I must say I have been quite good at doing my speed-reading exercises, except for the paragraph exercise where you are supposed to find the topic on as many paragraphs as possible in five minutes and note it down. I find that incredibly boring a stressful. I have been doing the other ones though, and yesterday I read the book "The Evilyn Wood Seven-Day Speed Reading Program”. I think these two books are excellent together. You can read the second one through quickly and pick up a lot of things that you also find in the first book, but the first book is more structured like a course that you follow by doing this and that every day. Today I am going to start trying out some of the hand movements from the second book. Wide reading it yesterday, I read perhaps half of it, or a third, by reading two lines at once. I'm not sure if this is quicker or not, but I intend to do some tests today. Like all techniques, this one also needs practicing, and I haven't done that much practicing with it yet, so it may still be slower.
New records? I have managed Swedish fiction at a good recall rate of 740 words a minute (833 as well, but then I wasn't satisfied with my recall) , and somehow English nonfiction at 884... O_o I think I am rather comfortable with 500 now.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Spot on.
This.
Swedes are very often subject to an inferiority complex towards English. I guess this is pretty common in many countries where English is seen as something new and cool compared to the native language. But really, do the politicians have to engage in this as well? The article is about the spreading of English all around Sweden, for example by giving instances in Stockholm English names. I will translate some of my favorite quotes.
"You can start to wonder if our pathetic Stockholm politicians have time to do anything else than hang around at Google translate."
"Young people use English words even when there are perfectly good Swedish ones, perhaps because they haven't read enough Swedish literature in order to master and play around with their native tongue."
"... instead a lot of politicians act precisely like those teenagers who think that Swedish is just sooo boring."
Swedes are very often subject to an inferiority complex towards English. I guess this is pretty common in many countries where English is seen as something new and cool compared to the native language. But really, do the politicians have to engage in this as well? The article is about the spreading of English all around Sweden, for example by giving instances in Stockholm English names. I will translate some of my favorite quotes.
"You can start to wonder if our pathetic Stockholm politicians have time to do anything else than hang around at Google translate."
"Young people use English words even when there are perfectly good Swedish ones, perhaps because they haven't read enough Swedish literature in order to master and play around with their native tongue."
"... instead a lot of politicians act precisely like those teenagers who think that Swedish is just sooo boring."
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Speed-reading update.
I have been trying to follow the book in the designated pace and although I can show some more impressive numbers already, I’m not sure I’ve become a better reader just yet. :) I'm experiencing some slight problems with the main technique, which is to use your hand as a pacer as you go down the lines. That is, your hand should stop you from looking back and forcing you to continue ahead. For me, this is rather painful, even though I use a pen instead to minimize the movement. Because of this, I don't practice as much as I probably should. After today's exercises, I do seem to have improved my reading of easier material. The book tells you what sort of material you should use for different exercises, and right now you are supposed to use easier material, so I am using historical Swedish fiction, a book called "Livläkarens besök" by Per Olov Enquist, which deals with Denmark. The first time I read in this book, I managed 350 words per minute, while making an effort. I did not make a great effort for my 240 words of English nonfiction. Now, when reading this easier book and making an effort, I'm at 530 words per minute.
There is of course a great difference between reading in a relaxed manner and reading while making an effort to speed things up. I am Evidently not only interested in reading fast, I also want to understand what I read and I am definitely interested in actually remembering it. Right now, I don't see how those things are supposed to improve by reading faster, but I guess that will come later in the book. This is, after all, just lesson four or something like that.
There is of course a great difference between reading in a relaxed manner and reading while making an effort to speed things up. I am Evidently not only interested in reading fast, I also want to understand what I read and I am definitely interested in actually remembering it. Right now, I don't see how those things are supposed to improve by reading faster, but I guess that will come later in the book. This is, after all, just lesson four or something like that.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Overheard Swedish conversations.
Tjuvlyssnat is an excellent site for colloquial FUNNY Swedish. I love this one:
Buss 176, Stenhamra
Två fjortistjejer sitter på bussen och diskuterar en kille.
Tjej 1: Asså, typ igår kväll när jag pratade med Jesper på MSN så skrev han värsta weird!
Tjej 2: Asså, typ som på bilddagboken då eller?
Tjej 1: Ah! Han skriver som värsta läraren! Han skrev med stor bokstav i början på varje ord! Typ: Hej Jessika. Asså! Han skrev hej med stort H och Jessika med stort J! Så jäkla störande, kändes som om det var ett jävla prov.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Charming ladies back in the days.
I have spoken about Peer Gynt earlier on this blog, but now I have actually started reading it together with my boyfriend. Parts of it are just excellent.
-- Peer is trying to seduce the woman in green, the daughter of the mountain king. --
(En grennkledd kvinne går i lien. Peer Gynt folger efter under alle slags forelskede fakter.)
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE (stanser og vender seg). Ег det sant?
PEER GYNT (skjærer med fingeren over strupen). Så sant som jeg heter Peer; -
Så sant som du er en deilig kvinne!
Vil du ha meg? Du skal se hvor fint jeg meg ter;
Du skal hverken trede veven eller spinne.
Mat skal du få så du er ferdig å sprekke.
Aldri skal jeg deg i håret trekke – (I'm never going to pull your hair)
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Ikke slå meg heller? (And not beat me either?)
PEER GYNT. Nei, var det likt?
Vi kongssønner slår ikke kvinnfolk og slikt.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Ег du kongssønn?
PEER GYNT. Ja.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Jeg ег Dovrekongens datter.
PEER GYNT. Er du det? Se, se; det treffer jo godt.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Inne i Ronden har far min sitt slott.
PEER GYNT. Da har mor min et større så vidt jeg fatter.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Kjenner du far min? Han heter kong Brose.
PEER GYNT. Kjenner du mor min? Hun heter dronning Åse.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Når far min er sint, så sprekker fjelle.
PEER GYNT. De raper bare mor min tar på å skjelle.
This is some of the accompanying music by Grieg.
-- Peer is talking to the Mountain King who has agreed to give him his daughter. The King wants Peer to lay off his Christian clothing and wear a tail. --
DOVREGUBBEN. Demest må du kaste dine kristenmannskleder ;
Ti det skal du vite til vårt Dovres heder:
Her er allting fjellvirket, ingenting fra dalen,
unntagen silkesløyfen ytterst på halen.
PEER GYNT (vred). Jeg har ingen hale!
DOVREGUBBEN. Så kanst du få.
Hofftroll, bind ham min søndagshale på.
PEER GYNT. Nei, om du får! Vil I gjøre meg
Til nar?
DOVREGUBBEN. Beil aldri til datter min med
Baken bar. (Never propose to my daugther with a bare rear end.)
PEER GYNT. Gjøre menneske til dyr!
DOVREGUBBEN. Min sønn, du feiler;
Jeg gjør deg bare til en høvelig beiler.
Du skal få en branngul sløyfe å bære.
Og det gjelder her for den høyeste ære.
PEER GYNT (betenksomt).
Der sies jo mennesket er kun et fnug.
Og litt får en lempes efter skikk og brug.
Bind vekk!
DOVREGUBBEN. Du est еn medgjørlig fyr.
HOFFTROLLET. Prøv nu hvor fint du каn svanse
Og svinge !
PEER GYNT (arrig).
Hå, vil I ennu til mere meg tvinge?
Krever I også min kristenmanns-tro? (Do you also demand my Christian faith?)
DOVREGUBBEN. Nei, den kan du gjerne beholde
I ro.
Troen går fritt; den legges ingen toll på;
Det er skorpen og snittet en skal kjenne et troll på.
Ваге vi er ens i lader og kledsel,
Kan du gjerne kalle tro hva vi kaller redsel. (As long as we are the same in manners and dress you are free to call faith what we call fear.)
-- Peer is trying to seduce the woman in green, the daughter of the mountain king. --
(En grennkledd kvinne går i lien. Peer Gynt folger efter under alle slags forelskede fakter.)
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE (stanser og vender seg). Ег det sant?
PEER GYNT (skjærer med fingeren over strupen). Så sant som jeg heter Peer; -
Så sant som du er en deilig kvinne!
Vil du ha meg? Du skal se hvor fint jeg meg ter;
Du skal hverken trede veven eller spinne.
Mat skal du få så du er ferdig å sprekke.
Aldri skal jeg deg i håret trekke – (I'm never going to pull your hair)
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Ikke slå meg heller? (And not beat me either?)
PEER GYNT. Nei, var det likt?
Vi kongssønner slår ikke kvinnfolk og slikt.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Ег du kongssønn?
PEER GYNT. Ja.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Jeg ег Dovrekongens datter.
PEER GYNT. Er du det? Se, se; det treffer jo godt.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Inne i Ronden har far min sitt slott.
PEER GYNT. Da har mor min et større så vidt jeg fatter.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Kjenner du far min? Han heter kong Brose.
PEER GYNT. Kjenner du mor min? Hun heter dronning Åse.
DEN GRØNNKLEDDE. Når far min er sint, så sprekker fjelle.
PEER GYNT. De raper bare mor min tar på å skjelle.
This is some of the accompanying music by Grieg.
-- Peer is talking to the Mountain King who has agreed to give him his daughter. The King wants Peer to lay off his Christian clothing and wear a tail. --
DOVREGUBBEN. Demest må du kaste dine kristenmannskleder ;
Ti det skal du vite til vårt Dovres heder:
Her er allting fjellvirket, ingenting fra dalen,
unntagen silkesløyfen ytterst på halen.
PEER GYNT (vred). Jeg har ingen hale!
DOVREGUBBEN. Så kanst du få.
Hofftroll, bind ham min søndagshale på.
PEER GYNT. Nei, om du får! Vil I gjøre meg
Til nar?
DOVREGUBBEN. Beil aldri til datter min med
Baken bar. (Never propose to my daugther with a bare rear end.)
PEER GYNT. Gjøre menneske til dyr!
DOVREGUBBEN. Min sønn, du feiler;
Jeg gjør deg bare til en høvelig beiler.
Du skal få en branngul sløyfe å bære.
Og det gjelder her for den høyeste ære.
PEER GYNT (betenksomt).
Der sies jo mennesket er kun et fnug.
Og litt får en lempes efter skikk og brug.
Bind vekk!
DOVREGUBBEN. Du est еn medgjørlig fyr.
HOFFTROLLET. Prøv nu hvor fint du каn svanse
Og svinge !
PEER GYNT (arrig).
Hå, vil I ennu til mere meg tvinge?
Krever I også min kristenmanns-tro? (Do you also demand my Christian faith?)
DOVREGUBBEN. Nei, den kan du gjerne beholde
I ro.
Troen går fritt; den legges ingen toll på;
Det er skorpen og snittet en skal kjenne et troll på.
Ваге vi er ens i lader og kledsel,
Kan du gjerne kalle tro hva vi kaller redsel. (As long as we are the same in manners and dress you are free to call faith what we call fear.)
Reading somewhat faster.
I have always been concerned about my reading rate. I have always wanted to improve it, I have always been very jealous of rapid readers. I did actually read rather fast when I was 15 and mainly read fantasy; back then I had way more confidence when it came to my intellectual capacities than I do now and I often read one book in a day. I even had more confidence when it came to my language abilities, which is quite funny since I was merely bilingual back then.
When I was 16 or 17, my boyfriend at the time gave me a speed-reading book. By that respectable age, I was already a nervous wreck when it came to my reading speed. I was almost a bit reluctant to start the book since I was convinced I would just fail at it – which I also did. It’s hard to say why exactly (except for bad attitude) because I worked rather hard with it (the method included making texts with columns and increasing your eye span ), but I think that in the end the whole thing is made me feel stressed and reluctant about reading which was really not the point to begin with… however, Thom recommended this site to me and on it you can find another speed-reading book. Since I do a lot of reading and since I am soon to become a student at the University of Oslo I thought it would be too silly to not even give it a try. So that’s exactly what I’ll do and I will evaluate the progress here on my blog.
My starting point seems to be a good one, my reading speed is rather average and according to the book I should be able to make a lot of progress. In case anyone was wondering, I can manage 240 words per minute when reading English nonfiction at the moment. I know very well that I do a lot of conscious regression when reading, but I’ve always felt incapable of stopping this bad habit. I did not, however, know that you should be sitting up all the time! I don't even have a desk to sit at, nor a normal table, so I'm not sure what I'll do about that.
Oh well, here we go!
When I was 16 or 17, my boyfriend at the time gave me a speed-reading book. By that respectable age, I was already a nervous wreck when it came to my reading speed. I was almost a bit reluctant to start the book since I was convinced I would just fail at it – which I also did. It’s hard to say why exactly (except for bad attitude) because I worked rather hard with it (the method included making texts with columns and increasing your eye span ), but I think that in the end the whole thing is made me feel stressed and reluctant about reading which was really not the point to begin with… however, Thom recommended this site to me and on it you can find another speed-reading book. Since I do a lot of reading and since I am soon to become a student at the University of Oslo I thought it would be too silly to not even give it a try. So that’s exactly what I’ll do and I will evaluate the progress here on my blog.
My starting point seems to be a good one, my reading speed is rather average and according to the book I should be able to make a lot of progress. In case anyone was wondering, I can manage 240 words per minute when reading English nonfiction at the moment. I know very well that I do a lot of conscious regression when reading, but I’ve always felt incapable of stopping this bad habit. I did not, however, know that you should be sitting up all the time! I don't even have a desk to sit at, nor a normal table, so I'm not sure what I'll do about that.
Oh well, here we go!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
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