105 Learning Journal #10

[Noelle Garcia]

 Reading and writing in my target language has been a fun, re-learning experience for me because I haven’t had to do it in such a long time, and it has evoked a stronger interest and passion for my own culture, something that I’ve lost over the years. It felt a bit tedious at times to read the news in Tagalog, because there are other news sources that were written in English but it was fun being able to read something about events happening in the Philippines in that culture’s language. I found myself thinking in Tagalog a lot this semester, just because I’d say something in English, realize that I could translate it to Tagalog after having recently learned it, and then thinking of ways I could use it in other scenarios. I also keep a personal journal and found that I would randomly write Tagalog phrases, so it was like I was writing in Taglish. I still have a difficult time speaking a sentence in straight Tagalog just because I haven’t really had anyone to talk to about politics or the news around here, but maybe I can impress my family when I go back home with my new found knowledge about random events happening in Manila.