On this page I’ll collect all posts regarding the Polyglot Agatha Reading Challenge, in reverse order (as on any blog).  Here’s where you can find:

• Introductory post & rules: comment on that post to sign up for the challenge (you can sign up at any time)
• Participants: I’ll try  and keep the list updated as months go by
• Harvesting language experiences: this is where you tell me (optional!) about what you learned from each book.

Winners

Last modified on 2009-04-02 08:53:27 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

As promised, yesterday I held the draws for the two giveaways linked to my Polyglot Agatha challenge. Here are the winners.

1. Bethany from B&b ex libris wins the draw for participants. She wins one Agatha Christie book to read for the challenge. Please let me know the title and the language of your choice, as well as where to ship.
2. Kathrin from Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic wins the draw for those who posted about my challenge (and I am glad that she is also a participant). As I wanted to choose the prize according to the winner’s reading tastes, and Kathrin told me that she recently studied some Italian, she wins an Italian reading book (title subject to availability). Please let me know your shipping address.

Even if you didn’t win, I surely plan to have more giveaways during future months! Happy reading, everyone!

Polyglot Agatha: what did you learn?

Last modified on 2009-04-01 16:30:12 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Well, if you are reading this post you probably know the basic facts: I’m learning Portuguese and I’ve heard that reading Agatha Christie’s novels is a good way to learn a new language fast. So that’s what I’m doing, and I’m inviting other people to join in the fun, reading in whatever language they choose other than their own.

What you may still not know is that I’m language addicted. So I’d like to know what you learned from your Polyglot Agatha readings. A new word? A phrase? An idiom? A saying? Whatever. Please tell me, either in the comments or in a blog post on your blog (and leave here the link in the comments).

Polyglot Agatha: who’s in

Last modified on 2009-04-06 16:24:13 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I started this challenge as a challenge to myself… but I’ve already found good company. Still, the more the merrier, as they say, so if you want to join you’re welcome. For more information on the challenge, or to sign up, please check the original post.

Here’s the list, as of  March 31st:

1. Bethany (B&b ex libris)
2. Kathrin (Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic)
3. Diadhuit (Il rumore della foresta)
4. Paula (Paulas bokblog)
5. myself

A Challenge of my own

Last modified on 2009-03-24 11:38:25 GMT. 11 comments. Top.

As I already told you on this blog, after getting my library card here in Portugal I decided to read as much Agatha Christie books as possible in Portuguese. From my college days I remember learning that her novels, translated in any language, are a good place to start reading a foreign language, because of simple style, useful vocabulary and lots of dialogue. I wasn’t able to track back the linguist who actually said this, but a simple Google search for “Agatha Christie language learning” gives many results hinting at this, including this book, where you can read the following:

If you have nothing that you particularly want to read about, newspapers and magazines are probably best. Detective stories are also excellent, if you like them. Translations of stories by writers like Agatha Christie or Georges Simenon contain very useful language. (p. 91)

I’ve already signed up for the one Agatha challenge I found on the blogosphere, hosted by Kathrin at Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic. Later, I was in contact with her over the email, I discovered that she is a fellow language-lover (please do head over to her blog!), and she encouraged me to create my own reading challenge. So, without further ado, hereby I present the:

Polyglot Agatha Reading Challenge

I intend it as a very low-pressure challenge, basically there is only one rule: you commit to reading at least one book by Agatha in a language other than your own. It may be your high-school French, your grandparents’ Polish, your fiancé’s Chinese, a new language that you want to pick up, whatever.

More details:

1. The challenge runs from April 1st to December 31st.
2. To sign up leave a comment on this post, with a link to your post about the challenge if you write one — but you don’t need to if you don’t want to! It’s up to you. You don’t even need to have a blog: just comment here to let me know.
3. You can sign up anytime.
4. When you read a book for the challenge, I’d like you to tell me (either in a blog post or in a comment here) what you learned from it. I’m not so much interested in reviews, but I’d like to know which new words or turns of phrase you discovered. For example, when reading The murder of Roger Ackroyd in Portuguese, I learned that to indicate two people that are very close, inseparable, you can say “ser unha e carne” (i.e. to be nail and flesh). Again, this is entirely optional.
5. At the beginning of April, I’ll set up a special post to collect comments and links after you read your books.
6. The button above was created by me on an image by izarbeltza on Flickr. Feel free to grab it, but please copy and upload it to your own server, as this blog is too often down Also, if anyone knows how to make a better button, that would be very welcome!

I’m very excited at the idea of hosting a challenge, but please note that it’s the first time I do, so please be kind with me. Also, any suggestion is welcome!

And now, challenge giveaways:

1. I know it’s all very short notice, and you are all welcome to sign up for the challenge at any stage. But there is a special giveaway for people who sign up by March 31st: I’ll draw a name on April 1st and send them one book of their choice to read for this challenge.
2. Again because it’s very short notice, I decided to set up a giveaway for people who link to this challenge in their blogs. Again, the time limit is March 31 and I’ll draw a name on April 1st. This giveaway is open even to people who don’t want to sign up for the challenge. To enter, leave me a comment on this post, with a link to the post in which you linked to the challenge. [ETA: the prize for this giveaway is a surprise, it's for me to decide based on the winner's reading tastes, and for you to find out!]

More giveaways will come during the challenge months.

PLEASE NOTE: I need to have comment moderation on, because of the huge heap of spam I get on this blog. Your comments will be saved to moderation queue and need for me to approve them before they actually appear on the blog. So if you don’t see them, don’t fear. But if after 2-3 days they still haven’t appeared, drop me a line at ioscribacchina AT gmail DOT com.

That should be all. If you have comments or doubts, comment away, or email me!

Happy language reading!!!