Discussion Post #3

[Emma Hoholik]

As a child, my first formal lessons in language started with phonetics specifically learning the sounds and written expressions of the alphabet. Obviously, there is some informal exposure to vocabulary, phonetics, and syntax before any formal education. This informal exposure allows for an unintentional interdisciplinary approach to language learning. By beginning to learn a language as an infant, there is an emphasis on natural, unproduced speech especially as babies pick up words from their caregivers. However, when approaching a new language later in life, some of that informal and natural exposure disappears as the language learner must rely on more formalized exposure to the language via classroom lessons or lengthy textbooks. My goal is to diagram the language learning exposure of babies and children in order to replicate its methods in my own learning process. Crystal’s method of working through semantics towards grammar seems to align with the language learning exposure of babies and children. Instead of learning conjugation or the purpose of adverbs, the learner can actually begin to acquire the building blocks for grammatical rules. By starting with semantics, the learner can take on a less formal learning process as they can focus on observing language production while not having worry about following grammatical formulas. Additionally, by first focusing on semantics, the learner may be able to inherently pick up certain grammatical rules such as feminine versus masculine words or the general rule for plural nouns. In favoring semantics first, I plan to continue to listen and watch Slovak media in order to note common words and phrases. (As an added bonus, I believe this strategy will also help in culturally competency.)