Errors on new quizzes

Question

Right now I'm focusing on the new quizzes, although this may not be the top priority on everyone's list.

I have been longing!...... yearning!!..... praying!!! for quizzes like these, to practice what I've learned from the Learn Spanish videos. Twenty flashcards with selected vocabulary is a great start, but they are not sufficient to really assimilate any given grammar lesson. I was thrilled beyond words to find the quizzes and equally dismayed when I learned of all the errors (some from firsthand experience).

So.... how can I help? I'm not a native speaker, not a fluent speaker, not advanced, not even intermediate. I'm a rank and file beginner. But I do have a few innate skills - I'm a good student, meticulous proofreader, quick and able researcher. Can I start from the beginning, going through each quiz and flag the errors or potential errors, making a note of them for someone who can ultimately judge them as correct/incorrect and fix them? Would this help? We could wait a long time for our dedicated but overworked fluent speakers to find time for this task. I would happily take on as much of the tedious work as I can, hoping to lighten the burden on those who will ultimately make the final corrections. Please let me know if this idea has any merit. Thanks!
P.S. I think it would be great if we got learning points for the quizzes too!

How can I navigate to these quizzes? I am studying Lesson 2, and only see the 20 flashcards and related quizzes. - CaliforniaDreamer, Jan 29, 2012

And this is how green I am... it finally occurred to me that I should have asked about this in a PM, but I don't know who to ask! Except for Heidita, of course, but I hate to bother her right now. - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

@cbruegge: Go to Learn (next to Q&A at the top of the page) and choose Spanish Grammar from the drop-down menu. There is a quiz for each topic. Cool, aye? - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

this is ok ajak, it is also very convenient to post this in feedback, I mean you are at a beginner`s stage, if you notice them,,,the mistakes are bad, thanks a lot for helping out so much on the site:) - 00494d19, Jan 29, 2012

I agree with everything you said and am in the same boat as you... I have just been reporting the errors I happen to catch to feedback. The quizzes are a great addition, I hope they correct the mistakes and expand the section even more. - hollyjollyberry, Jan 29, 2012

Thanks Holly, I'm glad you feel that way! It's great that you've taken the time to flag errors and send them to feedback. Maybe they'll take note and realize just how valuable that section is! - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

The feedback button didn't work last night (new SD) so I looked for the familiar spot under reference, but couldn't find another way to report it. - katydew, Jan 29, 2012

Katy, look in Heiditas post below. There is a direct link to the feedback thread and another to the feedback form. Hope this helps! - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

Answer 1

Thanks for your kind and encouraging comments, everyone, but this offer is just barely on a par with what many, many others are doing for no pay and little or no credit. Everyone is so very generous with their time and their feedback all across the forum, but if anyone is slogging through these pages and quizzes in a systematic way, I'm not aware of it. Of course, that doesn't mean it's not being done; it could just be the case that I haven't heard about it.

You're right, Heidita, ultimately, these pages will have to be checked by a native speaker. If that same person has the capacity to edit as they go, then I can't save them all that much time. But if, like me, all they can do is keep a list of errors, and relay that list to an editor, then I could help. The most time consuming part is writing the list. Well, that and looking up words that I'm not sure about, but that part is fun and educational for me! I've started a list, beginning at the beginning. I'll forward it to feedback, as you suggest, and see what happens. Maybe they'll "hire" me!

If not, well no harm - no foul, right? Proof-reading forces me to pay attention and look up everything I'm not sure of, so I'm getting more out of this site than ever!

Answer 2

Ajaks,

I, too, am happy to see quizzes added to SpanishDict! There are errors, and I would be happy to join in making lists of things I find to be wrong, but Heidi's answer makes me think that she wants us to wait for a native speaker to go through them. (I'm not a native, but I can recognize simple mistakes.)

So, would a list be helpful or not, do you think? I am willing to pitch in on this valuable project...but only if it's helpful.

Maybe we could start a list on a thread where anyone could make a note of an error. That might keep us from repeating the same thing over and over and give the administrators a starting place.

I don't know...I am just very grateful that this project was iniciated and would like to help if possible!

This is an excellent suggestion, MLucie - and thanks for the support! I have been thinking along similar lines. A thread would help tremendously - to avoid repetition and to organize the notes so they are in some kind of readable format. - ajaks, Jan 31, 2012

I'm going to try to PM Martha and see if we can organize something. As you said, if people are going to participate we need to know if this is helpful and what kind of format the correctors need in order to make sense of the notes. - ajaks, Jan 31, 2012

Answer 3

Very thoughtful of you ajaks. You are a tremendous recent acquisition to the forum. I must admit I am really disappointed with the new material. I think it is such a shame because I used to view the material here - along with the excellent lessons from Paralee - as being fantastic for new learners of Spanish. It doesn't take much to confuse me lol so I daren't look at the quizzes etc again until they are all fixed!

Gosh, thanks Billy! That is a wonderful compliment, but I really don’t contribute much, especially compared to you and the many other dedicated people here. That’s one reason to volunteer.... - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

... my other motives, of course, are purely selfish ;) I need those quizzes! - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

your very pleasant nature and desire to learn is contribution enough :) - billygoat, Jan 29, 2012

I agree with all billy has said, this is a very generous offer, ajak:) - 00494d19, Jan 29, 2012

Thanks Billy and Heidi, really - thank you very much. But those qualities are pretty much the norm here on SD. I could list a bunch of names, right off the top, who wrote the book on generosity and a desire to learn, and I'd still be short by about half. - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

Answer 4

HI ajaks, I find this post very generous, please report this on feedback, from here we can't really do anything about that.

We have already reported this several times, but so far we haven't heard any news.

YOu can also report this , again, on this thread, thanks a lot.

Thanks for your offer, Ajaks, but the quizzes need to be checked by a native speaker.

Martha said she would publish a list with the latest updates and corrections, so we are waiting for that list now.

I was on the new SD and tried to use the feedback button on some but it didn't work. - katydew, Jan 29, 2012

Thanks Heidita! I know I can count on your good judgement, and thanks for providing the appropriate links. - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012

Uh-oh, Katydew, that's not good news :( Which pages were you on where the buttons didn't work? - ajaks, Jan 29, 2012