Regular -ar verbs

Yo bailo. Well, not usually – but on occasion. So mostly then, Yo no bailo.  Had the first test yesterday, which was an odd experience. I can’t recall the last time I had a “test”, in a classroom setting. It’s quite interesting to re-claim that role of student in such a basic way. I’m used to academics, but it’s of a different sort.

Learning to conjugate verbs – I, You, He/She/It | We, You, They  | Present tense – I had forgotten how many tenses there are. The odd thing is that in using language – well I suppose this is true for many things – in using language the rules fade away during the practical application….I do not need to know that it’s future perfect progressive in order to say: Next tuesday, I will have been working on (x) for a decade. Maybe I never knew that. Present perfect tense? I couldn’t define it, but I can use it in conversation without thought. And in hearing or reading….meaning arises.

Maybe that makes sense?

Filed under: General notes, Learning

My journey into language learning, as an adult.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be taking a spanish 101 course in the afternoon, 4 days a week. Last week was the first week and I was reflecting on the process last night – when I should have been peacefully asleep – and figured why not blog the process? Folks blog things of a more trivial nature, and I can use this blog to track my progress, reflect on learning and generally ruminate in a reasonably focused way about some of the things that interest me.

I’ve had some experience with Spanish, but it has been of necessity – learned on the fly and used as needed. Certainly not a structured, intentional process. So, time to go back to basics – conjugating verbs and grammar and the fundamentals of learning a language. And using my brain in a way that has long been fallow. And worrying about the weekly tests – such an odd experience.

Class is a mixed bag. Some 20-somethings, and then us older folks. Some meeting requirements for degrees and some there to learn for practical application. It’s very much a different environment than the grad classes I’ve taken the past few years where dialog and free thought reign. This is learning of a banking sort. Packing things away and taking them out as needed.

Filed under: General notes, Learning