ask what I do during the day and look at me crazy if I tell them how many hours I study a language or how many miles I walk (been slacking on the walking the last couple weeks though). Still... I wonder why these things are weird? Shouldn't it be a good thing to do and be better? Not only should, but *IS*. I just want to take advantage of this life. What a waste if not!
Anyone here use Duolingo? Not sure how many bites I'll get on this one.
PRIVATE ENTRY
18:47 Nov 24 2019
Times Read: 725
• • • • PRIVATE JOURNAL ENTRY • • • •
21:55 Nov 23 2019
Times Read: 757
12 days since I have made a journal entry... wow. I'm still logging in everyday, just so you know. Just keeping busy with the studying and all.
15:31 Nov 11 2019
Times Read: 822
At this rate, I'll be finished with Latin this week. To finish an entire language program in Duolingo is a feat. I mean, anyone *can* do it, but most people start then fade away from it. The majority simply quit, and it has nothing to do with Duolingo being boring- people are just always falling away from language learning when it starts to get more challenging.
What's helpful with Duolingo, is the game aspect. If you watch yourself climb the leaderboards and get achievements- you are driven to keep doing more (depending on who you are and how you respond to those kinds of things). I have literally been spending hours each day studying Latin. I am not only doing well with this "game", I am understanding English so much better. I knew a lot before in regards to where we've gotten certain words, but it's far more expansive.
So. This is really rewarding for me and I am having a great time with it. I have subscribed to many podcasts I can listen to while walking in the languages I am tackling. And yes, even found them in Latin ;)
Daily bullets:
Walking
Cartomancy
Languages
02:58 Nov 08 2019
Times Read: 864
In my perfect world, I would fluently speak many languages (at least 5). When you get to speaking 5 languages fluently, you are widely accepted as a polyglot. It's my ultimate dream. And yes, at 46 years old! I have so many bits and pieces of languages dedicated to memory without fully learning another one, it's ridiculous. And that's why I just *have* to go after it hard now. It isn't going to cost me a dime to learn these languages. I don't have to leave my house, even. I have so many resources at my fingertips, then avenues to practice them with others to retain.
This is part of the reason why I fell back into Tarot. It's very much like learning a language. It's definitely easier to learn Tarot, but I find there is just so much in common with both learning cards and learning languages.
Currently, I know more Spanish than any other language beyond English. I have had a high level of comprehension since I was a kid. I can listen to conversations and understand nearly all of it. So... I am working on a couple others before I hit the Spanish in Duolingo (I have other programs as well). Here's my order of study:
Latin
Esperanto
Spanish
Catalan
I have different reasons for wanting to speak each of them- but they are all important to me. Beyond those I would choose French, German, and Japanese. I know a bit of those as well. My list is actually far larger, but this is already making me sound pretty crazy I am sure.
Do I actually plan to accomplish this goal? I really fucking do. Let's see where I am at for my 47th birthday ;)
18:56 Nov 07 2019
Times Read: 885
Going to Florida for the week of New Year's to visit my father-in-law and all the people in my husband's family we get along with, heh. My husband's parents have been divorced since he was a little kid- and he grew up with his dad, not his mom. So it's a different scene when we visit his Dad and hometown of Miami. Much better, less stress. When we get back to New Orleans, it'll be the weekend of Comic Con, and we will get in free either due to my niece and her fiancé's connections, or the free tickets Wizard World has been giving my husband's command the last couple years (due to my niece's suggestion).
I want to put this out there- I am never not appreciative of all the benefits we seem to get with free events living here and knowing people and/or being involved in organizations that are recognized in such a way that we are afforded these opportunities. We couldn't be shelling the money out for it- and it's a definite decompression from all the anxieties of life. All those things, and friends who have just felt the need to do nice things... I try to keep my focus on stuff like that when depression hits. All is well right now, just sayin'.
20:50 Nov 06 2019
Times Read: 925
Ok, whatever... I'll spill what I have been up to- because I doubt I will shatter my goals at this point as I am on a 66 day streak without wavering. I have been working on my Esperanto skills with Duolingo, and I wanted to reward myself with getting the novels Alice in Wonderland and The Hobbit in Esperanto if I finished the program by my birthday- but I have been slow-rolling it. I should have done far more each day. I have only done one lesson a day- and starting yesterday, I began the Latin course. I did 20 lessons in Latin yesterday and 20 lessons in Latin today- still doing the 1 lesson per day in Esperanto. My goal at this point is to remain at least as active as I have been with Esperanto- but continue the mad pace with Latin because I am just loving it.
***
Because people always ask, Esperanto is a constructed language that was created in the late 1800s by a man who's goal was to have a universal language- one that everyone put the same effort in to learn so as no one would have any upper ground (if English were to be the universal language, all native speakers put out zero energy and everyone else has to come to them with the work). And in knowing all who spoke it gave that same effort and interest, what a wonderful exchange it would be- all those people would be using it with the very same passion and "give a damn"- no one lazily telling a group to learn or not be a part of the discussion. There are a million or less speakers in the world- but they come from all over the globe. In learning one language, you could converse with people from anywhere. Today- it's really a niche thing among the nerdier of realms. It is/was a language spoken by J.R.R. Tolkien, Ho Chi Minh, Leo Tolstoy, Pope John Paul II, and William Shatner to speak of a few. Esperanto is influenced by many different languages- and if you study it, you'll find Spanish, Italian, French German, and more heavily based throughout. I started working on it a couple years ago- but I am back in the game and pretty motivated to take it to the finish line.
18:15 Nov 05 2019
Times Read: 970
Tomorrow will mark my 14th anniversary (the new Bat has already been updated) of joining Vampire Rave. I have never taken a vacation from this site. Never made a close friend I don't still have (unless they have passed away). In the first months I made a few connections that were squashed- but close friends we were not. Anyhow, this place has ebbs and flows, but will always be my favorite online haunt as long as it exists. I know things will come back around. More people will join, more people will decide to use our main forum, and more people will decide to stop interacting with those who don't bring this place anything positive.
04:10 Nov 05 2019
Times Read: 992
I never said what I was working on for my birthday- the projects that were “just for me” self-improvement stuff. Well, even though I worked on them (one of them daily, the other on and off)- I didn’t complete either. And so, I didn’t reward myself with the books I wanted to get myself for having done so. I’m still going to keep the project to myself, because whenever I start talking about something it never works out the way I want it to. So I’ll just keep at it, and then reveal it when I’m done :)
I’ve been so unbelievably tired since our company left. I’m overly so. I’ve been getting plenty of sleep, but it feels like I am not. I might start doubling up on my coffee so I can do all the things I want to do.
15:35 Nov 02 2019
Times Read: 1,031
Lasagna is in the oven! 3 cheeses, 2 homemade sauces (marinara and Alfredo), and Italian sausage in this. My own is my favorite ;)
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My son is doing some air assault training today- can't wait to hear how it went. It's possible he goes to Australia this summer... man, I hope he gets that opportunity.
03:40 Nov 02 2019
Times Read: 1,050
My son is staying home for the weekend so we can take him to drill on Saturday and a Sunday. We spent the evening watching a movie. Today was my husband and I’s 22nd wedding anniversary (no one is more shocked than we are, lol). Tomorrow I’ll make lasagna with homemade sauce.
And yes... we are SO happy that the company is gone. We can relax again. Didn’t have my Tarot cards out once. Not that she would have freaked out- but, I’m not not even going to test those waters.
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