I have always loved language. Throughout high school, I studied French and also learned to realize my fascination with English grammar. As a freshman at Richmond, I began to study Spanish, deciding to become a French major and LAIS minor. I have always thought about studying another language, but have been wary to choose one since I haven't found something to fit into my schedule. This class really appeals to me because I believe that my genuine love for and curiosity of languages will allow me to be disciplined in my studies, while being able to learn at my own pace and in my own time.
I decided to study Farsi because it is definitely unlike the other languages I have studied. I am interested in learning a new alphabet and a language with a different structure than a Romance or Germanic language. Additionally, as an IS major, I am considering working for the US state department and Farsi is a language that is in high demand, meaning that with knowledge of this language it may be easier for me to find employment.
I reviewed the FIRE model, but actually had a hard time determining one specific learning method that I follow. I know for sure that I am an not a Factual learner. I am probably mostly an Evaluative learner, but there are also Insightful and Rational aspects to my learning. I find that I can't just memorize facts or vocabulary, but that I need to use words or ideas in order to really understand them. For this I find that writing out sentences using vocab or new tenses is the easiest way for me to learn them. Writing is definitely a skill that I use a lot to learn because I like to rewrite my notes and read them over. I also find that reading helps me to learn a language, even if the level of writing is a little more advanced than I am at speaking. Of course, immersion is the best way for me to learn. For this reason I believe that meeting with my language partner will really improve my skills.
Comments