Learning Journal 10

[Maddie Philips]

It is quite easy for me to read Basque, because sentences and even words depend on specific patterns that I can usually identify. For example, if a sentence starts with "non," I know that I will have to say where something is, or if it starts with "zenbat" how many. Even with my limited knowledge of Basque vocabulary, I can usually identify the meaning of sentences just by their context and the patterns that I'm already familiar with. Speaking Basque is a whole other situation. My writing skills aren't lacking, per se, but they certainly aren't at the same level as my reading skills. I can usually make correct sentences, but it often takes me a long time to craft, and my response is usually drawn out as a question because I look to Amaia to make sure what I said was correct and made sense. Basque is certainly not the easiest language to learn- there's a proverb that the Devil moved to the Basque Country for seven years, and by the time he left all he had learnt was "bai" and "ez," which mean yes and no. My writing is probably at the same level as my speaking, and is definitely something that I need to work on.