tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49095303125996088562024-03-19T03:30:32.431-04:00Black Girls Learn LanguagesA multi-platform digital community for <b><i><u>Black</u></i></b> women who love languages.Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-83785210698691288792023-06-12T19:00:00.035-04:002023-06-12T19:00:00.155-04:00Lights, Camera, Action! How This Playwright Fuses Language with Theater<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoE3diQkH0HrK-1X357xbP1nNnhKXxpik2bUTCdLJW8Vb8fnehqQW0tH6EW8wn2BiyL_Ir92yQAkVTVLX360SFWqY7vjTDYBZIzTZWp2amFg32S7w08eJ0_46QGdXVlRtCMVlgNnnfWthfSLD2Yzo5qLhbXdOmkj-nr6zqueBe6Q2REchx8baCapX/s577/35062793-10209537327389373-4482589124099833856-o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXoE3diQkH0HrK-1X357xbP1nNnhKXxpik2bUTCdLJW8Vb8fnehqQW0tH6EW8wn2BiyL_Ir92yQAkVTVLX360SFWqY7vjTDYBZIzTZWp2amFg32S7w08eJ0_46QGdXVlRtCMVlgNnnfWthfSLD2Yzo5qLhbXdOmkj-nr6zqueBe6Q2REchx8baCapX/w640-h640/35062793-10209537327389373-4482589124099833856-o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: x-small;">Step into the captivating world of <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Jelisa</span>, a Black woman who effortlessly weaves the threads of language, culture, and theater together. As a seasoned theatre teacher with a passion for languages, <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Jelisa</span> has not only nurtured young minds on their theatrical journeys but has also embarked on her own adventure of language learning, embracing Spanish, Igbo, and Pidgin English. Through her extraordinary talent for writing plays, she blends her linguistic prowess, cultural understanding, and storytelling prowess to craft compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. In this blog post, we take a look into <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Jelisa</span>'s awe-inspiring journey, her profound connection with her students, and how her linguistic endeavors have enriched her creative expression. Get ready to be inspired by her redefining the boundaries of theatrical artistry.</span><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: xx-small;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>:</span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> My name is Jelisa Jay Robinson, I’m from Houston and I’m Black American. I have a <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">B.A. in Latin American Studies</span> and a <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">B.A. in Theatre and Dance</span>. Professionally, I've been a theatre teacher for the past 8 years. I've taught both High School and Elementary to theatre. I've seen students graduate from college and go through college. I've also seen students transition from first grade to the third. Each time reminds me of how we grow! It's an honor to be with them on their journey. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I am a playwright whose words have had the opportunity to be on stages in New York, Detroit, Creede, Austin and Houston and more. My work seeks to highlight connections across the African diaspora through the lens of a quirky, strong and flawed leading Black woman. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: What is your proudest accomplishment thus far?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: I am proud of being named as a finalist for <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">La Mansion Baldwin Writers Residency in France (2020)</span>. I haven't gotten to go to the residency yet, but it was my first big residency win! I truly feel proud when my students say "<i>you're my favorite teacher</i>" or "<i>I love your class!</i>". That means so much more to me than any award. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: With your Bachelor’s in Latin American Studies and in Theatre and Dance, have you ever considered connecting the two?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: I connect my language learning to my job because of the students I work with. At my school, I work with many diverse students from various backgrounds and they speak multiple languages. I love learning words and about their cultures with them. They teach me so much!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: That’s amazing! What is your approach to connecting language learning to theatre? </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: I allow my students to write in their languages or incorporate them in their work! The world is more than just the English language and I encourage them to have a worldview, to express themselves and their culture.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: What languages do you speak?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: I speak English, African American Vernacular English and I’ve been learning Spanish since I was 10. I am also currently learning Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin English, because my husband is Nigerian from the Igbo tribe. I think it's a pretty cool language and it's something about how Black people can connect to their heritage. My inspiration is a social media language learner <a href="http://www.instagram.com/akata.muta.igbo"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@akata.muta.igbo</span></a> who is also Black American learning the language. She speaks so well. I'm definitely excited about the Igbo class that I'm taking this summer!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: Do you have plans to incorporate language into your work?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: I write principally in English, but because Spanish is my 2nd language (I'm still learning) and I'm also learning Igbo and Pidgin English, pieces of what I'm learning always find their way into my writing. Whether it be through my characters or through the setting, you're going to get this multilingualism. My first play, <i><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">The Stories of Us </span></i>showed the connections of Latinx, Afrolatinx and African Americans. Surely, I used some language there. I have also written other plays like <i><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">We Both Suck Our Teeth</span></i> that use the Igbo language. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My dream is to continue to write a film or play in Spanish and host Spanish language writing spaces. I was inspired to learn languages by my mother, an African American, who studied Spanish and French and my father who would come home from work and share words in Spanish that he learned. I later met Yurixi, in the fifth grade, and she would teach me Spanish words and teach me Spanish songs like Los Kumbia Kings. My Spanish teacher Ms. Gomez in the fifth grade translated the song "<span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Te Extrano</span>" by <span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Xtreme</span> for me. It was the first song I learned to sing from front to back in Spanish. All those memories brought language learning alive to me.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I hope to have many of those beautiful memories learning Igbo and all of the other languages I hope to learn in the future. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: It sounds like you have a passion for the arts?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My passion is writing. I write plays, and I'm learning television and film writing! I am the facilitator of a writing and worship space for writers who are believers called <a href="https://www.jelisajayrobinson.com/light-write-writing-group.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Light Write</span></a>. We play worship songs, pray over our writing career and lives and write on prompts or or current work. I am excited to continue working on that with <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/light-write-faith-based-writing-space-iron-sharpens-iron-group-tickets-635983121637" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Iron Sharpens Iron</span></a>, an accountability group and our regular light write sessions.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: Were you able to take advantage of opportunities because of language?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: The coolest opportunity I was able to take advantage of was traveling to Brazil. They speak Portuguese, but I was able to communicate to them because the language is similar to Spanish. Also, in Italy, I was able to get around because of the similarities with Spanish Of course, any time I travel to Mexico, I get to dust off my Spanish, which brings me joy. Talking to my students in their language is by far the most fun of all. They are always so excited. I've noticed that the younger students talk back to me in Spanish with no questions while the older students want to know how I know Spanish or I jam to their music. I also have some Igbo students who share with me parts of their language and I surprise them with the little that I know. It's so beautiful to connect with people.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: What is something you’ve struggled with in language learning?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: My hardest struggle was confidence in speaking. I just told myself that it's okay to mess up. I mess up in my own native tongue. It's okay to make mistakes because that's how you learn. Now, I am at the point where I can laugh at myself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: What are some tips you have for others who may be learning another language?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: First, this goes without saying, but have fun in your target language! Do things that you enjoy doing but in your target language. I love writing in my journal so I have days where I write about my day in Spanish. Second, listen to music in your target language. I love music, so I listen to music in Igbo as well. Lastly, use social media in your target language. TikToks in Spanish anyone?</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Jelisa</b>: You can keep up with me on Instagram at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/jelisathewriter1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@jelisathewriter1</span></a>.</span></div><p><br /></p>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-20965748874253273142023-06-05T19:00:00.053-04:002023-06-05T19:00:00.155-04:00¡Sí, se puede! How This Spanish Teacher Empowers Others By Teaching Spanish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK8Ri0_clKOmE8TWAbIroYLaEqwu4D0FnDaJhiIgdOl2RoAw1PLs9aal8QX3ipdFY2p02-a0EFWooShbaOPYFHqtPFFFEfCI4gsEknhhD4-UZ6uWVLyVb05vOfYofnCuXrFmuiWMcjpKTiNaxp1rsA3Qdu3K_jhFkQ0mXjSZZK8pyPREyuHbcaNCI/s2880/Createherstock%20Downtown%20Isha%20Gaines%2040.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipK8Ri0_clKOmE8TWAbIroYLaEqwu4D0FnDaJhiIgdOl2RoAw1PLs9aal8QX3ipdFY2p02-a0EFWooShbaOPYFHqtPFFFEfCI4gsEknhhD4-UZ6uWVLyVb05vOfYofnCuXrFmuiWMcjpKTiNaxp1rsA3Qdu3K_jhFkQ0mXjSZZK8pyPREyuHbcaNCI/w640-h426/Createherstock%20Downtown%20Isha%20Gaines%2040.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: x-small;"><div style="text-align: center;">*stock photo courtesy of CreateHER Stock</div></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><span>Meet </span><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">Sydney</span><span>, a proud 24-year-old Black woman from Baltimore, who has dedicated her life to teaching Spanish and helping others learn the language through her platform. With a Master of Arts in Spanish from Georgia State University, Sydney is a true expert in her field and has made it her mission to encourage young people who look like her to explore the beauty of the Spanish language and culture. Through her innovative approach, Sydney incorporates content related to blackness into language learning, providing a unique and empowering experience for her students. Join us as we explore Sydney’s journey, her passion for the Spanish language, and her inspiring work as an educator and content creator.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Sydney: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My name is Sydney and I’m a 24-year-old black woman from Baltimore, MD. My native language is English and I speak Spanish fluently. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span>I have a Master of Arts in Spanish from Georgia State University and I am a high school Spanish teacher in Georgia (USA)! I’m also a new content creator for Black people learning Spanish! My Instagram page is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/blackgirlloveslanguages" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7b;">@blackgirlloveslanguages</span></a><span>, where I’ll share helpful resources to help you along your Spanish language learning journey and to find interesting information along the way!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b>That’s amazing. What is your approach to teaching Spanish? </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Sydney</span></b><b>: </b></span></span><span><span>My approach is to encourage others to explore this beautiful language via music, reading suggestions, and pacing guides. My purpose is to demonstrate that Black people can see themselves in the culture and language that they are studying, so I do my best to incorporate content related to Blackness into language learning. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"> </div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I love what I do! My job is full of proud moments! What I love about what I do is inspiring young people who look like me to build their Spanish language skills and pursue a lifelong journey of exploring their passion for the Spanish Language. The majority of my students are of African descent so I love seeing that my students are often inspired by witnessing the presence of blackness in the Spanish language. They can express culturally significant events in addition to self-expression and knowing that there are people who look like them who speak the language. Having the student know this has drastically accelerated their language acquisition journey.</div></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-weight: 400;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span></span></b></span><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>Do you speak any other languages?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><b style="font-family: Raleway;">Sydney</b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="font-size: large;">: </b></span></span><span>Although I am interested in learning Portuguese soon (I’m interested in the culture and structure of the language), I only speak one world language, which is Spanish! I learned Spanish through music since I am an auditory learner. I would learn grammar and vocabulary with song lyric printouts, listen to the song in front of me, circle and translate the words that I didn’t know (and make annotations on the document), and review the lyrics again with my annotations until I was able to put away the lyrics and match the lyrics of the song to the sounds of the language. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span>My first ‘language love’ is Spanish because I fell in love with the sound of the language! I also love the various dialects of the language. I had an amazing High School Spanish teacher that exposed us to several individuals with the same background as me, enabling me to think that the language is for EVERYONE to use. That ignited a fire that will never die out. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span></span><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>Were there opportunities that you were able to take advantage of because of Spanish?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: transparent;">Sydney</b>: </b></span></span><span><span>I’ve had several opportunities due to my language capabilities! I’ve been a translator for corporate agencies, teaching the language to young black students and inspiring them to learn Spanish, and the ability to communicate with others who speak a different language. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>What is something you’ve struggled with in language learning?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;">Sydney</b><b>:</b></span></span><span> </span><span><span>A significant struggle in my journey was trying to reach and define fluency. I thought in the past that fluency was equivalent to perfection, and that the only way to get there was to make no mistakes with the target language. I truly believed that I would never reach fluency because my understanding of fluency was distorted. Once I understood that fluency is a lifelong process instead of a finish line, I felt more comfortable with the term and stopped unhealthy skill measurement practices. </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: </span></b></span><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>Did you ever struggle with speaking?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Sydney</b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>Most definitely! I am somewhat shy which can be amplified when I’m speaking Spanish (mainly due to overthinking). I eventually overcame that by learning to accept my mistakes but also learning from them and to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! In the past, I assumed that I needed to be perfect in my Spanish speaking, and whenever I wasn’t, I would freeze up and shut down. Letting go of my perfectionism has given me the confidence to show up as myself and to be confident in what I have to say in the target language. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>BGLL: </b></span><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b>What are some tips you have for others who may be learning Spanish?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Sydney</b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>First, it is important to be consistent and to keep practicing regardless if you are progressing or not. I had a rough patch where I thought I was not making any progress but then later, like a light switch, everything clicked and I was able to understand and produce. Motivation alone will not get you to ‘fluency’. You’ll need <b>DISCIPLINE</b>. <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Another thing that I recommend is to not be afraid of mistakes and failures. This is critical to learn continuously!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Lastly, seek community! It is helpful to find others on the same journey as you so that the group can hold each other accountable while serving as an inspiration. Seeking community also enables you to be open to different perspectives that can open one's eyes to new experiences and approaches to the language. </div></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b>Sydney</b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span>My content page is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/blackgirlloveslanguages" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@blackgirlloveslanguages</span></a><span> and my page is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/bigbaaaawdybenz" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@bigbaaaawdybenz</span></a><span>.</span></span></div></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-20569540288052833242023-05-30T19:00:00.001-04:002023-06-04T11:04:03.823-04:00Who Gon' Check Her Boo?! How Donna Ignored French Naysayers And Did Her Thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23AFiuL-lK_HQZFdjwk3aRjzn0CmErILCMEqV8m9dV9VxyVsol9Q6pJB3jmBV36EyCGzmEqrBsPQTVQyE7Kmv0mB6BsVECWRtcZa04CkipKP3FIgtNcBLjF6Pv-WYRDRzKJ6YCvK6rUYcvIKJBFxQmo7Zz4CmHqk44MGpFTFZ4mmR-06xfp2n7MnM/s5328/IMG_1414.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5328" data-original-width="3552" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23AFiuL-lK_HQZFdjwk3aRjzn0CmErILCMEqV8m9dV9VxyVsol9Q6pJB3jmBV36EyCGzmEqrBsPQTVQyE7Kmv0mB6BsVECWRtcZa04CkipKP3FIgtNcBLjF6Pv-WYRDRzKJ6YCvK6rUYcvIKJBFxQmo7Zz4CmHqk44MGpFTFZ4mmR-06xfp2n7MnM/w426-h640/IMG_1414.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Meet </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #9b2e7f; font-size: 11pt;">Donna</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, a globetrotting language enthusiast with a passion for sustainability and veganism. Donna's living an incredibly adventurous life, moving alone to Slovakia in 2013 and later to Austria in 2022 and navigating life as a solo traveler in Europe. With a background in International Development, Donna is committed to contributing to a sustainable future for generations to come. However, it is her language learning journey that truly inspires. Despite feeling discouraged by French native speakers' negative reactions to her accent, Donna persevered, even volunteering in Benin to practice her French. In this blog, we'll dive into Donna's experiences as a solo traveler in Europe and how she overcame obstacles in her language learning journey. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Donna: </span></b><span>My name is Donna York and I'm an Atlanta born Nigerian currently living in Salzburg, Austria. My native language is English. </span><span><span>I'm currently a specialist at Aldi Süd and have a B.A. in International Studies and French Language at Georgia Southern University as well as a M.A. International Policy and Development at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. I cannot imagine a life where I don’t try to contribute to the environment for our future generations. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span>I’m also a vegan blogger. I find vegan restaurants in Austria and Europe and rate dishes on my instagram </span><a href="https://instagram.com/vegan_foods_salzburg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@vegan_foods_salzburg</span></a><span>. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></span></span><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">What was your proudest accomplishment so far?</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: #9b2e7f; font-weight: bold;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b><b>: </b></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I was able to get a visa for Austria because the work permit requirements were based on skills which included the German language skills I developed. I was a volunteer for the Peace Corps in Benin where I could use the French I learned in school to navigate living in a West African country. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">What languages do you speak? What made you want to learn them?</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b><b>: </b></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I speak French, German and Korean and am currently focused on keeping up with those.</span><span> </span><span><span>I studied Arabic and Turkish for several months but after years of not using it, I could not retain it. </span></span><span><span>I learned Korean mostly by watching series with Korean subtitles and memorizing songs. Korean was fun to learn because I also enjoyed the music.</span></span><span><span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">For German, I wanted to learn German and live in a country that speaks German because it’s a language I always tried to learn but got easily intimidated by it. Now I am in love with the language. It's my favorite to learn because I can easily retain new words and practice what I learned. Making mistakes is common in German so I’m not so shy to speak and make many mistakes so my language learning is faster in German than the other languages. </div></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-weight: 400;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span><b style="color: black;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">What has been your biggest challenge with language learning so far?</span></span></b></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b>:<span> </span></b></span></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I felt shy to speak French. French speakers are not always the nicest and it made me feel shy to be ridiculed for mispronouncing a word wrong. But after living in many different francophone countries I’ve learned to be proud of my accent and knowledge of French accents (Switzerland, France, and Benin) Whatever resources I could find, I used. I especially love YouTube--I live on that platform.</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Making Mistakes seemed very frowned upon, especially when I learned French. After a while, I realized that I needed to focus more on practicing speaking, because that is how I retain information and learn. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b></span><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">What were some of the things the natives did that intimidated you?</span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b>: </b></span></span><span>Switching to English.</span><span> </span><span><span>I think switching to English is the most ineffective and rude thing most people have done. I speak and respond back in French and they switch to English. And most of the time they struggle with their English translation and when they can’t find a word in English, I translate the word for them. I knew my French accent was terrible because I spent most of my time studying French grammar and using textbooks for learning. Because most French native speakers speak French to me, most of the time, I hung out with other foreigners from the UK, Australia, or Germany. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: What did you do to overcome the pushback you were experiencing with natives</span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b style="color: black;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">?</span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b><b>:</b></span></span><span> </span><span><span>The most effective thing was to find other French learners due to the fact that French speakers did not want to speak French with me. I also used to have a private online tutor (mainly to reach confidence levels to speak publicly). Online platforms like Italki provide affordable tutors for as low as 10 euros an hour. </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>If you could offer tips for someone learning another language who might feel shy about speaking, what would they be?</b></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b>: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>Donna The main thing is to know if you are shy, shyness is not a shameful thing and you should not try to force yourself to be someone different. You can find different ways to express yourself, join clubs and explore hobbies that will make language learning fun. Being in a traditional classroom setting never encouraged me to speak up, but finding friends with similar goals and focusing on making my lifestyle immersed in the language was best for me. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">If I were to do it again, I would have a intensive class for 1-6 months (2-4 hours of classroom study 5-6 days a week) and spend the rest of the year focusing on speaking 100 percent of my target language by working, volunteering, joining a club, and of course moving to the target country. I would focus on real life situations and spend my time with 1:1 tutors to focus on speaking more. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Donna</span></b>: </span></b><span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>You can find me on Instagram </span><span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/dyork09" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@dyork09</span></a><span>.</span></span></span></span></span></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-81889847270294319432023-05-24T07:55:00.083-04:002023-05-29T03:55:10.530-04:00From Shy to Fly: How Language Helped Jackie Conquer Social Anxiety <p></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAJiZmhC2dyajKKyZx-kPITdFeGvL8rrsI8wTdXsyWAgRLZoCwoqjoOZsNgATzdpED9Jco2cEXGpE9dq2f2BkioqqT_ucqzIqsfQ8DjIB48PljNd6nwtX_SqRTg-RghvK0mh9q2YfYtuZdx4VnsSmFiK-6reHkEtePTrvh3ZesT_PLC-4wnZPybaj/s2048/469098_789197245964_707567287_o%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAJiZmhC2dyajKKyZx-kPITdFeGvL8rrsI8wTdXsyWAgRLZoCwoqjoOZsNgATzdpED9Jco2cEXGpE9dq2f2BkioqqT_ucqzIqsfQ8DjIB48PljNd6nwtX_SqRTg-RghvK0mh9q2YfYtuZdx4VnsSmFiK-6reHkEtePTrvh3ZesT_PLC-4wnZPybaj/w426-h640/469098_789197245964_707567287_o%20(1).jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Meet </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">Jacqueline</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">, a self-published author, blogger and poet and language enthusiast who has turned her language passion into a business and to provide a safe space for other language learners to explore building their conversational skills. Learn more about Jacqueline's journey and how her passion for languages help her overcome some significant challenges like social anxiety and perfectionism as well as her tips for self-learning Japanese and Mandarin in the article below. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">My name is Jacqueline Sadberry and I’m an African American from Texas (U.S.A.). I grew up in an English-speaking household. My maternal grandparents spoke Louisiana Creole French, but my mother and her siblings were raised to speak English, so my siblings and I only spoke English growing up. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">I earned my B.A. in English from Prairie View A&M University. I've self-published two books (written 4), and I'm currently working on a novel of poetry (going on 5 years now). Outside of writing (self-published author, a blogger and poet), I have also started my own language conversation service. I work to help people with reaching conversational fluency as well as providing a space for someone to practice speaking with a consistent language partner. I'm currently focusing on Japanese, Spanish and English, but I hope to include more in the future. I'm also an occasional language content creator on Instagram and YouTube</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: What languages do you speak? What made you want to learn them?</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline: </span></b><span style="color: ; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">I'm a native English speaker. I also speak some Spanish and Japanese (both B1) and a little Mandarin (A1). I'm learning for the love of it and because I refuse to give in to that voice that tells me I can't. Honestly, I think I've always had a passion for languages ever since I was a child, but I didn't realize it until I was in my late 20s. I found myself feeling like a failure, and God had me sit and make a list of all the things I had ever wanted to do. I remember Him saying, "Whether you think you can do it or not, put it on the list." One of those things was learning a language. He had me then write down every language I was interested in learning and then He encouraged me to go after it. I stopped at one point, but I dusted myself off and I've been moving forward ever since.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">With most of the languages I'm interested in (I have a VERY long list) it can vary on what attracts me to it. With Japanese I like its complexity; it can be easy and difficult at the same time. It can sound smooth and graceful, and yet sharp and staccato. When I speak Spanish I feel 'friendlier,' more open. It's a fun and energetic language. Mandarin intrigues me because of its difficulty (though if you ask me...it's not really all that hard. It's all about your mindset.) And it's just a dope language in general. If I could, I would probably learn the entire Chinese language family, ha-ha!</span><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: Japanese and Mandarin are quite intimidating languages for a lot of people. How did you learn them?</span></b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">After studying these languages for awhile, I honestly think they get a bad rep. I was hesitant to learn myself because I was so heavily discouraged by all the “that’s a SUPER HARD language” comments. But once I started studying them, I realized that neither language is<span> </span><i>that</i><span> </span>hard. Sometimes I find them to be easier than Spanish. Plus there are people who can speak either or both of these languages, and some are fluent. Therefore, you can also do the same if you’re willing to put in the work.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">For Japanese, I procrastinated with the syllabary for a month, but once I found out it takes usually a week to master it, I got on it and got it done. I downloaded an app and I went over the syllables in the morning, touching them and saying them out loud one by one. Then at night I would try to see how many I could say without having to look at them. I repeated this until by the end of that week I had them all memorized. Then I started immediately learning grammar and vocabulary (I highly recommend Japanese Ammo—she has an entire playlist for absolute beginners. And Tae Kim’s Guide to Japanese was helpful with simplifying the grammar portion.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Eventually I got tired of not being able to read my notes (I was handwriting them, and without kanji, it can be extremely hard to figure out what word it is.) So I started using Kanji Study and Takoboto Japanese Dictionary to look up words and learn characters: on anime shows, in books I read, tweets, on profiles of native speakers on language apps, etc. And for writing I highly suggest using the Wani Kani method (I use it for Mandarin now because counting strokes is not what that is.) I also love watching Miku’s Real Japanese and Japanese gamers on YouTube.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">For Mandarin: I’m relearning this one, but I did something different. I spent more time<span> </span><i>listening</i>. I did that mostly by watching Chinese shows on YouTube (they’re GREAT because they almost always have subtitles, so you can read along while you listen) and it helped immensely with recognizing tones and pronunciation. I didn’t like Pleco at first, but now it’s essential for my learning. I also practice using Immersive Chinese by reading the sentences out loud and trying to recall the next day sentences I missed. I love Grace Mandarin, Shuo Shuo Chinese and Speak Your Chinese on YouTube—super helpful channels for any level, but especially beginners.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">And for both I have found bomb language partners who help me (we chat regularly once a week). I’m drifting away from HelloTalk, but I still think it’s useful for those starting out. I also like Hilokal when I need to practice right away or listen in on a class or chat. Finding podcasts with lively conversations also helped—even if I couldn’t fully understand, I<span> </span><i>wanted</i><span> </span>to listen because it<span> </span><i>sounded</i><span> </span>fun. Remember to<span> </span><i>take your time</i><span> </span>and don’t be in such a hurry; trying to rush can cripple your progress and you’ll spend more time having to fill in gaps. Build your foundation and stay consistent; before you know it, you’ll making sentences, reading stuff—doing all the things.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: What have been the biggest challenges so far?</span></b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: color:; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 18pt;">: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">I had been afraid to approach language partners given my social anxiety. One thing I can't stand is when I hear people say, "<i>Oh don't worry. You'll get over it.</i>" You never get over it. You learn to manage it, but it doesn't go away and it certainly doesn't get easier. What I will always say is that your determination has to be greater than your fear. I first started learning Spanish on my own around 2016. and my anxiety got so bad, I deleted the app I was using and didn't study for a month. At that time, I felt so empty...I knew I had a passion for languages, yet my fear was holding me back. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">So after that, I decided I refused to let anxiety run my life anymore because it wasn't just with languages--but I missed out on <b>SEVERAL</b> opportunities to grow and explore because of anxiety. The next few months would be full of ups and downs, a lot of stumbling, but finally in 2017 I decided on learning Japanese and I never looked back. I guess I would say that until you want you to win, then fear will always take over. Start with baby steps (talking to yourself and aim for 5 minutes) and then find a partner who really fits you and is patient--someone who believes in you. And most importantly, you have to believe in you, too. You can have THE BEST language partner in the world, the best resources, etc., and still never meet your goals; unless you believe that you can, you won't. And always remember to take it one day at time.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: Have you struggled with anything else?</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">My hardest struggle, even to this day, has always been perfectionism. It's a language journey and that means we will always be in different places at different times in our lives. I have to remind myself that I'm where I need to be, and one day I'll be where I desire to be, but it's okay if I'm not there right now.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: If you could offer three tips for someone learning another language. What would they be?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">First, know what you want to do (in other words, have a goal.) and know your why. Even if you're just studying for the love of it, do you want to introduce yourself? Do you want to learn some travel phrases? Know what you want to be able to do in this language and start from there because "I want to be fluent" is a lifelong goal. Start small and work your way up. Second, <b>DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU</b>. And <b>STICK WITH IT</b>. If you find a method and it's working, why would you stop doing it? Even if it’s not the "traditfional" thing, and it may not make sense to someone else, but if it's working--<b>KEEP DOING IT</b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0cm; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />The last thing I would say is: it's okay to say no. You are not obligated to give people all your time and you do not have to put up with someone who is constantly offensive, inconsiderate or continually makes excuses for their ignorance. People are going to challenge you--don't let anyone make you feel small. Keep showing up for you and remember we learn best when we allow ourselves to make mistakes. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #500050; font-size: small;"></span><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #500050; font-size: small;"></span><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="im" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">Jacqueline: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">You can find me on Instagram (</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943&source=gmail&ust=1685038480372000&usg=AOvVaw1vchaJLFru6vW2ag41U4cL" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">jssberry</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943&source=gmail&ust=1685038480372000&usg=AOvVaw1vchaJLFru6vW2ag41U4cL" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">jssberry_lang</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> and </span><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943&source=gmail&ust=1685038480372000&usg=AOvVaw1vchaJLFru6vW2ag41U4cL" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">j<wbr></wbr>ssberry_poetry</span></a>)</span><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"> and on YouTube (</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943&source=gmail&ust=1685038480372000&usg=AOvVaw1vchaJLFru6vW2ag41U4cL" href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/4909530312599608856/8188984727029431943" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">JSS Media: Languages</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Raleway; font-size: 13.5pt;">).</span></p></div></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-48048180855580073352023-05-17T09:08:00.002-04:002023-05-24T14:39:45.326-04:00Boss Moves: She Created Her Own Opportunities With Language<p></p><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MxXE7giCcDEQ2uRF2Qzvz7CXkbjvncFvaGyGh4kvC88XZOvw5FKGvMc9-b2Vb9enE_utsqhcLAUC1Gd5ZbhaYgZ3qSCzbOncucWRjX-MBiJohHSDZ6GoFu4HFEHeJdAeiik5pITwp0HuTlHtInUvGqOymedDIuhsWOgDdD51E-wYtspkN1IBKwmd/s2640/IMG_7479.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="2640" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MxXE7giCcDEQ2uRF2Qzvz7CXkbjvncFvaGyGh4kvC88XZOvw5FKGvMc9-b2Vb9enE_utsqhcLAUC1Gd5ZbhaYgZ3qSCzbOncucWRjX-MBiJohHSDZ6GoFu4HFEHeJdAeiik5pITwp0HuTlHtInUvGqOymedDIuhsWOgDdD51E-wYtspkN1IBKwmd/w640-h480/IMG_7479.PNG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color:; font-size: 11pt;">Meet </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: #9b2e7f; font-size: 11pt;">Danielle</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: #; font-size: 11pt;">, a dedicated professional working to address poverty and social injustice in the non-profit sector. In her side hustle, she helps primarily Black women implement success strategies in home management, personal image, and language acquisition. She has also created her own job opportunities and travels the world. Learn more about Danielle's inspiring journey and how she is making a positive impact in people's lives by reading her interview below. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">My name is Danielle Custis. I reside in North Carolina, in the U.S.A. I am Black American woman and a Third Culture Kid, meaning I spent a portion or all of my formative years living in a place outside of my home culture or nation. I am an Army Brat. I moved around a lot</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>Can you tell us about your professional background?</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;"><b>: </b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;">I have a Bachelor’s in Spanish for Business and International Studies from East Carolina University. Go Pirates! </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;">I am a certified Knowledge Manager and formerly a licensed Life Insurance Agent. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">By day, I work in the non-profit space where we address the problems of poverty and social injustice in the areas of food, housing, community development, health, and financial services. In my side hustle, I help people (majority Black women) implement success strategies in three areas: home management, personal image, and language acquisition.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">In my side hustle, I help people (majority Black women) implement success strategies in three areas: home management, personal image and language acquisition. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">I am an autodidact with a passion for teaching and mentoring. When I am not developing personal improvement projects, you can find me creating art, writing, cooking and being a plant mama. I am also a mama to a whole grown man. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div></div></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>What are your proudest accomplishments in your career?</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;"><b>: </b></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">One thing I love about my career journey is how being a polyglot has allowed me to create my own job. I have been blessed to walk into roles because the company needed someone fluent in the language alone and felt they could train me to do the rest of the duties. I have worked in multiple industries from Non-Profit, Finance, Mortgage, and Property Management to owning my own daycare and working in Insurance Sales. I am most proud of the irony that I decided not to take the foreign service exam my senior year of college, but my knowledge and understanding of diplomacy and ambassadorship have allowed me to excel in every position I have ever had in my career.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: ; font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div></div>
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<span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b style="color: black;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">What is your native language and which other languages do you speak? How did you learn them?</span></span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: r; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;"><b>: </b></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">My native language is English, but I grew up speaking Spanish and German as well. I later learned Portuguese, French, and Swedish as an adult. I'm currently learning Arabic. </span></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">My story with languages begins at age four. I learned Spanish as a child who was practically adopted by native Spanish-speakers. I learned Spanish in the kitchen and at the table of grown folks speaking to me and around me in nothing but Spanish. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;">I was at birthday parties and sleepovers…speaking Spanish. My best friend in my junior and senior year of high school only spoke Spanish. Her influence allowed me to level up to fluent by the time I was 17 years old. She introduced me to Playero (Old School Reggaeton). We used to watch telenovelas and Walter Mercado, when I got home from school. </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="color: ;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I was finally able to take Spanish as a senior in high school. I learned how to read and write in Spanish in school. I then majored in Spanish and attended school in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico for a bit. That experience could never be duplicated. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">German was an immersive experience, too. I lived in Germany as a child and took it throughout my schooling. This is also an experience that is difficult to replicate as an adult.</div></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: ; font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: ; font-family: Raleway;">I am inspired to learn a language because it touches my heart in a personal way or because I get fascinated by how it correlates to my interest in the global Black diaspora. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span style="font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Which one is your favorite? How did/do you currently use them? </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle: </span></b></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I am partial to Spanish and Portuguese. I am a little obsessed with the African diaspora in Latin America.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I have always used Spanish for work. It has been an added benefit to be able to open up access and ease of communication to a wider population of people by speaking French and Portuguese. For example, volunteering at the Sheriff’s Department and being able to interpret for victims of domestic violence. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I believe that being able to speak another person’s native language is the ultimate show of love and human connection. I have always used the languages I speak to bridge communication barriers and build relationships. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I learned French, so that the Senegalese residents in the apartment complex I managed could feel a part of the community. So, I learned Portuguese by getting connected with the natural hair movement in Brazil and getting some pen pals. I learned Swedish, for when I traveled to the home office of the global software company I used to work for. I want to learn Arabic because there are some people in my life, whom I love that speak Arabic. It’s a beautiful language. It’ll be the second non-Latin alphabet I learn to read, as well (I can read Cyrillic). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span></div></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>What was your hardest language struggle?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Having patience. I want to be fluent - TODAY. However, it doesn’t work like that. </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My other struggle was breaking through acquisition plateaus ---where you get to a certain point in your learning journey, then suddenly, it feels like you’ve lost all your progress. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">Now that I am on like my 6th language, I know that plateaus are normal and are indicators of learning. I have a really good system for acquisition, which I share with my clients. The secret is to, first, have a real reason to want to learn the target language. Next, be consistent in engaging with the language, each day. Finally, create an environment as close to full immersion as possible</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">. </span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: </span></b></span><b style="color: #9b2e7f;">Did you ever feel shy to speak?</b></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">I have never felt shy about speaking. As a matter of fact, I usually have to stop myself from talking to someone. I learned early in my life that you learn each new language like you learned your native language. First, you sound like a baby, then a toddler, etc. We do not judge children for sounding like children. Be easy on yourself and acknowledge your fluency level and just let it out. This understanding of language acquisition was reinforced for me when I took Linguistics. There is just no way around “sounding funny.” The only way for your brain to retain the language is for you to use the language everyday. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>If you could offer three tips for someone learning another language. What would they be?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">First, it for a real reason. It’s the only way you’ll stick with through the “sounding funny” learning stages. Second, have a goal--are you trying to be fluent, conversational or just know how to read and write the language? Lastly, language is about communicating and engaging with real people. No matter the language, ASL or Russian --find you some people to talk to. They will be patient with you, promise. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Danielle</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">You can find me on IG at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/deecustis76" target="_blank">@deecustis76</a>. </span></span></div></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-83960806018938350922023-04-09T06:19:00.029-04:002023-05-24T14:46:47.579-04:00How this Facebook Comedian Raises Her Children Multilingual<p></p><div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzLz2-1KZy3p7vSBF7GrgUaz4F9_t3xQOAZwYl6CwMai0dvvZpZGeWCUyWSHPvukmNvrWs3LZgUoZpToMcpxj-9peXJ3ecv21nkCIZwWu2_-vi2zP9EHcrdrCX9D0pBTC-dvaCHlKnW6aDBwDWTL2vpGNZuiTiOPJX3_hSmRbjpcSfHuIsFQh__Kb/s1284/5A0F2425-B217-4E9B-9801-44F0A164CC98.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="1284" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzLz2-1KZy3p7vSBF7GrgUaz4F9_t3xQOAZwYl6CwMai0dvvZpZGeWCUyWSHPvukmNvrWs3LZgUoZpToMcpxj-9peXJ3ecv21nkCIZwWu2_-vi2zP9EHcrdrCX9D0pBTC-dvaCHlKnW6aDBwDWTL2vpGNZuiTiOPJX3_hSmRbjpcSfHuIsFQh__Kb/s320/5A0F2425-B217-4E9B-9801-44F0A164CC98.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Meet </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: #9b2e7f;">Khala</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">, the Facebook comedian, who is raising her children multilingual. She has mastered the art of language learning and is now teaching her children how to speak French and Spanish. Khala shares her language struggles, her language wins and how she’s been able to use language to connect with others. </span></span><span style="background-color: ; color: ; font-family: Raleway;">Khala uses a unique approach to language learning with her children called OPOL as well as combining traditional methods with modern technology such as apps and tandem exchanges for herself. </span><span style="background-color: ; color: ; font-family: Raleway;">So, if you want to know how this Facebook comedian is raising her children to be multilingual, read on and find out!</span></span></div><p></p>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color:;">Khala: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">My name is</span><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;"> </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Khala Lucas and I’m an American-Australian living in Sydney, Australia. I recently received my diploma to be a psychotherapist and my certificate IV in mental health. I'm looking to start my career and from there I’d like to use it as a stepping stone to be a psychologist. I do a bit of blogging, sharing mental health information as well as my personal struggles with BPD, OCD, ADHD, and anxiety. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">In the midst of all of that, I love to make people laugh. This has earned me the title of a Facebook comedian. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>What is your most proud accomplishment?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>My most proud and notable accomplishments would definitely be leaving everything behind and starting my life in Australia. I left with no family or any idea of what I wanted to do for myself except seek better things and leave an environment that wasn’t good for me. My kids and my husband have given me the family I’ve never had. I’m so proud to be starting my own traditions and beginning a whole new generation, hopefully with less generational trauma.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>What languages do you speak? How did you learn them?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala</span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;"><b>: </b></span></span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>I was raised to speak English. Every now and then, I’d hear some Spanish or some from a Spanish neighbour and my uncle and Grammy were interested in the language as well. I currently speak French and am learning Spanish. In the past, I used to speak online with different individuals and did language exchanges. I also learn through a similar method as children, listening and repeating. I watch shows, read books, listen to music, and write in the targeted language. I’ve always had a passion for things like literate and the etymology of words. Languages just have come really natural to me. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>Which one is your favorite?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala: </span></b>My favourite language is French which is what I speak fluently. I love the language and the culture. When I first started speaking it, I knew that was the language I wanted to become fluent in. Maybe I spoke it in my past life, ha 🤣<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>What were some of your language struggles with French and Spanish?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span>The hardest struggle was learning to get rid of my fear of perfectionism. I mean, even as a native English speaker, make mistakes and if I never make them, how will I learn how to improve? I also do feel shy at times because I’m the only one that speaks the language so I tend to shy away while everyone is speaking in English. I don’t like being the odd one out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">I am also teaching French and Spanish to my children, which is a work in progress. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>How has it been raising your children to be multilingual? What techniques do you use?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>I’ve been raising my children to speak French and Spanish. It’s been a bit hard because it requires consistency and I don’t want to make any mistakes with them . I’ve been having them watch a lot of children shows however and they have seen to take interest in a show called Le Petit Ours Brun and another one called Trotro. The use of music and games has also been very useful. There’s a very popular method called OPOL where one parent will speak one language and the other speaks another. I speak 80% of the time to my youngest child in French in hopes of it being her first language. I plan on putting them in an immersion school or hiring an au paid to increase their exposure to the language. I guess I shall see how it goes in the future. xx</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefHV-rkb-viFsdtYtn0LGQT_zDuf4iPydjgqZ0cQp-uFQ-O2KS7267GU1R8YUP6q-nxpm5gxBYgc0TusnOy2shoWwx1yRGKf3Q-wUCIgnkczjyg-P2WPsLZdrpQzxQHVB3rPXLAf_qxCrww2NdMmHaXeL0uGMBSY3YyEuEPYYD2KEM4UDkhFMmnTf/s1652/30126381-25DE-4C89-8577-57310C9725F7-1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1652" data-original-width="1210" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefHV-rkb-viFsdtYtn0LGQT_zDuf4iPydjgqZ0cQp-uFQ-O2KS7267GU1R8YUP6q-nxpm5gxBYgc0TusnOy2shoWwx1yRGKf3Q-wUCIgnkczjyg-P2WPsLZdrpQzxQHVB3rPXLAf_qxCrww2NdMmHaXeL0uGMBSY3YyEuEPYYD2KEM4UDkhFMmnTf/s320/30126381-25DE-4C89-8577-57310C9725F7-1.jpeg" width="234" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f; font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">BGLL: <o:p></o:p></span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><b>If you could offer three tips for someone learning another language. What would they be?</b></span></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span>My first tip is to set a schedule. Pick a day or days where you would like to study your targeted language for an hour, two hours or even just a half an hour. I recommend learning basic vocab and grammar but not spending all your time trying to just learn it. You need to hear the language and speak it. This is why I recommend watching shows with subtitles then imitating what you hear. Watch the show over and over again until you know the meaning of the scene and you can recite it.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">My second tip would be to be consistent. If you’re not consistent, it can be easy to lose the language. If you miss some days, when you return, go back and review where you left off. Don’t try to cram so much in or you may become overwhelmed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;">Lastly, I’d say study topics that you’re interested in in the targeted language. I like psychology so when I’m studying Spanish or German , I’ll look up vocab and videos on that subject. It’s easier to study things you’re actually interested in and use apart from subjects you never really talk about .</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</span><span style="color: #6b244e;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">Khala</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: ; color: ;">: </span></b><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span><span style="color: ;">You can follow me on Facebook page: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/khala.lucas.75?mibextid=LQQJ4d"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">khala.lucas.75</span></a><span style="color: ;"> as well as on Instagram: </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/khalagessyca" target="_blank"><span style="color: #9b2e7f;">@Khalagessyca</span></a></span></span></span></div></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-79383766150304388762020-07-31T11:06:00.005-04:002023-05-24T14:54:20.999-04:00She Learned ASL To Advocate for Others<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ; font-family: Raleway;">Some say money is no object. Well, Kimatha says language is no barrier. She has learned Spanish and ASL (American Sign Language) to be able to communicate and advocate for others. Read on for Kimatha’s language learning journey and her tips for learning Spanish and ASL.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">My name is</span><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;"> </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Kimatha Greer and I’m from Detroit, MI. I’m African American and Native American. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social Work. Currently, I am a psychiatric care specialist and a social worker. In between both achievements, I have given trainings to staff and parents on how to problem solve with at risk/troubled youth and children with autism. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">In addition to these two jobs, I also have a </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoqjjE5NKxC6JqLjN1YztHg" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">YouTube channel</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"> highlighting natural hair care and most importantly mental health in the African American and underserved communities. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: What kind of services do you provide as a psychiatric care specialist, social worker and a mental health YouTuber?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">As a psychiatric care specialist/social worker, services are provided based on the child’s needs. My clients can suffer from depression, autism, and even schizophrenia. My job is to educate parents on how to work with their child and plan accordingly. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Having my </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoqjjE5NKxC6JqLjN1YztHg" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">YouTube channel</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"> helps me bring more awareness to mental health, it’s importance, and other valuable information. Sadly, underserved communities are not given this education nor the resources.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Which languages do you know?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">As of now, I am proud to say that I know Spanish. Spanish has been a part of my life for years. During my first career job as a family specialist, it became even more important. In Nashville, Tennessee, the Hispanic/Latin culture is very prominent. The day I couldn’t help a client because of a language barrier, was the day I started to go even harder with my Spanish language learning. Breaking pass this language barrier has allowed me to help even more people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-family: Raleway;">I am also learning ASL (American Sign Language). Being able to advocate for people is my passion. When I worked at Amazon during graduate school, there were a lot of deaf/hard of hearing workers (who I’m still friends with today). There were no interpreters available to help communicate daily job duties which I believed was unfair. My passion and my belief in fairness pushed me to learn. Again, no language will ever become a barrier for me when it comes to helping someone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Were you able to take advantage of any opportunities due to your languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-family: Raleway;">Learning and knowing Spanish has opened a lot of doors. In fact, I was able to travel with the peace corps to Ecuador to teach English as a foreign language because of my previous Spanish language knowledge. Many job opportunities have opened up for me as well. For example, I was offered a position to work with Hispanic/Latino youth in southwest Detroit as a mental health specialist. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: How did you learn ASL?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">ASL (American sign language) is still in process. Years ago, while I was working at AT&T, there was a young lady who would come in my store every month to pay her bill. She was deaf and I would write her letters every time she came to our store. Eventually she would teach me easy phrases like “Hello” or “How are you?”. Her friendship meant so much to me and I wanted to speak to her in her language. This motivated me to want to learn ASL. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e;">BGLL: What was your hardest struggle with language and how did you overcome it?</span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">My hardest struggle with language was being consistent, because I couldn’t picture myself speaking another language. One day, I told myself I’ll be consistent and see what happens. If I have to make a fool of myself in public, I’ll keep going. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Did you ever feel shy to speak? How did you overcome that?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: #;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">In the beginning, I was very shy. As humans we always worry about other people’s perception. <i>How will they see me? Am I trying too hard? Will they laugh at me? </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-family: Raleway;">When I moved to Ecuador, my shyness broke free. Spending my time around people who were also learning a different language made me a lot more comfortable. In addition, while working with my students, I couldn’t tell them not to be shy when I was shy myself. When I realized how bad I wanted my students to succeed, I would speak Spanish in front of them all the time, mistakes and all. I wanted to show my students that I was learning, too, and it’s ok to make mistakes. That’s how we become better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: #;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Both Spanish and ASL are my favorites. Connecting with people through language is so beautiful to me. However, these languages, for me, have a story. The purpose manifested from the encounters that I’ve had in my life. It’s not just because I thought they sound cool or looked cool, but because I came across people who meant something to me, people I want to fight for. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: What are 3 tips you can offer those who are trying to learn another language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">DON’T STOP</span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">, find a language partner and do something pertaining to your language everyday (watching a movie, read a book, talk to a friend).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Kimatha: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">You can find me on Instagram at</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"> </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/natural.kimistry" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">@natural.kimistry</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">, my YouTube channel </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoqjjE5NKxC6JqLjN1YztHg" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Kim Greer</span></a></span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: Raleway;"> and on Facebook as LaShay Greer.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-66335876226507663432020-07-24T11:04:00.002-04:002023-05-24T15:02:57.775-04:00She Amplifies the Voice of Others <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-PWKJE4IkDGA3F12It2O5MKurrKoh2dv5zzGjHyzlypPYihfS6INaqM2fUQ0lpyhRZ0aebrYkOs-TCGgocR9cuB-13RpA_XOtDY2PcYofuRunhyphenhyphenxuIzhyhMKXZgPPgagWHjVZ8Cck3k/s1600/Aissa+Sica+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-PWKJE4IkDGA3F12It2O5MKurrKoh2dv5zzGjHyzlypPYihfS6INaqM2fUQ0lpyhRZ0aebrYkOs-TCGgocR9cuB-13RpA_XOtDY2PcYofuRunhyphenhyphenxuIzhyhMKXZgPPgagWHjVZ8Cck3k/s640/Aissa+Sica+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Meet </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">Aïssa, a multilingual blogger that runs </span><a href="https://peopleracializadas.blog/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:;">People Racializadas</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;">, a multilingual website which amplifies the voices of people of color, giving them an avenue to offer their life perspectives. Read on to find out more about her passion for languages, for making the community visible and how she was able to learn four languages.</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your language learning journey. Tell us about yourself and what you do.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Aïssa</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">My name is Aïssa Sica, I’m 27 years old and I currently live in Berlin. My mom is Guinean (Conakry) and my dad is Senegalese. I studied International Business and Foreign Languages with French, Italian and German and currently struggle to find a job that I am passionate about. But I think I already found my dream job: my blog. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">For the past 2 years, I’ve been running a multilingual website, called </span><a href="https://peopleracializadas.blog/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:;">People Racializadas</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">, where I interview people of color (I hate this word, haha) around the world and write about different topics related to ethnic minorities (I also hate this word, haha) to bring awareness to different perspectives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">As a creative person, I also have a YouTube channel, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS9s39Hajt5FQ0HEWcIg1Iw" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:;">Xam</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: ;"> by Aïssa Sica, where I talk about personal stories, African history and cultures. I am not so active, but as we are in quarantine, I will be in the following weeks. </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: What languages do you speak? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Aïssa</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">I speak </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">French, English, German and Italian. At home, we mainly spoke French. Sadly, my dad never taught me Wolof because, to him, European languages were more important to learn. Despite insisting so many times to learn the most beautiful language (for me), he only spoke Wolof when he was angry at me. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:; font-family: Raleway;">Growing up in France, we were taught foreign languages at a young age. In secondary school, I started with English, as it is mandatory. I also lived in Germany as a kid, so it was quite easy for me to learn German in school as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">I learned Italian in the 3rd year of my bachelor’s program. I had the opportunity to do Erasmus. I was hesitating between the UK, Germany and Italy. I ended up choosing Italy for </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #cc6699;">la dolce vita</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">. It was a very interesting and particular experience, which I share </span><a href="https://peopleracializadas.blog/2018/02/08/being-a-black-woman-in-italy/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: #1155cc;">on my blog</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">. I even ended up learning the Neapolitan dialect, as it is very important in Naples daily life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:; font-family: Raleway;">But why did I choose to learn Italian? I went to a university where I had the choice between Mandarin and Italian and I chose the easiest one. Romance languages very easy to learn when you are a French native speaker. But the most important language to learn to me, to this day, is Wolof.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e;">BGLL: Are you learning any other languages?</span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Aïssa</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">I am learning Wolof. I love Senegal and the culture. It has always been important to me to know more about my heritage. I am so happy, because nowadays you have Senegalese TV shows in Wolof language with French subtitles. This helped me to learn and improve my language skills. When I was a teenager, such a thing was not happening. There were no subtitles. What I do find difficult and unfair is, with learning Wolof, you have so few resources in comparison to European languages (Spanish, for example). Nevertheless, I won’t give up, since it is one of my favorite languages—along with Italian. </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">I am also learning Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e;">BGLL: What do you think is the most difficult thing about language learning?</span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Aïssa</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">I think what is in general difficult in languages is to learn the body language, to know what to say and not say, what is appropriate in a language can be not appropriate in another. Also, the lack of motivation is still something I struggle with. As I am quite busy with my blog and YouTube channel, I do not feel motivated enough to study the languages I am currently learning.</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: What are some tips that you think would help others learn another language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Aïssa</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">If you would like to learn a language, you need to make time for it and to prioritize, to be consistent. I do not think the longer you study, the better you know. It is all about how you learn and how you are focused when you learn it. If you study a language while being on social media, scrolling at your phone, it’s not going to work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:; font-family: Raleway;">I would also advise to read or listen to a video every day for 5-10 minutes and learn a few words to extend your vocabulary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Try to go to the country or countries learn the language every year, to practice your skills. I prefer learning while being in the country, by doing holidays for instance, which I planned for this year but sadly I have to postpone it. But I think the best way to learn a language is to have a partner who is a native speaker, so don’t hesitate to use Bumble or Tinder!</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social media?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">Aïssa</span></b><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">If you want to read in German, French, English and Italian and are interested in the experiences and different perspectives of people of color, you can always visit </span><a href="https://peopleracializadas.blog/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: #1155cc;">my website </span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">and follow me on </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/peopleracializadas/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: #1155cc;">Instagram</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">. On YouTube, you can follow me on </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS9s39Hajt5FQ0HEWcIg1Iw?view_as=subscr" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color: #1155cc;">Xam By Aïssa Sica</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background:; color:;">.</span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-64797528232604335202020-07-17T10:59:00.001-04:002023-05-15T13:24:31.267-04:00She Helps Black & Brown People Affected by Disasters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqsRpUaV6dGLDE558k2xPcGJAjJU9xqOJXpxqha8iaO31839sRUF_5U57DaGaGaeey9bJ3QUg3RWL3cfelpcZ7oxsawLFPpTfTiLFNNa6eDQkBlU00X5VPHaoKTQ9ezjXklr7gZ_B5bw/s1600/Ariel+Wesley+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbqsRpUaV6dGLDE558k2xPcGJAjJU9xqOJXpxqha8iaO31839sRUF_5U57DaGaGaeey9bJ3QUg3RWL3cfelpcZ7oxsawLFPpTfTiLFNNa6eDQkBlU00X5VPHaoKTQ9ezjXklr7gZ_B5bw/s400/Ariel+Wesley+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="font-family: Raleway;">Learning a language is a beautiful thing. It can help you connect to and communicate with people you normally wouldn’t be able to connect or communicate with. It can help you learn more about yourself. But nowadays, more and more people are using language to advocate for others. Meet Ariel, a health support technician and a Red Cross volunteer who uses her language to help represent others. Read more to find out about her language learning journey and her tips on what helped her learn Spanish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to tell your language learning story. Tell us about yourself and what you do.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222;">Ariel: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">My name is Ariel Wesley. I currently live in Columbia, SC. My heritage is West Indian (Trinidad), African American and Native American. I’m a native English speaker. I have an Associate’s Degree in Arts, a Patient Care Technician Certification, and am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Public Health with a concentration in Emergency Management.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">Currently, </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">I work as a health support technician in a hospital. The quick and dirty of my job is I’m something between a nurse and a CNA. When I am not working, I volunteer with Red Cross which is something I’m passionate about. I find it frustrating to see that black and brown people are usually disproportionately affected by disasters and not adequately represented. </span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: What opportunity/opportunities were you able to take advantage of because of your language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">At my previous hospital I was the go-to person on my unit when we didn’t have an interpreter available. I’m hoping to work on a crash disaster Spanish course at my local Red Cross chapter. </span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway;">BGLL: What languages do you know? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222;">Ariel: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">There was some Spanish in the house and some Arabic in the house, as I was Muslim from the ages of 11-18. I always heard bits and pieces of other languages, as I lived in New York until I was 14. I knew some basic greetings in Arabic and the alphabet in ASL. I can also follow some Italian. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">I took [Spanish] classes initially. I have taken Spanish from the 7th grade through my freshman year of college (the first attempt). My great grandfather was Portuguese, but I never got a chance to meet him and learn about that side of the family. I am a firm believer that if you want to get to know someone, listen to them speak and watch what they eat. Where I went to school, there were no Portuguese classes, so I decide that Spanish was the next best thing, So, here we are. </span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">After I improve my fluency in Spanish, I hope to work on ASL. Columbia has a sizable deaf and mute population.</span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222;">Ariel: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">Sometimes, I get nervous speaking especially with a native speaker. I always wonder about intonations and colloquialisms. But even harder than, though, is when I am listening to someone speak in Spanish and I struggle to keep up. I feel embarrassed because they may use a word that I haven’t learned or conjugate in a tense I don’t use on a regular basis. I am practicing more on Duolingo and practicing with my coworkers who speak Spanish. </span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #6b244e;">BGLL: Which of your foreign languages is/are your favorite and why?</span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;"><br /></span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222;">Ariel:</span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">I love speaking Spanish. I love how involved you are when you speak the language. But if we are talking about listening to a language, I love listening to Arabic. Even though I no longer practice Islam, when I’m near a mosque and hear the call to prayer, it stirs something in me. </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway;"><b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #222222;">Ariel: </span></b><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;"> First, listen to the language. I like listening to the Duolingo Podcast on Spotify on the way to work or if I have some down time. I like this podcast in particular, because it provides context along the way. Second, find people on social media who are interested in learning another language. I follow </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/blackgirlslearnlanguages/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Black Girls Learn Languages</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;"> and </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/263035444148613/" style="color: #954f72;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif">Black Bilingual</span></a><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">. I like those pages because I find that everyone is engaged, helpful and they aren’t pretentious. Lastly,</span><span style="color: #313131;"> </span><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #313131;">if you can, go to local events. My area had events where you can meet other bilinguals/polyglots or volunteer to help others learn.</span><span style="color: #313131;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-66792757279365593332020-07-10T10:57:00.000-04:002020-07-10T10:57:03.432-04:00She Rapped in French<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">One of my most favorite language hacks is learning a language through music. But Naomi flipped it, when she used music (rapping) to help her get over the fear of speaking in another language. Read on to learn more about Naomi’s language learning journey and for her tips on what helped her learn French and Mandarin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My name is </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">Naomi Francis and I’m from London, UK. I’m of black Caribbean heritage and I’m a native English speaker. I have a Bachelor’s in Business Management with French as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in French Education 11-18.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">I am a secondary school teacher of Business, Economics and French in London, UK. Oh, and I am a spoken word and grime rapper. I released a single in December which racked up an incredible 12k streams! I also am a trumpet player (though nobody’s heard a tune for a while :)).</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What languages have you learned?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">I learnt French at school and loved it. Although, sadly it didn’t love me. I failed it at 18 and left my 6th form with a lovely U (failure in the UK education system) in French. I, then, thought I would take this subject up at university! I thought it would be a great asset alongside business and, well, I just had hope that I would grasp it once studying it more broadly. It was only when I undertook my year aboard from my course in Tours, France, where I REALLY learnt how to talk in French. I only had knowledge of the selective curriculum and that really was an eye opener for me, as I had to get my to grips with French and quickly.</span><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">I am currently re-learning Mandarin; I took this at university for a year and loved it. Then, like with everyone, life happens, and the book got put back on the shelf. I also learnt Spanish to teach a class at school which was fun, so with this unusual time that we are all experiencing, I am putting love back into those languages again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi</span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">: I always had an interest in Mandarin as this part of the business world I found intriguing. I felt like if I could master this language, being a young black girl from London, I would be in such a position with my business degree to take flight and make real boss moves! Furthermore, learning about another culture is such a humbling experience. You really become grateful for such things of access that you take for granted. </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Did you ever feel shy to speak? How did you overcome that?</span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;"><br /></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">Very shy to speak French. I used to wait till I had a few drinks to feel confident in front of people. Then I thought, </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">they appreciate you trying to converse in their languages rather than look ignorant expecting them to have a fantastic level of English</span></i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;"> and that gave me lots of confidence. I was once on a radio station in France where I rapped in French LOL! After that, nothing could really put me off speaking it. Keep trying it and try some more, it will get there, no rush.</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What was your hardest struggle with language and how did you overcome it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">The hardest part and most poignant part of my teaching career to date, was the time I was literally chucked off my teacher training course, because (according to my mentors) my French wasn’t 'French enough' and more over. was teaching improper French.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">My grammar was not up to scratch and frankly this knocked me off the confidence spectrum. I had quit my last job to become a teacher, so I had to make this work. I then was told I need to simply move back to France in order to improve. And that’s what I did, I moved back that September for 4 months to perfect my grammar and upon retune the university wanted me to take an A level in French to asses my new level, I got an A, I finally had an A level and qualified that following year as a teacher of French.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">In fact, it was due to this experience that I set up my social enterprise called Languages That Talk. We put the modern back in modern foreign languages learning through role play using situational and functional languages with students in state schools. The aim is to improve the number of BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups) students continuing language learning through school and allow them to understand the employability factors that come with it. </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I love French and Mandarin for different reasons. </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">I have</span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;"> had a long journey to become a confident French speaker and teacher while Mandarin is </span><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">so different to any European language. With a lack of grammar rules, it [Mandarin] is easier to understand. Moreover, the pinyin (writing form of mandarin) is beautiful to look at. </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What are some tips you’d offer to those learning languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">Attend language exchange meet ups. Honestly, there is a meet up for everyone for every language and for every level. It’s a great way to meet new people and have someone to learn with. I would also suggest, watching your favorite series and movies with subtitles—it’s a great way to learn the colloquial side of the language. Also, k</span><span style="color: #201f1e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">eep practicing and keep track of your progress. Small wins deserve celebration!</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naomi: </span></b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tstarnay" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tstarnay</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> on Instagram, that is where you will find my music/ rap and spoken word posts as well as a few educational posts. Tstarnay on </span><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4J7HSNbOtuP1amMFbAdEsY" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spotify</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnwfOQvCODlz-S-UqBjpPzA" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">YouTube</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> as well for the music lovers. Languages That Talk will soon have an Instagram account, but for now please subscribe to our newsletter found at </span><a href="https://www.languagesthattalk.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; padding: 0in;">https://www.languagesthattalk.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Peace and love, and never stop learning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-52841376023834999802020-07-03T10:55:00.000-04:002020-07-03T10:55:10.510-04:00Love Sackies’ Love Affair With Spanish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6gNZhH63CVDFq7U7L_8hqwiYOouVVyF2e4uUDKMlAHtofj_sr-MWss_WJnc1qG0EPI_hNmvZa-u1zxM2B-SdUtssLmCpdL_Wla8MrHPxRonFH-XQu6_Egh1jDYLxAtX14a_eLCQnhzk/s1600/Love+Sackie+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6gNZhH63CVDFq7U7L_8hqwiYOouVVyF2e4uUDKMlAHtofj_sr-MWss_WJnc1qG0EPI_hNmvZa-u1zxM2B-SdUtssLmCpdL_Wla8MrHPxRonFH-XQu6_Egh1jDYLxAtX14a_eLCQnhzk/s640/Love+Sackie+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Follow your calling</span></i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. That’s what Love Sackie decided to do when Spanish became the center of her entire life. Check out the rest of the interview, to find out more about Love Sackie’s love affair with the Spanish language, how she learned it and is using her passion to inspire language diversity. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself and what you do.</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: <i>Gracias a ti </i>for giving me the chance to share my story. </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My name is<b> </b>Love Sackie and I’m Liberian-American. I’m currently located between Florida & Dominican Republic. My native language is English. I have a bachelor’s in Spanish and had the opportunity to earn it while studying abroad at Ulatina in Heredia, Costa Rica and Montclair State University in NJ.. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Professionally, I just recently got into teaching, so I’ll be entering the classroom this upcoming school year. I am super excited to get back with making a difference amongst the youth in our community.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Another venture that is close to my heart that I’ll be launching soon is The Love Sackie, Inc. It has all of my lifestyle passions in one - I create customized plans for adults, like young professionals & travel enthusiasts who want to speak Spanish. Another part of it is that like every woman, I adore the beauty industry, so I provide limited & trusted beauty care products that I use on myself.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How did you learn Spanish?</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My language journey started as a BS degree pursuit, that turned into me graduating with a Foreign Language degree. I have always had love for the Spanish language due to all the diversity within the city I grew up in, and partially because in the US it’s a requirement to study a language in primary school. I did well in Spanish, I thought it was just because I wanted a good grade, but it clearly turned out to be more than that. In college, there’s also a language requirement to graduate. Being that my love of the Spanish language blossomed, of course, I chose Spanish again. I soon caught on that Spanish was really my favorite subject, so I made it my major. That was when it started getting real, it wasn't just counting, “<i>uno, dos, tres</i>…”, it was learning a new entire language on a collegiate level. I struggled at first to fit in with my peers and learn in a relevant way. But once I started getting more comfortable, I found the ultimate learning hack which eventually led to a degree in Spanish with extended coursework in business administration.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I realized that it wasn't just the books that helped me to pick up the [Spanish] language but the people, the culture the food and the music. That's why I make sure I input that part of the focus in my online courses.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Are you learning any other languages?</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It's been a little bit of a hobby because learning Spanish has opened up the vocabulary of many other romance languages but I’m learning Portugués now & I’m loving it!! Portugués with a side of French. I say with a side because I’m not doing it intensely as I am Portuguese, mainly just French phrases for now but I see it coming. I realized I could somewhat understand Portugués, by connecting with the word “<i>negra</i>” on Instagram which can mean black woman in Spanish but also in Portuguese. I would follow different Brazilian black women on IG and they post in Portuguese. While I’m scrolling, I’ll read and be like, <i>is this in Spanish because I am understanding this</i>? But certain words would be spelled completely differently, so I would just fill in the blanks with the context. I had a similar experience with learning French that I did with Portuguese. Though it didn't come as easy as Portuguese did, I can read it. I’m still working on my accent though.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What was the hardest thing about learning Spanish?</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The hardest struggle for learning a language for me was not speaking it like I'm speaking English. I don’t like to speak like a child per se, but it’s where everyone starts. I also had to be able to think in another language, write, and chat, so once I’m in my zone, it's hard to snap back to English.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Were you ever shy about speaking Spanish?</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I'm not a shy person but I do get this question frequently from a lot of students. I never paid attention to it, but looking back I think feeling shy can be a lack of confidence to speak. For me, I couldn’t express what was going on in my head, for example, all the conjugations, etc., because I was overthinking it. I knew enough Spanish to communicate, but I would hold back and not try to dive in, as in speak with an accent or I would only use the present tense which is easier. I had to go with it and trust my instincts and just speak. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Which of your foreign languages is/are your favorite and why?</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My favorite foreign language is Spanish of course! I owe so many of my International experiences and thanks to this language for the doors it opened for me. If I had to think of one thing that sets me apart and makes me unique, is that I'm a bilingual black girl, and soon to be polyglot. I’m someone who identifies as 100% Black & proud- from a small inner-city & I can speak another language fluently. To me that alone can inspire others who may have thought it was taboo, and that's why I study & teach foreign languages. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Love: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Find your reason why. If you’re going to do it, there has to be a driving force behind why you are willing to put your time and energy into learning. Next, be respectful of the culture that comes with the language. Also, become friends with a native speaker in your target language. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?</span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My official Instagram is </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/holalovesackie"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">@holalovesackie</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">, all of my links to find me are always posted there. Let's Get Connected ! </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-6855487695842260212020-06-26T10:47:00.000-04:002020-06-26T10:47:13.657-04:00She Makes Comics About Language Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18Mwd5xNHc71NbXpNgiL5-NM3QPlEKCdAQUB9QcVSTLi1iRBfjlu_9GZ8xtAhBFyLgQNDDTOhKTFDBJNaPRblMhyphenhyphen1FESqYgvAztDtlaKaVb-X0l9SSM5YlXdtimWIe9bO_DoKcOj2ves/s1600/Spring+Johnson+-+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18Mwd5xNHc71NbXpNgiL5-NM3QPlEKCdAQUB9QcVSTLi1iRBfjlu_9GZ8xtAhBFyLgQNDDTOhKTFDBJNaPRblMhyphenhyphen1FESqYgvAztDtlaKaVb-X0l9SSM5YlXdtimWIe9bO_DoKcOj2ves/s640/Spring+Johnson+-+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Everyone has a certain way they blossom when learning languages. We all have our own language learning problems and dramas. Spring is no different. As a language connoisseur, she loves to take bits and pieces of languages and expound on them with her own way of learning language. She also expresses her musings in the form of a comic strip. Read more to find out her language learning techniques and why you don’t have to be “good at language” to be good at language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My name is </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring Nicole Johnson and my native languages are English and Ebonics (I like to call it African American Pidgin. It really is a totally different language!). I have a TEFL certificate and currently work as an ESL tutor and Professional Artist. I was doing Caricature drawing for live events, but now, due to our new normal of social distancing, I am venturing into teaching art classes.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">One of the things, I am most proud of is my family, because they really are great people. I have been married for 20 years and have two boys, aged 11 and 14. My 14-year-old even made up his own language, with a dictionary and phrasebook (seriously)!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What languages do you know?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is always hard for me to say which languages I know. That depends on what we mean by "know". I sometimes forget, myself. Because there is always an ebb and flow. I use whatever languages are useful to me at the moment, meaning what helps me to communicate with people I want to get to know in my community. Currently, the foreign languages I use are Burmese, Kayah Li and a little Haitian Creole from time to time. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The volunteer work I do plays a big part in my reasons for learning a language. I mostly use my languages to teach people about the bible. But I also just really love the sound of words. I was an early talker and reader. I can't stand it when I hear people speaking a language I don't understand. So, if I shop somewhere often and I find a store clerk who speaks a foreign language, I usually ask how to say something in their language and, each time, I build on those phrases and maybe do some self-study. I am addicted to the reaction I get, when they hear a foreigner speak their language. I love to make people smile!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What opportunities were you able to take advantage of because of your language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I have worked in bilingual customer service because I know Spanish. It also looks very good on resumes. I have gotten jobs that in which I might not have otherwise qualified because I spoke Spanish. I have also had the opportunity to work as a Spanish medical interpreter. But what was the biggest pay off, is having friends that I would not have been able to know if I did not speak Spanish. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How did you learn the other languages? What made you want to learn those languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I didn't realize it until I started analyzing myself that I have a method. It starts when I meet a person who has an accent and I ask them what language they speak. From there, it goes just like I stated above. I ask for phrases and then go study a little if I can, and ask for more phrases. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I am motivated by my curiosity about people. I refer to myself as a culture junkie, because I want to know about how other people from other parts of the world live, eat, dress and think. I love to mix what I have learned from different cultures (like Kimchi tacos). You would think I have travelled a lot, because I know random things about different cultures. But actually, I have never been outside of the United States!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Did you ever feel shy to speak? How did you overcome that?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Yes! I am an introvert. My heart races many times when I approach someone to practice a language I am learning. Many times, I have shied away. But I always think about the fact that they are like me, trying to learn another language (English) and be good at it. So, they understand. I have had very few occasions where my fear has come true: The person seems indifferent and ignores my attempt to speak their language. Most of the time, they are happy to hear their own language, the language of their heart, even if it is being butchered by a foreigner. </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What was your hardest struggle with language and how did you overcome it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">MY hardest struggle is that I am naturally undisciplined and have some ADHD tendencies. It is hard for me to sit down and study with a text book. I can study for hours, but not consistently. So, I recently decided that I am only going to study based on interactions I have with people. For example, a friend of mine who is learning Thai, wanted to get me on board too. Honestly, I tried to dive in with learning all the technical stuff, but then I asked myself, "</span><i><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">How are you actually going to use the language?</span></i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">" I thought about the fact that I don't come across many Thai people where I live, so the only time I will see them is probably when I go shopping 40 minutes away where my friend lives. So, I stuck to learning a few greetings and I also learned how to say "</span><i><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">it's delicious</span></i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">" (Aroy Maak). This was enough to have a positive interaction with a lady who owns the Thai store where I shop. Mission accomplished!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Which of your foreign languages are your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">They are like my children. How can I pick a favorite? I love them for different reasons. Ethiopian Amharic, for the rhythmic way it rolls off of the native tongue and introducing me to the </span><i><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">eskista</span></i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> (shoulder dance) and some of the sweetest and most beautiful people ever!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spanish, for the flavorful culture and cuisine (I make my own tortillas) and the simple, but dramatic way you can express things. It is also super useful in the states!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Burmese, for introducing me to a whole new world of culture, I never knew existed. People who go out of their way to show hospitality. Call each other uncle, auntie, brother and sister and greet each other by saying, "</span><i><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">auspiciousness to you!</span></i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">" (Mingalaba).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Kayah Li because it is simple to learn, but you must learn from natives or no one will understand you. So, I feel like I have some sort of superpower. Also, the Kayah Li (or Karenni) people are quiet and humble people who always want to share with you. I am happy to have met a friend who speaks Burmese as her second language and she is teaching me her native Kayah Li. I feel so privileged!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">French, for helping me to pronounce those fancy words that we say in English the wrong way LOL!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Haitian Creole, for being the fun and zany cousin of French. And there are no extra letters. It is strictly phonetic, which I love. Also, the Haitian people welcome you with open arms. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hawaii Pidgin, because it is the language that me and my family happened upon and now, we speak it at home as if it were our own language. It has many similarities with the way I spoke at home growing up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">: You don't have to be "good at languages” to learn a foreign language. I think each person can bring their own strengths to it. My strength is my love of words, rhythm and culture. Think of what your strengths are and bring that to the table to make language learning fun and totally worth it!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Find the people first. You'll learn a lot easier and keep your motivation when you learn BECAUSE of people you want to know better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Also, if something is not working for you, but it works for other people, don't be afraid to abandon it. Your time is not irreplaceable and too precious to spend on methods that don't serve you well. For example, lots of people like Anki, but so far, it is not a great method for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Be sure to listen in your target language. I like music and I also like to watch shows that are in just about every country, like Idol, The Voice and the Got Talent franchise. Even if you don't understand, you'll hear the same words and phrases over and over and learn the rhythym of the language. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spring: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> You can find my art on Instagram and Facebook @springmakesart and my language learning chronicles on </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX_eETkmubrbUNOeu_pzdHg" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">YouTube</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">, </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/nicole_the_linguaphile" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Instagram</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> and Facebook under </span><i><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nicole The Linguaphile</span></i><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. I also like to make comics about language learning </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/shespeakswhat" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">@shespeakswhat</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-67365548334986857172020-06-19T10:45:00.000-04:002020-06-19T10:45:01.630-04:00She Initially Learned Mandarin to Teach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Meet Davida Moore, a healthcare industry professional who initially learned Mandarin to be able to teach. Read on to discover what her journey was like learning Mandarin, spending two months in China and her language tips for Mandarin learners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your story. Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My name is </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Moore. I’m black and born and raised in Detroit, MI. My native languages are Standard English & AAVE. I have a BA in East Asian Languages & Cultures with a concentration in Mandarin & Chinese culture and a minor in geography from Michigan State University. I am currently employed as a Workforce Administration Coordinator with an online healthcare & IT training school called MedCerts. I oversee enrollment and invoicing for our department that works with workforce offices across the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I also work for a close friend’s commercial cleaning franchise, where we control sanitation of different places such as offices, medical facilities, daycares, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What opportunities were you able to take advantage of because of your language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I was able to study abroad for two months in China in 2008. Living in China for 2 months was an experience in itself. They are not used to seeing Black people there. On at least 4 different occasions, complete strangers came up to me for a picture. People stopped what they were doing and stared at me everywhere I went. I was the only Black person in our group of about 30. The only other person that got more attention was the redhead in our group. Let it have been a moment when I spoke Mandarin—they freaked out! They did not think I was American. In fact, one of my roommate’s tutors asked her if I was going back to Africa when everyone else went back to America. My whole time there, I saw 5 other Black people—3 were Ethiopian (I saw them on a weekend trip to Beijing at the Forbidden City) and the other 2 were Black Americans (I saw them at this dive bar we found a few blocks away from Nankai University’s campus—VERY random for them to be there.) Imagine me, with limited knowledge in words for hair care, trying to explain to a Chinese man with limited knowledge on hair and English, how my hair was braided like it was at the time! It was a very interesting time in China to say the least. I learned a lot about them and myself. I am most proud of not officially giving up on myself and getting to the point in my life where I am now; there were some dark years to overcome.</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Would you ever consider living there?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> No, I cannot see myself living over there, especially now with not only the pollution issues (which I saw firsthand in the host city, Tianjin), but knowing a bit about their current transactions on the African continent. These transactions are not always in favor of the people native to the lands as well as other human rights issues in China.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Just recently, a classmate of mine from high school was released from prison in China after 4 years all due to a fight a man picked with him that he defended himself in. They knew from the other man admitting that he started it that my classmate was only defending himself, but they did not care. That still does not sit well with me. I will definitely visit again, as the geographer and historian in me loves the ancient cultural sites and the stories, but cannot be sure about a life there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What other languages do you speak?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I can speak Mandarin and some French. I was initially going to use my languages to become a teacher in the Detroit Public School system after graduation, due to the loan forgiveness scholarship I was on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How did you learn Mandarin & French? What was it like?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Keep in mind I was usually the only Black person in my Chinese classes once I was at MSU. My high school was 98% Black, but only 1 other classmate of mine went on to take Chinese after high school and she did not major in it. I was, and still am, a unicorn so to speak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I am still not sure how I was able to learn both French and Mandarin at the same time. It was a requirement of my program, so we all made it work. At M.L. King High School, the program I chose was called CISC, the Center for International Studies and Commerce. You either chose to take business courses or Mandarin with another language. I chose Mandarin initially because I like Chinese food. I chose French because I didn’t like the Spanish teacher; turns out, she spoke both Spanish & French and decided to switch to French that year. Luckily, she got a better job and left the school, haha. These were the thoughts of a 14-year-old. I continued taking Mandarin in college, because I thought I could go further with it than French, and there was no other subject that I thought I would be willing to study and teach.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What did you struggle with the most on your language learning journey?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> My hardest struggle with Mandarin to this day is memorizing characters in order to read and write. Everything is practice, but it is easier to remember pinyin (Romanticized writing with tones noted for English learners to learn characters) than it is to remember characters; there is no alphabet. Each character has a different meaning. So, one small line could make a word mean something completely different, or mean nothing at all. I have yet to overcome this challenge; as stated, it is all practice. Sometimes however, rote memorization takes over and that is not necessarily good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Did you ever feel shy to speak? How did you overcome that?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I do still feel very shy speaking to Mandarin speakers (and even around people that have no clue what I’m saying). They always tell me my enunciation is good, but sometimes I feel like they are just being nice as “being nice” is something that is a part of their culture. Other times, I feel they mean it because they are surprised that any American has taken the time to learn Mandarin, as it is a difficult language for English speakers to learn and not many will learn it in America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Which of your foreign languages is/are your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I would say Mandarin but, truthfully, I lost my zeal for it midway through my senior year of college. While I was in China, I was very discouraged by the lack of language we had learned and how they sort of held our hands, in that we always had someone that would speak English to us. While we were there, my class was on the year 3 textbook, but we finished it and started the year 4 textbook as well. Year 4 is as high as MSU teaches. I flipped to the end of the book, and the closing statements from the author stated something along the lines of “we still did not learn enough characters to read an everyday Chinese newspaper”. I spoke to our professor/program director (she had come to China with us) and all she said to do was study. That was so disheartening to me. When we got back home, we started the year 4 book (which as a class, we’d completed half the book while in China) and did not have much more supplemental information after that. The professor my senior year was not helpful, and we actually complained to the dean about her. All of these issues sadly turned me off from Mandarin and China in general. I did not feel right within, going back home to Detroit with lax tools to teach students who already had so much to go against. They didn’t need me adding to that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I do hope, however, that in me sharing my story, I get the spark back in me to keep going! I spent 9 years studying Mandarin, and while I may be rusty, some things I just will never forget about. It is still deep within me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What are 3 tips you can offer those who are trying to learn another language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Davida:</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> My first recommendation: do <b>NOT</b> be like me! If you love something, go for it! Mandarin is hard, French was not easy though it is easier than Mandarin because it is a Romance language that much English is borrowed from. But they are BOTH worth learning! You open your mind so much more just from learning how other people think—even on such a basic level as sentence structuring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Another thing I would recommend, do <b>NOT</b> beat yourself up about it as you’re learning! Americans have a weird reputation abroad—it depends on who you talk to, but many people expect us not to learn any other languages over English. So, when you learn something, go speak it! They will appreciate you trying, and can be open to teaching you too!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Finally, have <b>FUN</b>! Once upon a time, I loved learning both my languages. I had teachers that tried to make it fun for us to learn. If you’re learning on your own, make it fun. There are no grades to be worried about. You can decide what you want to focus on, instead of learning random lessons about how to say “rocket ship” in Mandarin, which would be good if I were working for NASA, but I have yet to use that phrase in any time speaking Mandarin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-65404164764815544512020-06-12T10:43:00.000-04:002020-06-12T10:43:02.211-04:00She Empowers Women Globally<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As a Peace Corps Volunteer, a leader of a women’s hiking group as well as empowering women worldwide online, Nandi also uses Spanish to connect with others in her community locally. Check out the rest of the article to find out more about her language learning journey and her language learning tips.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Welcome Nandi! Thank you so much for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My name is</span><b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi Bose'De Person, I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. I’m African American, my native language is English and I speak Spanish. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's in Business Administration. I am currently serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. I am a youth developer and the majority of my projects focus around girl empowerment and parent support. I am entering into my second year of service. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As a side hustle, I enjoy working out and empowering women from all over the world to be the best version of themselves through health and fitness! Before I transitioned into the Peace Corps, I created a Women's hiking group that was established in St. Louis called Women in Nature (W.I.N) where women were able to connect, physically, mentally and emotionally through hiking and nature. I am passionate about human rights and promoting diversity!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What is your most notable accomplishment to date?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I would say that my most proud and notable accomplishment has been being the first-generation college graduate from my family. I was able to pave the way and help my younger brothers see that there are other opportunities and goals that we can achieve. I would also say overcoming the fear and making the decision to move to a different country without any previous overseas travels has been a notable accomplishment that I cherish deeply. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How did you learn Spanish? Do you know any other languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I learned to speak Spanish when I moved to Costa Rica back in 2018, and ever since then I have been fully immersed in it. For where I am now, the biggest opportunity that I have been able to take advantage of, has been connecting with the beautiful people in my community (Limon, Costa Rica) through the language. Being able to relate and share experiences, cultures and dreams, through something so sacred as language, has motivated me to go beyond my comfort zone and to push my limits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">At the moment, Spanish is the only language I am currently learning and I have been able to utilize my Spanish speaking skills in the work that I do here as a Peace Corps Volunteer, connect with individuals within my community and inspire other women like myself to pick up a second language. </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Did you ever feel too shy to speak Spanish? How did you overcome it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Before moving to Costa Rica, I didn't know any Spanish at all. I believe that not having been previously familiar with the language caused me to be very shy whenever I had to speak it. I think the way I eventually overcame this, was by owning where I am in my language learning process. Once I realized that I am not perfect, the journey took process. By embracing that, then and only then was I able to speak, make mistakes and be absolutely okay with the beauty of the imperfection. I became quick to tell native Spanish speakers that "<i>I am still learning so I know I may sound crazy to you at times</i>" and often times they laugh, which helps lighten up conversations, receive help, and release the tension on my end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What was the hardest thing about learning Spanish?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The hardest struggle with learning Spanish for me has been training my ear to match the speed of a native Spanish speaker. Often times people seem to speak very fast to me but I have overcome this by asking people to repeat themselves and also listening to music and reading books in Spanish. I have always been intrigued with the Latin culture and inspired to learn the Spanish language, so moving to Costa Rica as a Peace Corps Volunteer, receiving language training, and having to do all of my work in Spanish has really played a big part of my language learning journey. As I mentioned before, I became fully immersed in it which I believe is the best way to learn any language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What three tips would you give to others who are learning another language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> <b>JUST START</b>....don't wait for the perfect moment or the perfect tutor. Do it yourself, research a new word or phrase every day in the language you want to learn and go from there. <b>FIND A FRIEND WHO SPEAKS THE LANGUAGE</b>....If you can, find a friend who can help you and answer any questions that you may have about learning your new language. If you can't find anyone, utilize the internet and social media to meet people who can!! <b>TRUST THE PROCESS. </b>You have to trust the process, believe in your abilities and practice. It won't come easy. The first year will probably be the hardest, but as long as you know that you are capable of achieving your goals in your language learning journey, that's all you need to focus on. Trust the process and have fun doing so!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How can we find you on social media?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Nandi: </span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Follow me on Instagram </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/naturalnandi" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">@naturalnandi</span></a><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. I would also like to share that for the month of February, I did a Black and Bilingual Women's series where each day, I highlighted a woman of the African diaspora on my Instagram page! I have been able to connect with amazing women who live all over the world, who speak so many different languages, and they, too, are sharing their language learning journey and creating black history in the countries and communities where they live! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-38436732372188022522020-06-05T09:07:00.000-04:002020-06-05T09:07:01.278-04:00Inspired By A TV Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwLYGLp1G_YyY84Iz0WM3ni1wf26E5YeI5lh_t9rrMltS7kPXQDvBPam0t4G4pOh7W2qmazJW_Rk2THHLSwKY1v38tL0jJbbg0E0Xu5-HQzGtcflethDoSZTjbX68iC0lUYBTqHV5pcw/s1600/Black+Girls+Learn+Languages+Iye+Learns+Norsk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwLYGLp1G_YyY84Iz0WM3ni1wf26E5YeI5lh_t9rrMltS7kPXQDvBPam0t4G4pOh7W2qmazJW_Rk2THHLSwKY1v38tL0jJbbg0E0Xu5-HQzGtcflethDoSZTjbX68iC0lUYBTqHV5pcw/s640/Black+Girls+Learn+Languages+Iye+Learns+Norsk.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Imagine being fluent in another language and being inspired to take on another just by watching a TV show. That’s what happened with Iye. Read on to find out how she mastered Spanish, what show made her want to learn Norwegian and her tips for becoming fluent in any language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">BGLL: Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">IYE:</span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> My name is Iye Bako, I’m from Columbus, Ohio, I am Nigerian, and English is my native language. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Iberian Spanish Literature with a minor in International Business and Fashion Design & Merchandising from The Ohio State University. I’m an Executive Office Analyst for escalated mortgage inquires, which involves researching and potential resolving bank errors that are a risk to the company. I’m an aspiring actress, currently taking acting classes and auditioning for commercials and films. I also have a side business as a Social Media Marketer. I teach entrepreneurs how to use social media to increase their followers and sales. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">BGLL: Which languages do you speak?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">IYE: </span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">I'm fluent in Spanish. Currently, I teach Spanish classes at my job as part of a Business Resource Group to help my peers learn additional skills for their work. I used to work in a bilingual call center. I do still speak to customers over the phone in Spanish as an Executive Office Analyst. I’m also currently learning Norwegian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">BGLL: How did you get started with Spanish? What made you want to start learning Norwegian?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">IYE:</span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> I got started in Spanish because I love Latin music and culture and I wanted to make the connection with Spanish speakers since Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in the U.S. outside of English and I knew it would be useful for business and leisure. I started studying Spanish as part of my major and studied abroad at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico for one semester. Additionally, I created my own immersion environment at home listening to music, watching Spanish TV shows, and connecting with native speakers through online language exchange groups. Creating an immersion environment is my method for learning all languages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">I got into Norwegian for fun because I’ve always desired to be a polyglot. I was inspired by a popular TV show in Norway called <i>Skam</i>. It was initially popular for teenagers then it spread worldwide to audiences of all ages because of the great acting, storylines, and characters. Right now, I’m focused on using Duolingo, but it’s not a standalone resource. So, I watch YouTube heavily especially Norwegian teacher channels. I also listen to Norwegian podcasts, watch <i>Skam</i>, and I’m starting a journal to practice writing. I also plan to travel to Norway one day for vacation. I love connecting with people of different cultures, so I expect to make Norwegian friends online even before I visit Norway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">BGLL: Which language is your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">IYE:</span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> Definitely Spanish! I’ve made so many Spanish speaking friends and I’ve traveled to Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. I love the culture, the people, the food, and the scenery of each of the places I’ve been. I have so many more Spanish speaking countries on my list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">IYE:</span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> <b>Find some type of content in your target language that you’re passionate about and binge it</b>. Whether it’s music, tv, or books. Repetition helps. The more obsessed you are about diving into something that you enjoy, the higher the chances that you’ll stick with it. <b>Make friends!!</b> Don’t be shy. Even if you can’t speak at first, ask them to help you with your pronunciation, teach you some words, or correct your written practice. It can’t hurt. <b>Get immersed in the culture</b>. Make the food. Practice some of their traditions. When you feel that personal connection you’ll be more motivated. Trust and believe! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social media?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">IYE:</span></b><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> My website for my Social Media Marketing business is </span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.iyebako.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">www.iyebako.com</span></a></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> and my Instagram is </span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/iyebako" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">@iyebako</span></a></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">. To follow my Norwegian learning journey, my Instagram is </span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.instagram.com/iye.learns.norsk" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">@iye.learns.norsk</span></a></span><span style="color: #191919; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-89718627393508744592020-05-29T06:00:00.001-04:002020-05-29T06:00:02.913-04:00She Was Accepted into The Korean Government Scholarship Program<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Meet Rose Finley, currently living in South Korea and is a recipient of the super competitive Korean Government Scholarship Program. Read more to find out how she was able to get this amazing opportunity and what you can do to take advantage of similar opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Thanks so much for agreeing to be interviewed and being open to sharing your story! Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">My name is Rose Finley and I’m from Grand Rapids but am currently living in South Korea. I have a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Christian Counseling from Liberty University. I speak English, Spanish, French and Arabic. I currently am learning Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and as a recipient of the Korean Government Scholarship Program, I’m also improving my Korean. After the program, I’ll pursue my master’s degree in Clinical Social Work specializing in mental health and mood disorders. My degree will be completely taught in Korean, so I am a bit nervous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What made you want to learn those languages? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I started Spanish when I was in elementary school. I just really wanted to be friends with the new kids who spoke no English, so I got a dictionary and asked the ESL teacher when I got stuck. As I got older, I just turned my TV to the Spanish channel with Spanish subtitles and left it there. I eventually figured it out haha. By the time I got to University, I tested out of all the leveled Spanish classes and straight into Spanish Lit and Advanced Spanish Grammar. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">French, I took two years in high school. Picked up the rest of it from living in Canada, where I could practice speaking, reading and watching TV in French. I actually don’t care for French much, but when I was in Algeria, I was grateful because my Algerian or Arabic was not good enough to get around well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">My ex spoke Arabic, Algerian and French fluently, so he taught me Arabic and Algerian and I self-studied with Madinah Arabic series and TV shows, cartoons (Chugginton, Octonauts, Peep and the Big Wide World) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Korean, I have been actively self-studying for almost 2 1/2 years now through textbooks, home immersion, social media, and help from other friends and bloggers. I got interested in Korean because of K-pop and Korean dramas, like a lot of people did. My interest grew more as I got interested in Korean culture and history, and after I completed my psychology internship in Korea, I just decided to go for it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I’ve been learning for Japanese for less than a year and I use textbooks written in Korean, with Mandarin. I use only the app Hello Chinese and courses for HSK (the Chinese proficiency exam) on Udemy. I want to travel to both these countries one day and I have an interest in their culture and history as well.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 9pt;"><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What opportunities were you able to take advantage of because of your language skills?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I have used my language skills to volunteer with immigrant communities, take classes in subjects I’m interested in, and to help and motivate others through my studygram (study focused Instagram account).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I honestly think the coolest aspect of knowing other languages for me personally is being opened up to this whole world outside. I’ve learned so much about history, culture, and people in a way that I probably wouldn’t have been able to without language. As previously mentioned, I was able to complete a psychology internship in Korea and accepted into the Korean Government Scholarship Program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Tell us more about the Korean Government Scholarship Program. What is it? How did you find out about it? What was the application process like?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">So, the Korean Government Scholarship Program started in the 1960's and was created by the Korean government Ministry of Education to bring over students who were some of the strongest in their countries to study in Korea. They have an Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarship. The scholarship provides 1 year of intensive Korean language and your degree program fully funded, as well as a stipend of around 900 dollars a month. I applied for the Graduate scholarship and this year they accepted 700 graduate students from over 160 countries around the world. There are 2 tracks: The Embassy track and the University track. They both have different processes for applying and being accepted. This year through embassy track they accepted 16 students and I applied University track where they only accepted 5 students. There were hundreds of applicants in America and it is extremely competitive because you must pass 2 or 3 rounds in order to be accepted. I think what helped me to secure this scholarship was my knowledge of Korean language from self-studying, my knowledge of my field in both America and South Korea, and how I expressed my will and dedication to not change the culture but to add my experience to it in a helpful way to benefit both foreigners and natives. I originally found out about the scholarship from a professor at a Korean university that I went to when I did my study abroad my senior year of undergrad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Do you still actively use the languages you know?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I was using Spanish mostly to communicate with customers at work or for entertainment. I watch a lot of Spanish TV and read books in Spanish from time to time. I lived in Canada and Algeria previously, so I used French and Arabic a lot more back in the day. Now I rarely use Arabic and French. I still read or watch shows, blogs in French, but I think my conversational skills are lacking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I use Korean every day in every aspect of my life as much as possible. I’ve even completed psychology courses in Korean. Japanese and Mandarin I’m still very new at and hope to use them for travel and making friends in the future <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Which languages are your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Spanish and Korean hands down. Spanish just has been a part of my life for so long. I love everything about it, the culture and history of Spanish speaking countries is so rich and different in each respective country, I feel like I’m always learning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Korean is such a complex and beautiful language. It’s also a language of social justice. Written Korean language was created to give the people of Korea a language that they could read regardless of class. Back in the old day only those who were rich and higher up in society were literate. Spoken Korean was written in Chinese Characters called Hanja. In the 15th century King Sejong created Hangul so that everyone from rich to even poor slaves could read. Transforming the country as a whole. There is just so much to the [Korean] culture, language and country that I love. I could talk about it all day haha.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What are some suggestions you think would be helpful when learning languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">First, figure out your reason for learning the language and what you want your end goal to be. Once you have an end goal base your study methods and materials around that. Since I intended on going to graduate school in Korea, I started my studies focusing on reading and comprehension first. Now that I’ve gotten a bit ahead, I currently focus on listening and speaking a bit more. Next, I plan to focus on writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Second, </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">never compare yourself</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">. Although this is in reality hard to do, comparison can make you continually feel you aren’t good enough or “doing it wrong”, there is more than one way to do things, and it’s not a race. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Finally, </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">don’t let anyone, including yourself limit you</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">. This is something I always stress on my studygram. You’re already great and amazing, nothing is impossible if you want it and are willing to work for it. So, believe in yourself and keep going. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social media?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Rose: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I’m on Instagram <a href="http://www.instagram.com/thestudyingnightowl" style="color: #954f72;">@thestudyingnightowl</a> Currently and I plan to open an official blog in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-65593646861499149552020-05-24T05:19:00.001-04:002020-05-24T05:19:43.615-04:0010 Weird Facts About Me<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvX0Ni7iozDP6FXQUp4DgRNHWDhbQKpyRzqKuB8qJ7cOeFxJjxZK_yLhCw0eTEUB390rymaUm9ZtiKteJ3IdNsWhvX4RtKiCQsxQCRtbPzWhpxE4C3aYiTTFHbtggyOAhntS86zWz1MZM/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvX0Ni7iozDP6FXQUp4DgRNHWDhbQKpyRzqKuB8qJ7cOeFxJjxZK_yLhCw0eTEUB390rymaUm9ZtiKteJ3IdNsWhvX4RtKiCQsxQCRtbPzWhpxE4C3aYiTTFHbtggyOAhntS86zWz1MZM/w400-h400/Earning+Pay+Gaps+%2526+Expert+Confidence+Notes.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Hola mis </span><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">linguistas</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I was thinking the other day, that I’ve built this wonderful community, but do you guys really </span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">KNOW</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"> me? To get to know me better as a person, I’m sharing with 10 weird facts about me:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I looooooovvveeee to belly dance. I enjoy listening to the different rhythms such as baladi, saidi, malfuf, etc. It’s my dream to host a “hafla” at my house one day. (A hafla is basically a dance party where the women dance and take turns playing the drum/dumbek).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I enjoy the intricacies of language such as grammar, punctuation and spelling. In fact, I used to participate in spelling bees in elementary school. You could say I have a natural talent for spelling in multiple language.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I have a wide range of knowledge about random things I learned over the years, partially because I’ve held various job titles: cashier, laborer, food service worker, beauty consultant/makeup artist, travel coordinator, as well as the aviation and pharmaceutical industries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I love listening to music from other countries, even if it’s not necessarily a language I’m learning. If the beat is nice and I can dance to it, I’ll add it to my library.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I love living in Germany, but I do not like German food. I prefer to eat foreign foods like Turkish, Indian or Greek.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I’m a Virgo sun, Pisces moon and Sagittarius rising. And before you ask, yes, they all apply to me haha!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I’ve had some high-profile dates, such as a millionaire and a tv personality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I’m a Spanish language tease, meaning I speak a little very well but can’t quite go all the way </span><span style="font-family: "Apple Color Emoji";">😝</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"> I have native/near native pronunciation, I know phrases and sayings with the correct syntax. So much so, most natives get excited to speak to me even though I’m not fluent. LOL I’m working on it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">9.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">My favorite dishes are salmon croquettes/bacalaíto. I remember as a little girl, whenever I would see my mom or dad come back from the store with that orange GOYA box, I would be so happy!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">10.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">I consider all millennials that grew up in New York, to automatically be of Caribbean descent simply because of the heavy influence of the cultures on the city during our time growing up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">So, there you have it. Some weird facts you’d probably never learn about me from selfies or infographics.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"><br />What are some weird facts about you?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Xoxo,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "Great Vibes"; font-size: 26pt;">Language Bae<o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-25450994508132449822020-05-22T06:00:00.002-04:002020-05-22T06:00:07.752-04:00What Languages Taught This Lawyer-Turned-Career Alignment Coach<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubMLOLT8PDUIpwlk3txaPidFhfJzrKaq22L3W4wRbRFFuYdpXI6qbbMlZYJ1Fc-0pSdmtOY4otpJqXAmTbqE1XIqCWNdCXYYoMVT1sqFgqQ6VjaCCzhHEbQMq9Tq8YqeVArEawPNYZag/s1600/Nia+Jackson+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubMLOLT8PDUIpwlk3txaPidFhfJzrKaq22L3W4wRbRFFuYdpXI6qbbMlZYJ1Fc-0pSdmtOY4otpJqXAmTbqE1XIqCWNdCXYYoMVT1sqFgqQ6VjaCCzhHEbQMq9Tq8YqeVArEawPNYZag/s640/Nia+Jackson+Black+Girls+Learn+Languages.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meet Nia Jackson, a multilingual lawyer-turned career alignment and mindset coach. She has helped numerous people improve their mindset, go after their dream job/career and get it—including me! Read on to find out more about Nia and how she became fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story! Tell us about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> My name is Nia Jackson, I’m a descendant of African slaves born in Houston, Texas raised in New Orleans and currently reside in New York on Long Island. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Spanish Language/Literature (Villanova), an International MBA (Pepperdine), and Juris Doctor (Hofstra). I'm an Attorney for a construction company here in New York City, I have my own Law Firm, Jackson Law Group, LLC and am a Coach and Founder of Beyond Encouragement, a Purpose Discovery Company for millennial women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I speak English, Spanish and (Brazilian) Portuguese. I barely use either of them today even though I live in NY. I usually only use them in emergency situations LOL. I want to travel more to countries where I can use both languages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BGLL: How did you get started learning those languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I got started with Spanish in high school and it was a struggle, but I was determined. I took it during all 4 years of high school, throughout college and business school. I decided to learn Portuguese because it was a necessary requirement for living in Brazil for 7 months. So, I learned a few phrases, took lessons online, signed up for a basic grammar class for when I arrived, crossed my fingers, and moved.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BGLL: Which of your foreign languages are your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Portuguese is my favorite. It sounds so sultry and swagalicious!!! The history of black people in Brazil also makes me feel like by knowing Brazilian Portuguese, I’m closer to my African brothers and sisters that were spread across the world during slavery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BGLL: What three tips would you offer those who are trying to learn the languages you know? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <b>Keep pushing</b>. <b>Don't let people's reaction to your ability to speak another language have an effect on your journey to increase your proficiency</b>. <b>Practice is the only thing that can make perfect</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BGLL: Tell us more about Beyond Encouragement and the value you offer as a coach.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> As a coach, I help Millennial & Gen X women who lack self-awareness and suffer from analysis paralysis create manageable action plans to improve their relationships and careers. I show them how to pick apart their problems, so they can immediately resolve the issues that will have the greatest impact on their life. I do this through the company I founded, Beyond Encouragement. Beyond Encouragement was created for those unfulfilled women who need direction and guidance to improve their relationships, careers, and lives. At Beyond Encouragement, they will learn how to deconstruct their problems and immediately use the knowledge they already have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I also have my own law firm, Jackson Law Group, LLC. But I'm focusing my time and energy on building up Beyond Encouragement. If I have a relationship with someone (or they get referred to me) and they need legal assistance that's in my space (small & businesses contracts) then I'll work with them. But I'm not actively looking for new clients. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #500050; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BGLL: How can we find you on social?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nia:</span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My Instagram is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/beyondencouragement" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">@beyondencouragement</span></a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">, Facebook is </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/beyondencouragement" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">www.facebook.com/beyondencouragement</span></a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> and my site is </span><a href="http://www.beyondencouragement.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">www.beyondencouragement.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-22505517182211458682020-05-17T12:33:00.000-04:002020-05-17T12:33:30.237-04:00A Huge THANK YOU! Sisters Only Language Summit--Replay Available<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZcXOHQcC4W7XOQd2NLhI_lASxUaXm0UypKPU7ua-Hwe7Kx8ZH81oYHjSzSA2BhXaXgBiUnuUzZa0AVqzvmvhnvvyB8BI6l1pJFFFtQrI7D29eatecyzsj-A7lvV64v9LeTO1eQmp_Bg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="623" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZcXOHQcC4W7XOQd2NLhI_lASxUaXm0UypKPU7ua-Hwe7Kx8ZH81oYHjSzSA2BhXaXgBiUnuUzZa0AVqzvmvhnvvyB8BI6l1pJFFFtQrI7D29eatecyzsj-A7lvV64v9LeTO1eQmp_Bg/d/SOLS+-+Group+Photo+.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Hola mis <span style="color: #6b244e;">lingüistas</span></span>,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">I just want to offer a huge </span><b><u><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">THANK YOU</span></u></b><b><span style="background: white; color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; letter-spacing: 0.75pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">for being a part of the community, especially to all the black women who attended </span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Sisters Only Language Summit</span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">, the <b>first</b> language conference for <b><u>black women</u></b>, last month!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">You showed out in numbers and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We realize that an event of this magnitude (complete with workshops and a panel discussion) was so necessary for us [black women], who are navigating a language learning community that bears a white male face.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-H_6YfRai6P_RS8QuIQL9SvkCUk9T0hWR4e1y_DlQsmSsfwHryxRMkCcPFrzpTAJk_NiggBqcEA9lVrXHKn3g5vgZbjNI9RcH5-MuCJyqsx1bhnDYn-CwonF57iTmq9jn9BENRg-324/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="*Picture courtesy of Morenita Mommy." border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-H_6YfRai6P_RS8QuIQL9SvkCUk9T0hWR4e1y_DlQsmSsfwHryxRMkCcPFrzpTAJk_NiggBqcEA9lVrXHKn3g5vgZbjNI9RcH5-MuCJyqsx1bhnDYn-CwonF57iTmq9jn9BENRg-324/d/all-sisters-language-summit-1024x427.png" title="*Picture courtesy of Morenita Mommy." /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*Picture courtesy of <a href="https://morenitamommy.com/2020/04/26/not-so-random-and-mundane-12-language-learning-conferences-and-wins/">Morenita Mommy</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"><br /> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">We had an amazing program full of workshops complete with an exciting panel discussion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">The workshops included:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Landing Your Dream Job Abroad </span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">(Me)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="color: black; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; text-decoration-line: none;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Rebooting Your Language Learning Routine in Quarantine</span></b><i><span style="color: #71078b; font-family: "century gothic", sans-serif;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Tamara Marie of </span><a href="https://www.learnspanishconsalsa.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Learn Spanish Con Salsa</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "times new roman", serif; text-decoration-line: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Why Music is the Key! </span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">with Desta Haile of <a href="https://mailchi.mp/351c8416d657/languagesthroughmusic">Languages Through Music</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">-<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Discovering East Asian Languages through Culture </span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">with LeDonna J. of </span><a href="http://www.discoveringlanguage.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Discovering Language</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">The really amazing thing about the panel discussion on </span><i><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Black Women in Language Learning</span></i><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">, is that the panelists were all HBCU Howard University graduates: </span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Dr. Kami J. Anderson of </span><a href="http://bilingualbrownbabies.com/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Bilingual Brown Babies</span></a><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">, Jamila Ball of </span><a href="https://www.jamii.co/executivedirector/" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Jamii Linguists</span></a><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">, and Tami Garcia of </span><a href="https://mullylingua.com/about" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;">Mully Lingua</span></a><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">If you missed it don’t worry, you’re in luck</span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">! <a href="https://sols.thinkific.com/courses/sisters-only-language-summit-2020" style="color: #954f72;"><i><b>You can still access the replay for $25 here</b></i></a>. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #71078b; font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"><a href="https://el2.convertkit-mail2.com/c/qdu0dv6dvpu7hnowgosl/38uphkhd68ewro/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29mdW5kbWUuY29tL2YvY292aWQxOS1lbWVyZ2VuY3ktZnVuZC1mb3Itc2luZ2xlLW1vdGhlcnM=" style="color: #954f72; text-size-adjust: auto;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0875c1;">COVID-19 Emergency Fund For Single Mothers</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #71078b;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(113, 7, 139); text-size-adjust: auto;"> </span></span></span>in NYC, one of the hardest hit areas in this global pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;">Did you attend the Sisters Only Language Summit? If so, what were your favorite parts of the workshop? What would you like us to talk about during our next summit? Sound off in the comments below!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Xoxo,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "great vibes"; font-size: 26pt;">Language Bae<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"> </span></p></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-51659857540384584072020-05-16T11:15:00.001-04:002020-05-17T11:17:01.657-04:00How To Read Aloud In Your TL<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4vc6P50D4-w" width="320" youtube-src-id="4vc6P50D4-w"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hola mis lingüistas!</span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I made a previous, I shared the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcHgaUOi03I&t=596s">benefits of reading aloud in your target language</a>. But today, I wanted to share with you my techniques on </span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">HOW</span></b><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> to read aloud to improve your comprehension and communication skills in your target language.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Check out my latest YouTube video (click the thumbnail above), to find out what type of content you should start reading with according to language level <b style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">as well as</span></b> step by step how to read aloud for maximum benefit. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">What are some things you read aloud in order to improve your communication skills in your target language?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">xoxo, </span><span style="font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><o:p style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"></o:p><span style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"></span><br style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><div style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "great vibes"; font-size: 28pt;">Language Bae</span></div></div>Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-30612876197156753452020-05-15T05:00:00.000-04:002020-05-15T05:00:00.619-04:00She Worked in Three Different Countries!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRu_OQEdJhyphenhypheneUzZ-Elk8bWFgPMlH1Ghk-LsaTDSu31G4DIR3OlAYpo_hjvIi1gVgdjYsvHLPVyXOsfZhwQXn_xyFFug2PJzFU_jMkhVmKfKD3Waov6r5gUoIO2Opw5LySpjh_lX8xxRA/s1600/14012200_10154470230430152_1361756071_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQRu_OQEdJhyphenhypheneUzZ-Elk8bWFgPMlH1Ghk-LsaTDSu31G4DIR3OlAYpo_hjvIi1gVgdjYsvHLPVyXOsfZhwQXn_xyFFug2PJzFU_jMkhVmKfKD3Waov6r5gUoIO2Opw5LySpjh_lX8xxRA/s400/14012200_10154470230430152_1361756071_n.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Imagine working in Nigeria, then Zimbabwe and then…DUBAI?? Read on to learn about Bilqis’ journey and all the awesome things she’s accomplished as a multilingual.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> My</span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">name is Bilqis Dawodu, but many call me “Bee” for short. I am Nigerian-American from Houston, TX. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Arabic with a minor in International Studies from Dartmouth College. I previously worked in Education, Marketing/Sales and Cybersecurity, but currently am an Entrepreneur. I am the CEO and founder of Sheba Source: an online hair consulting service and boutique. Sheba Source helps clients find hairstyles that fit their personal style and budget. We provide quality ready-made styles available on our e-Boutique and custom-ordered styles through our consulting service.</span><b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I also am the Founder of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/youngblackbilinguals/" style="color: #954f72;">Young Black Bilinguals</a>: Young Black Bilinguals sheds light on multilinguals, language learners, and language enthusiasts within the black community. We also share vocabulary, tips, and resources for learning various languages. Young Black Bilinguals hopes to inspire more individuals, specifically the youth, to develop a love for languages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What are the languages that you speak? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">In addition to English, I speak and I’m continually learning Yoruba, Arabic, and Spanish. I learned Yoruba at home, from my Nigerian community, and through watching Nollywood films. My family is Nigerian; hence I sometimes speak Yoruba with my family and friends. I was enrolled in Spanish classes in High School but primarily learned Spanish abroad. I also studied Arabic as it was one of my majors and for religious purposes. I use Arabic when I want to practice speaking with other language learners or native speakers. I’m always open to learning any language especially if I’m exposed to its respective culture.</span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What was it like the first time you tried speaking a foreign language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> My first time out of the U.S. was in Costa Rica during a study abroad program. Although I had taken almost 2 years of Spanish at that time, I hardly understood nor spoke any Spanish. I lived with a host family in a small town. My host family spoke some English, but in order to get around town and communicate with most people, I had to learn Spanish quickly. Initially, people rarely understood what I was saying as it was a mixture of mainly English and a few words in Spanish. After some time, it became the opposite. In fact, when I first got back to the U.S., I would interchange between Spanish and English without realizing. I’ve had similar experiences with other languages. Overall, I’ve found most of my experiences have been positive. I would say people are sometimes surprised when they hear me switch from English to another language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What opportunities were you able to take advantage of because of your languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> I worked in the Arabic Language Department as an Apprentice Teacher at Dartmouth. During undergrad, I also volunteered in Nigeria and interned in Zimbabwe. After graduating, I worked in Dubai for a year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Which language is your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> Yoruba as it’s my family’s native language. It allows me to form a better connection with our culture and traditions even while living in America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What are some tips you believe would help someone learning another language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> I’d say choose to learn a language you’re passionate about or interested in. If you love what you’re studying, you’ll enjoy it more. Another thing, if you have the opportunity to travel or study abroad, then go for it! If not, in addition to learning the language, also familiarize yourself with the respective culture of the language you’re studying. I personally enjoy watching films/videos and listening to music in the language I’m studying. I highly recommend it as it helps me better understand how certain words/phrases are spoken and used.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Bee:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> My personal Instagram is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/bilyjeans" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">@bilyjeans</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">. The language page’s Instagram is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/youngblackbilinguals" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">@youngblackbilinguals</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">. My business page is </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/shebasource" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="background: white; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">@shebasource</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-78267890529382352392020-05-08T06:00:00.000-04:002020-05-08T06:00:05.692-04:00She Relocated and Changed Careers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Meet Ebony, a multilingual Medical Information Associate who was emboldened to make a career change from retail pharmacy to the pharmaceutical industry and relocate to a different state! Read on to find out why she made the change and how she became fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Thank you so much for agreeing to share your story. Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">My name is Ebony Kennedy. Both sides of my family have been in small town, South Carolina for generations. I currently live just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. My hometown is Charlotte, North Carolina. My native language is English. I have a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences from UNC Chapel Hill as well as a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at UNC Chapel Hill. I work as a Medical Information Associate, which is a recent career change for me and motivation for leaving North Carolina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I am also an avid traveler, and I am obsessed with Latin America. Aside from Montreal, in Canada, all the foreign countries I have visited are Latin: Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. I am especially enamored with Brazilian culture and I want to spend some more time there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Since my move to New England, I have also become very involved in aggressive quad skating as a part of Chicks in Bowls Boston. Not only is roller skating incredibly fun (especially when exploring a new city), but it's made me a part of an amazing community. I was even able to learn some moves from a couple of the girls from Chicks in Bowls Peru during my travels last year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What industry were you in before? Why the change?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I</span><b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 9.5pt;"> </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">was a retail pharmacist for four years, but I wanted career that would allow me to work in other areas of the US, or even outside of the country in the future. When I lost my retail job due to a corporate buyout, I started looking for a job in industry instead. I started the Medical Information job two months ago, and my language skills were a big part of the reason that I got hired. I'm so excited to be able to start my career in the pharmaceutical industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">What are your most notable accomplishments to date?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: Honestly my degrees/certifications are not the things that I am most proud of. The things that I am most proud of are my personal achievements. I am proud of the fact that I am trilingual. I am proud of the fact that I made a career move towards my future goals, and moved out of state for the first time. I am proud that I have worked to become more social and outgoing. I have largely overcome my social anxiety/extreme introversion and I'm still growing as a person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What other opportunities were you able to take part in due to your language skills?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">There are many small instances in which I've been able to help people out who have limited English. As a retail pharmacist, I had a few patients over the years who were very relieved to find that I knew Spanish, and sought me out because they felt more comfortable speaking with someone who knew their language. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">For the majority of my first year in Massachusetts, I participated in a weekly theatre class that is completely in Portuguese, because the professor and all of the students (apart from me) are Brazilian. I've made new friends, it’s something completely new for me, and I improved my language learning at the same time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What made you want to learn those languages? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I started taking Spanish in high school, and I took a couple of semesters of Portuguese in grad school. I started Spanish simply because I was required to take a language in high school. As I grew up in an area with lots of Latinos, I figured the most useful language would be Spanish. I grew to really love Latin culture, and when I had an opportunity to take another language, I chose Portuguese solely because it was the language of Brazil. The biggest country in South America doesn't even speak Spanish, and I felt I needed to cover my bases if I ever really wanted to learn about Brazil. You can learn so much more about another country if you speak the language. It’s incredible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Aside from the aforementioned Spanish and Portuguese, I also want to learn French in the future. Starting a new language from scratch is very difficult, and I'm still trying to find the diligence to stay at it when I'm at such a novice level. Everyone has to start somewhere! I'm not able to use it much yet, but I would love to go to back to Montreal, or other parts of Quebec now that I live much closer. Speaking French would also help me should I get the opportunity to travel to Africa in the future! Speaking French and English will get you pretty far on that continent. I've said for a long time that I want to learn French, and I've been dragging my feet on getting started. My sister and I recently started an online group class, so hopefully this will give me the kickstart that I need.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Which is your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Don't ask me that! It's hard to choose, but I do feel more comfortable speaking Portuguese. Brazilian Portuguese has a lovely fluid sound and it is so expressive.</span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What are some tips you feel will help those learning languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Do activities you already love and just incorporate your language into those activities. I LOVE music, and so much of my language learning has come from singing along to bachata, reggaeton and Brazilian funk. I also watch YouTube videos and listen to podcasts in other languages. I simply follow content makers that are in line with my interests. Many people don't stop to think that whatever you are into, be it video games, sports, makeup, or social commentary, many other people are out there with the same exact interests in your target language!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What’s something that language learning has taught you?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Language learning is never done. Many people are impressed to hear me speak another language, but I still sometimes make grammar mistakes or don't understand something. Don't be discouraged, and don't be embarrassed. We're all human.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social media?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Ebony: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> I'm not huge on social media, but if you send a message, I'll always respond. </span><a href="http://www.instagram.com/trillizanumero2" style="color: #954f72;"><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">@trillizanumero2</span></a><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"> is my Instagram page. If you follow me, you will see many pictures of my dog, Zane.</span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-66663825523254200872020-05-05T06:00:00.000-04:002020-05-05T06:00:09.469-04:00She Created an Interview Project on Blackness While in Brazil!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Meet Kari, a student at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies. She traveled to three countries to learn three different languages and even created an interview project on Blackness while in Brazil. Read more about Kari and what helped her become fluent in three languages.</span><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Thanks for sharing your language learning journey with us. Tell us more about you.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Kari: </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">My name is Kari Hill and I’m a student at UNC Chapel Hill. I’m majoring in African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies. I am also an oral history intern at the Marian Cheek Jackson Center in Chapel Hill, NC. I speak</span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and am learning Lingala.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What made you learn those languages? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Kari: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Mostly in school, however I studied abroad for a year in both Spain and France while in high school. I studied in Spain independently with an exchange program and in France with a program called School Year Abroad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">With Spanish, I believe the learning happened through immersion. I was a decent language student in middle school and I practiced Spanish with an auntie from Honduras. When I was 13, I studied in Spain for a summer for a month and I was enrolled in language classes and lived with a host family. After that month I might not have learned much more Spanish-- I may have picked up a few new slang words. But, after the month I felt like everything I had ever learned was all fresh in my mind and conjugating verbs or translating vocab words came naturally. I went to Spain again after the 8th grade for a yearlong program. Since I was so young my dad accompanied me on the flight. After he met my host family and helped me set up for school, he dropped me off to live with a host family by myself. I was shortly immersed in a Spanish school and I think being forced into the environment is really how I learned the language. At school, I had no idea what the teacher was saying for a good couple of months. I would doodle in my journal as the teacher spoke.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I spent every weekend with the same group of friends. I walked to and from school with them and every day I would come home for lunch and have meals with my host family prepared by my host mother. I would spend nights speaking with my host mom and doing homework. Weekends were spent with the host family and friends and after a while I started catching on and I was able to fully attend high school in Spain without any problems. I passed all of my classes and made incredible friendships-- I’m very thankful for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">After returning to the US, I started taking French classes in high school. I took two years of French and then learned that my school had newly partnered with a program called School Year Abroad. I applied and lived in Western France (Brittany) for a year and attended an American school. A lot of the language learning happened with my host family, in the school (the classes were in French) and in the after school programs I attended (Gospel Choir & Theater). I also had an awesome art history class on French art! We would take field trip and travel all throughout France to see the art we were learning about in the classroom right before our eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I began studying Portuguese in college and last summer traveled to Salvador, Brazil on a grant. While I was there, I created an interview project on blackness in Brazil. I had such a healing, transformative, and melanated experience!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Do you still use those languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Kari: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">I use different languages in everyday interactions and to keep in touch with friends. I love reading, traveling, visual art, and music-- learning languages gives me the access to engage with the world outside of an anglophone lens.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: Which language is your favorite?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Kari: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Spanish because I am the most fluent in that language and can express myself more fully. My favorite language also really depends on the situation and my mood.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">BGLL: What are some things you think would help others learning languages?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">Kari: </span></b><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif;">If there are classes being taught in your area for the language you want to learn, sign up for them! Or, if you know of anyone in your area who speaks the language you want to learn-- ask them about the possibility of meeting regularly for language practice! What helped me with Portuguese, is using a language app called “hello talk” and you can have language exchanges with people from all over the world in the target language that you are learning. When it comes to language learning, the most effective way to do it is to <b>do it</b>. If you can afford it, I recommend getting a plane ticket and enrolling in a language school somewhere, staying with a host family in a non-touristy location so that there aren’t a lot of English speakers around, and just really committing to immersing yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #212121; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Another thing I’ve been doing is following a lot of different blogs. I’m particularly interested in Black feminism so I follow Black feminist blogs and people on social media in different countries. So that can be an awesome thing too--just get immersed in a language through paying attention to different things that you are already interested in. I also love listening to Brazilian music.</span><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-65318129583000385942020-05-04T10:39:00.001-04:002020-05-11T09:58:08.465-04:00#MCM Edition: He Works At A Fortune 500 Company<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Meet Tony, a multilingual Portfolio Manager at JPMorgan Chase, who speaks Spanish, Portuguese and French. He learned Portuguese and French to expand his career opportunities…and meet women! Read more to find out what his language learning journey was like and his tips for learning another language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Thanks, so much for agreeing to be interviewed and being open to sharing your story! Tell us about yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">My name is Tony W. Haywood. I live in Plano, Texas. I am of Afro-Cuban and Bahamian descent. My native language is English, but I have been speaking Spanish for 13 years. I have Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Finance from SUNY Empire State College and I work in Corporate Finance of JPMorgan Chase as a Portfolio Manager. I have been with the firm for 5 years since my internship. I am very active in my community, so I help translate medical forms for folks who are underinsured here in Dallas. I am also a fellow and ambassador with CubaOne Inc, a group geared towards providing Cuban Americans an opportunity to visit Cuba.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What opportunity/opportunities were you able to take advantage of because of your language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I got my internship with JPMorgan Chase because I listed Spanish and Portuguese as foreign language skills on my resume. So, these languages helped me kickoff my career. My greatest accomplishment, though, would be starting an internal group geared towards vendor managers and having it influence 1,000 people in the company. I made the company homepage 4 times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What was your hardest struggle with language and how did you overcome it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I am a naturally shy person so I overcome my shyness by taking it slow and jumping right in. The biggest fight you have is with yourself to overcome anything. But my hardest struggle is accent. I think, self-consciously, I did not want to sound like a gringo. I had a French professor that told me that every language is a chance to be someone different and that character slowly becomes a part of you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What other languages do you know besides Spanish? How did you learn them?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I know and am still learning Portuguese and French. As shallow as it sounds, I learned Portuguese to go to Brazil and meet women. I used it during my internship to translate legal documents, so it has been useful. French was fun and I took it because it has many practical uses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I learned both languages in a classroom structure. I also used a lot of apps. Learning a language is a commitment to yourself and is the ultimate test of discipline. I wanted to learn more languages to meet more people and I knew that I would have more career opportunities because of it and, of course, to meet women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: Which foreign language is your favorite and why?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Spanish is my favorite. You can take Spanish anywhere and everyone speaks it differently. Spanish is such a beautiful language. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: What are 3 tips you can offer those who are trying to learn another language?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">First, I suggest changing your phone and all your apps to the language you want to learn. Next, find a group on Facebook and practice with native speakers. Lastly, I suggest re-watching some of your favorite shows in the language you want to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">BGLL: How can we keep up with you on social (social media)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Tony: </span></b><span style="font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Toño HWood (Facebook)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4909530312599608856.post-11183648292819837822020-05-02T11:17:00.000-04:002020-05-02T11:17:14.245-04:00Weird But Effective Ways To Learn A Language<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Hola mis lingüistas!</span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Today, I wanted to share with you some of the </span><b><span style="color: #6b244e; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">weird</span></b><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> ways that are effective in language learning AND also make it fun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Check out my latest YouTube video (click the thumbnail above), to find out my quirky ways I improve my target language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">What are some quirky things you do that help you with your language journey?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">xoxo, </span><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Great Vibes"; font-size: 28pt;">Language Bae</span><span style="font-family: "Great Vibes";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Language Baehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18105972395419172624noreply@blogger.com0