After having a thought about my own Language Learning Challenge Proposal, there are a few changes I would like to make to it.
Firstly, I would like to change my goal to only one of them, as I want to be give myself enough time to digest the materials learnt. I thought about my previous plan and believe it would be better not to rush things and do it thoroughly.
[NEW] My Learning Goal
My goal is to be able to write a self introduction using simplified characters in Chinese. I would need to learn how to write vocabulary such as, name, family members, pets, hobbies, my likes and dislikes in simplified Chinese. I would not only like to learn how to write it, but I would like to be able to say the self introduction.
Secondly, I would like to talk about my Learning styles and strategies. I would like to briefly talk about my VARK questionnaire results.
[Additional] My Learning styles and strategies
After having done the VARK questionnaire, it has stated that I am an aural learner. Therefore I prefer people to tell me information, instead of reading information myself. As my goal is to be able to write a self introduction in simplified Chinese and be able to say the self introduction, it is a good idea that I read out loud of what I am learning. Pronouncing vocabulary out loud as I learn them, as this will also allow myself to remember what I have learnt. As to memorising characters, I guess I will just need to practice it over and over, as many times as it may take for myself to remember it. The VARK questionnaire website suggested that I may make up or use interesting stories or jokes to remember information, I have not used that method for learning a language, therefore am curious whether it will work not not. I will give it a try and see the results.
Thirdly, as I have changed my goal, therefore my plan will also need alternation.
[NEW] My Plan
Week 1- Brainstorm what I wold like to write in my self introduction. In particular, the vocabulary that needs to be looked up, for example noun and verb vocabularies. These many include name, age, doing words for hobbies, etc.
Week 2- Using google translate and iphone apps to search for vocabularies that I am not familiar with. Using a variety of websites or apps will be a good idea as I am able to compare the vocabularies used. List them down get a native person to check the vocabulary.
Week 3- Put the vocabularies together into a short self introduction and get a native person to check the work. Work doesn't need to be fully corrected by the native person, but instead point out where something should be changed.
Week 4- Change the places that should be changed and find a time to sit down with the native person to get them to go through the work with me. Point out the mistakes that I have made in the self introduction and correct it together. In this session, also practice the self introduction that I have written with the native person. Ask the native person to point out my pronunciation mistakes, therefore I know where I went wrong and need extra practice.
Week 5- Practice writing and speaking the self introduction at least for 10 mins everyday if possible. Through out the week, make a time with the native speaker to check the fluency of the speaking and check the pronunciation of the Chinese. Make an extra note on the vocabularies that were not spoken properly and do extra practice at home.
Week 6- Keep on practicing the self introduction in writing and speaking. Hopefully have corrected the mistaken pronunciation. Throughout the week, allocate a time with the native speaker and get them to grade you on a scale from 1-10 (1-lowest, 10-highest) the spoken and written part of the self introduction.
This is what I have thought about for my new Language Learning Challenge Proposal. There will be further changes done next week.
Sunday, 3 April 2016
Saturday, 2 April 2016
Post 2- The VARK Questionnaire Results
Having done the VARK Questionnaire, it showed that I prefer aural learning.
I didn't really know what it meant by I was a "aural learner", therefore looked into it and the website gave me the following information.
↓
↑
Under 'Key Words' it states 'listening', 'discussing', 'talking', 'questioning' and 'recalling'. These words indeed do link in with how I learn things. I prefer to listen to people talk, and discuss things with me, rather than reading a whole bulk of information.
It also provides what procedures I should take as I am an aural learner. Out of the 9 'Intake' suggestions below, it has proven that I need to open up from my own shelter and try and attend group discussions. Suggestions such as attend classes, using interesting examples to memorise things, and techniques in taking down notes are the ones I have been doing, but attending discussions is my main weakness. I will need to work on that.
↓
As my goal is to be able to write a short self introduction about myself in Chinese, and it has been said that I am a aural learner, it may suggest that I should read my own writing as I write my paragraph. After having done this questionnaire, it has allowed me to think what type of a learner am I. I hadn't thought about this question till I completed the questionnaire. The results can be thought as accurate, as my highest 11 was aural, and lowest 5 which was read/write.
Saturday, 19 March 2016
Post 1- Language Learning Challenge Proposal
Title: Improving my Chinese writing skills
My challenge: Being brought up in Australia by Taiwanese and Japanese parents, I am able to speak 3 languages, however, when it comes to writing and speaking skills in particular, I have spent more time on Japanese compared to Chinese. Therefore meaning these 2 skills of mine in Chinese are rather weak. Many people believe that since I am able to write Japanese at a very high level, my Chinese ability should be around the same, but this is not the case. Though Chinese and Japanese both use similar characters, the character amounts differ, therefore also making it more difficult for myself to study.
At one stage, my Chinese speaking and writing skills were better than my Japanese, but since it's learning a language, it is easily forgotten if the skill is not used frequently. As to my Chinese speaking and writing skills being so poor, I would like to take this opportunity to relearn how to be able to speak and write simple Chinese using technologies.
My Learning goal: Throughout these 6 weeks, I have 2 major goals.
Goal 1:
Firstly is to be able to remember how to write simplified characters that maybe useful for writing a self introduction.
Learning vocabulary such as name, age, family members, pets, etc. My goal is that I am able to recognize these words and know how to write them.
Goal 2:
Secondly, I would also like to learn daily useful phrases. For example, when I am at the supermarkets, the useful phrases I might be able to use. Asking someone where bread is, could be an example.
My learning styles and strategies: From the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) survey I attempted in class, it has shown that I learn best at "compensating for missing knowledge". Then the next being "managing my emotions" or "learning with others". I do believe that I learn rather well when I am learning with someone else, however, I am unsure about "compensating for missing knowledge". Maybe it is something I have not figured out yet, maybe I do learn well by doing that. As my goal is to be able to improve in my writing and speaking skills, I believe that remembering is very important. From the survey done, it shows that I am not the best at remembering. This may be a little tough for myself, however, I would like to give it a go, and see what kind of a result I will achieve after 6 weeks.
The technologies I am going to test: From what I have planned now, I am planning to use Google translate and Iphone apps. The iphone app that I have found now is called "中国語”, it is an Japanese app that teaches phrases. For example, if you would like to know useful phrases for when shopping, you tap into the "shopping" icon and it pronounces and shows you the phrases. This technique is very suitable for me, as I am able to see how you write the characters and simultaneously hear how it is supposed to be pronounced.
My plan:
Goal 1:
Week 1- Brainstorm what would like to be written in my own self introduction.
Week 2- Search up on google translate or iphone apps vocabulary that I do not know and translate them into Chinese.
Week 3- Put my short self introduction into a paragraph.
Goal 2:
Week 4- Brainstorm what useful expressions I would like to learn. For example, the topic on 'health'. Think of what expressions I would like to be able to say and jot them down on a piece of paper.
Week 5- Search the expressions that I would like to learn on google translate or iphone apps.
Week 6- Practice those expressions 15 mins per day.
My evaluation approach: For the evaluation component of the learning challenge, I am planning to update and show what I have been doing every week on the blog. I will have native speakers of Chinese correcting my writing and listening to my pronunciation. This is planned to be done weekly for now, however, it has not been finalized just yet.
At one stage, my Chinese speaking and writing skills were better than my Japanese, but since it's learning a language, it is easily forgotten if the skill is not used frequently. As to my Chinese speaking and writing skills being so poor, I would like to take this opportunity to relearn how to be able to speak and write simple Chinese using technologies.
My Learning goal: Throughout these 6 weeks, I have 2 major goals.
Goal 1:
Firstly is to be able to remember how to write simplified characters that maybe useful for writing a self introduction.
Learning vocabulary such as name, age, family members, pets, etc. My goal is that I am able to recognize these words and know how to write them.
Goal 2:
Secondly, I would also like to learn daily useful phrases. For example, when I am at the supermarkets, the useful phrases I might be able to use. Asking someone where bread is, could be an example.
My learning styles and strategies: From the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) survey I attempted in class, it has shown that I learn best at "compensating for missing knowledge". Then the next being "managing my emotions" or "learning with others". I do believe that I learn rather well when I am learning with someone else, however, I am unsure about "compensating for missing knowledge". Maybe it is something I have not figured out yet, maybe I do learn well by doing that. As my goal is to be able to improve in my writing and speaking skills, I believe that remembering is very important. From the survey done, it shows that I am not the best at remembering. This may be a little tough for myself, however, I would like to give it a go, and see what kind of a result I will achieve after 6 weeks.
The technologies I am going to test: From what I have planned now, I am planning to use Google translate and Iphone apps. The iphone app that I have found now is called "中国語”, it is an Japanese app that teaches phrases. For example, if you would like to know useful phrases for when shopping, you tap into the "shopping" icon and it pronounces and shows you the phrases. This technique is very suitable for me, as I am able to see how you write the characters and simultaneously hear how it is supposed to be pronounced.
My plan:
Goal 1:
Week 1- Brainstorm what would like to be written in my own self introduction.
Week 2- Search up on google translate or iphone apps vocabulary that I do not know and translate them into Chinese.
Week 3- Put my short self introduction into a paragraph.
Goal 2:
Week 4- Brainstorm what useful expressions I would like to learn. For example, the topic on 'health'. Think of what expressions I would like to be able to say and jot them down on a piece of paper.
Week 5- Search the expressions that I would like to learn on google translate or iphone apps.
Week 6- Practice those expressions 15 mins per day.
My evaluation approach: For the evaluation component of the learning challenge, I am planning to update and show what I have been doing every week on the blog. I will have native speakers of Chinese correcting my writing and listening to my pronunciation. This is planned to be done weekly for now, however, it has not been finalized just yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)