Marissa Learns Languages

Hi everyone! I’ve so enjoyed doing my 2020 quarantine challenge and getting to know so many of you (and discovering your amazing blogs) that i’ve decided to create this new SUMMER STUDYING CHALLENGE! i did consider continuing my other challenge but my school year has now ended and the way i study in the summer and my priorities is very different compared to during school time - which i’m sure is the same for may of you! I’ve created this challenge to try and keep myself motivated during the summer (because i am ridiculously busy XD) but i also want to use this time to get to know many more of you and stay motivated together  💕 

(also i know that many people struggle for ideas of what to post during the summer so hopefully these will give you some ideas. 

✨ Info ✨

This challenge will run from Monday 13th July 2020 to Sunday 6th September 2020, which is two months.  However, please feel free to join in and start any time if you come across this challenge after the 13th July because i want this challenge to be accessible for everyone! 

I have daily prompts for each of this entire time. You don’t have to post every day (you could, for example, cover all the prompts in one post at the end of the week) and you also don’t have to post for the entirety of the challenge (for example if your summer break ends before the 6th September). But i will be posting every day for the whole time and want to interact with as many of you as possible!!!

I want to see what you are posting so please use the tag #summer studying challenge and I’ll track this tag and reblog as much as possible!

On this note, I will reblog basically everything even if you don’t think it is ‘aesthetic’ cause I love seeing how everyone does their notes and stuff so please get involved 💕

✨ Prompts ✨

13th July -  What are your plans for this summer?

14th July - Have your plans changed at all because of the pandemic?

15th July - Do you have a specific goal for this summer?

16th July - Do you have a lot of work to do for school or university or your job this summer?

17th July - What is the most important task that you need to complete this summer?

18th July - What do you usually do during the summer?

19th July - What did you do during the summer when you were a young child?

20th July - Do you usually go on vacation during the summer?

21st July - What is the best vacation you have ever been on? (note: does not have to have been during summer)

22nd July -  What is your dream vacation?

23rd July - What is the worst vacation you have ever been on?

24th July - What is your favourite vacation memory?

25th July - What was is your favourite event or day in the summer?   Are you a ‘summer person’ or do you prefer it when it is colder?

26th July - What is your typical daily routine in the summer?

27th July -  Do you stay indoors or outdoors more in the summer?

28th July - How do you stay motivated to study during the summer? 

29th July - Have you done or are you planning to do any activities (such as work experience, summer schools or watching lectures) other than normal work during the summer? 

30th July - Beach or Swimming pool?

31st July - What do you like most about the beach?

1st August - What is your least favourite thing about the beach?

2nd August - What is your song of the summer this year?

3rd August - What is your ultimate summertime song?

4th August - What is your favourite summertime movie?

5th August - Do you read a lot in the summer?

6th August - What book are you currently reading?

7th August - What is your favourite summer ‘beach read’ book? 

8th August - What TV show are you currently watching?

9th August - What was the last movie you watched?

10th August - What is your favourite summertime snack?

11th August - What is your favourite meal to have on the beach?

12th August - What is an unpopular opinion that you have about summer?

13th August - What is your favourite ice cream flavour?

14th August - What is your favourite summer clothing?

15th August - What’s your favourite summer drink?

16th August - Daytime or night time – what’s your favourite time during summer?

17th August - What is your favourite seasonal fruit to eat during the summer?

18th August - Would you prefer your summer to be shorter or longer?

19th August - How does summer feel in your region?

20th August -  If you could make up a new ice cream flavour, what ingredients would you use? What would you call it?

21st August - If there was a tropical island made just for you, what would you find on it?

22nd August -  Imagine that you could fill a swimming pool with anything except water and swim in it. What would your pool be filled with?

23rd August - Do you miss school/university/work during the summer?

24th August - Do you like wearing sunglasses?

25th August - Do you wear sunscreen?

26th August - Have you ever been really badly sunburnt? 

27th August - Do your sleeping habits change during summer?

28th August - Do your eating habits change during summer?

29th August - What is the thing that annoys you the most during summer?

30th August - What colour do you associate with summer?

31st August - When you hear the word ‘summer’, what is the first thing that you think of?

1st September  - Have you managed to complete you main task and goal for the summer?

2nd September - Are you looking forward to returning to school/university?

3rd September - How have you prepared to return to school/university?

4th September - When you remember this summer, what three adjectives will you think of that define your summer?

5th September - What did you learn over the summer? (note: this doesn’t have to be academic-related)

6th September - What was your favourite memory from this summer?

✨ So this is the challenge! I hope that you will join it and enjoy doing it during the summer! please message me or send me asks if you have any questions about it or just want to have a chat <3 ✨

[i am tagging mutuals and others who took part in the 2020 quarantine challenge beneath the cut]

Short present verb + よてい（予定）です to say what you are scheduled to do

Eg.　私は今度の週末に韓国に行く予定です　－　I'm scheduled to go to Korea this coming weekend

Eg.　私の兄は九月に結婚する予定です　－　my big brother is scheduled to get married this September

Short negative verb + 予定です to say what you are scheduled to not do

Not quite what you aren't scheduled to do, but instead things you plan on not doing

multilingual basic vocabulary spreadsheet

Quite a handful of folks were interested in the list from my previous post, so here it is finished and organized!! 700+ words of basic vocabulary (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) translated into Japanese, Russian, Spanish, German and Korean. Along with French verbs generously contributed by @adventuretaryn​!! 

Before you use, please read the comment at the very top. This is by no means perfect or a definitive list. This is just my little list, and I am just a student. This is a work in progress and I would be so incredibly thankful for corrections so I can learn moving forward. With that said, please please please double check as you go. I hope this is useful even just a little bit ♡

Thanks partner! Glad you enjoy it. 

Todavía vs Aún

So todavía and aún are essentially synonymous. I’d say that todavía is probably used more than aún but they are both used a lot. Note: aun without the accent make means even like in:

 She even brought her kangaroo to school on Thursday.  Ella aun llevó su canguro al colegio el jueves

If you wanted to say, for example, There’s still 3 seats open on the plane, you could say either one of the examples below and they’d both be perfectly acceptable.

Hay aún 3 asientos disponibles en el avión.  Hay todavía 3 asientos disponibles en el avión. 

Moving on to ya...

The primary meaning of ya  is already. However, it also carries a few other meanings as well which take a bit of time to get used to if you’re not used to hearing these. Por ejemplo: Ya comí - I already ate

ya - now “¡Necesito que lo hagas ya!” - I need you to do it now

ya - soon  “Ya van a llegar los resultados” - The results will get here soon.

ya - okay/sure “Mi hermano me llamó ayer diciendo que no podrá hacerlo mañana”.- ‘Mmm ya. Está bien” -My brother called and said he won’t be able to do it tomorrow. - “Oh okay. That’s fine.”

(basta) ya/ya (basta) - enough *This one is usually accompanied by basta either before or after but it can stand alone* “¡Ya! ¡Basta!” - Enough! Stop it!

ya - whether it be/be it “Mi perro siempre está feliz de estar conmigo ya en el carro o en la casa.” - My dog is always happy to be with me whether it be in the car or at home.

I believe Duolingo has a Spanish podcast that’s more on the learning side.

There’s also News in Slow Spanish.

Hi all. Lately with the virus here in China I have been stuck inside studying. I am also been watching a few new shows in my spare time lately. Here are some of my favourite for intermediate-lower advanced listeners.

Firstly, where can you watch shows?

There are an abundance of places to watch shows, especially within China but you can often find shows on Youtube or on various C/K/J-drama sites outside (though if you can it’s best to watch with only Chinese subtitles). 

Tip: If you can’t understand everything, watch once with English subs, and re-watch again with Chinese subs only!

Anyway, on to my list, I have split these between TV series and reality shows:

TV Series

1. 都挺好 

https://youtu.be/Y8r6WW0n_uI

This is a story about family life and the burden children may feel of their parents, it reflects modern day Chinese social issues. I really enjoyed this drama

2. 亲爱的，热爱的

I have just started watching this one. It is a love story and the main character became really popular in China last year!

3. 欢乐颂

This is sometimes called the Sex and the City of China, its about working women in the city of Shanghai!

Variety/reality

1. 爱情保卫战

This is one of my favourites! It’s a talk show where two people go on to solve their romantic issues and four ‘experts’ give them advice. Its spoken in very natural Chinese and is very interesting to see people arguing about “He was looking at another girl” or “he has changed since we first met” haha! 

2. 非诚勿扰

This is the ‘Take me out’ of China, kinda… It’s essentially the same format without the crude jokes, tho. Sometimes they have foreigners on the show looking for love too.

3. 外国人在中国

This show is good for intermediates as there are foreigners speaking, the level is easier to understand in general and discusses basic things such as daily life. It also can give you a glimpse into people’s lives who are here studying too!

14 Day Langblr/ Languages Challenge by lass-uns-studieren

On a whim one lazy morning, I thought I ought to create a langblr challenge. You don’t see many of these around as you do regular studyblr challenges so I felt like making one specifically for all the langblrs out there. Have fun!

Your target languages and why you want to learn them

Favourite word in your target language(s)

Post a progress pic from Duolingo or Memrise or Quizlet

Make a recipe in your target language. If you can’t do that, translate a recipe from your native to your targer ot vice versa

Fave quote in your target language(s)

Show us your language resources/ exercise books

Hardest thing about your target language(s)

Your favourite songs/bands in your target language(s)

Show us how you write in your target language(s); in any alphabet

If your native language wasn’t x, what’d you want it to be and why? If you like your native language, why would you stick with it? 

If you could wake up one day speaking another foreign language, what’d it be? (it can’t be any of the ones you’re currently studying!)

Read the news in your target language(s) and summarise what you’ve learnt of current events

What is your favourite untranslatable word/phrase and why?