Unitha Cherry
SDLC 105
Reflection Paper #1
In the past as a language learner I have been taught through rote memorization and basic drills. There was never any practical need for the languages I studied in my life outside of what could be memorized. I studied Latin but didn’t need to understand the language outside of the prayers that were said in school. I never got practice outside of saying hello to my teacher. It was more of the same when I moved on to study Spanish in middle and high school. The biggest change came in college fulfilling the COM 2 requirement. I found that having class was very helpful. Practice every day is what I need to ensure the information I’m learning doesn’t go in one ear and out the other. Additionally, while sometimes it was exhausting having a drill in which I can only speak my target language and I have to answer questions on the fly without the chance to think about them gave me the confidence to know I knew the material and that I was capable of speech. When I decided to study abroad the fact that very few people around me spoke English helped my language acquisition a lot. In order for my host mother to understand what I was saying I needed to be able to communicate properly so I would ask for help from native speakers and make sure that my pronunciation was where it needed to be. Something I’ve always been really good at is parroting or repeating people. It has always helped me with pronunciation and making the words feel natural instead of so foreign. When talking the surveys, I found out that I am an auditory learner which isn’t really surprising. Hearing how a language is supposed to sound has always helped me. In high school watching movies in my target language really helped me to not only become comfortable with the language but also practice the nuances of language. I think that as I study Hebrew and to some degree biblical Hebrew scripture, commentary and outside materials will be helpful in becoming familiar with it. I also think that in the beginning I may have to revert to the rote memorization tasks at least until I am comfortable enough with the language. I think the biggest challenges and frustrations will come from not having the same alphabet and needing to get used to the new sounds. In the past I have found success with games and other ways of learning that don’t feel so ridged. Something I have liked in the past is the immersion that comes with being in a new culture and being forced to speak to people in your target language. I think that as I’m moving forward that is surely going to be something, I included in my learning plan. My only worries come from not having people in the community that speak Hevrew at the level I need it outside of biblical Hebrew which is relevant but I have yet to decide if that’s what I want to study.
Comments