Reflection Paper #2
What insights have you gained about yourself as a language learner and cultural explorer? What did you find difficult? What have you enjoyed?
I learned that I progress much faster in my target language when I am able to meet for shorter sessions more frequently rather than longer sessions less frequently. I have mentioned this in many posts throughout the semester, but the Mahsa Amini protests that are currently ongoing in Iran have halted my and my language partner's ability to meet as frequently. Because my language partner lives in Iran, the consequent internet shutdown made it sort of a game of hot potato trying to find which communication service worked the best for that given day.
I know the idea that more frequent shorter lessons align with the topics in class and might be rather obvious, but I realized this semester exactly how crucial this aspect of language learning is for me. This is not to say I am not able to function in the latter form of learning, I think just making a little bit of Farsi part of a daily routine is easier for me to plan around and manage time for.
I also have to give myself a little bit of credit, as I think I ended up being much more adaptable than I previously suspected in my language learning. Even though the internet shutdown proved a challenge, my language partner and I still made it possible to meet, and I was able to compensate for the lost time in meetings with increased linguistic and cultural study.
Other major difficulties were just dealing with the increased complexity in the Intermediate lessons on PLO. As stated in other posts, the jump from Elementary lessons (#21-40) to Intermediate lessons (#41-60) is significant. The topics become more abstract, such as culture, lifestyle, and economics, and in order to accommodate this jump, the grammar and vocabulary spike in difficulty as well. I think this combined with the less frequent lessons hit me pretty hard, as it is already more of a challenge to remember the vocabulary.
All in all, I have still had great enjoyment this semester. With the more complicated lessons brings more opportunities for cultural learning. I am excited about what is yet to come.
How will you continue your learning?
Right now, I still plan on using PLO. It has been a great resource, and now that I have completed SDLC/SDLAP 105, I will be more equipped to tackle the grammar. I think I might take more advantage of iTalki next semester, both as an opportunity to speak to someone new and as a backup considering Iran's volatile politics and internet. Everything else will remain relatively the same. As soon as the internet ban loosens up, I hope to meet with my language partner more frequently again. We already practice me reading a passage and translating, my language partner reading a passage and me translating, me rephrasing a passage with different grammar/vocabulary, my language partner asking comprehension questions and conversing about the passage with me, and practicing conversational/cumulative speaking.
I might delve more into presentational speech and writing, but that is not a goal for me right now.
Which readings and learning activities did you find most useful? What would you like to learn more about?
Though I need to practice it more, I think IPA/articulatory phonetics as a whole will prove to be quite useful. I remember reading papers in the past that used terminology I did not know then -- but now do. Now I will be able to understand more precise instructions on accent/pronunciation. I want to delve more into morphology and syntax, as it got a little cut off at the end of the semester, and Farsi is much different than English in both areas. I especially want to learn more about case.
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