Learning Journal 6

[Tania Bukach]

This week, Sofia and I worked on conversational skills. Extremely rudimentary skills, yes, but it was helpful nonetheless! I've been working on question/answer phrases one might expect when getting to know someone. I've mastered general introductions plus four questions and their corresponding answers. It's quite exhilarating seeing some success!

Practicing with Sofia was helpful, but I've found practicing on my own to be essential. Writing and saying the words over and over is a good warm up, but I've developed an even more helpful way to make the words stick in my long term memory. It's called talking to myself. I've started having conversations (well, one really - the same conversation over and over) with myself aloud in the park. Speaking at full voice is better, I've found. I guess it's that action learning kicking in. Whispering the words under my breath in the library isn't as effective as speaking the same way I would normally. It's also fun having someone to talk to. While I'm working (I'm a nanny), I talk to the child I care for. Holden makes a great audience, because he doesn't care that I'm saying the same things over and over (he doesn't even speak English yet!).