Through SDLC 105, I’ve learned about the amount of diversity and possibility in the world’s languages. While I knew many languages existed, I now have a much better understanding of the linguistic diversity in the world and the struggle to preserve many dying languages. Truthfully, I took the class because I wanted to study Moroccan Arabic. I was not interested in learning about other languages, initially. But hearing every week from my classmates about their language journeys and then learning about the differences in phonetic inventory, morphology, and syntax between languages made me interested in learning more about language as a concept. Specifically, I was interested in how languages can affect our perception, both physically and mentally. The video of the African tribe being able to distinguish different shades of green – which I could not discern – amazed me. I want to continue studying language and its effects on human understanding. Next semester, of course, I’ll begin my independent study of Moroccan Arabic and continue studying Modern Standard Arabic. I hope to use the analytical tools I’ve gained from SDLC 105 to notice the differences between MA and MSA in phonetics and grammar and the slight nuances of MA which can lead to me developing communicative and cultural competence. In the future, I would be interested in continuing my languages study and possibly helping to preserve some of the world's dying languages.

One of my favorite weeks of class was discussing Culture vs. culture during week 4 and exploring certain methods for analyzing culture such as Hofstede’s tools. Truthfully, we were not able to really discuss these tools in class, but I found them very interesting. I think adding in discussions about the problem of linguistic or cultural dogmatism and the problem of Orientalism or similar views would be helpful. I think how a culture/language is understood by outside actors is just as important as how locals understand their culture/language. I also enjoyed discussing language families and how languages are grouped because it allows for students in the class to see their language as part of a larger family. Specifically, since I’m studying Moroccan Arabic, the grouping system seemed a bit dated to me. MA is simply identified as another Arabic language. Yet, its status as a creole is not taken into account at all. Overall, I really enjoyed the topics covered by the class. I do think future classes could benefit from more interaction between students outside of the three presentations. While I really enjoyed the presentations, I only learned really learned about what my classmates were studying on those three instances. I think classes could maintain the same topics (language families, phonetics, etc.) and include a few minutes for sharing how the topic related to each student’s target language. This would allow for student-to-student teaching/learning on a weekly basis.

Primary Materials:

1. Books: “Shnoo the Hell is Going On?” and the Moroccan Arabic textbook published by the Peace Corps
2. Media: YouTube teaching videos, YouTube videos in Moroccan, and clips from Moroccan TV shows/movies
3. Websites: TalkingTagine (Dictionary, auditory alphabet for pronunciation, and grammar)

I will begin by examining the Moroccan Arabic alphabet, learning any new letters and/or changes in pronunciation from MSA. Next, I will familiarize myself with the modified Latin alphabet of Moroccan Arabic which is used more often than the traditional Arabic alphabet.

Then, I will begin learning and practicing Moroccan Arabic pronunciation. Unlike MSA, Moroccan Arabic is infamous for its consonant clusters and employs few vowels, making pronunciation very difficult for new learners. Therefore, I will practice saying words to myself and listening to Moroccans on YouTube speaking the language. After this stage, I will begin studying Moroccan vocab weekly.

Next, I will study basic Moroccan grammar such as pronouns, gender distinctions, and uniquely Moroccan grammatical structures such as “dyal.”

Having established a good basis for myself, I will begin learning Moroccan verbs and how they are conjugated to be able to express actions and create sentences using the nouns I have already learned through studying the vocab.

I will continue studying Moroccan grammar and vocabulary, progressing through the textbook, and practicing my pronunciation and writing of Moroccan Arabic in the process. At this point, I will begin watching Moroccan YouTube videos / short clips of Moroccan TV programs or movies to evaluate what I understand and what I need to spend more time on (i.e. the pronunciation, the vocabulary, the grammar, the conjugations, etc.).

Through watching Moroccan YouTube videos and TV shows, I will gain a better understanding of Moroccan culture and how Moroccans view different topics. I will further explore this information and continue practicing my Moroccan Arabic through talking with my Italki partner and also a Moroccan friend on campus.

I loved the initial involvement with a language, the first couple of weeks learning the alphabet, numbers, and basic phrases, because every day I greatly increased my knowledge of the subject matter. I went from not knowing how to read or write Arabic to being able to do both at a basic level after only two weeks of study. However, after the first year of Arabic, came the part of language learning I hate: trudging through the “middle period.” I would describe the middle period as the second and third years of learning a language when it is difficult for one to see any real progress – progress is absolutely being made during this period, but I think it is difficult to recognize that fact. Yes, I learned some new vocabulary words and more grammar rules, but I still was not able to truly read any articles or watch any videos and understand them. Also, I could not effectively communicate in the language, taking too many pauses to think and not possessing a sufficient vocabulary to converse well. This period was a time of building on the foundation; but, by then, the initial passion for learning the language had dissipated for many people. To get through this period it was necessary for me to sit down, reflect on why I was learning the language, and look forward to a future when I would be able to effectively communicate and understand others in Arabic.

I am primarily a “Visual” and “Insightful” learner according to the surveys. I enjoy having structure and a neat learning environment. I am more comfortable with written words, thus I always take notes with pen & paper in class to transcribe my professors’ lectures half-literally and half-figuratively in my own understanding of the subject matter. I enjoy creative ways of learning such as skits and role-playing and use pictures and videos as visual aids. Overall, I like the challenge of learning and dealing with large theoretical concepts that lack a clear answer. Generally, I’m a “classic” learner in that I read books, take notes, and practice/struggle with the information contained in them. However, with all the new technology and free resources available today, I should expand my learning activities to include other media. Being a visual learner, I could use other visual media besides books – like movies, videos, websites, etc. – to expand my understanding. I also love maps and charts, so I want to find ways to integrate them into my language learning. However, truthfully, I need to challenge myself to engage in non-visual ways of learning as well. In terms of language, I have generally excelled at reading, writing, and grammar because of my focus on visual learning. But, I have struggled with speaking and listening to a language because I cannot visualize spoken language well. Therefore, I want to integrate more activities into my learning that allow me to practice visualizing spoken language and associating spoken language with written words, symbols, or pictures. Finally, in order to avoid feeling “stuck” in a language, I want to set specific, realistic goals that allow me to see my progress and assess my linguistic improvement.