The 2016 Aims and Objectives Progress Thread

[StChris]

I hope Meng Lelan doesn't mind me stealing her thunder, but it's getting perilously close to the 1st of January and we still don't have a "2016 Aims and Objectives Progress" thread yet, so I thought I'd sneak in there and start one myself 

 

Here's 2015's one to give any newcomers an flavour of what the thread is all about:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/47291-the-2015-aims-and-objectives-progress-thread/

 

It's difficult to think about goals for the year ahead without reflecting on the year just gone, so firstly here's a summary of my Chinese progress in 2015:

 

In 2014, pretty much all my reading material was still sourced from textbooks, so my aim for 2015 was simple - to be able to pick up any Chinese book or newspaper meant for native speakers and read it fairly comfortably without having to resort to a dictionary too much. I suppose that you could say that I've fulfilled this aim, as I've read almost a dozen books and reading the newspaper in Chinese has just become part of my daily morning routine now, but the stack of partly read books on my bookshelf (平凡的世界, 圈子圈套, a biography of 慈禧 among others) seems to suggest that I haven't been nearly as disciplined with my reading as I should have been. I also seem to have written even less Chinese than in 2014, which means the gap between my reading and writing abilities has widened to an even greater extent than before. To end on a brighter note, I did have two unplanned for successes: firstly I got to use my Chinese in a professional capacity in two separate jobs, and secondly I managed to get through some challenging "traditional" material (the 三国 TV series and series of lectures, plus a bunch of 鲁迅 stories).

 

Ok, onto 2016!

 

Primary Aim:

 

To develop the ability to competently express complex ideas in written Chinese, without having to depend too heavily on a dictionary and grammar guide.

 

 

Daily Routine:

 

1. Add 5 生词 to my flashcard program per day (and actually complete the flashcard stack every day as well!   )

2. Read a novel for 15 minutes

3. Write for 15 minutes (this can be about anything, whether a summary of a newspaper article, a diary of the day's events, or just a random story made up of new vocab). Write a longer and more complex essay once a week (and get it marked by a Chinese person)

4. Record myself speaking at least one sentence of Chinese, and correct my pronunciation (this is especially important now that I'm not living in a Chinese speaking environment anymore)

 

This might seem a light study load (probably no longer than 1 hour a day), but that's a deliberate choice on my part. In the past I've always created these really tough study routines and ended up hitting the wall after just a few weeks    , so this time I'm trying to give myself targets so low that there's no excuse for not fulfilling them, no matter how "busy" I think I am. Although I had periods where I was reading a lot, sometimes weeks would mysteriously pass by without me so much as looking at my Chinese books. I'm going to be really disappointed in myself if I can't even manage to maintain that 15 minute a day target through to 2017.   There are also some things, such as reading the newspaper or watching some Chinese TV, which have just become daily habits, so I haven't listed them here.

 

 

Bonus, non-Chinese related aim for 2016:

 

Learn to code in Python. I've wanted to start learn to code for a couple of years now, but Chinese just seems to soak up any free learning time that I have (as I'm sure everyone here can sympathize!). I feel my level is high enough now to be able to take my foot off the gas just enough to make time for something new. I've heard that python is a good language to start with. Can't be any harder than Chinese, right...

 

 

All the best for 2016 everyone! 加油！      

[xiaokaka]

I just want to reach a reading level so that I actually enjoy reading for a longer period of time, i.e., being able to read a novel for two hours just for the sake of enjoying it (and not getting a headache for concentrating too hard). I know that I should just keep going at it and read a certain amount every day, but I feel that it is hard to stay concentrated for longer time stretches.

 

Regarding Python, If you want something easy to start with I would recommend the free codeacademy course. 

[StChris]

Thanks for the Python tip. There are a few good lessons on Youtube, and also a lot of MOOCs. One of the things that attracts me to coding is that there's so much learning material freely available online. It's just up to the individual to have enough discipline and motivation to study.

 

Regarding the reading, I don't think there's any shortcut. Just pick a relatively easy novel (活着 is a good choice) and make sure you set aside time each day to read. With physical books I would first read a page as quickly as I could, underlining any unknown words. Secondly I would read the page again, this time looking up some of the unknown vocab (there's no need to look up every piece of unknown vocab - I usually limited myself to 5 per page). I would then read the page a third time, before moving on to the next page. Although it's a long and slow process, it did produce results for me. 

[zhe]

Hello to everybody, let’s see if I can be more motivated by publishing my goals.

Ultimate goal of the year is to gain enough fluency so that there’s no need to do SRS anymore. In other words, be able to read native material even if it is with a help of a dictionary. Sounds very ambitious, shall see how it goes. This translates into a few smaller, more measurable goals:

1. keep on studying in NTU at least until August
2. attend TOCLF band B test and pass level 4 in May
3. finish Thought and Society textbook at some point this year
4. form a habit of daily chorusing practice(à la Glossika), 30 minutes at least a day
5. watch some talk shows/dramas in Chinese
6. keep doing SRS daily

I am nowhere near Thought and Society, but as people keep mentioning it so much it has become kind of milestone for me. If I can find another, more modern textbook by then maybe I will change the goal. I am kind of hoping to find another since this book seems to be intended for students interested in humanities and my interests lie elsewhere.

 

Concerning watching Chinese TV, maybe here some measurable goals would be nice too. I shall try to engage with English media less and instead watch something in Chinese instead, just for relaxation. The first drama shall be 兩個爸爸, what I saw in the class it seems quite understandable. In case watching dramas is unbearable, maybe instead I will try reading manga.

 

JANUARY

The first monthly goal is to finish 視聽華語第四冊 (at the 6^th lesson right now) and 遠東第三冊 (10^th lesson) and ask teacher to let me attend a 升學考試 in order to skip a level. In total this is 15 lessons, over 5 weeks it should be easy (semester ends after first week of February), but I am kind of worried the test will be organized earlier so that there’s even less time. Because of this, I postponed all the other self-study material to February (see below).

 

FEBRUARY

Most of the February is holidays because of Chinese New Year and I will return back home during this time. Hopefully I won’t forget everything, in case I have motivation I will try to do some exercises in 今日台灣 and/or listening comprehension practice with 新選廣播劇.

 

MARCH

In March I try to finish whatever I didn’t in February, but after it everything is open, depending where I will placed after the exam and what kind of material I purchase next (suggestions welcome).

 

That’s it for now, will try to update how it goes. Good luck to all!

[Shelley]

edX has some courses on python I found 3 quickly there may be more, here is one of them https://www.edx.org/course/learn-program-using-python-utarlingtonx-cse1309x

[Meng Lelan]

StChris, thanks for being proactive. You are fine. This time around I thought to let someone else start up the goals for 2016 thread. The reason is I've changed careers, jobs, living situations, friends, colleagues and ironically found that French is of far more vocational and social value to my new situations than Chinese. A lot of work I do is in Louisiana where French is still spoken among many of my older clients there. So no Chinese goals this year and will not be participating in this thread much at all. I still practice kungfu though. Sorry if this post isn't exactly inspiring to the point of this thread. 

[querido]

My Cantonese is still so bad that I can start over again. Yay.

I'll aim to re-cram everything I knew a year ago and continue from there.

 

I shall do my best to make listening comprehension "drive" my program as I don't want to "do the same thing, the same way, over and over and expect a different result". :-)

[大块头]

My goal this year is to pass the HSK level 6 internet-based test and the advanced speaking test on December 4, 2016.

 

 

 

 

To achieve that goal I will do the following:

 

 

 

 

 

Passive Vocabulary

 

 

I am working on an Anki deck based on the SUBTLEX-CH word frequency list. I have approximately 6000 more words to learn, and I intend to learn them at a rate of 20 words a day. Consistently studying my Anki cards has always been a struggle for me, so I created a stickK goal to motivate myself.

 

 

 

 

 

Listening

 

 

I intend to spend at least 4 hours a week passively listening to Chinese podcasts and radio. I will have a 30 minute walk to and from work at my new job this year, so I can easily find time to do this. I created a Google form to log the time I spend practicing and track my progress as I gradually understand more and more of what I'm listening to.

 

 

 

 

 

Reading

 

 

I intend to spend at least 30 minutes every week reading Chinese. I created a Google form to log the time I spend practicing and track my progress as I increase my reading speed and reduce how much I rely on a dictionary.

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking

 

 

I intend to spend 30 minutes every week speaking Chinese with a language exchange partner.

 

 

 

 

 

Writing

 

 

I intend to write at least 3 journal entries (length ≥ 50 characters) a week on Lang-8.

 

 

 

 

 

- - - -

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on how much time work and school takes up, I may adjust the amount of time I spend on each of these components. I will post an progress update to this thread on a monthly basis.

 

[edelweis]

I have plenty of incomplete goals from previous years. So I'll just keep working on those.
 
Since I've been shadowing the IT口语 booklet for a while now, I've reasonable hope to will finally complete it this year (was a 2010 goal...  )
 
For January (restarting after break)
 
Daily Chinese TV (passive/background).
Daily shadowing (IT kouyu etc): 20'.
Daily tingli (新闻联播 etc): 15'.
Daily writing even if only 2'.
Daily reading (anything goes): 15'.
Newspaper reading class (x4).
Optionally: SRS, classifiers, event at the Chinese Cultural Center, write a little game.
 
English: pronunciation every other day.
Spanish: a little bit every week (FSI tape, or anything).
MSA: scan old handouts.
1 other: set up everything for shadowing.
 
RL:
One little "b" step every week.
Relearn and practice 八段锦.
Sort out breakfast.
No elevators.
 
January report:
TV: can do better,
shadowing: failed, tingli: failed, writing: not too bad, reading: failed,
class: failed (0/4), write a game done.
English: failed, Spanish: ok, MSA: failed, other: failed.
"b" step: barely started, 八段锦: barely started, breakfast: ok, elevators: mostly ok.
 
February goals: same as January + no snacks before 4pm.

February report:
TV: can do better,
shadowing: 20/29, tingli: 6/29, writing: not too bad, reading: failed,
class: failed (1/3), game sometimes.
English: failed, Spanish: ok, MSA: failed, other: failed.
"b" step: barely started, 八段锦: barely started, breakfast: ok, elevators: mostly ok, no snacks before 4pm: some effort.
 
March goals: No snacks. No sushi. Use game for "b". Explore "l".
 
March report:
TV: can do better and need to set it up on the laptop,
shadowing: 24/31, tingli: 15/29, writing: too seldom, reading: failed,
class: reasonable (3/4), game sometimes.
English: failed, Spanish: ok, MSA: failed, other: failed.
"b" step: used game, 八段锦: failed, breakfast: ok, elevators: mostly ok, no snacks: failed. no sushi: ok. "l": started.
 
April goals: no snacks. relax. TV on laptop.

on hiatus for several months

September: wrote a little in Chinese.

October goals: NoS. Write more in Chinese. Use my brand new tablet to study a little Chinese. Enjoy Autumn, enjoy the neutral situation, and patiently work towards getting in a good situation.

[Shelley]

Could someone clarify "shadowing"? I am pretty sure i know what it means but you never can be certain.

[querido]

"Shadowing is a language learning technique developed by the American Professor Alexander Arguelles, first in Germany and later Korea. The basis of the method is audio in the language that you are learning. While listening, you attempt to repeat -- to "shadow" -- what you hear as quickly as you hear it. It is most beneficial to be walking swiftly at the same time to maximize alertness and oxygenation."

 

From here.

[Shelley]

Ah thanks querido I sort of guessed right.

[Flickserve]

Speaking skills: My goals are to setup my own library of recordings of native speakers and do the shadowing technique.

Vocab acquisition: I would like to get proficient at all the computer software to be able to copy TysonD's method of learning new vocabulary.

Listening skills: I have just been in Beijing/Harbin. It is quite difficult for me to follow conversations. I can guess the meanings but the conversations are too fast. I hope that vocabulary acquisition will assist.

Slang: I think it is necessary to learn some slang to understand expressions in films.

Cantonese: insight on expressions is improving as an offshot of learning Mandarin!

[simc]

From 2015:

• Study 100 episodes of QQSRX - probably did closer to 40 although I just watched them rather than studied them
• Read 3 novels in Chinese - Yes, sort of if you count audiobooks
• Read 3 technical books - Read bits and pieces of about 5
• Watch 5 TV shows - i'm trying to remember what I watched although it is probably closer to 2 or 3.

So, I was partially successful, and I did a lot of stuff that wasn't on the above list. My Chinese parents in law moved in so I've spent much more time speaking Chinese. I spent a lot of time with Pleco flashcards this year to build up my vocab. And I had a kid!

 

For 2016:

• Figure out how to learn to understand Dongbeihua
• Figure out how to bring up my son to be bilingual
• Read 3 good novels - maybe finish Pingfan de Shijie or start reading the three body problem
• Listen to a lot of easier audio and audiobooks for extensive listening - might be trashy internet novels as well as start listening to fairy tales with my son
• QQSRX during my lunch hour or before work, I think I will just watch it rather than study it
• Continue to read tech material in Chinese, and be able to read more quickly with better comprehension

 

Probably won't get all this done - lets see how things are next year!

[AlexanderLivius]

大家好！

I am a little late to the game, but here goes.

Just for Winter quarter:

 

Mandarin IIB:

~Shadow 3 mini-dialogues from Happy Chinese on non-class days

~Two new Integrated Chinese grammar points, make example sentences for points from yesterday, 7 days ago, 3 weeks ago, and 2 months ago.

~One workbook section per night

~2 guided exercises from: Expressway to Perfect Chinese Pronunciation

~Quizlet dialogue vocab, review vocab sets from the third, sixth, and ninth prior lessons.

~Write 10 new characters from Reading and Writing Chinese, review 10 from yesterday, 7 days ago, 3 weeks ago, and 2 months ago.

 

Classical Chinese IA:

~A New Practical Primer of Literary Chinese: One lesson per week

~1/7 new lesson vocab each day on quizlet

~review last weeks vocab, -3, -7, -11

 

Latin Club:

~Finish Wheelock's supplemental reader

~Tutor when possible

 

Resolutions

~Class work > Club activities Always.

[Lu]

Chinese-learning/using goals:

 

I'm planning to mostly continue on the current path. Keep reading, keep translating, keep learning words, hopefully learn some more chengyu because that didn't really happen last year. I need to find a new language partner/friend/person to talk Chinese with as my last language partner left. And perhaps I should look into how to go to China and/or Taiwan again this year. Also, apart from the thing I'm currently writing, I want to write & publish at least one more thing about Chinese literature, so I don't only translate it but also get more knowledgable about it.

 

In non-Chinese goals, I should find some form of exercise that is not expensive and that I will actually keep up. Running has pretty much entirely fallen by the wayside.

[Guest realmayo]

Jan/Feb: read a book a week. Unlikely but I want to push for four or five hours reading a day.

[StChris]

Thanks for the Python tip Shelley. I'm starting off with this short youtube course and will be moving on to the Edx courses after:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uq3w6JJS00

[grawrt]

Ugh. I've been back home not doing Chinese for so long. Gotta get myself back on track soo my goals:

1. Glossika lesson once per day!
2. Read in Chinese 30 mins per day (Newspapers, novels, comics, its open to whatever I feel like)
3. Watch Chinese drama/TV at least once per week. I actually kind of missed this? Chinese TV is really funny in a not trying to be funny way. I think I stopped once I got back home because the access to it wasn't as good as in China
4. write an entry on Lang-8 three times a week. This might kill me but I need to get back into the habit. Or.. I might switch to govoluble?? Ill see..

Next month I'd like to try finding a teacher/language exchange partner to work on but for the month of January I just kind of want to work on getting out of this rut. I know its bad to admit but speaking to native speakers usually really discourages me regardless if they're teachers or not. Wish I knew why.

 

Anyway, I liked reading everyone's goals...... I might steal some (if not already)

[heifeng]

"Shadowing is a language learning technique developed by the American Professor Alexander Arguelles, first in Germany and later Korea. The basis of the method is audio in the language that you are learning. While listening, you attempt to repeat -- to "shadow" -- what you hear as quickly as you hear it. It is most beneficial to be walking swiftly at the same time to maximize alertness and oxygenation."

 

 

I have used 'shadowing exercises' when I was training for simultaneous interpreting in order to also learn to dual task (write while shadowing/speaking) and practice speaking while listening and seeing how far back you can lag and retain what is being said. Also it is a good way to help with speaking rhythm. To this day I find it helpful (ok, really just fun) to watch dramas & listen to speakers to see if I can shadow and follow along (to the annoyance of those around me). It actually helps for speaking/oral warm up exercise and I recommend doing it throughout the day if you are living in China or as you listen to Chinese conversations and/or programming in the background (while waiting, doing chores, etc...it's a good multitasking exercise).

 

My resolutions given I'm back in school will be to re-enter the work force this year and frequently work in China in my next role and ultimately return to China following graduation.

 

As for language goals, I want to broaden my active working vocab more into finance, strategy, marketing, manufacturing, operations, supply chain etc. This means re-launching my daily news article reading！Therefore, I'm setting a minimum 20-30 min goal of reading news daily. Sounds fun. Maybe I'll resuscitate my old daily 朗读 thread. It's best to practice reading aloud as much as possible anyway....