I really really want to a Senegalese restaurant sometime soon, but Richmond doesn't have any. In the meantime, I'll be putting my own cooking skills to test! I found the recipe for Theiboudienne online. This may or may not work. I haven't tried to do yet but I'll add a link below to the recipe that I've found online.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eAoQIXVi6c
This song is called Birima, another by Youssou Ndour. I've learned the important of oral traditions and storytelling in Francophone Africa through my French classes. The storyteller is often called the griot. This video allowed me to see what a modern-day griot looks like. NDour is telling a story about the beloved Birima and his selflessness. He also uses traditional instruments and sounds to accommodate his lyrics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QETFUmBwKoA
Rama introduced me to Youssou N'Dour at the beginning of the semester. Though I cannot give direct translations of all of the lines YET, the message throughout the video and the song have become clear to me. Mbeugeul is All means loves and compassion for all. Both in a relationship sense and in a familial sense, the song traces this idea of love and what it can do for people.
Muusaa: Asalaa maalekum.
Lauren: Maalekum salaam Peace be upon you
M: Nanga def? How are you doing?
L: Maangi fi rekk I’m fine.
M: Naka waa kër gi? How is the family?
L: Nungi fii They are fine.
M: Noo tudd? What’s your name?
L: Lauren laa tudd, yow nag? My name is Lauren, and you?
M: Muusaa laa tudd, Noo sant? My name is Muusaa. What’s your last name?
L: Becker laa sant. My last name is Becker.
M: man, Jòop la. Foo jóge? Me, it is Diop. Where are you from?
L: Maryland laa jóge. I come from Maryland.
M: Foo dëkk léegi? Where do you live now?
L: Cees laa dëkk léegi. I live in Thies now.
M: Americain nga? Are you American?
L: Waaw, americain laa. Yes, I’m American
M: Looy liggéey? What is your profession?
L : Wolonteer u Corps de la Paix laa. I’m a PeaceCorps Volunteer.
M: Ci ban program ngay liggéey? In which program do you work?
L: Ci mbay laay liggeey. I work in agriculture
M: Am nga jëkkër? Do you have a husband? (Are you married?)
L: Déedéet, amuma jëkkër, Yow nag, am nga jabar? No, I don’t have a husband And you, do you have a wife? (Are you married?), .
M: man itam, amuma jabar. Me neither, I don’t have a wife.
L: Jërëjëf, kon ba benneen yoon Thank you, so see you next time.
M: waaw, ba benneen Yes, see you next.
This dialogue is from an open-source Wolof text. I can proudly say that I understood and can read mostly all of the wolof text! My language partner and I discussed the translations.
Reflect on your learning experiences this semester. (a) What insights have you gained about yourself as a language learner and cultural explorer? What did you find difficult? What have you enjoyed? How will you continue your learning? (b) Which readings and learning activities did you find most useful? What
I’ve prided myself for being a language learner and cultural explorer for most of my academic career. Still, I continue to learn new things about myself every semester. After my semester’s pursuit of Wolof, I know for sure that I have very high expectations for myself. I’m constantly reaching to do my best but biting off more than I can handle. Crafting my own course –deciding the skills necessary to accomplish a goal and following through with the agenda– is something I want to carry with me (and use) in the future. My only problem was not narrowing down my agenda to a couple essential tasks. I can now say that I understand the struggle that professors go through when crafting a syllabus and the corresponding course. There are just so many interesting topics and inquiries that lead me to a plethora of potential course materials. Due to this excitement, I put a lot on myself and eventually got overwhelmed. I enjoyed being able to follow my own agenda and come out on the other side with some of the knowledge that I aimed for. The difficulty here, though, was overcommitting.
My intense curiosity is the foundation for another difficulty I’ve encountered this semester –staying on my agenda track. During the sessions with my language partner and in my own research, I easily get sidetracked due to my inquiries. The material in front of me usually leads to other questions that could perhaps get me off-topic and onto a different road of material. You may have witnessed this in SDLC 105 (: I do think my curiosity and critical thinking skills have propelled my academic career in many ways, I must find the balance. In the future, I’ll continue to allow my inquisitive nature to lurk, but I’ll proactively steer the conversation thread back to the original agenda.
Related to this critical thinking and curiosity piece, I tend to connect ideas and concepts. A couple weeks ago I took the Clifton Strengths assessment to narrow my top five strengths. Two of them were Ideation and Connectedness. These themes became essential for me during SDLC 105 and SDLC 110 1) when I sought to understand and grapple with Senegalese culture and 2) when I sought to connect ideas from SCLC 105 to SDLC 110. The main thing that I enjoyed about SDLC 105 was learning about everyone’s target cultures. If we had a world map and pinned everyone’s corresponding locations, we’d find that everyone had their own nooks and crannies of the world to study. I found lots of connections to Senegalese culture by listening to my peers as they discovered ideals, morals, and traditions reflected in their target cultures.
One of my favorite readings/activities from SDLC 105 the discussion of Hofstede cultural dimensions. I wish we could’ve delved in other philosophical thought to have a more holistic view of this study, but I found in very useful grapple with Senegalese culture using the various dimensions. This discussion also hit on a very important point: cultures are never “this or that”. It’s much more complicated than the simplicity that most outsiders project onto other cultures and people. The reading challenged me to find the balance between learning more about the overarching culture but also realizing that there will be diversity. Overall, this unconventional course has stimulated my thinking in ways that I hadn’t been exposed to before. Thank you for this opportunity!
This cultural post will focus on social factors that affect one's use of formal and informal language register. More specifically, I focus here on the topic of discussion as an influence.
Topic of discussion:
Just like in an American context, the topic of discussion greatly influences one's use of either the formal or informal register. Unlike in the Indonesian context, Americans do not greatly shift in register when transitioning from, say, talking with friends to presenting at a conference. Of course, Americans would speak more coherently (or try to) when at a conference and refrain from incomplete sentences. They shun slouching and irregular intonation.
In Indonesia, however, Indonesians more or less have two different ways of saying a single word -- one considered formal and the other informal. Thus, while gossiping (a mainstay in many circles in Bali, at least) friends or co-workers would generally use the informal register, which denotes a more personal connection. Some words one might hear in a conversation in which gossip is the topic are: Aduh, Kenapa sih, Iya dek, mekasih (oh my gosh, what!?, yeah sister, and thanks, respectively).
At a conference, one would hear a presenter speak in the formal register. Some words that might be used are Bagaimana, iya, terimahkasih, and memaikai (instead of pakai, which is the informal variant) (what/how come, yes (without the use of informal terms of address, like "dek"), thank you, and use (formal), respectively).
Most topics of discussion, however, require a mix of the formal and informal, especially if there is a difference in the social status of the speakers. If there is an extreme social status disparity, one would follow the cue of the person who is considered higher in the hierarchy and would not go off script. However, if it is a lesser disparity, common sense would play a part in determining the parameters of language register use.
I shall be brief with this post as I believe that my learning progress has been documented systematically on Ning.
My goal was simple: Complete Indonesian Grammar In Context (level 3). My learning activities and resources included the variety of activities within each chapter: Oral tasks, written tables and charts, and writing exercises.
This semester, I:
- Reviewed Active and Passive Verb Forms;
- Learned the yang clauses with active and passive verbs;
- Learned the locative function of the verbal suffix-i;
- Learned the prepositions pada, untuk, buat, atas, bagi, sebagi;
- Learned how to narrate from two points of reference;
- Learned the iterative function of the verbal suffix- i;
- Learned the Conjunction untuk and supaya
- The superlative adverb with the expression of quantity;
- The adverb se-asdjective + adjective-nya;
- And much, much more.
With each chapter, I documented my learning by completing most of the activities included in the chapter, some of which were documented on Ning for my artifacts.
I met with my language partner for two hours per week to go over my oral, reading and writing skills and activities.
Lastly, I believe that I documented my cultural and (language) learning in my presentation as well as throughout the semester in my cultural posts. More important, I believe that I learned a great deal about the Indonesian culture. This semester allowed me to better articulate my experience in Bali through my cultrual topic assignments.
I look forward to taking SDLC 113 next semester!
I have learned a great deal about the cultural topic I have been studying throughout the semester. A lot of the knowledge was drawn from my experience in Bali, Indonesia. For example, when I was in Bali, I observed that five social factors influence one's use of the infomal and formal language register. While I was researching in Bali, I had a lot of context with Hindu priests, whom people regard was a great deal of respect. I had noticed that some of the priests with whom I was in contact were a bit off-put when I attempted to speak to them in bahasa Indonesia. Of course, I am still learning Indonesian, and up until that point, most of my studies focused on the more practical side of the language, like survival vocabulary and informal slang. What's more, Hindu priests in Bali generally speak bahasa Bali so as to further insulate the culture and therefore preserve it. It is also a source of legitimacy among the local population, signaling a sense of respect for the culture. Of course, not all priests were jaded at my formal Indonesian. In fact, the majority were welcoming. But, Balinese culture is strong, and if one veers off its course or script, he or she can be ostracized.
The relationship between speakers is another factor that influences one's use of register type. For example, a professor at a university in Bali supervised my research last summer. Professors (and teachers in general) are treated with a great deal of respect. It is deeply ingrained in the Balinese culture. So, at first, I approached him with a reserve and respect commensurate with the cultural context. However, and it is a big "however" (as in all cultures, rules are meant to be broken), as time went one, he and I developed a close relationship, and the norms governing the social interaction were quickly relaxed. We would speak in English half the time, and we would go to the cafe to brainstorm and dinners with his family.
I can go on and on about the social factors that influence one's use of the formal and informal language register type. As far as I can tell, there are three more contexts/factors that influence register type: Setting, the topic of conversation, and medium (email, texting, etc.). The use of formal and informal language register type is manifested in one's word choice (informal or formal verbs), the use of address terms, and sentence structure and length.
As you can tell, I learned a great deal not only about my cultural project but also about the Balinese culture more broadly this semester.
This was my first experience teaching myself an entire course on my own. I found the task difficult, but very rewarding. It was a long journey to learning just a little bit of Bahasa Indonesian. Besides learning the language, I also learned a lot about the culture.
I found the cultural aspects of Indonesia very interesting. After doing the cultural presentations, I learned about the influence of different countries on the islands, the current political climate, and what living in Indonesia is like. The history of the country is filled with occupation, invasion, and differing ideas. Each island has its own culture that is completely unique. Together, the islands make up the country of Indonesia, but it is false to equate that to a unity amongst the different islands. Due to the history of the Dutch trading company and Chines migrants, the culture is unique. It is a mixture of indigenous ideals and western and eastern philosophies. In many ways, the country is a melting pot much like the United States. Different groups have left different impacts on the country. The Dutch have influenced cuisine, the Chines have advanced the economy, and the indigenous Indonesians have brought their history and culture. This has led to a country that is very segmented and, at times, antagonistic toward different groups. I think learning and understanding these differences is as important as learning the language.
As far as learning the language, the class was extremely helpful in preparing me. At first, the task seemed daunting. Trying to learn an entire language is a difficult goal to achieve. At times, I felt like I was learning the language quickly and easily. At other times, I felt like I was going nowhere. The most important aspect I realized was to keep trying. Whether I was confident or not in a lesson, I reviewed it several times to try and learn a lesson backwards and forwards. The most valuable characteristic of learning is devoting time. With this class, I found that easy because I really enjoyed the language, the history, and the culture of Indonesia. Even when I had nothing to do, I would pull up an Indonesian business newspaper online and try to see what I could understand. This led me to vocabulary and grammar questions that I could discuss with Thalia. Using professional, outside resources helped me to put my learning in perspective. I was able to see what I know and how far I am from being able to function in the country.
Having Thalia as a resource as I was learning was extremely useful. When learning a foreign language, it is difficult to know what is the “book way” to say something and what is the common “slang way” to say something. There were countless times where Thalia was able to tell us to ignore some vocabulary or some grammar rules because they do not apply to how most people communicate in the country. Having a native speaker is a huge advantage to SDLC students. Their guidance, suggestions, and lessons, are all based on our individual learning plans, and it helps the students to focus on a few tasks that are important to them. Their personal knowledge can only be gained from experience. In language, this is very useful.
Finally, it was great to have someone else learning the language with me. Kevin and I helped each other with questions and worked together on one presentation. We could learn differently on our own, but by coming together, we were able to solidify our knowledge of individual lessons. We would meet up and test each other’s vocabulary, discuss previous grammar lessons over dinner, and we studied for the final together. It was helpful to have a friend who was as dedicated as I was at learning the language. I am sure I would have been able to learn the language without another student taking the same language, but it was very helpful to have him there.
I greatly enjoyed my SDLC 105 and SDLC 110 classes. Taking both classes together helped me bring different aspects to different classes. 105 made me dissect the language and look at it in its simplest form. It also helped me to draw connections to other languages I know. 110 helped me learn the major points of the language so that I will one day be able to visit the country. I am looking forward to my next semester with Thalia. I hope that my basic understanding will grow each semester so that I will be close to fluent by the time I graduate in a year. I hope to learn more about the specifics of the culture and as much vocabulary as I can in my future lessons. One aspect I want to bring to Thalia next semester is to create a vocabulary list full of useful words and phrases. Hopefully we can focus on a section every week so that I can learn the entire list by the end. The only thing I would like to change is my lesson plan. I think my lesson plan needs to be more realistic next semester. After learning how difficult some tasks are, I think I will be better prepared next semester.
This semester I learned about grammar, sentence structure, movies, slangs, song lyrics, history, politics, and landmarks. While 110 focused on conversational Korean, in 111 we went more in-depth with Korean culture. This was a semester full of new knowledge as I knew very little about Korea's history. From important democracy movements to major political events, I came to realize the milestones in Korean history.
A learning task of mine this semester was to learn more about Korea's culture in regard to its historical landmarks as well as politics. Listening to my classmates' presentations on topics such as Taekwondo, Kimchi, the June Struggle (democracy movement), and other national landmarks satisfied my curiosity.
Hand gestures:
"Come here" - Korea: palm down (never palm up or fingering), US: does not matter
money - Korea: circle with your index and thumb, like the "OK" sign, US: nowadays... index and middle finger rubbing against the thumb
posing for pictures - Korea: cheese sign, "V" victory sign, hide your face, flower face, US: pointing, "1"
For the cultural presentation, I presented on South Korean national symbols. I talked about the flag (taegukki), the tiger, the rose of sharon, and Admiral Lee Soon-Shin. Attached is my powerpoint for my presentation.
In order to get familiar with hand gestures, we went through the acceptable and unacceptable gestures from Korea as well as the US. Hand gestures that are acceptable in the US might be considered very offensive and rude in Korea. Gestures like "come here" with the palm facing up should not be used in Korea at all, while it is completely fine in the US. In Korea, people would gesture it with the palm facing down. This is helpful to know before possibly traveling to South Korea.
While learning about Korean sentence structure and grammar, it is also crucial to study casual conversational Korean. Therefore, in class we learned about Korean pop songs, movies, and entertainment shows to get introduced to Korean slangs that one wouldn't see in textbooks. Koreans tend to utilize a lot of slangs, so it might be helpful to learn "conversational" Korean before "textbook" Korean.
Continuing from 110, I still keep a personal dictionary of Korean words that I stumbled upon, translated into English on my phone. This allows me to always go back to it and recall certain vocabulary that I have had trouble with. Once you go back to look at it a few times for the spelling and pronunciation, you begin to memorize it and that's when you can take that word out of your dictionary.
I presented on a historical site in South Korea called the Hwaseong Fortress. To summarize the national landmark:
It is: A wall built under Joseon’s Jeongjo’s rule, Started in 1794 and finished in 1796, and Located in the heart of Suwon.
Attached is my powerpoint! Hwaseong%20Fortress.pptx
In preparation for my final exam in Bahasa Indonesian, I started to review my notes, the study guide Thalia made, and the study guide that I made. After seeing how much I have accomplished this semester, I finally feel like I have learned a lot. When going week by week, it is difficult to realize just how much material I have covered. This semester, I have learned the numerical system, tenses, grammar rules for specific question words, and vocabulary. While I do not have it all memorized, I do know a fairly large portion of the material. I am confident in my ability to take my existing knowledge and add to it in future lessons with Thalia next semester. I feel that I have found some good study habits for vocabulary, and I have also learned what methods of learning work best for me. Without using flashcards and recordings of the language, I would be lost in the class. The semester was difficult, but it is rewarding to see how much I was able to teach myself the language.
There are so many different kinds of Turkish dishes.
Köfte : A Turkish staple, köfte is balls or patties of ground beef or lamb, and can be served stewed, in sandwiches, over salads, or plain with yogurt.
Mantı: Mantı might remind you of ravioli at first sight, but the traditional Turkish dish is completely unique in taste and texture. Small beef or lamb dumplings are boiled or fried and served with yogurt or butter, and often accompanied with a range of spices.
Kuzu Tandır: The meat for this popular lamb dish is traditionally hung and slow roasted whole, and it often served with rice or potatoes, and yogurt.
Lahmacun: This flat and crispy bread is traditionally topped with minced meat, salad, and lemon juice (thought the above is a beetroot vegan option!), and can be wrapped, folded in half, or pulled apart to eat. Cheap and available on any street corner, it's the perfect light lunch or snack while touring.
Börek: Turkish savoury pastry comes in many varieties, most popularly filled with minced meat or spinach and cheese. Börek can be rolled, served as puffs, or layered like lasagna, and served for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. Anyway you have it, börek is always flaky and delicious.
Source: 27 Delicious Turkish Foods Everyone Must Try by Chelsey Pippin
