Updated Goals - Final Stretch of 2015

Only a few months left of the year.

Let's get to it, here are my language learning goals.

General - When people ask if I speak a language, say "Yes, I speak it." And then speak it.

Português - I don't want to get worse and hope to maintain my skills by listening to "Você Sabia?" on YouTube anf commenting weekly.

Hindi - Create speaking videos monthly and practice writing monthly.

Arabic - Listen to speakers. Pick up common words and Urdu words.

Somali - Listen when given the opportunity. Practice the few phrases I know.

Latin - I would love to finish reading John but that may need to wait.

Spanish - I don't want to mix Português and Spanish intentionally. If a Spanish speaker speaks English I will speak English. If they understand Português, I will speak Português.

Picture credit
See Www.feliciafollum.com
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Indian English

Indian English....

Namaste Doston,
How's you doing?

Some people will argue that Indian English is not a language but I believe it is.

Yes, Indian English is British English but is certainly not the same.

The first six months I was able to hang out with a bunch of Indians with little to no side effect of Indian English affecting my talks but I am coming to know that this is no longer true. I am leaving prepositions off of prepositional phrases like "pick" and "drop" and saying things like "my fingers were paining from the cold." I'm also adding na to the ends of sentences.

Here is a quick list of such talks

Pick and drop
X is paining
Do email checking (email check karo, na?)
Let's order for a pizza
Take rest
Cousin Brother / cousin sister
I'm going to overtake this car
Clicking a photo
How's you doing
Maximum
Very much better
Came to know
Aluminium
Next next weekend
No problem
Verry goo.d Verry good
Ve better go
Go go
Come come

Don't get me wrong, I would not consider myself a fluent speaker of Indian English  but I suppose every now-n-then if it so happens I will utter a phrase or two of Indian English.

What Indian English phrases am I forgetting?

Slacker and Update!

It's official, I have been slacking in my study and in my posting. On the bright side I have been using lanuage in real life...

Here is an update of what I have done in the last few months.

Hindi - I meet with an Indian woman aproximately once per month and we practice speaking. She also corrects my writing practice. In addition there is an Indian man who works at a gas station that I only speak in Hindi with.

I have began watching a TV series on YouTube named Shaka Laka Boom Boom.

I recently met a Punjabi man (maybe I will share this story one day as well). We speak, him in Punjabi and I in Hindi, and sometimes we understand.

Urdu - I have recently met a couple new Pakistani friends.

Português - I have one Brazilian friend in the Tri-Cities. We speak Português when it is just the two of us. I also practice a bit with a friend in Brazil and I have some Brazilian friends that only speak Português, so we all chat as well.

I'm still working through Duolingo. Slowly but surely.

Spanish - I am around it quite often in my city, and try to listen but don't do much of anything. It's very difficult for me to speak as I mix it with Português a lot. 

After I finish Português on Duolingo, I do plan to work through Spanish in Portuguese or Portuguese in Spanish...so I will put them against eachother in hopes of keeping them separate...

until I'm at a decent point in one, I don't think the other will be useful and they say learning Portuguese makes Spanish very easy.

Sign Language - I use sign with a man at Cricket. I also use sign language instead of singing in church. Sadly my sign has deteriorated when it comes to conversing.

Arabic - I'm amazed by how many Islamic friends (mostly Somalian, new to America) use Arabic and I know the words from Urdu.

Somali - Similarly, I'm often surprised to see that many Hindi and Somali words are similar.
Jabati - chapati
Sambusa - samosa

Lakota - not practicing.

Latin - This is a new one for me.  I've considered reading the book of Mark in the Vulgate Bible...I'm researching the best way to learn to read Latin for this purpose.

Cultural paintings from FeliciaFollum.com

Also at Facebook.com/feliciafollumdesign

Hindi Vocabulary Lists

Assorted art from the #TheLilyPadProject

Why recreate the wheel...here are 13 great Hindi word lists to take a look at.

These lists can be used in several ways. You can memorize them or take each word and write a sentence (which I find quite helpful).

1. My First Phrases from Hindi for Christmas

2. Anything Anil Mohato is great! This is one of his vocabulary videos (video below).

3. Common verb list (short but could be learned in a week)

4. Days of the week and directions from linguanaut.com

5. Numbers  from linguanaut.com

6. Adjectives from linguanaut.com

7. Vocabulary from linguanaut.com

8. Survival Terms from linguanaut.com

9. Grammar Tense Practice from Hindi for Christmas

10. Urdu lists from linguanaut.com

11. Hindi Words that come from Arabic from Namaste-America

12. Yet another list of Arabic words in Hindi from Baheyeldin

13. A third Arabic, Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi word list from PakPassion.net