Learning Journal #1

[Melale Hailu]

I have still not found a learning partner; so my priority right now is to look for an Afaan Oromo language partner. The pursuit does seem promising because we discovered a platform called ‘Teacher On’ where I am able to see possible Afaan Oromo teachers available in Ethiopia. However, until I begin my communications with a native speaker on a regular basis I am interacting with the language through various medians independently. To expand my word bank, something I believe to be immensely important when learning a new language, I am studying a very useful Afaan Oromo book. This resource provides a structured approach to learning and helps me to track my progress. Additionally, I really like this book because rather than just singular words it also includes common phrases that are used in my target language. Because these phrases are relevant to everyday conversations I am also able to use them through speaking rather than just ‘studying’ in my conversations with my father or cousins in Ethiopia. In parallel, a strategy that was helpful was using flashcards to memorize vocabulary. I created my own flashcards with words and phrases that I wanted to learn and used them to practice memorization and recall. Until I find a language partner I hope to interact with the language in one way or another every day; listening to music and trying to find vocab in the lyrics that I know, reading basic things, speaking using what little I know, identifying things in my life using Oromo vocabulary, etc. This is been quite effective so far and has resulted in me finding a level of comfort in interacting with the language that I did not have before, interestingly despite evidently interacting with it before. Interestingly one of the resources that I have been using to more effectively listen to the language being used rather than just the language taking a back seat is Orthodox gospel songs in the Oromo language. Orthodox gospel songs are slower, the lyrics are more enunciated and repetitive, and because there obviously isn't a music video the videos on Youtube are displays of the lyrics, thereby allowing me to listen more intentionally, read the lyrics and see how words are pronounced and what words are being said, etc. This is all far more difficult to do when just listening to normal music in the language, especially the task of hearing distinct words because, without knowledge of the language, so many of the words seem jumbled together.