Oh, how lack of urgency affects the intensity of my studies! Not faced with any impending doom (such as a test of my knowledge of Italian language for example), I'm almost back to my lackadaisical attitude to language learning: I look at some stuff in Italian, and I listen, and I even bother to repeat. But the fear necessary for peak performance just isn't there! I even went as far as to order from the library something called Relax and learn. Italian: a laid-back approach to language learning. After reading several books about learning a foreign language, not to mention Benny, telling me very specifically that it's not a very relaxed kind of activity. It's not even supposed to be!
Losing focus there a bit. I would like to avoid another plateau without having to sign up for another test in December, especially that I still don't know how I did at the last one! Definitely gotta step on it. I will produce a detailed plan soon. I have to do some research and investigate the issue first.
Showing posts with label real life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real life. Show all posts
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
The Beauty of Standardized Testing in Italian Context
For the last few months I'd been inflicting a curious experiment on myself. Annoyed at the lack of results in my to-date language learning - tangible results, not just pride and satisfaction - I decided to put myself to the test. It was an actual test in fact. I decided to attempt a CILS exam, which is a standardized test given to foreigners studying Italian. I passed something similar years ago in German (Goethe Institute) and in English (TOEFL), when I needed to prove to the friendly and oh-so-welcoming Canadians that despite a foreign Master's degree, I will be able to benefit from their higher education also.
I've been questioning the validity of such tests ever since - if only because German leaked out of my life almost to nothing despite the piece of paper saying I know 99,7% of it (that makes me wonder what level that was since I got such score...), and English took 2 more years to really seep into it after I got another quite high result in the interestingly speechless TOEFL.
My attempt at CILS level B1 (level which I self-established of course) was done after almost no outside instruction and about 5 months of self-instruction. Aside from the doubtful pleasure and usefulness of a conversation class I mentioned here at some point, I received no instruction of a classroom character. I did benefit from various materials provided by Ewcia, but I have yet to say a word in Italian to that patient woman. Who, by the way, is not insisting and allows me to do things as slowly and as "cagingly" as I please.
Preparing for it was easy enough - I just decided to finally put to use all those countless textbooks, grammar books, language courses on CDs and in MP3 format, and thematic dictionaries that have been weighing down my bookshelves so much over the years that recently I had to move them to the bottom. I have to say that I actually used most of the stuff I accumulated over the years.
Pimsleur Complete Italian course was my main source of audio/speaking exercises. I started at level IIA, went on to IIB, IIIA and finally almost finished IIIB right before the exam. For grammar the best source I found was Italian Grammar Drills by Paola Nanni-Tate. The explanations were most consistent and the abundance of exercises really gave me not just the illusion of, but real confidence this time. Interestingly, I found the Italian Verb Drills by the same author quite useless - the type of exercises there taught me the verbs I wanted to learn but mostly out of context. I was still at a loss trying to use them in a sentence. I also used Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar by professor Marcel Danesi but among other things, I found its treatment of prepositions lacking in many ways. I decided that even a phrasebook isn't stooping too low, so I went with the Lonely Planet Italian phrasebook that gave me a nice smattering of phrases that were quite useful and again gave me the feeling that I was learning something that can actually be used in real life. Michel Thomas Italian audio course played a big part too - especially at the crucial moment when I was making up my mind whether I will ever actually say one word in that language. Michel Thomas gave me the courage.
It will take 3 months before I know if I passed the test. I think I may have - if listening comprehension didn't kill me. Most importantly though, as part of the test, I spoke to a person in Italian! It was my first time. I can imagine less stressful first attempts at speaking but somehow the planets did not align and I didn't manage it before the test.
Now the plan is to take it easy and keep plowing along. It's just that now instead of trying to learn everything at once, if only just a little, I will do it methodically and systematically and with slow delight. I gave myself a few days off but it's time to get back on that horse.
Especially since soon I'm adding German to the mix... At least with German there will be no fear of confusing the two, will there?
I've been questioning the validity of such tests ever since - if only because German leaked out of my life almost to nothing despite the piece of paper saying I know 99,7% of it (that makes me wonder what level that was since I got such score...), and English took 2 more years to really seep into it after I got another quite high result in the interestingly speechless TOEFL.
My attempt at CILS level B1 (level which I self-established of course) was done after almost no outside instruction and about 5 months of self-instruction. Aside from the doubtful pleasure and usefulness of a conversation class I mentioned here at some point, I received no instruction of a classroom character. I did benefit from various materials provided by Ewcia, but I have yet to say a word in Italian to that patient woman. Who, by the way, is not insisting and allows me to do things as slowly and as "cagingly" as I please.
Preparing for it was easy enough - I just decided to finally put to use all those countless textbooks, grammar books, language courses on CDs and in MP3 format, and thematic dictionaries that have been weighing down my bookshelves so much over the years that recently I had to move them to the bottom. I have to say that I actually used most of the stuff I accumulated over the years.
Pimsleur Complete Italian course was my main source of audio/speaking exercises. I started at level IIA, went on to IIB, IIIA and finally almost finished IIIB right before the exam. For grammar the best source I found was Italian Grammar Drills by Paola Nanni-Tate. The explanations were most consistent and the abundance of exercises really gave me not just the illusion of, but real confidence this time. Interestingly, I found the Italian Verb Drills by the same author quite useless - the type of exercises there taught me the verbs I wanted to learn but mostly out of context. I was still at a loss trying to use them in a sentence. I also used Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Italian Grammar by professor Marcel Danesi but among other things, I found its treatment of prepositions lacking in many ways. I decided that even a phrasebook isn't stooping too low, so I went with the Lonely Planet Italian phrasebook that gave me a nice smattering of phrases that were quite useful and again gave me the feeling that I was learning something that can actually be used in real life. Michel Thomas Italian audio course played a big part too - especially at the crucial moment when I was making up my mind whether I will ever actually say one word in that language. Michel Thomas gave me the courage.
It will take 3 months before I know if I passed the test. I think I may have - if listening comprehension didn't kill me. Most importantly though, as part of the test, I spoke to a person in Italian! It was my first time. I can imagine less stressful first attempts at speaking but somehow the planets did not align and I didn't manage it before the test.
Now the plan is to take it easy and keep plowing along. It's just that now instead of trying to learn everything at once, if only just a little, I will do it methodically and systematically and with slow delight. I gave myself a few days off but it's time to get back on that horse.
Especially since soon I'm adding German to the mix... At least with German there will be no fear of confusing the two, will there?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Monday, September 21, 2009
Will speak Italian
Yes. I will! Next Monday. I managed to register for that course that I gave up on.
Am between excitement and apprehension - eccitazione, agitazione e apprensione, timore, inquietudine. What if I suck? What if I can't say a word? I'm probably going to end up memorizing whole speeches and than pretending I'm improvising... It worked in English after all... Will report how it went.
Am between excitement and apprehension - eccitazione, agitazione e apprensione, timore, inquietudine. What if I suck? What if I can't say a word? I'm probably going to end up memorizing whole speeches and than pretending I'm improvising... It worked in English after all... Will report how it went.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Delusa
Really. Today I found out that it's one day too late to register for the Italian conversation course that I wanted to take. I thought that would be the making of me -- a chance to air out my Italian, let it breathe. No chance of that. I will try calling on Monday and still getting in but I don't have much hope. People do like their deadlines in this country...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Una malattia
I was sick today. Actually, I’ve been sick for a some days but as usual, when I stay home, the necessity of doing something productive overcomes me – I start cleaning, doing the laundry and I often try several intellectual undertakings at a time. Often I don’t finish but it’s the impulse that counts. I’ve been living my life that way for some time now...
I researched my medical predicament – of course it’s raffreddore, possibly a slight influenza, probably not of the swine kind. But I do have some words that I would like to remember.
So what’s wrong with me? These all apply to my situation.
il raffreddore – cold
l’infezione
i batteri – bacteria
il disturbo, il malanno – ailment
l’influenza
il male di gola – sore throat
la tosse – cough
non sentirsi bene
sentirsi poco bene
il sintomo – symptom
il virus
prendere, prendersi – to catch
starnutire – to sneeze
tossire – to cough
batterico – bacterial
virale – viral
ammalarsi – to become ill
il medicinale senza ricetta
la pastiglia, la pillola – pill
On the other hand, it could all be psychosomatic - È una malattia psicosomatica.
Either way, feels real enough. Let’s have some more words. People and institutions first:
la cura – care
l’epidemia
il/la farmacista
la farmacia
il medico/il dottore
il medico di base/della mutua – primary care physician
la mutua – health care coverage
il malato – sick person
il/la paziente
la sanità – health care
l’ambulatorio – walk-in clilnic
la clinica
l’ospedale
Things they help you with and do to you:
la febbre – fever
la malattia – illness
il vaccino
l’allergia
il dolore, il male (a) – pain
la diagnosi – diagnosis
il farmaco, il medicinale, la medicina – drug, medication
la ricetta, la prescrizione (medica) – prescription
il test, l’esame – test
la visita – doctor’s visit, examination
la polmonite – pneumonia
Some more verbs:
avere male a – to feel pain in
avere male di/a – to have a ...ache
far male (a); farsi male (a) – to hurt; to injure oneself
soffrire di – to suffer from
curare – to treat
guarire – to recover
And adjectives:
cronico – chronic
dolorose – painful
grave – serious
psicosomatico – psychosomatic
sano, in salute – healthy
Some sentences:
La bambina di mia sorella, Lucia, sta male. Ha raffreddore e febbre, e ha sempre sonno.
Mia madre va da un medico privato.
Dal medico della mutua c’è sempre la coda.
Sono dal dottore. Vado dal dottore.
Devi prendere dieci pillole al giorno?
Mio figlio si ammala tutti i momenti.
I researched my medical predicament – of course it’s raffreddore, possibly a slight influenza, probably not of the swine kind. But I do have some words that I would like to remember.
So what’s wrong with me? These all apply to my situation.
il raffreddore – cold
l’infezione
i batteri – bacteria
il disturbo, il malanno – ailment
l’influenza
il male di gola – sore throat
la tosse – cough
non sentirsi bene
sentirsi poco bene
il sintomo – symptom
il virus
prendere, prendersi – to catch
starnutire – to sneeze
tossire – to cough
batterico – bacterial
virale – viral
ammalarsi – to become ill
il medicinale senza ricetta
la pastiglia, la pillola – pill
On the other hand, it could all be psychosomatic - È una malattia psicosomatica.
Either way, feels real enough. Let’s have some more words. People and institutions first:
la cura – care
l’epidemia
il/la farmacista
la farmacia
il medico/il dottore
il medico di base/della mutua – primary care physician
la mutua – health care coverage
il malato – sick person
il/la paziente
la sanità – health care
l’ambulatorio – walk-in clilnic
la clinica
l’ospedale
Things they help you with and do to you:
la febbre – fever
la malattia – illness
il vaccino
l’allergia
il dolore, il male (a) – pain
la diagnosi – diagnosis
il farmaco, il medicinale, la medicina – drug, medication
la ricetta, la prescrizione (medica) – prescription
il test, l’esame – test
la visita – doctor’s visit, examination
la polmonite – pneumonia
Some more verbs:
avere male a – to feel pain in
avere male di/a – to have a ...ache
far male (a); farsi male (a) – to hurt; to injure oneself
soffrire di – to suffer from
curare – to treat
guarire – to recover
And adjectives:
cronico – chronic
dolorose – painful
grave – serious
psicosomatico – psychosomatic
sano, in salute – healthy
Some sentences:
La bambina di mia sorella, Lucia, sta male. Ha raffreddore e febbre, e ha sempre sonno.
Mia madre va da un medico privato.
Dal medico della mutua c’è sempre la coda.
Sono dal dottore. Vado dal dottore.
Devi prendere dieci pillole al giorno?
Mio figlio si ammala tutti i momenti.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Stupidità/Stupidaggine
Today I was subjected to stupidity and incompetence. Annoyed me to no end. And now I'm going to turn it into an educational experience, since I can't sleep anyway.
stupidamente - stupidly
l'incompetenza, l'incapacità - incompetence
duro di comprendonio, ottuso - slow-witted
ritardato, dificiente - retarded
l'incapace, l'imbranato - wimp
fare infuriare, rendere furioso - infuriate
esasperante, che fa infuriare - infuriating
There!
Friday, August 14, 2009
The rude
Today I was attacked by the rude. The rude didn't speak Italian. It spoke English with pretty strong and much more annoying, because it was coming from the rude, French accent. The rude inspires me, though. I'm going to turn this into an educational experience. Let's see then...
Let's start with some adjectives:
odioso, disgustoso, ripugnante - obnoxious
meschino - mean, unkind
maleducato, sgarbato, scortese (con) - rude (to)
calvo, pelato - bald
an adverb:
sgarbatamente, bruscamente - rudely
and now some nouns:
mostro - freak
deficiente - moron
idiota, stupido, fesso - twerp
psicopatico - psycho
semplicione - simpleton
Let's put it to bed then. The rude man will be forever tortured after a well aimed curse (maledizione; scagliare una maledizione contro ...), if he isn't already. And I will learn Italian.
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