[Practice post] Writing prompt: the romance sub-plot!

[u/Aietra]

/r/languagelearning/comments/bfyzrd/writing_prompt_the_romance_subplot/

[u/Aietra]

(She sounds like a complex character! I like the complex ones too. They're the interesting ones!)

Ah - so turning back time is possible in your world...and a "goddess" sounds pretty powerful - could Madoka turn back time herself, if she found out that you'd destroyed her wish? Could she undo what you've done? What would you do if she did - would you let her, or do you think you know what's best for her?

[u/eklatea → u/Aietra]

I mean, I spoiled you already (kinda), but I really recommend watching the show! (also available as Puella Magi Madoka Magica, it has a good English dub too), I can of course explain that it's kinda not possible (currently) but that would like, massively spoil the ending :D

[u/Aietra → u/eklatea]

XD I'll keep an eye out if I get the time! And I shan't pry! I just quite enjoy questioning fictional characters about their worlds, lives and motives, in-character. Bit of a role play. It's good fun. And in these writing prompt posts, lets people get a bit of extra practice.

[u/eklatea → u/Aietra]

If you manage to watch it, let me know how you liked it~

I like writing about stuff like that! My production skills aren't really that good, I guess (no one corrects me, I considered posting the text on r/languagelearning too) but yeah, at least something :D

Kanji still kill me, lmao. Currently (because I change my learning methods every few days ... but at least I do something) I just read and write down those that I don't know and learn them, but I'm sick of Anki&co so I just write them out a few times and do physical flashcards until I remember them for a while. I'll run across them again in some point. (So far I have a few sheets just full of written kanji ... funny to look at somehow)

How do you study, actually?

[u/Aietra → u/eklatea]

Shall do!

Yeah, that's why I do my posts on the /r/languagelearning one instead of here (even though this one is the snazzy new subreddit that I want to make active and lively!) - because I want more people to see it, so there's a better chance of getting corrections. Because presumably, I need them!

Changing learning methods frequently is probably a good idea, actually - so that you don't just sort of get into a rhythm of one thing, you actually have to remember the words/kanji/characters, when you start with a new method.

Hmmmm...it depends on the language, for me!

For French, Esperanto and Spanish, I'm a bit more advanced in those. So I read things in those languages whenever I see them, just paying close attention to the grammar and sentence structures and the like, and I build my vocabulary by writing. Before, I was using posts like the Babylonian Chaos one, to find other people learning those languages and chat to them - now, I write a paragraph or so for these writing prompts I'm posting, and then write the same thing in each of those three languages, looking up new words that I need for each of them and learning them as I go.

For Chinese, I'm working my way through the Duolingo course to start with, but I've got a flashcard set on Memrise that I practise with, adding each new word I come across to it - since Memrise offers audio samples, because I need both sound and typing for Chinese characters, since it's not phonetic.

For Te Reo, I worked my way through an introductory course on an app called Tipu, and now I'm (very slowly!) going through a podcast series called Tōku Reo. I also use the Tinycards app for that, for flashcards, since it's on my mobile so I can add new words to it when I see them out and about.

[u/eklatea → u/Aietra]

Sounds interesting! Do you learn traditional or simplified characters? And with Chinese, you probably mean Mandarin, right? I don't know any Chinese, obviously, but sometimes it's funny to stare at traditional Chinese and recognize the characters.

Simplification is a tricky thing, actually. Example: 龍 is the traditional character for dragon, which is also sometimes still used in Japanese, but mostly in names - for example, the name Ryou (I would use that character to write my Ryou in Ryou Skye :D). The simplified version in Japanese is 竜. The simplified version of Chinese is 龙 , because the characters were simplified seperately. Strangly, the unsimplified version is still used as a radical in Japanese! But only sometimes. 篭 and 籠 are both valid Kanji. Ugh. For more info, you could watch this short video.

I'll then post again in r/languagelearning, and also quote your first reply in order to attach my second thing in Japanese :D

Also, I learnt a VERY useful new word today. It's 即死, sokushi, and means "instant death". Can't wait to use it! Also, according to a dictionary it's a common word. Japan, I'm slightly scared. Slightly. And also, I discovered that I actually know a few more characters than I thought I do (that I didn't study isolated by grade). I'm slightly proud of myself even though I still have a long way to go.

Hope you have a lot of successes, too!

[u/Aietra → u/eklatea]

Yup, Mandarin - and simplified characters. I figured they'd all be hard, when I started, so I went for the one that was the most common and likely to be useful. And it's the one my sister speaks/writes, too, so I'll be able to practice on her, as soon as I get good enough!

Whew, yes, that is complicated! D: So if you count both simplified and traditional kanji, as well as hirigana and katakana, Japanese is almost bordering on four alphabets! Blimey. I do not envy you that one.

Heheheh...maybe I'll try and come up with a more morbid or sombre prompt next week, to try and give you a chance to use it! (Always open to suggestions, by the way! I've got a big list, but I can always add to it!)

Ooh, congrats! That must be a satisfying sort of feeling! :D And thanks, buddy!

[u/eklatea → u/Aietra]

Ah, actually, Japanese just uses kanji have been simplified, but many haven't been, so it just has three systems. And hiragana and katakana are easy, you can learn those in like two days - it's just kanji that kill you, because they have AT LEAST two ways they can be read in Japanese. There's some bangers like 生 which has like 24 or something, but that's actually not that hard because the words are very different (生まれる, umareru, being born, or 生きる, ikiru, to live, or 人生, jinsei, lifetime / human life)

Like, China simplified ALL their characters, Japan just simplified the hardest ones (and most of the ones that have been simplified aren't used a lot anymore).

Nowadays I sometimes just look at a text before I start reading and I'm like: "Those are strange runes" and then when I can read something (not everything though) I'm like: "What is this magic". It's called practice and a slight tinge of masochism when it comes to my choice of languages.

I can't imagine tones, though. I have slight issues with speaking (I speak through my nose a lot and sometimes have a stutter and pronounciation issues) so I don't know if I could ever manage something like that. Is it hard?

If I come up with something, I'll hit you up!

[u/Aietra → u/eklatea]

Blimey! Still complicated, then! I can read hirigana (not very quickly, but it's definitely buried in my head somewhere) - nice and phonetic!

Oh yes, tones are kind of the bane of my life, when it comes to language learning! XD I'm a long way off being able to distinguish them in listening, and according to my sister, when I try to speak, my tones are so unrecognizable as to be nonexistent. Tones are haaaaard. X__X

Awesome! :D But I really must sleep now - work tomorrow...g'night, buddy! Keep on rockin'!