Relating New Learning to Old Learning

Making Connections 

Yesterday in a podcast by Kerstin Cable on the LangFest in Montreal, she interviewed various presenters and participants from the 2017 LangFest. One session participants were asked to explain how the their having related to learning and skills from their professional or personal world had made them better language learners.

One person said, for example, he was an engineer and therefore had constantly to apply principles, as well as create products that fit the need and go with it even if they were not 'scientifically perfect'. He thought these skills of applying principles and adapting creative ideas to a real world,  transferred directly to language-learning. They enabled him to constantly look to apply new vocabulary and grammar in real speech, and to accept current limitations and continue to work for best production- not to be frozen by the knowledge of imperfection. 

For those interested, the session was by Shannon Kennedy, 2017 LangFest Montreal.

In this blog, I am taking walk if you will with my pencil and as I draw, I am finding that my current learning of Spanish has benefited.  Maybe other language learners could experiment with drawing or another art form and see if they make helpful links with this their own current language-learning. Maybe they can see that that are 'hard-wired' for language learning and that they have many skills in other domains that can make them successful language learners. This is my hope.

I am trying to wrap my head around the usefulness of using a two-pointing vanishing point perspective to draw so that objects appear "in perspective".  The points to me are like anchors. I think from my results that I may need a third point to help with the vertical lines- if such a thing exists in drawing 'culture'. 

In any case, I am learning to observe, listen, practice, and practice some more, even when I do not fully grasp why.  This willingness to wait, to expect future understanding, has always been a crucial skill in my own language learning, and I have seen over and over again that students in my classes who demand complete understanding in the moment, or in an assessment, miss out on the wholistic picture that comes from continuing on.  In demanding complete understanding, they stop listening the larger context that might well have contained the answer.  Also, often when we can continue despite questions, we find  the grammar rule, for example,  may not even be necessary for our ability to communicante successfully. 

My Drawings 

Two-Point Perpective # 1 

#2 with contour lines. I have left the guide lines for future reference. 

Musings on art and language learning

Subsequent to an online conference on language learning and teaching, I was contacted about my interest in exploring the relationship between art and language learning.

This week's drawing lessons about choosing how high to put the horizon line and about choosing a vanishing point and placing it on that line, led me to drawing a parallel between these ideas and choosing language learning goals in order to offer the desired perspective on the "shapes" and "objects" of language-learning: vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, the 4 skills (RWLS) and so on.

Furthermore, it seems that the space between and 'above' objects is vital to determining the desired perspective on objects. In drawing this space might be the space between objects, the air, the sky.

I learned that the higher the horizon line is placed in a drawing, the more it looks like one is looking down on the object. I tested this from my 13-story apartment and it seems true. The lower the line, the more one appears to be looking up. Could this be compared to the relative consideration of the 'shapes' of language as whole entities, versus the detailed breakdown of these? For example,  a higher 'horizon line' would allow one to focus on the context parts of words  versus on the parts making up each word.

Practice Sketches that led to the above musings. 

What appears below, despite the flaws, is the result of a thoroughly enjoyable couple of drawing sessions.

My hope is that I will be able to continue to inspire myself as a language-learner, and other language learners, to enjoy "the ride".  My 'vanishing point' for this time of my life in Spanish is to be able to carry out a conversation with a native speaker on subjects related to daily life - a conversation that will allow us to communicate with relative ease. This is an immediate goal. My ultimate goal is to share my language learning experience and learned strategies and tips with other language learners.  These goals help me continue to draw the lines I need to prioritize the many facets of  language. acquisition.

Come Home To

Drawing is a place to come home to, a place I find focus, pleasure and peace. The last few days, I have felt somewhat lost.

Today, I am reminded that discomfort is a fertile space for change - for exploration, and for changes from what is to something even better.

So, during the time of disorder spoken of in this TED Talk,  I sketch and draw.

I was born in the year of the horse- loyal and causing some issues- perfectionist.
This drawing is in process, but I am happy for the proportions after many trials. 

Happy Day

Ode to Spring - Drawing with Mom

Working on conveying relative distance.

Today, I learn in a podcast of a yearly language festival for language lovers that will take place in August in Montreal. Hmmm.

Exploration

I find myself venturing into uncharted territories many times - perhaps I always have, but I am paying more attention this first year of retirement, this year of shift, these months of floating free. Many times I panic looking for a shore, any shore.

Then I clamber onto a sandy beach of an island that others have invited me to.  I am looking for a tribe, a group of people who can hear me, and with whom I feel I can passionately create my, as yet vague, dreams. 

I PAUSE, breath in, and reflect on:       ' Be a voice and not an echo.'

Each day drawing, moments of understanding while reading or listening to Spanish, walking, biking, and lifting weights act as floating driftwood for my spirit.  I wrap my arms around the smooth, pale wood pull myself up on, bask for a time, rocked by ocean waves. 

I float still

no panic

senseless to attempt control. 

Sketches 

 Huevos
(Using placement and Overlapping to create 'space'/ distance)

Language Learning

Today I chat with a young man from Argentina. He is muy sympatico, muy amable. My Spanish is completely broken; our conversation in English is much more interesting. We'll meet again on Skype next week. 

Despite today's lack of words, more and wore expressions and words float into my consciousness- I recognize words I read in one context in a totally different context. My brain can be trusted. We humans are hard-wired for language learning. 

Canciones de amor y de lluvia - de Sergi Pámies, Premera canción  

Spring Inspiration

Today, I began the day with drawing out of the joy of the first morning that felt like spring this year.


I have been listening to men and women in the language field and there appears some unanimity that language is best learned when learners are enjoying the process of acquiring the target language. Memorability in any area is created by links to exciting, fun, hilarious events rather than ho hum, or difficult experiences.

Memory of words and vocabulary may accelerated greatly by emotional links to words, by links to images, and by daily contact with native speakers - faces, and voices and personalities speaking the words and revealing the culture from which the language has grown. Conventional methods- grammar drills, vocabulary lists, texts with little relationship to what life outside the classroom are ineffective tools for learning.

This kind of thinking and a the cartoonist's creative idea of Black Art Poetry where a newspaper article is read, and all but a few words the poet chooses are blacked out with a black marker,  and these words become the poem, led me to choose a random piece of text and write the following poem. A few lines are mine- a break in true 'black art' form.

Creativity and Practice

Creativity flourishes in the absence of fear. Worth thinking about.

I came across a blog about writing and drawing. I especially liked the short embedded video by James Kolchalka, a cartoonist. 

But for creativity to flourish, it takes practice. Here is my drawing practice for today. 

Shadow and shade practice

Practice 2 

Revisions to # 2 - Better? Same? :-) 

In Spanish, I completed El veijo y el mar, a worthy challenge, and am continuing to listen to a Spanish podcast, Notesinspanish.com. It is fun and useful, although the Spanish is from Spain so some of the expressions have to be tested. Yesterday, I used one expression, Caradura! on FB and was told it was offensive and meant shameful; I had learned on the podcast that it also can mean cheeky and a teasing shameful.  

I knew I was taking a chance on FB using a new word with strangers, following my idea of not fearing mistakes, I used it. All well. I told the other participant I was glad for his feedback since learning a language means learning connotations and usage not just dictionary definitions.  He was happy and so was I. I used another version of this expression in my recorded dialogue today: Tienes cara! It means, less ambiguously, I hope, Cheeky!

Feliz

Feliz 

I am happy with today's drawing. I took some time off from language study in the morning to draw. I am experiencing it as one of the most relaxing activities in my day.

Then I was ready later for my high energy online course learning.


Finally, I completed the day with a few hours of Spanish study and completion of Speechling listening and recordings and my Challenge assignment. Language study is also one of the more relaxing activities of my day.

Creativity

Creativity

Yesterday, at the Online Summit for Language Teachers, we were encouraged in one session to think of our 'niche' in online teaching and sketch an image  of a gift and see ourselves as giving this gift as a valid human service.  This suggestion especially resounded with me as I am looking for meaning ways to engage with the larger community in a meaningful way, and am exploring drawing as another language.


Both drawing and language demand creativity.  Today, for my 30-Day Spanish Challenge, I posted a edgy video - edgy for my ego, that is. I pretended, putting on a hat when I was Carlos, & taking it off when myself.  Very silly.  My personal goal in this challenge is to be able to chat for a few minutes in Spanish, and since the topics all require presentation skills instead of conversation skills,  turned my presentation into a conversation. Such fun!

My Text 

Día 5 Mi Casa - una conversación

Carlos: ¡Hola!

Jeanna:¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? 

Carlos: Muy bien. Digamé. ¿Como sería su casa ideal? 

Jeanna: Eeeh. Mi casa ideal.. Bueno, mi casa sería muy soleado con las ventanas muy grandé. Tambien habría muchos colores: índigo, naranja, y verde oliva. 

Carlos: ¡Qué bonita casa! ¿Su casa sería grande o pequeña?

Jeanna: Sabes como soy. Claro, qué este casa sería mas pequeña qué grande. No habría muchos muebles y ellos serían hecho de la madera. Es tan bonito, el sol sobre de la madera. 

Carlos: Entonces, su casa no sería moderna. 

Jeanna: Claro qué no. Este casa no sería moderna ni convencional. 

Carlos: Verlo... ¿Donde sería su casa?

Jeanna: Ella sería en Canadá, pero lamentablemente, no hay este typo de casa aqui. Por eso, este casa sería une casa de ensueño. Afortunadamente, he creado la atmósfera que me gusta en mi apartamento actual. 

Carlos: Díos, mío, es la una! ¿No tienes hambré?

Jeanna: Sí. No lejos de aquí hay un restaurante bueno. 

Carlos: Entonces, ¡vámonos!

Tools

1. Type in Text in choice of language & and listen to spoken text
2. Free Voice Recorder that works well with FB or just about anywhere
3. Type in choice of language with all keyboard accents 
4. Free video recorder that works well to embed in FB pages or elsewhere 
5. Great practice with pronunciation and listening- Speechling (Free version is great.)

Art as a Second Language

Art as a Second Language 

I found the expression, art as second language, a blog by a writer and artist, Roman Muradov.  I love the expression; it parallels very well English as a Second Language, or English as Another Language.

Truly art is another way to express ideas, feelings, values- in short, it is a valid language.

Today, I have been thinking of motivation and therefore goals for my language learning. One helpful step is to think about my intrinsic goal: why emotionally bonds me to my current efforts to learn Spanish?  While I could not come up with an answer today, I drew a picture that represented me on a hike during this year of 2018. I am exploring with 100% passion many different activities. I have undertaken Spanish so I intend to keep on even if it is step by step up the mountainside. 

Here is my drawing from today's Udemy course on using geometrical shapes in drawing. Mountains are glorious pyramids.

Learning for Life

Learning is Possible; Learning is Fun! 

It has been awhile since I have posted. In the meantime, I have continued to draw

and to practice my languages- especially Spanish.

For the latter, I joined a 30-Day Challenge to post a video or recording everyday to a group FB page, this post, to be on an daily assigned topic. The group gives feedback, but mostly the point of the challenge is to encourage personal self-study.
Here, for fun, is a video and a voice recording and a resource I just found today to help with sounding a little more natural.

Day 3 Video
Resource to help with practice.

I just received my first good recommendation for my R sounds in Spanish by online coach.

Fue a Costa Rica el ano detras.

🌟 Keep it up! Muy buena pronunciación! Sigue así! Vas mejorando!

Drawing for fun

Drawing using Geometrical Forms

6th Attempt at Nose- Still more Practice Required :-) 

Cool Way to Start