Parisa Mershon
SDLC 105: Introduction to Self-Directed Language Learning
Dr. Marsh-Soloway
August 28, 2022
Reflecting on My Language Journey
If I were not on the pre-med track, I would most likely be pursuing a career in linguistics. I could say my passion for language began in my elementary school days on Duolingo, but I am not entirely sure; I can say, however, that COVID-19 accelerated my drive to learn Farsi. At the time, my father was simply visiting family. Once the pandemic hit, the airport shut down, and his month-long stay turned into a year-long one, culminating in his decision to formally move back to Iran (where he is now). Learning Farsi is one of the ways we can stay in contact, and as I’ve grown older, I’ve wanted to try and bridge the cultural divide I have with my Iranian family 一 at least a little.
The other language I have been learning is Mandarin Chinese, which I started in my freshman year of high school and am continuing here at UR. I fell in love with writing characters and would spend many hours practicing. Chinese was the only non-Latin-based language, which, for some reason or another, has always been more intriguing to me (especially languages with a different writing system/alphabet, like Farsi).
My likes and dislikes heavily depend on the language I am focusing on. In Chinese, I loved writing (both characters and grammar structures), as well as listening and reading. Speaking, however, has always been my Achilles heel, as the tonal system in Chinese is a considerable challenge for me. In Farsi, my pronunciation/accent comes much more naturally (possibly because I have heard the language most of my life), but forming sentences is comparatively more difficult. I would suppose this has to do with Farsi being a Subject-Object-Verb language, yet I am not entirely sure.
It is rather difficult to say my dislikes, as I largely don’t have any. I enjoy working on my various challenges in language. Nevertheless, if I had to highlight one, speaking with other native speakers/public speaking in my target language has always been an area I am not quite fond of. I am not particularly invested in improving public speaking, but I feel as though my hesitancy to converse with other native speakers is holding me back more and more as I progress in each language.
I try not to ascribe to a particular learning style, as I am not convinced systems like the VARK Learning Styles are truly beneficial. In terms of general learning, spaced studying and mock assessments are beneficial. In terms of language learning, I find that long-form writing and conversational speaking (alongside the aforementioned study methods for vocabulary) are particularly valuable. In long-form writing, I can ascertain the limitations of the grammar I have learned. I can also start understanding which words have what connotations, and which words are more formal versus informal.
Since my focus in the course is Farsi, I will not reflect on how I can improve my Chinese-learning methods. I think I should try to speak with other native speakers of Farsi (preferably those who are familiar with Iranian vernacular / colloquialisms). Though my father has been an excellent teacher, he moved to the United States when he was 17 (due to the 1979 Iranian revolution), and until 2019, had not stayed in Iran for more than a couple of months at a time. Consequently, his Farsi is slightly odd compared to others, as he has lost touch with certain cultural practices (such as being too direct/blunt). And as he always jokes, Farsi was the one class he failed in (Iranian) high school. I also have delved deep into writing, so I would like to practice both the script and the more formal language associated with it.
Comments
Hello Parisa,
I am sorry to hear how COVID has impacted your family; still, I am impressed by your dedication to language study. Do you find written Farsi as mesmerizing as written Mandarin?
Also, I fully understand the triumphs and defeats that come with learning a heritage language. I learned Spanish to speak with my father's side of the family and while it did come easier than Russian would later on, it was still difficult to challenge myself to speak with other native speakers. Potentially facing rejection from the people whose opinions' matter most is a scary hurdle to pass. So, I wish you luck!