This semester was by far one of my best semesters at the University of Richmond because of this opportunity to learn Gujarati and get academic credit for it. Learning a new language at 21 years of age is challenging and I can’t say that I would have
Read more…Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs are the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life: when to shake hands a
Read more…I believe that bilinguals are smarter because of the positive effects of juggling two languages. The NYT article "Why Bilinguals are Smarter" writes that, Previously bilinguals were assumed to be cognitively hindered by the interference presented b
Read more…Normally the transition from a spoken to an extinct language occurs when a language undergoes
language death, while being replaced by a different language in a community or society. I think it is very common to forget the old and adapt new words as
Read more…"Why Bilinguals Are Smarter" was a pretty awesome article by the New York Times. It turns out being bilingual has profound effects on your brain; improving cognitive skills that are not related to language and even prevent dementia in older age. It m
Read more…In Tribe Revives Language on Verge of Extinction, the New York Times does a great job of explaining how one particular American Indian language with only five speakers left has been resurfaced to face extinction. Through the internet, there has been
Read more…Culture shock is an incredible phenomenon. Many individuals who travel and or live and must try to assimilate into another culture of people often face this. Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and
Read more…Identify a topic for your culture project and reflect upon how this project relates to your language learning. State your learning goals for this project.
Read more…For the past three months I have been working hard to master the basics of the Gujarati language. But it has not come easy. From tone differences, to gender variations, I have worked vigorously to properly speak basics of the language in an Indian r
Read more…For the past three months I have been working hard to master the basics of the Gujarati language. But it has not come easy. From tone differences, to gender variations, I have worked vigorously to properly speak basics of the language in an Indian r
Read more…Cultural competence of the Gujarati language consists of interacting with the social and cultural aspects of Gujarati culture in reference to language learning. I find that the cultural aspect of Gujarati language and Indian culture itself, greatly c
Read more…Knowing the history of the Gujarati language can help me learn the language because by learning where the language originated I can make connections to the culture and context associated with the language.
For example, I am aware that Gujarati is an
Read more…Although it seems like the SDLC courses are directed mainly at language learning, there is almost as much to learn about culture as there is about language. Additionally, most of the cultural learning that occurs throughout the semester culminates in
Read more…Describe a cultural product or practice and reflect upon the cultural perspective(s) it illustrates.
Read more…So far I have used voki to document my learning of the numbers 1-10 in Gujarati. I plan on using voki as well as audacity mp3 to document my learning of the days of the week. Last week I learned that the weekly calendar begins on Monday rather than S
Read more…I thoroughly enjoyed Pooja's presentation on greetings in Hindi. I felt as though they were an effective means of comparing Gujarati culture within greater Indian culture. About two weeks ago I wrote about touching of the feet in Gujarat and I was in
Read more…One of the most integral gestures in Gujarati culture and greater Indian culture is the saying Namaste.
The traditional way of greeting in India is performed by holding your palms together, as in praying, and saying 'Namaste' [nah-mas-tay] or 'Namask
Read more…Is there an alphabet? If yes, how many letters? What do they represent? Are there significant differences between manuscript and print? If there is no alphabet, how does the language convey information in written form? Are there related writing
Read more…The cultural dimensions of learning Gujarati are intertwined and molded by Indian culture as a whole. I have learned so far that respect for those who are older and wiser, as well as family reputation are major factors in Gujarati culture. The lang
Read more…The first task of a self-directed learner is to set goals. Your goals will probably be related to your reasons for choosing this particular language. What is your interest in 'your' language? What do you hope to accomplish this semester? What are
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