Blogs

This week was great for exploring resources and settling in on ideas of what topics I would like to focus my independent study on.

I have bookmarked a number of sources in the following categories:

* news sites

* modern Israeli slang

* university websites and journal sources

* vocabulary builders

* political cartoon site

Reading through some of the articles has given me insight that I will need to work on vocabulary at a more advanced and subject specific level in order to understand the political topics that I am interested in. 

Now that Sharon and I have met to discuss a learning plan, I look forward to combining my political interests with a more casual gauge of the modern Israeli language by reading a contemporary author's novel, writing about, and gaining some of the vocabulary that I have lost since leaving Israel in the 6th grade.

I feel like I have good grasp on language learning. I speak another language called Kannada (it's a language spoken mainly in the state of Karnataka in Southern India). Actually, this was the very first language I spoke before I started speaking English. I learned this language when I was a child by listening and communicating with my parents who would only speak to me in Kannada. I also studied Japanese for three years in high school, but I had forgotten most of it by the time I signed up for a semester of it at the University of Richmond. In total, I've studied Japanese for three years + a semester. I have some understanding of the Korean language which I am starting to study through SDLAP. I taught myself how to read and write, but I still need a lot of practice to become proficient. I understand certain Korean words and phrases. 

I think I'm the type of language learner that learns by listening and repeating to communicate. It's how I learned Kannada and how I've been teaching myself Korean. The things you learn in textbooks might not always help in real life. Practicing speech and pronunciation is best for me. If I want to explore a language, I will start by watching movies and dramas or listening to music in that language because it gives me a better sense of the language than learning solely from a textbook. I think I should expand my learning activities through more listening and speaking exercises. 

My first meeting with Brigid, my language partner, was kind of just an introduction meeting. We mostly talked about what I already knew. We practiced a bit of reading since I knew how to read Korean already and we discussed what I wanted to accomplish by the end of the semester. I thought it was nice for us to actually discuss what I wanted to learn and how we would proceed with our coming classes. 

Language learning has always been something I have enjoyed, but slightly struggled with.  Traditional ways of learning such as repetition, flash cards, memorization, etc. never seemed to work for me.  Only after studying abroad four times (Guatemala, Spain, India, and Brazil) and coming in contact with three new languages have I began to understand my unique language learning style.

Generally I am a very independent learner.  I prefer working alone rather than in groups, because I value time to plan and think things through before starting.  According to the FIRE Model for Integrative Thinking, this makes me an Insightful learner.  When I applied my learning style to new languages however, I did not get the same positive results I received in other subjects.  As I have now come to understand, this is primarily due to the fact that I learn languages best through music and interpersonal interactions (according to the Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences surveys), contrary to my typical learning style.  Sitting in a classroom or studying by myself reviewing conjugation, grammar, and vocabulary did not yield the results I wanted.  On the other hand, going to concerts and movies, joining dance classes, and hanging out with new local friends enabled me to acquire Hindi, Spanish, and Portuguese with tremendous speed. 

My situation is unique in MLC 105, because I am not simultaneously registered in MLC 110.  My goal in taking MLC 105 is to continue to learn strategies of learning and maintaining the languages I have acquired thus far.  I no longer remember most of the Hindi I learned in India, so I would like to begin the process of picking it up again.  I have just returned from Brazil for a semester abroad, and my Portuguese is therefore fairly good as of now.  I would like to continue improving in it.  In order to stick to these goals, I will try to actively seek out activities that allow me to practice these languages with other speakers and will also continue to listen to music in these languages.

My experiences as a language learner, while they have been short lived, have been extremely fulfilling. My experience in Spanish has enabled me to travel to multiple Spanish speaking countries and relate to natives in a more profound way than I would have ever been able to knowing only English. The only thing I do not enjoy about languages is how quickly I lose my proficiency when there is absence of practice. I am a quick auditory learner. I benefit most from speaking languages out loud with others, because I commit what I hear and say to my memory much faster than what I see. I believe that once I become proficient in speaking I must challenge myself to commit more time and energy to visual learning styles. I look forward to furthering my experiences with foreign language and using it to experience new cultures.

Spanish is the only language the I have learned in a classroom setting. I have taken Spanish courses throughout elementary school, high school, and here at Richmond. I would say that I have an intermediate grasp of the language. Learning Spanish has been an arduous yet rewarding experiencing. 

What I have enjoyed most in learning Spanish is noticing how my proficiency in the language has improved. For instance, I recently completed LAIS 221, and I now have a much easier time understanding shows or newscasts on Spanish television channels. Additionally, I like when language learning builds on my ability to hold conversations in that language. Certainly it is important to understand a language; however, being able to properly communicate with others is crucial, and helps improve knowledge of that language.

The most frustrating part of learning a language is that a significant amount of time is always required. Usually, I find that I have to spend a good amount of time memorizing what I learn, understand it conceptually, and then I can apply what I learn to writing or conversation; this especially case with different tenses and conjugations. Furthermore, I tend to forget what I have learned rather quickly if I have not spoken the language, or learned more in terms of structure or vocabulary. 

If I had to chose one aspect of the FIRE model to describe myself as learner, it would be "insightful." Through learning Spanish I have found that I retain what I have learned best when I am tasked with applying what I have learned (e.g. compositions, cultural readings, comprehension questions, conservation). 

Considering my time spent studying Spanish, when trying to learn Farsi I think there are a couple of ways to expand my learning activities. Once I am able to get a basic understanding of reading and writing in the language, I think reading children's books would be a useful tool to reinforce what I have learned; they often use simple sentence structure and vocabulary. In addition, I should take the time to watch programs and listen to music in Farsi to help increase my knowledge; I found this to be something very useful in learning Spanish, but I only recently took advantage of it during LAIS 221. 

I want to study the Korean language for several reasons. I've always been interested in different Asian languages and cultures. For that reason, I will be study abroad all next year in South Korea so that I can truly immerse myself in its cultural environment. As a student studying journalism and anthropology, I think studying abroad for a good period of time is necessary (plus anthropology majors are required to study abroad for at least six weeks). I am also planning to spend time doing research for my senior thesis that I will have to do for anthropology once I return to the University of Richmond. Since I will be studying abroad in South Korea, I thought knowing basic Korean was a must.

I hope to accomplish a basic understanding of the language before I head off abroad. I would really like to improve my speaking and communication skills more than anything. Secondly, I would like to be able to read and write well. I'm looking forward to expanding my vocabulary and working on pronunciation. I will continue taking Korean classes once abroad in order to complete my COM2 requirement this way. My future goal is fluency. I'd love to be fluent in this language because I'm passionate and have a naturally curiosity to understand everything about it. 

I am also considering teaching English in South Korea for a year or two after I graduate. Knowing the language will be a huge advantage if I do end up teaching there. 

As a language learner I have learned English, Russian Spanish. I learned English as a 5 year old, as I recall it was not very difficult since I had just moved to the US and was surrounded by an English environment, forcing me to learn English quickly so that I could fit in amongst my peers. I learned Russian as a 10 year old and had to start from scratch so that I could catch up with my Russian peers. I took an intense learning course for the duration of a year where I was learning the language everyday for multiple hours. I focused primarily on vocabulary and writing since I had already been familiar with the pronunciation because I lived in Ukraine for some time. I learned Spanish throughout my Sophomore to Senior year in high school. I took the honors course my junior year and found myself learning drastically more since I worked on various conjugations, tenses and level of vocabulary that I had to apply in my tests in order to do well. It was initially very difficult, but with dedication to the course I succeeded. I noticed that the more time I spent on learning the material and applying it in homework or quizzes, the better I got at the language. Luckily, that summer I traveled to Spain and was able to apply what I had learned throughout the academic year. It was amazing how much my language capability had changed in a year and I was very satisfied with my results. However, my Senior year I decided I would drop the honors and take an easier basic level class. Unfortunately I did not learn much that year since it was basically review of what I had perfected the year before. I also noticed that my language capability deteriorated because of the downgrade in difficulty level of the course. What I learned from all these experiences is that it is highly important to put in a good amount of work if you expect to improve quickly and that practicing the language outside the classroom is essential in improving confidence and speed of conversation.

Learning Journal 1:  Reflect on your experiences as a language learner.  What did you enjoy?  What did you dislike?  Think about the FIRE model.  What kind of learner are you?  What kinds of language learning activities suit your learning style?  How do you think you should expand your learning activities?

As a language learner, I have learned two foreign languages in a classroom and/or immersion setting.  The first foreign language I learned was German, which I began studying in middle school.  I really enjoyed the way German was taught during middle and high school - it was very structured and the grammar was quite logical, which helped me immensely when I began studying advanced level German.  Looking back, I do see a pattern now in the type of learning that I enjoyed -- a very structured approach to learning German. My study of German began with learning pronouns and conjugations of the verb "to be" (sein), and continued to a more advanced level when I had to understand and utilize different grammatical structures.  The way I learned vocabulary was to use flashcards and keep writing (or typing) the English-German equivalents over and over again.  I also tried to create and say a sentence or two aloud that would utilize the vocabulary word.  For me, the approaches that weren't as successful were simply relying on the auditory sense (just hearing the word).  It was crucial for me to actually see and write out the vocabulary words that I needed to know.  I also did not like drawing a picture and pairing it to a certain expression -- for me, it was more helpful to repeat the word, write it, and keep using flashcards.  However, I found it helpful to see the word written in a story in the textbook.  I also participated in an immersion program for German, which forced me to use my auditory sense to pick up on new vocabulary that I would hear others say.  Although it was difficult for me at first, since I consider myself a very visual learner, I found that utilizing the auditory sense can also be helpful when trying to learn new words.

My second experience learning a foreign language was with Punjabi, an Indic language.  When I was very young, my father tried to teach me the basics of the alphabet, and at the time, my grandmother (who only spoke Punjabi and some English) lived with us, so I spoke with her in a mixture of (basic) Punjabi and English.  However, that was when I was very young, and as I grew older, I never really studied the language or went beyond the basics, especially after my grandmother moved away.  Until I studied Punjabi in an immersion program in India this summer, I never really felt as though I could speak and be understood in Punjabi.  During the program, I was able to expand my vocabulary by using flashcards and learning vocabulary thematically.  Every week, one other student and I would receive a "theme" for the week, and our lessons were structured around this theme (health, sports, food, etc).  We were responsible for learning the particular vocab words, and we would also read a story that utilized the words. I liked being able to visually SEE the words in a story, and understand the context.  I didn't like just hearing the words in a film because it was difficult for me to understand the exact grammatical context, since people usually speak pretty fast in a film.  One activity that I really enjoyed was reading song lyrics as a form of reading practice and trying to find words that I knew, as well as idioms that I thought were interesting.

In thinking about the FIRE model, if I had to choose two categories, I would choose "factual" and "insightful" to describe myself as a language learner.  I like to start in a "step-by-step progression," going from the concrete to the abstract.  I value structure, and I like "task-oriented" activities.   Thus, I think hearing dialogues and learning thematic vocabulary by drilling myself on it (being quizzed, testing myself, etc) would be good language activities.  Or writing/participating in making my own dialogue or skit.  Right now, my weaknesses in language learning are in utilizing my auditory sense -- that is, learning vocabulary based solely on hearing it in a film or dialogue.  I think this would be one way to expand my learning activities -- by listening more to podcasts or films and trying to hear how a particular word is used in a certain context.  Another weakness I am observing is that it is confusing to learn the Hindi script, since I am confusing it with certain Punjabi letters (the alphabets look somewhat similar, but they definitely have their differences).  I think the key here is to practice recognizing the letters -- through sign reading, flashcards, etc.  Also, another way to expand my learning activities would be to expand upon the idea of task-oriented activities -- so for instance, if I wanted to learn words related to travel or tourism, I could perhaps write a postcard to a friend about a made-up vacation in India as a way to utilize certain expressions and gain practice in writing. 

According to the FIRE model, I identify across the board for my preferences in learning. I enjoy open-ended opportunities to express what I've learned, as opposed to straight-forward drills and worksheets. I also have found that I enjoy being able to write and reflect skills through that medium. In terms of speed, I like to start writing when I feel inspired and I sometimes find that when I begin to work, ideas come to me organically that may not have when brainstorming. I also like debating and thinking about things through different perspectives. I've found that I learn best when material relates to my life personally. 

As a language learner, I have found that thrive when I am immersed in the language. I can pick up vocabulary and meanings through context clues, which means that I appreciate a solid foundation to work with. If I am listening to a conversation in a different language, if I know 40 to 50% of the words, I can usually pick up the gist of it and am able to recognize the terminology in different settings. However, rote memorization is rarely effective for me. I have a difficult time with verb tenses for example, because it is purely memorization. I also like to visual and interact with what I am learning, so for example, going through a house and learning what each piece of furniture is in another language would be more effective than just reading in a textbook the different pieces.  

I think I could expand my learning activities by first learning fundamental parts of the language, and then implementing them to work with them hands-on. For example, after learning different colors, I could post cards of them around my room to integrate them into my day. Eventually, I would like to go to Korea and actually be able to use what I've learned and solidify it through exposure. 

I have studied two languages in a classroom setting. Both of which had overlapping similarities in their style of presentation. I have noticed through the years which styles and techniques work well for me. I have also determined the points of a language that often pose as a road block in my ability to grasp the language.

The first language that I set out to learn was Spanish. I started in middle school and quit my final year of high school. During the introductory classes I found myself learning very little because of the style of teaching. Often without warning the teachers would spring vocab onto the students without first explaining the structure of the language. For instance, in Spanish I felt like the teacher should have prefaced the class by explaining that there are conjugations involved and that there are articles that you must put in front of the vocab to show masculinity or femininity. With just that knowledge I would have spent more time learning the articles instead of just the vocab word itself. I ended up dropping Spanish because my core Spanish was terrible. However, after I learned what I should have done I began improving my speaking a writing skills. Alas it was far too late.

The second language that I have studied (and still learning) is Chinese. My teacher in high school did really well with setting up the class and the language. She prefaced the class by introducing pinyin. She then explained that the tones are important to learning Chinese and that by messing up the tones you can change the meaning of the sentence dramatically. After going over that she introduced characters, she explained that there are two forms (simplified and traditional) she emphasized that colleges often differ on which they teach so she emphasized both equally. This solid foundation has given me the means to be successful in the higher levels.

Aside from the overviews of the languages I have learned that I am a visual learner. Often times if I can match a vocab word to an object that I see everyday it tends to stick. This gets harder the more advanced you are but it also applies to grammar. If I can use the grammar in everyday conversation then often times I think about it while talking in English.

I have found that at the start conversation is important for speaking no matter the level of vocabulary. Getting comfortable speaking will give you the confidence to read and write and express ideas in the targeted language with ease. As far as tangible ways to learn vocab, I prefer to write and rewrite vocab on a white board or piece of loose leaf until I can repeat the vocab in random order the next week. It takes time but it is effective for long term retention (at least in my case).

In the past when I have studied abroad, I have always picked up phrases orally better than by memorization. For example, my roommate from China once taught me "Wan-An" which means Goodnight, and after hearing it from her multiple times, I would repeat it back to her before bed. I still remember how to correctly pronounce the term with Chinese intonation. This example epitomizes my learning style: using oral techniques and practicing them socially. According to the learning styles inventory, I am an aural and social learner, and I ought to practice in audible and song form as well as recite and practice among people. Looking at the FIRE model, I realize that in the past I have attempted to learn languages mostly by route memorization - such as making lists, memorizing lists, and verb drills. However, it would be best for me to approach learning from the "insightful" method: that is, role-playing, problem-solving, diagramming, and framing activities, as well as the "evaluative" method: sharing thoughts and feelings with others, relating lessons back to real experience, and helping others as I learn. Knowing my learning styles, the only challenge now is to find adequate and efficient learning methods to practice learning Kannada.

When it comes to Farsi, I am definitely still in the novice stage. I am somewhere between the one and two-beginner levels.  I can definitely recognize and write the alphabet. I know how to write some works and form the most basic sentences. I am able to read some Farsi. I do not know too much of the vocabulary as of now, so I will focus on mastering that this semester. I am not sure if it is feasible to say that I want to learn 500 words by April, but I will definitely increase my vocabulary. From the oral standpoint, I can understand basic Farsi sentences if they are spoken slowly and clearly. I am also able to speak Farsi more fluidly, but I still have a long way to go if I want to sound native.  I will map out  a tentative learning plan based on 10-weeks of learning (I am not sure how many weeks are in the semester):

Week 1: Review MLC 110 (alphabet, numbers, basic questions/answers, introductions, telling the time/day of the week, etc.)

Week 2:  Telling about my educational/professional/career life (i.e. I am a junior, I am studying Journalism, I want to be a television host or in the entertainment industry, etc.)

Week 3: Talking about my family in detail

Week 4: Telephone business (formal/informal), transportation in Iraq/Afghanistan (what is available? how do I show that I need to go somewhere? )---cultural learning included

Week 5: Directions, living environment vocabulary (i.e. How do I say “street”? “Park”? “Fence”? “Apartment”? etc.)

Week 6: Body parts (I have some knowledge)/general health/ “I do not feel well. I have a headache”

Week 7: Plans/ Hobbies

Week 8: Review of all the previous material

Week 9: Cultural focus related to previously learned

Week 10: Anything of interests

Self directed learning enabled me to learn more about different language learning styles. It also helped me find and develop my own language learning style. Before I took this class I used to think that there is only one way in which a person can learn a new language properly. Now I realize I was wrong, and that languages can be learned in various ways. Personally, I discovered how much I enjoy learning while interacting with people. On the other hand, I realized the importance of having a balance between in class and in person interaction in Hindi. Sole memorization without practice makes no sense, while the combination of both helped me improve my grammar and speaking skills.

Taking this class forced me to approach Hindi more than just a language. I was challenged to think and find out about body language that is characteristic to Indian culture and society. Thus, I have been talking to my language partner and observing hand gestures and body expressions in Indian movies and soap operas. Now I feel more confident in using some of typical hand or facial movements while speaking Hindi. For example, if I want to say – yes – I can simply nod my head in a way people in the west nod for no, and Indians would understand me.

This method of learning language also encouraged me to incorporate techniques of language learning that I might not have done if I have taken a professor thought language. For example, I listened to many Bollywood songs in order to try to learn and remember certain phrases that keep on being repeated in the song. By doing this I was using alternative ways in acquiring Hindi language skills (by watching youtube videos, movies, soap operas, listening to music).

At the beginning of the class it was very challenging to come up with realistic goals and plan ways in which these goals will be achieved. Furthermore, I needed time to realize what will be the most effective way for me to approach studying on my own, creating a weekly plan and making sure I am following the schedule. This is where the MLC 105 in class discussions helped me because we shared tips and advice amongst each other and with Dr. Grove.

Readings used in the class were well planned and relevant to our language learning process. A possible improvement for the future is maybe creating a few questions that students should think about while reading the article prior to coming to class. A disadvantage in our class was a small number of students which kept discussions shorter and faster. Especially, in case someone would fail to show up for class.

I would definitely recommend to the new self-directed learners to firstly discover which kind of learner they are and how they approach a new language. I used to believe I knew which kind of learner I was, but studying entirely on my own proved that I was wrong. It is much harder to test yourself and keep on practicing when there is no direct teacher supervising you.

In order to improve as a self-learner I think I should incorporate reading more books/texts from Hindi authors on India and Hindi, as well as about the society in general. I believe this would give me a literature aspect on the culture and offer me a deeper understanding of the society.

I think MLC 105 is a well planned course. I really like the discussion portion of the class. Maybe current journal and newspaper articles could be incorporated in the list of readings. 

Initially, I believed participating in a self-directed language course would not be difficult considering I had always done very well in all of my other language courses. However, after making my own learning plan and realizing how challenging it would be be to reach those goals instructing myself. I had assumed that I was a very visual learner from the start of the course and used that throughout my practices to my advantage; in learning the entirely new alphabet that Farsi required. I came to realize very soon that the visual aspects of learning would only bring me so far in my learning journey and I would not produce as successful results as I had in my other language classes. Throughout the semester I learned more and more of what it would take for me stay on track stably as a Farsi self-directed language learner.

In my learning journey I basically utilized repetition, mainly in writing, as my self-directed activities. This taught me all of the Farsi alphabet, Farsi numbers, days of the week, family members, basic introductory conversations as well as simple conversation, and a handful of verbs to use in basic conversation. I learned also through this method better pronunciation of these words. It was clear from the beginning that Farsi pronunciation is very distinct and also difficult for non-native speakers. There were new sounds to produce which meant new ways to form these sounds with the mouth that I had had never had to form before. Through repetition, however, I would practice learning the alphabet, improve my handwriting, and also improve my pronunciation by repeating the word aloud. This was very helpful and I could always receive help from my language partner if my pronunciation was off. Also, within my learning journey my language partner suggested dialogues, between her and myself or with my roommate Laila, who is also taking Farsi. The dialogues were a tremendous help as well. As we practiced each dialogue thinking in Farsi (in only a little) became a little more easier as we had to recognize words to respond and know what should come next in a basic conversation. It was also worth while to see the progress we made through speaking in dialogues.

The most worrying challenge in self-direction would have to be time commitment. If I didn’t make sure that I practiced outside of the meetings with my self-directed language partner I would easily be able to make it up in the meetings of course, however, it would always result in us not moving forward as much as we should be able to because of the review. It was also difficult, and still is, to adapt to the grammatical structure of Farsi. To begin with Farsi is written completely backwards that was confusing enough for me when starting out. As we began to make sentences later on I noticed that I could not make sense of how the verbs were placed in relationship to the subject and other sentence particles. That definitely took a while to semi-understand. As I had mentioned before pronunciation is very different and unless I could actually here and mimic I would end up not pronouncing something correctly and prevent myself from being understood which was always frustrating. 

The self-direction in itself I found difficult as well. I have always done very well in instructor taught language courses but having to formulate my own learning plan for Farsi was difficult because it was hard to know what I should know in one semester. It was also difficult for me to utilize the resources found at the Global Studio being that I did not have a lot of free time this semester. For new self-directed learners I would recommend setting a learning plan that is realistic and appropriate for their current academic situation. I would also recommend using the Global Studio as your number one source and not just your assigned language partner. I would improve drastically if I had used it more because I was not very creative on my own in figuring out things I should learn or broadening the range of what I new, I mainly depended on my language partner for the creativity. I enjoyed the 105 course and discussing with other self-directed learners what we enjoyed and what we found to be complications in instructing ourselves. Knowing that we all were learning different languages was also interesting but the languages themselves never entered the classroom and I believe it would really make a difference to have more individual language interaction. Overall, the class provided good support in enforcing common knowledge for understanding a different language in all it’s aspects, in types of people, culture, and geographical differences.

This course, MLC 105, which is focused on self-directed language learning, has been a very impactful in developing necessary tools to enable me personally to be a proactive and independent language learner throughout my life.

What have I learned from my self-directed language activities?  The bulk of my learning has come in a cultural format.  By interacting on a regular basis with native language speakers, I was able to hear the target language in a cultural context.  I was able to pick up on cultural nuances that I would not have learned in a classroom, or in a textbook oriented learning process.  Every phrase or word I heard was first heard in impeccable accent, not in a distorted American sound.  And every time I heard a phrase I saw the body language and physical communication that accompanied the phrase.

There were specific things that I found to be most helpful as I experienced the self-directed language learning process.  Individually I would recommend any language learner to utilize the bountiful multi-media, technology based resources that are available.  I found it very helpful to watch athletic competitions in which the commentators spoke my target language.  This was especially true with soccer matches.  I am very familiar with the sport of soccer, as I have played it my entire life.  Because my knowledge base of the sport is so high, I was able to fight through the initial language barrier.  Clearly, the first few times I watched a game commentated in my target language, I was not able to understand anything that was said.  But the more times that I watched games, the more I was able to associate sounds with happenings on the pitch with words, and comprehension occurred.  Similar results could be seen in watching music videos and television shows in my target language on the Internet, using websites such as YouTube.  Even more help than watching sports or Internet clips was forcing myself to take risks with my target language.  By engaging the community of native speakers in Richmond, I was immersed in the language and its culture.  Though the prospects of immersion were initially daunting, I quickly found native speakers to be very patient in my deficiencies and to be excited to impart knowledge to an eager learner.

The biggest challenge to comprehension and retention as a self-directed language learner is motivation.  For the entirety of our scholastic lives we as students in America have been spoon-fed, being taught conformity.  Creativity is looked down upon; thinking outside the box is discouraged.  Independence is equated with delinquency.  Like robots we are crammed into the dynamic of standardized testing.  Now all of a sudden education is without bounds and parameters.  We as individuals get to determine what we learn and how we learn it?!  Because of the lack of deadlines and set rubrics, other than those that are personally set, it can be a temptation to “drop the ball”.  I was able to overcome these challenges through finding fun ways to learn my language and to regularly put myself into immersive settings.

The key for new self-directed learners is to put themselves into immersive settings.  To help facilitate this, MLC 105 should provide information for students as to opportunities in the greater Richmond area to engage communities of native speakers of their respective target languages.  For example, if a student is learning Farsi, Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services teaches ESL classes that include students from Afghanistan.  This is a great opportunity to interact with people from a specific country that speaks the target language, and will provide wonderful opportunities for accent and cultural lessons.  Another recommendation I have for the improvement of MLC 105 is that the course should be a full year.  A semester is an unfortunately short period of time to master self-directed language learning habits and practices.

Laila Hart

Final Reflection Paper

            This semester I decided to take on the challenge of learning Farsi. Farsi is spoken commonly in Iran and Afghanistan, so I focused on those two countries whenever I had to make cultural connections. Farsi posed a challenge because the language uses a symbolic alphabet and is written from right to left. I found the language to be beautiful and I caught on to the writing style very quickly. I used language programs, recitals, videos, writing out all I learned repeatedly, and most importantly, a language partner, to learn the basics of Farsi.

            I met with my language partner twice a week, unless something came up. She would write down an entire conversation for me and then have me write it down. From there, she would repeat it at least three times and I would repeat after her. Then, I would be responsible for reciting the entire conversation by myself. This all happened in one session each time we met. I loved this method of learning Farsi because it forced me to pick up the language. Having Susan teach it to me ensured that I would learn the correct pronunciation. I enjoyed the repetitiveness and felt that it greatly impacted my language proficiency. Writing down the conversations by myself was very effective because I wrote it clearly, so I had no trouble reciting it. I would also use Windows Movie Maker to record myself reading the conversations and I could hear any mistakes I needed to correct.

            I worked with Rosetta Stone on occasion, but did not find it to be incredibly useful. Rosetta Stone taught me how to pronounce words differently from Susan, so that became confusing. Susan, who is from Afghanistan, let me know the difference was a result of Rosetta Stone using Iranian-rooted Farsi. Dari is the name of Afghan Farsi.  The other challenge posed happened in the early sessions with the alphabet. I had the hardest time reciting the alphabet in the correct order, but if I wrote it out I was fine. It became very frustrating, but I must remember that it takes time. There are 32 letters in Farsi and I know them all now.

            New self-directed learners should know one thing: to not be hard on themselves if they cannot pick up the language pronunciations right away. This is something I struggled with. It was hard for us to memorize the English alphabet at one point, so we should not expect to learn a completely different alphabet in two sessions. I also feel that new language learners should listen to the language spoken at least a couple of times a week. Even if you do not understand what is being said, you can pick up the rhythm of the language. Also, it really does help to write out conversations and understand what each pen stroke means. This helped me make sense of everything.

      I feel that I could have been a better language learner if I had more time to practice weekly. By this, I mean practicing by myself. At times, it took me longer than I wanted to master certain conversations, which delayed my ability to move on to a new conversation. I would have also liked to listen to Farsi being spoken more times during the week.  Basically, I just had issues with time management at certain parts of the semester.

       My suggestions to improve MLC 105 are to have smaller presentations throughout the semester to showcase what we learned. I know that not all students shared the same learning plan, but maybe we could have presented the alphabet, greetings, how to tell time, etc. for each other. I think this would have been interesting to hear about and better measure the progress of language learners. Also, I really enjoyed hearing the cultural shock stories presented, so hearing more about that would be great. I think requiring us to film a video speaking to our language partner in the target language could also be a fun alternative to a blog post. Overall, I did enjoy the course and hope to continue learning Farsi in the semesters to come. I plan to manage  my time better and learn even more.

I was intrigued by each of my classmates cultural projects because they incorporated a lot more personal experience than mine did. I was most interested my the rickshaw drivers presented in Nina's cultural project because it signifies an everyday experience for people in India. It also demonstrated for me the economic state that many people are facing in India. Rickshaw industries are major employers within India and many employed by them barely make any money as they are renting and paying back for what they use. I also found the topic Nina chose to be enjoyable because it is something anyone and everyone can experience if they visit India.

Lily's project I found informative as well as familiar because I grew up with many predominantly Jewish neighborhoods surrounding me. I found it very interesting as she recited all the differing sects of Judaism and the geographical distances that set them apart. I was also amazed at the differing races that come with Judaism, ranging from European, to Asian and to African. From how Lily put it I could access that Judaism is a very accepting religion of other cultures as that did not keep other sects from being labeled as Jewish.

I found Laila's project to be very helpful for myself as we both are studying the same language of Farsi. It was interesting to learn of the eating habits people in Farsi speaking countries as learn the reasons as to why they chose those things to eat. Laila also focused on how it is appropriate to ask for food in a restaurant and ask for food for others eating with you which I found helpful. I also enjoyed the segment of Laila's project where she gave a miniature cooking lesson with a popular Iranian meal.

Initially, I had anticipated basing my cultural project on gender roles within Afghanistan or Iran. Instead I decided on Weddings in Iran and then incorporated some information about basic gender roles in Iran because of lack of information. Gender roles I though would be an important aspect of culture because of religious turbulence in the Middle East the lack of support for women.

I turned to weddings instead because I really enjoy them. I frequently watch the show say yes to the dress, where I had seen a few extravagant Persian weddings, and I believed it would be an enjoyable topic and would tie in gender roles as well if I talked about rate of marriage and age of marriages. Incidentally, the rate and age of marriage have changed drastically over the years as women are now receiving more of a say in how early they would like to marry. This was something I had not been quite expecting because I had always assumed religion and tradition bound most women to marrying early. The ending of my project which summarized my insight on marriages that are as heavily arranged as Persian ones tend to be should be further explored, especially as Iran is morphing socially into accepting the rights of women openly.

My learning goals based on what I plan to achieve from learning Farsi in the long-term.SDLAP_learningplan.pages