This class taught me so much about my learning capabilities, and sparked my interest in learning a language that does not use the Roman alphabet. I learned that daily exposure to a language will significantly increase my knowledge of it, in terms of vocab acquisition and feeling comfortable with its grammatical structure. I really enjoyed my semester-long contact with Filipino news, and being able to read and understand more words from a language that comes from my own culture. I enjoyed looking up radio shows, videos of soap operas, and just searching for anything relevant to Tagalog and the Filipino culture, because it reminded me so much of who I am, and where I come from. I found it difficult to remain motivated at times to keep learning because I don’t exactly have anyone to talk to about the language, or have anyone assess my writing. However, this only made me realize that I can learn pretty much anything—whether it’s a language, a new skill, or whatever—so long as I have set my goals and push myself enough to reach those goals. I feel like this is something I can apply to in other aspects of my life, knowing that I am capable of learning new things without having anyone actively monitoring my progress. You simply need the will and drive in order to achieve and succeed in any of your endeavors. I will continue my learning by taking the next step and searching for more Tagalog literature online, perhaps even ordering a few books to add to my collection.
I enjoyed presenting, and hearing others’ presentations about languages because it opened my eyes to the vast array of foreign languages that I would never have considered worth learning just because I knew absolutely nothing about them. The best and most useful article was the “12 Rules for Learning Foreign Languages in Record Time” since it literally numbered the most important things one needs to do to learn a language. I evolved as a self-directed language learner by learning so much more about my own culture, and the Middle East. I definitely developed my skills as an observer of other cultures, just because now, whenever I meet someone who is multi-lingual, I immediately ask them how to say certain useful phrases, instead of my usual hunt for funny insults or curse words in that language. But even in my attempt to insult others in another language, it made me think more about the ‘why’ concept of their culture—self-directed language learning has taught me to try to understand the connection between a language and its culture. The presentations helped me relate the products, practices and perspectives of a culture by tracing its rich, historical roots and its evolvement over time. Cultural practices and values go all the way back in time, and are results of a world-wide process where everything can be linked to each other due to globalization. It’s funny how this class overlaps with many of the sociological discourses I’ve learned throughout my college years, and really put my major to good use.
Comments