Reflection Paper #1/Cultural Post

[Felicia Taylor]

I became interested in learning Urdu once I suddenly became surrounded by friends, of which are fluent speakers here at U of R. Hearing them converse was what first interested me in this language. I constantly found myself asking them, "What are you saying" or "how do you say [ ]?" knowing that there was no official Urdu class offered at this University. Once I found that this course existed, I immediately became interested in the possibility of finally being able to achieve a goal: Finally being able to understand what they are talking about! I want to be able to have simple conversations with a native speaker and have them properly understand me. I enjoy the challenge of having to learn another language that is completely different than that of my native languages. This means that I will have to make different sounds, as well as try to hear the differences in sounds of 'my new language'. I have discovered that I am a K/V learner, meaning that I have to be verbal and act in order to learn. I think that this is perfect for language because it is essentially the basis of all language. I will have to speak and engage in the act of creating dialogue in order to achieve my goal. For this reason, I am concentrating in only learning how to have a novice conversation and not how to read/write in Urdu. I think that I can expand my learning activities by continuing to surround myself by native speakers and this time, engaging them in conversation as well.