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For the past weeks, I have continued to work on two things: reading comprehension and verbal communication. With the holidays quickly approaching and given my family’s tendency to get together during festive times, I thought that it would be a good idea to focus on practice conversations about my school work and future plans for the inevitable awkward interrogation that I will soon be subjected to. My partner would ask me a series of questions in Vietnamese such as:

• How are your studies going?                                         Học hành của con sao rồi?
• What are you learning right now?                                  Con đang học cái gì?
• What are you studying?                                                Con học về ngành gì?
• What are you going to do after graduation?                    Tốt nghiệp xong con làm gì?
• Have you thought about graduate school?                      Con có đi học cao học không?

And I would try to answer as many questions as fluently as I can. As expected, even with a peer, answering these personal questions are somewhat difficult to answer since I’ve never really articulated them in Vietnamese. Like before, I would switch to English to make myself more comfortable when it gets too difficult, but we would go over my answers together to make them more coherence and consistent. We found that I have a bad habit of translating English to Vietnamese while answering, and as a result, the answers can sometimes get lost in translation. I also translate questions from Vietnamese to English, which can sometimes dilute the meaning of the question if I mistranslate and I would end up answering a completely different question. I believe that the main reason I am having so much trouble with answering these simple questions is because I lack the vocabulary knowledge to not only answer but also to just comprehend the question. So, in order to fix that, my partner and I are working together to create flashcards of relevant vocabularies such as:

• Cao học – postgraduate
• Ngành – branch/department
• Tốt nghiệp – graduation

We are going to continue to conduct these interview-style conversations to make myself more comfortable with answering questions and make sure I comprehend the Vietnamese language rather than translating it to English and back. We will also add onto the list of relevant vocabularies as they come up.

At the same time, in my own time, I have been working on improving my reading skills. The book I have decided to read was Tây Du Ký (Monkey King: Journey to the West) by Ngô Thừa Ân (Wu Cheng'en). It is a tiểu thuyết Trung Quốc (Chinese novel), so it contains a lot of Hán Việt ngữ or Chữ Nôm (Sino-Vietnamese) vocabularies, which I am definitely not familiar with. As a result, my reading progress has been excruciatingly slow as I have to continuous stop and look up words and phrases every other sentences. I think the most pages I have gotten through in one day was 4 pages after hours of constant back and forth. However, I have found some success in remembering some Chữ Nôm through mnemonics, similar to what I use to memorize Japanese Kanji and Chinese logographic characters. It takes a while as I have to convert the Latin-scripted words into Chữ Nôm logographic characters, but I quite enjoy being able to apply my learning style from one language to another.

An unexpected addition to the Netflix library is Kingdom (킹덤), a fictional historical horror thriller set during the Joseon Period after Japanese invasions in the 1590s. The series is the first Korean Netflix Original and is based on a Korean web comic called Kingdom of the Gods. Although Kingdom is a zombie thriller, do not let that put you off. It masterfully explores the dynamics of political crises in Korea during the time of kings and also delves into the nuances of class struggles. When dealing with a zombie outbreak, there will inevitably be a discussion regarding who deserves to survive, after all this is one of the most compelling questions that humans must face in the time of extreme crisis. Kingdom takes that idea and pushes it to its limits by combining it with challenges for the throne in Korea. Survival is not between small groups of people, the antagonist, Lord Cho Hak-ju, is willing to sacrifice the populace to steal the throne from the Crown prince, Lee Chang. Thus this amalgamation of themes ends up being very similar to Game of Thrones, which I am sure most people will have heard of. The zombies end up becoming a tool of political conflict and creates a very interesting experience for the audience.

The main value that Kingdom offers is not found in the fantasy elements but in how Korean politics worked during the Joseon period. It is a good introductory media for Korean learners that is both entertaining to watch and also educational if you ignore the guts and blood lol. In my opinion, Kingdom is a fantastic watch that is an authentic cultural artifact that exceeds quality expectations. Most zombie thrillers are pretty bland when it comes to story but Kingdom does a fantastic job of fleshing out Korea in the Joseon period, and covers a wide range of character perspectives that keep the experience fresh. One criticism of this show is how sometimes the characters have plot armor and deus ex machina becomes a problem as the series progresses. This is a necessary issue with horror thrillers though since keeping the protagonists alive is necessary for story purposes. At times the situation becomes a bit unbelievable despite the fantastical nature of the show. I won't reveal any spoilers for this critic though. 

Also despite that Netflix produced this show, the actors are all professional Korean native actors. It is not a bastardization of source material like Dragon Ball Evolution. Thus, the performance and audio is basically a typical Korean drama but with more CG. Unsurprisingly, Kingdom received critical acclaim for its fantastic visual effects, acting, and writing. It was nominated for Best Drama at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards, a major awards ceremony in South Korea, and also won numerous awards at the 2nd Asia Contents Awards.

There are currently two seasons released on Netflix which currently conclude its story but a special episode called Kingdom: Ashin of the North is set to be released in 2021.

There was a lot that we covered during these two weeks. One of the most important topics we covered was the Korean number system. This was quite a challenge since Korea has TWO number systems that they use for different contexts. As someone who has only ever used one number system, there was a culture shock to me. Korea uses the Sino Korean number system for dates, money, time, addresses, numbers greater than 100, and phone numbers. It uses Native Korean for numbers of occurrences, counting, and ages. That was quite the mouthful and I definitely have to practice this over time. During the lesson, Somyung and I practiced speaking, reading, and writing the numbers. We did exercises such as telling the time and also telling each other our birthdays in Korean. 

In addition to the number system, I also learned some more vocab about transportation and common items such as glasses or mask. One interesting thing is that the word 자 is used in both bicycle and car and independently already means car. A bit of redundancy here but no problem..

The next big topic that we dived into was expressions that are commonly used conversationally. This mainly came in the form of expressing emotions. Some examples of these are happy, anxious, tired, busy, sad. We also reviewed some more extreme emotions that built on the basic expressions. From these expressions we also learned how questions are the same as statements about oneself except for the tone of the speaker at the end of the expression. Simply with an inquisitive tone will do in expressing a question. This can be done in English as well but people don't usually do this.

If I received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of Korea and Hangul I would not know what to do with it. But if I had to do this research I would most likely focus on how the culinary world and Korean language are intermingled and how the culture of Korea is defined by cuisine. This is actually a pretty common approach to culture; after all food is an accessible avenue to experiencing a culture. In order to tie this back to linguistic studies, I would have to see how language plays a role in food in Korea. There are many YouTube channels that have done this, such as Strictly Dumpling and Korean Englishman. These channels sometimes explore Korean cuisine from the perspective of a foreigner, which is where my perspective lies. By exploring Korean culture through food, I have learned how certain aspects of Korea come to light. Some examples of these are the need for pickling food and the focus on convenience. 

Going back to the prompt, if I had a research grant, visiting South Korea would be a no-brainer. In order to really understand the culture and conduct a linguistic study, the researcher would have to be there in person. When it comes to implementing different structural components presented in class, I am not really sure how syntax and semantics will come into play. Perhaps there may be some underlying linguistic structures that are found in cuisine vocabulary, such as in French. I am not sure but if I had a research grant, this may be worth exploring. 

Another part of Korean culture worth exploring is how it is affected by its neighbors, especially when it comes to cuisine. Since the main theme of this research seems to be tied to the next presentation, I am trying to connect these prompts as well as possible. Further research will reveal some important things to be learned from connecting Korean culture, linguistics and cuisine. 

While the 2012 New York Times article explains why bilinguals are smarter, the Science Line article provides more nuance to this claim. According to Kovac's study, young bilingual children exhibited more attention to their surroundings than monolingual children. However, after reading the Science LIne article, I agree with Ossola about being careful to say that bilinguals are smarter because it supports the notion that there is only one way to be smart. As we learned from the multiple intelligences quiz at the beginning of the semester, there is more than one way to learn and to meaningfully engage with the world. Ultimately, learning a second language and or growing up bilingual helps with this process, and should be strongly encouraged, but it’s not the only way to be smart. Reading this article made me think about how I’ve learned three languages in the past several years (German, Italian, Indonesian), but I am nowhere near fluent in any of them. I find words of these different languages often popping in my head, so hopefully, they will continue to be in storage in my mind for when I need them. It’s definitely sad, though, how quickly language abilities seem to fade. Still, I think the process of learning the languages as a student has helped me understand the worldview of different cultures. Learning the grammar and cultural notes helps me to understand the implications of my own language as well. 

I found an interesting article called "An Investigation through Different Types of Bilinguals and Bilingualism" by Hamzeh Moradi, a Ph. D Research Scholar in Linguistics at Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. (https://www.ijhsss.com/files/Hamzeh-Moradi_6813z4a4.pdf)

about the different types of bilingualism. Needless to say, there are many different ways to classify bilinguals, and these different classifications can be based on when, how, and where the learner acquired their second language. Some people learn the language early in their lives, while others are late learners. Some know the two languages equally well, while others have a clearly dominant language. One common classification method supported by Weinreich (1953) includes the categories of the compound, coordinate, and subordinate. This method connects with our morphology unit because it explores how we organize meaning in our brains. In compound categories, learners have the meanings of the two languages stored together. 

I found these different categories interesting, especially in relation to our conversations at the beginning of the semester about fluency and proficiency. While fluency is more of an all or none achievement, proficiency has a wide range. Similarly, bilingualism comes in many different forms and for each speaker, the two languages have a unique relationship to one another that depends on their environment and educational upbringing. 

Overall, bilingualism is much more complex than just speaking two languages. It is important to take into account the context of language acquisition to best understand the effects of knowing multiple languages. Since intelligence also comes in many different forms, I think it is inaccurate to make the blanket statement that bilinguals are smarter. However, being bilingual definitely shapes the way the speaker thinks; therefore, being bilingual makes for a unique worldview. 

Works Cited

Moradi, H. (2014). An investigation through different types of bilinguals and bilingualism. International Journal of Humanities & Social Science Studies, 1(2), 147-154.

If I received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of my target language and culture, I would explore the role of slang in Bahasa Indonesia. In my language class with Farida, we just finished the A1 level, which includes formal constructions.   If I received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of my target language and culture, I would explore the role of slang in Bahasa Indonesia. In my language class with Farida, we just finished the A1 level, which includes formal constructions.  We are now starting to learn how teenagers really speak. It turns out that the fewer words, the better. Nouns are often dropped, verbs contracted. For example, instead of saying "Bagaimana kabarmu" Which means how are you the slang version is only "ngamain" Efficiency of communication seems much more important than following structural components. In past blog posts, I’ve talked about how Indonesian is much less structured than German, which is a language I have studied in the past. Learning Indonesian slang adds to this contrast. Indonesian seems more about communicating meaning that creating an orderly form of speech. It’s also probably partially that Bahasa Indonesia is a relatively new language - one that serves as a lingua franca, a common tool of communication, rather than an ancient form of Indonesian culture. Each community has its own language that they probably spend more time preserving. 

To conduct my research, I would look compare grammatical structures in Indonesian textbooks, and compare this formal version to how it is spoken in the classroom with slang. For example, I could go to a sports activity and listen to how teenagers speak. I would note which grammatical structures get dropped. In class on Tuesday, we discussed morphemes. I would look for patterns in parts of speech and common root words. It seems that verbs are quite important in Indonesia. While they are not conjugated based on the subject, different suffixes change the meaning of words, which means these added morphemes are therefore derivational - I think.  For example, ber- added to the front of the verb means to have. Warna means color, so berwarna means to have color. One could say, "Buku berwarna merah mudah." (The book has the color pink.) I am interested in whether attention to the derivational morphemes continues in slang expressions among Indonesian youth.  Ideally, I would love to spend time in Indonesia, doing a kind of ethnographic language research in Indonesian schools. However, if this in-person method were not possible, I could also use social media, which is a place where young Indonesians actively and informally communicate with one another. For this virtual format, I would be able to not only to hear how Indonesians convey meaning through sounds, but also observe writing patterns. 

After comparing slang and formal Bahasa Indonesia, I could expand further to see how the Bahasa Indonesia grammatical structures compare with German's formal language and slang. While the formal language speaks to the national values that the country has, Bahasa Indonesia is ultimately a national language that does not capture the diversity among different local communities or the modified slang versions that people actually communicate with throughout their daily lives.  By studying slang, I will better understand how Indonesians use the language and the way it shapes their worldview.

During these two weeks, I have been binging on Korean Dramas shamelessly haha. I guess it is pretty embarrassing to say that I finished watching Hospital Playlist in less than a week. Each episode was about an hour and forty minutes and the show had around fifteen episodes! I feel like I was so captivated by the show because it exposed a lot of Korean culture in terms of food and music. Because the show is centered around a group of five friends, the show has lots of scenes where they hang around just eating Korean food like Korean BBQ. The people in the friend group are around 40 years old and also happens to be in a band that allows the audience to be exposed to older Korean rock music. After watching Hospital Playlist, I started watching a Korean show on Netflix that many people had been recommending me, Reply 1988. Watching Reply 1988 reminded me of the dramas I used to watch as a child back in Korea. The Show, like the title says, is set during the late and early nineties in Korea. The show setting happens to be historically accurate as they mention the Olympics in Seoul in 1988 and popular actresses and celebrities during that time. I actually never knew that Korea ever hosted the Olympics until I watched this show. Moreover, the neighborhood the main characters live in reminds me of the neighborhood I lived as a child in Korea. During one of my meetings with Somyung and Tommy, we watched a celebrity reality tv show. That particular episode was about the celebrities trying to eat extremely spicy ramen called BulDak. A lot of people in the west have actually heard of it due to its insane level of spice. After watching the tv reality show, we practiced conversating in Korean. During our second meeting, we watched a video that was more historically informative rather than entertaining. The video was about Korea’s most famous general, Yi shun sin, a.k.a, the god of war. The video addressed the historical context during General Yi’s life such as the unification of Japan’s samurais under Hideyoshi. The video also highlighted the virtuous characteristics of General Yi like his commitment toward his nation when facing adversities and the integrity of his character despite the harsh politics that sought to put an end to General Yi’s military career. Additionally, the video talks about Japan’s plan to invade Busan and push all the way to Korea’s capital, Seoul. I practiced Korean outside of my language learning group by talking to my mother in Korean over the phone. When I called her, I told her how much I was craving Chapagetti, an instant noodle that is close to a Chinese black bean noodle dish. I asked her to get some from the store before I come back home. I also told her about my recent post-hernia repair surgery pain and informed her that it seems that the pain was getting worse instead of healing.

Welcome back to all of my devoted followers! I hope everyone had a spooky, socially-distanced, safe Halloween and are ready for the upcoming chilly turkey season! Reba and I have continued to learn American Sign Language using zoom, and things are going very smoothly. Reba has recently gotten much better about her usage of technology, from what source or how I am unsure. Regardless, I am extremely thankful as now I do not have any difficulty seeing her hands when she sings, she is in proper lighting, and the communication as a whole is much easier. Our lessons are going extremely well. For the past few sessions, we have been tackling the task of numbers. Although I understand the numbers 1-1,000,000,000, the usage of number signs differs when referring to numbers in different contexts. What I mean by this is that the sign for 10 minutes is different than just the sign for ten and sign for a minute. There is a slight alteration between the two signs and meanings and because the alteration is so subtle, it is often hard to remember and keep track of the proper sign usage. Other forms of time are also difficult including precise measurement of time, hours, minutes, months, days, weeks, and seconds. Additionally, numbers in the context of money are also difficult as the sign of money needs to be incorporated into such contexts. It is a bit discouraging to have difficulty with something that seems so simple in my own language but then is so difficult in another language. I understand that the languages are different, but numbers and math are usually considered universal and as such, it is frustrating to have problems learning about something that seems so “simple” but “essential” in a different language.

       We do not have much time left in the semester, and as I look back to August, I think about all I have accomplished. My vocabulary has definitely expanded to include words that are much more sophisticated and my ability to read others when they sign has increased drastically. My signing is much better than before, as expected, but I still wish to become faster and more accurate with my signing skills. I feel confident enough in my abilities to be able to converse at a basic level of sign and offer my opinion in the simplest of terms across many subjects. I still would like to learn more medical terminology, but I have an additional semester with Reba and I still want to emphasize my understandings of the basics and foundation. It is crazy to think about how close to graduation I am as it feels like I just started university yesterday. It also makes me think about how will I continue my ASL journey in the future. Honestly, I don’t know. It will depend on where I am and what I am doing, but I would like to continue doing classes of some sort. That I know.

Overall, things are going well. My Indonesian teacher is providing a helpful structure for progressing in the language. When I look back on my presentation, I agree that I am still on the right track and have been learning a lot from Farida. My speaking skills are improving, and I have been exposed to a lot of vocabulary, which I record in my language journal. My lesson plans have focused on sociolinguistic competence and personal and interaction functions. For example, in weekly cultural journal entries, I write reactionary responses to Indonesian sports, housing, and foods from my perspective. We practice the interaction function when trying to have conversations with one another. As a potential teacher, knowing how to communicate with students in a specific cultural context is key to being an effective teacher. I’m grateful for the culture classes and the practical vocabulary that we are learning, which will help me if I am an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia. I have also been learning a lot about Indonesian Indigenous culture and the importance of language learning in general. I think these skills will be invaluable even after this semester of learning Indonesian. Overall, things are going well. My Indonesian teacher is providing a helpful structure for progressing in the language. When I look back on my presentation, I agree that I am still on the right track and have been learning a lot from Farida. My speaking skills are improving, and I have been exposed to a lot of vocabulary, which I record in my language journal. My lesson plans have focused on sociolinguistic competence and personal and interaction functions. For example, in weekly cultural journal entries, I write reactionary responses to Indonesian sports, housing, and foods from my perspective. We practice the interaction function when trying to have conversations with one another. As a potential teacher, knowing how to communicate with students in a specific cultural context is key to being an effective teacher. I’m grateful for the culture classes and the practical vocabulary that we are learning, which will help me if I am an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia. I have also been learning a lot about Indonesian Indigenous culture and the importance of language learning in general. I think these skills will be invaluable even after this semester of learning Indonesian.  Since all our language courses have been on zoom, there are some cultural competency categories, like olfactory, artifact, and eye contact that may be different in the virtual world. I am excited that Farida will hopefully be on campus next semester so that we can communicate in person. She has offered some insights that connect to these categories. For example, Indonesians bathe every single day, which means smelling nice is probably a priority. Clothing also has significance - many women who identify as Muslim wear hijabs. It is important to wear long pants, especially when in places of worship. When learning vocabulary for clothing, I noticed that the word for “shorts” actually referred to short pants and not the above-the-knee shorts that people often wear in the United States. It seems like eye contact is important for communication through our lessons, but I think there may be a cultural norm of avoiding eye contact when greeting elders. I know honoring the hierarchy is at least somehow embedded in how Indonesians interact with each other. Since the language is quite simplified and people often talk in slang or shortened versions, reading between the lines and paying attention to body language is helpful for effectively communicating. For example, saving face is part of Indonesian culture, so people don’t always say what they mean for the sake of having a good impression. When I am speaking to Indonesians, I will also want to make sure that I am not too blunt with my comments so as not to be disrespectful. I think the key is to observe and listen first before jumping in blindly. I can also ask Farida if I have specific questions. Overall, learning Indonesian this semester has so far been an exciting opportunity to develop communicative competency across cultures. I am excited to continue learning Bahasa Indonesian!

10/25/20

During the past two weeks, we have had several units related to houses. We learned the names for the different rooms and common objects in each one. One of our assignments last week was to make a video that describes the different objects in our bedrooms, and this week we had to interview one another about our dream houses. I was excited that we learned a lot of new adjectives this week, including colors! As an artist, being able to say what things look like is important. Knowing adjectives is also helpful for describing words that I am not sure about. 

We also learned prepositions, which was helpful. I always accidentally say in instead of di, but I think I’ve gotten over this habit now. 

I also appreciate the cultural knowledge we've learned about houses - I didn't realize that parts of the city are often poorer than the rural areas and in much worse shape. I think it would be interesting to compare housing inequalities in the United States and Indonesia. The best part of this lesson was learning about a village that painted the houses rainbow colors--a creative art renovation project!

There have been a couple words that I’ve been having an especially hard time pronouncing: ungu (which means purple) and mengagumkan (which means awesome). The particular "ng" sound is difficult for me to pronounce, but I am continuing to practice. The articulatory phonetics framework can, fortunately, provide some insight on which part of the mouth is the point of articulation. Otherwise, I have not had too much trouble with Indonesian pronunciation. 

I’ve said this before but it is still true: questions stress me out because I’m always afraid I won’t be responding to the right question! Thinking about communicative competence, I need to rely on context clues. Even if I do not catch every word, it is fair for me to assume that when I first log onto zoom, Farida will ask, "Bagaimana kabarmu?" or how are you? And if we are doing a unit on animals, she may ask, "Which is your favorite?" Even if I do answer wrong, that is okay! Language learning is a process, and we can learn from our mistakes. We are continuing to have our speaking class on Wednesdays, which is pushing me to speak more. Farida had the helpful advice that when we are responding to one of the images with two minutes of talking, we should think through the question words and include these in our response: who, what, when, where, why, how? This will help us organize our thoughts instead of rambling. I have also found it helpful to take a couple of notes in the margins so I remember what I would like to say. 

In the upcoming two weeks, I will challenge myself to ask questions in Indonesian. Perhaps if I’m more comfortable asking questions, I’ll also be more comfortable responding to them when I hear them. I can repeat things back in Indonesian and use the language as a communication tool. I will also continue working on my vocabulary notebook because we’ve recently acquired a lot of new vocabulary, and I tend to remember things best if I write them down repeatedly. Having a print version of all my words may be more effective than just using an online translator. Ultimately, I’m excited by my Indonesian progress so far and look forward to continuing to learn more. 

For this cultural artifact post, I am exploring two key questions: What do people do for fun and exercise? What does this say about the culture?
Indonesia has a wide range of sports--some of these sports originated in Indonesia. Others came from other countries in Southeast Asia, and others came from parts of Europe. While the traditions of these different physical activities themselves contribute to Indonesia's culture, they also help illuminate some of the deeper cultural values below the cultural iceberg.
Many of the sports listed in the article I chose (https://factsofindonesia.com/traditional-sports-in-indonesia and https://factsofindonesia.com/cycling-in-indonesia) support Indonesia's national identity. For example, Pacu Jalur (which means rowboats), Egrang (which means stilts), and Tarik Tambang (which means Tug of War) support national pride because the competition is hosted during Independence day (August 17). Interestingly, Independence Day for Indonesia is a relatively new holiday, so I wonder if these particular sports had the same significance previous to being unified as a nation, or were they just played for fun. Some of these sports seem more ritualistic than competitive, like Egrang. This sport is performed in a parade without the framework of a competitional structure.
Some of the sports have contested backgrounds but may have a shared heritage with neighboring countries. For example, Pencek Silat (which means martial arts) came from Malay, and Sepak Traw, which is a hybrid between football and volleyball may have come from one of several countries in Southeast Asia.
Clogs, for example, a game from West Sumatra requires the collaboration of students as they try to slide to the finish line and can teach how to work together.
Some sports came from a legacy of colonization by the Dutch, such as cycling. While bikes were common for nobility when the dutch first arrived, most Indonesians use motorbikes. There are still bike tours, European influence in Indonesia.
I was intrigued that the article included on the list of traditional supports were also tug of war and sack races, which are games I've played in the United States before. The article didn't specify where these originated, though.
From this article, I get the sense that sports are associated with national pride because so many are celebrated on independence day. Sports serve more celebratory, ritualistic purposes than in the US, where we have a year-round sports entertainment industry.
As a collectivist culture, Indonesia has many team sports like rowing and clogs, though there are also some individual ones. Some of the sports have performative aspects like stilts and rocks jumping. I think these may connect with the concept of saving face, which is making a good impression in public. Comparing some of these sports to ones in the United States - in football, basketball, and baseball, we prioritize competition--but in Indonesia, most sports have some performative aspect. Ultimately, traditional sports in Indonesia creates a sense of unity for Indonesian across the Archipelago.
If I am an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia, participating in sports will be a great way to build community connections with my hosts. Playing together is fun and also provides an inside look at cultural norms that are communicated through subtle actions.

For this cultural artifact post, I am exploring two key questions: What do people do for fun and exercise? What does this say about the culture?
Indonesia has a wide range of sports--some of these sports originated in Indonesia. Others came from other countries in Southeast Asia, and others came from parts of Europe. While the traditions of these different physical activities themselves contribute to Indonesia's culture, they also help illuminate some of the deeper cultural values below the cultural iceberg.
Many of the sports listed in the article I chose (https://factsofindonesia.com/traditional-sports-in-indonesia and https://factsofindonesia.com/cycling-in-indonesia) support Indonesia's national identity. For example, Pacu Jalur (which means rowboats), Egrang (which means stilts), and Tarik Tambang (which means Tug of War) support national pride because the competition is hosted during Independence day (August 17). Interestingly, Independence Day for Indonesia is a relatively new holiday, so I wonder if these particular sports had the same significance previous to being unified as a nation, or were they just played for fun. Some of these sports seem more ritualistic than competitive, like Egrang. This sport is performed in a parade without the framework of a competitional structure.
Some of the sports have contested backgrounds but may have a shared heritage with neighboring countries. For example, Pencek Silat (which means martial arts) came from Malay, and Sepak Traw, which is a hybrid between football and volleyball may have come from one of several countries in Southeast Asia.
Clogs, for example, a game from West Sumatra requires the collaboration of students as they try to slide to the finish line and can teach how to work together.
Some sports came from a legacy of colonization by the Dutch, such as cycling. While bikes were common for nobility when the dutch first arrived, most Indonesians use motorbikes. There are still bike tours, European influence in Indonesia.
I was intrigued that the article included on the list of traditional supports were also tug of war and sack races, which are games I've played in the United States before. The article didn't specify where these originated, though.
From this article, I get the sense that sports are associated with national pride because so many are celebrated on independence day. Sports serve more celebratory, ritualistic purposes than in the US, where we have a year-round sports entertainment industry.
As a collectivist culture, Indonesia has many team sports like rowing and clogs, though there are also some individual ones. Some of the sports have performative aspects like stilts and rocks jumping. I think these may connect with the concept of saving face, which is making a good impression in public. Comparing some of these sports to ones in the United States - in football, basketball, and baseball, we prioritize competition--but in Indonesia, most sports have some performative aspect. Ultimately, traditional sports in Indonesia creates a sense of unity for Indonesian across the Archipelago.
If I am an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia, participating in sports will be a great way to build community connections with my hosts. Playing together is fun and also provides an inside look at cultural norms that are communicated through subtle actions.

For this cultural artifact post, I am exploring two key questions: What do people do for fun and exercise? What does this say about the culture?
Indonesia has a wide range of sports--some of these sports originated in Indonesia. Others came from other countries in Southeast Asia, and others came from parts of Europe. While the traditions of these different physical activities themselves contribute to Indonesia's culture, they also help illuminate some of the deeper cultural values below the cultural iceberg.
Many of the sports listed in the article I chose (https://factsofindonesia.com/traditional-sports-in-indonesia and https://factsofindonesia.com/cycling-in-indonesia) support Indonesia's national identity. For example, Pacu Jalur (which means rowboats), Egrang (which means stilts), and Tarik Tambang (which means Tug of War) support national pride because the competition is hosted during Independence day (August 17). Interestingly, Independence Day for Indonesia is a relatively new holiday, so I wonder if these particular sports had the same significance previous to being unified as a nation, or were they just played for fun. Some of these sports seem more ritualistic than competitive, like Egrang. This sport is performed in a parade without the framework of a competitional structure.
Some of the sports have contested backgrounds but may have a shared heritage with neighboring countries. For example, Pencek Silat (which means martial arts) came from Malay, and Sepak Traw, which is a hybrid between football and volleyball may have come from one of several countries in Southeast Asia.
Clogs, for example, a game from West Sumatra requires the collaboration of students as they try to slide to the finish line and can teach how to work together.
Some sports came from a legacy of colonization by the Dutch, such as cycling. While bikes were common for nobility when the dutch first arrived, most Indonesians use motorbikes. There are still bike tours, European influence in Indonesia.
I was intrigued that the article included on the list of traditional supports were also tug of war and sack races, which are games I've played in the United States before. The article didn't specify where these originated, though.
From this article, I get the sense that sports are associated with national pride because so many are celebrated on independence day. Sports serve more celebratory, ritualistic purposes than in the US, where we have a year-round sports entertainment industry.
As a collectivist culture, Indonesia has many team sports like rowing and clogs, though there are also some individual ones. Some of the sports have performative aspects like stilts and rocks jumping. I think these may connect with the concept of saving face, which is making a good impression in public. Comparing some of these sports to ones in the United States - in football, basketball, and baseball, we prioritize competition--but in Indonesia, most sports have some performative aspect. Ultimately, traditional sports in Indonesia creates a sense of unity for Indonesian across the Archipelago.
If I am an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia, participating in sports will be a great way to build community connections with my hosts. Playing together is fun and also provides an inside look at cultural norms that are communicated through subtle actions.

I have been writing in my target language since the first week in several different formats. Writing is my favorite of the different modes of communication because I like to be able to edit what I am trying to communicate. Speaking and listening are trickier because you have to be very focused at the moment, and it is easy to miss important information. In class, I take notes by hand, and for homework, I write sentences using the vocabulary. Our longer homework assignments are usually completed online, but I like to start by writing freehand. This helps me to use the vocabulary that I know rather than continuously referring to an online translator. I’m often impressed by what I come up with and can use the practice of circumlocution that we talked about during class a couple weeks ago. If I don’t know how to say the specific word, I can use other words that I do know to describe what I mean. When I was studying German and Italian, I found that journaling in the target language was a very helpful strategy for developing my writing skills. Several patterns are beginning to emerge in the structures between words, clauses, and sentences. For example, the subject always goes first, and then the verb, or an adverb, and then the object. Adjectives always follow the noun and are linked using the word “yang.” Verbs do not require conjugation based on the subject, but prefixes do change. We haven’t yet learned exactly when or why to drop the prefixes, but we did learn that “ber” means “to have.” There are also no definite articles. Indonesians, especially in informal speech, tend to shorten things. The sentence structures that I most often use are modal verbs (I want to eat pasta) and two clauses connected by a conjunction (I want to eat pasta, so I will cook some). I’m not sure how other complex sentences work if they don’t have conjunctions, so hopefully, we will learn more about that soon. Overall, grammatical structures are a lot more flexible than Indo-European languages like German. After having learned adjective endings that change based on gender and part of speech, Bahasa Indonesia’s grammar is a breeze. When we listen to audio lessons from the textbook, it seems like most of the speakers are using simple sentences (but that may just be to meet us on our level). Knowing parts of speech, government, and agreement supports my ability to communicate in written contexts because I can use context clues to figure out the meaning if I know which words are verbs versus nouns.
Here is an example of a culture journal entry in which I wrote about my reactions to some Indonesian films:
Di Ayat-Ayat Cinta, saya melihat empat orang bersama. Mereka punya pakaian yang formal. Ada buku dan lilin diatas meja dibawah tangan mereka.Ada laki-laki tinggi dengan kacamata, dan dia berbicara dengan laki-laki yang muda. Mereka berpegangan tangan. Banyak orang menonton dari luar. Kemudian mereka semua merayakannya bersama. Wanita melempar bunga yang merah. Mereka semua sangat senang.
Pertama kami pergi ke rumah Habibie. Kami melihat dia membaca buku. Kemudian dia berpikir tentang dia ketika muda. Ada wanita yang cantik, namanya Ainun. Badan Ainun kecil dan kurus. Rambut Ainun panjang dan berwarna hitam. Dia punya baju panjang. Ketika muda, mereka pergi ke sekolah bersama. Ainun belajar kedokteran Mereka teman, tapi tidak bisa menikah. Ainun mengatakan, Kami di buku sama, tapi halaman yang berbeda. Laki-Laki merasa sangat sedih.
This exercise was meaningful because it allowed me to practice expressing myself in the target language using the grammar that I have learned so far.

A language dies when people stop speaking and using the language, especially if it is not written down. This is the case for many indigenous languages, in communities that prioritize the oral tradition.  I admit that I did not realize the importance of preserving endangered languages until being in the self-direct language acquisition program. I used to think of language as a vehicle for communication, and in an increasingly globalized world, having a shared language seemed central to developing relationships across cultures. But as I have been studying Indigenous peoples in my geography class and for my senior thesis art project coupled with the readings for this class, I have come across the recurring theme that local languages do matter. The way our languages are structured in turn shapes our worldviews. When Native Americans were forced to go to boarding schools and learn English, they lost a part of their culture. A language dies when people stop speaking and using the language, especially if it is not written down. This is the case for many indigenous languages, in communities that prioritize the oral tradition.  I admit that I did not realize the importance of preserving endangered languages until being in the self-direct language acquisition program. I used to think of language as a vehicle for communication, and in an increasingly globalized world, having a shared language seemed central to developing relationships across cultures. But as I have been studying Indigenous peoples in my geography class and for my senior thesis art project coupled with the readings for this class, I have come across the recurring theme that local languages do matter. The way our languages are structured in turn shapes our worldviews. When Native Americans were forced to go to boarding schools and learn English, they lost a part of their culture.  We talked about the iceberg model of culture a couple weeks ago but after learning about endangered languages, I have a better grasp of what it means for culture to be more than the traditional artifacts. As the video noted, language is a cultural artifact older and more complex than any of the paintings, architecture that we associate with the epitome of culture. It holds nuances and the values of the community. Thinking about the values that culture holds helps me realize then the role that artists play. As an artist, I don’t want to just paint pretty pictures to hang on walls. I want to play a part in shaping the culture, which is important. At this current moment, we have an opportunity to shift. We can listen to the Indigenous voices, support their cultures, protect their languages, which helps us to have a reciprocal rather than exploitative relationship with the land. I recently read a poem by Natalie Diaz called “The First River is the Body.” In this work, she explores the limits of translation concerning how her culture sees bodies and rivers. Reading poetry reminds me that language is beyond utilitarian and provides a glimpse into the human condition and culture.  The article showed that technology, while perhaps a big reason that languages simplify into shared ones, is also a tool for making the languages accessible and bringing them back to life. When people have access to the vocabulary, they are more likely to learn new languages. Linguists are doing many research projects to digitally document these endangered languages so that we do not lose them forever.  I’m wondering what an ideal world would look like in terms of language. There is certainly reason to preserve the many languages, but do they need to be functional in society, or more of a traditional token? Which languages have priority? Should there be a common global language? And are the common ones of English, Mandarin, Spanish the best ones?  One key is probably to focus on locality. If there is a local Indigenous community near my town, schools could offer language and cultural courses in that particular language. My local high school could have opportunities for community-based learning, to learn from indigenous perspectives, to understand the history of the land. Having a place-based curriculum in schools could make language not just a tool for practical communication but a key to understanding our relationship with the world. 

For this week's class, we talked about the Korean alphabet again and try to consolidate the foundation before actually practicing reading and speaking.

The actual alphabetical order is listed below, which is separated into consonants and vowels:

ㄱ ㄲ ㄴ ㄷ ㄸ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅃ ㅅ ㅆ ㅇ ㅈ ㅉ ㅊ ㅋ ㅌ ㅍ ㅎ
ㅏ ㅐ ㅑ ㅒ ㅓ ㅔ ㅕ ㅖ ㅗ ㅘ ㅙ ㅚ ㅛ ㅜ ㅝ ㅞ ㅟ ㅠ ㅡ ㅢ ㅣ

The following are the first set of Korean consonants that you need to get into your brain. There is no easy way to explain to them, you just need to memorize them:
ㄱ= k
ㄴ= n
ㄷ= d
ㄹ=r/l*
ㅁ= m
ㅂ= b
ㅅ= s
ㅈ= j
ㅎ= h

There is no perfect way to represent Korean characters using English letters (or sounds). The English letters presented above are the letters that will commonly be found being used to represent their respective Korean letters. While it is helpful (at first) to memorize the general sound of a Korean letter by using the English letter – but Korean sounds are vastly different than English sounds. Not only are Korean sounds different than English sounds – but English sounds different depending on who is speaking (because of accents). Therefore, there is no perfect way to represent Korean sounds in English.

For example:

“K” and “G” used to represent “ㄱ.”
Or “D” and “T” to represent “ㄷ”
Or “R” and “L” to represent “ㄹ”

Next are the basic vowels:

ㅣ = i
ㅏ = a
ㅓ = eo (Romanized as “eo” but it sounds closer to “uh” in English)
ㅡ = eu
ㅜ = u
ㅗ = o

Korean is written into “blocks” that make up one syllable. One block always has exactly one syllable. The blocks are ALWAYS drawn in one of the following ways:

Important rules you need to know about these structures:

1. Number “2” is ALWAYS a vowel. Always always always always always.
2. Number “1, 3 (and sometimes 4) are ALWAYS consonants. Always.
3. Blocks containing a horizontally drawn vowel are always drawn in one of these two ways:

4. Blocks containing a vertically drawn vowel are always drawn in one of these two ways:

For example, if I want to write “bab”:

Step 1: Determine if the vowel is horizontal or vertical. a (ㅏ) is vertical, so we will use:

Step 2: Determine if the syllable ends in a consonant. Yes, it does. So we need to fill 1, 2, and 3, so we need to use:

Step 3: Place the starting letter “b (ㅂ)”, the middle letter “a (ㅏ)” and the ending letter “b (ㅂ)” into 1, 2, and 3 respectively.

ㄱ = k
ㅏ = a
ㄴ = n
ㅏ is vertically aligned, so if we make a syllable we would write: 간 (kan)

ㅂ = b
ㅓ = eo
ㅂ = b
ㅓ is vertically aligned, so if we make a syllable we would write: 법 (beob)

ㅈ = j
ㅜ = u
ㅜ is horizontally aligned, so if we make a syllable we would write: 주 (ju)

ㅎ = h
ㅗ = o
ㅗ is horizontally aligned, so if we make a syllable we would write: 호 (ho)