Vocab, Vocab, Vocab
This week, I completed two additional Duolingo categories: Phrases and Food. The phrases section made me feel like I was finally learning something useful! Up until this point, I had only been putting simple sentences together, so this conversational vocabulary felt much more useful.
I am constantly surprising myself along this journey of learning Italian. When introducing new vocabulary, the app will present the new words along with a picture, then the words will show up in a word bank. I practice saying the words and reading the words, but I always feel the most anxious when I increase in levels and I know I will soon need to spell the words in a sentence. I’m not sure if I learn how to spell the words due to the number of times I see the words or if it’s because I’m sounding them out – it’s likely a combination of both. Some words are easier to spell and remember than others, but by the time I finish that category, to my surprise, I know how to spell all the words introduced.
You’ll notice that in my notes this week, I separated the vocabulary into three sections. The phrases are listed on the left with the translations underneath. Vocabulary introduced in the food (cibo) category is on the right. I categorized the variety of foods introduced into breakfast (calozione), supper (cena), drinks (bevanda), and sweets. In the middle of my notes below, I separated the rest of the miscellaneous vocabulary into the languages I think of when I see them.
What I learned:
- So many new words!
- An increased amount of vocabulary learned does not inhibit my ability to remember or spell the words introduced
- This week I discovered the multi-select clips feature in the WeVideo video editor
- Although my WeVideo editing skills are improving, I am regretting making weekly videos due to the amount of time they take away from my language learning
Where I can improve:
- I have started looking for shows I can watch in Italian to see if listening to authentic dialogue will help me improve the rate of my language acquisition
- Dr. Andrea Sterzuk from the University of Regina suggested that I follow Italian pages on Twitter or other social media platforms related to areas of personal interest so I will need to begin looking!
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