Why did you pick 'your' SDLAP language? What about it--either the language itself or the culture(s) where it is spoken--interests you? What do you plan to explore this semester?
Read more…After my first meeting with Maya and discussed various things she experienced while living overseas for several years, I decided discuss a tradition called Birthright in which she participated. Birthright is a program offered to Americans that sends
Read more…The architecture of Istanbul is world renowned and a significant amount of it is due to the State Architect Koca Mimar Sinan. Sinan acquired this position under Sultan Suleyman (1520-66) after his completion of the Sehzade Mosque which was a tribute
Read more…So in a recent documentary by a Turkish film director, Fatih Akin, the new and upcoming genres of Turkish music are explored. From Kurdish cultural music to American style pop and rap, artists today in Turkey are pushing every boundary they can in o
Read more…This year I went to the Richmond Folk Festival for the first time. The main reason I went to the festival was to see Zakir Hussain, an Indian tabla player. It just so happened that the Shanbehzadeh Ensemble, an Iranian folk band, was playing after
Read more…The Cultural Difference between Afghanistan and Iran
Iran and Afghanistan have had a very different journey, however these two countries have many similarities in their culture. Starting with the language, Iranian and Afghan dialects of Persian are h
Read more…Weekly Learning Activities
My main goal for this semester was to practice my writing, learn some grammar and read better. During most of this course my language partner and I were using a website (Persian-language.org) that had three books with about
Read more…If anyone is ever interested in how Turkey compares to Bollywood or Hollywood, take a look at Nuri Ceylan. The man in my opinion is a genius. I had to study a few of his films in another class, and although I did not like them at first (he is notor
Read more…It might be hard to believe for us, but in 1923, there were executions that occurred because people were wearing a fez. You see, the fez was the symbol of the Ottoman Empire as part of an effort by Mahmud II to make the Ottoman Empire more modern or
Read more…To many people, this name means absolutely nothing. But to others, this was the man that everything possible. This is the gazi, the warrior, Ataturk - the Father of Turks.
Obviously, I can go on and on about such an important political figure..
Read more…For your first cultural post, reflect on what interests you about the language you are studying and the culture(s) where it is spoken.
Read more…1. I can count to ten
2. I can greet others
3. I can introduce myself (name, where I am from, where I attend school)
4. I can talk about myself (some interests and what I like to do)
5. I can talk about my family (father, mother, sisters, their professio
