1) Well, this will be the first time that I've used the English language with any complexity in the last week or so. Instead of speaking my native tongue, I've been watching soul-neutering amounts of reality television, preferably in a language other than English, so that I might either listen to or read Finnish. I've had lots of pathetically shallow and painfully slow conversations. I've studied and written more than average, too.
I typically work somewhat hard on my Finnish because I enjoy it. Lately, though, I've begun to feel impatient. It's as if I am on the cusp of being able to use Finnish in a more correct and meaningful way, and yet it's just out of reach.
I think that if I only work a little harder and immerse myself more, I'll learn much faster. In other words, I don't think I've yet reached or exceeded my capacity to learn. It's time to get serious.
Fortunately, learning Finnish isn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Sure, Finnish is hard. Sure, it has a complex grammatical structure that differs tremendously from English. I've just been more successful, more interested, and more adept at learning it than I thought I'd be. My strengths are:
a) Apparently, pronunciation. Maybe I'll post a video sometime so that you can criticize it.
b) Grasping grammatical concepts, recalling them, and putting them to use.
c) Interest. It really helps with the amount of effort I'm willing to expend.
My weaknesses are:
a) Vocabulary. I have to work harder at memorizing the lexicon than I do at understanding
the grammar. I get the sense that it's the opposite for most of my classmates. Which is
easier for you?
b) Fear. Shyness. Reticence to speak to anyone unfamiliar.
So, given that what I've learned already hasn't been inordinately hard, I think that I can work to push the process forward at a faster pace. We'll see if I can manage it, or if my brain explodes instead.
2) It's spring, and that means slightly chilly temperatures accompanied by cold rain. I know these conditions well. On spring days such as these, I like to listen to this album:
Now, I realize that even a lot of Aphex Twin fans don't much like Drukqs, but I love it. I think it has something to do with the pairing of frenetic, meticulous beats with something more ethereal. I'm also a sucker for prepared piano. I'm not sure how I came to take pleasure in listening to it during rainy spring weather, but there you have it. I figure there's a slight chance that you'll agree.
Yikes. I'm moving back in the summer and the thought of trying to speak Finnish after two years of barely uttering a word is truely daunting. I really should start practicing, but there are so many excuses.
ReplyDeleteYou should be proud of the progress you have made. I find concentrating on vocabulary opens the language more quickly. Even if my grammar is far from perfect, I can still communicate and understand more. Shyness be darned! haha. At least Finns are patient when it comes to listening to my babble. Good luck with your studies.
Yeah, the Finns I know are also blessedly patient with me. Saying things correctly takes a lot of time and thought, after all!
DeleteGood luck with the re-learning. I bet you'll pick it back up in no time. :)
Wow dude! You like to listen to Aphex Twin?! That is so cool! I don't know if you read my earlier comment about Ilosaarirock in Joensuu. I think I commented on some post that was talking about talkative Karelians as I'm one myself ^^
ReplyDeleteAnyways, what I wanted to say that Aphex Twin was in Ilosaarirock last summer and BOY was it the most awesome gig I have ever been! By any measures whatsoever! I'm not good at describing something so amazing that I cannot truly understand, so I just state: The most amazing ever! :)
I did read your comment from a while back! I really want to go this year, but it's during the time when I'll be in the USA attending a friend's wedding. Oh well, hopefully next year.
DeleteGlad you dig Aphex Twin, too. I bet it was incredible to see him live. Oh well, maybe he'll come back to Ilosaarirock next year, when I can actually check it out. ;)
Elena, YOU GO GIRL! Kudos to you for throwing yourself whole-heartedly into learning Finnish. I'm so impressed that you are actively watching Finnish tv shows. I am less active in doing that (except for shows like Voice of Finland, which are pretty easy to follow) but I do like "Kadonneen jäljillä" on Monday nights, because somehow I find it easier to follow than other shows (maybe because the vocab is similar every time). ¨
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, I feel as though lately I'm less shy about using Finnish, but my newfound confidence in trying to speak and use the language just serves to highlight how many mistakes I still make and how much I don't know...! Grammar is my weak point - I can do verbs for the most part, but I fall down with nouns (partitiivi, singular and plural, etc.) every single time. Finns comment that my accent is reasonably ok, but to be honest it would be disastrous if it wasn't, since I've been married to a Finn for almost 11 years and have been a passive listener of Finnish for even longer than that!!
What has helped me a lot is that most of my classmates and I have no language in common apart from Finnish. Previously, before class and during breaks we usually tried to avoid each other because of the language barrier, but just recently one Russian girl started actively inviting people to come and sit and chat in the break area, and suddenly we all discovered that we could actually communicate in Finnish, and much more fluently than we realised. We help each other work out how to say things, and correct each other's mistakes when we notice them, and somehow it has been a massive boost to morale.
Thanks for the encouragement, Katriina! We'll see how adding a little intensity works out.
DeleteI'm fortunate to be part of a class that has always been very friendly and talkative. My guess is that about half of them speak some English, but we don't use it in an effort to practice and include those who have no English skills. Some of my favorite people in class are those who don't really speak any English, and class time is very rewarding when we're able to communicate effectively. I'm glad you're beginning to experience that, too.
Watching tv is hard because, well, I hate it. The reality shows they air, which I find to be easiest to understand, are just awful. (It's good that I have an excuse to avoid the American/English ones, since they are the worst.) I, however, don't have children to worry about! I'm free to waste away on the couch as I watch people reunite with their loved ones. Oh, I also like "Kadonneen jäljillä." It's one of the easiest shows for me to understand. I also don't totally hate its content! ;)
I think you've done a WONDERFUL job in learning Finnish, but it's apparent since the beginning 'coz I know you're really interested in learning. It's really wonderful that in class you all opt to use Finnish instead of English. In my classroom, I opted to use English most of the time except with those who didn't speak Finnish he he...
ReplyDeleteVocabulary is a slow progress. One Finnish guy once told me that in order to remember a new word, it must be repeated 12 times at least (or something like that). It's harder to remember words that we don't actually use/hear much...but over time gradually the vocabulary building gets bigger and bigger as long as you keep on reading/listening/speaking/writing Finnish. I find that I get more vocabulary by reading more than anything else (reading Finnish subtitles, too). In order to know how much vocabulary you've grown, you have to look back in time...and reread the old passages that you didn't really understand before and then you'll realize that, "Hey, now I understand so many more words!" :-D