In this artifact, I explained to Zaka my reasons for taking Urdu. I explained how I hope this course will help me fully immerse myself in the language. I will be able to hold whole conversations with family members about complex matters. They won’t feel as if they cannot have a certain conversation because I won’t be able to understand the surrounding vocabulary. In addition to this, we also discussed the background that I have in Urdu and I explained to Zaka how I speak with my mom in it, it is not the most fluent and the pronunciation is something I also want to work on so that I can retain the main form of communication among my family as well as retain my identity.
Aisha Farooq's Posts (20)
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In this artifact, I discussed what my family members are like. I described the personalities of my mom as tender and caring and always concerned about whether someone had eaten. My sister on the hand is headstrong and has a strong personality unlike my mom. I also discussed how my mom is a daycare provider and how she takes care of children for a living. I described my brother as a slacker when it comes to school and how he is a student at George Mason University unlike my sister who is very punctual about time and money.
In this artifact, we discussed the different provinces about Pakistan and we also discussed what I already know. For example, we discussed the weather, the geography, the population of Baluchistan. We discussed how Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the most dangerous area in Pakistan because the border is surrounded by Talibans and attacks are very common in that area. We also discussed how Sindh is the area that is one of the more affluent areas in Pakistan with bigger cities. Punjab is one of the biggest and progressive provinces in Pakistan. Punjab for this reason is considered to be the area where income is highest. We also discussed which places are safer to travel and where Zaka has traveled for vacations with his family
In this first artifact we exchanged greetings with each other. Zaka said “Asalam Walaikum” which translates into “Peace be unto you” and in response I said “Walaikum Aslam” which translates into “And unto you peace.” This is the greeting that is commonly exchanged in Urdu. In this artifact Zaka and I asked each other basic question in a formal tone using “aap” so I could learn how to converse in a formal manner. We discussed our educational backgrounds and the friends we had during childhood. We also briefly discussed our family members. Zaka asked if I would like to visit Pakistan where my family is from and why I would like to. The purpose of this artifact was for me to comfortable speaking in a formal manner and to understand how to use formal vocabulary when conversing with someone about their backgrounds. This artifact also served to improve or make me conscious of the agreement mistakes.
In this artifact, we discussed how marriages take place in Pakistan. I discussed how marriages differ between the poor and rich community. Zaka explained the concept of arranged marriages among both poor and rich communities. Poor communities tend to have outside pressure that prompt earlier arranged marriages. I then asked Zaka his experience in attending weddings and how he likes them. Zaka mentioned that although he is not a fan of weddings he hopes that he will make his flight on time in to attend his best friend’s brother’s wedding. We discussed the different attires the bride and groom wear during marriages. Zaka also explained the system of Mahr in Pakistan and the purpose of it and the tradition behind it. Zaka and I exchanged our thoughts on when the appropriate age would be for each of us to get married. In addition to this, we discussed if it was important for us to marry Muslims and why it was or was not for each of us individually.
This semester, I was able to expand my vocabulary surrounding both complex and simple matters. The vocabulary surrounding complex matters such as opinions and thoughts on political affairs, current events, and human rights was extremely helpful to me because I can now foster a conversation with a native speaker. I can comprehend much more when I watch the Pakistani or Indian news because I was able to pick up on the formal vocabulary and manner the news reporters talk in. In addition to this, I have also learned how to interpret the formality with which someone is asking me a question with and reflect that same formality back in my tone. I am now able to communicate about simple matters as well such as time, weather, furniture, and family. The expressions and terms regarding these topics are used on a daily basis in Pakistani households. By learning the simple vocabulary associated with this, I can be better integrated into the language and culture.
The difficulties that I encountered were in writing and reading because I have no experience or background in that aspect of Urdu. There are many grammar rules that come as you read that cannot be taught beforehand. This unstructured part of Urdu that is integrated in the language posed the most difficulty for me. However, Zaka explained it in Urdu and wrote it down Urdu and after writing a side note in English by the rule I was able to refer back to it when the grammar rule came up again. The reading speed that I intended to be at was highly optimistic. I was only able to able memorize few repetitive words in short riddles. I did notice my speed picking up the more I read.
The learning goals for this week was to learn about terms dealing with human rights and terms dealing with Islamic rights in a marriage. These learning goals align with what I would like to study further and what I would like to pursue in terms of a career. I would like to ask a native speaker of Urdu their opinions on pressing matters. In addition to this, I want to learn the proper terminology in Urdu for Islamic rights. The way Zaka and I expanded on my vocabulary for these two topics and to make me feel more comfortable with discussing the topic we had a dialogue back and forth. Zaka would ask me my opinion on the poverty gap in Pakistan in comparison to American in Urdu and I would respond back to Zaka in Urdu using the same phrases posed in the question. I would switch with Zaka and ask him about his thoughts on certain Islamic rights and write down the vocabulary surrounding the topic. During our conversation, I would write down certain phrases that I had not hear about or was confused about. Below is a list of a few terms that were taught to expand my vocabulary and understanding on these topics so I can converse with someone in Urdu.
Poverty=Garibhi
Lack of money=Paiso ki kamhi
Mahr=Form of money given to the bride upon marriage
Hakook=Rights
Mar Pati=Fighting
Talaq=Divorce
Hakeekath=Reality
Government=Sarchar
Court=Khichari
For this week, we focused on expanding the vocabulary surrounding weather. I learned how to describe the weather outside in different ways instead of just saying it is warm or that it is cold in Urdu. I learned how to say the following expressions and terms in Urdu to explain to someone how to prepare for the weather. The exercises that Zaka and I went through in order to expand my vocabulary on the weather was I would describe the weather to him in Urdu and based on my description he would advise what we should do to prepare for the weather. We would then switch and Zaka would give a description of the weather and I would advise him on how to prepare for the weather. By doing this exercise, I can comfortably communicate about the weather with a native speaker in Urdu and advise them on what to wear and what to watch out for when stepping outside. We also worked on how we could adjust the temperature inside the house. During this exercise, I also expanded my vocabulary for clothing. We integrated the different manners of formality in these statements as well. For example, if Zaka was formal and said “aap,” I would have to use a similar manner in responding to him. There are also some words that are said in English because English is also identified as one of the official languages of Pakistan. Below is a list of conversations Zaka and I had in Urdu.
Put on your jacket, it is freezing outside (Aapni Jacket panlo, bahar bohoth tand hori hai)
It is very sunny outside, you can wear sandals outside. (Bahar bohoth garmi hori hai, tum chapal panlo.
It is a little too warm in here, can you open a window. (Idar tori si garmi hori hai, aap khirkho kolai.
It is hailing outside, watch out for it. (Bahar llelabadi hori hai, dekh kar chal na)
In the First Artifact Conversation, I noticed that it took me longer than normal to answer the questions when I tried to think of the proper vocabulary associated to the questions. As I listened to the First Artifact Conversation I noticed that I was not used to the very formal greeting in the beginning which caught me slightly off guard because I am always used to conversing with my mother and extended family which is conducted in a semi-formal tone using Tum. I noticed that when Zaka used “Aap” to refer to me, it took time for me to learn how to address and answer Zaka in the same way as well. The conversation did not flow as naturally as it usually does.
For my tasks for week 4 and 5, after memorizing the terms and vocabulary used with time and my extended family from last week’s session I was able to say the different times that Zaka asked me about in Urdu. I translated different times back and forth with Zaka to make sure that I had really understood how to tell time and the expressions used. Next, Zaka and I translated the different names used for various family members in our extended family. First, I went line by line saying the different names used to refer to family members. A few mistakes were made where I called my dad’s relatives by the name of my mom’s relatives.
For weeks four and five, the learning tasks were to tell time in Urdu and expand my vocabulary when it comes to discussing the extended family. The way we achieved the first goal was that we went over basic terms that indicate times such as dawn, sundown, midnight, evening, and afternoon. Once we established this basic terminology, we worked on how we could tell when a quarter to an hour and or when its half an hour is complete. We practiced telling different times on a clock. In addition to this, we also worked on my learning task dealing with the vocabulary associated with family. We also worked on translating the names of relatives from English to Urdu so I learn to call them in them by their proper names in Urdu. I learned how to differentiate between my dad’s side and mom’s side and how the names are different. The way I will evaluate if I have mastered these tasks is by showing a picture of my extended family to Zaka and naming all of them in Urdu. I will test if I have mastered the component of time by telling Zaka the various times I have learned by each minute and the hour.
This week I would like to learn vocabulary dealing with the current news or terms dealing with political affairs. This is because I would like to follow the Pakistani news and understand the complex vocabulary that is used in the media to better understand what is going on different parts of Pakistan. The news in India also uses similar complex vocabulary so I will also be able to understand what is going on in India as well. In the future, when I go into a career in law, I hope to work with victims of domestic violence in this culture who speak Hindi and Urdu. I will be able to better understand where they are coming from. I will be a watching news clips to dissect the complex vocabulary and ask Zaka if I am defining the word properly from the context of the news. I will especially be looking for how elections are interpreted in Pakistan of the United States especially because Donald Trump is a serious candidate that is being voted upon.
The learning task for this week was to discuss my home. This week we integrated both vocabulary and the cultural aspects associated with this topic into our lessons this week. We discussed the names for different types of furniture and kitchen items that I did not know. The words listed below would be pronounced in English by me before. We also worked on translating the relationships with different family members. We discussed how the names of certain family members change when it is on the mother’s side in comparison to the father. The list for this is listed below.
- Dresser=Almari
- Countertop=
- Stove=Chula
- Cup=Mugga
- Bed=Bistar
- Hallway=Veranda
- Uncle (Mom’s side) Mamu
- Uncle (Dad’s side)Cha Cha
- Great Aunt=Khala/Phuphu
- Great Grandma=Par Dadi
- Cousin=Mama zad bhain
- Table=Mez
- Pillow=Takkya
- Wall=Dewar
Citations
Bhanbhro, MS, Wassan, R. "Is Social Exclusion Pushing the Pakistani Hijras (Transgenders) towards Commercial Sex Work? a Qualitative Study." BMC International Health and Human Rights. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2016.
Humaira, Jami. "Measuring Attitudes toward Hijras in Pakistan: Gender and Religiosity in Perspective." LexisNexis Academic, 30 June 2010. Web.
Hijras%20in%20Pakistan%20and%20India.pptxHijras%20in%20Pakistan%20and%20India.pptxHijras
This week we learned how to say the different months in Urdu from January to December. I also learned more information on the Islamic calendar and how it differs from our calendar. There is a short video on how to say the different months in Urdu. I also learned some background information on the Islamic calendar. We discussed how the role of Islam is so integrated into the life in Pakistan that even the time works based on Islamic History. During Ramadan, people open and break their fast according to the Islamic calendar.
After we discussed how the Islamic calendar works during our first meeting, in our second meeting, we discussed examples of how to tell someone the date of today. We did an exercise where dates were written in English and I verbally translated the dates in Urdu. We also practiced on how I can ask someone their birthday and respond by telling them mine when asked. In addition to this, we briefly discussed how I can also translate years from 1990’s to ask someone their birth year to 2016 so I can discuss important events that have happened between 1990-2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-N5i0QX2c8
http://www.islamweb.net/en/article/200326/significance-of-the-islamic-hijri-calendar
This week we learned how to tell time. We first learned how to count to 1-60 so I was familiar with all the minutes in Urdu. I practiced saying the time with all twelve hours changing the minute. We discussed how you can also say it is noon, midnight, dawn, and evening when asked. Zaka also recommended a video that shows how to tell if it is a quarter past a certain hour or half past an hour. We discussed how the system of differentiating the morning and evening in Urdu like we add A.M. and P.M. to time. We also did an exercise where the time was written down in English and I had to verbally translate it in Urdu. We discussed how after this week, I should regularly ask for the time and also be prepared to tell the time when asked during our tutoring sessions.
As of now, I know the Urdu alphabet fluently. I am able to read short simple riddles for children at a slow pace. I am still learning how to write letters and how they need to be connected in order to form a word. The readings and the articles that we have come up with are educating me on the cultural aspects of the people and geography of Pakistan. I am starting to learn the political tension that is associated with a Pakistani identity. By learning about the history of Pakistan I am able to better understand the division between Hindi and Urdu despite the similarity in how it is verbally spoken.
The learning plan is giving me a chance to take that first step towards becoming literate in Urdu. The pace that I am going at with my learning is not teaching me reading and writing skills at the pace that I would like to be fluent in. In order to pick up the pace on developing my reading and writing skills I can integrate on immersing myself in the language in my daily routine. I will start to read the headlines that are published in Urdu by family members for example. I will also continue to read short riddles on my own in order to pick up reading pace. There is more information that I would also like to learn about Pakistan’s history with India so I will to find more readings that give various perspectives on how the history impacts people’s identity.
This week was discussion based and we focused on in a book called Pakistan - Social and Cultural Transformations in a Muslim Nation. I read through chapter nine in this book which was focused on family, kinship, community, and civil society. In this chapter, I read how the historical description of a typical family has been centered on a joint family where unmarried daughters reside with the family and married sons bring their wives into the house. Globalization and westernization has changed this family dynamic. Dependency is being encouraged among children where they are starting to live separately from their families. In the rural parts of Pakistan cousins often married each other.
As for identity, Zaka and I discussed the concept of what my family’s background as Muhajir. Zaka informed me how Muhajir means Muslim refugees from India. The way that Muhajir even speak Urdu is different from other tribes and sects in Pakistan which is what my parents are. In the reading, it was mentioned how 97% of the population in Pakistan is Muslim. Islam dominates the social life in Pakistan as well. Men and women keep a physical distance from each other. Drinking and Dancing are not your usual way of spending your weekends nor is it publicly done.
This week we worked on the alphabet system in Urdu. Zaka explained how the alphabet system starts on the right instead of the left. He read through the alphabet once with me reading it aloud afterward. We worked on my pronunciation with the alphabets and how some letters make a guttural sound unlike the alphabet in English. I also wrote out all the alphabets in Urdu. We went over the letters that were mixed around and we worked on which letters could be written better. The second day in the week I learned more about the history in the alphabet system in Urdu. Zaka discussed how the alphabet system in Urdu was a mix of Arabic and Persian after political tensions in history. Zaka also recommended a youtube video on the alphabet song which gave examples of various foods with all the letters from Urdu which we saved to Diigo.
We have begun working on our very first task which is to set the structure of the classroom and how to build self-discipline in Urdu. We discussed the schedules that work best for us which is one day out of the week and one day out of the weekend. We discussed the ways I can strengthen my reading and writing skills on my own outside of the class. We also selected our main reading for the course which is Pakistan: A Hard Country by Anatoly Lieven. For each week, we will select different parts of the book to read trying to align to the language tasks set out for each week. Our lessons will integrate short riddles, news channels, discussions, brief TV serials, and articles. For the first week, we had a conversation about how informal and formal greetings are exchanged. We discussed how it is quite normal to stay past the time you have said you would leave before saying your farewells. Similarly, it was also quite normal to arrive past the time set. We worked on the second language task more through discussions by discussing how men and women greet each other differently. Men and women rarely shake hands when greeting each other whereas men will either embrace each other or shake hands with each other in greeting.
One resource that we have found to be very useful is Diigo to document and record the articles, news channels, and riddles that we will be doing throughout the weeks. This resource will help us go back to our lessons especially when we need to review certain phrases that repeat throughout the news or articles. I can also go back to these resources through Diigo.
The goals that I have for this semester with Urdu is to learn how to read simple sentences so that I am able to read headlines in the news that come up in my newsfeed on facebook. I also hope to write short simple words in Urdu that will allow me to fill out basic information on applications in the future. For example, my address, my name, and information about my family that can potentially be asked on basic applications. As of now I am advanced in my interpersonal communication and interpretative listening where I can follow extended speech and follow complex lines of argument provided the topic is reasonably familiar. I can understand extended speech and follow a complex argument. It takes me a little longer to comprehend formal Urdu that is spoken in news channels regarding political and current affairs. The skills that I need the most work on are with presentational writing and interpretive reading because I am unable to do both. I am still at the beginning level for that. I hope that I can learn to put simple words together and learn how to read small riddles and poems.
There are many other cultural aspects I hope to learn in the process as I become literate in Urdu. For example, I hope to learn about the geography, political situation, and demographics of Pakistan so that I can be much more familiar with the country where Urdu is dominant. This will help me become familiar with the country and allow me to understand which part of Pakistan is affected when it is brought up in the news. There are more simple things that I am unable to do in Urdu such as telling the date, telling the time, or telling someone how much something is. I hope to master these basic goals that are often used by the end of the semester. In addition to this, I also hope to learn about how Pakistan is a developing country and how globalized it has become. I want to learn about the gap between the poor and rich and how socioeconomic status is determined. I want to understand what westernized ideals may be looked down upon so that I am conscious of it.
