Blogs

Greetings%20And%20Introduction.m4a

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1bvHcLTnOIR

Over the summer I thought it would be a good idea to order some books on Amazon that were in Swedish so I could practice my reading and expand my vocabulary. I, of course, decided to get all three of the "Dragon Tattoo" books because they were originally published in Swedish. I had also already read the books in English and had seen the three Swedish movies and first American movie. The first time I sat down to "read" the first book entitled "Man som hatar kvinnor", literally "Men who hate women" (whereas the American version is just called "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"), it took me an entire hour to read the first few pages. I had to google translate basically every other word and filled the blank spaces between the text with their English counterparts.

Although this was incredibly tedious at first, the more I translated the more comfortable I was becoming with reading the book. It definitely did help that I had some idea of where the plot was going and that a lot of Swedish words are similar to their English counterparts. I also began to realize that I was constantly looking up the same words and then immediately forgetting them on the next page so I began a system where if I saw a word I SHOULD be familiar with I would underline it and then I made a separate sheet of paper as a vocabulary list in my own handwriting with those words and their English translations. By the time I was a few chapters in to the first book I had an entire pages for prepositions, one for adverbs, and one for commonly used verbs. I found this to be very helpful and by the end I had inadvertantly memorized a lot of words and phrases!

Reading in Swedish, however, did prove to be difficult because sentence construction is quite different from English and because the book used a lot of colloquialism that I had a hard time translating and also used phrases unique to the Swedish language that either couldn't be translated directly into English or did not make any sense outside their Swedish context. Sentence construction was hard for me to understand because I do not know Swedish grammar rules and therefore couldn't understand why, unlike in English, some sentences begin with the verb rather than the pronoun. So like if in English I would say "She ate a salad", there would be times in Swedish where it would look like "Ate she a salad" which made very little sense to me. And naturally there were many times where I would translate something literally and then the translation wouldn't make sense. For instance if you wanted to say "Starting from..." in Swedish you would say "Från och med...", which literally means "From and with...", which kind of makes sense but stil isn't exactly the same as "Starting from..."!!!

105-%20Reflection%20%231.docx

Here's a cool link I found about how to survive a Swedish dinner party!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoWo8EvTWeE

I found this video to be really interesting because part of the reason I am learning Swedish is because my boyfriend and his family are from Helsingborg, Sweden and I'd like to be able to communicate with them in the future! I also really like learning about Swedish culture and comparing it to my experiences.

Some interesting lessons that I learned from the demonstration are that in Swedish culture you cannot start drinking until everyone has said "skol" and done a very elaborate toast that involves nodding at everyone at the table individually. Likewise, after you have taken the first sip of your drink you cannot put the glass back down until everyone has nodded with everyone again! I learned from my boyfriend's family that this gets even more technical as their are rules that apply to the different genders (for instance the time you wait before drinking depends on your gender).

Additionally, I found this clip to be fascinating because the narrator made a large point to say that Swedes in general tend to be very prompt people, they think it is very rude to show up late, and they never arrive more than 15 minutes after a party is set to start. In my experience, the Swedes I know are the LEAST prompt people. I always say that my boyfriend and his family must use a different scale for time because somehow they are always too optimistic about how much time they have to do a task and end up running late.

This has been a really interesting first week! Ultimately I am really happy that my Swedish tutor is teaching both me and Malory at the same time. Swedish is a language that has many sounds and especially vowels that are hard for Americans to say, without practice. Therefore, I've already found it to be so helpful that I can meet up with Malory and check with her to see if she thinks I am pronouncing a word like Louise had in our meeting! 

I also have been finding that it is very helpful, when I am learning new words in Swedish, to think of how I would say that word in Spanish. I took Spanish all through high school and some of college so I feel pretty comfortable with that language and being able to relate Swedish vocabulary especially back to Spanish has been a good tool for me.

This week I have also discovered that looking for youtube videos of people speaking Swedish and even podcasts on Itunes in Swedish has been helpful because I think getting used to hearing the language is important because then you can just implicitly understand what is being said.

This week Louise taught (and struggled with) Malory and me how to pronounce Swedish vowels. This was rather difficult because to my untrained ears they all sound very similar. In addition, Swedish has three more vowels than English and one of those vowels is I sound I never make in my daily speaking in English! Although it was/is hard to get all the vowels right, I've already discovered that knowing how to say vowels makes it so much easier to know how to pronounce a word just by looking at it. For instance, the word for "yellow" in Swedish is "gul". The first time I said it aloud I pronounced it "guhhhl". But, once I knew that "u" in Swedish is pronounced "ewwww", I knew that the word "gul" should be pronounced more like "geewwwwl".

I've really enjoyed this first week of practicing my Swedish with Louise and Malory and I'm excited for the weeks to come!

 Omar and I met twice for one hour each this week. Since I don’t know a word of Urdu, we have started to work on Urdu alphabet in the first session. I learned how to pronounce and write each letter in Urdu. We also had a basic conversation in Urdu. It was great and i was so excited to start speaking. So I am able to introduce myself and say some basic introduction sentences. On the next session, we worked on making some short sentences. I learned how to pronounce those sentences and differentiate the verbs and propositions. I have written down everything and I am practicing by myself as well to get fluent on saying the sentences and using the words in the sentences. We worked on some conjunction words as well as their usage.

1. Enrich vocabulary
2. work on pronunciation
3. work on reading without vowels
4. work on speaking with Emily
5. learn to construct correct sentences
6. work on spelling and texting

 To do this we will:

     Read short stories (once Emily can find a couple online)

     Watch youtube videos in Hebrew about something

     Work through my workbook

Lessons will be:  15 minutes of talking in Hebrew about:  our day, school, life, the weekend, and trying to incorporate words that we are learning in the workbook and the short stories

Emily and I met a couple of times this week and spoke Hebrew and I was able to go through 10 more pages of my book.

The following are some of the words I was able to learn:  

“Figuring Foreigners Out”

The book “Figuring Foreigners Out” was written by Graig Storti to help you understand why people of other countries think and act the way they do. We live and work in a multicultural world so it is important to know about other cultures, religions, ethnicities and traditions. Basically this book can help you to learn about them.  I agree with Storti about the notion that “Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity are no longer just the subjects of college course but they are basic survival skills for almost everyone” (p,3).  On the other hand, I disagree with Storti’s notion that “It is not possible to talk about culture, about groups of people, without making generalizations” (p, 4). I think it is not a good idea to make generalization and assumptions about other cultures or religions. Generalization leads to misunderstanding and stereotypes about other cultures, religions and ethnicities. It is important to have facts and accurate information and knowledge about other cultures, religions and people of different backgrounds.

What is culture? The first chapter of the books starts with the definition of culture. Storti defines culture as “the shared assumptions, values and beliefs of a group of people which result in characteristics behaviors” (p, 5). Chapter one ends with three exercises to make the readers ready for the coming chapters.  I like the definition of culture but I disagree with the idea of “the shared assumption”.  I think there should not be assumptions about or within cultures. Culture is the way different people live, think, worship, and speak and more.  Culture is beautiful and different and there is nothing to assume about them.  You can learn about them though.  For example, culture and religion has nothing to do with Al-Qaeda but many people in the US assume that all Muslims are terrorists and their religion is the cause of it. Another example is the KKK in the US. Many people abroad might assume that all White and Christian Americans were part of this extremist group. It is not like that. All Muslims are not terrorists and all White Americans were not part of KKK.  Ninety nine percent of Muslims and White Americans hate these both fanatic and extremist groups.  None of them represent the two nations and religions. See how assumption and generalization leads to misunderstandings and stereotypes about other cultures and religions.  Facts and accurate knowledge and information are important about cultures.  Over all, I like the book and the exercises. It definitely makes one to think and to learn about other cultures. 

The human brain acts as command central for language and communication which controls both physical and mental components of talking and speech. There are two hemispheres in the human brain which each one of them plays different rules. The two hemispheres are thought to contribute to the processing and understanding of language. First the left hemisphere processes the linguistic meaning or rhythm, stress and intonation of connected speech. On the other hand, right hemisphere processes the emotions conveyed by rhythm, stress intonation of connected speech.  Studies showed that if a child has damage to the left hemisphere, the child may develop language in the right hemisphere.  The example for how the brain handles language can be like below example. When you start speaking, sounds begin as your breath expels from the lungs.  On its journey to the mouth, the air vibrates as it’s forced through the vocal cords. Mouth, nose and tongue help this vibrating air to create sound waves.  As the sound waves come out the other person hears and process to understand it. It is important to mention that the left hemisphere contains the specialized language areas.  Also the way we think and behave affects the structure of our language.  Some areas of the brain that handles the language are Wernicke’s area which processes visual and spoken information. Auditory cortex processes spoken words. Visual cortex processes written words. Broca’s area triggers speech production.  Motor cortex controls physical aspects of the speech.  Broca area which was named after Paul Broca processes the grammar aspects and distinguishes a sentence in passive form from other simpler tense.

In the Figuring Foreigners Out, the author talks about the two ends of how different cultures identify themselves, communicate and perceive things. While discussing these two opposite poles, Storti repeatedly mentions how individuals in these cultures are more likely to identify with the pole that their culture identifies with. To me this statement seems like a generalization. Storti does not take into consideration the fact that cultures are more permeable and malleable due to increased mobility. He only accounts for those individuals who are born and raised in their country surrounded by their culture which influences how they identify themselves and perceive the world around them. 

With the globalization more and more people are likely to live in different countries throughout their lives and experience different cultures. The contact with other cultures changes and enriches one’s self-identity and perception, so that they no longer believe in the same things as their collective culture does. More and more people identify as multi-cultural not because their ancestors are from different countries but because they have absorbed aspects of different cultures in order to form a unique identity just for themselves. These people don’t identify with a specific cultural group or country. They belong to neither of the cultures but at the same time to some extinct they can identify with all of them. I am one of those people. Throughout my 19 years I have lived in 5 different countries absorbing aspects of  each culture and forming my own identity. I don’t identify with the collective Afghani culture but at the same time I am not completely American or Uzbeki. I am somewhere in between were the Storti’s statement does not apply. 

“It is the interaction between words and sentence structure which actually conveys our ‘sense of sense’.” When it comes to learning a new language, vocabulary is essential to a successful learning experience. If you don’t know the words then you are not able to communicate, but at the same time if you only learn vocabulary, you wouldn't be able to convey your message to the listener. One has to learn the word in the context that it is used. What I mean by that is not just memorize all the words in the dictionary but learn how to use them in different situations. For that one has to learn basic grammar of the desired language and the culture in which it is used. Different cultures have different words that have specific meanings in that culture that is completely different from the meaning that you would find in a dictionary. 

Throughout my learning experience I never used a dictionary or any kind of translator device. In my experience most words in addition to having a literal meaning, also has a cultural meaning. For example I learned the meaning of ‘cool’ when I came to the US. Before moving here to me it just meant cold and I was really confused when people used it to express acceptance or approval. Only later I learned what it meant by listening to others use it. In my opinion the quickest way to be able to communicate in another language is to learn the basic vocabulary but also learn how to use it properly within that cultural context. 

What is your interest in 'your' language and what do you hope to accomplish this semester ?

I am taking Korean mainly because Korea represents one of the most important market for my start-up company. Korea is known as the gaming capital of the world and it is exactly what we are targeting: a passionate gaming population. By consequence, learning Korean would help me developing partnerships with the local distribution channel. 

By the end of the semester I am hopping to have a basic knowledge of greetings/introduction, being able to read koran sentences, and finally to have a basic set of vocabulary words and phrases I could use fluently.

As mentioned in my first bi-weekly report, my language partner had me attempt to translate a synopsis about the show Afghan Star from Dari into English. Frankly, this translation is not perfect, but I think I was able to touch upon the general them of what was being said - there were differently some areas and words in which I needed my language partner's help, though.

پس از پشتِ سرگزاریِ چند دهه جنگ و آرامش نسبی افغانستان، به میان آمدن رسانه های دیداری و شنیداری نخستین گامی بود که برداشته شد، درمیان رسانه های که ظهور کردند یکی هم تلویزیون طلوع بود که راهی میدان رسانه ها شد. دیری از روی کار آمدنِ این تلویزیون نشده بود که این رسانه مردم را با یکی از پر طرفدار ترین برنامه هایش یعنی ( جشنواره ستاره افغان) آشنا کرد. این برنامه خیلی زود در دلِ جوانان و مردم جا باز کرد تا این اندازه که آخرهرهفته همه چشم به راه از راه رسیدن این برنامه بودند تا با هیجانِ صدا و سرودش مهمان خانه ها .شود و ستاره های درخشنده ای را به آن ها معرفی کند

After many years of war in Afghanistan, it was important to reintroduce radio and television; Tolo TV did this. Its most popular show is Afghan Star. The show was an instant success as each weekend people would watch the show in their homes and hear the new stars. 

درکل یکی از دست‌ آورد های این جشنواره؛ رشد و پالایش موسیقی بوده که تاثیرگزاری آن را نمی شود روی موسیقی ما نادیده گرفت. این جشنواره از آغاز روی کار‌آمدن تا حال همه ساله بدون وقفه برگزار شده و تا حال هشت دور خود را پشتِ سر گزاشته است و حال وارد دور نهم می شود. در این دور هم مانند دور های پیشین داوران و کاروان ستاره افغان به ولایت های زون سفر خواهند داشت و از میان کسانی که .از پیش برای شرکت در این جشنواره نام نویسی کرده اند، ستاره های خود را گزینش خواهند کرد

The show has had a big impact on the music industry in Afghanistan. The show has been on air each year - it has eight seasons and soon a ninth.

I used the first two weeks of the semester as a refresher for what I learned during SDLC 110 and 111. I needed a little more time to get back to the level I felt I had ended SDLC 111 at mainly because I had not taken Dari since Fall 2012. Therefore, not undergoing intensive self-taught language learning over the course of nine months has slowed down my progress in some ways. However, compared to previous semesters, I noticed that I had retained much more knowledge. It was great to see that even after taking a semester off from my self-taught language learning that I was still capable of writing and reading at a level near was I was at when SDLC 111 concluded.

Furthermore, my language partner and I also spent some time reviewing my goals for the semester and laying out a learning calendar for how to proceed with the semester ahead of us. I concluded that I wanted to maintain a balanced approach with my language learning. As I result, my language partner and I formulated a plan for me to work on my writing, reading / comprehension and speaking / pronunciation each week. My language partner and I also got to speaking about my past participation in the course; which ended up delving into a conversation about my cultural presentation in SDLC 110 about the show Afghan Star. As a result, she had me translate a short synopsis on what the show was about as a fun way to gauge my proficiency as the semester begins - you can learn more about my translation by reading my first artifact. 

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1T86z0uPcQy

Attached below is a copy of my learning plan for this semester. It includes seven tasks which touch upon: interpersonal communication, interpretive listening, interpretive reading, presentational speaking and presentational writing. 

Learning Plan (w/o Self-Assessment)

Emily and I have talked about two cultural learning goals for Israel.  

   #1  Learn about the Refugee epidemic in Israel.   While I was in Israel this summer I did a walk through of Tel Aviv and learned that there are a lot of difficulties in Israel in regards to refugees.  I want to explore this issue in more depth.  To do this I will be reading news reports and doing online research.   

    #2   Children's Cartoons.   Watching cartoons as a child gives children a basis for what is acceptable and what is wrong.  I will be watching and analyzing children's cartoons in order to learn more about the basic concepts that all Israelis have at heart.  

By learning more about these two subjects I hope to learn more about the political nature of Israel through the learning of the refugee situation and the children's cartoons.  

SDLS-reflection1.docx