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For me the reading was quite informative. Although it was not easy to read, I learned a lot about language and how competence in this field is structured.
Figure 8.1 which shows the language competence is very interesting. It is familiar to me, though, as I think it is very similar to the scheme how to grade an essay.
The seven functions of language drew my attention completely. On the one hand, the instrumental function is pretty logical. On the other hand, the rest of them are interesting to read about. I find the personal function and the imaginative function the most capturing. Talking about feelings is difficult for many people and might even be more difficult in some cultures where talking and showing feelings is not valued. Moreover, the imaginative function I consider most important for what is human kind without ideas and dreams? Fairy tails and stories mostly transport essential lessons about life and are thus very valueable.
Also, the sociocultural aspect is an important fact to consider when communicating with people from foreign countries. As there are four meanings, as Thun says, a message can be understood, a person might interpret the message in a different way than intended.
The five levels of formality are quite interesting too. It might be of advantage to adapt one' s vocabulary and way of expression to the style one is using to communicate with others effectively.
It is interesting to read the articles as they go very deep into detail.
One point I can take out from it is that the brain monitors itself and gets feedback from the ears, the lips, the tongue and so on. When I learn a new language this is definitely true. I try to watch myself while pronouncing new words and often notice when making mistakes. So, this information confirms my learning tactic described above and I will continue to do so.
Further, I understand Plato' s naturalist view saying that the word itself carries its meaning. Words like wow, oh etc. transmit their meaning well if properly intonated. Some words in new languages I learn through this approach. In many cases I connect the words with certain metaphors in order to learn and memorize them better.
Moreover, the "parcel-out" thing is very nice and puts my motivation why I learn more and more languages nicely. Every language has a different interpretation of life. In English a cousin may be female or male whereas in French there is a distinction between female and male cousins. Thus, with every language learned, one gets a broader understanding of culture, and I would even say, the world and life.
Also, collocations and vocabulary emphasizes the importance of context. This is why I try to memorize new words in the sentence they were used in order to have the original meaning.
I liked the NYT article about bilingualism a lot.
Although I did not think that being brought up in two languages would actually make you smarter, it is true.
It is not surprising that we see those benefits when examining babies. On the other side, it is surprising to me that the blockage in the brain when speaking more than one language is a benefit in reality. In fact, I met an exchange student in Richmond who was raise bilingual German- French. We made a treaty which said that I ll speak with her just in French and she will speak with me just in German. This was a very nice and precious experience!
Also, the being more efficient part is good to hear, but difficult to imagine. Well, certainly, speaking two languages is a quite demanding task, but I simply cannot see the connection between being more efficient and speaking two languages.
Finally, having a potential advantage when talking about Alzheimer is very reassuring as I believe that Alzheimer is one of the worst illnesses to face.
Knowing about the history of a language is very helpful.
As far as it concerns me, Hindi is an indogerman language and therefore related to German and Latin. Since I know those two languages, I have an advantage and I know to which language I can refer to when learning new structures. This includes two main parts of a language: vocabs and grammar. Unfortunately, intonation might be different, as it is very variable depending on the people speaking it.
Also, in Hindi there are a lot of Arabic and Farsi influences as the mughals were speaking these languages. So, today there are some words which are of Arabic or Farsi origin. One example would be "Thank you". The Arabic version is "sukriya" whereas the original Indian version is "dhanyavad".
As I my goals do not include learning how to read and write in my target language, I cannot go much into detail about reading Hindi.
However, I do know some grammar. In Hindi the verb is always at the end of the sentence. This might be awkward for native English speakers. For me, as I have learned Latin in high-school, it is not and in fact, I can actually relate to Latin, when learning Hindi grammar. So, apart from the fact that the verb in Hindi and Latin comes at last in a sentence, another special grammar rule is how to express possession of something. Again, this is similar to Latin' s "Dativus possessivus". Here, possession is expressed with the third case and not the first.
In Korea, body language plays a big role in every day interactions. Korea's language is based off of Confucianism and has strong foundation for hierarchy. For example, one of my cultural presenations focused on meal and drinking etiquette in Korea. When beginning a meal, it is important to wait to be seated. Always wait for the oldest people to sit down before you take a seat at the table. Before eating, especially when you are a guest, it is also polite to say that you are looking forward to the meal (jalmukesumneda/I will eat well). This sentence is said with a bow with the head. Similar phrases such as "anyonghaseyo/hello (formal)" is also done with a bow with the head to signify respect. Any time you talk to someone older or respectful, possibly through rank or social status, always talk with the formal tense.
When refilling your drink, it is important to pour drinks for others first, especially those senior to you. If you are accepting a drink, accept the drink with both hands. When pouring drinks for elders, rest your free hand under your wrist of your pouring hand. Finally, when you are done eating your meal, it is important to thank the host for the meal (masegaemugusuyo/I ate well). Just like before, with a bow of the head. Make sure you do not leave leftovers! It is rude not to finish your plate! Also something to keep in mind, if there is a sign indicating not to tip, do not tip the waiters. It is considered rude in Korea to tip!
Other social linguistic aspects is that Koreans never point with their index finger, or signal someone to come over with the index finger. These kinds of motions are done for animals, for example, telling a dog to come over. Instead, one should use the whole hand to indicate a motion. When signalling a child, for example, to come over, use the palm (face down) in a sort of patting motion.
In Korean business culture, it is expected to show up on time. Just like American culture, it is okay to be late, but not often. However, if it involves more leisurely activities, there is no emphasis on being punctual. It is expected to be on time, but it is okay if you are not. The more important thing to address is accommodating the elders. If a party is held, it is okay to be late as long as there are enough seats to be distributed for the elders or people of honor.
There is a strange paradox in Korean time, where Koreans are generally late, but are always in a rush. Because of this, there is a running joke of being "on time" and being "Korean on time." Koreans are generally impatient due to the fact that they are often running behind schedule and do not show up on time. Interestingly enough, this may be the cause of the high rate of traffic accidents in Korea.
This attitude is reflected in the Korean language. There is a word in Korean, "ppali" which means "quickly." Korea has a "ppali ppali" culture and people are often seen holding their coffee cups before the coffee has finished dispensing and drinking their beverages before they have even paid for the item.
Also, in relation to business culture and meeting new people, Koreans consider it impolite to be touched by someone who is not a relative or close friend. Avoid eye contact between senior members.
I'm having trouble uploading my videos from my imovie. I'm going to keep trying. I do have my 4 artifacts I'll send them to you via email.
Dari%20cultural%20presentation%20.ppt Here is my powerpoint presentation. =) I went on the same night as a lot of people, but the one student's presentation that I found fascinating was the student who presented on Russia and the Ukraine. It was very detailed and I couldn't follow all of it, but I was fascinated with his perspective as someone with ties on both sides. I wish that it hadn't been so late in the evening and there hadn't been so many presenters because I would have loved have been able to really let what he was saying sink in. I know so little about the situation in the Ukraine. Here is my works cited.
I kept my journal entries as one running Word document and I have attached it below. =) Dari%20Journal%20.doc
Dear Dr Sharon and Dr Grove,
I have done my Artifact evaluations as comments to the artifacts. Also, my artifacts are the three I have uploaded on my blog (a song, introduction, and comic) and my last artifact is on Azmain's page (dialogue of asking a guy out). My Teaching Activity was based on vocabulary hence I have done that as a comment on my blog about vocabulary (Journal 5). Thank you!
Best,
Gargi
Artifact 4: babel2.richmond.edu/web2/sdlapstudents/krystinartifact4.pptx
Artifact 2: babel2.richmond.edu/web2/sdlapstudents/krystinartifact2.ppt
GOOGLE DRIVE LINKS
Artifact 2 on Google Drive (shared)
Artifact 3 on Google Drive (shared)
Artifact 4 on Google Drive (shared)
Nirshiee Arumugam
SDL 105
Final Reflection Paper
4/30/14
I am very happy that I decided to take the Self-Directed Learning Course this semester. It has proved to be a challenging, yet rewarding experience for me. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to learn a language that I have always had an interest in learning.
In the beginning of the semester, I outlined my goals and what it is what that I wanted to learn. I mainly wanted to focus on speaking because I know I would be able to utilize that skill more frequently than reading and writing. At the end of the semester, at the very least, I wanted to be able to introduce myself and make small talk. I can confidently say that I can now do that. However, I realized that I was not able to accomplish the many goals I set for myself. There is only so much I can learn in one semester. I could probably only learn and retain ten vocabulary words per week. Although I would move on to new topic each week, I sometimes would forget what I learned the past week, so my language partner and I would take time reviewing previous lessons. Because we did this, sometimes we ran out of time and did not accomplish all that we hoped for.
In addition, one major challenge I faced, which I have previously mentioned in one of my blogs, was the self-directed learning aspect of the class. When I signed up for the class, I do not think I fully comprehended the meaning of self-directed learning. I think because I was so used to a strict syllabus with quizzes, exams, papers, etc. it took me a while to get used to this new learning style. I realized I had to push myself more during the middle of the semester when things got busy. It was easy to prioritize other classes, so I had to make a conscious effort to set time out of my day to review Hindi. One thing I wished we had was a workbook that we could keep with us throughout the semester. I was able to use some references from the global studio, but we were told we could not take them with us. When I learn I like to write and underline in my books, so not having a workbook or textbook was a bit hard. However, I found some cool online resources that I was able to use that were able to suffice for the time being.
Something I really enjoyed about SDL 105 was our group discussions in dhall. I really enjoyed reading the assigned articles, as they offered more insight into the tie between culture and language. We had some very meaningful discussions that I have incorporated into my language learning skills. Through these discussions as well as our cultural presentations, I was able to learn about the different cultures and languages my fellow peers have been learning. I have always had a love for learning about different cultures, so I really enjoyed listening to others’ presentations.
Overall, I have had a very productive and enjoyable experience this semester. Learning a brand new language, at this point is not an easy task. I am glad I was able to do so while still in college. However, I hope to continue my study of Hindi and hopefully one day get the chance to travel to India.
