Learning Journal 5

[David Mowry]

For this week, I completed my first artifact. I wrote a short composition about the current political topic of Turkey, which is related to various proposals for changes to the constitution. I started out with the political background to the proposals, and then I read two sources with competing viewpoints on the subject. I read the articles and briefly summarized them in my writing. My language partner helped me edit and correct my mistakes, and we used these mistakes to go over grammar points on which I need help as well as which words are appropriate in which contexts. I will post the artifact in a separate blog post. Additionally, I read a third article unrelated to my artifact, performed both intensive and extensive listening activities, and spoke Turkish for half of a lunch with Onur. After we finished going over my artifact, my language partner and I had a conversation about traveling in Turkey, which allowed for unscripted conversation. These conversations always feel like the most productive aspects of the meetings, although I recognize the importance of grammar, structure and new vocabulary.