Denise – Page 8 – SLA Profiles (2017)

Cologne Part 3: Frühstück and Übersetzen!

Last Sunday, Klaus invited me to his house for Frühstück —– breakfast. We had a great, typical German breakfast with toast, jam, slices of meat, salmon, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and coffee, and of course a wonderful conversation over the meal!

After a nice, long meal and conversation, we sat down together in his living room. Our task: Übersetzten! We needed to work together to translate a text Klaus had written from Deutsch to English, and I couldn’t have been more excited for the challenge that awaited!

Klaus explained that his long-lost cousin (quite literally), whose grandparents had moved to America before World War II, came into contact with him over a year ago after digging through some of his grandma’s old documents and finding his contact information. The newfound correspondence eventually led to a visit a few months ago in May, and Klaus and his cousin were re-united.

Klaus enjoys writing portraits in his freetime – short, descriptive biographies with more of a personal touch, about any- and everyone he finds the least bit interesting. In memory of the visit, he composed a portrait of his cousin, in German, of course. The problem was that he wanted to share it with his cousin, who only speaks English. The solution: eine Übersetzung!

For the next three hours, that’s exactly what Klaus and I worked on together. Sentence by sentence, I came up with a rough translation, and then we worked and re-worked it until we were both satisfied with how it sounded. Klaus writes beautiful German. Some sentences were particularly challenging to translate — there are some things that sound better in German, and many German sentence constructions don’t have an English equivalent that matches up perfectly. Each time we finally settled on a good translation for a sentence, we experienced a feeling of relief and accomplishment — we understood each other and created something that would allow others to understand as well!

Eventually we made it through the document and quit for the day, but there was still room for the translation to be improved. We’re meeting tomorrow for another Frühstück followed by some Übersetzen!

The whole experience was great, and I am really looking forward to tomorrow as well. I got a better appreciation for the difficulties in translating – it wasn’t easy. In many ways, translating is its own art form, like composing a whole new portrait, and it requires both a firm understanding of the language and the intentions of the original composer; luckily for me, I had the author in front of me the whole time and working with me, which helped greatly. Beyond the intense language practice, it was also an exercise in cultural understanding and a neat glimpse into the life of Klaus’s family – a portrait of German-American relations. I see myself as another piece in the mosaic of German-American cultural exchange, both representing American culture myself and stepping back to appreciate the big picture.

An Cheathrú Rua

Dia duit! I arrived at the Shannon airport only a week ago! It feels as though I have been in Connemara for months! I’m so happy to be here. Ireland is absolutely beautiful and has welcomed me with open arms. I already know that saying goodbye will be difficult!

The other students and I were taken from the university in Galway to Connemara last Friday and introduced to our host families. I feel incredibly blessed to have Lucy as my bean an tí (woman of the house) because she has made me feel so at home. She is also an amazing cook! We had our first classes on Saturday; we did a bit of reviewing and assessed the range of fluency in the class. I moved up to a higher class on Tuesday and I’ve already learned so much. Our class day starts at 9:30 every morning and we have a break at 11 for tea (of course!) and at 1 for lunch, before finishing at 4. We have already reviewed a few of the verb tenses and practiced lots of conversation. I want to work especially on my vocabulary while I’m here so I can hold a real conversation instead of just doing conjugations! Luckily, there is Irish everywhere I turn. From the people in the tiny grocery store to the broadcasters on the radio to my host family, I am constantly surrounded by native speakers. The environment has been very effective in getting me to think in Irish and call words to mind while I am speaking. I know that this knowledge will only grow as the weeks pass!

Although we are in class for most of the day, the other students and I have been making the most of every moment outside of the classroom. I am lucky enough to be in the same house as 2 other Notre Dame students whom I had not met before. We have become fast friends! We have also befriended people from Canada, England, and even Japan! This past week, we have explored most of Carraroe by foot. The scenery is stunning with greenery and flowers everywhere, as well as the coast nearby. The walk to the beach is my favorite-there are so many green fields bursting with flowers, horses running freely, and little stone walls crisscrossing. On Tuesday night, a local sean nós singer came to sing with us and teach us some traditional songs. He had a voice that made the Irish language flow so beautifully in the music-something that I have not quite mastered yet! Last night, we attended a céilí, a traditional Irish dance. The different dances were so fun and made you feel like such a community with the people around you. I am already excited for the céilí next week! After the céilí, we had a class field trip to a pub, or teach tabhairne, about 15 minutes away. There were some local sean nós musicians playing. Their instruments and voices were spectacular. A few others in the pub came over and sang some of their own songs without having even prepared anything. The whole room joined in on a few of the songs and created an atmosphere that was so warm and welcoming. I know that I will have to go back!

I cannot believe I only arrived a week ago. It has been so packed with exploring, an Ghaeilge, and making friends! I am so excited to immerse myself more in Carraroe and talk more with the locals in their language. We are visiting Kylemore Abbey tomorrow so hopefully I can practice my conversation!

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me to get here! I miss you!

the view from the top of the hill near our house!

Post-Tours Reflections.

Upon reflection, the language acquisition process can be addressed in many different ways. While I was aware of the different elements of language, such as writing, speaking, and listening, there are many different exercises by which to improve these areas. For example, we would read aloud and improve pronunciation and read and answer questions for comprehension or listen and answer questions for comprehension, also have grammar lessons or written exams. The language acquisition process is ultimately multifaceted and exhausting. In terms of the cultural differences I came into contact with, they were pretty well handled and didn’t require too much adjustment on my part. The lateness of the dinner is an example of a cultural difference, but I quickly adjusted my internal clockwork and came to enjoy the late night meals and conversation. In terms of language learning the SLA experience has shown me how much I have left to learn. I have definitely met my goal of being able to be confident in my language skills and to employ French whenever possible, as well as improving my level. However, I am unsure as to whether or not I improved it enough for the coming semester of French classes in Paris. I probably needed more time at the institute or just need to sit down and memorize grammar. In my time before I return to France I will put a lot of effort into mindfully memorizing verb formations and vocabulary. At the same time, I do not want to undermine the progress I have made after my month in Tours, but I also need to rise to the challenge of mastering French.

As a result of my SLA Grant experience I have brought back insight into how to interact with people who I not only do not know, but who share a completely different basis than me, starting with the language. The pace of life in Tours, France is something I have come to admire and appreciate and seek in my own life; while slower, it is seemingly more mindful. The dinner conversations that opened up politics and philosophy alike to questioning and discussion is the sort of open challenge and address that I long to have in my daily interactions. If I could give advice to someone who was considering applying for an SLA Grant or preparing to start their own summer language study I would tell them that it is a beautiful experience and one they should take advantage of, that while it is mentally and emotionally exhausting, it is the sort of satisfying exhaustion that leaves you happy you did it. I would ask them why they want to do this, why learning this language is important to them and to tell them to let that motivate them to go and talk to a someone who they perhaps wouldn’t normally if only for the sake of practicing and improving their language. It is easy to get lost in the culture and in the role of observer when going abroad, but for the sake of learning the language it is important to not fall into the idea of learning language through osmosis.

My immediate future following this SLA experience is very clear, as I will be studying at Sciences Po in Paris for the duration of the Fall semester. I will grow what I have learned already by enrolling in a B2 French course for the semester and by having two other college courses in French, all the while living in France! When I return from my semester abroad I hope to continue to take courses in French and keep my level of French up by potentially seeking post graduate opportunities in France or to teach English in a French speaking country. In the meantime I will continue to read the news in French and to listen to French music. Keeping up the level of language as well as learning it requires a constant and mindful attendance. I hope to take French into my professional career of international human rights lawyer or some other field. I definitely hope to live and work abroad for at least a few years in the future. While this SLA Grant experience showed me the difficulties of living abroad, it also showed me the beauty of it and it has definitely made my desire to live abroad more of a realistic goal.

Week 1: Tours est Fraîche

During my first conversation with my host father, the car ride from Saint-Pierre-des-Corps train station to his quaint home, I bumbled through introductory French with vigor, falling back on d’accord and the hmm sound whenever I couldn’t understand. After one week, I’m still vigorously bumbling and Tours still looks quaint save for a scarcity of cobblestone.

What surprises me is the abundance of activity around Tours. There are multiple language schools and colleges, and tourists (mostly French) frequent “Tours Old Town” and Avenue de Grammont, the road running North-South through the middle of town. Rather than making it kitschy, all the activity gives Tours a vital air which is partaken of most consistently at La Guinguette de Tours sur Loire. La guinguette means “the tavern” and many towns along the Loire have one situated by the river, so mention of “la guinguette” is understood to refer to the local riverside dive. This week, I went to Tours’ on Wednesday for an outdoor movie and on Friday to dance with fellow students.

Le film en plein air, «Les Nouveaux Sauvages», à la Guinguette

At L’Institut de Touraine, the language school where I’m studying during my séjour, students from around the world attend anywhere between a week and a year strictly to learn French. I’ve already met students from Taiwan, China, Japan, Turkey (tentatively Kurdistan), India, and Spain, as well as many other Americans. Americans make up the largest portion of students, so I have to discern who amongst them is willing to speak French if I want to get the most out of this experience. As of now though, tout va bien.

At least in regards to language-learning. My navigational ability still wants improvement. Without phone service, I’ve tried to familiarize myself with the layout of Tours by walking. The day after I arrived, a Sunday, I planned to take a half-hour walk to Place Jean-Jaurais. The said Place is the central junction of all of Tours, so it’s useful to recognize. It turns out that unfamiliarity with Tours can lengthen the walk there and back to about 3 hours. The next day, the first day of school, I got lost returning home because I exited the Jardins Prébendes d’Oé via the wrong gate. I walk through those gardens everyday on the way to school and back, and now through the correct gates.

Les Jardins Prébendes d’Oé: le chemin quotidien

I enjoy getting lost in Tours more than in most places. Old buildings line the streets, many of which are strikingly quiet. Detours can lead to gardens, wine bars, or (as I discovered on what I thought was the way to Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours) a beautiful mental hospital.

The most ridiculous of these misdirected outings occurred this Saturday, when I met a friend to attend an outdoor play. Online, the event had an attached map with a pin. I recognized the spot as an insignificant point along a road near my host family’s house, but I showed up anyways to find my friend confusedly searching. We didn’t find the play because the pin was misplaced by about three blocks. Despite foreknowledge, I really expected to find the play, even in the middle of the road. Maybe because of a sensory overload, or maybe because I’m an idealist, I feel a sense of heightened possibility here and am thrilled for the weeks to come.

Before it all.

I have never had such an opportunity to make travel so academic so conscientious. While I have traveled alone before, I am expecting this experience in Tours, France to be unlike before because I am arriving to a place wherein I do not speak the language well and wherein I do not know the people who I will be staying with. I am fully prepared for this experience, and am excited for the higher level of French I will achieve. People say there is nothing like learning a language in a country in which they speak it, but I will now finally be able to attest to that commonly accepted idea. While the 22.5 hours of instruction will surely take an effect on my French, I expect the atmosphere to challenge me to be more outgoing and willing to speak French despite the possible grammar mistakes. Furthermore, I feel some pressure to increase my level since I will be attending Sciences Po in the fall. I hope for the best and have high aims, I am also fully prepared to look foolish for the sake of improvement.

Japanese Movie Theater

A very large part of my study of Japanese came from my love for Japanese movies and dramas, with its wide range from the silly to the poignant. Sadly, many of these movies are hard to access when I was in the US and are only released in Japan or selected theaters. Fortunately, I had the chance to watch the live action movie Gintama during my stay in Japan. The movie is about a world where aliens have invaded Japan and declared the age of samurai to be over. It follows a ex-samurai named Gintoki (the silver hair one) and his various everyday shenanigans.

The movie posters for *Gintama*. I highly recommend it.

The movie theater we went to was Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku. It was a high-rise building with a giant Godzilla statue towering over it. For the most part, it was the same as going to the movies in US. However, there were a few differences that made it an interesting experience. For example, there were areas in the lobby where the movie goer could buy merchandise that features characters or something from the movie. I got some Gintama postcards after watching it that I’m super excited about. When we were watching the trailers, there were some American movies such as Spider-Man and Star Wars featured, but the voices were dubbed in Japanese which took some getting used to. Before the movie began, there was a reminder for people to turn off their cell phones, to not talk during the movies, and for some reason, to not kick the seats. Of course people at the movie theater in the US are generally quiet during the movies, but there was a noticeable difference in the level of quietness in the Japanese theater.

The area around the theater

The entire movie was in Japanese with no subtitles, and I was happy to have been able to follow most of what was happening or said. The movie was hilarious and really well-done, and it was neat to be able to understand a joke or the punchline in another language.

I’m Finally Here!

When you walk to your gate and see this waiting for you, you can anticipate a good trip

Or, if we’re being a bit more precise, I’ve been here for two weeks now. Flying in to Tokyo was one of the most pleasantly overwhelming moments of my life. Navigating international travel, currency exchange, and Tokyo’s intricate train system for the first time was challenging, though who can complain about flying on a BB-8 plane? My experience has been a mix of that daunting challenge and sense of wonder, so it’s taken me a while to finally sit down and write about it all.

Quite a bit has happened since my arrival, so I will split my first two posts between the liveliest points of my stay thus far: city life and campus life. This first post of mine will center around the city life and attempt to give a worthy summary of my experience. My friends and I have crawled the various sections of this vast metropolitan monster numerous times now, and it’s left a lasting impression with me.

Train tracks that seem to stretch on forever

As of July 20th, I have been to Shinjuku, Asakusa, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Musashi-sakai, Mitaka, and, of course, the International Christian University. A lot, I know. I owe my travels to the wonderfully affordable Tokyo train system. I can’t imagine there’s anything quite like it. Once you become accustomed to the lay out of the city, the large swaths of people, and abandon the ticket system for a much more convenient Suica or Passmo card, the train system becomes your very best friend in Tokyo. This is a somewhat strange thing to rave about, but my hometown, Houston, has little in terms of public transportation. South Bend has a more extensive bus system. So, from my perspective, the train system is a work of modern ingenuity, even if it’s as common as morning coffee for the denizens of Tokyo.

Another dazzling sight is the sheer size of the buildings in major shopping centers. Everything with the exception of large crosswalks and certain roads are much narrower than what I’m used to in the States. Due to the ground space being narrow, when you go to your large department stores, expect to look up. Way up. Some companies capitalize on this architecture in fantastic ways. The picture to the right is TOHO Cinemas and its overgrown guardian turtle. While not every establishment is wonderful enough to warrant this protection, it’s common to see giant screens playing advertisements or banners that are multiple stories high. You’ll see a lot more of that in my later posts.

So what other general impressions do I have after two weeks in Tokyo? Shopping and food. I could easily write an entire post about each of these, but I’ll try to limit myself to one paragraph each.

Directly in front of Shinjuku station right after sunset

Tokyo shopping is… Vast is perhaps the best word I can think of at the moment. You can find just about anything in the sprawling city. Sometimes, all in a single building. You might spend an hour browsing on one floor, head toward the escalator to look for a certain type of goods, and then discover nine other floors to search through. Sometimes more. Window shopping is fun in and of itself simply because there is so much to see. Often prices will be absolutely reasonable, and the more populated and popular areas are often tax free hubs where simply presenting your passport will exempt you from tax on anything over 5,000 yen (about fifty dollars). And, of course, plenty of areas are packed with people.

Delicious beef dish including miso soup, rice, and a salad

Now for the food. This could easily be my favorite part of living in Japan. I’m not a foodie or anything, but you really can’t beat the prices on food here. For 650 yen you can get a meal similar to that depicted on the right. And these meals aren’t McDonald’s quality “food.” They are delicious, (probably) nutritious meals that are very filling. No questionable quote unquote meat. No extra four to five dollars for leafy greens. No two dollar bottles of water. You can buy fairly large bottles of water at a supermarket for less than 100 yen and bottles of tea for a comparable price. It’s simply wonderful in my opinion. It helps that I love washoku or Japanese cuisine. I’ve also become accustomed to using chopsticks for anything and everything. Rice, the floating bits of miso soup, salads, and even chips. Yes. I’m very proud, thank you for asking.

So that’s Tokyo the city thus far. These are all the most general of impressions, but I hope to share more specifics later down the line, because I’ve already had some great times in the various sections of the city. However, that will have to wait. Next up is ICU campus life.

Jyaa ne! Until next time!

Reflection Post

Reflect on your language learning and acculturation during your SLA Grant experience. What insights did you gain into the language acquisition process? How did you engage and understand cultural differences. Did you meet your goals for language learning that you articulated on the blog before you started your program? Why or why not?

This question is a bit hard for me, as I have spent the past year studying abroad gaining insights into the language acquisition process. However, changing the school at which I studied certainly helped me gain more insight into the process of teaching one’s brain to easily and rapidly use a foreign language. The professor’s at L’alliance Française had clearly received great training in the way the brain functions in relation with foreign languages. My professor taught me numerous new tools for helping learn a language, which I had never even thought of before. Gone are my days of believing that French television is enough comprehension practice! Overall, I am extremely happy with the results of the program, and I can confidently say that I honored my pact to only speak French (with minor exceptions…) during my SLA. My ability level has certainly risen during my studies, and I can even say that my ability to speak fluently (as opposed to translating back and forth between french and english) is much more concrete than before.

2. Reflect on your SLA Grant experience overall. What insights have you brought back as a result of this experience? How has your summer language study abroad changed you and/or your worldview? What advice would you give to someone who was considering applying for an SLA Grant or preparing to start their own summer language study?

This experience has been especially impactful, in part, because I engaged the language in an incredibly diverse class. Students came from all over the world, were different ages, some married, some with children, and some college students like me. Not only did I enjoy the diversity after a year in a University setting, but these students offered me valuable insight into their fields, how they moved to France, and how they have utilized their French skills to work their way into certain careers. This has been incredibly important, as a few students in particular really steered me into a new career direction. Living in Paris also helped me broaden my worldview, as I was constantly encountering French culture and the cultures of the immigrants who surrounded me each and every day. The city truly helped me learn and experience culture in a way that I never have before.

In terms of advice, I would certainly advise students to speak solely in their target language. In addition, I would recommend that students make sure to spend time with native speakers. While it can be comforting to find friends who speak your language and understand your culture, speaking with natives will help you learn to speak colloquially and without accent (well, at least not a bad accent…!).

3. How do you plan to use your language and intercultural competences in the future? Where do you go from here? How will you maintain, grow and/or apply what you have learned? How might you use your SLA Grant experience during the rest of your academic career and post-graduation. How will your SLA Grant experience inform you as you move forward academically, personally and professionally?

I will hold my SLA experience near and dear to my heart no matter what my future holds. However, I can also say that this experience has helped me understand that I want to continue to work with the French language for the rest of my life. Because of this, I will be using each and every opportunity on campus to continue my French progression. This includes French Club, Café Français, and (hopefully) conversation opportunities with native speakers. Further down the line, I will ideally work within the International Development field, in which French will be an integral skill, as much of the work takes place in French speaking countries. Not only this though, but I will also take what I have learned about cultural sensitivity, personal growth, and language growth with me when I (hopefully) embark on Western Africa to aid in the development process. Overall, my SLA grant has been a breath of fresh air that has acted to reinvigorate my passion for language, culture, and respectful humanitarian aid.

Cologne Part 2: Good Conversations

Last week was an exciting one! Being immersed in the language has helped my German speaking skills and confidence improve, and the language classes are going great. After class last Thursday, a group took a trip to the famous Schokolade Museum, or Chocolate Museum, right in the middle of Cologne! Not only did we learn about the history of chocolate cultivation and consumption, but they also displayed a chocolate packaging machine in which the chocolate is poured, hardened, separated, and bundled up for delivery! Pope Francis even made an appearance as a chocolate mold on display!

Of course, there was also a giant chocolate fountain, and I did get to sample some as well!

Perhaps one of the best memories of last week, even better than chocolate, was a conversation I had with Sugras, a 23-year-old Mongolian native who has been living in Germany for over a year. He lives in the same house as me, two doors down, but we actually ran into each other by chance at the Straßenbahn stop down the street on Saturday evening.

We went back to the house and Sugras offered to make dinner. He prepared Chinese beef dumplings — who would have thought I would get the chance to enjoy Chinese cuisine in Germany?! As he made dinner, we had a good, long conversation which covered many topics. He talked about his experience as a minority in Germany — that is, a non-native German.

To him, many Germans appear cold at first, especially in public places like the Straßenbahn or on the street. People don’t smile at him, and it would feel out of line for anyone to talk to a stranger. In my experience in the U.S. and especially the Midwest, by contrast, it’s not completely out of the ordinary for someone to have a conversation with a total stranger as if they’re good friends. He wishes people would be a bit more friendly. Interestingly, he has found that when he speaks English – and not German – people pay more attention to him and are more willing to talk to him.

We also talked about politics and religion; Donald Trump is always an interesting topic of conversation for people who get a chance to talk to an American about it! Sugras, like many Mongolians, practices Shamanism, a spiritual religion which pays special respect to ancestors and forefathers. Interestingly, Sugras had only a vague idea of what Christianity was, and offered some views of religious conflict after I gave him a brief overview of Jesus’s story.

I’ve also had some conversations with Niyyat, another tenant in our house and my next-door neighbor, who comes from Azerbaijan. He speaks primarily English as he’s studying IT networking at a local university. He commented on his experience telling Germans where he’s from — most people can’t locate his country on a map, he says. He finds this issue extends beyond just Azerbaijan, and notes that Germans struggle with other countries’ geographical location in his experience as well. If people were more educated about where countries are located and what’s going on in the world, he thinks xenophobia would be much less prevalent. For instance, German UN forces are in Syria; if people realized this, they might be more welcoming toward Syrian refugees.

It’s always fascinating to learn about how people from other countries view the world, and Germany is a country full of migrants today, offering a unique opportunity for cultural exchange. Food, ideas, and conversations are always great, and Germany is a great place for all of those things!

Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival is a Chinese festival that marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year Celebration. Those who are well-versed on Chinese history know that this day is significant for several reasons. There are many different legends and myths tied to this day. They include several different emperors, warriors, gods, and mythical creatures. Each story has a different explanation for the lighting of the lanterns. One belief is that the festival celebrates humans’ ability to move about at night with human-made light during the darkness of winter. A legend claims that the lanterns are lit to commemorate an ancient warrior who died while leading a successful rebellion against a tyrannical king. Regardless of how the tradition began, this day is special to so many people across China. On the 15^th day of the Chinese New Year, children go out at night to temples carrying paper lanterns and solve riddles. In ancient times, only those who hold high social status had ornate lamps, and the rest were relatively simple.

Today, lanterns come in many different shapes and sizes and hold different meanings for every person who celebrates the Lantern Festival. Although for many, the lanterns can symbolize the people releasing their former selves and beginning their new ones which will be released a year later. The lanterns are also almost always red, the most popular color in China, which can symbolize many different things including good fortune.