What I've been doing since finishing six Duolingo courses

My Duolingo subscription has ended, and I won't be renewing it. At first when I finished six courses a few months ago, I was doing the German refresh exercises. Then I realized I was tired of playing that game, so I started reading more foreign-language sources and watching Easy German, Easy French, and Easy Spanish. 

I also spend time practically every day looking at headlines on Twitter and translating the ones that I understand or am interested in. News in other languages is really hard, even just the headlines. Sometimes I will look at a German headline, for instance, and will perhaps understand the first couple of words, then it will all break down as I continue. I keep reading German like I would read a Romance language. But German puts their infinitives at the end or they split them, and they also don't use prepositions and possessives like the Romance languages do. So as my eye follows along, my mind gets stuck. But yesterday, I managed to translate some German, in addition to Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese tweets.

I also finished writing a draft of a novella. I started on June 1 and finished it on July 11. I was ready to start revising it right away, but then stepped back, realizing that I should restructure the story, so I'm currently doing that. 

I'm continuing to take a French class at the Alliance Française; I started last year, and it is fantastic. The teacher is highly trained and is a native French and English speaker who was born here but grew up in France, so we learn the language as well as the culture. I've realized that it's very important to not only learn the correct words and grammar, but to learn about the country as well. It makes the class more interesting and I'm motivated to find out more about France, where I've never been. Sometimes I look at my brother's old French college textbook to brush up on grammar and language structure, and of course, I have a long way to go. I think I'm going to try to go to France next year to study for a couple of weeks and travel, which I'm doing next month in Germany via Easy German. 

Unfortunately, my book-reading is down; I made the mistake of reading a few books at once, and each is very long, so I haven't finished any of them yet. So I'm concentrating on finishing one before my Germany trip. I've also been watching documentaries and British shows, watching NHK shows, and enjoying life outside of Duolingo. 

Duolingo got me back into intense language-learning, and I haven't stopped. I feel like I'm where I was years ago in the early days of this blog, when my life was more language-focused. This is probably one of the best years of my life.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Work-life balance as a screener

A while ago, I applied for a job that I was totally qualified for. But the first part of the online application had a list of words and phrases that we had to click. The question was: "What words describe you, and what's important to you?" This was their way of screening, like lawyers trying to choose a jury. Who knows what that organization was searching for; I felt like whatever I answered would be wrong, and I didn't make it past that initial online application anyway.

The phrase that stuck out to me was "work-life balance is important." By clicking that and some other related words, it would paint a picture, and the decision-makers could decide if they want to talk to the applicant. I felt like clicking incongruous words to confuse them, but I predictably clicked certain words that probably gave my intensity away. Maybe it signaled my age or something else, like I was too serious, not ready to laugh at a silly joke at the water cooler.

All the phrases seemed trite, like the organization was trying to put people into categories and slots based on their answers: "Oh, this applicant clicked these words; that means they're such-and-such age, they'll aware, they're sensitive, they need meaning," etc. 

I walk by that organization often (I live nearby, and thought that would be a selling point, but they didn't care), and sometimes I want to ask someone coming out of there what the deal is. Did they hire someone for the role? What kinds of people are they looking for? Why do they ask such questions? Do applicants have to create a brand in order to be accepted, then have to maintain it once they're hired? What if they understand the organization's game, play it well, then get in and feel stressed that they have to keep pretending?

Since work-life balance has been a trend in recent years, maybe that organization is screening people based on that, determining that if anyone clicks that phrase, they're "current" and "modern." The organization has lots of buzzwords on their website, so it seems like it's trying to appear hip.

Here's my work-life balance: I want work that is honest, in a place that is healthy and drama-free. Then my life will be more balanced.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Real Artists Ship

Now that I have more time to write and maintain this blog after not deleting it for 20 years, I've been thinking about what it means to create something when no one is waiting. It's July 1st, and I no longer have to write to deadlines nor for anyone anymore. Maybe I'll go back to professional writing, and I wouldn't mind it, but this is the first time in many years that I'm not in it. 

So now I've been wondering what's motivating me. I've been so used to external validation or expectations or just being part of a team, that I was motivated by some kind of structure. But without that established structure, what is left?

I've been thinking a lot, questioning, and came upon this fantastic quote from Steve Jobs: "Real artists ship." Since I'm not creating anything for consumers, I have nothing to ship. So the shipping becomes posting. Real writers post, even when there's no one waiting for it.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

I don't use AI to write this blog

I've had this blog for 20 years, and even though we now have AI technology to write content, I'm not using it to write this blog. 

The reason why I mention this now is because the Chicago Sun-Times used AI for content, which created fake information, which wasn't even checked. That's journalism 101: you're supposed to check your sources and verify content. It's something that is supposed to be taught in school as well, though it seems various academics have gotten away with plagiarism and fake data. 

Yesterday, someone said that another person told them to use AI to write an article/blog post (forgot which one, but it was supposed to be original content), and another writer was told to use AI to work out some writing issues for original creative content. I can see using AI to bounce off ideas, but to write content? People are flooding the internet with content, and they don't care how it's being produced; they want clicks and clients. I see various posts on LinkedIn that sound similar or generic, especially when someone is looking for work. It's the same exact message (I won't quote it here, but I'm sure you've seen it). Such people can't manage to write just a few sentences on their own? I wonder what hiring managers think when they see that.

I'm not saying AI is horrible. I sometimes use it as an interactive journal or to ask it language questions (such as the use of "le" as an indirect object pronoun in Spanish). I don't use it for research or to write my content. And I definitely didn't use it for the novel I wrote. Writing that book was so much work, and it was really draining because I had to become a character to get inside her feelings. It was like acting, but I had to use words to convey the thoughts and actions of the character. It's very difficult to build something from words. You have to convey so much without images, and hope that the reader constructs effective images to understand the characters and story. I also had to structure the book to keep the plot moving. It took a lot of time and rewrites. I wrote during work breaks, at home, at coffee shops, at an office. It was so all-consuming that I don't even know if I can do it again (plus I haven't had public success, which is disappointing). Sometimes I think that people who haven't written from scratch are quick to judge and don't understand the intense effort it takes to complete something. I wish I had the public approval as a "reward," but I just have to pat myself on the back for just getting it out there.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

I finished the French, Italian, and Spanish Duolingo courses!

When I started this post, I had finished the French Duolingo course. 

Then I saw that I was making good progress on the Italian one, so I finished that as well.

Then I decided to finish the Spanish course, and made my goal Easter because it's a public date. I had done the same thing with Japanese and Portuguese last year; I finished Easter night. This year Easter was Sunday, and I finished the Spanish by Thursday. By that time, I was so tired from doing all those lessons and tests in my free time, I relaxed for a bit. 

This is what it looks like when you reach the end: the owl is reading, and when you finish the Daily Refresh, the owl cheers (as pictured above). 

But the app doesn't. Duolingo doesn't have any congratulatory message when you finish because I suspect they don't want you to, which is why I attempted to go past the finish line. What was frustrating was that for the past couple of years, I was making progress on a language course, then Duolingo would add more lessons, extending the paths. Then when I made more progress, they'd add more. Since they kept changing the goalposts, I decided to change mine and play to win.

At this point, all six languages I've finished are on Daily Refresh, and it resets every day. I decided to stick with German until my subscription ends; I'm going to Germany in late summer, so I really need to improve. I was so focused on finishing that I neglected other German sources; now I will spend more time there before my trip. 

Here's what it looks like when you reach the end of Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, and German. The gold color is when you do the extra challenges at the end, but they're all on Daily Refresh at this point. Remember: Duolingo probably doesn't want you to finish, but don't let it discourage you from trying.

Not working in a toxic workplace makes a huge difference

I was talking to someone who still works in a toxic workplace, and I've talked to other people who've left such places. If you feel awful even though you do a good job, read the book The As$hole Survival Guide for tips. Basically, you shouldn't work in toxic workplaces, but if you love what you do and want to stay, or if you have to stay for financial reasons, the book has tips. But expert Robert Sutton still says to leave because it will hurt and worsen you.

This is what a healthy workplace is like: 

Your questions are answered and you can get help if needed. You're positively recognized for the good work that you do. You are spoken to respectfully. No one is going behind your back to ruin your reputation, and there are no Mean Girl cliques (that can also include guys). No one yells at you, makes fun of you, belittles you, lies about you, or puts things in your way to trip you up. You are paid fairly. You only have to focus on the challenges of your job, not sharks. You feel good when you leave and can easily enter the other part of your life. You see a future and feel good about the present.

This is what a toxic place is like:

People make fun of you for caring about your job, caring about details, caring about ethics, being responsive, being passionate, being intellectually curious, expressing concern. People yell at you every day and management says "that's how they are." People favor others while ostracizing you. You don't get paid what you should, while new hires with not much experience get paid more. Laziness is overlooked and/or rewarded. You are not judged on the content of your character or the quality of your work. You have to focus on getting your work done, plus navigate the harmful environment, so you're always stressed. You're belittled, dismissed, told to lie, told to forget, told what you saw is not actually what you saw. Competency is punished and integrity is mocked. Everyone complains about every little thing, even if they're paid well. People "work at home" and aren't monitored or held accountable. No one trusts anyone, and there's an air of paranoia and anger. People get ahead based on how they look, even if they're lazy, liars, incompetent, or inexperienced. 

In education, if a student lies about you and management believes the student and doesn't care about your side of the story, you're in a toxic school. If a principal tells you to change your grading curve so that a percentage of students will pass, or you're supposed to pass students who actually failed, it won't get any better; find another school. Same goes for a school that makes you give students answers to tests. If a school doesn't respect you as a teacher and forces you to comply to their corruption, you will suffer. Take care of yourself; find a school that deserves you and doesn't lie.

In business, if people come in late, leave early, do outside work on company time, goof off, and all of that is recorded via video cameras and punch-in software, but you get in trouble and they don't, it's a toxic company. Toxic workplaces can use that tech against you if they don't like you; they can show you the data to build a case against you.

No wonder people want to "work at home." They can work wherever they want and to the extent they want, and not be held to the same standards as those who have to physically show up. They can even use a VPN to hide where they really are, and simultaneously work at another job, hobby, shopping, gaming.

I currently do not work in toxic places. If you do and always feel horrible, get a plan and get out. (I'll keep updating this post as I continue to talk to people.)

I finished the German Duolingo course!

I didn't post anything about this publicly, but I had a goal to finish the German Duolingo course by May. But then I decided to use my downtime to finish it by the end of March. Then I ramped it up and wanted to finish it by Sunday night. I did all the sections by midnight Sunday and posted the accomplishment on Twitter/X, but wanted to get a good screenshot of the Daily Refresh section to post here, so I just redid that section to get this:

This doesn't mean I'm done studying German; I have a long way to go, and now my goal is to get even better by August because I'm going to Berlin to study for a couple of weeks with Easy German. I will do a separate post about that, but I'm very excited to go to Germany. I haven't been there in several years, and back then my German was horrible.

Easy German is fantastic

I was trying to figure out a good way to study German, and saw someone online mention Easy German. Usually I use something for free before paying for it, but I knew right away it was worth the subscription price. 

I don't like using flash cards. In the past, I created them for various languages, and a while ago, a Japanese teacher gave me a bunch of them, which I still have. Flashcards work for a lot of people, but they seem too isolated for me. I like to learn words in context, and I've even gotten to the point that I won't even try to learn all the grammar at first in order to get a feeling for a language. 

That's why I love Easy German. They have a lot of videos where they ask people questions, so we get to hear native speakers, and they add German and English subtitles for each video. Other videos feature slower German, explanations in German, and recaps of meetings or trips they've taken. They also send transcripts, vocabulary, and other exercises with the paid subscriptions, so the $60 price is worth it. At first, I went to the members-only Discord, but it seemed too difficult for me, and I'd rather spend more time offline than on.

I got a chance to meet the three main members of the Easy German team, and they were the same offline as they are in the videos, which made me appreciate them even more. I've seen various language-learning videos where the hosts seem pretty hyper, like they're trying to sell something, but Easy German keeps it real (unlike the phony author/speaker I met a while ago who was quite unfriendly offline and didn't seem to actually like people). 

I've also watched Easy Spanish, Easy Italian, and Easy French. They're all good ways to hear the language naturally while following along via the subtitles.

But I still have to learn the grammar. Right now, I'm struggling with German prepositions and split verbs, so I need to grow up and tackle those and more.

para isn't the same in English

I've noticed that Spanish speakers use "for" often, and I've realized that it probably comes from the use of "para." 

For example: "Estudio para aprender" is "I study to learn" in English, but some people say "I study for to learn" or "I study for learn." I think it's because people are directly translating "para aprender" literally. 

Spanish infinitives are always one word that is conjugated (-ar, -er, -ir), but English infinitives are "to" plus the base verb. So instead of transferring the concept from Spanish into English, drop it and think in English.

At home

I've decided to post some English tips here since I've been teaching ESL a lot more, and I encounter similar issues in pretty much every class.

Here's a common phrase I hear:

"On Saturday, I stayed in my house."

This means that you are literally inside the house, instead of outside the house; you're saying that you are in an enclosed physical space. 

Instead, you have to use "at" instead of "in" because it's an activity at a location. 

"On Saturday, I stayed at home."

This person is inside a house (as opposed to outside the house).

Free time

For the first time in a while, I have a lot of free time because I'm between semesters and am working only one gig during this time. I've been doing Duolingo (Italian, German, French, Spanish), studying French at the Alliance Française, and will meet with a student at least once a week to learn how to speak Spanish better. We're going to do an exchange: we will practice speaking our target language with each other, so one block will be English and the other will be Spanish. He's randomly helped me with Spanish in the past, which is why I asked him if he wants to do an exchange. 

Even though my Spanish isn't where it should be, I experienced an exciting moment when I went to a store last weekend: the cashier spoke Spanish to me, I answered, and she continued speaking Spanish. Usually people start to speak Spanish, then switch to English, but I guess she sensed that I could manage it. I was very happy about that, and it helped break through my block.

I'm also still fake blogging, working through ideas for a fictional journal I plan to post publicly. It's pretty impossible to sell books, but not impossible to write.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

About fake blogs again

An experienced writer told me that the term "fake blog" may imply certain controversial concepts, thus when I keep telling people and writing about my fake blogs, it could have negative implications. 

Sure, "fictional blog" is more accurate, but I still like the term "fake blog." But when I looked up examples, saw how the phrase is used, and even asked AI, everything was sinister; nothing showed up as a mere fictional attempt to write in another voice. Many places mention the fake blog that Walmart/Edelman set up, and Wikipedia's description of fake blogs is about deception and mockery: "appears to originate from a credible, non-biased and independent source, but which in fact is created by a company or organization for the purpose of marketing a product, service, or political viewpoint."

Yikes. I'm not doing that at all, just having fun. And I still like the term because it's succinct and punchy, just two syllables. I'm just writing in the voice of someone else, such as Tyler Perry did with Madea in the book that I just finished, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life. It's incredible that Tyler Perry was able to write more than 200 pages in a character's voice. That's what I'm doing, but I'm doing it via blogs, and I'm not making any money off of them and am forever toiling in obscurity. Tyler Perry is on a whole other level and is an A-list content creator, entertainer, businessman, celebrity, wealthy guy, etc. I'm obviously not; I just like to explore ideas, take notes, and create something from them. 

So as for now, I'm still going to use the term "fake blog" and I am still writing there frequently. At this point, it's a combination of fun and is sort of like a sketchbook, working out ideas, characters, and action, but in a journal form. Maybe I'll formalize it, give it structure, and publish something as a short booklet on Amazon. 

20 years

I wish I could report something more exciting, such as winning a real award, but so far I've had a few strikes in that area, and will probably have more. But I am happy to report that I got to the top of the Duolingo mountain for the second time. 

I am definitely back to my language-studying and enjoyment roots, which is appropriate because this blog is now 20 YEARS OLD. I've obviously not posted as much as in the early years, but at least I never deleted it or moved on. 

The biggest difference between then and now is the rise of social media and proliferation of digital content. Even language study and translation is much easier. I used to have to buy large dictionaries, but now there are so many resources online that I feel even more inadequate in my language-acquisition pursuits. But it never ends, and I'm glad I'm totally back. It's definitely a big part of my life now and will be for the rest of my life. 

Danke/merci/obrigada/gracias/ありがとう/grazie!

Not working in a toxic environment frees your mind

I've been detoxing from previous hate-filled, backstabbing, unfair work situations (I'm currently working in non-toxic environments, thanks to the advice in the excellent book The Asshole Survival Guide, which I wrote about in a blog post here). One thing I've noticed is that my mind has been freed up to think about things and think about what I really like to do. At first when I unplugged from destruction and from a busy schedule, thoughts flooded my mind. I wanted to get busy again to stop the thoughts, but an introspective person told me that it's good to think and reflect. So I started pondering; here's what I've been thinking:

• Based on a biography I read about Charles Schulz ("Schulz and Peanuts"), it seems like the United States became a consumer society after World War II, though the BBC explains that consumerism started increasing in the early 20th century. Reading about American consumerism caused me to think about ideological consumerism. I've noticed that people who live in isolated situations (a suburban cul-de-sac, a small town, a limited neighborhood) where they don't encounter many people IRL use digital and social media to consume ideas and enticing images. Whereas previously (pre-Internet), the mass media fueled consumerism and put out societal messages, now anyone who doesn't really want to talk to actual humans can consume what they want and identify with trends that define who they are or who they want to be. They'll see catchy slogans that aren't based on actual facts, history, or accurate definitions; if the headline is punchy and the spokesperson stylish, they'll go along with it. Some may even emerge from their enclosed spaces to inflict or wish harm on others, furthering their identification with a perceived cool group. And then they create a clique: if you think like me, you're fine. If you don't think like me, you deserve to be ruined. They're walking around the mall of ideas with their clique rather than having to interact with different kinds of people to survive. 
• Just because someone is educated and/or rich doesn't mean they are more cosmopolitan or refined. I've met barely-educated people who are smarter, friendlier, more perceptive, and more open-minded than people who have gone to college. I've also met people who have more dignity, with better manners, than rich people. Wealth doesn't equal class, and education doesn't equal understanding. There's an assumption that wealthy people have access to more, so they can participate in more mind- and experience-broadening activities, and choose the best style, architecture, possessions...anything exquisitely man-made, but they don't necessarily choose what is tasteful or aesthetically pleasing; they prefer to be brash. And there are rich people who don't use their wealth to expand their understanding of the world or enjoy more of its complexities; such rich folks are simple consumers who don't want to go beyond what they know because they assume they don't need to know anything other than what surrounds them. And educated people have supposedly read more and taken in more ideas, but they can be just as provincial as someone who's never gone beyond 8th grade in an isolated area. The "highly educated" can also be racist, prejudiced, and judgmental, automatically jumping to conclusions about people who are different from them. It's as if their education barely made a dent in their already-hardened minds. Provincialism and narrow-mindedness can be applied to anyone, no matter how educated or rich they are.
• Some people's ideas convey tunnel of mind and cul-de-sac thinking.
• Marilyn Monroe used to stand out for how she presented herself in the public sphere. Now anyone can be like her, and more-so, on social media.
• There are many good writers in the media, which confirms the assumption that educated people can write. And the media pros have to write to tight deadlines. But now that I'm working more in other areas, I'm noticing that various educated people can't write, or their writing is full of grammatical errors (such as lots of comma splices on LinkedIn, poor sentence construction in memos and emails, run-on sentences, misspellings, etc.). So why can't good writers who thoroughly understand grammar get work?  
• You know you're starting to get over grief, toxicity, betrayal, or another negative experience when you are thinking about future plans instead of replaying past events.
• I love language. That's why I started this blog 20 years ago. But eventually, I was so busy trying to survive toxic work situations that I didn't have the mental space to study languages much. Now that my mind is free, I'm spending a lot more time studying and enjoying French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese. And luckily, a boss in one of my non-toxic work situations also loves languages. To reiterate, not working in a toxic situation frees your mind to do what you enjoy. You occupy your own space that no one can violate. Don't let them break through.  
• When I exit my home and walk outside, I see thousands of people. There are people from all over the country and around the world, speaking different languages, wearing different clothes, having a good time. It reminds me that we can't generalize or assume that there are simple solutions to problems. It's easier to judge and simplify societal analysis when people are isolated or live near people who are similar to them. The way to create more harmony is to talk to all kinds of people. People operate like tubes; they get in their cars, drive to their destination, do what they have to, then get back in their cars and go to their next destination, or go back home where they can do what they want alone. American culture's individualistic nature, technology, dynamic digitalization, and developed infrastructure create barriers. It takes effort for someone to get off their own track and interact with others. It's like we're little planets orbiting around the concept of the pursuit of happiness but only latching on to what serves us best.
• Stolen Valor in the non-military sense. I have enough opinions about the topic that I could easily write a blog post about it, and if I were a gifted comedian, I'd do a bit about it. But I don't want to discuss it publicly because the Internet is harsh, and I'm not rich to say or do whatever I want.
• Speaking of being rich, I've been making a list of what I would do if I were rich. I think it's because I often walk in rich areas and have the space in my mind to imagine such things. I'll never be rich, but it doesn't stop me from wondering.
• I have failed many times, but at least I try.
• Smart guys have built successful companies, employing thousands. But because those guys are so smart and not empathetic, it doesn't matter how rich or successful their companies are. If they lack the empathy gene, they'll be awful to work for, and people shouldn't rationalize their behavior. They've created good tech or whatever, but that doesn't give them a pass to treat people badly or not understand human beings.
• If you know what your passion is, stick to it and pursue it. Don't let them win.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Briefly reached first place

I got first place in the highest league on Duolingo, but it happened on the last Sunday in May, right before Memorial Day. But I'm mentioning it now because I forgot to post it a few weeks ago, and it's blog-worthy because such an achievement is difficult. Since then, my language pursuits have expanded: I've been doing Italian on Duolingo every day, am trying to improve my Spanish where I teach (I don't need to speak it well but it's nice to make attempts), and will begin a French course this week. I can read French moderately well, but my speaking is pretty much non-existent, so the class will be helpful because it's immersive and conversation-focused. I'll probably write about it here because I haven't taken an in-person language class in years.

Men's Pocky replacement

Several years ago, I did a post about Men's Pocky メンズポッキー, but after that, I could no longer find it at Mitsuwa, which carries all the Pocky products. When I was at the Sweets & Snacks Expo last year, I asked the Pocky folks what happened, and they just said it was discontinued. I liked it because it was dark chocolate, but I didn't see such a product for a while.

Then last week, I found a Men's Pocky replacement at Hello Tokyo in Niles: Pocky カカオ60％ (Cacao 60%). The first screen at the website says "The most bitter Pocky ever. Whole-grain cocoa pretzels. Bitter chocolate with 60% cacao."

Here's the translation for the main screen: "Dark, fragrant. Pocky Cacao 60%. Bitter chocolate with authentic cacao. Bitter chocolate with 60% cacao is combined with whole-grain cocoa pretzels. Mild sweetness made with beautifully fragrant Ecuadorian cacao. One bag has 367 mg of cacao polyphenols. Delightful, authentic cacao Pocky, with plant fiber."

It's actually better than Men's Pocky. But I can't say the same for Banana Pocky. It's worse than before. I'll post about that later.

Still fake blogging

Someone in a writing group was sort of mocking me for often writing in my fake blogs, but at least I'm writing. The bottom line is that writers write. I've met people who haven't even finished anything and don't post anything in public. I do, and have, and will continue to. I've gotten paid to write, have written a novel, have been blogging for years, and have added two fake blogs to my pursuits.

It's fun to escape reality and pretend I'm someone else. At first I had only one fake blog, but I added another one to process the toxicity that I've experienced and seen over the years. It's so liberating to write in a different space and take on the mind of a created character.  

I wasn't planning on posting this today because I've been working on a Japanese-related post this week, but I wanted to mention the fake blogging because it appears that I haven't posted to this real blog in a while. 

And since I no longer work before dawn nor in toxic workplaces, I'm still using that renewed energy to study various languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, French, Italian, and German. Lately I've been focusing more on French and Spanish, with the other sprinkled in. I love studying languages, and I am so glad I quit draining, abusive, unfair situations!

I finished the Duolingo Portuguese course!

A couple of weeks ago, I said that I was studying Portuguese more intensely and thought I would be done with the Duolingo course more towards June. But I decided to try to finish the course by Easter, which was yesterday, and I managed to finish it last night. So I got to the finish line by the end of March, and now it's the beginning of April, a fresh start for another pursuit. 

Since the beginning of the year, I've finished the Japanese and Portuguese courses. But I don't think Duolingo really cares if we finish; it seems like they want us to stay mired in endless lessons because they keep changing and extending their courses. While I'm very glad I've attained a couple of major language goals, I don't really want to use Duolingo as much anymore. My paid account ends in July and I am not going to renew the subscription.

I wasn't planning on saying anything negative, but the Duolingo admins blocked my post about it on an online forum. I'd posted an image and wrote two sentences about it, but they said that violated their rules because they wanted a more robust written description. I thought, okay, I finished a course. That's a big deal; why aren't they accepting that as-is? They're constantly throwing out stats saying how rare such engagement is, but when you actually achieve something, they downplay it, not just in discussions but in the app. They celebrate tiny wins but don't care about the larger ones. So I wrote a longer description and was not blocked when I posted it again, but there was a bot answer that told people how they should engage with my post. 

I've been studying languages and teaching ESL for several years. I'm obviously really into language and have kept this blog going for almost 20 years. But a bot blocking me, then responding to posts (not just mine) to tell people what they should say, in addition to an app that keeps moving the goal lines, is sort of crass. That's why I'm way more appreciative of what Easy German is doing. I'll be doing a post about them in the future. But in the meantime, yes, I'm happy that I learned a lot and finished two courses, and will still engage with Duolingo a bit every day, but I'm not going to promote them anymore, even to my students.

I translated a bit of German

When I had more time between jobs, I decided to spend more time on Twitch to listen to electronic music, especially from Germany because I was trying to improve my German while listening to music that was very different than what's popular in Chicago. 

What I've noticed is that American music has been hip hop-oriented while Germany seems to not have focused on such beats or sounds, and what they call "House" really isn't the House that originated in Chicago. It's also interesting when the DJs don't speak much English because they play music that is more European-based, and to me it's both enjoyable and interesting. I haven't been to Europe in several years, so it's like I'm traveling via music. 

One day I was listening to a German DJ and I noticed that his bio was only in German. Even if other DJs don't know English very well, they usually manage to translate their info, even if it isn't so perfect. So I asked him in the chat if he wanted me to translate his bio into English, and he said yes. At first, I didn't see it in his profile, so I figured he didn't want to post it. Then he did, and here it is: 

Meine Leidenschaft zur Musik begann schon vor einer gefühlten Ewigkeit. Mit den ersten Schul-Disco's wuchs die Liebe zum DJ'ing.
Seit 89 war ich dann über 12 Jahre aktiv als DJ in Clubs und Diskotheken unterwegs.
Nach einer längeren Pause bin ich jetzt wieder hier am Start und möchte euch auf meinem Kanal eine Galaxie voller elektronischer Musik präsentieren.
Begleitet mich auf meiner Reise durch die unendlichen Weiten mit elektronischen Melodic und Progressive Sounds, chillt mit Deep-House Music oder tanzt ab bei Special-Sets mit House-Music oder ab und zu bei Sets mit Musik aus 80er, 90er oder Trance-Classics.
Werdet Teil einer tollen Community 

My passion for music began what feels like an eternity ago. From my first school discos, my love of DJ’ing grew. I was an active DJ in clubs and discos from 1989 for more than 12 years.
After a long break I’m back, starting here again, and want to offer you a galaxy full of electronic music on my channel.
Join me on my journey through the infinite expanses of electronic melodic and progressive sounds. Chill out with deep house music or dance the night away to special sets with house music, or sometimes sets with music from the 80s, 90s or trance classics.
Be part of a great community. 

The intro is still only in German, so I'll post the translation that I did here: 

Herzlich Willkommmen auf dem Kanal von Galaxy-Music! Neben spacig-elektronischem Sound aus Melodic und Progressive House, gibt es hier auch irdische Klänge mit Deep-House, House... bis hin zu Special-Set's. Enjoy it and feel the Music und werde ein Teil unserer großartigen Community.  

A warm welcome to the Galaxy-Music channel! In addition to the spacey-electronic sounds of melodic and progressive House, there are also the earthly sounds of Deep-House, House…including Special-Sets here. Enjoy it and feel the music and be a part of our great community.  

My next German-translating endeavor is going to be an article about a German electronica group that I also discovered on Twitch.  

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.

Getting more into Portuguese

After I finished the Japanese Duolingo course, I decided to try to finish another course. Before trying to attain the Japanese goal, I'd been spending a lot of time on German, with other languages sprinkled in. But the satisfaction of finishing something I'd started caused me to look at the length of each of the courses I was taking, and they were either really long or extremely long. I think it's because the courses are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Spanish and French look like they'll take forever, and German will take a long time as well. Italian seems better, but Portuguese seems more manageable. So I've decided to concentrate on that, and I'm having a great time.

My previous exposure to Portuguese was several years ago in some casual lessons and a couple of trips to Brazil. I also translated Portuguese into English for work and for fun, which didn't seem difficult after trying to tackle Japanese translation. So my Duolingo learning is pretty challenging, especially because it's hard to understand the audio. If I want to skip a unit, the vocabulary questions seem easy, but I don't always understand the dictation. So when I see the correct answer, I understand what's written and am pretty annoyed that I wasn't able to discern the words.

It's sort of messed up my Spanish, which wasn't that great anyway. Now I'm working in more Spanish environments, so I have to sometimes speak it and understand what people are saying to me. But sometimes I'll say a word that is correct in Portuguese but is wrong in Spanish, so my mind feels more scrambled. The other day I told some Spanish speakers that I've been doing more Portuguese in Duolingo than Spanish, and they were cool about it, but I was sort of frustrated that I'm attempting different languages but they're just mush in my mind. But I feel like my reading skills are still solid, so at least I have that going for me :) If people email me in Spanish I understand, and I understand articles pretty well, but listening is difficult and speaking is almost impossible at this point. 

Because Duolingo can't be used alone to get a better grasp of a language, I've been looking at some old books on my shelf such as Essential Portuguese Grammar and Teach Yourself Portuguese, which are written for English speakers, and Bem-Vindo, which is more challenging because it's totally in Portuguese. They're all still useful even though they're from early in the century. I even have a Portuguese Bible that I bought years ago in Brazil. It's written in modern Portuguese, so it's not that hard to understand.

I'm planning on finishing the Portuguese course before the summer. And I would love to go to Portugal sometime because everyone says it's a fantastic country to visit, and some people say it's the best.

p.s. the e-book version of my debut novel is still at Amazon, and the price for the print version has been reduced: buy at the Eckhartz Press site.