Week Fifteen: Language Websites and Linguistic Highlights

This week, my Kinyarwanda language study hasn’t so much found me studying new material as it has reviewing “old” material. Of course, part of the reason why is due to the fact that my final self-assessment is approaching, but I have also discovered a new-found love of posting lessons on my language website (https://sites.google.com/a/wisc.edu/learning-kinyarwanda/home-1).

Initially, I viewed my language website exclusively in terms of assignments, which, technically, it still is, but now that I am posting lessons in Kinyarwanda on it, I find that it is much more thrilling. It encourages me to reflect on how best I learn, so I can transmit the information I have better to others. In addition, I find myself thinking about what lesson I would like to post next, and what supplementary information “my students” would require in order to understand it. In turn, it makes me think even more about what to post, how much to post, and in what format, a recurring and productive cycle. Needless to say, it’s all very exciting to me, and I am glad to have had this change of heart, even so late in the semester, as I can continue to prepare for next semester over winter break.

My current attitude is not unlike those of the students described in Katrina Daly Thompson’s article, “Active Learning Through Materials Development: A Project for the Advanced L2 Classroom,” who were each responsible for a content-based website in their target language. One student claimed, “I learned a lot about teaching the language by creating exercises on [the] computer for students of lower levels,” and another commented “I hope our websites will be useful to future…students” (qtd. in Thompson 106). To this I say, so have I, and so do I.

For now, however, I might have to put my website to the side, in order to focus on my self-assessment, but in all honesty, I probably won’t, and that is not an entirely bad thing for my study.

:-)

Week Fourteen: Isolation and Recommitments

During the preceding weeks, my language study has been pretty lackluster, and I can blame continued illness, holidays, and end-of-semester demands all I would like, but ultimately the error lies in me. Indeed, if I was truly committed to my independent language-learning, sure, these things would be obstacles, but they wouldn’t stop me from learning. Accordingly, I am frustrated with myself, but presently, I wish to view it as an opportunity- an opportunity to review extensively and learn further before the final assessment. More importantly, I wish to re-commit myself to a schedule that will allow for independent learning, particularly as I approach winter break which, with the absence of formal classes, will leave me completely by myself to structure my language lessons.

Pertinently, it was brought to my attention recently that I wasn’t necessarily reflecting on my language-learning, so much as external factors pertinent to it. I have to apologize for this, because I believe I was consciously deflecting and allowing myself to ramble about these topics, because I felt my language-learning wasn’t going as well as it should be. In the process, however, I isolated myself further from those around me (those interested or otherwise invested in my progress) by refusing to talk about it. Again, I am sorry, and I need to train myself to be better at recognizing negative feelings and managing them in a productive way, even if that means expressing emotion when I don’t want to.

Speaking of those relevant to my language-study, I have been unable to meet with my language partner for the past month. The first week, he had to host parent-teacher conferences, and the next three weeks I was/will be out of town (the first two weeks at home and the third in New York City for a conference). Perhaps this contributed to feelings of isolation, as well. Due to this, however, I am afraid to ask him to help me with my final self-assessment, because we have been out-of-touch. Although I recognize that he has invested in my progress by spending time with me, sometimes I find it difficult to rationalize asking him to help me further. This experience has made me understand fully the literature that encourages students to pay their language partners, and perhaps I would feel less burdensome if we had arranged that, but in the meantime, I am still nervous without much recourse. 

On to studying once again...

Week Thirteen: (Not) Enough!

This week, my Kinyarwanda study wasn’t as productive as I would have liked. Sure, I was sick for the duration of it. In fact, I continue to be sick, which is probably an indicator, at this time in the semester, that I allowed myself to get worn down, concentrating too much on external commitments (i.e. school, work) without allowing myself the necessary time to focus on the internal (i.e. mind, body, spirit). I can recognize this and understand that I shouldn’t be too hard on myself about it, but still I am frustrated. I don’t want my language study to decelerate or even stop, before the end of the semester, particularly as it sets a bad precedent for a time in which I will not have school to structure it.

Accordingly, this week reminded me that independent language study isn’t strictly about managing what I am learning and at what rate, but also my emotional levels. If I was in a formal classroom, my slowed language study might be an indication that to some instructors that I am lazy or unmotivated or *some other negative adjective*, but as I am both instructor/student (in a way), I am privy to both sides. I am:

doing it! but not fast enough!

learning! but not enough!

trying! but not hard enough!

exceeding! but not enough!

doing things at my own pace! but it’s not enough!

Oh! Enough of the not enough! Indeed, whereas a formal classroom might explicitly state what is enough and what is not enough, my independent language study allows me to determine that for myself. While that, in and of itself, might be a bit challenging, insofar as it lends itself to getting in my own and staying there (which distracts from the task at hand), it also pushes me to find a balance between what I am doing, what I want to be doing, and what I have to do to get there. And that just has to be enough for now!

Murakoze, kandi murabeho!

Week Twelve: Investment and Power Structures in Language Learning

This week, my Kinyarwanda language study witnessed me trying to regulate my learning. Indeed, insofar as I am in the process of constructing an assessment to evaluate my performance this semester, I am trying to “take stock” of what I have learned in comparison to what I set out to learn. Reflecting back on the beginning of the semester, however, I am not sure I had a clear picture of what I wanted to learn or, better put, what I wanted to do with the material that I learned. 

Pertinently, I read Bonny Norton Pierce’s article “Social Identity, Investment, and Language Learning” for another course in which I am enrolled, African 575: Methods in Teaching African Langauges- Theory and Practice. In the article, Norton Pierce proposes that “the language learner [h]as… a complex social identity that must be understood with reference to larger, frequently inequitable social structures,” after examining the experiences of five female ESL students in a Canadian context (13). Of course, the article does much more than what follows, including staging a very provocative discussion of power and identity, but for my purposes here, the notion of investment is equally important. The author states:

Some forms of cultural capital have a higher exchange value than others in a given social context. I take the position that if         learners invest in a second language, they do so with the understanding that they will acquire a wider range of symbolic and material resources, which will in turn increase the value of their cultural capital. Learners will expect or hope to have a good return on that investment- a return that will give them access hitherto unattainable resources. (17)

In reflecting on my own studies, I can admit: Sure, I am learning Kinyarwanda to gain access to material resources that I would otherwise not have access to, such as testimony, archival documents, and creative responses to the Genocide; however, I am also learning Kinyarwanda to earn a smile from my guesthouse keeper, to surprise the random passerby gawking at the “umuzungu,” and, ultimately, to talk to a person in his/her language without the expectation that they speak mine. These are hardly measurable exchanges, but it is what I wish to do with the language nonetheless.

In addition, I believe it to be reflective of a power exchange taking place. Outside the context of my research and my travels to Rwanda, my speaking Kinyarwanda has little exchange value. Indeed, it is not a critical language, nor is it taught widely within the United States. If I were being completely honest, within the context of Rwandan Genocide literature, the French language would be more useful to my studies. With that said, however, it shouldn’t be strictly about me and what I am getting out of this- my language study-, and in order to be an ethical researcher, I feel I must consider the perspectives of my subjects. Accordingly, I have concluded that the narrative of Rwanda belongs to Rwandans, and they should be able to express it in whatever language they would like, whether it be English, French, or Kinyarwanda, but in order to listen and to listen well, I have to know these languages too.

Perhaps these are not revolutionary ideas, or at least they shouldn’t be, but I find myself reflecting on them still. Such thoughts will help sustain me to the end of the semester and throughout the course of my language study, when I feel discouraged or have trouble seeing the “big picture.”

Now back to my self-assessment…

Week Eleven: Moving in a Big and Small World

This week, my Kinyarwanda language study witnessed me preparing to construct a self-assessment that will gage my progress throughout the semester. This process, however, forced me to think about a different sort of development that has occurred in the past few months, that is- my own increased comfort, or at least familiarization, with the University of Wisconsin- Madison and the surrounding area.

Indeed, I began the academic year a little trepidatious. I was in a new city in a new state, in a new department in a new university, surrounded by new people in new classes. With all this change, I felt a bit lost, if not a little lonely. I didn’t know where this was, I didn’t know who I was supposed to talk to or seek guidance from, and I definitely didn’t always know what I was supposed to be doing or, better yet, when. This general state of confusion carried over to my language study. I did not know how to approach it initially, and given the world-context of Kinyarwanda, I felt even more lost. No longer was it merely a question about how to get from Van Hise Hall to Sequoya Library (a task, in and of itself), but now it was identifying proper resources on the World Wide Web, locating speakers of a language spoken on a different continent, and thinking of opportunities to travel there and immerse myself in the culture. My task was vast, and I doubted whether I could find all the sources I needed in Madison alone.

My defeatist attitude before my independent study even began disappoints me now, but African 670/697 really assisted me in changing it. At the most concrete level, it provided me with opportunities to navigate UW-Madison, encouraging me to travel in and around the Memorial Library, visit the Design Lab in the College Library (yes, two libraries within approximately a two-block radius of each other), and locate Sequoya Library (a Madison community library quite a bit further from campus than two blocks). On a more abstract level, it allowed me to see the resources available to me at UW-Madison, from an impressive African Studies collection at the Memorial Library (including resources on Kinyarwanda) to talks and other events sponsored by the African Studies Program, as well as activities sponsored by the African Association of Madison (including Africa Fest) and Africans living in Madison (including my Kinyarwanda language mentor, A). Finally, this class helped me to realize that I am not entirely alone on campus. Indeed, I have a small community of language learners here to support me, should I need it, and I am here to do the same for them.

UW-Madison is a big place, but then again, so is the world. When we only see it as such, however, it can be rather daunting. When we travel and experience it though, forging connections along the way, perhaps it seems smaller. Size is relative though, isn’t it? So, maybe it’s not the size that changes. It’s us. We are constantly moving, nearer to this, further from that, and that informs our perspective. 

So yes, I am still a little nervous, and maybe even a little lonely, but I am still moving.

Week Ten: Byina! (Dance!)

This week, my language study witnessed me returning to my individualized study plan in order to revise it based on factors such as motivation, personality, learning styles, and preferred strategies. In so doing, the significance of my language-learning blog became all the more apparent to me, you- as in the blog itself- relies on a degree of metacognition that I don’t think my language-learning has quite experienced before. With that said, you- as in the readers of my blog (who I imagine to be my classmates in and professor of African 670/697)- have also become an invaluable resource to me, as well, due to your unwavering support and guidance as we all locate and build our learning methods and strategies. Thank you both.

At a more concrete level, however, I have been making a concentrated effort to incorporate Quizlet and Kinyarwanda music videos into my everyday “rhythm.” Of course, Quizlet is fun, and it operates as a bit of a game, but what I’d like to talk about most is the use of Kinyarwanda music in my language-learning. Indeed, when I proposed the idea in class, I insisted that replacement of my typical radio station with songs in the target language, would be helpful, as I listen, sing along, and dance to music in English, while performing passive tasks. My own sense of logic indicated that I would do the same if the music were in Kinyarwanda, which prompted one of my classmates, La, to encourage me to consider the possibility of kinesthetic learning, which, confessionally, I had never done even though I am an effective learner in both auditory and visual learning styles. 

In considering the relationship between movement and learning, I began to think- I could create my own dance moves to match the songs, which might enable learning, but I could also watch the traditional dance videos and mimic the movement I see, in order to gain a cultural component as well. Perhaps that contradicts the notion of listening to music while completing passive tasks, but then again, if it enhances my language-learning, I don’t want to eliminate the possibility. In fact, and though this may be a little embarrassing, this thought process prompted an image of my being included in a dance either here (in Madison’s annual Africa Fest) or in Rwanda. Perhaps that image doesn’t necessarily fit my personality, but a certain level of preparedness or familiarity with Rwandan dance appeals to me. Regardless, however, you must not anticipate a video of me performing a dance any time soon, if ever. 

Once again returning to a more tangible component of my language-learning, however, I noticed that my language partner, A, seemed very distracted during our last conversation, and even though he became excited gradually, he also seemed eager to leave. Perhaps something was going on in his personal life, but I hope last week wasn’t a reflection of diminished enthusiasm regarding our project. I will have to keep you all advised on this matter.

Murakoze, kandi murabeho!

p.s. A song/dance of the Kinyarwanda culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ui91236OwY

Week Nine: A Stable (But Challenging) Schedule

This week, my Kinyarwanda study didn’t really witness any thrilling initiatives on my part, but this may be due to the fact that I have fallen into a comfortable pattern of study. I would argue that this is ultimately a good thing and perhaps, whether explicitly stated or not, it has been my goal since the beginning of the semester, but I still feel the need to be cautious about it. Indeed, I do not want to fall into too stable of a schedule and become complacent in my learning. Instead, I hope to continue to challenge myself and push my learning to greater/higher levels.

In order to do this, I have begun to think of new initiatives to try. One is rather small, but I think it might be helpful to me. You see, I often listen to music while completing mundane and otherwise passive tasks, such as chores, getting ready, and/or walking, and I find myself looking forward to being able to do so, as I cannot have music on while completing homework. In addition, and I think this is significant, I do not block the music out. I am listening to it, singing along, and sometimes even dancing. Accordingly, I think it might be beneficial to replace some of my music time with listening to news pieces/songs/etc in Kinyarwanda, and as I believe I would also not block it out, I might listen and be able to reproduce what is said to some degree.

I believe this technique will force me to practice listening, which, with the exception of meetings with my language partner, is a language skill that has largely been neglected in my studies thus far. In addition, it will assist me in the more cohesive incorporation of my language studies into my everyday life.

I continue to meet with my language partner, A, and I find that when we are communicating (either via text message or email), we often try to negotiate meaning in Kinyarwanda, which is helpful to me, because it is a reminder that the language is to be used, not strictly learned about in an abstract manner.

Finally, last week, my classmates in African 670: Theory and Methods of Learning a Less Commonly Taught Language all took a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test, and we all reflected on our results in class. Obviously, I entered the test without attempting to bias the results, and I would like to think that I completed the appropriate amount of self-reflection to ensure the most accurate readings, and, accordingly, I received the results of INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judgement). The INFJ personality, in addition to a wide variety of other traits and abilities, is noted for his/her ability to learn new languages. Of course, this is my personality, according to the results of the questionnaire, but I can’t help but think that having the knowledge that my personality may be inclined toward language-learning might serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy. And that can’t be harmful to my own sense of efficacy, right?

Murakoze, kandi murabeho!

Week Eight: New Resources, Greater Lessons, and an Improved Website

This week, my Kinyarwanda language study witnessed me continuing to review many of the concepts that my intensive study course introduced me to, but in the interest of not memorizing them as disjointed topics, but instead as communicative tools (as I mentioned last week), I have been trying to find alternative resources to assist me. Of course, my previous notes, as well as textbook, are extremely helpful, but I have recently located the Peace Corps’s Trainee Kinyarwanda Book, which is coming to be very beneficial as it is more focused on communicative competence. (http://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/audio/languagelessons/rwanda/RW_Kinyarwanda_Language_Lessons.pdf). 

In addition, I met with my language partner, A, this week, which is a great source of motivation for me. Not only does it create some amount of structure, but it also keeps me accountable for the material that I am studying. Indeed, A notices when I am relearning old or picking up new vocabulary, and he responds in a very encouraging manner, and no matter the reason, this encouragement gives me confidence. In addition, and not as really part of a structured lesson, A began speaking with me in Kinyarwanda after our formal practice. He asked me questions about my stay in Rwanda regarding where I stayed and what I ate, and I responded in English. Of course, I would like to work toward responding exclusively in Kinyarwanda, but knowing that I can listen and identify what he is saying (after all of this time) is impressive to me.

This weekend, I also visited home, which might have distracted me from my language study more than I care to admit, but while seeing a friend, he asked me to speak in Kinyarwanda (though I believe he pronounced it as Keenyamara), and then he asked me to do it again and again. Of course, it was a little embarrassing to me at first, but then again, it was also a little gratifying. Someone is interested enough in my language study to ask me to speak to them in words they do not know and proud enough to have me repeat those words to others. His response is also in stark contrast to that of another who I was living with during my intensive study. Indeed, when I tried to insert words and phrases in Kinyarwanda into our domestic life, he said “stop teaching me. I don’t want to learn this.” And that became the end of that effort, but now, it has become a great reminder that because I am studying independently, those I choose to surround myself with become all the more important.

This weekend’s informal lesson, however, lent itself nicely to the development of a teaching demonstration in one of my other courses, African 575: Methods of Teaching an African Languages- Theory and Practice, in which I was supposed to display the oral approach while teaching a brief lesson in Kinyarwanda.

Finally, I also visited the Design Lab at UW-Madison this week in order to get some advice on how to make my language-learning website a little more accessible and/or helpful to visitors (https://sites.google.com/a/wisc.edu/learning-kinyarwanda/home). The teaching assistant I encountered recommended that I make my current home page, which is a very text-heavy description of the language of Kinyarwanda, a link on the side of the page. My home page, he said, should serve to draw my potential audience in, and he recommended that I create a stylistically appealing translation, as well as insert an informative video. In addition, he thought I should make the website more personal without a pre-constructed template as the background, but rather my own photos from my time in Rwanda, and though I like this idea, I am not sure how well it would work, considering this site will be left available for future potential Kinyarwanda learners to add to/edit. Regardless, he left me with plenty of ideas to consider and asked me to come back again, so he could witness the progress of the website.

Week Seven: Structure, Modifications, and Looking Forward

This week, my Kinyarwanda study saw me investigating verb tense, but as I did not want to neglect the other material I have been learning, I tried to make it relevant to previous lessons as well. As a form of self-monitoring, however, I cannot help but wonder if the goals I set each week in my individualized study plan focus too heavily on structural issues (e.g. vocabulary, verb tense), instead of communicative outcomes. Of course, now that I am aware of this discrepancy, I can change my path, but I hope it has not negatively impacted my study thus far.

Regardless, this week, I made a more concentrated effort to heed the guidance of my classmates in African 670 and 697. Indeed, I created a Quizlet account, which I have been primarily using to make online flashcards for Kinyarwanda, but in hearing my colleagues speak about it, I have come to believe there is some game-component to it, as well. In using Quizlet, I have to be conscious that I do not fall back into a pattern of memorizing disjointed words or receptive verb conjugation, so I have been constructing short sentences for my flashcards. Hopefully, it assists me in some way.

In addition, and to honor my classmates’/professor’s advice, I have been trying to implement a rewards’ system for my Kinyarwanda study. At first, and as I alluded to last week, I tried to reward myself with something I had to do anyway, but that I couldn’t do until I studied Kinyarwanda. First, I tried this with my email, but it wasn’t particularly effective, as I checked my email with or without Kinyarwanda study. Last week, however, I was notified of a grant opportunity, and as constructing a proposal is really only something I want to do, it became my motivation for studying Kinyarwanda. At first, the excitement of working on a proposal made me want to just that, but telling myself that I can’t without studying was very helpful, even if it was a bit challenging at first. Regardless, I think this system will become very rewarding for me.

Pertinently, I find that meeting with my language parter, A, is also motivating, but significantly, it provides me with some necessary structure to the week. He has agreed to me recording our practice conversations, as much of the literature on independent learning and language partners advise, so hopefully that will assist me as well.

Finally, and just as a note looking forward in my language study, I contacted the National University of Rwanda’s College of Education a number of weeks ago, as they offer a certificate in Kinyarwanda proficiency, and I finally received an acknowledgement of my email, though it didn’t actually answer any of the questions I posed. Small victories, I suppose! I will try to keep you advised!

Murakoze, kandi murabeho.

p.s. A few picture from my travels in Rwanda, lest I ever forget my larger purpose here:

                                            One of the first pictures I took in Rwanda, located in the garden next to
                                                 the Kigali Genocide Memorial (or the Kigali Memorial Center)

                                                                           In Kibuye, on the shores of Lake Kivu

                                               On one of many hilly roads between Kibuye and Bisesero. Yes, even
                                               the cows were intrigued by the umuzungukazi. (Note: I did ask the 
                                                                       cow's owner before taking this picture)

                    

Week Six: White Privilege in Learning Kinyarwanda

This week, my Kinyarwanda study saw me reviewing much of what I have been doing the past two weeks. Ultimately, I recognize that this puts me off track, but it also reveals to me that I need to locate and utilize a more beneficial review process that isn’t so reliant on repeating vocabulary terms and conjugating verbs, but on actually putting these components into use together in the form of practice conversations.

Luckily, this process will be aided by my language partner, A, who is both willing and eager to assist in getting me to a place where I am conversational. We both expressed excitement at the prospect of holding our conversational meetings entirely in Kinyarwanda, and when possible during our time together thus far, we have both attempted to use the target language as much as possible. Of course, A was much better at doing so than me, but he was nonetheless impressed by my effort and, in particular, my notebook containing notes from my intensive study in Kinyarwanda.

This brings me to a point in my language study that I have felt incapable of discussing until now, and that is the “privilege” I feel I receive as a white woman speaking in an African language. Of course, my initial Kinyarwanda instructor, Dr. B, frequently praised my language performance, and perhaps it was his role to do so. In Rwanda, however, those who I spoke to would take great care to acknowledge my language use. My Rwandan companion, D, called me a Rwandan every time I used Kinyarwanda, no matter if it was a small comment, such as yego (yes) the identification of an animal such as imvubu (hippo), or the use of small talk such as nejejwe no kukubona (it’s nice to meet you). And, more recently, my language partner, A, is so pleased when I say anything in Kinyarwanda that he has a full-body response. He smiles, he nods his head in approval, and, in a rare instance, he elbows me in excitement. 

Whether it is surprise and/or gratitude that a white woman would even be speaking Kinyarwanda at all, a polite courtesy to acknowledge my effort, or any combination of factors, I cannot help but feel that my language performance is receiving an undue privilege. On the one hand, it is encouraging to receive such positive feedback, but it is also accompanied by a strange sense of guilt. Indeed, if I were to visit Rwanda presently, and despite my best efforts otherwise, Rwandans would have to accommodate me linguistically. They are welcoming me into their nation, their culture, their language, and I cannot even meet them in those terms.

Given my experience in Rwanda, this is an incredibly frustrating recognition to me, in particular, as an American companion who travelled to Rwanda with me, A, engaged each person she encountered, or at least those she thought she could identify as “African,” by asking, “How’s your English?” It’s a strange, if not rude question, and it embarrassed me to be associated with her. Of course, those she asked were equally embarrassed, as if it reflected on some error they, themselves, had made in speaking.

Relatedly, however, my intensive study of Kinyarwanda briefly placed me with one fellow student, L, and when learning how to count in the language, she stopped Dr. B and said, “I don’t want to learn that.” You see, numbers in Kinyarwanda change their prefix based on the class of noun that is being counted, though the stem typically remains the same. L only wanted to learn the general form of the numbers. She had no interest in learning how to make sure the number agreed with the noun, insisting that once she was in Rwanda, they would know what she meant.

Connecting these accounts very briefly, white privilege in language, to me, resembles entitlement, that is- comfort in stating when we can speak your language and under what conditions, and the assumed ability to state when we can speak my language and under what standard. I do not wish to be protected under this principle, nor can I be with any sense of ethicality in place.

This is the reason for my language study, and it has subsequently become my motivation for it.

Week Five: Time to Adjust the Schedule

This week, my Kinyarwanda study saw me reviewing numbers and time. In addition, it saw me continuing to study my lessons from last week, pertinently vocabulary relevant to classroom and household objects, clothing, food and drink, as well as animals and body parts. In addition, and in order to enhance the manner in which I discuss my relationship to these terms, I also reviewed the verbs “to want” (gushaka) and “to have” (kugira), as well as colors, demonstrative adjectives, descriptive adjectives, and numbers or counting. 

I try to make time for my language study as frequently as possible, but sometimes I fear the independent nature of my learning allows me to postpone it. Indeed, the demands of my coursework and teaching assistantship are immediate. I need to read this and this by Monday and submit a summary, I need to read this and that by Tuesday and write a discussion post, I need to read this and that by Wednesday and prepare a presentation, and then have to grade my students’ essays by Friday. This is representative of a regular week, but there are occasionally time-consuming incidentals. For example, my mother and brother visited last weekend, and next week, my students will submit an additional assignment that I will have to grade alongside their essays. Of course, this does not serve as an excuse as to why I am not where I want to be in my language-learning, because everyone enrolled in or teaching African 670 and 697 are just as busy, if not busier, than I am, but it does indicate to me that I need to do more than just decide what I am going to learn. I need to decide and outline when I am going to learn it.

Pertinently, I plan to spend the hour after I wake with Kinyarwanda each morning at the very least. My current path represents independent language-study. It is at my own pace and at own time, sure, but it can’t just be studied whenever I have time for it, because I will never have time for it. It is a course; therefore, I need to make time for it like any other that is presently in my schedule. As a final point to this pep talk, during last week’s meeting of 670, I received wonderful advice from Dr. T to keep my language study on track or at least on schedule: create an incentive system to keep myself motivated. She expanded this to insist that it doesn’t have to be as menial as “review my Kinyarwanda flash cards, and receive a piece of chocolate cake.” Instead, it can contribute to maintaining a schedule- rewarding my language study with something I have to do anyway (e.g. not checking my email until I have studied Kinyarwanda, not responding to a call-for-papers until I have constructed a practice conversation). I think this will be effective for me.

Speaking of keeping to a schedule, I have found that developing a practice conversation and recording a video by Wednesday each week is not feasible for me. Instead, I will have to separate my Wednesday blog post from my end-of-the-week recording, due to time constraints. This might work to my advantage, however, as I have scheduled a weekly meeting with my language mentor, A, for Wednesday after class, and this way, we can review the practice conversation before I post it, enabling a little more confidence on my part.

Sorry there isn’t more to report this week. I am still trying to find a rhythm. Fortunately, I think the consistency of meeting with my language mentor will keep me more honest and motivated.

Murakoze kandi murabeho!

Week Four: Learning Independently, Not in Isolation

Last week, my Kinyarwanda study saw me reviewing vocabulary pertinent to classroom and household objects, clothing, food and drink, as well as animals and body parts. In addition, and in order to enhance the manner in which I discuss my relationship to these terms, I also reviewed the verbs “to want” (gushaka) and “to have” (kugira), as well as colors, demonstrative adjectives, and descriptive adjectives. Needless to say, it was a lot to do within the confines of one week, and, accordingly, I fear I may not have done the topics as much as justice as they deserve. Therefore, I hope to continue reviewing this vocabulary and grammar as I continue on with this week’s lesson, but reflecting back on this “change,” I can’t help but think it’s a good thing.

Indeed, I am not learning each lesson in isolation. Ideally, my lessons are composed in such a way that I can build off what I previously learned and apply new vocabulary to existing structures and further complicate existing structures with new ideas. Of course, reading this, it sounds like a more-or-less obvious observation about language study, but historically, at least for me, this has not always been my approach. In classroom language study, I accumulate a sizable vocabulary, but due to my lack of familiarity with structure, I find myself unable to apply my vocabulary purposefully. It’s disjointed, and as I move on to the next topic, it becomes even more so, and, finally, as I move away from language, study this problem is exacerbated. Pertinently, I intend to review what I have learned, because that is effective for me, but I need to be willing and able to think about how this concept applies to that vocabulary term, how that vocabulary term fits into this sentence, and how this sentence can be used in that context. I apologize if this sounds like a reiteration of previous blog posts, but what I really need to teach myself is this:

I am not learning this language to learn it. I am learning this language to use it.

The more I wrap my head around this, the more inspired I am to practice. Pertinently, you will not find a video of me speaking Kinyarwanda attached to this week’s blog. As way of explanation, I was not pleased with the practice discussion I created in light of the situation I described, so I wanted time to enhance it, and as independent language-learning allows me to complete tasks at my own pace, I thought it best not to include a video presently. With that said, however, my individualized study plan is structured in such a way that these videos act as a form of weekly assessment for me, so I still need to complete it, but only when I am comfortable. Necessarily, please anticipate another post including the video sometime within the next week.

Finally, and in this instance I am saving “the best for last,” I contacted the African Association of Madison this week, in order to determine if there is a community of Kinyarwanda speakers in the area, and I was fortunately put into contact with a Rwandan gentleman involved with the organization, A. A has graciously agreed to meet with me on a regular basis, but we are still sorting out the “when” and “where” details. When initially beginning this course, I was skeptical of whether or not I would be able to find Kinyarwanda speakers in the area, but I am delighted to find at least one. Indeed, learning independently does not have to be in isolation, whether that indicates my individual lesson plans or my contact with the community, and that’s reassuring to me. I hope to provide you more news as a relationship with my language partner develops!

Murakoze, kandi murabeho!

Week Three: Becoming Reacquainted with Kinyarwanda

Mwiriwe! (Good Afternoon!/Good Evening!)

We, ninde? (Him, who is he?)

Uyu ni musaza wanjye. Yitwa Matthew (Matayo). Ni umunyeshuri muri Kaminuza ya Jackson, ariko ni umukozi mu isoko. Atuye Manchester, Michigani, ariko akomoka Riverivew, Michigani.

(This is my brother. His name is Matthew. He is a student Jackson College, but he is a worker at the market. He lives in Manchester, Michigan, but he is from Riverview, Michigan.)

We, ninde? (Him, who is he?)

Uyu ni Data. Yitwa David (Dawidi). Ni umufasha muri Worthington Steel Industries. Atuye Riverview, Michigani, ariko akomoka Wyandotte, Michigani. (This is my Dad. His name is David. He is a helper at Worthing Steel Industries. He lives in Riverview, Michigan, but he is from Wyandotte, Michigan.)

We, ninde? (Her, who is she?)

Uriya ni Mama. Yitwa Marcy. Ni umukozi muri Oakwood Hospital. Akomoka kandi atuye Riverview, Michigani. (That is my Mom. Her name is Marcy. She is a worker at Oakwood Hospital. She lives in and is from Riverview, Michigan.)

Bo, ni bande? (Them, who are they?)

Uyu ni sogokuru, n’uriya ni nyogokuru. Bitwa David (Dawidi) na Ella. Batuye Riverview, Michigani, ariko sogokuru akomoka Hiawatha, Kansas, na Nyogokuru akomoka Grundy, Virginia. (This is my Grandpa, and that is my grandma. Their names are David and Ella. They live in Riverview, Michigan, but grandma is from Hiawatha, Kansas, and Grandma is from Grundy, Virginia.)

Last week, my Kinyarwanda-learning witnessed my review of a number of concepts from last summer’s intensive language study, namely different varieties of greetings and partings, introductions, “small talk,” nationalities, and professions. It was reassuring to me that, after only minor review, that much of what I was learning was already there. Granted, I recognize that as the weeks progress, my lessons will inevitably become much more challenging, but I can hope that it- the language- is still there- in my head and my heart (“umutima wanjye”). 

Pertinently, and as a follow up to my last post, my professor, Dr. T, suggested that I research a technique known as “lowering affective filter” and determine its applicability to my own self-guided language study. Unfamiliar to me initially, this hypothesis, created by Stephen Krashen, identifies motivation, self-confidence, and  anxiety as variables that pertain to success in second language acquisition (31). He goes on to state that:

those whose attitudes are not optimal for second language acquisition will not only tend to seek less input, but they will also have

         a high or strong Affective Filter- even if they understand the message, the input will not reach the part of the brain responsible for  language acquisition, or the language acquisition device. (Krashen 31)

It’s bit of a daunting prospect- my neurosis impacting my language-learning-, but I can see its applicability to my experience in the classroom, and, accordingly, I have identified two primary techniques that not only lend themselves to independent study, but could also assist my own particular style of language-learning:

1.) No Tests: This is a more-or-less obvious omission, but it does not and should not indicate that my course of study will lack some form of assessment. Indeed, I will set goals for myself throughout the semester, and my success will be measured by how well I perform these tasks and the manner in which my lesson plan can be altered, not by how well I test on the material.

2.) No Forced Dialogue: This is a two-part omission. Not only does it indicate that I will not be forced to speak when I am uncomfortable doing so, it also means that I will make a concentrated effort to learn and use speech that I anticipate using in natural conversations. With that said, this does not mean that I will not speak. Instead, it means I will speak on my time about what I would like.

My language-learning process is still developing, and, accordingly, I appreciate this opportunity to reflect and “refine” it all the more.

Murakoze kandi murabeho!

Works Cited

Krashen, Stephen D. Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Hayward: Alemany Press, 1982. Print.

Week Two: Returning to Kinyarwanda

Muraho! (Hello!)

Mwebwe muri bande? (You, who are you?)

Nejejwe nokukubona! (Nice to meet you!)

Nitwa Kathryn (Gatarina). Ndi umunyeshuri w’ikinyarwanda. Niga muri Kaminuza ya Wisconsin- Madison. (I am Kathryn. I am a student of Kinyarwanda. I study at the University of Wisconsin- Madison.)

Amakuru ki? (What's the news?)

Although this is the first diary entry recording my study of Kinyarwanda, it is not where my journey with the language begins. Indeed, I enrolled in an intensive study of Kinyarwanda at Boston University in Summer Semester 2014, and due to the one other student dropping the course, the class resembled an individualized course of study- between only Professor B and me. I performed well in the course, and as I was its lone student, the class was designed to accommodate my pace. I found myself approaching it, however, like I did other language courses beforehand- memorizing information and regurgitating it for an exam-, and though I was successful in all course assessments, I found that this approach created an unnecessary divide between the language I was learning and the language I was using. The course itself, however, remained significant to me as it led to my first trip to Rwanda.

While in country, I was given the opportunity to speak Kinyarwanda, and though I appreciated the chance to practice, I don’t believe I used it as much as I could or should have. My two American companions were comforted by my language-speaking abilities, and our Rwandan companion, D, was amazed at my language skills, going as far to call me a Rwandan. Accordingly, D frequently encouraged me to speak Kinyarwanda, and even though I wanted to show off my newly acquired skills, I often refused to do so in the most indignant manner. I cannot precisely determine the reason why, but the closest I have come is this: 

I was afraid of not speaking Kinyarwanda perfectly.

Indeed, the possibility that I speak incorrectly was such a daunting prospect to me that I declined to speak altogether. No matter where we went, however, no matter how isolated the valley, how sheltered the woods, or somber the memorial site, we were immediately identified with an echoing cry of “umuzungu! umuzungu!” (though grammatically speaking, we were abazungu or, better yet, abazungukazi), Such visibility presented me with countless opportunities to speak. I recall distinctly a scene at Urwibutso Rwa Nyange (Nyange Memorial) where a number of schoolchildren surrounded my group, and I said “muraho” to our curious spectators. The children giggled at my affected greeting, and though D was quick to explain that it was only an American speaking Kinyarwanda that surprised them, I couldn’t help but feel it was my pronunciation. I was embarrassed and grew even more hesitant to speak.

Returning to my alma mater, Michigan State University, to complete my masters degree, I quickly fell out of practice, not only due to coursework demands, but also my inability to confirm that what I was doing, how I was learning, how I was speaking, was, indeed, right. Now enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, these issues have not resolved themselves. I still have commitments to my coursework, and as an independent learner in African 697: Directed Study of a Less Commonly Taught Language, I still cannot always confirm whether or not my pronunciation is correct, my spelling free from errors, and my cultural understanding completely in tune; however, I do have some important reminders that perhaps I did not have access to before or, more accurately, I didn’t see the validity of until now.

Most prominently, I have noted that I should learn to thrive under ambiguity. According to the “Peace Corps Volunteer: On-going Language Learning Manual,” “successful language learners are able to live with a lot of ambiguity in everyday situations.” Perhaps this appears obvious, and in my own research, I value a sense of confusion. Recognizing that not fully understanding a topic within African Studies is part of “getting it,” as I lack a felt intuition. Within language-learning, however, I have always strived for perfection, and despite Professor B’s frequent insistence that my speaking doesn’t have to be perfect and that I just have to do it, the message never sank in. Perhaps the appeal to perfection is what blurred the lesson for me, but I appreciate the lesson about ambiguity more, because though I am not a master of Kinyarwanda, and perhaps I will never aim to be one, I can still try.

In addition, alternating the manner in which I learn Kinyarwanda is prudent. Historically, I succeed in traditional language learning classrooms, as I can memorize information and regurgitate it, and though that is easy and gratifying to do well on assessments, it doesn’t help me for life-long language learning. In conclusion, I must be willing to get creative and innovative, practical and efficient, and willing and able to change and adapt my learning plan as necessary!

Murakoze kandi murabeho! (Thank you and goodbye!)

Works Cited

Peace Corps. "Peace Corps Volunteer: On-going Language Learning Manual." Washington D.C: Peace Corps, 2000. Print.