Hello,
Today I just completed my final exams for Jordanian Colloquial and Fusha. The Fusha exam was first, and honestly the vocabulary section was ridiculous. I believe there are some important quotes to share.
1) A boy in my class looks up and says "Does any one have a handle of whiskey and a hand gun?"
2) I say "I'm pissed off". A boy responds, "Its better to be pissed off than pissed on...oh wait".
3) A boy in my class "I was pissed off during, after and a little before this test".
4) The girl who studies Arabic at Harvard gets up, storms out of the room and slams the door. (I think there might be a curve hehe).
Essentially, it was a very hard test. A boy looked at me in the middle of my test and asked if I recognized any of the words on the page. I honestly said a small few, he responded that he felt the same way. It was a shit show, but its over.
Next was the Jordanian Arabic exam. This was much easier since my colloquial level is at a beginner level. I really liked talking. I feel that this shows my strengths so I liked the Oral section of the test. When I went in the room for my Oral exam, I just had a conversation with my host mom's friend and my teacher, Riham. She told me that there was no reason for me to take the oral portion as I would ace it anyway. Riham is good friends with my host mother and comes over often. As a result, I talk to her and my host mom in Arabic in order to practice. She knows my level pretty well. She gave me the biggest compliment ever during over conversation. She said when I entered the SIT program, my entrance exam placed me as the best speaker in the program (haha had to brag...sorry). I was really impressed and happy to hear that. She told me that I also grew a lot during the program. While there were many times that I questioned whether or not I learned Arabic, I know realize that I learned a lot. My first day in a taxi in Amman, I did not understand the driver very much or was really able to communicate a bunch. I used only Fusha. Now I hop in the cab and tell the driver in Jordanian where to go. I can know respond to political questions and more difficult questions that the driver asks, however, most the time I refrain. Riham also told me that I speak smoothly and that it is comfortable for people to listen to me. YES! lol I'm so happy to hear this. Nothing is worse than listening to someone try to hack out Arabic, no offense. I have done it for forever and I know it is painful for the person listening to me. I am finally over that hump.
Riham also told me that my host mom was really concerned on the first day of home-stay when she found out I know a decent amount of Arabic. All of her previous home stay kids had zero knowledge of Arabic coming into the program and frankly, were not seriously interested in learning. She wanted to know how she could help me learn more Arabic, especially since her and my host sister are fluent in English. My host mom did a great job. She invites me to sit with her friends when they have coffee and listen to and participate in Arabic conversations. This is great because it is hard for us to talk one on one in Arabic since English is easier for both of us (For a native speaker in Arabic to listen to an American try its very hard. They are not used to how we speak).
After the test, I thought a lot about what it takes to learn a language. Below are my personal thoughts.
1) You need to be a little bit uncomfortable. In my case, I cannot speak Arabic to my host mom because we are both more comfortable speaking English one on one. However, throw me in a situation where I know English will not be an acceptable way of talking, I can follow the conversation and talk.
2) "Spit It Out"-While grammar is important, language is about communication. My Arabic teacher at Gettysburg has always stressed the importance of language as a device for communication. While grammar makes communication easier, trying to talk while worrying about every little grammar point is annoying. Just speak. Correct when needed but not always. Eventually you just stop making those common mistakes. I remember having to think about how to conjugate every verb before I spoke while I was at Middlebury last summer. Then I stopped thinking so hard. I still made mistakes for a while, but eventually my language just flowed better. Now I do not have to think about conjugation. It just happens.
3) A little bit of Shame never hurt, however a lot can kill you-Sometimes it kind of helps to be embarrassed. This sounds a bit cruel, but hear me out. Mahmoud, my Fusha teacher, would make fun of me as I read aloud. Coming to SIT, I stunk at reading Arabic aloud. He kept making me read in class (usually for long, painful sections) and would laugh a bit. I found this embarrassing. As a result, I worked harder because I wanted him to leave me alone. Mahmoud was constructively embarasing me to get me to improve. Now I can read Arabic much much better than when I came to SIT. However, on the flip side, Language is a very personal thing. To attack how someone speaks a language when they are learning can be taken very harshly. I remember being made fun of by a girl at Middlebury for my language and that sticks with you (However, putting that chick in her place on the last day of the program in Arabic was a memory I will always love. She tried to speak English to counter my points. I told her Arabic only. I had waited weeks to say what I had to say in Arabic, she was not going to take it away lol). A bit of shame in a constructive way is good, but if you just being a jerk for no good reason, you can tear someone down.
4) Listen to Arabic Music or Watch Arabic Films-I often play Arabic music while getting ready in the morning or while doing homework. I often don't understand the songs, but I recognize words. As I listen to the songs more and more, I begin to understand them more and more. Mind you, this is a process that sometimes takes weeks, but I get a lot from it. I also have begun watching Arabic films without subtitles. It is amazing how much more you can concentrate on the language when there is no English to bail you out. I have learned many a word from a movie. Also the pictures will help you to understand what it going on. Don't be afraid to not understand a song or movie. It's not about being perfect and getting every detail. Its about improving your skill set and enjoying yourself. If you want to watch afterwards with subtitles, go ahead. It might help you. I mostly began the no subtitles thing when I bought a bunch of Arabic movies. The man told that there were English subtitles. However, there are no subtitles.
5) Talk to a taxi driver in Amman-Dear Lord! These men have taught me so much! Now I can tell where the driver is from based on his accent. That's pretty cool. I have learned a lot about Amman and a lot about Arabic in my trips around the city. Just keep speaking in Arabic. 9/10 times they will give up on the English after a while. However, some are perverts or jerks so be careful.
6) Shop in Arabic-Everything I have bought in Amman, I bought it while speaking Arabic. I view it as part of my purchase went towards teaching me Arabic. I have learned different words dealing with technology and clothing. Bartering also works better when you speak Arabic because I think the salesperson respects you more. It also helps you to develop more of an accent. The salesperson, who also knows English very well, might want to kill you by the end, but keep pushing through with the Arabic.
7) Travel Alone-Get away from the large group of Americans who are you study abroad classmates. Take a cab and visit a mosque by yourself or go to the mall. People will speak more Arabic with you when you are not in a group of Americans. Also, I hate to say this, but its true. There is always a person in the group that says they don't want to speak Arabic. As a result, the whole conversation switches to English. If you are this person KNOCK IT OFF! Remember what I said about being uncomfortable? Enjoy it and try to listen to and speak in Arabic. Listen to the person for a while, if you don't understand after that, then ask for the English or the words you don't know AFTER THEY HAVE COMPLETED TALKING. If you always go straight for the English you will never learn. Plus, there might be a person (ME!) who would really like to hear the Arabic. (You won't like me when I'm angry...but seriously). I was in your shoes, its part of the process. It stinks but you will get out of that hump sooner if you just listen to the conversation.
8) Go to Friday Prayers-Honestly, I have not gone as much as I would like due to being out of town. The Friday Sermon is given in beautiful Fusha Arabic and all of the prayers are in Arabic. You will learn about religion in addition to Arabic. If you do not understand, there is always a person who will be willing to explain it to you after the service. The people at the mosque want you to understand and are willing to help. The lady who took me had a discussion with me about the sermon afterwards to make sure I understood what the Immam said. I am pretty sure most Muslims at the mosque would be so happy to help you understand the sermon. Just do it.
9) Read Signs-I have learned so much Arabic by reading signs on buildings. Where I live in Amman, there is always English under the Arabic on the sign. Use this to increase your vocabulary.
10) When listening to someone speak, don't translate word for word. Relax. Listen for the main idea. Will you understand every word....maybe someday. But really, does it matter? For now, try to get to the meat of the conversation. There are grammar details and vocabulary details that you don't know. Don't sweat it. Remember, language is about communication. If you can communicate, you are doing something right.
11) You will have to hear a word a million times before you remember it. That's fine. Just know sometime it will be crazy glued in your head.
12) Breathe....You will learn!
Here are my thoughts for now,
Natalie
Today I just completed my final exams for Jordanian Colloquial and Fusha. The Fusha exam was first, and honestly the vocabulary section was ridiculous. I believe there are some important quotes to share.
1) A boy in my class looks up and says "Does any one have a handle of whiskey and a hand gun?"
2) I say "I'm pissed off". A boy responds, "Its better to be pissed off than pissed on...oh wait".
3) A boy in my class "I was pissed off during, after and a little before this test".
4) The girl who studies Arabic at Harvard gets up, storms out of the room and slams the door. (I think there might be a curve hehe).
Essentially, it was a very hard test. A boy looked at me in the middle of my test and asked if I recognized any of the words on the page. I honestly said a small few, he responded that he felt the same way. It was a shit show, but its over.
Next was the Jordanian Arabic exam. This was much easier since my colloquial level is at a beginner level. I really liked talking. I feel that this shows my strengths so I liked the Oral section of the test. When I went in the room for my Oral exam, I just had a conversation with my host mom's friend and my teacher, Riham. She told me that there was no reason for me to take the oral portion as I would ace it anyway. Riham is good friends with my host mother and comes over often. As a result, I talk to her and my host mom in Arabic in order to practice. She knows my level pretty well. She gave me the biggest compliment ever during over conversation. She said when I entered the SIT program, my entrance exam placed me as the best speaker in the program (haha had to brag...sorry). I was really impressed and happy to hear that. She told me that I also grew a lot during the program. While there were many times that I questioned whether or not I learned Arabic, I know realize that I learned a lot. My first day in a taxi in Amman, I did not understand the driver very much or was really able to communicate a bunch. I used only Fusha. Now I hop in the cab and tell the driver in Jordanian where to go. I can know respond to political questions and more difficult questions that the driver asks, however, most the time I refrain. Riham also told me that I speak smoothly and that it is comfortable for people to listen to me. YES! lol I'm so happy to hear this. Nothing is worse than listening to someone try to hack out Arabic, no offense. I have done it for forever and I know it is painful for the person listening to me. I am finally over that hump.
Riham also told me that my host mom was really concerned on the first day of home-stay when she found out I know a decent amount of Arabic. All of her previous home stay kids had zero knowledge of Arabic coming into the program and frankly, were not seriously interested in learning. She wanted to know how she could help me learn more Arabic, especially since her and my host sister are fluent in English. My host mom did a great job. She invites me to sit with her friends when they have coffee and listen to and participate in Arabic conversations. This is great because it is hard for us to talk one on one in Arabic since English is easier for both of us (For a native speaker in Arabic to listen to an American try its very hard. They are not used to how we speak).
After the test, I thought a lot about what it takes to learn a language. Below are my personal thoughts.
1) You need to be a little bit uncomfortable. In my case, I cannot speak Arabic to my host mom because we are both more comfortable speaking English one on one. However, throw me in a situation where I know English will not be an acceptable way of talking, I can follow the conversation and talk.
2) "Spit It Out"-While grammar is important, language is about communication. My Arabic teacher at Gettysburg has always stressed the importance of language as a device for communication. While grammar makes communication easier, trying to talk while worrying about every little grammar point is annoying. Just speak. Correct when needed but not always. Eventually you just stop making those common mistakes. I remember having to think about how to conjugate every verb before I spoke while I was at Middlebury last summer. Then I stopped thinking so hard. I still made mistakes for a while, but eventually my language just flowed better. Now I do not have to think about conjugation. It just happens.
3) A little bit of Shame never hurt, however a lot can kill you-Sometimes it kind of helps to be embarrassed. This sounds a bit cruel, but hear me out. Mahmoud, my Fusha teacher, would make fun of me as I read aloud. Coming to SIT, I stunk at reading Arabic aloud. He kept making me read in class (usually for long, painful sections) and would laugh a bit. I found this embarrassing. As a result, I worked harder because I wanted him to leave me alone. Mahmoud was constructively embarasing me to get me to improve. Now I can read Arabic much much better than when I came to SIT. However, on the flip side, Language is a very personal thing. To attack how someone speaks a language when they are learning can be taken very harshly. I remember being made fun of by a girl at Middlebury for my language and that sticks with you (However, putting that chick in her place on the last day of the program in Arabic was a memory I will always love. She tried to speak English to counter my points. I told her Arabic only. I had waited weeks to say what I had to say in Arabic, she was not going to take it away lol). A bit of shame in a constructive way is good, but if you just being a jerk for no good reason, you can tear someone down.
4) Listen to Arabic Music or Watch Arabic Films-I often play Arabic music while getting ready in the morning or while doing homework. I often don't understand the songs, but I recognize words. As I listen to the songs more and more, I begin to understand them more and more. Mind you, this is a process that sometimes takes weeks, but I get a lot from it. I also have begun watching Arabic films without subtitles. It is amazing how much more you can concentrate on the language when there is no English to bail you out. I have learned many a word from a movie. Also the pictures will help you to understand what it going on. Don't be afraid to not understand a song or movie. It's not about being perfect and getting every detail. Its about improving your skill set and enjoying yourself. If you want to watch afterwards with subtitles, go ahead. It might help you. I mostly began the no subtitles thing when I bought a bunch of Arabic movies. The man told that there were English subtitles. However, there are no subtitles.
5) Talk to a taxi driver in Amman-Dear Lord! These men have taught me so much! Now I can tell where the driver is from based on his accent. That's pretty cool. I have learned a lot about Amman and a lot about Arabic in my trips around the city. Just keep speaking in Arabic. 9/10 times they will give up on the English after a while. However, some are perverts or jerks so be careful.
6) Shop in Arabic-Everything I have bought in Amman, I bought it while speaking Arabic. I view it as part of my purchase went towards teaching me Arabic. I have learned different words dealing with technology and clothing. Bartering also works better when you speak Arabic because I think the salesperson respects you more. It also helps you to develop more of an accent. The salesperson, who also knows English very well, might want to kill you by the end, but keep pushing through with the Arabic.
7) Travel Alone-Get away from the large group of Americans who are you study abroad classmates. Take a cab and visit a mosque by yourself or go to the mall. People will speak more Arabic with you when you are not in a group of Americans. Also, I hate to say this, but its true. There is always a person in the group that says they don't want to speak Arabic. As a result, the whole conversation switches to English. If you are this person KNOCK IT OFF! Remember what I said about being uncomfortable? Enjoy it and try to listen to and speak in Arabic. Listen to the person for a while, if you don't understand after that, then ask for the English or the words you don't know AFTER THEY HAVE COMPLETED TALKING. If you always go straight for the English you will never learn. Plus, there might be a person (ME!) who would really like to hear the Arabic. (You won't like me when I'm angry...but seriously). I was in your shoes, its part of the process. It stinks but you will get out of that hump sooner if you just listen to the conversation.
8) Go to Friday Prayers-Honestly, I have not gone as much as I would like due to being out of town. The Friday Sermon is given in beautiful Fusha Arabic and all of the prayers are in Arabic. You will learn about religion in addition to Arabic. If you do not understand, there is always a person who will be willing to explain it to you after the service. The people at the mosque want you to understand and are willing to help. The lady who took me had a discussion with me about the sermon afterwards to make sure I understood what the Immam said. I am pretty sure most Muslims at the mosque would be so happy to help you understand the sermon. Just do it.
9) Read Signs-I have learned so much Arabic by reading signs on buildings. Where I live in Amman, there is always English under the Arabic on the sign. Use this to increase your vocabulary.
10) When listening to someone speak, don't translate word for word. Relax. Listen for the main idea. Will you understand every word....maybe someday. But really, does it matter? For now, try to get to the meat of the conversation. There are grammar details and vocabulary details that you don't know. Don't sweat it. Remember, language is about communication. If you can communicate, you are doing something right.
11) You will have to hear a word a million times before you remember it. That's fine. Just know sometime it will be crazy glued in your head.
12) Breathe....You will learn!
Here are my thoughts for now,
Natalie
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