This post will be my last reflection post on my weekly learning strategy. I have really enjoyed my time both in SDLC and learning with my tutor this semester, and I do feel that I have grown a great deal in my work inside and outside of the classroom through my experiences. Considering the past few weeks, I feel that I can be excited by the fact that I was able to identify some common errors, focus hard on them, and then practice and address them for the next time we met. While I am still far from perfect, I was able to become more able to recall the topics I needed to. Several of these included discussing time and money – I especially struggle with minute marks and decimal values. I believe that we were able to build on a routine that worked well, alternating between listening, reading, and speaking, while I practiced on my own to reinforce my writing skills. I was taught the correct order to use in writing characters, and when I was introduced to new ones, I appreciated that we could always pause so that I could learn them and prepare to practice with them later. Reading aloud helped me practice my pronunciation and also more easily understand the feelings of speaking naturally (I tend to speak much slower and pause often, so it provided a good basis for me to compare with my speaking). It also helped me evaluate context and learn new words quickly, which is something I have learned greatly reinforces my learning. Listening helped me familiarize myself with daily conversation – I was still frustrated because, sometimes even after pausing a sentence, I would lose my place in the conversation and fail to remember both the “big picture” and the meaning or sound of different words. However, it is something I realized I could continue to work on, and I intend to seek out more opportunities. The sites we used generally seemed reliable (and my tutor could easily identify flaws in any readings or listening exercises) and provided a diverse array of exercises; I plan to seek out more sites, compare their teaching styles and materials, and find even more ways to practice. I believe I have generally met my goals, and that my tutor feels the same, but there were still areas in which I often forgot a concept. Though I know that I wanted to push myself to learn a large amount of information rapidly, I know that I must focus harder on smaller topics and memorize vocabulary more fully. This summer, I plan to continue my practice according to the strategies we developed through lessons, but also spend more time reviewing the concepts I was introduced to so that I grasp them better. I will also test myself more in line with CET’s guidelines to hopefully complete my preparation for their language classes. I may be able to text with a few friends this summer, which will be a great way to develop my ability to use Mandarin in a daily context, and I will continue to search for shows and reading material to understand how it is used in diverse contexts. Overall, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities and support I found in being able to study Mandarin this semester, and I am looking forward to continuing my learning abroad.
You need to be a member of The SDLAP Ning to add comments!
Replies