Farsi follows an abjad writing system; meaning each letter represents a consonant with the reader determining when a vowel is needed. In addition, Farsi is read and written from right-to-left. There is also no significant difference between manuscript and print.
The Farsi alphabet consists of 32 letters, written in a cursive style, that changes depending on the context of a letter (i.e., the structure of a letter changes if it begins a word, ends it, lies somewhere in the middle, or is isolated).
The writing style and names of letters in Farsi are similar to that of Arabic; however, reading and speaking Farsi is completely different than that of Arabic. Also, uses four extra characters compared to Arabic.
The readings provided plenty of interesting insight into language and language learning.
"How the brain handles language" detailed the complexities of language in our minds. The most interesting part of the reading, and what I found most applicable to my experiences with language, was in the section "Neurolingustic processing," which begins as follows, "a snatch of dialogue (How are you?, Fine, thanks) takes place so quickly that it is easy to forget the complexity of neurological planning and execution involved in the process" (176). I find it easy for me to stay simple phrases in Spanish and Farsi without much thought; however, when I move onto more difficult phrases I tend to lose my grasp over the language. For instance, I may think about a phrase in Spanish in trying to say in Farsi, or how to say something in English when I mean to say it in Spanish.
"How to investigate language structure" provided great information for language learning. Touching upon my the confusion I often encounter between languages, the reading discusses selective focusing; which requires attention to each aspect of a language--referred to as "levels." Implementing levels in a language breaks its down for easier learning, and fosters the ability to find patterns more easily. There are four levels to languages; which are phonetics, phonology, grammar, and semantics (182). I believe that using "levels" as a means to learning Farsi will be useful in keeping my mind focused on the language, and preventing any confusion that may arise from reverting back to English or Spanish while trying to speak Farsi.
"How we mean" is a good reading for recognizing and understanding the nuances in language. The reading provides important examples of why languages differ by highlighting the differences in words for family members in different languages. For instance, the word for uncle can apply to a paternal or maternal relative, but that is not the case in other languages. I realize it is going to be crucial for me to quickly learn the meaning behind each word or phrase in Farsi so that I can build a solid foundation early on; therefore, I will not have to struggle later on with confusing the meanings of the things I try to read, write, or speak.
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