Response to the article:

The article "Why Bilinguals are Smarter" talks about the cognitive effects of speaking two languages for children and the elders. In the 20th century, it was thought that being bilingual hindered a child's academic and intellectual development. However, recent studies have shown that being bilingual leads to continuous stimulation of the brain. When a bilingual person speaks one language, he/she is also thinking about the other language, which leads to the brain stimulation that causes its intellectual growth. Studies with preschoolers and infants in Italy suggest that bilinguals have stronger cognitive abilities than monolinguals. Moreover, studies with the elderly in San Diego suggest that bilinguals are more resistant to dementia and Alzheimer.

This article gives a new perspective to speaking more than one language. Now we know that it is more than just "cool" to speak two languages; it is important to start teaching children a second language at an early age to enhance their cognitive abilities. I have never felt this happy that I can speak three languages fluently.

Response to the article:

The article “Tribe Revives Language on Verge of Extinction” talks about how a language has been literally brought back from extinction. The Siletz tribe was declared extinct in the 1950s. A few members of the tribe, as few as five, recovered the tribe and the language by the 1970s. About 4,900 individuals are currently enrolled in the tribe. In addition, a school curriculum has been created that teaches the Siletz language in grade school and it may extend to be taught in high schools as a foreign language. Non-members of the tribe, such as the linguistics graduate student Ms. Johnson, are taking special interest in the language. She helped members of the tribe in their seven-year project to create a Siletz dictionary, or the Coastal Athabascan dictionary.

This article was of special interest to me since I am studying Hebrew, another nearly extinct language. The stories of both languages show their important part of the people’s identity. Languages go extinct due to the expansion of other languages and the dispersal of the native speakers into other areas of the world. The only way to bring the language back from extinction is by gathering the speakers into a nation, a region, or a tribe, in order for it to flourish and spread.

            Culture shock is a response that people may have when faced with different habits and behaviors than what they are used to. It manifests itself in language, food, academics, and everyday costumes. The movie we watched in class describes the cultural experiences of several international students and faculty at the University of Richmond. As an international student, I found the film to be very interesting because I have been through mostly everything mentioned in it.

            I have been in new cultures when I attended high school in Bosnia and Herzegovina and now at Richmond. The first stage of cultural shock for me both times was the same as the German student mentioned; sitting alone in the room wondering “Why am I here?” That is a normal question for any foreigner living in a new area. The next stage is comparing everything in the new culture to the native culture. Usually, this ends up with finding all the flaws in the new culture. For example, one girl in the film talked about how American guys are “weird” and “not emotionally open”. This may not necessarily be a bad thing in the United States. The American culture expects men to be stronger and more assertive. This can be the reason why American guys seem different to an international student. However, this is more of a college culture than an American culture issue. Social life in college can be different and the interaction between the two genders does not represent the American culture in general.

            One important aspect in every culture is the colloquial language. It is different even among Anglo speaking countries. While most people do not have a problem with the American accent, it is the idioms that may create difficulty for someone visiting the United States for the first time. This may extend to communication in general and greeting others is a part of communication. One student in the film stressed the issue of the impersonal greeting he found at the University of Richmond. People will walk by you and simple say “what’s up” or “’sup”. They do not expect a long response from you and they are not ready to give you a long answer if you ask back “how are you?” What I personally found even worse is when you walk by people you already met and you know they saw you, but they look down and walk past you as if they did not see you. This does create a big gap in a communication, especially for someone from a culture that values personal communication.

            Not too surprising, academics also create a cultural shock for someone visiting a country for educational reasons. Each country has a different system and it is not easy to adapt to a new system after 12 years of the other. The student from Bangladesh talked about class participation and how that was difficult for him in the beginning because he was not accustomed to it. I personally faced a similar problem when I was studying for the IB diploma in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I arrived to school three weeks late because of visa issues and I was asked to make a presentation and write a two page paper during my first week. I have never done either in Iraq. The grade in Iraq is only based on test results. I had a really hard time during that week because I did not understand what a presentation should be about, and what I should write in my paper.

            Culture shock is a normal thing for travelers. After the “honeymoon” phase, it is hard to immediately adapt into new cultural habits. One of the best ways to overcome culture shock is by integrating into the culture. Usually, this happens by joining activities, clubs, and organizations. Of course, the one best way to overcome culture shock is by having friends from that culture. They will help you understand why things function the way they do. They will help you realize that they are happy with the way things are and they do not think their culture is bad at all.

The movie Culture Shock showed us how language functions in the context of the University of Richmond.  While we are all able to leave the school we are all here now in an external environment that we have no control over.  For foreigners this is a nightmare initially, when in the absence of a “host family” to cry to, they have a gut-feeling to “fight or flight.”

The German woman had difficulty communicating maxims or jokes to Americans since they didn’t get them after she translated them.  One woman mentioned how American men were cold and disrespectful.  Another woman mentioned the creative activities that Richmond Campus had to offer.  Crystal mentions that some people are right handed and some left handed with corresponding dominance.  “In over 60% the left hemisphere is very involved in language or left-side dominant” 173.  Crystal mentions that some people are right side dominant possess “spatial orientation, musical patterns, and emotional expression” 174.  One professor mentioned that it was three times as difficult for writing speaking and reading in another language than for Americans.  Exner’s center and the front fissure of Rolando are involved in motor skills like writing.  Another area, Heschl’s gyri is used to understand speech, while yet another is used to comprehend it called Wernicke’s area 175.  On a “deeper level of speech comprehension, the parietal lobe may play a role” which may explain that knowing the words might be insufficient to comprehend but may identify the contextual cues.  This “multi-functional view” means that many parts of the brain are working simultaneously with ramifications for language learners.  Just like people having personality preferences or learning styles, certain learners will use different parts of the brain to see things differently.  In addition to receiving information, there is a step-by step process of thought articulation that requires teamwork with various parts of the brain.  Thoughts begin in Wernicke’s area then go to Broca’s area “for encoding” then the motor area for sound. 

            The criticism of being cold might apply to unmet demand for reciprocity from American students.  I suspect that it is not silence that is being used to overpower the woman complaining, but that Americans might have completely suppressed basic cognitive interpersonal skills when they are around her and in a classroom setting.  Instead, she sees only cognitive academic language proficiency which forces more rule-following and reasoning that may appear as more silent than an organic natural flow.  The use of embedded context and context reduced is harder to distinguish for language and culture learners because every learning experience seems new at first 219.  Even though body language is easier to comprehend in informal embedded context situations, it is another body language and another context than the one with which we are familiar.  Perhaps the affection communicated in another language is not body language but is a cultural trait that wasn’t assimilated or preserved in America.  Brown distinguished between the rules of intercourse that differ by culture.  Although children can keep attention by screaming, they learn to be receptive to other people and follow rules of etiquette.  While each culture has rules of etiquette, not every nation-member has learned the appropriate conduct.  In some cultures there is very little emotion communicated traditionally.  In these cultures opinions are also not expressed and people are forced to be a group member, learn about some distinct history, or even care about other people.  Empathy may be a learned feature that diminishes with isolation from other people.  Being around empathetic people may increase empathy. 

            What is so striking to many people in the video Culture Shock is that they have never been in this kind of academic setting.  They are unfamiliar expressing opinions, taking time to think for themselves, and analyze between the lines.  They are initially uncomfortable but then they learn to see the “meaning behind the words” and come to appreciate a new culture.  Illocutionary force is when words have a meaning that is sometimes lost to new language learners because of a problem communicating 233.  This setting is more professional so it is not “intimate,” yet students aren’t addressing “large audiences” so they are between “consultative and casual” 236.  International students expressed complaints with fellow exchange students and shared common feelings that were uncommon with Americans.  The bond was casual and close for some international students to other international students.  Other students said they got along just as well with Americans because of common “universals.”  Winfred P. Lehmann (1983) noted that “absolute universals can be found in all languages” 2.  The student may be communicating their shared values in an open environment displacing ignorance, contempt and hatred that might have arisen at any point for whatever reason.  The fact that universals exist supports the monogenesis hypothesis that a parent proto-language bestowed common traits to ancestor languages 3. Contrariwise, Sharon Begely notes that different cultures understand events differently based on the word they use:

while English says "she broke the bowl" even if it smashed accidentally (she dropped something on it, say), Spanish and Japanese describe the same event more like "the bowl broke itself." "When we show people video of the same event," says Boroditsky, "English speakers remember who was to blame even in an accident, but Spanish and Japanese speakers remember it less well than they do intentional actions. It raises questions about whether language affects even something as basic as how we construct our ideas of causality."

                I suspect that the fact that some individuals are more collectivist than others is easily digested as being cold and unaffectionate.  In America silence is seen as rude and offensive when in the presence of others as in Turkey it means yes and sitting silently is a sign of being happy with each other.  In Figuring Foreigners Out we learned that history is a matter of interpretation because “behavior doesn’t have an inherent meaning (meaning that automatically comes with it), but only the meaning people assign to it.  The funny story is that we send messages to others without even knowing about it (ibid).  The misunderstandings can be paved over in sustained relations and “self-disclosure at an equal level” as someone said in the movie.    

            Though uncomfortable at first, international students learn to burrow less and fight more making the experience more meaningful.  The ignorance, contempt and hatred that might have existed was questioned by the once confused student.  With people willing to help and other international students with similar feelings, they learn to know “why we do what we do.”

"Communicative Competence" H.D. Brown:  Principles of Language Learning and Teaching

Figuring Foreigners Out

Newsweek:  Language May Shape OurThoughts http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/07/08/what-s-in-a-word.html)

"How the brain handles language" D. Crystal:How Language Works (2005)

Culture shocks, i think this is a very interesting because i am an international student, and I can feel the same way.

The first shock: 

I think when I first came here, I had the same feeling. When I entered my class, firstly I looked differently. I felt wired and frustrated: "what I am doing here?". especially during the orientation time. I am glad that University of Richmond provided us the chance to meet all the international students first before the local students here. I think it is obvious that we can get along with each other better with international students. 

The Chinese students John in the video talked about his own experience and feeling when he said: "whats up" to an american student. He continued the conversation because he thought the american student wanted to continue the conversation by saying whats up. But later on he realized that it was just a way to say hi.

I think to learn a language is not hard, but the hard part is the cultural competence. To really blend into the culture and use the language to communicate correctly. I feel the hardship to live in a new country, and I think it is more helpful to me to first get education here. Through education, I can build my cultural sense in a smaller community. By talking and learning from professors, roommate. The experience is frustrated at the beginning, it is an adventure. Now, I am proud of myself being an international student live in a new environment. 

     Brown's discussion of communicative competence highlights many points important to language learning. He states that there is more of a focus on the cultural aspects of language learning than just learning grammatical concepts. This means that to demonstrate communicative competence one can't just use rote memorization of vocabulary or grammar rules, but must be able to apply what they've learned in the social context of the language he or she is learning. (For example, various languages have differences in how differntiates between individuals, or phrases that are only used in certain situations.) Brown states that language is used as an interactive communication between individuals, and takes Chomsky's ideas about language even further. Our relationship to language is relative.

     I thought Canale and Swain's descriptions of the four different linguistic competencies made a lot of sense (more so than Bachman's reinterpretation which came later). These competencies included grammatical competence, discourse competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence. Grammatical competence is the most basic level, indicating an understanding of a language's grammar rules. Discourse competence is the next step, the ability to take all of those grammar rules and use them to connect sentences together to "form a meaningful whole." Next, sociolinguistic competence allows language speakers to understand the social and cultural implications behind saying a particular thing. Finally, strategic competence is a "compensatory strategy" that takes place when verbal and nonverbal communication is needed to fill in a breakdown in a conversation. I was able to think of all of these competencies in terms of speaking Italian. First I learned grammar rules, syntax, and constructs. Then I was able to begin forming sentences on my own and speaking to people. As time wore on, I got better at speaking with more nuance. I could use specific idioms to describe situations, and I could recognize different relationships. However, my communication would still break down sometimes and I'd have to use body language to fill in the gaps.

     I also really appreciated the part of the article that lists Halliday's many examples of language functions. It's suggested that teachers of second languages design syllabi around these different functions, and I think it's an important way to learn in keeping with the host language's culture. When I studied in Rome the different levels of Italian classes had field studies that took part in these type of activities. The 100 level courses, who were just starting out, learned essentials like how to introduce themselves, how to greet people, and how to order. They were tasked with going out into the neighborhood behind our school to order gelato and interact with the shopkeepers (we were jealous that they got this task!). My 300 level class had to practice different types of skills. We'd spent a lot of time studying different neighborhoods in Rome. One day we visited one of those neighborhoods, interviewed residents, identified certain features, and had to follow complicated navigational directions (almost like an elaborate scavenger hunt). These activities could be difficult, but they were really beneficial. All of the Italian classes each had a cooking class with their teacher in which different levels of Italian were required to be maintained throughout.

due%20mon.docx

possessive pronouns

possessive endings

to have dashtan

definite and indefinite nouns

plural nouns

letter base

around the house vocab

comparative and superlative adjectives

conversation with language partner

introduce self, where from, family, with language partner

review:

short vowels

personal pronouns

to be (present, past)

present and past (time related words)

negative to be verbs

possession

adjectives

locations

review dari book 

remember nouns and vocab from previous pages in book

translate conversations with my language partner

practice future, past present stems with ten verbs

learn ten new verbs along with progress in book

translate pages we went over in class but didn't complete

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=82db4f3c7d5b75297f590aff9c4d95d1&mId=1710763

the first person asks how many brothers -then what is his name.  his name is Mashoud.  the questioner asks is he older or younger (bojuktary or kujuktary)

three years= ce sal kujuktare= younger   and    lazman= than me

does he go to school? 

nahair= no

do you have sister? shoma hoharam dareed?

 bali dota hohar doram= yes I have two sisters

doram= to have; i have

hohar= sister

hoharatoon= possesive with tu meaning your so "your sister"

kujuktarand is younger

hoharatun shakor mikonand= what do your sisters do?   one is a student (donesjused) the other (one of them=yekeham) lives with her husband shoharesh.  

I was reviewing my days family members, how to say where i come from

verb tenses are a part of my homework

new vocabulary learned about news 

ten new verbs unrelated to my learning goals

future tense; 2 ways

from of under on near

possession

the context is very important

as labiba said, there are many different formal dialects in korean so when to use the correct pronunciation and words is important - not something we always learn; instead I think I am trying to learn how to do simple things with simple people; I am not trying to learn how to write an academic journal in persian but my language partner showed me the future tense verbs that are very formal.  

My orientation is more practical how to.  It important that I learn contextual clues - nouns and verbs specific to context

If I am at the post office I may need to clarify what the person is saying by asking if they might also mean what I know.  

We dont learn enough body language because we are word-focused and so we aren't seeing unless we watch soap operas.

one part of the chapter with red next to it said that context is not enough.  Being polite is not the only factor either.  The way sentences are constructed should include the apology so as to be understood politely.  In these cases it is necessary to speak a lot about the situation to fully explain oneself.  body language is not enough!

often times funny movies like "Meet the folkers" will show what happens when formal situations are misunderstood.  Clothing communicates much more than the wearer might intend to say - sometimes people assume certain things as cultural stereotypes.  

another example of misunderstanding is when body language is insulting, demanding, or aggressive by accident.  Eye contact is sometimes very important when dealing with authority and yet it is the least desirable thing to do state someone in the eyes.  It is funny when a guy says I couldn't help you looking at me to a girl and she says I wasn't looking at you.  The presence of objects signals intent: a television or a car or bike signals desire to use and may be seen as a barrier to communication.  These situations of anxiety are not easily resolved by communicating as it is seen an inappropriate time to communicate.  

Cultural Competence

This refers to the ability to interact well with people of other cultures. In today's multicultural world, it is important to learn how to interact with different people. This includes knowing the vocabulary and non-verbal communication. There are different types of competence such as grammatical competence, discourse competence, sociolinguistic competence, and strategic competence. Understanding these four types of cultural competence helps with communication.

I enjoyed reading about non-verbal communication because we talked a lot about it in class. Body language and other non-verbal communication methods are very culturally dependent. They are different from culture to culture and one should follow them when interacting with people of another culture.

I've attached a review of the Bridge on the Drina below:

bridgeontheDrina.docx

Reflect upon your progress to date, consider the effectiveness of your learning plan and activities, and discuss what changes, if any, you will make to finish the semester.

I am very happy with my progress so far. I have been submitting my work on time and I am on track with my learning tasks. I have been moving tasks around because I feel that I need to learn certain tasks before moving on to others. For example, I pushed my task to have a simple conversation in Hebrew to the end of the semester after I gather more knowledge and vocabulary. I am also trying to make more than only 4 artifacts so that I can show my proficiency. I have been working on my reading with my language partner and I think that is very helpful because I am learning many words from the readings.

The main learning activities that I use currently are repetition (out loud) and flashcards. So far, these two activities have been effective in helping me learn words and sentences. I tried using flashcards with one of my friends to see if she will learn words. I used 10 flashcards with Hebrew words written in English letters. 5 of them had only the words while the other 5 had words and associated pictures. After 1 hour of repeated learning, my friend remembered all 5 words with pictures and only 2 words without pictures. I asked her and she said that she is a visual learner. As a visual learner myself, I might start using pictures in my flashcards too.

I learned ~40 vocabulary words in the last two weeks. Milica and I went through the same sort of exercises as reported in previous weeks. We spoke about the city of Mostar and some of its attractions such as the United World College, the Old Bridge, the Neretva river, the Old Town Street, and the stunningly beautiful Kravice waterfalls. As the semester draws to its conclusion, I am becoming increasingly excited at the prospect of visiting Bosnia. The places just look very pretty and full of history and tradition. We also went over the superlative forms (ie best, worst, etc...).

I also finished the second half of the Bridge on the Drina. I talk more about this in the review, but I found most striking was the subjugation that Bosnians endured during Ottoman rule for centuries. For me, what was interesting was how these years of oppression affected the psyche and worldview of the inhabitants. What's more, there were moments that were that showed the power of some instilled cultural norms and variations of history that are told. I feel much more connected, much more understanding of Bosnian culture, why certain behavioral tendencies exist.

VOKI

http://www.voki.com/php/viewmessage/?chsm=7c9ebbb3f88f21942ca8220ac667f75d&mId=1684847

It means hello:

hello, how are you

good, thanks

how are you?

fine thanks

shoma is the formal (and plural) you

tum is you its really tu or to

artifact%202-%20identity%20conversation.mp3

http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html

What about Iran?

If we explore the Iranian culture through the lens of the 5-D Model, we can get a good overview of the deep drivers of the Iranian culture relative to other world cultures.

Power distance
This dimension deals with the fact that all individuals in societies are not equal – it expresses the attitude of the culture towards these inequalities amongst us. 
Power distance is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

Iran scores high on this dimension (score of 58) which means that people accept a hierarchical order in which everybody has a place and which needs no further justification. Hierarchy in an organization is seen as reflecting inherent inequalities, centralization is popular, subordinates expect to be told what to do and the ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat

Individualism
The fundamental issue addressed by this dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people´s self-image is defined in terms of “I” or “We”.
In Individualist societies people are supposed to look after themselves and their direct family only. In Collectivist societies people belong to ‘in groups’ that take care of them in exchange for loyalty.

Iran, with a score of 41 is considered a collectivistic society. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member 'group', be that a family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group. In collectivist societies offence leads to shame and loss of face, employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms (like a family link), hiring and promotion decisions take account of the employee’s in-group, management is the management of groups.

Masculinity / Femininity
A high score (masculine) on this dimension indicates that the society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner / best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational behaviour.
A low score (feminine) on the dimension means that the dominant values in society are caring for others and quality of life. A feminine society is one where quality of life is the sign of success and standing out from the crowd is not admirable. The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).

Iran scores 43 on this dimension and is thus considered a relatively feminine society. In feminine countries the focus is on “working in order to live”, managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being, status is not shown.

Uncertainty avoidance    
The dimension Uncertainty Avoidance has to do with the way that a society deals with the fact that the future can never be known: should we try to control the future or just let it happen? This ambiguity brings with it anxiety and different cultures have learnt to deal with this anxiety in different ways.  The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these is reflected in the UAI score.

Iran scores 59 on this dimension and thus has a high preference for avoiding uncertainty. Countries exhibiting high uncertainty avoidance maintain rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of unorthodox behaviour and ideas. In these cultures there is an emotional need for rules (even if the rules never seem to work) time is money, people have an inner urge to be busy and work hard, precision and punctuality are the norm, innovation may be resisted, security is an important element in individual motivation.

Long term orientation
The long term orientation dimension is closely related to the teachings of Confucius and can be interpreted as dealing with society’s search for virtue,the extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view.