Learning Styles

[Alexis Witt]

I seem to be have a unique learning style. According to the surveys, I use pretty much everything on an equal level. The only thing that peaked above the rest (and it was only very slightly) was visual learning. I like using books, tapes, videos, and even other people especially when it comes to learning languages. I like using the books to master the grammar and vocab, the tapes to master the pronunciation of words and phrases, the videos to see real-world examples, and other people to practice myself.

In high school, I studied Latin for four years and Spanish for two years. I really enjoyed using the Latin books to translate various works from Latin to English and vise versa. It really helped me to learn the grammar and the definitions of various vocab words. In Spanish, I liked actually learning how to speak another language, partially using the teacher, the book, and the various supplements, like videos.

I think that while I am learning Swahili, I will be using all of these methods to try to master the language. I have books that Professor Kapanga recommended to us, which have an online audio component, and the books in the International Center. There are some videos both online and in the International Center that are available for me to use. Plus, I have friends who speak Swahili, so I will be able to have their help as well. Some of these friends live in Tanzania, and some are studying here in the States. I'm hoping that I'll be able to become fluent in Swahili, eventually, and I think that is a reasonable ambition because I have all of the resources to do it.

[Alexis Witt]

I think that it would however be a practical goal to be able to write e-mails to my friends in Tanzania in Swahili by the end of the semester. I'd hope to also be able to hold a conversation about school, work, church, (the basic things) with people by the end of the semester. I wouldn't have a great vocabulary yet, but I think that is a reasonable goal.

[Alexis Witt]

Well, I want to eventually be able to go to Tanzania and communicate well with everyone from the shopkeepers to the pastors to my friends. I want to eventually be like my Norwegian friend, Roger, is with English and a few other languages. Although English isn't his first language, he doesn't have to really think to use English anymore. There are some words and phrases he isn't familiar with, but otherwise, it is like he has been speaking English his entire life. My Tanzanian friends started learning English in about 6th grade, and most of them speak it and write it very well.I want to be able to speak and to write Swahili, like it is... almost natural to me. I know that is a long term goal, and it won't happen in a semester, but eventually I do want to get to that point.

[Nuray Grove]

It sounds like you have all the resources, but how do you define "fluent"? It might be helpful if you specify your goals.