Week 1 ISP, Learning Experience, and Reading Journal

Week 1

Word of the Week:  bani  ‘life’

Individualized Study Plan (ISP)

Primary Objectives:  By June 3^rd of week 10, be able to (1) recite at least twenty lines of Isthmus Zapotec poetry  (2) know and be able to produce the phonemes of the language (3) recognize in any authentic text basic grammatical features—word order; identify verbs, nouns, objects, articles (if any), and prepositions (4) write one original poem

Secondary Objectives:  Become familiar with the origins of the Zapotec language and the Zapotec people; learn about the history of the Isthmus Zapotec language and people, the origins of its literary traditions, the role of literature and poetry in Isthmus Zapotec culture and society, and current issues regarding the language and people.

Wishful-Thinking Objective:  To meet a native speaker of Isthmus Zapotec.  (If anyone reading this blog is or knows a native speaker in Southern California, please let me know.)

Language level:  Currently--level 0; goal--level 1 in speaking, listening, and writing, and level 1+ in reading

Language genre:  Poetry/Literature

Learning Strategies:  (1) Use Isthmus Zapotec poetry and literature as primary learning tools in conjunction with other written resources such as dictionaries, grammar books, and writings about the language to learn to read the language (2) compare popular poems with English translations (compare with Spanish translations if English is not available) (3) listen to recited poetry on the Internet to learn the sounds of the language (4) use audio recordings along with the poem texts to practice reciting the poetry with intonation (5) use internet resources and books if available to learn the phonemes of the language (6) create a personal word bank and use to experiment with my own writing.  

Not my goal:  to know how to order food in a restaurant or hail a cab in Isthmus Zapotec.  I understand that I will not necessarily be developing conversational skills through my learning strategy.  This strategy, however, is intended to develop the very basics in the ‘four skills,’ creating a sturdy foundation for further language learning.

Assessment:  I will record my progress through this journal, and create a check-list based on the stated learning objectives to measure advancement towards my goal.  With the exception of reading, I do not feel that the “can do” self-assessments available online reflect my learning goals at this time. 

Time:  Minimum 10 hours/week of study and research that meets objectives; not including additional course readings and time spent journaling.

First Learning Experience: A visit to the library and researching in Spanish

           

I checked out eight library books having to do with Zapotec languages.  This may seem like a great start, however, only one of these books is in English.  This has led me to the unexpected revelation that I will be doing most of this research in Spanish.  For the first time, I am experiencing using a foreign language to learn another foreign language.  How cool is that?!  Good thing my Spanish reading skills are much better than my speaking skills.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I can still read fairly well in Spanish.  Having to use Spanish for my research is a learning variable that I did not anticipate and may slow down my progress in learning Isthmus Zapotec.  Needless to say, there is a silver lining to this cloud—I will improve my Spanish.  All language learning is valuable.  I also discovered in trying to locate checked-out books by Velma Picket that someone else at UCLA is currently studying Isthmus Zapotec.  It would be wonderful to contact that ‘someone’ and share our learning experiences (and resources). 

Reading Journal

Leaver, B. L., Ehrman, M., & Shekhtman, B. (2005). Achieving success in second language

acquisition. (pp. 3-37). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Griffiths, C. (2008). Editor's overview. In C. Griffiths (Ed.), Lessons from Good Language

Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

          Connecting poetry to course readings:  The reasons for studying a foreign language vary for every learner.  I have had different reasons for each language that I have studied.  My reasons for studying Isthmus Zapotec begin with a course requirement to learn a less commonly taught language (LCTL).  There are thousands of languages to choose from, so other motivations led me to Isthmus Zapotec.  I remembered my interest in the indigenous language spoken by a young man I interviewed for an ethnographic study of immigrant Latino youth.  I also recalled that at the literacy center I volunteered with last year, many of the Spanish-speaking students also spoke an indigenous language.  Over the past couple of years, my language-learning motivations have included becoming a better language teacher.  Learning about the indigenous people of Oaxaca and studying one of their dialects will help me better relate to my students from this region.  I chose Isthmus Zapotec for its poetry, and because of my interest in learning a foreign language through this medium. 

          I have heard it said time and again that reading is the best way to improve language skills.  Reading builds and strengthens decoding and interpretive skills, builds vocabulary, exposes the learner to numerous genres, and imparts cultural information (Leaver et al, 2008).  Poetry can provide bite-sized readings for a new learner and provide a jump start to learning a foreign language through authentic materials.  Poetry can also be used to develop the other three of the “four skills”—writing, listening, and speaking.  Writing is learned through reading and writing practice.  Poetry is writer-friendly for a new learner because it can be short and is grammatically less rigid than academic or formal writing.  Poetry gives a learner permission to explore and experiment with the new language.  Listening skills can be developed by actively listening to native speakers in person, on the radio, television, foreign films, or foreign audio books.  Nowadays, the Internet is probably the most popular resource for listening to foreign languages by native speakers.  I have found audio recordings on the Internet of Isthmus Zapotec poetry read by the original poets.  (You can listen, too, by visiting http://www.ou.edu/wlt/01_2012/audio-zapotec.html.)  Speaking skills can be developed by reading and reciting poetry aloud.  Furthermore, poetry used for language learning develops the “four sets of enabling knowledge—grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural understanding” (p. 10). 

          Planned learning:  I have never experienced such an organized approach to leaning as presented in Achieving Success in Second Language Acquisition (Lever et al. 2005).  Whether learning a foreign language in a classroom or independently, a language study plan can facilitate greater learning success.  For classroom learners, setting personal goals and creating a study plan will give learners control over the learning outcome and ensure that their personal needs and interests in the target language are met.  Learners can do this by making advanced preparations to improve in-class performance, paying close attention to the language instruction, and by noticing language concepts.  Independent study requires a learner to ask herself about her language learning goals, “what, when, where, how, and how much” (p. 24).  An Individual Study Plan (ISP) will help a learner achieve short and long term goals.  One’s ISP should also include a method or criterion for assessing progress in the target language.  Formal assessment may not be possible for independent learning or available for many less commonly taught languages.  Informal assessment can be accomplished through keeping a learning diary, using an established scale to compare skills with, using a checklist, and/or receiving feedback from a native speaker.  I will assess my language learning by keeping a learning diary through this blog, and by measuring my progress in relation to my predetermined goals.       

          Learner variables:  The key characteristics of a ‘good language learner’ are aptitude, motivation, and opportunity (Rubin, 1975, as cited by Griffiths, 2008).  Nevertheless, there is not one formula that identifies what exactly makes a good language learner.  There are many learner and learning variables that make every person and every learning situation unique.  As a language learner, the variables that make me unique (such as my gender, personality, and aptitude) are mostly fixed.  However, my motivation, beliefs, and strategies are somewhat malleable.  The learning variables of my current language-learning endeavor are in my hands.  It is up to me what and how I learn about Isthmus Zapotec over the next several weeks.