The 2012 Aims and Objectives Progress Thread

[rmpalpha]

I can't believe it's already 2012! All I pretty much did in 2011 related to Chinese was almost finish NPCR 3 (I'm on lesson 38 now), and have several awkward conversations with non-English speaking Chinese online. I just ordered NPCR 4, so I think that will be my main goal next year to get through (with the aid of Skritter in helping my retention of vocabulary).

(1) Finish NPCR 3 by getting through Lesson 38, and get through NPCR 4 (through Lesson 50).

(2) Go to Taiwan to study Chinese in January and possibly in the summer as well.

(3) Try to chat with my Chinese friends in Chinese more often - this will be hard because I have no real conversational skills in Chinese yet. I'm at the point where I know a bunch of words, but I still don't have the grammar to say things that seem basic to me (in English anyway).

(4) Read some written Chinese that isn't in a textbook (this could be Chinese Breeze, or one of the other readers I have). My Chinese isn't advanced enough to try to read newspapers yet.

[amandagmu]

My goals from 2011 and the results/goals for 2012:

"Not necessarily in this order:

1. Do dissertation research, gather enough to write something...

2. Not go insane while completing number 1.

3. Sleep and continue to run, maintain current fitness level despite living in Beijing and just forget about getting back to what it was 3 months ago before the marathon. "

1. Well, I think this is mostly done after spending the year in Beijing. I definitely have a lot of documents and lots of ideas, the question is whether or not a) I have enough and b) I can write something decent. Goal for 2012: Outline dissertation and decide if I need a trip back to China for more archival research - if so, plan a summer trip to Shanghai. But most importantly, spend a significant amount of time on dissertation arguments and theory.

Add to this: spend at least 7 hours per week (1 hour per day) reading sources I brought back from China **carefully**, just as if I was back in the archive and taking notes again.

2. Not going insane while doing number 1. Less likely since I am now back home with the husband, who takes care of me (thank god I married a Spanish chef), and with lots of green forests to run in. :-) Also, since I am living in Berlin, Ich muss auch Deutsch lernen... Jetzt habe ich schon 7 wochen gelernt. Aside from cases, it's easy compared to 中文... Love the class excursions in/around town, not to mention the Bier trinken, Weihnachtsmarkt, and Glühwein drinking parties. Sort of different "classroom" experience from the ones in China and Taiwan. Me gusta mucho.

3. More sleep -- uh, I did sleep more in 2011 than 2010 (no PhD qualifying exams) but Beijing seriously stressed me out. My goal in 2012 is to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep EVERY night, and begin to work myself back into the running/exercise schedule I had in California: I will complete at least one triathlon this summer and one marathon in the fall.

Other goals for 2012:

4. Keep up with my Chinese friends in Berlin more regularly, such as coffee/ lunch once per week and weekend excursions. This really helps with the spoken.

5. Improve my reading beyond that of just my field of knowledge and news/newspapers, including increasing my vocabulary recognition. I've recently purchased a parallel stories book with 鲁迅, 胡适, and other early 20th century authors. I find it fairly easy to pick up and read history books, figure out new vocabulary in news I read online, and even (most of the time) understand academic papers related to my topic and field. Nevertheless, I feel like a total dunce when it comes to reading stories and fiction in Chinese. I stink with 成语 and "reading between the lines". On top of this, I realized recently (namely, when I took the advanced level HSK in October) that I couldn't read fast when I read things outside my topic or field. This is quite problematic and embarrassing -- I can read, write, and speak about topics like 中苏分裂, 外交关系 among 兄弟国家 in the 1950s-60s, and even hold a debate about the relationship between the 不结盟运动 and the 亚非会议 of the 1960s. And yet if you give me almost any fiction book, or a news article about the latest in cell phone technology or software, I'd probably give up in the first paragraph.

So goal for 2012: improve overall reading. I just downloaded ANKI and have been going through some of the advanced sets. Maybe this will help with obscure vocabulary recognition?

6. Make solid contacts and attend conferences in Europe in my field, and form networks with people near where I live so that I can find a job nearby - part-time for now and/or full-time in the future. Would love to have my husband's cushy Miterarbeiter position.

[xuexiansheng]

I usually lurk around Chinese Forums, but I'll throw my goals out there this year! This is going to be a big 'China year' for me. I've got a vacation for 3-4 weeks in March, where I'll want to take a cruise down 长江 and visiting a few schools that I'd like to apply to for the CSC Scholarships. I'm thinking (济南， 郑州， 武汉， 长沙. But I'll be soliciting advice for those schools in other posts....) After I get back from the big vacation/school visiting, I've got to decide if I want to go back to China to study/live for the next few years. (1-2years more language study in china and then possibly a masters, if I can get my language skills up enough.) I'm 32 now and the clock is ticking...

So, for 2012 Goals:

Reading-

• (in English) finish Story of the Stone trans. by David Hawkes. (This is soooo much better than the stale translation I read back in 2004!) Read Three Kingdoms, then I'll be done all of "the four classics".....in translation. Anyone know a good version of 三国?
  
• (in Chinese) finish 活着 (my 1st chinese novel) and find two more to read this year. Maybe with the forum crowd projects!
  

Writing-

• Finish writing exercises from 话说中国 exercise book. This is a great textbook series because after writing, I can check the answers. (BEWARE:a little outdated like NPCR！)
  
• Writing ability for HSK 5. (ie. be able to compose approx. 100 characters in two mins. This is what held me back from attempting the HSK 5, last fall.)
  
• Continue Anki recall cards for my decks. Thank Jeebus for Anki, it has really helped with my recognition and now I can make recall cards that force me to write characters as well! (That reminds me...I really should give them some paypal $, they deserve it)
  
• Enroll in classes either at Confucius Inst or local Univ.
  

Listening-

• Continue with Chinesepod Upper-Inter and maybe move on to Advanced. (These are great to listen to at the gym.)
  
• Continue with Chinese movies and TV series. I finished 金婚 in 2011 and just started 空镜子. Thanks to:
  TV Series Recommendations and Index Thread
  
• Continue with classes at Confucius Inst. or my local Univ.
  

Speaking-

• Classes at Confucius Inst./Univ.
  
• Language partner.....? I've been kicking around the idea of posting something at a local coffee shop where all the Chinese/Taiwanese students congregate. Its time to put myself out there and work on finding some language allies!
  

It will certainly be a big year how ever my final decision with my interests in China/Chinese goes. I guess if I decide I don't want to devote the next decade or so to China, then.... I don't know.... what do 32yr old single guys with cushy (but boring) jobs do....? Find a wife, buy a house and have some kids....?

[Guest realmayo]

Anyone know a good version of 三国?

I have read one translated by Moss Roberts. The first time I read it I stopped about 5% of the way in because I thought it was dull. It was the first time I'd read any version. But after my Chinese teacher told me one of the famous stories with so much enthusiasm about the book, I thought I'd try again, and I'm very glad I did. The translation seemed to read fairly well. Moss Roberts did an abridged version (in the 1970s?), but I read his full version. The one I have was in paperback, published 2004, in two big volumes.

[amandagmu]

• Language partner.....? I've been kicking around the idea of posting something at a local coffee shop where all the Chinese/Taiwanese students congregate. Its time to put myself out there and work on finding some language allies
  

I would definitely get more than one language partner if possible. It's really easy to post an ad in universities or coffee shops, with the promise that you can help them with English (whether it's conversation, or discussing business English, or helping them edit/proofread papers and important e-mails) in exchange for Chinese.

HOWEVER I do have a recommendation for you... since you're already at or near the upper-intermediate/advanced level, write the whole advertisement in Chinese. By far the best language partners I have found have been from ads I wrote in Chinese, because they are often the ones whose English level will be below your Chinese level. I also found where they might post their ads online (many language partner websites these days) and posted all in Chinese on those. For example, recently in Berlin when I wanted to find a partner I found an online university bulletin board for tandem partners. (Of course, many ads are for people looking for German-English or German-Chinese exchanges.) I posted, all in Chinese, that I was an American, a PhD student, lived in Beijing and Taiwan before, my interests, and that I could help people with English speaking or writing. Within a few days I had at least 5 responses (from what I remember). I've met with two of the people - one guy knows no English at all and really just wanted an American friend... we speak only in Chinese. Another guy is a Chinese PhD student who forgot his English when he moved here and learned German. We speak 90% in Chinese.

[abcdefg]

By far the best language partners I have found have been from ads I wrote in Chinese, because they are often the ones whose English level will be below your Chinese level.

I found the same thing and could not agree more.

[jbradfor]

then I'll be done all of "the four classics".....in translation.

Which translation did you read for 西游记? I tried to read that a couple years ago, but found the translation too dry.

what do 32yr old single guys with cushy (but boring) jobs do....? Find a wife, buy a house and have some kids....?

That worked for me!

[OneEye]

Amending my goals for the month. I forgot I'd be out of town for the week of Chinese New Year, and won't be bringing my textbooks with me.

Taiwan Today: finish Chapter 8

Far East IIB: finish Chapter 21

Fuller: Finish Lesson 19

PAVC: Finish Book III

Apply to ICLP

Finish The Emperor of China and start on Return to Dragon Mountain.

[xuexiansheng]

@realmayo- thanks I'll check out the Moss Roberts translation.

@amandagmu-

HOWEVER I do have a recommendation for you... since you're already at or near the upper-intermediate/advanced level, write the whole advertisement in Chinese. By far the best language partners I have found have been from ads I wrote in Chinese, because they are often the ones whose English level will be below your Chinese level.

Good suggestion. Time to put to use what I learned in that 汉语使用写作课 and 写一些便条！

@jbradfor- I think it was the W.J.F. Jenner translation by Foreign Language Press Beijing. I've never read any other translations since and that was my 1st of the "Four Classics", so I couldn't speak to its merits. I do remember it being a little dry at times...this was back in '04.... I would recommend the Shapiro translation of 水浒传, not as smooth as I'm finding the Hawkes, but very enjoyable!

That worked for me!

Good to know I won't be alone in my 'fall back plan'! Maybe I'll start a topic about what's life like with Chinese as purely a hobby, with no ambitions of making a career or life in China.....

[hackinger]

My goals for 2012:

- Finish volumes 4 - 6 of NPCR. (I only do the grammar, vocabulary and the texts and listen to the sound files. I do not do the exercises.)

- Redo all 105 lessons of Chinese with Ease: This time I look at the English text at the right hand side

and translate back to Chinese. Write the Chinese translation per hand. (Assimil calls that second wave.)

- Learn and review the first 2200 Chinese characters and associated 5000 words from the HSK (old) word list with Pleco and Anki flash cards.

Currently I have 1000 characters in my deck under active study.

- Continue to read the "Chinese Reading World" texts at the website of Iowa University. I am at lesson 110 in the beginner part currently.

- Watch once per week a part of a "nan ren bang" video and look once per week at the "Special Chinese News" at the CNTN web site to remain motivated and humble.

- Get enough sleep and exercise ....

[edelweis]

@hackinger: any particular reason you don't do the exercises in NPCR?

[hackinger]

@edelweis

Well, it is kind of boring doing the exercises on your own. I rather advance to the next lesson if I had no difficulty with the reading material. I definitly do not want to suggest that the exercises in NPCR are not good, I think they are quite good, but at the moment I want to go ahead without doing them. I already do some exercises by doing the second wave for Chinese with Ease. Maybe I change my mind when I am done with Chinese with Ease which hopefully will be in about three months.

[Gleaves]

I haven't nailed down my quantifiable goals for the year. I'd like to get a good speaking goal together, but I've had a rather recent influx of speaking opportunities lately, so I'd like to get a better feel for that before I set some sort of concrete goal. I tend to work on my reading regardless, so I don't think I am going to focus a specific goal on it. So this is what I have for now with more to come later.

1.) Listen to 8 audiobooks.

I like Chinese and I like audiobooks, so I really want these two to converge.

There are some great goals in here, by the way. I especially like the 孙红蕾 and 武侠 book club goals.

[OneEye]

I'll start off this month's check-in. January's goals are in red.

Taiwan Today: finish Chapter 8

I'm finishing Chapter 8 today, so I'll call it a success.

Far East IIB: finish Chapter 21

Not only Chapter 21, but the whole book (Chapter 24). Success.

Fuller: Finish Lesson 19

Finishing Lesson 19 today. Success.

PAVC: Finish Book III

Took the test today for the last chapter. Success.

Apply to ICLP

Not yet. Failed. But I still have time.

Finish The Emperor of China and start on Return to Dragon Mountain.

Failed. I've been really busy this month, and when I wasn't busy I was sick. This was kind of a last priority, so no big deal.

So all in all a successful month. A couple failures, but those goals were at the bottom of the list for a reason. I learned upwards of 300 words every week this month, in addition to studying 文言文 harder than I ever have, which has almost pushed me to the point of burnout. I planned on starting a new textbook after finishing Far East III, but I'll hold off on that. I started it, but I couldn't stand doing another chapter on 中國的地形與氣候 or 中國的傳統農業經濟制度, or even worse 自由中國和中共的經濟 (this particular book is from the 80's, published in Taiwan). Instead, I've started reading 哈利波特：神秘的魔法石 (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone), which is fun and easier than I expected. I'm not setting any goals with that yet, partly because I don't know how it will go yet (it's my first book in Chinese), and partly because I want to keep it fun. I've also picked up a few supplementary textbooks that I'll use off and on when the interest strikes, but again I won't be setting any goals here. One is a book of radio plays with a CD, which is pretty cheesy but decent practice, one is a primer on 書法 which also serves as an upper-intermediate to advanced language textbook, and one is a newspaper reading textbook used at my school.

Anyway, February's goals:

Taiwan Today: finish Chapter 14 (whole book)

Fuller: Finish Lesson 27

PAVC: Through Book IV Chapter 4

Apply to ICLP (??)

Finish The Emperor of China

Finishing Taiwan Today should be no problem. With Fuller, it depends on how much difficulty I have when I get into the advanced texts (starting in Lesson 25). The PAVC goal is just where my class is scheduled to end this term. My teacher thinks I can skip part of Book IV and start next term at Chapter 11, which would be great (that's skipping half a term). The ICLP application isn't due until the end of March, but I want to at least work on it this month, if not finish it. Finishing the Spence book should be no problem this month (fewer extra-curricular obligations), but I don't know if I want to read another Spence book after that or not.

[querido]

I'm on track.

With my laoshi: in person, on QQ, and email.

CSLPod Intermediate: We're studying both languages together with this.

We're working very hard. All of my study time and energy goes into this, and everything else is put aside for now.

[edelweis]

1) pass HSK4.

Preparation for this involves learning the vocabulary (SRS + targeted listening + writing) and practicing with the mock-up tests.

SRS 19/31 but improving.

Listening still infrequent (2 or 3 times per week) but it's a big progress compared to last year.

Writing: almost none.

First mock-up test: listening 84/100, reading 90/100, writing at least 50/100 but my sentences are so extremely basic compared to the ones in the book. I need to seriously work on that.

(several people have reported the actual test is harder than the mock-ups... so even though these results are technically passing I'd probably fail a real test.)

2) drill 600 to 800 new characters (up to the 2100th most frequent one at least)

This must be complemented with daily reading otherwise they just fall from my head.

There was some fumbling here. I only drilled 30 new characters this month.

Also I skipped bedtime reading for about two thirds of the month...

From now on I will drill only 15 new characters per week (last year I was on a 25 characters per week pace, but it was too much), and I will spend some time reviewing the first 1500 characters.

3) keep attending the weekly class.

This involves mainly grammar, and some speaking, and just going to the classes.

Grammar: did ok on lang-8 for the first two weeks, and then I just stopped

Also I missed 3 of the 5 classes this month :evil:

January tasks:

01-1 fill one a4 sheet with Arabic writing. (from my little cursive writing handbook if I can find it).

I did not find the handbook. Just finished the sheet today. Or is it a page? Anyway...

01-2 install the HSK4 flashcards on my new smartphone.

Done.

01-3 attend the Chinese new year procession.

Attended the Chinese Cultural Center's CNY party instead.

01-4 set up some kind of alert or reminder at work, so that I remember to work on my English pronunciation.

Done, but it has not proven terribly effective.

February tasks:

02-1 make an anki deck with basic Arabic verb derivations.

02-2 buy a Spanish Sci-Fi novel from this list

02-3 add reverse cards to my HSK4 deck (both with pinyin on the front side, and with meaning on the front side).

02-4 any China related outing beyond going to the Chinese Cultural Center or library.

[simplet]

Eh Edelweis do you know any good ressources for someone looking to start learning Arabic?

[edelweis]

Hmmm that was quite some time ago, so what few bookmarks I had have disappeared.

At some point the audio for the "Alif Baa" method was available on some university's on-line language lab website, I used that a lot for a month or two - it is very useful since it has many exercises to help distinguish guttural and emphatic letters, which also helps learn to pronounce them.

Besides that I used the French version of the assimil "arabic with ease" - I didn't have the audio, but it helped with learning how to write the letters, and it has (had?) handwritten text. It does have useful daily conversation stuff, but I did not find it very practical for a beginner due to lack of structured contents. I think it's more like supplementary material, when you've learned the basics of the formal language in a more serious textbook and want to learn some practical stuff (although, you should really learn a dialect for that perhaps).

(I also bought a children's cursive writing handbook but I can't find it right now).

And for two years of semi-serious study I used a French textbook for beginning university students, good structured intro to the written language with lots of grammar. (Manuel d'arabe moderne, 2 tomes, Deheuvels)

(unfortunately I've forgotten most of what I learned )

[simplet]

Thanks a lot!

I might look into the handbooks if I ever get serious about it (I still haven't even started, just planning for the future). I didn't know you were french. I think I'll start with some websites I found :

http://gloss.dliflc.edu/Default.aspx

http://fsi-language-...org/Content.php

Maybe you'll find some useful things in there too.

edit : I just realized those chinese lessons in the first link are pretty good, maybe I should make a thread about it

[heifeng]

2012 Goals:

This year I decided to identify my goals with a simple quarterly/staggered schedule since I know that I can not necessarily make progress on certain goals at the same time. However, other goals can be completed bit by bit throughout the entire year: I have already made some progress towards them, but I need to post 'em first, so I will just provide my quarterly report in 1 month or so I suppose.

1. Listening: Q1-Q4

RADIO: Listen to Chinese radio in the AM while getting ready. (In progress and, wow, I missed listening to the radio)

NEWS: Listen to more news reports.

Accent: Listen to more Taiwan News

TV Series: Discover & complete watching at least 6 new series (hard work, right?!)

2. Speaking: Q1-Q4

Studying:: Get back on track w/ the weekly PSC test. Actually make flashcards to burn some characters into my memory. Q2-Q4

Langdu: Continue reading aloud. Also cover more politics to be more familiar with politicians and policy.

3. Writing: Q1-Q4

Penmanship: Now that I've finally (phew) finished my 3sfm book, I need to copy articles by writing them into a handwriting journal. Any article, anything goes. Once a week a handwriting 'diary' if you will. ( I have a 200 page writing journal from last year too....trees are crying now)

Use Imron's Hanzi Grids!

Email/QQ more in Chinese...something to force me to write daily in Chinese...hmmm

4.Reading: Q1-Q4

Books: Read at least 6 Chinese books this year.

Classics: Continue to creep on through 三国演义。

News: Read more news on politics, current events, military affairs, and engineering

Supplemental: Find articles on medical topics to add to my 'medical' binder-o-fun

Fun: Find a blog to follow..preferably a well written one on girly things, fashion, cosmetics, being snarky, etc. Recommendations are welcome.

5.Vocab & special knowledge

1. Complete translations of medical terminology & articles for related topics as I take & finish classes in Q1

2. Make flashcards for bird radical characters, Q3-Q4

3. Update my names to know thread to be more familiar with historical figures

History

1. Read at least 1 historical novel. Q3 (Ok, I have 1 picked out..I'll post later on it)

Activities & Classes

1. Work &/or Volunteer using Chinese on weekends/part time Q2-Q4

2. Class: Finish Medical Terminology class Q1. (ugh...brain is going to explode soon...sorry about the mess...and I haven't even finished translating key terms and finding articles in Chinese yet!)

3. Finish online language self study course Q2

Tests

1. Q2: Pass Medical Written exam

2. Q2-Q4: Pass other Oral Exams (two random other ones that I can post about maybe, well, if I pass 'em wahah)

3. Reach personal goal (TBD haha) on other random Chinese exam

OTHER:

1. Get a plan together to go back to China...for real this time.

2. EDIT! OOPS, How did I leave this one off?! This one has been a few years in the making (As I've been telling friends for the last 5 years this would be my next language challenge!) Learn Russian! My goal for this year is the equivalent of 1 semester of college Russian..which hopefully I can cover in 12 months time given my schedule. I don't have much of a 'speaking' goal since I tend to learn languages by reading/writing first, but maybe I can get some traveling in and write to my friends using it a bit. I'll put this as a goal Q1-Q4 goal, but with more emphasis starting in late Q2.