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I decided to teach someone how to tell someone their name using ASL. Signing your name is fairly easy and it is always one of the first things you are asked whenever you meet someone new. Even if you don't know any other signs, at least you can tell someone your name. All you need to do is point to your self, use your first two fingers on each hand and touch them on top of each other (the sign for "name"), and then spell out your name in letters. 

I asked my friend Noraya if could teach her and she willingly obliged. I think it went pretty well. She was able to sign the sentence, "My name is Noraya" without my help at all after watching and practicing with me only twice. Of course, if she signed this to a deaf person and they responded with their name, she would not know what they were spelling, unless their name somehow only had the same letters as hers. However, I think for the intended activity, it went very well. 

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Learning Journal, Post 6, 105

It can be incredibly helpful to understand the root of words and where they came from to help you learn a language. If you understand why a word is spelled the way it is, it is often easier to remember. This helped me a lot when I was learning Spanish, because there are many cognates, so the Spanish word looks very similar to the English word.

This principle does not always apply in ASL, though. ASL speakers use English words, so you still imagine the English word in your head as you are moving your hands to show the sign. It can be helpful, however, to think of why the people who originally created ASL decided to use a certain sign for a certain word. ASL is constantly being updated, so maybe the way a word was signed in the past is no longer applicable to the present day. In this instance, it can be helpful to know the history of the word and why it needed to be changed. 

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SDLAP 110 Learning Journal Week 8

After Fall Break ended, Alvin and I discussed what I had done over the weekend. Since I dyed my hair, I learned how to say that I dyed my hair in Korean, and also refined describing the benefits of going to a salon over using drugstore/convenience store dye. Something very useful that I covered, while basic, was which noun ending to use when I say that I got my hair dyed. One noun ending implies that I dyed my hair by myself, and stresses that I am the subject in the sentence, while the other noun ending is more neutral, and I use it to say that I got my hair dyed or I could use it to say that I dyed my hair myself. While I am familiar with saying numbers, I did not know how to say prices, so I then learned how to talk about how much something approximately costs in talking about dyeing my hair.

Lastly, I talked about how I am considering dyeing my hair a different color at a later point in time. Here I learned a lot about connecting two verbs together. For example, to say that I think a fact and to say that I am thinking about doing something, while the verb for "to think" is the same, you use two different verb endings before the verb "to think." I was not previously aware of this, and learning the difference also helped when I wanted to know how to use the verb "to consider" instead. I also used this opportunity to ask and clarify how to connect verbs to other similar verbs. Having a strong knowledge in vocabulary but not how words connect, this part of the lesson was very useful for me.

I also learned how to discuss time, such as when and event starts and when it ends, and the proper sentence structure for saying that I would leave an event early. Especially since in English, we can say that we leave an event, in Korean, the noun ending must reflect that you are leaving from an event, which Alvin then clarified for me, putting it more in my memory. 

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SDLAP 110 Learning Journal Week 7

The main topic of conversation during week 7 was plans for Fall Break. I described how my brother and dad were visiting me that week, and how we had been eating meals together every day. I then talked about how my friend texted me asking me to drive him to the train station, which was something I expected. Because that was a more abstract concept to describe, I really struggled with being able to articulately state it. How my and Alvin's lessons usually work is that I try to describe something, and if I say it wrong or if I am too wordy in trying to effectively describe it, he uses my vocabulary and gives me a more effective sentence. I then keep that sentence in my phone to learn the structure of the revised sentence, what makes it so effective (in my case, it is usually linking multiple verbs together that I find so difficult, which Alvin then helps me with so I can make my sentences more economical), and try to understand it so that I can use similar sentences in the future.

In trying to make sentences more economical, I also use subjects multiple times, and have to re-familiarize myself with the correct endings to add onto nouns in the sentence. Because I learned Korean so informally, you do not always need to put endings onto nouns, so I would drop them as I did not fully understand which noun ending is correct. By practicing speaking, I am able to learn what the right endings are.

I use an app called Memrise to learn vocabulary. It is a flashcard-based app through which you learn vocabulary and are then tested periodically on it. Learning Korean on my own before this class, I learned at least 1500 unique words through multiple vocabulary sets, and am slowly working my way through reviewing all of them to realize the full extent of my vocabulary to further vary the sentences I can use in casual conversation. 

I also sometimes use a website called Talk to Me in Korean, which provides free vocabulary lessons, including usage of verbs, example sentences, and podcasts during which they say these example sentences out loud. I know a lot of their beginner lessons, so it has taken me a while to find a point to start at where I never learned a particular grammar structure, but I find the podcasts to be particularly helpful, as my spoken comprehension skills are weak and they provide the written sentences that are used in the podcast.

For my purposes, I do not think BYKI will be useful. Because I have progressed very far in my knowledge of vocabulary words, and because my pronunciation is already very good for the level I am at, I would not learn anything new from BYKI. It sounds like it is more suited toward beginners, which I am not. The same applies to Mango languages, as I already used a different source to learn basic vocabulary and I plan on sticking with that source.

The service that the University subscribes to that I think will be particularly helpful is one for learning basic conversation scripts, that includes both a recording and a transcript of the conversation. I forgot the name of the service, but as I need to improve my spoken comprehension, this is very relevant to my goals.

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SDLAP 105 Reflection Paper 2

As I had a late start into practicing Korean with a language partner this semester, I still have not learned much new in Korean. On my own, I practice vocabulary to catch up to my past knowledge and to re-familiarize myself with verb endings and other grammar structures. With Alvin, I then practice that vocabulary in a casual conversation.

 

Being able to practice Korean in this setting, with someone Korean who can correct my grammar as I speak to him, I have learned a lot about forming sentences. My goal is not necessarily to learn new vocabulary but to connect the vocabulary I already know with their respective verbs, connect verbs with verb endings correctly, and understand the nuances between similar verb endings. This is practiced as I work toward my goal of also being able to hold basic conversations, e.g., starting with “What did you do today?” or “What are your plans for Fall Break?” and saying whatever is on my mind that I can mostly articulate in Korean.

 

Culturally, my biggest problem is that it is hard for me to speak formally. In teaching myself Korean, I can recognize formal structures, but not reproduce them when speaking myself. Also, at the higher levels (such as when addressing groups and when addressing unfamiliar people who are much older than you), there are many similar verb endings that denote formality, and some basic nouns and verbs have a formal version. This all can be very hard to keep track of, and as a foreigner it is difficult to understand why speaking formally is so important and why failing to is seen as so disrespectful, so it can be especially hard to become accustomed to changing how formally you speak in different situations. This will be something that I will need to familiarize myself with in the future, especially if I plan to go back to Korea and make an effort to communicate with people.

 

With Alvin, I speak to him only slightly formally. This involves adding the ending -yo to verbs at the end of each sentence, and using formal versions of the words I/me. Sometimes even the latter aspect is hard for me to keep track of. As I become better at forming sentences and speaking in Korean, I would like to spend some lessons speaking more formally. Even though it would not make sense culturally as Alvin is only slightly older than I, it would be beneficial for situations in the future in which I would have to deal with older people.

 

Another cultural aspect that I am starting to be more exposed to is the types of sentences that Koreans ask as they get to know you. For example, it is very common to ask what one’s ideal type is, which is something I had seen in variety shows and already knew the word for. While asking about ideal types is not seen as something serious in Korea--it is more along the lines of fantasizing about what type of person you are interested in--it is very odd in America. In fact, when Alvin initially asked me what my ideal type was, I became flustered and did not answer the question. Just as foreigners here often have to be told how to answer the question “How are you?” I need to familiarize myself with answering common Korean questions, even if they are culturally considered to be weird in America.

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First Artifact

A: Where is Gottwald-> Gottwald oe di yae yo?

How do I get to Gottwald?-> Gottwald oe duk kae ga yo?

B: To go straight and then left turn ->Jik jin ha sae yo, ge da eum ae, wen jjok eo lo ga sae yo.

A: Should I take bus? beoseuleul tago?

B: You can walk there. -> dangsin i geol-eul su(ta si ni ke lu su)

A: Thank you ->Gomabseubnida

B:You are welcome -> cheonman-eyo

 artifact.m4a

How to read Hangul. 

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Learning Journal, Post 5, 110

I think my progress to date has been pretty good. I've learned a lot of basic words recently and one of my favorite activities is just walking around campus and trying to figure out if I know the sign for the things I'm seeing. Learning about religion is probably the hardest part so far, mostly because most of the words are ones I would typically not use in everyday life. I have been watching religious videos where there is an ASL interpreter, so that has helped me pick up a few signs. So far, I think my learning plan is going well and as of right now, I do not plan on making any changes to my learning plan. 

Whenever I meet with my language partner, she always brings her roommate along, who is hard of hearing, so watching them have conversations is really helpful and I am occasionally able to pick up what they are saying just by guessing what the signs mean and watching their facial expressions. I am also getting comfortable with signing in public, even though I normally get a few strange stares. 

I wish there was a website where I could sign something and have it tell me what the sign meant. There are a few signs that I can recognize, but I am still unsure exactly what they mean and I typically forget to ask my partner when I see her. This is one instance where ASL can be harder than learning a spoken language, because I cannot just text my language partner and ask her what a word means. 

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First bi-weekly report--SDLC 111

Directions

Country Name:

US: miguk

England:young guk

Japan: yil Bon

Thailand: tae guk

China: jueng guk

Korea: han guk

Switzerland: se wis

France: pe rang se

Canda: kae na da

Australia: o-se-te-lae-li-a

City Name:

Chicago: shi ka go

New York: nue yok

Washington DC: wo shing ton dc

Seoul: seo ul

Tokyo: do kyo

Beijing: bei jing

Hong Kong: hong kong

Paris: pa li:

 

How to ask direction:

 

 

Oe-di: where

Where is Gottwald-> Gottwald oe di yae yo?

How do I get to Gottwald?-> Gottwald oe duk kae ga yo?

Oe duk kae: how, ga yo: to go.

 

To go straight: Jik jin ha sae yo.

Left turn: when jjok eo lo ga sae yo.

When jjok: left, ga sae yo: to go (for other person).

Right turn: O len jjok eo lo ga sae yo.

O len jjok: right

Eo lo: towards

 

Transportation:

Bus: beo se

Ta da: to take something, to ride on something

 

Subway: ji ha cheol

Airplane: bi hang gi

Bike: bike: ja jen geo:

Taxi: tak xi:

 

 

Useful Conjunction:

And: ge li go,

And then: ge da eum ae.

 

 

Cloth/shopping

Color

Blue: pa lang saek

Red: Bbal gan saek

Orange: ju hwuang saek

Black: gum jung saek

White: ha yan saek

Grey: huae saek

Green: cho lok saek

Yellow: no lang saek

Purple: bo la saek

Clothing

Cloth: ot

t-shirt: t she te.

Hoodie: hoo de

Skirt: se keo te

Shoes: shin bal

Dress shoses: gu du

Jeans: chung ba ji

Pants: ba ji

Hat: mo ja

Jacket: jam ba

Bag: ga bang

Umbrella: wu san

Scarf: mok do ri

Socks: yang mal

 

 

I learned several country names and city names. I can ask how to ask directions, how to guide the directions to others. In addition, I learned the vocabularies of colors and different clothing. Starting learning actual grammar, phrases and words that I can apply to daily conversation. Combined talking with Alvin Yang and learning materials on website, I learned that the sequence of Korean grammar is different than English or Chinese grammar. For example, if I want to say take taxi, I would say ‘taxi take’ in Korean. Usually, the noun will put in front of verb. Therefore, Korean can be easy to read because there are special markers that indicate what is the subject and object, and most of the time the verb is at the end of the sentence. Berbs almost always appear at the end of a sentence.

Example: Jinsoo eats rice. -> Jinsoo rice eats.

        Mi Kyong watched a movie. ->Mi kyong movie watched.

        I am Xiaoting->  I Xiaoting am.

        I am a Chinese->  I Chinese am.

To be a successful self-directed learned, my strategy is that I learned vocabularies and sentences (mostly pronunciation part) from Alvin Yang, and for grammar and Korean character I found a lot of resources online for self-learning. If I have any confusion, I will ask for help from Alvin. I really like independent study, such as finding my interesting part and learning from this. It really works on me. I can learn what I learned effectively, and this learning strategy motivates me. The really interesting part when I met with Alvin Yang is that when he talked some vocabularies, and these vocabularies are similar to me because of watching Korean drama and listening music. I will keep on listening audio resources to get familiar with some pronunciation and vocabularies. For next meeting, I will improve conversation skills with Alvin. Now I can only speak by myself. If I talked with others in Korean, the reflection time to respond is long. I try to review all materials that I learned from last semester, and structure these topics to make a big organized chart in order to find each topic relationships.

 

 

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Reflection Paper #2

Because it took some time to get situated with a learning partner, I haven't had the chance to meet with mine very much yet. However, by speaking to him a little, I was able to get a different understanding of the Korean culture I was not aware of. For example, when I visited Korea a year and a half ago, I got the impression that while Koreans are very friendly towards people they know, they can seem kind of cold to strangers. Because Koreans don't seem to engage in small talk with strangers, that's the impression that I got. However, my language partner insisted that this isn't true, and since he actually lived in Korea for years, I am sure I was not able to get the right impression by only staying there for a week. It seems that there are a lot of parts of Korean culture I am not fully familiar with, and I hope to talk more with my language partner and learn more .

As for the language, I have been able to work a little on my writing and speaking skills. I feel that it has improved a little, and with more practice with my language partner over the semester, I should be able to reach my goal of writing a letter by the end of the semester. I have also had the opportunity to speak more Korean recently, and am becoming more comfortable with it. Now, I hope to further that knowledge into being able to understand more difficult language such as what is spoken on the news or in documentaries. I have watched a few clips of the Korean news to see how much I can understand. While there is still a lot of vocabulary I still struggle with, I think with a little more practice and studying this semester, I will be able to work towards understanding more difficult phrases. I also plan on continuing to practice speaking about not only everyday aspects, but also things like current events. 

I think particularly for Korean, understanding the culture is an integral part of speaking the language. Because there is such a high value in respect dependent on age, this flows straight into how the language is spoken. Unlike English, all sentences are grammatically changed when speaking to an elder versus a friend your age. You must also know that even if someone looks your age, you must verify that they are exactly your age and younger before you can speak "banmal" with them. Even if they are younger, it may also be appropriate to use more formal language until you are comfortable with each other. Because I have a background in Korean, I was already familiar with this concept. However, I do believe that understanding the culture is an integral part of learning any language.  

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Learning Journal #5

It was very interesting to watch the culture shock video because I had never thought of it from the perspective of an international student. While I did move here from Korea, I was young and didn't really encounter most of the things mentioned in the video. I can definitely see how it may be confusing for an international student when they're responding to phrases like "what's up," where only a simple response is expected in our culture. While I'm used to this, small things like this can definitely make it difficult for someone in a new country.

I've never traveled to anywhere else besides within the US and Korea, so I've never encountered much of a culture shock. However, when I go back to Korea, I do experience somewhat of a reverse culture shock. For example, while I am aware of the importance of respect for the elders, I was surprised at the severity of it as I was often pushed out of the way by many elder people while riding public transportation. In addition, Koreans don't really engage in small talk with strangers which is vastly different from the US. Things like this took a little time to get used to, however I wouldn't really refer to them as a "shock," like many of the things mentioned by students in the video.

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SDLC 112 Learning Journal 1

The learning objective of the first week was to learn pronouns and possessive pronouns. The ultimate objective of learning different types of pronouns was to be able to talk about myself and about other people with more ease and flexibility. For instance, my hobby is listening to music, her university is big and so forth. 

As a result, I had asked Suyeon to teach me pronouns and possessive pronouns and how to use them in sentences. She was really nice to prepare a grammar sheet listing all the pronouns, with examples of uses according to the context. Although I had learned pronouns last semester, we went into greater with Suyeon. I learned that not only do different subjects have different pronouns, they also two forms: formal and informal. For example, the pronoun "I" is "na" for informal and "cho" for formal. Simillarly, there are formal and informal forms of every pronoun. 

In addition to formality, different endings are added to the pronouns when they occur in different types of sentences. In a sentence like "I am a student" where "I" is the subject we use "naega" instead of "na". On the other hand, in a sentence where "I" is the object such as "You called me" we use "naleul" in stead of "na". Similarly, all the pronouns change slightly according to the sentence structure. As a side note, there is no separate word for "also" and "too" in Korean, so "me too" is "nadoo" which is a different variation of "na". 

As Suyoen, was telling me about the different endings of pronouns, I realized that I was already familiar with them and I had also been using them all the time in my head while watching Korean shows. Therefore, the grammar made more sense to me then. However, I also realized that even though it is very different from English, I did not find it strange because Bengali has a very similar structure and that I have been instinctively using it all the time. 

I also realized that mastering the interchange of different forms of pronouns will be possible only through a lot of practice. In order to use it smoothly while speaking, it is necessary for it to come naturally and instinctively. Thus to get maximum exposure to Korean, I have asked Suyeon to use only Korean during the tutoring sessions and I try my best to answer in Korean, even if it is in broken sentences.  

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Reflection Paper #2, 105

I think my language learning has gone well so far. My knowledge of deaf culture has increased dramatically and that has been very helpful. Because one of my goals is to be able to talk about religion in ASL, attending a church meeting held in ASL has been a great help to me.

            Knowing the language is just one aspect of a culture. It is important to not only know what to say, but how to say it, which is of the utmost important when speaking American Sign Language. Because so much of a conversation in ASL is dependent on facial expressions, just knowing the signs does not necessarily mean you will be able to communicate your point effectively. Body language and facial expressions all contribute to the culture and language of ASL.

            Learning about deaf culture has certainly been an eye opener. I always knew that there were still people who had incorrect ideas about the deaf (that they are all intellectually handicapped, that they are unable to communicate effectively, etc…), but it runs much deeper than I believed. I definitely need to learn more about deaf culture and about the stigmas that surround it. I’m sure that even when others see me in public signing, they automatically believe certain things about me, even though it is obvious that I am hearing (because I (as of right now) still speak more than I sign).

            I always meet with my language partner in a public place (like a restaurant or a store). There are always people looking at us oddly. I’m sure they do not mean to in a bad way and they don’t mean to stare, but it is very rare to see people signing in public. There is not a large deaf population in Virginia and I cannot remember a time when I saw a deaf person speaking sign language in a public place. Because it is clear that I am not deaf, I’m sure many people wonder why I am learning ASL. It is not a language that many people want to learn and if I met someone else learning ASL, I would probably assume that they had a family member or close friend who was deaf and they wanted to be able to communicate with them.

            Even though the culture surrounding ASL exists in the United States, it still differs greatly from what we consider to be “American” culture in some aspects. One thing that springs to mind is how often touching is used to communicate something. We often yell or say something to someone in order to get their attention, but that’s not possible with the deaf. It is completely normal to tap someone on the shoulder or arm to get their attention, even if you don’t know them, because it is most likely the best way to get their attention. I find deaf culture to be incredibly interesting and I can’t wait to find out more about it so I can communicate better with the deaf.

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SDLC 110 Turkish #3

I learned the alphabet and introductions last week. 

urkish alphabet (türk alfabesi)

The sounds that I keep having trouble with remembering are these letters: ü, ı, i, e, ö. I think its hard to remember these because the vowel sounds that I'm used to doing in Bengali, Hindi, and Arabic are so different from these. They remind me of German and French vowels, which have vowel sounds I'm not familiar with speaking. I think my best bet will be to listen and imitate daily until I get used to forming these sounds correctly. 

I learned basic introduction phrases. This is an example of a typical conversation: 

A: Merhaba/Selam (Hello)

B: Merhaba 

A: Ben Arzu. Adin ne? (I'm Arzu. What's your name?)

B: Benim adim Noraya. (My name is Noraya)

A: Memnum oldum. (Nice to meet you)

B: Ben de memnum oldum. (Nice to meet you, too)

A: Hoşçakal. (Goodbye- person that is leaving)

B: Güle güle! (Goodbye- person that is staying)

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Learning Journal #5 SDLC 105

The Culture Shock video was very intriguing to me. I can absolutely relate to the aspects of being immersed in an entirely new environment and the amount of adjustment it requires out of a person. 

I studied abroad in Madrid for a semester in the Fall of 2014. Being from a small Massachusetts town and coming to Richmond, I have not been exposed to a whole lot of unfamiliarity in my life. When I landed in Spain, I immediately came to the realization that it would be a place to call 'home' for the next four months. During the first couple of weeks in Madrid, I missed my family and the United States a lot. I would have trouble falling asleep some nights because I would contemplate whether I made the right choice to study abroad. Eventually, I became comfortable in Madrid and loved every moment of my time there. However, I definitely experienced a good deal of culture shock studying abroad in Spain. 

My advice for people who are traveling or going to live in a new culture is to slow down and realize that you will be able to get through the initial feeling of uneasiness. I would tell these people to immerse themselves in the culture and learn the customs and tendencies of the native people (personal space, eating and sleeping habits, etc). 

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Learning Journal #4 SDLC 105

In regards to the in-class presentations of my fellow classmates, I really enjoyed hearing about particular aspects of different cultures, in addition to the one that I am studying. I really liked hearing and learning about the divisive languages of Pakistan and how the languages spoken in different regions are easier to learn for those who live close to the border of those regions. In addition to this, it was interesting to hair about beauty trends in South Korea, ranging from plastic surgery to male cosmetics. Korea’s focus on couples and all the different holidays celebrating couples was also nice. The presentation on sign-language was interesting because I have never really thought about how deaf people communicate with each other and how certain expressions are expressed more adamantly through facial expressions. The Italian car commercial was also enjoyable to see as an example of the strong familial bonds in Italy.

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Learning Journal #3 SDLC 105

Like English, a sentence in Korean can be formed with just a subject and a verb. However, unlike English where the verb is introduced at the beginning of a sentence, in Korean it enters at the end of a sentence. The sentence structure follows the form of subject + object + verb. Therefore, it is wise to pay close attention to what someone is saying until he or she is finished with their sentence. Otherwise, the listener will be confused as to what is trying to be communicated. In order to grasp this concept, I think it would be practical for me to continue listening to shows and media outlets where people are constantly speaking or singing so that I can try to pick out the grammatical structure of the sentences. In addition to this, I can look at reading material to identify them. In my communication with others, I do not think a reference grammar would be as helpful to me because I like to observe subtleties in languages by listening to them. However, I think that it can be useful if I am writing something, such as an E-mail to a friend.

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Learning Journal, Post 5, 105

I found the Culture Shock video to be very interesting. I have never experienced culture shock on such a large scale, but I can definitely understand how the students came to feel the way they did. I also thought that their stereotypes about Americans were very interesting (and not entirely unfounded). It made me really appreciate my friends who are from different countries and how well they have adjusted to life at UR and in the United States. 

I have never been out of the country, but I have experienced culture shock in small doses. Last summer I worked for my dad's commercial painting company and the majority of his employees are El Salvadorian. I spent most of the day surrounded by people who did not speak my language, but had to communicate with me. I speak Spanish, so I was able to communicate with them, but they had certain characteristics that I had to learn. For example, instead of calling lunch "almuerzo" or "lunch" they called it "lunche." I was confused for the first week or so until someone told me that they just made up their own word for lunch. They then spent most of the lunch time talking about soccer, something which I know very little about. I tried to participate when I could, but it was difficult. There were also other native Spanish speakers who worked in the same building who were not aware that I knew Spanish. They would often talk about me very obviously, unaware that I could understand them (but it was always nice things, so I didn't mind too much). 

I also received a bit of culture shock when I attended my first ASL religious meeting. It is incredibly difficult being in a place where everyone speaks the language but you and I'm sure that many people who have experienced culture shock have had this same thought. 

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SDLC105: Learning Journal #5

Reflect on the Culture Shock video and your own experiences and expectations of culture shock

As an international student myself in University of Richmond, I encounter culture shock everyday. I, interestingly, find that every sentence makes sense although those interviews were conducted 10 years ago according to the video.

Academically, I was surprised that courses in Richmond require a lot of participation. All of the courses value communications such as group projects. The professors are approachable as mentors and instructors.

In spiritual life, I felt excited during orientation. However, when the excitement faded, the strong isolation and homesick came up to me. Richmond students usually have not studied abroad before. They cannot understand how international students feel.

To cope with culture shocks, I choose to maintain a good attitude instead of giving up. I am willing to make friends, reach out and involve in diverse activities. The university provides great resources such as the academic skills center, the speech center for supporting international students in academic aspect. Psychologically, we do have advisors and host families that are assigned to us. I will try to get used to the new environment and provide critical perspective here. More importantly, I will continuously learn to how to maintain my identity and my value when surrounded by Americans as a minority.

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Learning Journal #5

Culture shock was the biggest problem I faced when I arrived at UR. For me, culture shock was like getting punched in the face again and again for an entire year. I was always dazed and confused with the new terms, accents and cultural references. Therefore, it was easy for me to relate to the international students in the video. However, what I could most relate to was the plight of the Jordanian student whom Dr. Essid talked about in the video. According to Dr. Essid, the Jordanian student had a difficult time doing analytical writing because the system he was taught in did not emphasize critical thinking. I had a similar experience when I first started doing analytical writing. The education system of my country does not encourage critical analysis. It expects students to write an essay to restate the established opinions because those opinions, much like the individuals who came up with them, are infallible. Therefore, I had a difficult time transitioning from a system where passivity is encouraged to one where such aloofness is looked down upon.

 

Evaluation of weeks 4 and 5

I feel I was relatively successful in learning the counting in Siraiki. I expected there to be a pattern in Siraiki counting, which there was. And the pattern was easier to learn than the one for Urdu. That is not to say that there wasn’t any similarity. For example, in Urdu and Siraiki 29 is pronounced as combination of the words for thirty and nine unlike in English where the number is a combination of twenty and nine. I was also able to pickup the Siraiki accent. The accent is similar to that of Punjabi, which I am used to hearing. All in all, I feel that I was largely successful in completing the tasks.

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