This course, MLC 105, which is focused on self-directed language learning, has been a very impactful in developing necessary tools to enable me personally to be a proactive and independent language learner throughout my life.
What have I learned from my self-directed language activities? The bulk of my learning has come in a cultural format. By interacting on a regular basis with native language speakers, I was able to hear the target language in a cultural context. I was able to pick up on cultural nuances that I would not have learned in a classroom, or in a textbook oriented learning process. Every phrase or word I heard was first heard in impeccable accent, not in a distorted American sound. And every time I heard a phrase I saw the body language and physical communication that accompanied the phrase.
There were specific things that I found to be most helpful as I experienced the self-directed language learning process. Individually I would recommend any language learner to utilize the bountiful multi-media, technology based resources that are available. I found it very helpful to watch athletic competitions in which the commentators spoke my target language. This was especially true with soccer matches. I am very familiar with the sport of soccer, as I have played it my entire life. Because my knowledge base of the sport is so high, I was able to fight through the initial language barrier. Clearly, the first few times I watched a game commentated in my target language, I was not able to understand anything that was said. But the more times that I watched games, the more I was able to associate sounds with happenings on the pitch with words, and comprehension occurred. Similar results could be seen in watching music videos and television shows in my target language on the Internet, using websites such as YouTube. Even more help than watching sports or Internet clips was forcing myself to take risks with my target language. By engaging the community of native speakers in Richmond, I was immersed in the language and its culture. Though the prospects of immersion were initially daunting, I quickly found native speakers to be very patient in my deficiencies and to be excited to impart knowledge to an eager learner.
The biggest challenge to comprehension and retention as a self-directed language learner is motivation. For the entirety of our scholastic lives we as students in America have been spoon-fed, being taught conformity. Creativity is looked down upon; thinking outside the box is discouraged. Independence is equated with delinquency. Like robots we are crammed into the dynamic of standardized testing. Now all of a sudden education is without bounds and parameters. We as individuals get to determine what we learn and how we learn it?! Because of the lack of deadlines and set rubrics, other than those that are personally set, it can be a temptation to “drop the ball”. I was able to overcome these challenges through finding fun ways to learn my language and to regularly put myself into immersive settings.
The key for new self-directed learners is to put themselves into immersive settings. To help facilitate this, MLC 105 should provide information for students as to opportunities in the greater Richmond area to engage communities of native speakers of their respective target languages. For example, if a student is learning Farsi, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services teaches ESL classes that include students from Afghanistan. This is a great opportunity to interact with people from a specific country that speaks the target language, and will provide wonderful opportunities for accent and cultural lessons. Another recommendation I have for the improvement of MLC 105 is that the course should be a full year. A semester is an unfortunately short period of time to master self-directed language learning habits and practices.
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