SDLP%20--%20113%20--%20Presentation.pptx

Brief Presentation Summary:

I first looked at the different types of gamelan in Indonesian, namely, Javanese and Balinese gamelan. More specifically, I explored how they differ musically. I then looked at gamelan's role in both cultures. I noted that gamelan is often performed at important events, like religious and ceremonial affairs. I then talked about which gamelan type I prefer. I prefer the Javanese type because it is softer than Balinese gamelan but equally powerful.

I shall be brief with this post as I believe that my learning progress has been documented systematically on Ning. 

My goal was simple: to review and complete Let's Speak Indonesian Level 1 and Indonesian Grammar In Context levels 2 a 3. My learning activities and resources included the variety of activities within each chapter: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises.

This semester, I:

• Reviewed how to express pity, how to include additional information in order to persuade, how to express an intention, how to inquire about and explain payment options, how to express gratitude and relief upon hearing good news, and how to politely criticize.
• Reviewed how to express surprise about a situation, how to offer help, how to welcome a newcomer, how to ask someone to wait, how to offer good wishes for a religious holiday, and how to request a favor,
• Reviewed Active and Passive Verb Forms;
• Learned the yang clauses with active and passive verbs;
• Learned the locative function of the verbal suffix-i;
• Learned the prepositions pada, untuk, buat, atas, bagi, sebagi;
• Learned how to narrate from two points of reference;
• Learned the iterative function of the verbal suffix- i;
• Learned the Conjunction untuk and supaya
• The superlative adverb with the expression of quantity;
• The adverb se-asdjective + adjective-nya;
• And much, much more.

With each chapter, I documented my learning by completing most of the activities included in the chapter, some of which were documented on Ning for my artifacts. 

I met with my language partners for two hours per week to go over my oral, reading and writing skills and activities. 

Lastly, I believe that I documented my cultural and (language) learning in my presentation as well as throughout the semester in my cultural posts. More important, I believe that I learned a great deal about the Indonesian culture. This semester allowed me to better articulate my experiences in Bali (attending Gamelan festivals) and playing both Javanese and Balinese gamelan here at UR through my cultural topic assignments.

I look forward to continuing my Bahasa Indonesia learning with the independent study next semester!

This semester, I have been studying Indonesian gamelan. In particular, I explored its (a) geographical variances, (b) its role within cultures (i.e., Javanese and Balinese communities), and (c) its musicality. So, to sum up:

(a) Geographical Varieties

Balinese gamelan is characterized by its virtuosity and rapid changes of tempo. In addition, Balinese gamelan is often accompanied by theatrical dances. And compared to the other types, the Balinese have exceptionally active composers, writing new pieces for their ensembles. Javanese gamelan, on the other hand, largely stemmed from the courts of the 19th-century Javanese rulers. As such, Javanese gamelan tends to be slower and meditative. In contrast to the Balinese style, musicians in Javanese gamelan are allowed to and are even encouraged to improvise.

These stylistic preferences are rooted in both culture and history. The Javanese type stems from a sort of aristocratic elite and thus is top-down oriented. Musicians usually learn with masters who are elders in the community, which reflects to a degree the more rigid social hierarchy in Javanese culture. In Bali, gamelan is more spread out and is, therefore, more egalitarian. Hence the composers are more active in Bali -- as anyone who is competent can write a piece.

(b) Role Within Cultures

Gamelan is performed on important occasions, like birthdays, anniversaries, and religious ceremonies. For example, In Bali, important island-wide festivals, like Galungan, call for ten days of prayer, music, and dance. In Java, there is a saying, "It is not official until the gong is hung." And some performances are associated with royalty, such as visits by the sultan of Yogyakarta. And Gamelan Sekaten is performed to celebrate the prophet Muhammad's birth.

Moreover, the ways in which the gamelan is owned/stored reflects both islands' cultures. In Bali, the gamelan instruments are kept together in a community center because people believe that all the instruments belong to the community as a whole. In contrast, gamelan instruments in Java are usually passed down through and kept in the courts, where gamelan masters have authority over them.

(c) Musicality -- My Preference

Having performed and watched both Javanese and Balinese types, I definitely prefer the Javanese type. From my experience, the Javanese type is much more mellow and soothing but is still able to capture the power of the Balinese type. The singing component between the two is really different too. Whereas the Balinese singing is more folklorish (if that is a term) and high pitched, the Javanese singing tends to be deep, rustic, and powerful. The melodies are different too. The singer's pace in Javanese gamelan is naturally more subdued compared to his/her counterpart in the Balinese type. The Balinese type definitely lives up to its description: extremely fast, which, for me, hits my ear as a bit chaotic. 

It is interesting, however, that those who were born in Bali prefer the Balinese type. Likewise, those born in Java prefer the Japanese type. There is definitely a tribal component at play. But the respective gamelan types are socialized into children via cultural events and school programs. So, it is not too surprising that one tends to prefer his/her local gamelan type. Another reason may also be that Indonesians, on average, travel to other islands less (because of economic factors). 

This artifact is taken from a homework assignment this semester. In it, I talk about my Thanksgiving plans and my house. It is half fiction and half non-fiction. I think that this work shows the progress I have made with my Bahasa Indonesia. 

Sebelum saya pulang ke rumah untuk berlibur, saya harus menyelesaikan sebagian dari skripsi saya. Skripsi saya tentang tentara anak dan trauma. Saya pulang hari selasa malam sekitar jam empat tiga puluh, dan saya membawa tiga teman yang tinggal di New York juga. Kami tiba di New York tengah malam jam satu pagi. Saya lelah karena mengemudi. 

Rumah saya kecil. Di antara kebun binatang dan pantai, rumah saya punya dua kamar tidur dan satu kamar mandi. Tapi, saya baru saja membeli rumah. Jadi, saya bisa merenovasi rumahnya. Karena rumah itu dekat dengan kebun binatang, halaman belakang bangat bau. Jadi, saya tidak akan merenovasi halaman belakang. Tapi halaman depannya cantik sekali. Di sana, saya akan membuat teras yang bagus. Terasnya Serambi akan punya beberapa sofa dan sebuah meja. Halaman depannya juga akan ada taman dengan banyak bunga. Di dalam rumah, saya akan merenovasi dapur kecil supaya dapurnya nyaman. Di sebelah kanan dapur adalah satu kamar tidur tamu. Karena saya tidak punya banyak uang, saya tidak akan memperbaiki ruangan ini. Dan di sebelah kiri dapurnya, ada kamar saya. Saya akan membeli jendela besar untuk kamar tidur saya sehingga saya bisa bangun ke pantai. Di belakang dapur ada ruang tamu. Dan karena saya lebih suka anjing daripada manusia, saya akan melatakan tempat tidur anjing di sini.

Pagi berikutnya, keponakan saya sangat senang melihat saya dan pacar saya yang tinggal di rumah saya untuk berlibur. Kami memutuskan untuk membawa keponakan saya untuk menonton Grinch di bioskop. Setelah itu, kami beristirahat sepanjang sore. Pada Rabu malam, pacar saya dan saya membantu ibu saya mempersiapkan makanan untuk Thanksgiving. Kami memasak sayur seperti ubi jalar dan kacang panjang. Untungnya, kami tidak harus memasak kalkun. Pada hari Thanksgiving pagi, kami membersihkan rumah dan menyiapkan meja untuk para tamu kami. Setelah itu, saya membawa anjing saya berjalan-jalan di sekitar lingkungan karena hari itu tidak terlalu dingin di luar. Kakak perempuan saya dan pacarnya datang dan makan dengan kami. Pada hari Jumat, keluarga saya lelah setelah merayakan Thanksgiving kemaren. Jadi kami semua beristirahat. Karena hari jumat adalah Black Friday, saya berbelanja hadiah online. Saya hanya membeli hadiah yang sedang diobral. Keesokan harinya, kami kembali ke Richmond.

My goals/objectives for these past two weeks:

• Complete chapter 7 “Keluarga Fatih,” chapter 8 "Mendaki Gunung," chapter 9 "Menyelam," and chapter 10 "Sumatra" in Let's Speak Indonesian Level 3.
• Meet with my language partners to work on my reading, writing, and speaking skills
• Watch two Indonesian Movies with Indonesian subtitles.

Reflection:

I spent about 2 hours each week completing the three chapters. I also watched two Indonesian movies on Netflix -- The Raid 1 and Raid 2 (Highly recommend!). 

I learned/reviewed the following:

• Intransitive verbs with the meN-prefix;
• The conjunctions sambil and sementara;
• Expressing ability with the verbal prefix ter-;
• ; 
• Kata Benda Per-an; and
• Kata Kerja PeN-an.

These chapters included a variety of activities: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises. In addition to these activities, I took grammar notes and listed new vocabulary words.

In addition, I met with my language learning partners for 4 hours -- 2 hours/week. Our time was spent on engaging in oral conversational activities like role play and dialogue chats, as well as going over new grammar points and vocabulary.

In this cultural post, I talk about the varieties of Indonesian gamelan. 

Indonesian gamelan is generally grouped geographically, with three main styles:  the Balinese, Javanese, and Sundanese. One important style of Sundanese gamelan is Gamelan Degung, which uses a unique subset of gamelan instruments with a pelog scale. Balinese gamelan, however, is characterized by its virtuosity and rapid changes of tempo. In addition, Balinese gamelan is often accompanied by theatrical dances, like Kecak. Moreover, compared to the other types, the Balinese have exceptionally active composers, writing new pieces for their ensembles. Javanese gamelan, on the other hand, largely stemmed from the courts of the 19th-century Javanese rulers. As such, Javanese gamelan tends to be slower and meditative than the other two types of gamelan. In contrast to the Balinese style, musicians in Javanese gamelan are allowed to and are even encouraged to improvise. It is not an improvisation in the Western sense of the terms, but more in the sense of being able to develop, embellish and "improve" a piece as it is being performed. Balinese music, however, is strictly composed and there is very little space for improvisation.

Having performed and watched both Javanese and Balinese types, I definitely prefer the Javanese type more. From my experience, the Javanese type is much more mellow, but still captures the power of the Balinese type. The singing component between the two is really different too. Whereas the Balinese singing is more folklorish (if that is a term), the Javanese singing tends to be deep, rustic, and powerful. The melodies are different too. The singer's pace in Javanese gamelan is naturally more subdued compared to his/her counterpart in the Balinese type. The Balinese type definitely lives up to its description: extremely fast, which, for me, seems a bit chaotic. 

Sources:

http://www.musis.ca/matsu_take_eng/3_AMG_Java_Bali.html

My goals/objectives for these past two weeks:

• Complete chapter 4 “Kesulitan Mahasiswa,” chapter 5 "Ibu Lia dan Keluarganya," and chapter 6 "Mencari Pekerjaan"  in Let's Speak Indonesian Level 3.
• Meet with my language partners to work on my reading, writing, and speaking skills
• Watch two Indonesian Movies with Indonesian subtitles.

Reflection:

I spent about 2 hours each week completing the three chapters. I also watched two Indonesian movies on Netflix -- Headshot and Galih dan Ratna. 

I learned/reviewed the following:

• Narrating from two points of reference;
• ;
• The conjunctions untuk and supaya;
• The benefactive function of the verbal suffix -kan;
• The accidental function of the verbal prefix -ter; and
• The conjunction sehhingga.

These chapters included a variety of activities: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises. In addition to these activities, I took grammar notes and listed new vocabulary words.

In addition, I met with my language learning partners for 4 hours -- 2 hours/week. Our time was spent on engaging in oral conversational activities like role play and dialogue chats, as well as going over new grammar points and vocabulary.

In this cultural post, I talk about wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) and its relations to gamelan. The art of shadow puppetry spread to Java with the spread of Hinduism. Shadow puppetry consists of shadows thrown by puppets manipulated by rods against a translucent screen lit from behind. The puppet itself is made from ornately painted leather. The plays that use shadow puppetry are set in mythological times and dramatize episodes from the Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. These performances usually occur from late at night until early in the morning. The person who manipulates the puppet is called the dalang (puppeteer). 

Wayang Kulit appear on television and radio and recordings are available in stores. Most major dalang are descendants of the families of traditional performers; however, in the twentieth century there began to be performers who were not trained by their own elders.

Wayang plays are usually featured on important occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. In addition wayang kulit performances are usually accompanied by gamelan orchestras wherein dalang and the leader of the gamelan have to be in sync in order for the play to run correctly. The musicians sit behind the dalang. The performances are accompanied by female singers (pesinden) and male singers (wirasuara).

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/art/wayang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayang_kulit

http://education.asianart.org/explore-resources/background-information/history-indonesian-puppet-theater-wayang

For my third artifact, I chose to write about Indonesian history -- starting from 1900 until 2000. The 20th century was a seminal time period for Indonesia. It secured its independence, recovered from a coup, and witnessed genocidal violence against supposed communists. In the artifact below, I work on narrating events, shifting time frames, the verb + -kan suffix, and the passive di- prefix.

Paragraf ini adalah tentang sejarah Indonesia dari tahun sembilan belas lima puluh hingga tahun dua ribu. Pada tahun seribu sembilan ratus, Belanda menguasai Indonesia. Pada tahun seribu sembilan ratus empat puluh dua, Jepang menginvai Dutch East Indies dan selama perang dunia kedua, Jepang menduduki Dutch East Indies. Pada tahun seribu sembilan ratus lima puluh lima, Jepang meninggalkan, dan pemimpin nasionalis Sukarno menyatakan kemerdekaan. Dari tahun seribu sembilan ratus empat puluh lima hingga tahun seribu sembilan ratus lima puluh sembilan, ada perang kemerdekaan antara Indonesia dan Belanda. Pada tahun seribu sembilan ratus empat puluh sembilan, Belanda mengakui kemerdekaan Indonesia. Dan pada tahun seribu sembilan ratus lima puluh, Soekarno menjadi presiden dan Indonesia adalah anggota UN. Paragraf ini adalah tentang peristiwa penting dalam sejarah Indonesia dari tahun sembilan belas lima puluh (1950) hingga tahun dua ribu (2000). Pada tahun sembilan belas empat puluh sembilan, Indonesia menjadi independent. Soekarno, presiden pertama, menjabat sampai tahun sembilan belas enam puluh tujuh (1967). Pada tahun sembilan belas enam puluh lima 1965, ada kudeta yang gagal dan banyak komunis terbunuh dan dibersihkan. Pada tahun sembilan belas tujuh puluh Sembilan (1979), Timor Timur menjadi mandiri dan Indonesia menginvasi Timor Timur pada tahun sembilan belas delapan puluh (1980). Pada tahun sembilan belas sembilan puluh sembilan (1999), pemilihan bebas diadakan untuk pertama kalinya, dan Abdurrahman Wahid menjadi presiden.

My goals/objectives for these past two weeks:

• Complete chapter 1 “Teman Lama,” chapter 2 "Dua Sekawan," and chapter 3 "Hidup Baru"  in Let's Speak Indonesian Level 3.
• Meet with my language partners to work on my reading, writing, and speaking skills
• Watch two Indonesian Movies with Indonesian subtitles.

Reflection:

I spent about 2 hours each week completing the three chapters. I also watched two Indonesian movies on Netflix -- Filosopi Kopi and The Night that Comes for Us. I had an easier time watching the latter with Indonesian subtitles as it was mainly action scenes. With Filosopi Kopi, I paused frequently throughout to read the subtitles as the informal register was mainly used. Plus, the informal registered was heavily influenced by Jakartan slang.

I learned/reviewed the following:

• Nominalization of verbs using -nya;
• Indefinite pronouns formed from question words plus saja;
• Possessive noun phrase: Noun + yang + noun + -nya + adjective;
• Yang clause with the passive verb;
• The locative function of the verbal suffix -i; and
• The prepositions untuk, buat, atas, bagi, sebagi

These chapters included a variety of activities: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises. In addition to these activities, I took grammar notes and listed new vocabulary words.

In addition, I met with my language learning partners for 4 hours -- 2 hours/week. Our time was spent on engaging in oral conversational activities like role play and dialogue chats, as well as going over new grammar points and vocabulary.

My progress to date has been smooth and steady. In the main, I have been on schedule. My learning plan has been effective. (In the past, my learning plans have been too ambitious. I think that I do this intentionally at the beginning of the semester so as to push me throughout the semester.) For each chapter, I have completed activities that are tantamount to language artifacts.  It is an excellent source for activities -- be they written, oral, and listening. For this reason, I chose to stick closely with the books I have selected and not be adventurous with other sources. However, the volume of the material could be deceiving for someone who is learning independent of a classroom environment.

I have met with my language learning partners consistently every week. In our meetings, we cover reading, speaking, and writing activities. Meeting with both Ibu Juli and Thalia is definitely effective. First, it gives us students more speaking practice, which I think is my weakest aspect. Second, Ibu Juli mainly covers the formal language and Thalia covers both the formal and informal language registers. So, I think they complement each other nicely. A

I will stay the course for now. I do not anticipate any changes I will make to finish the semester. 

Untuk artefak kedua saya, saya akan menulis tentang arti "Malaikat Juga Tahu," sebuah lagu Indonesia. Lagu ini tentang seseorang yang mencoba membantu teman yang memiliki autisme. Teman mengatakan bahwa orang lain melihat tubuhnya, bukan kepribadiannya. Teman itu juga kesulitan menjadi teman baik. Temannya meminta dia untuk membuktikan kepadanya bahwa dia memiliki cinta sejati. Jadi teman itu tidak mau meninggalkannya sendirian. Tapi, teman itu mengatakan bahwa para malaikt tahu siapa pemenangnya, artinya, orang-orang yang baik. Jadi, dia menyuruh temannya untuk terus berjalan. Saya suka lagu ini karena saya bertemu orang-orang dengan skizofrenia di Bali, Indonesia dua musim panas lalu. Mereka membutuhkan teman untuk mendengarkan dan bersama mereka. Orang-orang di komunitas baru saja melihat penampilan mereka. Tapi, mereka pintar dan bagus. Dan para malaikat tahu siapa pemenangnya.

For my second artifact, I chose to write about the meaning of a beautiful Indonesian song. The song is about someone who tries to be a good friend to a person with autism. While others in the community may judge him to be mentally challenged and ugly, the singer says that the angels know who the real champion is. 

My goals/objectives for these past two weeks:

• Complete chapter 5 “Persoalan Kota” chapter 6 "Pernikahan," and chapter 7 "Sepuluh Tahun Kemudian"  in Let's Speak Indonesian Level 2. 
• Meet with my language partner to work on my reading, writing, and speaking skills;

Reflection:

I spent about 2 hours each week completing two chapters.

I learned/reviewed the following:

• How to express pity, how to offer two comments, how to include additional information in order to persuade, how to express an intention, how to inquire about and explain payment options, how to express gratitude and relief upon hearing good news, how to say something is great, exciting or fun, and how to politely criticize. 

These chapters included a variety of activities: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises. In addition to these activities, I took grammar notes and listed new vocabulary words.

In addition, I met with my language learning partner for 4 hours -- 2 hours/week. Our time was spent on engaging in oral conversational activities like role play and dialogue chats, as well as going over new grammar points and vocabulary.

My goals/objectives for these past two weeks:

• Complete chapter 1 “Antar Tetangga,” chapter 2 "Berbelanja untuk Hari Raya," chapter 3 "Di Desa," and chapter 4 "Kerja Sama Orang Desa" in Let's Speak Indonesian. 
• Meet with my language partner to work on my reading, writing, and speaking skills;

Reflection:

I spent about 2 hours each week completing two chapters.

I learned/reviewed the following:

• How to use small talk to start a conversation, how to express surprise about a situation, how to offer help, how to welcome a newcomer, how to report information to others, how to ask someone to wait, how to offer good wishes for a religious holiday, how to request a favor, how to politely complain, how to make a comparison, how to express hope, and more. 

These chapters included a variety of activities: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises. In addition to these activities, I took grammar notes and listed new vocabulary words.

In addition, I met with my language learning partner for 4 hours -- 2 hours/week. Our time was spent on engaging in oral conversational activities like role play and dialogue chats, as well as going over new grammar points and vocabulary.

This post elaborates on Balinese culture from the perspective of Balinese gamelan. Trance is a common phenomenon in Balinese culture and is a part of the Balinese Hindu-Buddhist religion. It is believed that trance indicates possession by a spirit -- either a good or evil one -- and the possessed person speaks with the spirit's voice, which gives instructions for offerings or ceremonies or helping to heal. In the context of gamelan, entranced dancers are elemental of temple festivals and dalangs (leader of the trope) may become entranced too during the course of the music. This fact highlights the shamanistic beliefs embedded in the Balinese culture, which are manifested through gamelan. And through gamelan, communication with the spirits is enabled. 

In contrast to the refined, elite-led gamelan in Java where the music is played and celebrated in the Royal Courts, Balinese gamelan is not centralized the artistic knowledge in one elite class. Rather, the Balinese gamelan is enjoyed horizontally; that is, the music is spread out throughout the island and celebrated communally -- in contrast to Javanese gamelan celebrated more vertically. I saw this firsthand when I was in Bali last two summers ago. Whereas gamelan would be enjoyed in the midst of an intellectual caste at a High Court, the Balinese gathered around at a performance center in its capital to listen to and enjoy different tropes from around Bali. The three-day event was informal and welcoming. 

Source:

"Relationships of Musical and Cultural Contrasts in Java and Bali." Fredric Lieberman.

In lieu of my original artifact plan to record a conversation between Thalia, Zack, Boe, and myself, I decided to use content from my homework. Ibu Juli told me to write about my time in DC before the Fall Break, where I went to a concert to see my favorite band play at The Anthem. Here it is:

Paragraf ini adalah tentang kunjungan saya ke DC. Dua minggu yang lalu, pacar saya dan saya pergi ke DC sebelumlibur.Kami pergi ke DC pada jam 3:00 sore. Saya ingin pergi lebih awal tetapi pacar saya tidak bisakarena dia tidak ingin melewatkan kelasnya. Sore itu jalannya tidak macet. Jadi, kami tiba jam 5:00 sore. Konser dimulai pukul 8 malam. Selama tiga jam bebas, kami berjalan berkeliling, membeli hadiah kecil, dan makan di restoran Meksiko. Meskipun restoransangatmahal, makanannya enak sekali. Meskipun cuaca buruk, kami berjalan di dermaga. Kami duduk di dekat sungai dan mengambil foto. Akhirnya, konser dimulai jam 8 malam. Tidak banyak orang di sana. Kami berdiri sepanjang waktu. Jadi kami berdiri dekat panggungnya. (Beberapa hari kemudian, ketika saya sedang membaca halaman reddit artisnya, saya melihat video yang saya masuki.) Musiknya sangat bagus, sedih, dan emosional. Kami semua bernyanyibersama. Konser itu berlangsungselama tiga jam. Kami berangkat DC pada pukul 11.00 dan tiba di UR pada pukul 1:00. Diperjalanan pulang, hujan turun. Juga dalam perjalanan pulang, saya menyanyikan lagu-lagunya.

The words in bold:  Ber- is used to construct a verb that means “doing something, being something, have something, or having a certain attribute." I often confuse this verb construct with another verb construct -- the me- prefix, which precedes a verb depending on the verbs the first letter. The me- construct does the same thing as the ber-, as far as I can tell. I will have to explore this topic further.

My goals/objectives for these past two weeks:

• Finish the Let's Speak Indonesian Level 1 book
• Spend two hours each week reviewing my notes
• Meet with my language partner to work on my reading, writing, and speaking skills;

Reflection:

This process was relatively straightforward for, in theory, I knew everything. However, this book is different from the first Indonesian level 1 book I read and offered different material. 

I spent about 3 hours each week reviewing the book.

The book's chapter included a variety of activities: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises. In addition to these activities, I took grammar notes and listed new vocabulary words.

I spent two hours each week reviewing my notes.

In addition, I met with my language learning partner for 4 hours -- 2 hours/week. Our time was spent on engaging in oral conversational activities like role play and dialogue chats, as well as going over new grammar points and vocabulary.

What are your cultural learning goals for this semester?

My cultural learning goal for this semester is to learn about Gamelan. Gamelan is an Indonesian music ensemble of Java and Bali in Indonesia. Gamelan is frequently played on formal occasions like rituals and ceremonies. For most, it is a unique expression of Indonesian culture. Typically, dancers accompany the musicians. I would like to focus on the Gamelan in Bali. In Bali, almost all religious rituals incorporate gamelan performance. Certain pieces are believed to have magical powers, which can be used to ward off evil spirits. In this way, focusing on gamelan in Bali can shed light on the Balinese people's propensity for superstition and rituals. 

What's more, in Bali, all Gamelan instruments are kept together in one space -- meaning, no one has full ownership over them. People believe that the instruments belong to the local community. This fact illustrates the communal nature of the Balinese culture.

There are a few resources I can use to explore this topic. First, a professor in the music department is a master gamelan who frequently travels to Indonesia to play and study the music and culture. His extensive training in Bali means that he can be an important resource. Second, the music library has a copy of Gamelan Gong Keybar: The Art of the Twentieth-Century Balinese Music by Michael Tenzer. This resource will offer a rich cultural analysis of gamelan in Bali.

• Summarize your assessment and goals in a blog post in your learning journal.

My Goals:

I have one overarching goal and three sub-goals. My overarching goal is to be proficient in bahasa Indonesia so as to pass my UR language requirement. My first sub-goal is to briefly review and master level one. For this, I will use Let's speak Indonesian level one. My second sub-goal is to briefly review and master level two. For this, I will use Let's speak Indonesian level two. My third sub-goal is to review and relearn level three's content. Here, I will use Indonesian in Grammar Context level three. Midway through the third sub-goal, my bahasa Indonesia should be sharp enough to pass as proficient. 

My Assessment:

For level one: I will lead a meeting among Thalia, Bow, Zack, and myself at a level comfortable to the other language students. I will record this conversation and use it as an artifact.

For level two: I will listen to Indonesian songs at a lower speed (adjusted on youTube) at first and then at regular speed. I will then be asked to translate the songs into English and write a summary about the songs in bahasa Indonesia. 

For level three: I will read news article in bahasa Indonesia and will have a conversation with Thalia in bahasa Indonesia. 

For my language requirement test: I am not familiar with the structure of the test.

Brad%20Fischer%20--%20Learning%20Plan%20113.docx