Learning A2 French

In my younger days, I’ve never had the liberty of learning another language. But as I moved to another school, I was introduced to another language and it was mandatory there to learn and utilize English as a secondary language to communicate with. At the time, I always wondered what the point was in learning another language because I wasn’t very good at it and I might not even use it in the future. Eventually in one or two years I was able to use English terms in my daily life and I was grateful that they had taught me the language because later on I was able to understand abstract and complex concepts that are foreign to me.

It also came in very useful when I needed to interact with other people whether I was on a holiday or just playing online games in general. And with that comes the idea of learning another language. I chose French in particular because I was particularly interested in the culture as well as the language and it stood out to me the most amongst other foreign languages. This project is important to me because it would widen my understanding of French culture through their language and it might help me in future events or situations. Therefore, for my Personal Project, I sought to use this given time to learn A2 French through an online class and create a video that shows my progress and learning outcomes.

This would be a highly challenging goal because it would require a lot of time. This is due to the fact that, rather than just learning about a foreign language online, I would also document the sessions and create a video to show my progress weekly. Another reason is that I would also be interviewing certain people and ask them about their methods in learning the French language. It would also take a lot of effort making a video that consists of all of my documented learning.

Global Context

In this Personal Project, I would learn under the global context of personal and cultural expression , specifically the 4th strand which is critical literacy, language and linguistic system. This was the chosen global context due to the fact that this would be related to how I would like to be able to personally express myself and understand another culture through their language. The chosen strand is correlated with the main idea of the global context which is expression through language.

Product

For my Personal Project, I learned French mainly through using the free app “Duolingo,” and attending private tutorial sessions for A2 level French every week for 4 hours starting January 9th - January 31st. I also documented what I’ve learned over the PP process in video format. This final video product responds to my goal because originally, I stated that my goal was to learn French and to make a video to show my process.

The final product responds to the criteria that I’ve set because I followed the rubric thoroughly and I’ve already accomplished what is asked of me. I’ve created a video that shows my process of learning French. I’ve also followed the criteria and learned level A2 French.

The final product responds to the global context that is: personal and cultural expression , specifically the 4th strand which is critical literacy, language and linguistic system. This is true because by learning French (a foreign language), I would assume that it directly connects to personal and cultural expression, as well as critical literacy, and language and linguistic system.

Reflection

In this project I learned under the global context of personal and cultural expression, specifically the 4th strand which is critical literacy, language and linguistic system. I chose learning French as my project because I was intrigued with their history as well as the philosophy surrounding the language and its culture. After learning level A2 French, I was able to understand some songs I’ve been listening to by French artists like Stromae. I also found a greater appreciation for their history.

Another thing I learned while doing this project is how hard editing videos are, and because of that, I found a new appreciation for it. It’s because prior to this project, I could only imagine how difficult it is to edit videos, and now that I’ve experienced it, I understand now why these things take time, it’s not just about adding transitions or music in the background, it’s about going through every frame and not moving on until it meets the editors expectations.

After finishing the product, I realized that I’ve learned a handful of things throughout my time doing this project. First, I learned not to underestimate anything and to always expect the worst possible result of certain situations so when it does occur, I would be prepared. Second, I learned that I would have to plan ahead if I’m doing a long-term project. I made the mistake of applying for classes around mid November which was a terrible idea, I should’ve applied around September. Third, I found several websites that are very efficient when it comes to editing videos. Lastly, I learned that learning A2 French takes more time and practice than I initially thought.

IB Learner Reflection

The IB Learner skills I was able to grasp in this project are; Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Communicators . I’m an inquirer in this project because I made this project based on the curiosity of the French language, history, and culture. I am knowledgeable because in this project, I explore a foreign language and I discovered a lot of new information that I’m very interested in. I’m a communicator in this project because it's self explanatory, I’m learning a foreign language, and to learn a new language, I would require communication skills.

Inquirer: As an inquirer, I fostered my curiosity, as a result of that, I developed skills for research which comes useful to me in different aspects of time and place. I’ve also used this skill to continuously and consistently keep up with what I have to do for this project.

Knowledgeable: I have developed and used my conceptual understanding and ability of research to explore knowledge and use them for my own purpose and by my own means. I’ve been using this skill very frequently in this project and that has helped me come a long way.

Communicators: I have expressed myself confidently and creatively in more than one language (English and French). I’ve also listened very carefully when it comes to trying to understand another individual's perspective.