SDLC 105 Learning Journal #1

[Berhaun Fesshaye]

The parts of the brain that are most important for speech production and comprehension are Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area. We mainly process meaning through looking at the interactions between words in sentences. As the reading stated, many words in English do not have much meaning on their own. We usually process the meaning of a word when we see what other words are around it and how those words are working together. I think these readings really show that in order for me to learn Amharic and be conversational, I must be able to know how words work together. Also I need to learn how to understand the meaning of phrases that are not direct translations to English. The reading pointed out how the word ‘mean’ can convey many different things based on the context of the sentence. I think learning how to distinguish words like this in Amharic is important for being able to understand what someone is saying and knowing how to respond.

[Berhaun Fesshaye]

After a semester, I can really see that there are more ways to convey what you need to say than what is said in your native language. It still amazes me when I learn a new phrase and am told that you can say it many different ways but the words work together to convey the same meaning.

[Johnnette Johnson]

I agree, Berhaun. I definitely think realizing the difference between reference and sense allows us to see the bigger picture --that there are more ways to convey something than in our native language. The chapters were encouraging in this sense. I can't wait to see you progress on your Amharic-learning journey!