It’s June! I shared my May recap and June study plans a few days ago. Here it is if you missed it.

🥐 French

I started the second part of L’Étranger and read the first chapter. My English translation ebook also became available this week. I wasn’t sure if I would read it since I’m already reading the graphic novel, but I decided to give the first chapter a try.

I find that learning new words through my intensive reading of the book makes revisiting it in different formats enjoyable. It feels like I’m discovering new things, not just about the story, but also about my understanding of it.

For my vocabulary review of the first part, I’m taking a laid-back approach where I focus on learning new words first. I then review whatever I can, even if that means I don’t complete every review.

Migaku Stats

• French Total Words Known: 2803 → 2874

• L’Étranger Part 1 Deck: 30/446 cards reviewed

🍜 Japanese

My Japanese presentation script has finally been submitted after many hours of working on it with my partner. I honestly had very little patience for struggling through the writing process and found myself getting frustrated throughout.

Being a beginner at writing in Japanese is not very fun for me right now. Thankfully, my partner is patient and much more capable than I am when it comes to writing. Instead of giving up, which I was very close to doing, I took an ice cream break while he looked over our script with fresh eyes.

We finally submitted it to our teacher, and the next day she came back with positive feedback and only one requested change. I felt relieved because we had spent so many hours working on it.

Here’s a section of our script (I’m A, my partner is B).

This week, our PowerPoint is due. It’s optional, but I think having something visual to accompany our presentation, especially since we’re talking about our hobby of reading, will make it more enjoyable for everyone listening. And I like to use any reason to talk about and give book recommendations!

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Started part 1 of L’Étranger.

• Completed Japanese presentation script

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🍜 Japanese: Do my Japanese presentation and attend my final class!

I’m keeping my plans light this week since I’ll be travelling. As a result, next week’s study log may go out a few days later than usual.

Thanks for being here! See you next week.

I've been looking forward to June because I have plans to change my language routine. One of those changes is returning to Mandarin after more than three years away from the language!

June feels like a month of transition. My Japanese classes are coming to an end, I’m continuing with my intensive reading of L'Étranger, and I'm starting to think about what I want my language learning to look like over the summer.

🥐 French

Returning to last month’s recap and reviewing my goals helped ensure I actually completed them. I often forget about goals I've set earlier in the month, but checking in before the month kept me on track.

I finished two graphic novels and decided not to read the third one I had borrowed from the library. My interest had disappeared, and I didn't see the point in forcing myself to finish it.

My read-through of L'Étranger has been going well. I completed Part 1 and saved more than 400 new words, which are now ready for review with Migaku.

Original French Plans for May:

• ✅ Read L’Étranger (complete part 1)

• ✅ Start reviewing vocabulary from L’Étranger

• ➖ Finish reading 3 graphic novels/manga

  • I read 2/3 and decided not to continue with the third.

June Plans for French:

• Start part 2 of L’Étranger

• Review vocabulary from part 1 of L’Étranger

I’m keeping things pretty simple this month.

🍜 Japanese

May got a bit busy, so my only goal for Japanese was to keep showing up to class, and I'm happy to say I did just that.

June will be the final month of my Japanese classes. It feels good to have stuck with them, and I'm looking forward to returning to independent study. To wrap up the course, we have to give a presentation, so that will be my main project for the month.

Original Japanese May Plans:

• ✅ Continue showing up to class!

June Plans for Japanese:

• Work on the Japanese presentation script and PowerPoint

• Give my Japanese presentation

• Complete lesson 3/14 of the Migaku Japanese Academy 1 Course

🧧 Mandarin

It's been more than three years since I actively studied Mandarin. During that time, I have been focused on French. Now feels like the right time to return to the language.

To start, I'd like to spend June building my vocabulary library in Migaku so I can sentence mine more effectively in the future.

I'm excited to see what I still remember and where my level is after all this time!

June Plans for Mandarin:

• Input known words into Migaku (Currently 2,617 words)

• Watch videos or dramas to ease back into the language

📅 June Plans

June will be a month of preparation. I want to see where I'm at in each language and decide what I'd like to focus on once summer arrives.

I also think it would be fun to try a language challenge. I've completed the 40 Hour 7 Day Language Challenge a few times, and lately I've been considering starting 75 Fluent. I'd love to hear about any other language challenges that are worth trying.

How did your May studies go, and what are your plans for June?

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Thank you for being here! See you on Monday for the next study recap!😊

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Welcome to the last study log of May and happy June!💫

I have big plans in June for language learning (including returning to Mandarin!). I’ll share more about those plans in this week’s bonus post, where I’ll also recap my May studies. Until then, here’s a look at my final week of May.

🥐 French

I actually thought the last day of May was Monday, so when I realized it wasn’t, I had less time than expected to finish the goals I had set for the month. Still, I managed to finish reading Double Crush and read three chapters of L’Étranger, completing Part 1.

From the first part of the book, I’ve saved over 400 new words. My comprehension rate for the last three chapters was around 90%, which I think is largely due to the number of new words I now recognize. I plan to continue reading and saving new vocabulary, but I’ll create a separate deck for Part 2. I also want to start slowly reviewing the words I’ve already collected.

Migaku Stats1

• French Total Words Known: 2803

• L’Étranger deck: 446 cards

🍜 Japanese

During the week, one of my students, who is Japanese, wanted to practice Japanese words with me. It was a good opportunity to recall vocabulary I already know. At one point, she asked me to sing a Japanese song, and I realized I don’t actually know any Japanese nursery rhymes. She tried teaching me one, and after a few minutes of figuring out what it was, I discovered it was the opening song from My Neighbour Totoro.

That interaction reminded me of a comment my teacher made this week. In one of the example sentences, she wrote that I’m good at Mandarin. It was a nice reminder that I’ve already made it past the beginner stage twice before, with both Mandarin and French, and that I can do the same with Japanese.

🧧 Mandarin

I’m officially going back to studying Mandarin!

This week, I spent some time adding vocabulary to Migaku since I’d like to use it for sentence mining with videos and, eventually, reading.

It’s been over three years since I actively studied the language, so it’s hard to gauge exactly where I am. For now, I have decided to mark HSK 1–5 vocabulary as known in Migaku and plan to add any I miss as I encounter them.

Migaku Stats

• Mandarin Total Words Known: 2617

Seeing that number was encouraging, but also a little surprising since my estimated vocabulary size is roughly the same in Mandarin and French. Once I start watching content again, I'll have a better sense of where I'm actually at and can adjust the number as needed.

I’ve really missed Mandarin, and it feels good to bring it back into my routine.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Finished part 1 of L’Étranger and the graphic novel Double Crush

• Decided to return to learning Mandarin again!

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Start Part 1 of L’Étranger

• 🍜 Japanese: Submit the Japanese presentation script.

• 🧧 Mandarin: Ease into the language by watching YouTube videos and dramas

Thanks for being here! See you next week.

Welcome to a new study log! I can’t believe May is coming to an end. Next week I’ll be working on my May study recap. I just checked on the goals I set for May, and I’m doing well on all of them except for completing part 1 of L’Étranger. I’ll have to make sure I do that before the month ends.

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🥐 French

I finished reading Yotsuba Tome 4 this week! Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy reading it. It was fine, easy to read, but my excitement disappeared. Because of that, I don’t think I’m going to read the other volume, which I also borrowed from the library.

What has been exciting me, though, is the release of a new life-sim game1. A lot of YouTube channels have been sharing early access videos, and some of them happen to be French gaming channels. I’ve really been enjoying watching them and picking up new words as they come up.

According to Migaku, my comprehension of these videos has been sitting in the mid-to-high 80% range. That feels pretty accurate based on how I experience French right now. I can understand most of what I hear, so it’s nice to have something fun to watch while waiting for the game.

I’m also planning to play the game in French because 1) it’s another way to keep improving my French, and 2) it just feels right considering the developers are based in Montréal, Québec!

🍜 Japanese

I made it to Japanese class this week despite not feeling well! We’re now in the second half of classes, and our teacher announced our final assignment: a presentation.

The presentations will happen during our final class, but because of other plans, I won’t be able to attend. Thankfully, the teacher was really accommodating and said we could either present the week before or submit a recorded video for the last class. I was a little disappointed because I would have liked to see my classmates’ presentations.

Either way, this means I have less time to prepare, but I’m still excited. Our topic is to talk about a hobby using everything we’ve learned so far. I usually dislike presentations and public speaking, but I’m looking forward to writing the script, which is due next week, and then working on the presentation itself the week after.

I’ve got a busy few weeks ahead of me, but I love how much language learning is involved!

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Listened to French videos throughout the week.

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Play Paralives in French!! And Finish Part 1 of L’Étranger

• 🍜 Japanese: Work on my Japanese presentation script.

Thanks for being here! See you next week.

Hello again!

It feels like summer is right around the corner with only a few weeks left in the school year. Since my routine will be changing soon, I’ve been thinking about doing a language challenge in the next month or two.

The 75 Fluent challenge looks intensive and may work well to give me structure in the summer. Have you heard of it?

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🥐 French

I’m enjoying the books I’m reading again, which is a win, but it means I’m reading too many at the same time, so my progress is slow.

I read a few more pages of Double Crush and Yotsubato! Vol. 4. The due date for my library books is coming up, but luckily, I was able to extend my holds!

Earlier this week, my class went on a school trip. The following day, the students were asked to share their favourite part of the experience. We brainstormed ideas together, which I wrote on the board, and then their reading buddies came to help them complete the activity by writing and drawing their favourite moments.

🍜 Japanese

All your responses last week about my class experience were so kind.

It’s funny because my plan for this week was to show up to class despite my embarrassment from last time, and I ended up not going at all. The night before, I even spent some time filling out the adjective conjugation chart we had been given in class, fully expecting to go.

But my partner’s work ran late, and we didn’t end up making it. Japanese class days are always long, so after an already busy day, I decided it was best not to go.

As disappointing as it was to miss class, I was actually glad to have a break for one week. I used the extra time to read and relax.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Took things easy this week. Rest counts too!

• Browsed the Chinese book section at the library and found two books with covers I liked. I had enough self-control not to borrow either, but I want to get back into Mandarin again…

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Continue reading all the books I’m reading 🙃

• 🍜 Japanese: Catch up on last class!

Thanks for being here! See you next week.

Hello again!

There was an extra post over the weekend where I shared my April recap and plans for May. You can read it here if you missed it.

🥐 French

I’m currently 27% through my intensive reading of L’Étranger, which means I’ve finished the first three chapters. I ended chapter 2 with 91% comprehension and chapter 3 with 92%. My comprehension percentage seems to be going up, as I’m seeing the new words again and again.

Oddly enough, even though my comprehension score was higher for these two chapters, my understanding felt more disjointed because I read parts of it during my commute. Since this is an intensive reading activity where I’m saving and looking up new words, I think I’m going to limit my reading sessions to when I’m home and can focus for longer stretches.

At the same time, I’ve also been reading the graphic novel version in English1. My library had it available, and I thought it would be a good way to check my comprehension. I usually finish a chapter in French and then read the corresponding section in the graphic novel. Since it includes visuals, it’s been interesting to see how many scenes I was already able to picture while reading the French version.

• Current L’Étranger total new words: 310

I also reviewed a few words in my now-growing vocabulary deck. I’m noticing that many of the new words I’m encountering are colour adjectives, such as rougeâtre (reddish). They’re probably words I wouldn’t have learned elsewhere, so I’m glad I’m coming across them now.

🍜 Japanese

This was the first week I didn’t review the previous lesson’s textbook exercises. Life got busy, and I only managed to complete the Katakana homework.

To add insult to injury, the class ended with the teacher asking us random questions in Japanese, so we could practice responding with everything we’ve learned so far.

When it was my turn, I completely blanked. I managed to say “分かりません” (I don’t understand), and after the teacher translated the question2, I was at least able to respond correctly with some mistakes.

I felt pretty embarrassed afterward because I don’t like feeling unprepared, especially in a group setting. The feeling lingered for a few days because it made me feel like I should already know more than I do at this stage.

My immediate reaction was to study more and maybe even complete the next lesson in advance, so I’d feel more prepared. But honestly, none of that is necessary. That’s just my brain trying to ease the discomfort.

In reality, being a beginner means making mistakes, feeling confused, and occasionally embarrassing yourself. The feeling lasted a few days, but I survived it, and I’ll show up to the next class anyway and probably feel embarrassed again at some point. That’s part of the process.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Feeling like I’m improving my French through intensive reading.

• Read 2 more chapters of L’étranger

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Continue reading L’étranger

• 🍜 Japanese: Show up to class despite the embarrassment 🙃

Thanks for being here! See you next week.

🥐 French

I completed two books this month: one from my physical TBR and another from the library. Honestly, I’ve been having a horrible reading year. I haven’t been enjoying many of the books I’ve picked up in English, and it’s been discouraging to spend hours reading only to end up disappointed.

I think it’s time to change things up, which is why I’ll be reading the French book L’étranger intensively in May. I also plan on finishing the three graphic novels/manga I picked up from the library.

Original French Plans for April:

• ✅ Finish reading Le Café du temps retrouvé

• ✅ Start the French Pronunciation Course by Dylane Moreau

  • I’m about 10% through the course

• ✅ Read French Short Stories Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

  • I did start both books, but I haven’t finished either yet.

Sometimes it feels like I rarely complete my goals, but I’ve realized that keeping my plans more flexible, like saying “start ___” instead of “finish ___,” helps me recognize the progress I am making.

May Plans for French:

• Read L’Étranger (complete part 1)

• Start reviewing vocabulary from L’Étranger

• Finish reading 3 graphic novels/manga

🍜 Japanese

April was the month of becoming more intentional with Japanese. I decided to start Japanese classes and stop dabbling. The classes have been going well so far. They’ve helped me consistently set aside time for Japanese, even if it’s just completing Katakana homework or showing up to class.

I was worried my level wouldn’t match the class, but so far I feel pretty on par with the other students.

Japanese April Plans:

• ❌ Review Genki Lessons 1-3 before Japanese classes begin

• ✅ Complete Tofugu Hiragana and Katakana Workbooks

• ❌ Start reading よつばと！Vol. 1 (Yotsuba&!)

  • I have yet to start reading, but I did find a channel that reads through Yotsuba using comprehensible input. I think when I’m ready to start reading, I’ll follow along with the videos.

I underestimated how much time the Japanese classes would take. Since starting them, I haven’t done much outside of class. Realistically, I probably won’t get to reading よつばと！ until the summer, once classes are over.

May Plans for Japanese:

• Continue showing up to class!

📅 May Plans

I think I’m back in dedicated study mode, at least for French. I’m excited to do more intensive study and watch my vocabulary grow through reading.

As for Japanese, I’m taking things slowly and focusing on the bare minimum for now, which is simply attending class and keeping up with homework.

How did your April studies go, and what are your plans for May?

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Thank you for being here! See you on Monday for the next study recap!😊

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🥐 French

Over the weekend, I started reading L’étranger. It was a bit spontaneous, especially considering I still have three graphic novels from the library waiting to be read. I came across a readalong for the English translation (The Stranger) starting in June, and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to read it in French first.

Most of the time, when I read in my target language, it’s usually through English translations. So I’m curious to see what it feels like to experience the story in French first, and then come back to it in English later.

I’m reading intensively with the help of Migaku. After going through the first chapter, I ended up saving 190 new words and achieving a comprehension level of 89%.

It’s been a while since I’ve done intensive reading in French, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I don’t have any plans to review the words just yet, but I might revisit them after finishing the book. I’m hoping repeated exposure throughout the text will do most of the work.

🍜 Japanese

I got to see the cherry blossoms during my Japanese class this week. Since they don’t last long, and the cold seems to drag on forever in Canada, the timing felt lucky. It was nice seeing so many people gathered to take photos.

Inside the classroom, things felt a little different. I’ve mostly been relying on class for my Japanese lately. It’s the only study I really have energy for right now, so I’m thankful to have it for consistency.

During conversation practice, my teacher stopped by our table. She glanced at my worksheet and saw that I had already finished the verb conjugation sheet and complimented my handwriting. Instead of continuing with the current lesson, I was reviewing the days of the week, since I had forgotten them.

That ended up leading to a conversation about vocabulary. I mentioned how much harder it feels to remember words in Japanese, especially since our textbook doesn’t use kanji. I shared that my background in Mandarin helps when I do see kanji, since there’s something familiar to recognize.

She mentioned that she’s also been learning Mandarin, but finds it challenging. I always find it interesting learning about the languages other people are studying. There’s something about seeing who chooses to take on something as challenging as learning a language.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Completed my first intensive reading session of L’étranger (Chapter 1) at 89% comprehension

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Continue reading L’étranger + finish the remaining graphic novels from the library

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Thanks for being here. See you later this week for my April language learning recap!

🥐 French

The students have been practicing the song Nous sommes tous comme les fleurs for the end-of-year concert.

For the concert, we’ll be singing three songs. Keeping with the spring theme, I suggested La fourmi m’a piqué la main. On Friday, I wrote out the lyrics and added a few drawings to make reading easier. I really enjoy making visuals like these, and the students seem to appreciate them too.

While practicing, I noticed that for the word “jardin,” I use a more European French pronunciation, while the teacher and the class use a Canadian one.

The pronunciation differences have come up a few times. I find myself naturally adapting during planned activities, but when I’m speaking casually with the students, I default to how I normally speak. Sometimes, they even “correct” me1. Most of the time, I feel confident if it’s a word or phrase I’ve heard often, but there are still moments where I second-guess myself.

I also did one or two lessons from a French pronunciation course and looked more into the “in” and “im” sounds. I realized that what trips me up is how they change depending on their position in a word. Sometimes the “i” stays as /i/, and other times it becomes /ɛ̃/. I found the video in this article helpful for understanding it.

🍜 Japanese

This week was my second Japanese class. The excitement from week one wore off a bit (rush hour traffic is not fun), but once I got there, I was glad I went.

My teacher returned our katakana homework. I was confused at first, seeing so many red circles, until I realized that in Japan, circles mean something is correct.

There was also a moment when my partner stepped out, and I ended up practicing with the assistant teacher. She spoke quietly in Japanese2, and I wasn’t sure what she was asking at first. After a bit of confusion, I realized she wanted to practice, so I picked an exercise, and we worked through it together.

I did pretty well, except for not knowing how to say “address” when asking for an email address. It turns out it’s just a katakana word, which means it sounds similar to English.

The whole point of group language classes is to learn and practice speaking with real people, so while it was awkward, I’m glad I stepped out of my comfort zone.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Practiced more intentional pronunciation in French

• Created a lyric chart for my students

• Stepped out of my comfort zone and practiced speaking in Japanese

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Continue French pronunciation course

• 🍜 Japanese: Stay consistent with homework and speaking practice

Thanks for being here, see you next week!

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🥐 French

With more of my time going toward Japanese, my French has moved toward using the language in real contexts, especially through teaching. I’ve been experimenting with simple speaking activities and finding ways to make French more interactive for my students.

One activity this week was asking students how they were feeling. One student said “Ça va mal,” and when I asked why, he told me he was sad because he didn’t get to eat as many pancakes as he wanted that morning. I didn’t get to have breakfast that morning, so I knew exactly how he was feeling1.

Another student asked me about the schedule for the day, completely in French. A few classmates overheard and insisted she wasn’t speaking French, so I made sure to point out that she was and that they could do the same. Later, they went to ask her what she said, and she was able to summarize our conversation in French.

Unless it’s a structured lesson, students usually default to English, so it’s always nice to see them choose to speak French unprompted.

Outside of work, I’ve been incorporating French into daily life through gaming, which has been a fun way to build vocabulary and comprehension. Tomodachi Life was recently released, and my partner gifted it to me. I never played the original, so everything feels new. I’ve been enjoying the daily interactions and have already picked up a few new words and phrases:

• battre la chamade - to beat wildly (like a racing heart)

• une étincelle - a spark

• vanter - to praise/highlight

• à bon escient - wisely

🍜 Japanese

Last week marked the start of my in-person Japanese classes. I went in feeling nervous about both the level and the format, but it turned out to be a really positive experience. The class level feels appropriate, and I’m already noticing that working through exercises and writing things out is helping build my confidence.

Taking the class with my partner makes it more enjoyable since I don’t have to worry about being paired with strangers. My nerves calmed after everyone had introduced themselves, and I was reminded how nice it is to be surrounded by other language learners. A few of them are French teachers, which was an interesting surprise.

It was a long day balancing work and an evening class, but it ended up being eventful. We explored a Japanese shop2 nearby before class and then had ramen for dinner.

We had one break during the class, which I used to explore the building. I noticed a Martial Arts class in a few rooms, and I realized I had once been there on a Martial Arts school trip many years ago. It’s a bit of a full circle to now be back there, learning Japanese.

✨Language Wins of The Week

• Survived my first Japanese class introductions (basically copied everyone else because I forgot how to give basic introductions, oops)

• Japanese writing practice is starting to click

• Got my students speaking in French

• Started playing Tomodachi Life in French

📅 Next Week’s Plans

• 🥐 French: Create more speaking opportunities (for my students & myself)

• 🍜 Japanese: Stay consistent with homework & keep building confidence in writing

Thanks for being here, see you next week!

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🥐 French

This week leaned more toward enjoyment and exposure than strict studying, so I didn’t end up following through on all the goals I originally set.

I watched lessons 4 to 7 in the French pronunciation course. Lesson 8 is much longer than the others, which is probably why I paused earlier in the week.

I had also planned…

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The weekly study logs are officially back in full swing! I’ve really enjoyed writing them over the past month, so I’ll keep them going. Writing each week has also helped me stay consistent in using my language planner.

I use my planner to map out what I want to study and to keep track of what I actually do each day.

A few da…

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March was a great month and really helped round out my first quarter of language studies. In those first few months, I was mostly trying to find my footing and build a routine. I felt a bit lost and wasn’t sure how to get back into studying consistently.

The March Bingo Board…

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I’m happy to say that I completed every task on the board. I used my final skip and doubled up on tasks in one day to make up for the extra day I missed.

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The tasks this week actually got me using my target languages. Whether it was reading, practicing exams, or playing games, I encountered new words each day.

I hit my first and second bingos this week! There are only a few tasks left, which means if all goes to plan,…

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When this challenge was created, the skips worked naturally since there are 25 tasks on the board and the challenge lasts 28 days. Most of the time, when I create challenges, I don’t fact…

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This is the first of four recaps where I’ll be sharing the ta…

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February went by so fast, and I’m happy with all the little things I accomplished. I’m also looking forward to longer days as Spring approaches.

Let’s recap my language studies in February!

🥐 French

I found myself doing much more in French at work than usual. There were a few days when I evaluated students’ understanding of numbers and shape…

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Most of my language lea…

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I started strong with my language studies, but I gradually fell out of habit toward the end of the month. This was partly due to returning to work after the holidays and having less time to study, and partly because of moving. I did make the most of packing by listening to some audiobooks, but overall, my study time dro…

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