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For the third week, my goal was to learn more conversational topics in Korean, like talking about the weather. To achieve this goal, it was helpful for me to find videos on Youtube to understand what the phrases sound like. It was also really helpful for me to meet with my language partner, because he was able to give me a better idea of what people would normally say in conversation, as well as what comes off as formal or informal. 

I really enjoyed the presentations last week. All the presenters did great jobs on showing the cultures of their learning languages. For example, I learned from the presentations about Korean that there were many festivals in Korea, different kinds of cosmetic and facial products and Korean dramas. In addition, I also learned the fairy stories and McDonald from other language learners. It is a great experience to listen to the presentations and was able to know cultures from different languages. Knowing the cultures and backgrounds of a language is useful for a learner to better understand the language and become more interested to learn. 

I think it would be really helpful to know the general grammar of the language, like if it is a SVO or SOV type language, as well as some common pronouns and whatnot. This information should be relatively straightforward to find out over the Internet, but it would also be helpful to find a book that teaches basic Korean grammar. Reference grammars can definitely help, because they can be used to develop an understanding of how the language should sound and be structured. 

I really enjoyed the presentations last week. It was interesting to see what everyone decided to focus on in their language, and I liked how some people talked about general things, like Omar talking about food culture in Israel, while others talked about more specific topics like the makeup industry, Korean dramas, and Pakistani fairy tales. I think that finding something you find interesting about a culture is the most important step to motivating yourself to learn a language, so researching for the presentation has been very helpful. 

I believe the first step of learning the structure of the Korean language is to learn Hangul. That way I can properly learn the pronunciation of words, which can be difficult to accomplish when referring to romanization because of the variation in spellings that can alter the pronunciation slightly. As for grammatical structure, I think I’ll have to abide by textbooks and online lesson videos. I haven’t heard of ‘reference grammar’ so I looked this up: apparently, it is designed to teach someone specific details about the language, whereas ‘pedagogical grammar,’ the type of grammar teaching I’m used to, is designed to teach someone how to use a language. In textbooks, pedagogical grammar is organized in a way such that it’s easy for the learner to use and has shorter chapters that contain brief grammatical explanations, whereas reference grammar has more detailed and technical explanations with examples of every point it mentions. Overall, pedagogical grammar is open for learners of all levels while reference grammar is written for people who see language as a universal phenomenon and want to assimilate the target language into its pre-existing template for human language.  

For my purposes, I don’t think reference grammar is my primary concern right now. I’m aiming for practicality: I want to learn the most useful parts of the language first so that I can communicate in that language. The fancy stuff is on standby until I've accomplished this primary goal. Also, learning about idiosyncrasies of the languages is meaningless if I don’t know how to use the basic stuff first. Besides, I have a feeling that these ‘specific details’ that reference grammar teaches will involve a lot of "why this grammatical structure came about" and other explanations about the technicalities of the language that I'm sure will help me understand the grammar better but won’t really apply until I’m more advanced. 

For Korean, I need to know whether they use an SVO (subject-verb-object) or SOV (subject-object-verb) style. It is important to understand the sentence structure of the language in order to properly speak or write it. I would learn from the online sources for instance YouTube videos and Google examples or instruction on Korean syntax. Then, reinforce and practice structure of Korean with my Korean friends and tutor. A reference grammar would be helpful in initially practicing the structure of Korean because it can serve as a guideline or source of corrections for me in speaking Korean. I think sources like BYKI and Mango would be useful in explaining and demonstrating the structure of the Korean language.

I enjoyed all the presentations from my peers. I learned a variety of interesting stuff from a range of cultures for instance German festivals and  kosher fast food in Israel to mythology in Urdu and important Turkish leader (Mustafa). As a Korean learner, I was more drawn into the presentations on South Korean culture. It was interesting to learn about Korean cosmetic products for male and female regarding skin care. The presenter demonstrated different products used by Koreans. This Korean aspect is different from American culture, in terms of males using skin care products. It is something I notice from my Korean roommates. Another presenter discussed Korean New Years which is was fascinating because it is based on Lunar/Harvest time which is similar to China. She taught us how to say “Happy New Year’s” in Korean which is helpful for Korean learners. One presenter talked about Korean drama, specifically the different genres and plots. She mentioned the importance of Korean drama (television or movies) in the Korean culture and mentality, along with mentioning some popular actors and actresses. Lastly, I learned about aegyo in Korean culture, which means “cuteness”. This is something I noticed from some of my Korean friends. So it was interesting to learn a bit about it through the presentation.

a) For my first artifact conversation, I believe I did fairly well in terms of accuracy in grammar and sentence structure. I think the only main issue was my struggle trying to pronounce certain words correctly, since sometimes my American accent can be very obvious when saying particular words. 

b) As for last week's goals, I believe I learned quite a bit in terms of proper grammar structure. I have been using an app called Hello Talk, which allows me to talk to native Korean speakers who are living in Korea and learn Korean. One friend I made on Hello Talk taught me how to properly use the particles 이 based on the situation. According to my friend Kiseok, I learned that the particle 이 is similar to the particle 은 but if I am listing things or picking between two things then I would use 이. So for example, if I am saying home-food is better than to-go, I would say, "집밥이 진리지", which translates to, "Home-food is the best". If I am not picking between two things, I would instead say, "집밥은 진리지", which means the same thing, but uses a different particle due to the different circumstance. Interestingly enough, I also learned that my Korean name, 진리, which means "truth", is often used by young people to describe something as the "best". 

As for my goal with the numbers system, I did not get as much practice as I wanted but I learned again from speaking to native Koreans on Hello Talk how to properly write time and year in school. My spelling has definitely improved, for I thought hour in Korea was spelled 씨 but it is actually written as 시. Furthermore, I learned how to properly spell year in school correctly. For example, first year is 일학년, the 일 meaning the number 1 and 학년 for the grade or year. 

My classmates presentation were all very interesting. It was nice to to learn about kosher McDonalds in Israel because it shows how a culture can use something that began somewhere else and mold it to fit their own culture. I enjoyed learning abut Korean dramas because i realized how similar they could be to Spanish Telenovelas in regards to all the romance. I also found it interesting that in Turkey people tattoo themselves with a famous figure of their country. I find that strange, but at the same time it shows how the people of Turkey express their pride and nationalism. Finally, I found it funny and also shocking about the steps Korean people take to make their faces look good because I don't even do all those things to take care of my own face. Overall, I think everyone's presentation was awesome and very informative. 

Since I have been listening to a lot of Greek rap music I would like to discuss certain things that I have found interesting with the language used in songs. Greek rap music differs from mainstream American rap in its subject and lyricism. Greek rap is immensely lyrical and songs often are the size of multi-page essays. Words used are often complex and create detailed imagery. The subject also differs in Greek rap. American rap is generally positive in the mood it creates and creates a vibe of excitement through happiness, rage, or sex-appeal. But Greek rap is very melancholic throughout the entire genre. It's focused on struggling, sadness, and trying to fight what life throws at you. As a result, I have been learning a lot of language pertaining to such attitudes and feelings. This might have to do because of Greece's recent economic disaster that has been affecting Greece since 2008 and many rap artists in the country as a result. It also might have to do with the influence of Greek 'country' music on rap, which is also generally melancholic and is the most popular music genre in the country. 

For this week my learning goals are based on continuing to sharpen my pool of vocabulary when having conversations with friends. Thankfully, the book I have been reading has helped me work on my vocabulary when speaking formally on serious topics but I'm still lacking on everyday slang. To work on this I have begun listening to Greek rap which is a gold mine of slang language. I am primarily listening to "12os Pithikos" and "Taf Lathos" since they are very lyrical and use great imagery in their lines.Although using rap seems like a unorthodox way of learning a language I know it works from personal experience. When I was really young and lived in Athens I didn't really understand complex English but in third grade I bought an Eminem CD from a store and after some time English seemed to slowdown when spoken to me to the point where I could understand it well. And so 12 years later I am doing the same thing to master my mother tongue.

I think my first artifact conversation went well. My accent was not completely off, i would say it was actually well said. As for cultural appropriateness and linguistic accuracy I think that I did a good job. I rehearsed with my learning partner before posting my artifact and he mentioned that I was doing very well.

For weeks 4 and 5 i met my learning goals 100 %. I posted my artifact and an evaluation of my artifact. I also kept learning what's next on my leaning plan which is answering questions about my identity.  

In Chinese, there are no significant differences when we talk to different people. But we would normally add "please" or showing more respect when we talk to older people and strangers. In some northern parts of China, people use "nin" instead of "ni" to call older people. As for men and women, we have different characters to differentiate them like "him and her", but they sound exactly the same when we speak it out. All in all, despite small differences in expressing respect and differentiate people, there are no other significant differences in terms of grammar and sentence structure. 

However, while in work, we do tend to use a more formal and professional language than informal ones. For example, we would use auxiliary or mood particles in casual talk, but never in a business language or formal talk. 

I think my first artifact went pretty well. The content was"Hello my name is Sissi. Nice to meet you. I like spicy fried rice cake ( Tteokbokk) and Korean mixed rice with meat (Bibimbap). I sent this to my Korean friends and they gave me some advice on tones. I  think this is a really good way for us to improve spoken Korean because it actually sounded differently when you speak to yourself and in the video. I always thought that my pronunciation was quite good but until I listened to the video did I realize that my tones could still be improved. 

In terms of the goals and tasks. I reviewed my notebook everyday and exchanged newly gained knowledge with my roommates. While doing Skype with my boyfriend who is Korean, I also asked him questions that I did not understand in Korean learning as well as some interesting Korean customs like drinking and bowing. I think I am now on the right track and need to insist doing so in the next following weeks.

Unfortunately, there are no resources for Greek available on reserve or at the Global Studio, but I have begun working on my language tasks in several ways. First, I have begun reading a Greek book named "Η ΑΠΟΦΑΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΠΕΚΤΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΚΥΡΙΑΡΧΙΑΣ ΣΤΗ ΜΙΚΡΑ ΑΣΙΑ" meaning "The Decision for the Expansion of Greek Dominion Over Asia Minor." The book is a tough read that uses difficult, 'proper' Greek to discuss political and military decisions and events that led to the Greek invasion of Asia Minor in 1919. Second, I have begun meeting with my language partner and we have been discussing my written summaries (in Greek) of chapters to fix spelling, grammar, and stylistic issues. Third, I have begun watching daily Greek news thanks to EPT (pronounced ERT) Greek news channel and its live web stream.

Korea has its own cultural etiquette in business world and daily life, separate and distinct from western countries. In corporate culture,"Yes" is not necessarily “yes.” Koreans avoid saying "no." So people try to phrase questions in a manner that doesn't require a "yes" or "no" answer. For example, instead of saying "Could we sign the agreement by next Friday?” people would say "When is the earliest date that we could expect to sign this agreement?" Also, building trust and relationships is vital to establishing a successful business relationship in Korea. This requires patience. Koreans prefer to do business with people they know. Therefore, the first meeting is to establish trust, and business should not be discussed.

In the case of body language, direct eye contact between junior and senior business people should be avoided, because this is seen as impolite or even as a challenge. And always pass and receive objects with your right hand (supported by the left hand at the wrist or forearm) or with two hands to show respects. 

There is also a special highlight for women in the cultural etiquette that Korean women behave differently from Western women. For instance, Korean women usually nod slightly and will not shake hands with Western men, while western women may offer their hand to a Korean man. Besides, foreign women may have difficulty doing business in Korea, because Korean men generally prefer to negotiate with men although women are becoming more accepted in the Korean business place. Last but not least, Korean women would wait for Korean men to make the first move instead of "lady first" in Western culture.

The most important thing for me to know about the structure of the Greek language is the importance of breaking down complicated, college-level language. Much of high-level modern Greek vocabulary is heavily based on smaller ancient Greek words and prefixes so if I can break down words I can easily understand their meaning. For example, the word "προσφυγες" can be broken down to "προσ" and "φυγες." The first word means towards, while the latter means to flee. From this one can deduce that the word means to flee towards a certain place, which is close to the true definition of "προσφυγες" which means refugees. Of course, there are many exceptions that I will simply have to learn through memorization, but this is a handy tool.

My goals for week 4 and 5 include reviewing the characters and sentences I learnt in the past weeks, and try to learn more new characters and culture knowledges. In order to meet these goals, I will read my notebook everyday before I go to bed to make sure that I do not forget the previous knowledges I have gained. Also talking to others about what you learnt is very helpful to memorization. Since my roommate is learning Korean as well, I will discuss the new characters and pronunciations I have learnt with her. In addition, I will continue watching the Korean Englishmen YouTube programs to learn Korean food culture and customs. Finally, I will use artifact to record my speaking Korean and send it to my Korean friends. This is a great way for me to develop better pronunciations and gain confidence of speaking Korean.

The Greek language is an ancient Mediterranean language that holds many similarities in the way it is spoken by its native speakers with other Mediterranean languages and cultures. The accompanying of language with hand movement is one major aspect of Greek linguistic expression. The hands help express information, emotion, attitude, an an array of feelings to the audience that help present a complete view of what the speaker is talking about. Since Greece is a hot-spot for tourism I have been exposed to other Mediterranean peoples and have noticed a similar use of hand movement when speaking, while Northern Europeans or Slavic Europeans seem to refrain from this type of expression. The best way to appreciate this unique form of expression in Greece is driving, according to my grandmother whom I decided to discuss this discussion topic with. She claims that Greeks get angry easily behind the wheel and often you will see drivers in Athens yelling at each other and flailing their arms from their car windows in a variety of ways to express rage.

I only have one classmate who studies French in my class, and I think she did a really good job in introducing French cheese culture. Food is really a big part of French culture and she chose a small pointcut of the whole picture. She talked about the history,development as well as production of cheese. After listening to her presentation, I learnt a great deal of the cheese culture, not only the many different kinds of cheese and their names, but also French people's attitude about food and life. As she mentioned, most of French people would consider their country as an agricultural country and themselves from farming areas including those from Paris. I totally agree with this point based on my personal experience. I have met many French people who live in Paris, however when introducing themselves they would always talk about their original hometown like a small village near Paris instead of just saying "I am from Paris". It is the same thing in China, another big agricultural country in the world. Although both off my parents and I were born and raised in Shanghai, I would always add that my grandparents are originally from Sichuan, a west province in China. This reflects how people see themselves based on the culture environment.  Another thing she mentioned in the presentation is that nowadays teachers and parents are encouraging kids to eat more cheese to prevent them eating fast food. Although there are a lot of fat in cheese as well, this action could also be seen as to prevent the national food culture. It would be horrible if the new generation of the country only eat KFC and Burger King instead of the traditional handmade cheese. Therefore the preservation and support for cheese making factories  are very important.