Back on the Wagon

Okay, at the risk of seeming indecisive: I am now expecting to return to the previous three-year plan, meaning 15 languages, with some modifications. 

Time Warner Center This Week. Wow!

The main change affects Dutch, which has been reduced on my schedule from three months to one month.

My sincere apologies to the Dutch language and my Dutch friends, but as I recently noted, there is little Pimsleur available for that language, and I have developed quite a Pimsleur dependency. Also, even though I happen to know quite a few Dutch speakers here, the overall number of Dutch speakers in New York City doesn’t compare to the numbers for the other 14 languages on the list.

Still, New York was once New Amsterdam! I will make it a good month, with visits to Dutch places and place names around the city.

Hebrew, Portuguese, and Chinese are all back on the calendar, and I will continue my current Italian review until the end of the month. The review is going pretty well, and I am enjoying it, although I have been hobbled in my relearning efforts by the fact that I lost my voice earlier this month and have had trouble finding it again. For a few weeks now, outside of the writing and grammar classes I have taught, I haven’t been able to talk all that much.

I Keep Forgetting the Difference Between Fagiolini (Green Beans, I Guess) and Fagioli (Plain Old Beans?)

Being silent is incompatible with language learning. Also incompatible with my personality. 

I wrote the other day about my intention to get my European languages to as high a level as I can by this summer. I think I just need to chill out about that for now.

For one thing, I have already done a lot in recent weeks to revive my Italian, which has been great and fun and rewarding, and Portuguese is on the calendar for spring, and I think my German, French, and Spanish are all reasonably sturdy, even if the Italian review has been carving chunks out of my French. 

Oh, here’s one more bummer: I just found out today that in the wake of some racing (in running shoes, not race cars), I managed to get a stress fracture in my foot. That will affect my mobility for city field trips for a while. I will probably take up swimming for at least part of my upcoming Hebrew months, but swimming from place to place in New York City is not exactly an option. (Just as an aside, unlike some of my triathlete friends, I have never been remotely attracted to the idea of swimming in the Hudson River.)

I am still signed up to volunteer early next month for the New York City Marathon, where I wanted to try talking in other languages to international runners and visitors…but the doctor’s advice precludes standing around for hours, so that plan may have to be modified. Perhaps I can just ride around on the subway and talk to random people, now that my voice is coming back.

Anyway, I am going to start researching books and city resources relating to Hebrew. Advice is welcome! I know virtually nothing about Hebrew.