Ahoy!
My language plan revolves around achieving four main goals:
- Pronunciation- ability to pronounce typical Slovak words without hesitancy
- Understandability: ability for Slovak speakers to understand my speech production and pronunciation
- Casual Conversation: ability to verbally produce language in a consistent manner without pausing
- Cultural Competency: acquiring knowledge of Slovak culture to properly follow social conventions.
My language plan may seem a little ambitious but, I am ready to put in the time and effort to work towards these goals. My strategies for achieving these goals center on immersive strategies, playing to learning strengths, and improving confidence.
Immersive Strategies:
I will focus on mindfully consuming different types of Slovak media. At the moment, I have been enjoying the Comprehensible Slovak Podcast, music by Sima, Včielka Mája (Maya the Bee, a children’s cartoon) and Mesto Tieňvo (a CSI-esque Slovak crime show). Consuming Slovak media will help with proper pronunciation, processing/comprehending Slovak and learning more about Slovak culture (particularly pop culture). Additionally, I will read/listen to the top headlines in Slovak News three times a week in order to emphasis my cultural competency goal. I will start by reading/listening to the news in English and slowly, add in Slovak versions of the news.
Playing to Learning Strengths/Improving Confidence:
For 2 hours each week, I will meet with my italki tutor, Adriana. I also plan to study 5-6 hours of study per week. Typically, I retain more information by working in 1-hour increments or less. I will be sure to pay attention to the time and step away in order to avoid an “information overload”. These short study increments will assist in remaining confident in my language abilities and avoiding feelings of anxiety. Additionally, I find that I learn best through visual and auditory learning strategies. To complement my visual learning skills, I plan to organize my notes in a colorful, simple format and regularly rewrite my notes as I revise. To complement my auditory learning skills, I plan on talking to myself out loud as I am study/explaining topics and formulating sentences aloud. Talking to myself helps with my comprehension abilities and makes me feel less overwhelmed when studying.
Additionally, I plan to supplement my studies and tutoring sessions with instruction from Mango. I also would like to implement Amy’s idea of keeping a private journal documenting the language learning experiences. I think it would be helpful in voicing any frustrations that may hinder my language production or hinder my confidence levels.
Lessons thus far:
I have taken about four hours of Slovak lessons this semester. We have focused on basic greetings, common vocabulary words, and feminine/masculine/neuter endings/words. I also learned to conjugate byt’ (to be) and mat’ (to have) in the present tense. After learning these verbs, I started to form simple sentences using the vocabulary words. Additionally, we have worked a lot on proper pronunciation by going through the Slovak alphabet letter by letter to practice pronunciation and identifying letters not in the English alphabet. Throughout the lesson, I regularly read and produce language which helps Adriana correct any mispronunciations.
Exploring language through course:
The SDLAC program is an excellent way to learn a more uncommon language. My other attempts to learn Slovak were often shut down by expensive course materials or a lack of available resources. However, with the collection of course materials and financial assistance of the program, I finally can learn Slovak without having to pay a ridiculous amount of money. Additionally, I really enjoy learning about Slovakia through my italki tutor, Adriana. She gives me insight on culture and current events unlike programs like Rosetta Stone or Duolingo.
Now, for the most important question: Why Slovak?
I have four main reasons:
- An opportunity to learn something completely new! I have never learned a Slavic language before or really explored the history and culture of Slovakia. The SDLAC program allows me to discover a different language, history and culture.
- Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Opportunity (ETA)! This last October, I applied for a Fulbright ETA grant in Slovakia. The course allows me to prepare for this potential opportunity.
- Study Abroad! I spent two nights in Bratislava during October of 2019. It was an incredible experience and I plan to talk about my travels more on my blog posts. I attached a picture of myself and my friend, Charlotte, at the Austria-Slovakia border and a picture of the KGB bar, a very interesting bar to have a beer.
- Heritage! My last name (Hoholik) is Slovak. It is an important part of my identity due to its rarity and ability to confuse any substitute teacher. I have gotten all kinds of pronunciations from “o-o-leek” to “ha-ha-lick”. Apparently, my ancestors came from the High Tatras of Slovakia, a mountainous area of North Slovakia right near the border of Poland. According to family genealogy, the Hoholiks came from Leśnica, Slovakia (see the map attached) and immigrated to the United States in the mid to late 1800s. Unfortunately, my family and I are estranged from my paternal side of the family. My motivation for studying Slovak and applying for the Fulbright ETA grant is to reconnect and forge a sustainable connection with my paternal identity.
I look forward to tracking my language experiences and reporting back on my progress.
Ďakujem! Dovidenia!
Leśnica on the map
Views from Leśnica
KGB Bar in Bratislava, SK
Charlotte and I at the Austria-Slovakia Border at Devín Castle
Comments
Hi Emma! I think it’s really cool that you’re learning Slovak because of your heritage and past (and hopefully future!) experience! I think listening to podcasts and music, watching cartoons and shows, and reading the news in Slovak will be a great way for you to not only learn the language, but also familiarize yourself with the culture. Best of luck!