Duolingo

I noted the advice in Gabriel Wyner's book "Fluent Forever"  to "used spaced repetition systems" (not the sexiest of titles). There are a number of apps available that allow you to make your own. As a former law student (and Law Lecturer), I have used, and encouraged the use of "case cards" for revision. When I was at University - they had to be done manually - but now computers enable you to have these helpful revision tools - AND to set up a 'spaced repetition system'.

There is great value in making your own - and as you'll see in future posts - I believe strongly in the value of making one's own revision material - it is actually one of the most important stages in revision - and much value disappears if you rely on someone else's pre-manufactured revision material.

But there is one SRS that I (and other members of my family) use on a daily basis - and it comes in a free app.

Duolingo is (in the words of Wikipedia) "a free language-learning platform that includes a language-learning website and app, as well as a digital language proficiency assessment exam. Duolingo offers all its language courses free of charge. As of November 2016, the language-learning website and app offer 66 different language courses across 23 languages; with 22 additional courses in development. The app is available on iOS, Android and Windows 8 and 10 platforms with about 120 million registered users across the world."

I use it primarily to learn French - but also to build up a smattering of German, Spanish and Italian.

You set yourself a goal - There are four levels

- Casual (one exercise a day)
- Regular (two exercises a day)
- Serious (three exercises a day)
- Insane (five exercises a day)

Each exercise earns you 10 xp (points). The first day you achieve your goal begins a run (in Duolingo-speak - a 'streak'. That streak grows every subsequent day that you achieve your goal. I am currently on a 68 day streak. Forget to do your daily dose of Duolingo, and the streak ends and you have to start again. The fear of ending my streak acts as an increasingly effective motivator. (Of course, it also creates a habit - and that is vital for language learning).

The XPs are 'banked' - so I currently have 266 Lingots, which I can spend. That may be for outfits for my character (Formal attire, Champagne Tracksuit), but that is of no interest to me. I can also buy "Bonus Skills" - or attempt to double a five lingo waver by maintaining a seven day streak. But for me, the most useful is insurance against being unable to achieve my goal on any day. "Streak Freeze" allows my run to remain in place for one full day of inactivity. So all is not lost (if 'purchased' - using the lingots earned).

You can also compete with friends. NOT on the basis of your progress in a particular language, but on the amounts of XPs gained during that week. So you can compete against a friend studying a different language, at a very different level. If you are competitive, it provides another aid to continuing with regular study.

When you start a language in Duolingo there are a number of preset exercises. These take you through the essentials of that language. But when you've completed these - Duolingo keeps on going - it is a spaced repetition system!!! The algorithm notes your progress and increases the complexity of the exercises. This enable you to make progress, whilst reinforcing what you have already learnt.

I've found Duolingo useful because it has forced me to take note of and apply the rules of grammar. Eventually the application of grammar rules and sentence structure becomes automatic. Words and phrases are sounded - which aids listening skills, and you have to say some words - developing speaking skills (if it doesn't sound right, Duolingo forces you to repeat.

Do give it a try - it's free - and very effective.

The Duolingo website is https://www.duolingo.com and apps are free in Appstores.

Poisons

Since people first appeared on this planet, they have sought to avoid being poisoned. Certain snakes and spiders are given a wide berth. When picking fruits and vegetables, the knowledge of what is good for you - and what will make you sick is essential to survival. We throw away lots of food in the modern world - because we are afraid (or misled by 'best before' dates) that eating it will do us harm.

Yet some poisons are actively promoted. Alcohol, Tobacco and Sugar being the most obvious ones (and very profitable for those that make and sell the products involved). We are aware of the costs to individuals and societies [How much would be saved for the NHS if the consumption of all three were to be slashed?], but public funding to persuade people to reduce or give up these poisons is dwarfed by the amount spent on promoting them.

In the fight against Tobacco - Australia has been bold in its efforts. There is a very interesting article on the BBC website which is worth a read.

This is one of the messages that the Australian government is seeking to get across - poisons can accumulate - BUT can also disappear quite quickly if you give your body a chance.

Learning French

I said in my last post that I thought that my learning French had significantly improved in the last couple of years. There are a number of factors.

One key influence has been a class that I have taken in Milton Keynes. Marie da Silva is a French national who has lived and worked in the Milton Keynes area for a decade. She has set up a number of meet-up groups in the area - which have brought together people from a number of countries and languages. These have been great for actual conversations - and have often some fun evenings, which have boosted my learning. Do visit the following website - if you think that this might be for you.

https://www.meetup.com/Language-Cafe-FrenchGroupMK/

Also visit the Lingo Mix Website at http://lingomix.co.uk

As you'll see French is just one of the languages available in the Milton Keynes area - and Marie has been key to setting these up. Her French classes (these are weekly - and are separate from the meet-up group) - concentrated on building a framework of grammar.

That has been key. I had built up a recognition of a wide variety of vocabulary over the years. This was done by concentrating on reading. I've been a reader of Le Monde and French books picked up on holidays in France - and from Librairie La Page in South Kensington; The European Bookshop & Foyles (near Tottenham Court Road) - for a very long time. But the trouble is - that while you can get the gist of something - you don't get the structure necessary to communicate yourself.

I also don't have much of an ear for the subtleties of spoken language - and find it difficult to replicate  pronunciation. Marie has been very patient with me - and over time I've got better - as a result of having to speak in class and at the meetups.

Gabriel Wyner, in his book "Fluent Forever" [How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It]" argues that there are three basic keys to language learning.

1 Learn pronunciation First
2 Don't translate
3 Used spaced repetition systems.

Good advice - and in future posts I wish discuss these ideas further.

Learning Languages

I was bilingual before I started school. My parents spoke both Welsh and English in our home in Coventry. My mother was asked by my teacher not to speak Welsh to me, as it would hamper my education (actually, when this bit of advice was given it did reflect the state of research at the time - longitudinal studies were to show that any initial disadvantages of being bilingual were overtaken by massive and long term advantages around the age of seven and beyond. Sadly these appeared after the bad advice was given - and acted upon). Yet, half a century later - I still can recognise some Welsh words &  even use some.

You might think that this early upbringing in a bilingual home might help me to learn languages. It hasn't. Later on I did try to relearn Welsh - but didn't do very well. I've also spent 45 years (on and off) trying to learn French. It hasn't been a great success - until recently.

So why has it been so difficult? I think my memories of learning French at school may hold some clues. I remember hours of writing out - again and again - verb tables. Yet I still lack confidence (and ability) in recalling the present tense of verbs, let alone other tenses. I certainly did not enjoy learning French (and it didn't help that my French teacher and I had a major personality clash). I was glad to give up 'French' after passing my O Level (which did require extra lessons from a friend of the family).

Then, at a holiday show in Northampton, we won a coach trip and weekend in Paris. I thought I'd better learn a few useful phrases - and, to my immense surprise, actually got hooked on French and France. While the children were young we spent many happy holidays in France. I developed my reading skills (my idea of paradise is reading Le Monde whilst sitting in warm sunshine slowly drinking a glass of red wine) and can ask for things in shops - but that isn't enough.

I feel that I have made great progress in the last couple of years. In this blog, I'm going to share my experience of what I have found useful. I'd welcome your comments and experiences.

Allergy Alerts

Fortunately, I don't suffer from any food allergies (perhaps mussels, the last few times I've eaten them I have been sick shortly afterwards - it may be coincidence - but I'm sticking clear of them now) - but some people do - and consequences can range from discomfort through to life-threatening.

These days it is popular to decry regulations - and Government funded organisations. Yet one that I would like to draw your attention to, plays an important role in monitoring food which might cause problems for anyone with a good allergy.

The Food Standards Agency is the body responsible. Its website can be accessed at https://www.food.gov.uk

In particular it has a section on the website called "Allergy Alert" - you can see the latest alerts at https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/allergy-alerts-news

Sometimes there will be a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold. Then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). Sometimes foods have to be withdrawn or recalled if there is a risk to consumers because the allergy labelling is missing or incorrect or if there is any other food allergy risk. When there is a food allergy risk, the FSA will issue an Allergy Alert.

The Chinese New Year

This weekend sees the beginning of the Chinese New Year. This will be the Year of the Rooster. Saturday will be the first day of a year that is based on a lunar calendar. It is also known as the Chinese Spring Festival. [I was always bemused by that - the dates on which the festival begins can only be between January 21st and February 20th - dates I associate - certainly in England - with the worst of the winter.] However it was, according to a Chinese website - "set to coincide with the slack time just before a new year of farm work begins, as a time of preparation." It begins on the day of the New Moon.

While researching for this post I came across this very interesting website - http://www.chinesenewyears.info

In London the London Chinatown Chinese Association have organised a free event on Sunday. It will begin at 10.00 and end at 18.00 - and we are promised "the biggest dragon and lions procession in Europe"



I'd like to wish a Happy New Year to all my Chinese friends.

Chinese New Year Parade
The theme of the celebrations for this year is “China: Today & Yesterday”, celebrating Chinese cultures past and present.

The day kicks off at 10am with a colourful Chinese New Year parade that snakes its way from Charing Cross Road (just to the north of Trafalgar Square) to Shaftesbury Avenue. This lively event features six hand-crafted floats and the largest gathering of Chinese lion and dragon dance performers in the UK.

Trafalgar Square
Events take place in Trafalgar Square from 11am, as screen shows and a thanksgiving ceremony are followed by firecrackers, speeches and the Lions’ Eye-Dotting Ceremony at 12pm.

Don’t miss the spectacular Flying Lion Dance at 12.50pm, before the Dragon Dance and a range of performances take place on the main stage. You’ll experience everything from puppetry, acrobatics and martial arts, to drumming, classical music and Chinese rock hits!

The day ends in Trafalgar Square with a grand finale featuring martial arts, traditional sounds and a stunning light show with special effects from 5.30pm.

The Soft Drink Industry Levy

What a title! It seems designed to bore - but behind it is an important initiative designed to improve the health of the nation.

Sugar is relatively cheap to produce - but the costs to individuals and society can be huge. There is growing evidence of the damage that it can do. The damage to teeth has been obvious for years - but the use of sugar has also been linked to diabetes, obesity, depression and dementia.




In the 2016 Budget, the former chancellor, George Osborne announced the introduction of a levy on soft drinks. The levy would apply to manufacturers and importers of sugar added soft drinks and would be implemented in April 2018.  There would be exemptions for fruit juices and milk based drinks and for small producers.  The proceeds of the Levy would be used in England to increase spending on PE in schools, after school clubs and breakfast clubs.

Not only will this 'sugar tax' bring in extra resources for good causes - but it is intended to discourage over-consumption of a delicious but deadly poison. The House of Commons Library [an independent, non-party political body] has produced a research paper on the Levy. It is available here.