Inspired by Carine's blog and her Twi language cards, I need to take a look at how I am doing in Tibetan. So, I know that knowing bits and pieces of a language is important in cross cultural research and interaction in general, especially for gaining rapport in a tourist community, but how do I take that to heart?This year, field studies has added a new addition to the program. A language class to prepare for our various locations. Since I am going to the Tibetan settlement Dharamsala, well, Tibetan it is.
But then there is me... sitting in a classroom for two hours at the end of my longest day of the week, and I cannot focus. I cannot learn. My knee hurts. I feel stupid. I struggle to have a good attitude, and all of these great things I feel guilty admitting. I don't understand Tibetan. I don't even know where to start. I don't want to learn words like "white mushroom" and "iron" when I cannot even ask "where is the bathroom?" But then, something saved me!
This handbook for nine bucks on Amazon. It made me realize that my struggle with Tibetan is because I have not been putting for the effort to care about it or attempt to learn what I can because I have been too busy thinking it is impossible. I feel a lot better about taking the class now that I have changed my attitude.
Now I know how to say "thank you", "father", "butter," and "I don't drink tea." Maybe next time I will tackle the bathroom question.
Good Job Rachel. Wednesday is our longest day too, and Tibetan is definitely hard. For me, I feel a little more relaxed in Tibetan because I'm at the same level as everyone else, as opposed to my Hindi 102 class where everyone has either taken the first class, served a mission in India, or is from Nepal and just about fluent.
ReplyDeleteSomething that helps me get into it is to try and form sentences out of what we already know or mostly know. Then if there's just one or two words missing to complete the sentence, you look them up and then you've got it! I don't know, but I just feel very accomplished when I can say a complete sentence in another language.
I think the bathroom question is also very important, haha. I'm struggling in that class too. I just don't understand any of it. And all the ka, kha, k'a, cha, ch'a, sha's sound the same to me. It amazes me that those linguistic students can understand it so easily.
ReplyDeleteI just bought the little handbook too. I need to look at it more so I can get some of your enthusiasm. Thanks for the help with my motivation.
Aw thanks guys! I am glad I am not alone. Thank you for the recommendation Matt! I'll try to make sentences.
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