380

I have a little French Reader—Advanced French Conversation—from 1942. I also have a German Reader, a Teach Yourself book, from 1964. Both are small and easy to carry around, albeit of limited use.

They both speak of patterns, to some degree at least. But they have an anal-retentive approach to learning them. For example:

“Five or ten minutes devoted daily to one conversation should suffice for the proper mastery of it within a week.”

The “constructions” are “singled out for attention”.

I find it fascinating to discover I already have a good intuitive sense of German word order.

Today: D2 J2 G1

Total: J53 D29 G15 Sp5 F1

379

Maybe not. Maybe I won’t simply work through a list of activities—describing them, that it. It’s kind of boring doing that. And it doesn’t leave room for spontaneity. No, I’ll deal with the topic of activities later.

I’ve ‘rescued’ a couple of labels these past two days. Yesterday I wanted ‘eureka’ and today I want ‘compulsive reading’. The thing is, I’m really into Het Laatsde Boek, so much so that I literally can’t put it (the Kindle) down. So I’m doing more Dutch than Japanese. 

I wonder—could I get into that situation with multiple books in multiple languages?

Today: D3 J2 G1

Total: J51 D27 G14 Sp5 F1

378

Eureka! Yes, I had that moment when it all comes together. I was struck by the clear image that I need to present what has hitherto been multifarious thinking. In other words, I got the Big Idea.

Heinrich’s Manoeuvre I’ve been calling it. A sort of pun viz-a-viz the Heimlich Maneuver, the term for the first-aid that you perform on people choking.

Well, there are people choking too on less-than-optimal language learning instruction. These folk are damaged goods. Therefore, I say—

“For language first-aid you need Henrich’s Manoeuvre!” 

So that’s the brand I mean to run with. Thank you brain.

Today: D5 J2 G1 F1

Total: J49 D24 G13 Sp5 F1

377

But before I begin that (describing my activities) there’s something else.

Previously, I’ve sketched out a 30-step language acquisition pathway. I’ve planned books and the like. But what I tend to come up is often too elaborate and unwieldy.

So yesterday I was pleased to come up with a much more streamlined pathway. It only took me about an hour to design, but that bodes well.

It concentrates on practical instruction. It goes light on theory (actually, the theory is non-existent).

The next step—for me—is to try it out, probably with Polish.

Now then, back to my activities . . . 

Today: J5 D5 G5 Sp 2

Total: J47 D19 G12 Sp5

376

I’ve had absolutely no instruction in the grammar of Dutch. Neither has any language speaker (on the way to becoming an English speaker) but because they’ve ‘had’ English at school they believe that that’s helped. Especially teachers fall prey to this way of thinking. Knowing Dutch as I do, I can see through the illusion.

I’m happy with my tallying system. I had a great day doing various activities. I’ve created quite a number of them. So, as I mentioned 2 days ago I’m in danger of losing track! Over the next few days I’ll describe them one by one. 

Today: J5 D5 G1 S1. Total: J42 D14 G7 Sp3

375

The more that I’m able to divorce language from people, the better I perform. That is to say, people are a problem for me. Dealing with them makes me agonise. And to the extent that I become my own monitor—conduct a running commentary of my own life from an external perspective—it’s even hard to live with myself.

That’s probably a topic too large to address in 100 words!

Teaching, writing, interacting with family, red tape, earning a living—all of it involves people. You can’t escape them, not unless you find a good book. I feel safe within.

Today: J5. Total: J37 D9 G6 Sp2

374

Again, this may seem like endless noodling—and maybe it is—but I’m going to adjust my language log.

I’ll give each language 1 to 4 points for up to each quarter hour, and 5 for anything over the hour. Yesterday, then, I get 5 points for Japanese. (I’ll summarize hereunder the data from since I started.)

Another tweak: I’ll enter on index cards the various activities for each language. I need them to keep track. So for example, a new Japanese activity that I began yesterday is reading Pipi Longstocking. ’Twas the first proper Japanese book that Sachi read.

374: J5

373: J1 D2 G1 S2

372: J5 D2 G1

371: J4 D2 G2

370: J2 D1 G2

369: J3 D2

368: J4

367: J4

366: J4

373

My brain cells get overexcited. That’s what I believe. When I’m in that state, the reptilian part of my brain becomes alarmed. It can’t tell the difference between excitement and fear. Something like that, in any case. 

And that ties in to Krashen’s affective filter hypothesis. When you are emotionally aroused, you don’t learn a language so well. Well, I think that there are wider implications: that your general intellectual performance deteriorates, and not just by worrying about what you’re learning. If you are at all keyed up then that inhibits you. 

I shouldn’t try learning Japanese from viewing sumo!

J +0.2 D +0.5 G +0.1 S +0.3 = J7.8D1.3G1.0S0.3

372

In the morning, listening to the self-titled 1971 album by Ikarus I collected i+1 sentences from HP1. And later in the day I did more language to music. I’ll do anything if I like it, and if it works—part of the message that I want to get across.

Yesterday was also world don’t-use-your-car day. And so the buses were free. Since I had my Kindle on me, I read while I waited, and I read while I rode.

I even caught the bus down to Marsh in the evening, where I did a little more i+1 plus some writing. 

J+2 D+0.3 G+0.2 = J7.6D0.8G0.5

371

If I listen to an album while working, then I’ll be able to measure my language activity in those units. That was the idea. However, only certain activities lend themselves to that. And even for those that do, I’m apt to get distracted and diverted into researching old music and musicians. 

I need something else, but I’m not prepared to have up to a dozen stopwatches in my pocket—one for each language—ticking away! For sanity’s sake, I’m just going to have to put up with guesstimates.

I’ve started Het Laatste Boek, and I’m continuing Die Harry Potter Gesamtausgabe.

J +1, D +0.5, G +0.3 = J5.6D0.8G0.3

370

I picked up a magazine at work. It was a Dutch one I’d left there weeks ago. Before I knew it, just by browsing, I’d put in an increment of time.

Later in the day, a similar thing happened when I opened up a book in German.

I want to ‘announce’ that, as well as to report the cumulative total. But J5.1D0.7G0.3 looks simply too ugly. On the other hand, listing every practice item separately is going to eat into my 100-word count.

Probably the best thing to do is to include an extra line or two as a footnote.

369

J4.6D0.3 

That code indicates that this 100-word journal has also become a log—a tally of hours. That’s okay, because both of those are keystone habits. I’ve written about where I got the idea for keeping a log/journal (113), and also the term ‘keystone habit’ (but not yet about Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit).

Man, it’s hard to keep track. So keeping this journal also serves as a record. Searching for both of the above, I also happened to recall that I’ve written a 30 day-by-day for-instance re helping people get used to my approach.

I’d completely forgotten that!

368

Okay, so this may seem a bit anal. But yesterday, as I clocked up a couple of hours of Japanese, I was thinking. You see, I think I’ll tally partial hours too. I want to get credit for half hours, as when I split the time between say Dutch and German.

So at the moment I’m simply J3. That means I’ve three house of Japanese under my belt. If I do an hour of Dutch I’ll be J3D1. But if I split that hour, I’d get J3D0.5G0.5. Decimals allows me to credit every 6 minutes (5 minutes is too little).

367

I’ll write about several matters: 

I woke up with the (unoriginal) idea that what you resist persists. It doesn’t get done. So why the heck resist doing the things you’ve decided to do, even as you do them?

I wonder if they’ve figured out whether vertical or horizontal writing (in Japanese) is quicker to read?

It seems to me that the best way to identify an i+1 sentence is simply to find sentences that you can understand but that take twice the time.

Such questions occupy my mind. I am rich!

Oh yes, and yesterday I collected another hour: J2.

366

In Japan I got into manga. It became a hobby for me. Not reading them so much as collecting them. That’s what eventually led to reading. And so I employed the collection ‘bug’ for language acquisition.

This year I’ll collect sentences, stories, hours, books, vocabulary and more to advance me toward my goal of picking up languages. Yesterday I completed an hour of Japanese in two 30-minute sessions. So I’ll summarize that data as J1.

An hour a day should really only be considered the minimum. (I also read Maeve Binchy’s Light a Penny Candle for 6 hours at least.)

365

One year done, I’m halfway through. Well done! Time to take stock.

I’d no idea I started this a day before Sachi’s birthday. But that’s fitting, given that it was her progress with Japanese that re-ignited my interest.

This first year I’ve been exploring, discovering, trying things out. Dabbling, in short. But the coming year I plan to apply myself more fully. It’s time to get serious (while remaining playful).

I’ll focus on my activities. This means that I’ll describe what I do and add up the hours. It’ll be piano practice all over again. A blast from the past.

364

My personal version of the day before yesterday’s electronic book is different. It’s simpler. It requires less work.

It’s a form of jigsaw puzzle, you could say. A two ‘story’ puzzle.

You—or I, rather—start off with the completed puzzle in English. On top of that, I place the easiest pieces of Japanese, say. I replace whole sentences (possibly just words if I’m starting out in a new language). I’d do a chapter at a time. Get it up to saturation, then move on. Return periodically.

In that way, I’m always dealing with a text that I completely understand.

363

While I’ve been teaching for 2 weeks on the Kosens short-course, other teachers have relieved for my class. But now I’m back.

I’d set classwork: listening and reading—together—to successive four-minute chapters of a graded reader on Youtube. The story is ‘How I Met Myself’.

It seems to have been a success for both students and teachers. They are talking about it as if I’d invented sliced bread.

Sadly, they are struggling with the artificially academic curriculum that has evolved at levels 3 and 4 (my class is at level 2).

If only we could experiment without bureaucratic interference.

362

Move over HP1 i+1 sentences, and let Jimi take over! I’ve found something better.

Three years ago I set aside my Globish Hadashi no Tabi (GHNT) book for my Mistakes book. Was that a mistake?

I have a version of Mami and my trip of Japan. It starts easy, ends everyday English. I’ll grade the sentences 1 to 10. And then I’ll create a book whose intensity level that you can set.

It’ll need to be electronic because—consisting of 10 versions—it’ll be long.

It’s extremely addictive for me already. It’s going to be loads of fun to make.

361

Writing up my background, I realize that what I’ve done is less pertinent that who I am, in particular, the way that I think.

I have right brain dominance. I’m intuitive and global. I’m original and inventive. 

There are all sorts of tests that you can do to learn more about yourself. That’s useful and relevant when it comes to tackling language learning—not just learning a language but figuring out the best approach. 

I find that this 100-word journal keeps me constantly primed and alert. But perhaps another keystone habit would be better for others. They’d need to see.

360

Luke and I have a common interest: manga/anime. We had a chat about it in his MacAndrew Bay home. 

I’d seen volumes 1 & 2 of One Piece lying about (in English). I own a French translation of a volume, but the series is originally in Japanese, of course.

His home was our second visit. Previously we’d called in to see another MacAndrew Bay international couple. There, we discussed my alternative to mainstream language instruction. The term ‘unlearning’ came up again.

Before we’d set out, I was trying to think of a name. Everything slots together one way or another.

359

This morning’s insight concerns Krashen’s Monitor Hypothesis. I saw how it ties in to Mistake Phobia—for people whose monitor is overactive. And I saw how a similar mechanism inhibits someone (me) from writing, or even living stress-free.

The monitor is limited in terms of what it can do language-wise. It can have a limiting effect in the wider arena too.

I need to redo my language acquisition guide. I need to start with the assumption that the reader is receptive. I shouldn’t trip myself up by trying to sell, justify, defend or otherwise being timid in voicing my ideas.

358

Next month I’ll have less time. But for several months thereafter, I may have more time.

I’ve been asked to teach Summer School again—now called Summer Semester. That overlaps the end of the second semester by 7 weeks. So for that period I’m going to be busy: 2 full days plus 2 half days.

And then Mami and Sachi will be off to Japan. Mami’s sister is getting married. To go for just a few days, or weeks, is pointless. May as well make something of it.

The question is: how to fit language activity into a regular day?

357

I happened to have my lunch in a corner where two members of staff were conferring. They were speaking in Maori about Maori matters.

That started me thinking.

Language acquisition is an issue for them. Acquiring Maori myself would certainly result in increased credibility (mana). And coming up with a ‘best practice’ would most certainly open interesting doors for me.

It’s a thought, is it not?

If I pick up Maori within a matter of weeks, people would notice. The proof of the pudding is in the eating and all that. So I’m toying—more than toying—with the notion.

356

In the classroom, I asked the students to recommend sites that they used for their English. TED talks came up. So we took a look.

There are about 2500 talks. You can search for them by topic, duration etc. They are usually transcribed, often into several languages. The transcripts can be used to navigate the talk—in the original language and also in the transcribed language. These are professional talks, and this is a versatile tool.

Two talks we quickly located: a Japanese toy designer and an Irish short person speaking of the need for designs that suit everyone.

Interesting.

355

I love how my brain functions in the night, how I wake up with ideas still spinning from my juggling subconscious. That’s an indication to me that the things I do are worth doing. They are interesting for me.

Last night in my dreams I was ranked 6^th on the world’s best language coaching list. Quite an honor. But I knew that that was only because of woeful competition. There’s really not a lot that can compare.

Next year, I’ll go all out to get some languages under my belt. Turn the dream into a reality. Britain’s got talent, what?!

354

There are parallels between learning to use and practice a language and in being willing to express vulnerability, it seems to me. It has to do with freely making mistakes. With allowing others to see you as imperfect, and being comfortable with that. This is a notion that might have fitted in the Mistakes Book that I wrote. But it might have been too deep for the audience. And I might not at the time been thinking so deeply.

But whatever, it takes guts to behave in an authentic way. To acknowledge that, yes, sometimes you’re going to appear stupid.

353

I once had to look up a bird’s name in Spanish. As you do, you use Wikipedia. My search brought me to the Spanish version of the site, and I realized how useful it would be for acquiring Spanish.

To date, I’ve concentrated on narratives as stories, fiction. But there are non-fiction narratives that are just as accessible. As yet, I haven’t made much use of them, but they are there for when I want.

A related point is that browsing such sites is at once a form of voluntary reading. Compulsive reading, if you land on the right page.

352

Tea with BVP is a weekly talk show slash podcast about second language acquisition. I somehow discovered it once. I think I’d like to listen to it sometimes—but drinking coffee, not tea.

You keep your ears and mind open. You remain receptive to new ideas, and that means being willing not to fixate on your own and act defensively. (There’s a lesson in there for real life.)

So I’ll bookmark that website. I’ll expose myself to random ideas now and then. They are up to their 61^st 1-hour episode. It’s about the noticing hypothesis. Is that one of Krashen’s?

351

Who would get up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday simply to get in a couple of hours writing about the joys of language learning? Well, um, moving right along—

My backlog includes a couple of links. The first article discusses whether or why the British are the worst learners of foreign languages. Being an island nation, and being requires to learn French at school does the English no favours, it seems.

The second article ranks non-English nations in terms of English proficiency. Four Nordic countries plus the Netherlands head the list.

Back to my real writing for the day—