Self- Directed Language Learning
Learning a language is always challenging regardless of a person’s skill. The idea of submerging into a language that is completely alien can be daunting, especially when there has been very little exposure to the language. However, that does not necessarily mean it is impossible for a person to learn a language on his own, as proven by the students in the Self-Directed Language Learning class. The class has not only exposed us to various skills needed to learn a language, but it also enabled us to pay special attention to details while keeping in mind the factors associated to language learning, such as culture, heritage, history etc. The class in itself was a very unique opportunity for me, not only as a student but also as a language partner who was helping another student learn a different language.
As a Language Learner
As a language learner I was able to reflect on my own experiences of learning English and improving on the skills I have attained over the past five years. The book that was used for the class, How Language Works, was an essential part of the class because it contained information such as how to treat body language, cultural dimensions of language learning, the origin of languages, the social class, and taking conversation turns. I was intrigued to see how surprised I was with some of the information presented because I had never thought of it while I was trying to learn English. As a language learner, I mostly focused on the technical aspect- the reading, writing, and speaking aspects of language learning but paid very little attention to other factors such as the use of metaphors and slangs or the role of culture in the framework of a language; however, these factors are as essential to language learning as the technical aspects.
Understanding the culture of the place helps to understand why people approach the language in certain way, and understanding the slang often helps to assimilate to the place smoothly. The fact that I was able to reflect on my own experience and understand the implications of language learning was one of the reasons the class was an exciting yet rewarding experience for me.
Likewise, as the semester progressed and we started learning more about language histories, culture, and framework, I started questioning my own knowledge of my native language - Nepali. I was fluent in reading, writing, and speaking, but I knew very little about the history of the language. As a result, I decided to do an extensive study of the history and origins of the Nepali language. The class also encouraged me to draw a parallel between Nepali and English, and explore the role of social class in Nepali. I believe the knowledge I have received through the class and the book will not only help me in learning a new language in the future, but it will also provide me with much needed inspiration and motivation to look at learning differently.
As a Language Partner
As a language partner I worked with a student who was trying to learn Hindi. Although I am fluent in Hindi, I cannot recall how I learned the language; it is neither my native language nor a language commonly spoken in Nepal. However, growing up I was exposed to Hindi often because most of the television shows and movies were aired in Hindi. Working as a language partner for Hindi was an exciting opportunity for me because it challenged me to go back to the basics of the language I could not recall learning. While working with Kaitlyn, I realized that although I was able to speak the language fluently, I could not explain certain concepts properly. I found it challenging to explain certain things in a way in which it was easy for her to understand, and that made me realize how knowing a language and being able to explain the basics of the language are two different things. Despite some challenging meetings, we met frequently throughout the semester, and it was interesting to see her develop from a mediocre speaker to a decent one. Since she had spent some time in India while studying abroad, she already possessed the basics of the language. Thus, we mainly worked on speaking while paying careful attention to verbs, adjectives, and vocabulary. One of the most interesting things about working with her was exploring the differences between two different languages. When we tried to translate a paragraph of English to Hindi, it almost took us three hours. The differences in the two languages are so big that there are many instances where there are no literal translations. Also contributing to the difficulty was the sentence structure of Hindi, which is completely different from English.
Working with her for the entire semester has also made us both aware about the importance of vocabulary. Although she knew the tense very well, along with nouns and pronouns, the lack of verbs and adjective often made it difficult for us to have long conversations; however, as time went on, I was amazed to see how proficient she had become in Hindi. At times, I would often tell her I could hardly notice any difference between her saying a word and a native person saying the same exact word. I always felt that language learning is only efficient if there is enough exposure to the language, and through my experience with Kaitlyn, I cannot agree more with it.
Overall, the class has been a different yet rewarding experience for me in the sense that I have contributed to someone learning a new language and have gained valuable insights on learning in the process.
Comments