Project 5: Reflections on language and or culture.

Objective:  Create a brochure, a video, a photostory, an audio file that sounds like a radio show (podcasting), or a presentation (PowerPoint with audio) about your opinion on the language or the culture that  you are studying.

Length: brochure= 3 pages minimum; video, photostory, or PowerPoint= 6-8 minutes long; audio (podcasting)= 4-6 minutes for a single student, and 5-8 for two or more students.

Note:  if two or more students are working together on this project, they need to have a different opinion about the language; or one student may talk about the language while the other talks about the culture.

Instructions:

1. This project is about your own observations and experience with the target language.  First, write a list of some the differences between your first language and the target language.  Next, write a similar list about the culture.

2. Now try to answer the following questions:

I. Language
a. Why did choose to study this language?  Or, who made you study it?
b. When did you start studying the language and what were your feelings about it?
c. What problems –if any—did you have at the beginning?  Do you still have those problems?  Have you solved them, or do you have different problems now?
d. Aside from the classroom, where else do you use the target language?  Is it easy to use it?  Why?
e. What are your stronger skills: reading, writing, conversation, pronunciation, listening to individuals or groups of people, listening to songs or movies, listening on the phone.  Talk only about what you can do.

II. Culture
f. Have you traveled or are planning to travel to a place where the target language is spoken?  Have your language skills changed since you visited the place?  Or do think your language skills will change when you visit the place?
g. What ideas or customes of the culture that speak the target language that are different form your own are easy for you to understand?  Which ones are difficult for you to understand?
h. Do you feel that you can live in that culture for a week, a month, a year, or for the rest of your life?  Why?
i. What do you think about the music, movies, television, or magazines from that culture? Have you experienced them?
j. What customs or holidays from the other culture would you like to adopt?

3. Now you have enough material to talk about yourself and the culture and language you are studying.  Write a your answers in an essay form, or if you are working in pairs or groups interview each other.

4. Use pictures and maps, magazines, videos, and other materials to create your file.
5. Upload it to your e-portfolio.

Advanced

Make the video, brochure, or presentation 50% longer, or include the following information:

Talk also about your plans for the future = what you will do with your knowledge of this language, if you will learn more or learn a different language.

Talk or discuss the way(s) in which you will use this language in your job(s), with your family or friends, to learn.