Learning Strategies and Short Term Language Goals

My official Arabic efforts are now about 2-1/2 weeks underway, and I have come to realize the value of three learning strategies in working towards my short-term language goals:

1. Learning language "chunks" instead of grammar patterns
2. Using online language resources to fill in some gaps and answer questions, and
3. Getting positive and negative feedback on the accuracy of my speech.

Since I'm only going to Egypt for a week or so, I need basic survival phrases to help me get through the airport. I need greetings, I need to ask for directions, I need to explain my reason for being there, I need to ask how much something costs, etc. And of course, I need to understand some basic answers. As such, learning all the intricacies of grammar is probably overkill, so to speak. I need a well-recognized phrase that I can memorize in a "chunk", which will convey the basic meaning easily without needing to pick and choose words, worry about order, etc. Is it important to be sensitive to social context, follow rules of politeness, etc.? Of course. But most people will realize I only have about six words in my repertoire, and will likely forgive any non-egregious breaches of etiquette. And for that matter, most people will also appreciate my efforts to use any Arabic at all, rather than assuming (as we Americans are reputed to do) that we don't need to learn other people's languages and expecting them to speak in English right from the start. Hopefully they will appreciate my effort in language-diplomacy and then kindly help me find someone who speaks English!

Second, there are TONS of web-based langauge programs available for free. Most of them have "deluxe" versions that require payment but the free basic services are often quite good, and more than enough for a beginner like me. Though I have found a slightly different application of use: Skype. For those of you who don't know, Skype is like videoconferencing over the internet, and it's FREE! I have found a wonderful Tunisian tutor, Olfa, who is in North Carolina, while I am in Pennsylvania (about 800 miles away). We meet once or twice a week on Skype, face to face, and she teaches me the "chunks" as necessary, answering my questions as we go. Of course, it's not perfect and sometimes the sound quality is a little fuzzy, but overall it's a great way to build relationships with people in a way that is much more personal and concrete feeling than simply on the phone. It's interesting, because I often use Skype to coach my own private clients... but this time I'm on the receiving end of the service. And I'm just as happy with it!

Finally, get feedback on how you're doing! I study my Arabic lessons each day (well, almost every day), but then I practice the routines with Olfa during our online sessions, and she corrects me when I am unclear, or confirms when I have communicated clearly. It's so helpful for me to listen to her pronunciation - especially rhythm and stress patterns - and then try to emulate her. Then she tells me how close I get or what I need to change. I try to take notes on our discussions so I don't forget what she tells me, and this helps me build good language habits from the start. So find someone who is either a native speaker or otherwise a more advanced learner than you are and ask them to give you feedback whenever possible!

The sounds of Arabic have been particularly challenging for me, so I'll talk about some of my pronunciation strateges next time.