Welcome to my learning project journey!
When I heard about this project, I got very excited! There are always a million things to learn but so little time. I am happy there is an opportunity in this class to pick something you are interested in and learn about it! I started brainstorming to come up with a few options and settled on these two: learn how to play the piano and learn a new language. Both of these options sounded equally appealing to me but after some thinking I weighed pros and cons, and I decided to start learning a new language.
Photo by Feng Yu on Adobe Stock
As I mentioned in my previous post, where I talked a little bit about myself and what I enjoy doing, travelling is a big part of my life. I like going to places I have never been before. Meeting and talking to people from different cultures is one of the best ways to learn about their traditions, local food and their lives. We are so used to chatting in our own language, of course, but when you travel that’s when you learn how to really communicate. My partner and I went to Colombia last summer, and I had a very hard time talking to local people because I did not know a single world in Spanish. I had to use hand gestures, facial expressions, and use the technology like google translate to helps me express myself but that’s not the same quality of communication. This summer we are going on another trip to Nicaragua where people mainly speak Spanish. I would really like to learn some Spanish so I can talk to local people and improve my travelling experience. All I know how to say in Spanish is “Cuánto cuesta?” which means “How much?”. I think it is an expression every tourist should know but it is not very helpful when you do not know the numbers.
Photo by ink drop on Adobe Stock
Even though this is not my first time learning a new language, I still decided to do some research and look for tips and advice on what to start with when learning a new language. I found an online resource that talks about first 5 steps you should take to learn a new language.
Throughout this project, I will stick to the following plan and learn:
- The Alphabet and pronunciation.
- Numbers
- Greetings and introductions
- Basic sentences for ordering food in Spanish
- Asking for an understanding directions
- Frequently-used vocabulary
I have scheduled time for my learning project on Sundays starting from May 19th, 2024. My language goal is for me to be able order food at a restaurant, ask people how they are doing (and understand their responses), and be able to negotiate prices with street vendors and taxi cab drivers in Spanish.
Wish me luck on my learning journey!
