Learning by Immersion

For the past 38 days, I have been engaged in the process of learning both Darija (Moroccan Arabic) and French. Though I have participated in organized Darija and French classes, most of my language acquisition has taken place outside of the classroom. Before I came here, many people asked me if I spoke Darija, a question to which I cheerfully replied "no!" I envisioned that, through immersion, the words of this unfamiliar language would flow easily from my mouth. While my ideas about immersion were not entirely wrong, I've realized that learning a language in any setting requires dedication and perseverance. Undoubtedly, learning by immersion offers numerous benefits--but (in my opinion) benefits cannot be realized without a conscious decision to focus.

I have studied (and struggled with) French since seventh grade. During my stay in Morocco, I have primarily relied on my French--at school, in my host family, and on street. On the road to fluency, I'm not there yet, but I'm much farther than I was last year, last month, and or even last week. It's easy to become frustrated by not understanding a simple question, a joke, or an entire lesson. But when I step back and realize how much more I comprehend of my classes now than I did at first, I recognize the growth I have made with French. Sometimes I can even answer a question! It's the little milestones that call my attention to overall progress. For instance, the other day I had a small conversation with my host sister--just talking about our days at work and school. When I walked away, I couldn't remember if the conversation was in English or in French, I just knew it felt natural.

Learning Darija is entirely different from French. I wonder if I'll ever be able to pronounce the "gh" or the "kh" sound, but that doesn't stop me from trying (and getting a sore throat in the process). I'm so thankful to our lovely Darija teacher, Khadija, for her patience! Now more than ever, I'm motivated to learn Darija because my new host mother doesn't speak French. (For those of you who don't know, I switched host families recently and I'm very happy with my new living situation!) There's been plenty of translating, thanks to my host sisters, but also miming, pointing, and new acquisition of vocabulary on both of our parts. I can now greet friends in Darija, point out certain objects, and, most importantly, say that I'm full. Ana shabaat and safi baraka mean "I'm full" and they top of list of my most commonly used Darija phrases. My host mom is a wonderful cook and is constantly encouraging me to "koolee, Catherine, koolee!" (Eat, Catherine, eat!)

My Darija has grown through my interactions outside the home as well. I learned the words for right and left by asking for directions in Darija and then realizing that I didn't know any directional terms. Today at the hammam, a women kept asking me "skhoon?" It wasn't until she gestured repeatedly at the faucet that I understood that "skhoon" means hot in Darija. Almost every evening, I help my host mom cook dinner, and through much gesturing and laughing, I have learned the words for basic foods and kitchenware. To help commit my new vocabulary to long term memory, I've been keeping a notebook where I write the new words I learn each day. I try to find time to study the words at some point during my busy days here--whether on the tram or late at night. Hopefully, my Darija will only continue to grow! For now, here's a few pictures from the past week!

Sheep at Marjane, a big super market. Eid al Adha is next week, and my host family, along with many other Moroccan families, will be sacrificing a sheep. 

My host sister let me try on her tuk sheeta! Tuk sheeta is a dress worn for special occasions.

Sifa--a noodle dish with raisins, nuts, and hard boiled eggs topped with cinammon and sugar. It's delicious!

Laundry drying on my balcony! 

Heads up to anyone interested--the YES Abroad application for 2014-2015 is now live at yes-abroad.org! I remember how excited I was last year to start filling it out! I'd love to proofread essays or answer general question, so please let me know if you have any! Thanks for reading!