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!
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