At this point in the semester, I have 144 flashcards (most of which I know) that have a mix of words and phrases on them. However, I think I know even more words because of the conversations and dialogue that I have learned with Sanya. I learned most of these words by searching for vocabulary to use in dialogue with Sanya, or by asking Sanya during our meetings. I also used these flashcards as a way to keep track of phrases I learned in Mango or that I remember from my semester in India. Last, I used online lists of days of the week, numbers, family names, etc.
My biggest concern with my acquisition of vocabulary now is that I am having trouble blending my vocabulary into sentences and dialogue. Although the point of the "task" method of language learning is to ensure that all vocabulary is learned for a purpose, I am still left with random words that I am unsure how to use in a sentence due to grammatical rules I am unfamiliar with or just for lack of context for that word. For instance, I learned a few adjectives but have never attempted to incorporate them into sentences or dialogue. It is helpful to reflect on the vocabulary I have learned for this reason.
Perhaps I had unrealistic expectations for my acquisition of vocabulary at the beginning of the semester, but now that I've been able to reflect on my work this semester and realize my abilities, I am happy with how much I have learned. More so than learning vocabulary, I'd now like to practice speaking with more ease and fluidity, and having an arsenal of words to use is a large part of that.
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