This semester, I have learned a lot about myself as a language learner through SDLC 105. At the beginning of the semester, I thought I was most interested in the technical aspects of language, such as grammar and syntax. I was especially interested in learning how those differ between languages and being able to apply the specific grammar and syntax rules to my target language.
However, as the semester progressed, I realized how much more there was in every language. While I do still love grammar and syntax, I have grown a great appreciation for understanding the purposes languages serve in communities and how languages carry meanings beyond what the words express.
At first, I found these topics a bit hard to grasp. I didn’t understand how different languages could convey different meanings using the same words in translation. But after diving deeper into the cultural aspects behind the words, it became clear how each language is unique to itself and represents a much larger, richer history.
I have also really enjoyed learning about how culture is infused into a language. Through my study of Russian, I was able to trace the country’s (Russia, where the majority of Russian is spoken) history of communism and see how their previous push for privacy has manifested itself into how they communicate today. For my final cultural presentation, I took this interest of mine a step further and explored the differences in perception between Russians and Americans based on how each group viewed the other's culture in comparison to their own.
Moving forward, I intend to build upon these interests by doing more research. Additionally, I plan to study abroad both this summer and next spring in Europe. I am looking forward to exploring those cultures and, if all works according to my current plan, learning Swedish in Stockholm. I am very interested to see the cultural and linguistic connection as well as learn the grammar and syntax of the language.
When looking back over this semester, a few readings and learning activities jump out at me. First, I really enjoyed the Wug test. I had never really thought about how children learn and apply language, and the interactive test showed me just that. I specifically remember looking at the smaller wug and thinking it would be called a “wugget” or “wuggie.” Once prompted to think further though, I remembered my young nephews and the thought “baby wug” came to mind. Overall, I thought the Wug test was a fun way to discuss how language “grows” with children and a reflective exercise to see how we as adults now apply language to the same concepts.
Second, I really enjoyed the readings that mapped and analyzed different dialects. I had never given dialects much thought before this class. Through engaging with these readings though, I can now see how and understand why different regions say things differently from one another. While this wasn’t a big epiphany, I found it very interesting to learn since dialects are something I interact with nearly everyday yet have never inquired about. I would love to dive into this area further and compare different dialects to cultural trends across regions or even underlying cultural values that differ according to regional sentiments or history.
Finally, I had a great time learning and drawing the morphological trees. It forced me to think about the different derivational and inflectional morphemes that exist in English. I also simply found it very fun to draw the trees!
However, as the semester progressed, I realized how much more there was in every language. While I do still love grammar and syntax, I have grown a great appreciation for understanding the purposes languages serve in communities and how languages carry meanings beyond what the words express.
At first, I found these topics a bit hard to grasp. I didn’t understand how different languages could convey different meanings using the same words in translation. But after diving deeper into the cultural aspects behind the words, it became clear how each language is unique to itself and represents a much larger, richer history.
I have also really enjoyed learning about how culture is infused into a language. Through my study of Russian, I was able to trace the country’s (Russia, where the majority of Russian is spoken) history of communism and see how their previous push for privacy has manifested itself into how they communicate today. For my final cultural presentation, I took this interest of mine a step further and explored the differences in perception between Russians and Americans based on how each group viewed the other's culture in comparison to their own.
Moving forward, I intend to build upon these interests by doing more research. Additionally, I plan to study abroad both this summer and next spring in Europe. I am looking forward to exploring those cultures and, if all works according to my current plan, learning Swedish in Stockholm. I am very interested to see the cultural and linguistic connection as well as learn the grammar and syntax of the language.
When looking back over this semester, a few readings and learning activities jump out at me. First, I really enjoyed the Wug test. I had never really thought about how children learn and apply language, and the interactive test showed me just that. I specifically remember looking at the smaller wug and thinking it would be called a “wugget” or “wuggie.” Once prompted to think further though, I remembered my young nephews and the thought “baby wug” came to mind. Overall, I thought the Wug test was a fun way to discuss how language “grows” with children and a reflective exercise to see how we as adults now apply language to the same concepts.
Second, I really enjoyed the readings that mapped and analyzed different dialects. I had never given dialects much thought before this class. Through engaging with these readings though, I can now see how and understand why different regions say things differently from one another. While this wasn’t a big epiphany, I found it very interesting to learn since dialects are something I interact with nearly everyday yet have never inquired about. I would love to dive into this area further and compare different dialects to cultural trends across regions or even underlying cultural values that differ according to regional sentiments or history.
Finally, I had a great time learning and drawing the morphological trees. It forced me to think about the different derivational and inflectional morphemes that exist in English. I also simply found it very fun to draw the trees!
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