During weeks 9 and 10, I continued to apply the same strategies that I have previously identified. I utilized the EuroTalk computer software to reinforce vocabulary, although I've found that much of it is now familiar. In addition, Karen and I use my textbooks to guide our practice language sessions.
Based on my experiences during weeks 7 and 8, though, I dedicated a lot of time these two weeks towards practicing writing. First, I continued to pull sentences from my two Maltese textbooks and translate them. I am able to check my sentences by reading the book or using an online translator. This exercise is very simple and reinforces the basics. Second, I began to write a couple of sentences on various topics and keep them in my Maltese binder. In order to complete this task, I reviewed the sentence structures in completed chapters and vocabulary before beginning, then attempted to write 3-4 sentences. I tried to incorporate vocabulary words that I remembered so that they are reinforced and kept the sentences simple enough that I did not have to use a translator. I would check my assignments with an online translator and mark up the page with my corrections. In order to learn from my mistakes, I would rewrite the paragraph correctly. Repetition has been one of my most successful strategies in learning languages.
At this point, I have a collection of short paragraphs and mini-dialogues that I like to review weekly. I can reflect back on my mistakes and build upon previous sentence structures. Additionally, it is helpful to have a couple of phrases perfected and memorized for multiple topics. Even when I do not fully understand every word of the phrases I know, I know the larger meaning and can express a thought. Collecting and organizing my writing samples is a very effective strategy that I would recommend to other students because it serves as a tangible representation of progress.
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