One Mo' Time

As you learn in marching band, there is always one more thing to fix...

Let's try it again.

This time, will the message show up?

Checking Again

I had one of the settings incorrect.  Let's see if this one works the way I want it to.

Freshening Up My Language: Reading and Using Byki

Image by cemre.  Used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike  (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) license.

As promised at the beginning of this blog, I have been brushing up on languages.  I studied French for many years and had a brief introduction to Spanish, but my skills in both have fallen drastically.  Some of the language is still there, mostly as random vocabulary words.  Still more of it is locked away in my brain, ready to return when circumstances stimulate the right remembrances.  The rest I will have to relearn from scratch.

I learned French primarily through formal grammar exercises, extensive vocabulary lists, and the odd staged dialogue or controlled vocabulary story.  I relied heavily on my dictionary to make sense of real written French.  My grasp of vocabulary was rather weak.  I could understand each particular lesson, but struggled to actively apply it in my writing.  Speaking, where I had to think on my feet and sort through all the grammar rules, was even worse.  My instruction in French focused on memorization and knowing, rather than on actively using.

I learned Spanish much more organically.  The emphasis in that course was on dialogue.  I still memorized scripted dialogues, but instead of acting them out with one or two classmates in front of the whole class, I practiced them with one classmate, then the next, and then the next.  The textbook followed the same general format as the French textbooks I had used, but included a pass code for semester-long access to online listening exercises to support the learning.  These lessons overlapped with each chapter, but included new vocabulary and context and allowed me to apply what I had been learning.  After one semester of Spanish, I was more comfortable actively communicating in Spanish than I was after all the years of studying French.

As I search for tools with a similar approach to my Spanish course, I am using three different strategies:

 I am re-stimulating the part of my brain that stores my knowledge of French language through directed exposure to written French language.  I am slowly working through a library book that presents real-life (if dated) examples of French writing, such as personal ads in a newspaper, classified ads, and advertisements, and created comprehension exercises around them.  The book is entirely written in French and includes no answer keys.  Luckily, I remember enough vocabulary to understand most of the writing.  The context clues and questions help me understand more of them.  When necessary, I resort to online translation tools to figure out the rest.

I am informally immersing myself in the Spanish language.  I am lucky to live in a community with a large Spanish-speaking population.  I have plenty of opportunity to scan sign, flyers, and advertisements written in Spanish.  I can overhear snatches of conversations, but, to respect privacy, I do not listen closely to them.  My richest resource, however, is the local newspaper.  The paper includes English-language and Spanish-language articles.  Frequently, the topics overlap.  I can use the English-language version to help me understand the Spanish-language version.  The English-language article provides context and a limited vocabulary that I can apply to the Spanish-language article.  Even better, the articles are completely different pieces of writing; one is never a direct translation of the other.  Seeing the same topic written from different personal and cultural perspectives provides a deeper learning experience (and makes the process more entertaining).  For more of a challenge, I also puzzle through the Spanish-language-only articles, using an online translator when I cannot grasp the meaning of a word or phrase.  I may not have the formal structure in this language-learning attempt, but I am greatly benefiting from the exposure.

Last, but not least, I explored the online vocabulary-learning site at www.byki.com.  This site has three options for language learners, although I only discovered one of them by accident.  This unintentional option is completely free and requires no downloading or registration.  Users can simply go to the website and click on the “List Central” tab to be able to access vocabulary lists submitted by other users in the language of their choice.  Users can also download free software and register to be able to download up to 12 of the lists to a personal computer.  Lastly, users can purchase the full software.  Those who choose to purchase will have access to all the free features but also be able to import existing vocabulary lists from other sites or programs or to create lists from scratch.  Regardless of which option the user chooses, he or she can sign up for an RSS feed to see when new lists are added to the “List Central” tab for the language(s) he or she chooses.

Byki essentially makes virtual flashcards linked to audio pronunciation clips.  Each list of vocabulary follows the same five-step pattern to help you master the phrases.  First, the site exposes you to the vocabulary as you click through the flashcards one by one, seeing and hearing both the foreign phrases and the English translations.  In the next two steps, the site shows you just the foreign language side of the flashcard and asks you to think of the English translation (step 2) and to type the English translation (step 3) using either your own keyboard or the on-screen keyboard Byki provides.  Lastly, the site shows you the English translation and asks you to think of the foreign phrases (step 4) and to type the foreign phrases (step 5).  In steps 2 through 5, the computer tracks the user’s answers, adapting the number of flashcards in use and the number of times each card appears to the user’s ability.  After each step, the user can choose to repeat the step or to move on to the next one. 

Byki builds on the tried and true strategy flashcard strategy for learning vocabulary.  The program integrates sight and sound, helping learners to master two modes of language usage at once.  This multi-modal method reinforces the lessons as well.  The robust Byki concept, then, works well as a supplemental tool for practicing a language or for learning some new vocabulary.

In practice, however, the program has some limitations.  By nature, some languages include characters not found in English, such as those in the Cyrillic alphabet or accented vowels in many Romance languages.   The on-screen keyboard addresses the first problem and attempts to address the second problem.  However, the on-screen keyboard, at least for French, does not include all of the accented characters.  An incorrect accented letter, such as an “á” instead of an “à” or the unaccented letter (i instead of î) must be substituted for the missing characters. Users interested in writing the language are at a disadvantage.  The software is also case sensitive and punctuation sensitive.  You must type exactly what the card says in order to be deemed correct.  Because the lists are user-generated or user-submitted, the quality of each list varies.  Careless construction leads to confusion.  For example, if the list creator neglects to indicate a specific gender for certain French phrases, the user may encounter difficulty.  Technical issues hamper the beneficial effects of Byki’s concept.  

In spite of these minor drawbacks, Byki’s vocabulary tool can be successfully used to reinforce language learning.  I recommend it to those seeking tools to memorize vocabulary.  For best results, use Byki in combination with context-based and grammar-based resources.

Back in the Blogging Game

I am back after an unexpected hiatus.  Computer troubles and general life business have kept me away.  Thank you for your patience!

Thing 23: Reflection -- What Next?

Photo by Thomas Quine (quinet).  Used under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 2.0) License.

Skills and deeper learning will continue.  

It is hard to believe the program is already over!  The program has been worthwhile.  Some weeks, I had little time to explore, think, and post, but I am glad to have been a part of this project!  Even if I did not personally find each tool or topic interesting, I know someone I meet will.  I have gained confidence and met new people through the program.  I plan to continue the adventure, either on my own or, if I can find one, through another program like this.

I know I am lacking skills in certain areas, such as experience in cataloging or knowledge of young adult development. I have written goals to address these areas.  Although each goal is feasible on its own, I am still considering whether I need to prioritize my goals and delay some of them.

Thank you 23 Things for Professional Development and all participants!

Thing 22: Volunteering to Get Experience

Unpaid work has a place in my life.  Through my various volunteering experiences, I have gained skills, met new people, and positively affected my community.  Through volunteering, I have made deeper connections with people I have already known.  Even when I have not particularly enjoy a task, I have learned about myself.  I know, for example, that archives can be interesting places to visit, but that I do not want to work in one.  Volunteering leads to unexpected places and leads me to challenge myself.  I find volunteering rewarding.

I have volunteered in a number of ways in the past, in both long term and short-term capacities.  Some of my service has been grunt work -- such as sorting and moving donations to a non-profit's rummage sale or helping new students move into dormitories -- and some of it has been more intellectual.  As the secretary for a club/organization, I have recorded minutes to distribute to group members.  I have contacted outside organizations to ask for donations, potential speakers, and other assistance.  While serving in one position, I tutored elementary school students and also helped lead a training session for other members of the organization.  I have sold merchandise, manned food stands, and staffed a registration table.  I have directed event attendees to various activity locations and answered attendees questions.  Each experience has been valuable in one way or another.

Most of my direct library-related volunteering has been through one-time sessions.  Because my schedule is a bit unpredictable, these types of events work better than something requiring a long-term commitment.  I have helped label, repair, and organize items in local school libraries, helped inventory a special library's collection, and assisted with a book festival.  I have become active on the listserv for one of the professional organizations I have joined.  Although my service on this listserv is nothing formal, I count it as volunteering.  I have been considering trying to begin more long-term service, particularly something in a public library's children's department, but have been wary of making a long-term, location-based commitment when I am uncertain how long I will be in the area.  Fortunately, a virtual opportunity presented itself last week; I agreed to help compile a list of position advertisements for a job-seeking group I joined. 

Most of the direct library volunteering I have done has been opportunistic.  Someone else has organized a volunteer event or asked for volunteers and I have jumped on the chance.  In response to the recent spurt of conversations regarding volunteering, I plan to take more control of my unpaid work.  I will formalize my volunteering through targeted opportunities.