This week, my goal was to learn how to tell time in Turkish. Since we have just how to count in Turkish, I found that the lesson was not too difficult. In class, we practiced telling time by first learning the question for what time is it, "saat kaç?" When responding, you simply just say "saat ..." where the dots indicate the time. For example, if it is two, you would say "saat iki." After learning the basic framework for telling time in Turkish, I practiced with classmates by asking what time it was and allowing them to respond and vice versa.
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Up until this point, I would say that I am pretty pleased with the progress that I have made thus far. I am now able to read/pronounce the letters of the alphabet, say common greetings and farewells, introduce myself, say where I am from, count, ask questions such as "what is this/that?", and add suffixes to the ends of words to indicate pronouns/plurality. Although I would not say that my knowledge is completely solid on each of these topics, I do think that with more practice and studying I will be able to crystallize my learning. As the semester continues, I will practice more outside of the classroom by studying my notes, watching more Youtube videos for pronunciation, and continue expanding my vocabulary with apps like Duolingo and Mango on my phone.
This week my goal was to learn Turkish numbers and to be able to count in Turkish. I accomplished this goal by practicing the numbers with my learning partner and classmates. I studied a practice worksheet with a number chart that indicated how to count to ten and then gave the names of the different tens places all the way up to 100. My classmates and I played a game where we went around the room and we all counted together with each person saying one number until someone messed up, then we would start all over. This game was helpful because not only did it make learning how to count in Turkish fun, but it also required that we actually pay attention to our classmates and memorize the number line. Currently, I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on Turkish numbers.
Over this semester I have learned a lot about myself as a language learner. I originally planned on largely avoiding the Korean writing system in favor of focusing on oral communication, but over the semester these goals have changed a lot. One aspect of learning Korean that I found very difficult is speaking the language, as due to my background in Mandarin I have been told that I often pronounce words in the Chinese style and with an American accent. On the other hand, I have found that I am actually very interested in the Korean alphabet and writing system, perhaps because of how surprisingly intuitive and simple it ended up being. Because of this I ended up shifting my language learning so that I have a stronger foundation of reading and writing Korean. I think this was the right decision overall as it allows me to use tools like language dictionaries to their fullest and really prepares me for a continued independent study of the language. Moving forward after this semester I will be able to look up new words and use websites and other resources that I initially wasn’t able to use as they require an understanding of the Korean writing system. Furthermore, it is also really helpful to be able to sound out words as in many cases the names of modern items in Korean are Koreanized American names.
Throughout the duration of the semester I felt that the resources my language partner provided were very useful and that our meetings were very productive. The competitions she held incentivized mastering the new vocabulary and the different challenges helped develop both my reading and writing skills, as well as my vocabulary.
As far as 105 goes I found many aspects of the class to be really interesting, like the class on the language tree and the history of language, and often enjoyed class activities like culture presentations and activities. The discussions were interesting and I learned a lot about languages in general. I also found the resources the class introduced me to at the beginning of the semester to be very helpful throughout the semester. It was also helpful for me to set language goals for the semester and to plot a course towards achieving those goals, and things like the learning journals did a good job of keeping me on course. I found the activities we did in class to be fun and engaging and would recommend that future classes incorporate more of these activities into the schedule. On the other hand, I occasionally felt like some of the readings were not as related to our studies. It seemed like there were two parts of the class, one where we were given instructions and resources for learning a language, and the other where we discussed languages as a whole, and while both were interesting I feel like it would be more advantageous to devote more time to the former and less to the latter. Overall I would recommend more activities and class time dedicated to learning about different cultures and presenting on our different languages, and less related to linguistics and language theory.
With the experiences of Chinese and English learning, I found it kind of interesting to learn Korean because it feels like the combination of my past experiences. Korean obtains word pronunciations that do not exist in Chinese, so it is fun to learn them. It is similar to an English speaker learning the pronunciation of “rr” in Spanish. Another interesting fact about Korean reading is its similarity with English. Korean words are formed by alphabets, so I am able to read them without knowing their meanings. However, those letters look complicated, and they look like Chinese in a way. Chinese requires a Romanization system to read the characters. Thus, for me, reading Korean feels like reading out Chinese characters directly without a Romanization system. On the other hand, writing might be a bit easier for me than for English-speaking learners.
For my fourth cultural post, I will be talking about popular career fields and employment opportunities in South Korea.
I've heard that it's very difficult to secure a job nowadays in South Korea. Therefore, many Koreans are more concerned finding job security with stability over passion. While researching I found out that there has been a high demand of native English speakers in South Korea. Translators for any industry are also sought after, especially in after school academies (hakwons). Also, current employment trends include careers in Finance, IT, International Business, and Marketing.
Also according to a 2014 survey conducted by a large Korean job search site, the most popular employers among college students were Samsung electronics, Hyundai motor company, Posco (steel making company), Korea Electric Power Corporation, and Kia Motor Company for men, and CJ (food products and pharmaceutical company), Asiana Airlines, Korean Airlines, Samsung electronics, and Posco for women.
This artifact documents some sentences that I created where I quantify things such as trees, pencils, flowers, books, socks, and chopsticks using the appropriate measurement label.Artifact%20%234.mp3
For one of our weeks, we learned about more advanced vocabulary words related to the weather. This is our test we took to evaluate how much we retained. I think I did well enough that it documents what I learned.
This artifact documents an interaction I made using new vocabulary words I learned that relate to tourism. Artifact%20%232%20%28111%29.mp3
I learned how to talk about my future career plans to others. I wrote why I wanted to pursue dentistry in Korean and Joora helped me look over it.
저의 꿈은 치과의사 입니다. 치과의사는 건강한 치아를 유지하기 위하여 치아를 포함한 구강의 질환을 치료, 교정, 대치하여 예방한다. 저는 사람들과 대화를 나누며 일하고싶습니다. 사람들을 도울수 있고 사람들에게 자신감도 줄수있어서 저는 어릴때부터 장래희망이 치과의사였습니다. 저는 대학후에 치대준비를 할거예요.
On the second week, Joora, Vana, and I went to Grand Mart and ordered food in Korean. I ordered jjajjangmyun, Korean black bean noodles. During dinner, we also went around and asked each other how our week was in Korean. It was a bit awkward for me first, because I am more comfortable speaking about my personal life in English because I don't know a lot of adjectives in Korean. I said I had a lot of upcoming exams and projects and was very stressed. I also built up courage to ask the Help Desk if they had bibimmyun in stock in Korean. The worker said that they don't have any in stock at the moment.
This is a brief conversation of what I learned in 110, which is me introducing myself in a formal manner. I added so me vocabulary words that I learned recently that would be used in interactions I would have during an interview. I think I could work on my accent. I sound very "americanized" when speaking Korean. However, I think I was culturally appropriate when using formal language. It also seems linguistically sufficient in terms of my level of Korean. I should work on sounding more fluent and speak more comfortably. I could work on using different types of vocabulary words to convey my thoughts.
My goals at the beginning of the semester were to Improve response time and have more in depth conversations. Through learning the past and future tenses, I have tripled my vocabulary. My response time has improved in conversations. I am getting much better at context clues, which was one of my other goals. I wanted to sharpen my context clue skills through watching Turkish tv. I watched Muhteşem Yüzyıl. I wanted to be able to read short stories and answer comprehension questions about them. I feel confident in my reading capabilities this semester. Even if I don’t know the every word in the excerpt or story, I know enough to get the gist. I also know the structure and vocabulary in the comprehension questions. I wrote more this semester. I wrote for my learning artifacts in Turkish and have written my cultural project presentation in Turkish. I was also able to conduct research for my project in Turkish. I found so many more resources when I used Turkish to Google things rather than googling ‘Turkish funeral customs’ in English.
Another goal was to not translate in my head, but use my Turkish vocabulary to express what I want to say. I did not improve on this skill, as I was not speaking as much Turkish as I should have. It was difficult for me to find people to speak Turkish with outside of class. I wanted to be able to read Turkish news, but this may have been too lofty of a goal. I don’t think my vocabulary is there yet, to be able to read and watch the news.
I have not yet given my cultural presentation, but my goal is to deliver it in Turkish.
Overall, I have learned so much this semester and feel confident in my abilities to communicate and listen. I want to go to Turkey very much and I will continue with this language for a while. Regardless, I have developed language learning skills that I can apply to any language I choose to learn in the future. I have had a wonderful experience with the program and the Turkish language over the past three semesters and I wish I would have started sooner!
Fifth Cultural Post: Reflection
This semester I have learned so much about Turkish culture. I believe it is because I developed a friendship with Sezgi and cultural differences would naturally come up in our conversations. I got to meet some of her friends from Turkey when they came to visit at the beginning of the semester. They taught me a lot about superstitions and they were so nice. I want to go and visit Turkey, now, more than ever. I think I taught Sezgi some things about American culture as well, like Groundhog day. This semester I began watching Turkish television and I began to follow more Turkish YouTube. One day Sezgi presented on Turkey. She talked about the street food and the diversity of the landscape. I would bring questions about Turkish culture to our meetings. I have learned so much more about the culture, beyond Turkish coffee and lokum. I also feel I have a better understanding of Turkey’s position in the world. Here at UofR, we lump Turkey into our Middle Eastern courses, but many Turkish citizens do not believe they belong to that region. People often think I’m studying Turkish because it’s similar to Arabic, some people even think it’s the same language. I have always known the language is completely different, but now I know that the culture is entirely different from any country in the Middle East.
This week I learned body parts, mainly the face. I can now describe my features and the way I look. I can ask questions about others and describe the faces of others. This is a necessary skill in language because we often describe the people we are talking about, especially when we have forgotten their name.
Benim adım Shayna. Ben 21 yaşındayım. Saçım sarı ve gözlerim ela. Yüzüm yuvarlak ve boynum kısa ve omuzlarım geniş, ama burnum ve kulaklarım çok küçük! Ben kısa ve küçük ama güçlü. Ben kısa çünkü annem ve babam kısa.
English translation: My name is Shayna. I am 21 years old. I have blonde hair and hazel eyes. I have a round face and a short neck and wide shoulders, but my nose an dears are very small. I am short and tiny but I am strong. I am short because my mother and father are short.
Cultural Post 4:
Cenaze gelenekleri
I have now seriously begun my research on funeral traditions in Turkey (cenaze gelenekleri). There are customs that are religious (dini, İslam, kuran okuma) and customs that are pre-Islamic (İslam öncesi). There is specific food prepared (halva) during the time of mourning (yas ve ağlamak). The burial is very elaborate and made of marble (mermer taş ve mezar).
I am aiming to deliver my presentation in Turkish and then translate into English.
http://dergipark.ulakbim.gov.tr/kader/article/download/1076000129/1076000146
http://www.jasstudies.com/Makaleler/1497155747_24Onay%20%C4%B0brahim_S-479-490.pdf
Evaluation and assessment of Artifact 1:
In my first artifact conversation, Joora and I introduced ourselves, said where we were from, asked how we were doing, and said our farewells. Therefore, I would say that I met my weeks 4 and 5 goals pretty well. However, I feel that I could work towards making the conversation flow better by practicing my pronunciation and becoming more familiar with the vocabulary. By doing this, the conversation would sound more natural and less choppy. In the upcoming weeks, I plan to continue studying greetings and farewells while also beginning to incorporate more vocabulary and cultural knowledge.
Cultural Post 4:
Cenaze gelenekleri
I have now seriously begun my research on funeral traditions in Turkey (cenaze gelenekleri). There are customs that are religious (dini, İslam, kuran okuma) and customs that are pre-Islamic (İslam öncesi). There is specific food prepared (halva) during the time of mourning (yas ve ağlamak). The burial is very elaborate and made of marble (mermer taş ve mezar).
I am aiming to deliver my presentation in Turkish and then translate into English.
http://dergipark.ulakbim.gov.tr/kader/article/download/1076000129/1076000146
http://www.jasstudies.com/Makaleler/1497155747_24Onay%20%C4%B0brahim_S-479-490.pdf
I watched the first season of Muhteşem Yüzyıl. It is a Turkish, dramatic tv show about the height of the Ottoman Empire. Muhteşem Yüzyıl means the greatest century. I watch it with English subtitles. I learned a few new words by listening to the Turkish and reading the English translation. What I really enjoy about the show is that there are characters that switch back and forth between Russian and Turkish and I know when they are speaking either with ease. The show also uses some Ottoman Turkish, and I can pick up on this because of my Arabic background. They will use the word with the Arabic origin rather than the latin origin. For example, rakis (arabic influenced word for dance) and dans (the English influenced word for dance). I think being able to pick up on this is a good indicator that I have trained my ears for Turkish. Even though I may not know all the words they are saying in Turkish, I know that they are Turkish words or if they are not. Fun fact: Turkey is the second largest export of TV and movies in the world. I noticed the Turkish tv shows were very popular in the Jordan and Morocco.
A) My goals and tasks for weeks 4 and 5 are to be able to learn Turkish greetings and farewells, introducing myself, and being able to ask questions like how are you and where are you from. In this way, I will be able to hold a very basic, brief conversation.
B) In order to achieve these goals, I will first practice pronouncing and memorizing the vocabulary necessary for carrying out these types of conversations. Then, I will begin practicing with my learning partner and other classmates by having small conversations. I will then continue to study my notes to perfect my pronunciation and to help my responses flow more smoothly.
C) I will evaluate my success by asking my learning partner for feedback and by listening to recordings of my progress. From there, I will evaluate my accent and accuracy at conveying the correct message.
