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110 Learning Journal # 14

  • Learning Journal 14:  Summarize your work this semester, the progress you made and the difficulties you encountered.

This semester’s been really interesting and tough! It was really cool to be able to try and tackle a language which which I am familiar, but still feels so foreign. I discovered that in many ways Sanskrit is more similar to English that learning a language of a different origin (like Sino-Tibetan). I discovered/confirmed that Sanskrit is still really similar to Nepali and I was able to expand my vocabulary in both languages. Overall I immensely expanded my vocabulary, have a grasp of noun declension, increased my cultural knowledge, and expanded my yoga undertakings. I think my format of focusing on both grammar and traditional structure and also yoga vocabulary has been really impactful for me. Sanskrit studies are increasing as Westerners become more interested in yoga practice, and I succeeded in being more able to understand the culture and meaning behind these mantras, aasanas (poses), and general spiritual terms. I found some of the grammar pretty difficult, and I still feel like I have so much to learn. The noun declension was really hard since I’ve never had to study a language with that structure before. The sandhi/vowel agreement rules are also difficult and sometimes when I’m writing my own sentences I slip up. Overall though, it’s been fun and meaningful and I will definitely continue my Sanskrit studies!

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Learning Artifact 11

Attached is a picture of when some of my classmates and I went to a Korean restaurant. I tried ordering in Korean but was too shy at times to articulate well. Nevertheless, I tried and the cashier was nice and seemed to appreciate my attempt to order in Korean.

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Learning Artifact 10

Attached is a body I traced from this website.

I then labeled parts of the body and identified some illnesses or diseases using these websites:

http://talktomeinkorean.com/lessons/kvb1/

http://translate.naver.com/#/en/ko

After doing so, I asked my learning partner to check over this. She helped me correct some of the words and informed me of different ways to convey the same (or a very similar) meaning, when talking about some illnesses.

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Journal Artifact 9

For this artifact, I used a UR map from the school's website to practice how to describe things positionally in relation to one another. I also tried practicing different forms of formality: that's why some of the endings differ. My learning partner and I went over it together and she helped me correct the mistakes I had. This is the final product. 

Aside from consulting my learning partner, I also made use of these websites to guide me through this topic:

http://mylanguages.org/korean_prepositions.php

http://koreanchamp.com/2012/01/19/simple-prepositions-in-korean/

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Learning Artifact 6

I created these sticky notes to place around my room to help me learn what things are in Korean. Most of my things are dispersed all around the room/suite so I moved them all to my desk to take the picture (below). Some of the notes are newer than others as I thought of more words to put up in my room after the initial time that I began this little project: that's why the colors are different. I also had to make new sticky notes to replace damaged/missing ones.

I used the following websites to help me make the sticky notes:

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Language/korean.cfm?Subject=house

http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/Household-Terms.html

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Language/korean.cfm?Subject=study

http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Language/korean.cfm?Subject=accessories

http://translate.naver.com/#/en/ko

 

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110 Artifact #4

12746850285?profile=original This is an example of a Sanskrit Hindu mantra. I've been studying yoga terms in conjunction with my Sanskrit study, and the mantras are part of my Sanskrit yoga book. My handwriting's still pretty messy (in both English and Sanskrit) but I've definitely become a lot more confident with it and can just transliterate directly from English-Devanagari usually. Sometimes the conjunct consonants still trip me up though if I'm not used to writing them. A lot of Eastern and Western yoga practitioners use these mantras during their practice to help with clarity and focus. 

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Learning Artifact 3

For this artifact, I have attached a copy of a script that my learning partner and I drafted along with a recording of that conversation. This is an activity that I really made up of throughout the semester because it helps with spelling, vocabulary, grammar, reading, writing, and pronunciation. 

In the script, my learning partner asks me questions and I respond by describing my family.

Artifact%203%20Conversation%20about%20Family.m4a


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Learning J 9

Reflect on your experiences of (trying to) read and write in your target language. Are you bilingual? If so, would you agree with the arguments made in the two readings on bilingualism.

My personal mission concerning Wolof was more to be able to speak and understand; however, due to the use of PowerPoints as a source of content, I’ve learned to read everything that I can say and understand. Bilingualism, though, comes in many different forms depending on the situation at hand. Say for instance that my interactions in Senegal were limited to a certain context or event like a football game. If I learned all phrases and cues surrounding this instance, I’d feel like a fluent speaker in that moment. However, when taken out of that context and into the grander scheme of things, it’s easier to the sum of the language’s weight. I prefer the limiting method just because I get overwhelmed very easily.

Moment of fluency or small successes will occur whether it’s reading and understanding a portion of a newspaper or ordering food without reverting to a more comfortable language. True bilingualism is much harder to capture, though. English is my first language, but there are still words that I need to look up and certain phrases that I still don’t feel comfortable using. Ultimately, I think it’s up to us as the learner to claim our strengths.

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Learning J 8

How many new words have you learned in your target language?  How did you learn them?  Do you have realistic goals for your acquisition of vocabulary? 

At this point, I’ve learned about 35-40 words in my target language. I’ve learned them by using the Slides constructed by my language partner and attempting to make the vocabulary applicable to my own life. I honestly don’t believe that I’ve had realistic goals for my vocab acquisition. I planned to learn double or triple the amount of words that I have, but I failed to realize how difficult it is to learn a language in a completely different language family and to learn it without traditional instruction. 

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Learning J 7

How do languages go extinct? Respond to the reading, reflecting on what happens when a language dies. How can linguists help preserve a language? Can a language ever be brought back to life? 

 

Languages are linked directly to the people who speak them. Therefore, when the people of a language are dying and there is not readily accessible documentation of the language, the language begins to die. Languages die when the inheritants of said language and culture are not able to continue that language’s legacy. The hierarchical linguistic remnants of colonization is the prime example.

Linguists can help preserve a language through documentation. This way, the people of that culture can pick up the language again and so that non-natives to that language may indulge their interests. Furthermore, linguists can help marginalized populations fight to preserve their linguistic heritage. Language is identity and culture. No one should be forced to give that up.

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Learning J 6

Reflect on how knowing a language's history can help you learn the language. To what family does your language belong? What sounds, words, or structures exemplify periods of contact with other cultures?

Knowing the language’s history helps to understand certain influences that pop up throughout a language. I’d go further to say that knowing that culture’s history will help contextualize the language. For instance, the periods of English and French colonization in Senegalese history helps to deconstruct the English and French presence in Dakar Wolof.

“The Wolof spoken in Dakar, Senegal's capital, is particularly noted for its high level of French loans or derivative words and is readily distinguishable from the Wolof spoken in other parts of Senegal. The influence of English on the Wolof of the Gambia, a former English colony, has also been studied.” http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Rwanda-to-Syria/Wolof.html#ixzz5DP1qQBUL

Wolof belongs to the Niger-Congo language family. Before the 15th century, the Wolof people began documenting their language using the Arabic alphabet; however, during colonization, the Latin alphabet took precedence. In this way, many or actually most consonants in Wolof are pronounced as they are in English. Other phrases and words are borrowed from French like the time and number systems.

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