This is the final EDTC post for the semester.
Here is my summary of learning
It has been a blast to be in this class.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn!
Josh
Day: December 13, 2023
This is the second to last post of EDTC 300.
I don’t read blogs all that much, so i’ll admit it was difficult to add comments to other blogs some days. The slideshow below shows some of the contributions I have made to other classmates learning posts.
I didn’t utilize Discord all that much, but this is one moment where I was able to help out
I believe I made good contributions to the learning project posts, ones that hopefully encouraged my classmates to keep pursuing their goal.
It was always fun to share my thoughts with my classmates whenever we were in the breakout rooms during class. Listening to other people’s perspectives was very insightful. I shared a resource or two during class, but unfortunately I can’t find them in the zoom recordings, as there was not an option to see the chat box.
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the final stretch of this journey.
When I started this learning project at the beginning of September, I didn’t know where it would exactly lead me. I wanted to learn German so I could one day travel to Germany. From reading facts in museums to ordering a drink at a local brewery. I remember writing that first post with that ambitious goal in mind. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how much I would learn, given that I have a busy life both in school and outside. But throughout the semester, I endured and kept my committment to learning German to the best of my abilities or what time would allow me.
And let me tell you, it was worth it. Let’s take a look back….
Week 1 : Romancing the Germanic
I found my most consistent tool for learning/practicing German throughout the semester, Duolingo. Although I have my gripes with Duolingo, it kept me engaged and allowed me to practice the format of the language.
My progress as of Dec 12th
Week 2 : Grasping German Grammar (feat. Laura)
When it comes to German language, noun genders can be really confusing. There are no set rules, so most sites tell you to learn the gender with the noun as you go. And while that is mostly true, Laura’s German Grammar helped organize the noun genders into different topics, which was super helpful for me going forward.
Week 3 : The Conjugation Champ (ft. Decent quality video editing)
Conjuu was a helpful app that helped me practice german verbs. I also learned some video editing skills, which was not as daunting as I once thought it was.
Week 4 : Vocabulary List? Answer:Mango
Who doesn’t love free things from the library? I certainly do! I quickly learned the days and months of the year.
Week 5: Is Drops a [ka]hoot!? Tune in
As much as I found the app a bit disappointing, I realized that my learning system can’t heavily rely on visuals, or else I focus on learning the visuals themselves and not the words/phrases. It was fun learning about different hair styles though, haha
Week 6 : Domo arigato Mr. Roboto!
I never would have thought of the day of using AI to explore a language, but it was a unique experience. While I wouldn’t rely on it teaching me the language, it did provide some good resources and alternate ways of learning, such as songs and rhyme (something I didn’t even think of).
Week 7 : Memorize? How about Memrise?
I love this app. Listening to native speakers was such a refresher, especially since Drops and Duolingo both gave monotone robot voices. Learning vocabulary from short form video content was a cool way to keep people engaged whilst also learning! I learned enough vocabulary to get a beer! Haha
Week 8 : A Whole New World
I found a site that has a library filled with German content. I doubt I would have found this amount of content at the local Regina library. I can’t wait to come back to this site later when I have enough vocabulary to read a novel made for kids.
Week 9 : The Last Tool
Just recently, I found a Youtube channel that explains the language in a similar tone to Laura’s German Grammar from Week 2. The channel also has an app and website that helps new learners navigate through the german language.
Now, more than ever, I’m excited to continue studying the German language and improving that knowledge. Although I’m still a beginner and still have a lot more to learn, this project has really invigorated my love for languages again. Even though this learning project journey has come to a close, my eagerness to learn German will continue to thrive in the upcoming year.
Thanks to all for being with me throughout this journey.
Prost und Auf wiedersehn!
Josh
