July 25th, 2019
We had a test today for all our morning. It was our most difficult test yet. I think most people agreed about that. I did alright. I got basically the same score I have been getting on other tests, which is kind of frustrating since it’s basically confirming that I have hit a language plateau and am not improving at the pace I hope to. Though this evening there were guests are my house, and they seemed impressed by my Tajik, since they had been told I had only been here a month (technically a month and a week now though). After the test, we had more class and got to learn the passive voice. It’s funny since just yesterday I was talking to my host family and thinking it would be nice to have the passive voice. This week as has been very verb focused, which has really expanded the complexity of ideas we can express (even with our limited vocabulary).
Next we have to write an 800-word essay apparently on our time in Tajikistan for part of our final exam, which will be an exciting challenge. For homework this weekend we also have to write about our time in Khujand and draw a picture of this lake we are going and then describe it once we get back to class. I am a terrible artist. Our teachers are also going with us on the overnight.
Side note: I have started using Tajik/Russian notebooks, since I have filled my two American notebooks (both were already half full). These “copybooks” are green and as wide as a US notebook but about 2/3rds the height. They are also very slim. But the plus side is they only cost 50 diram (100 digram= 1 somoni and 1 USD= 9.43 somoni, so 1 digram= 0.00106 cents, ignore significant figures). I was thinking on stocking up on some for school in the US, but I went through one in about a week, so in the end it might not make financial sense.
We also talked about the OPI today in our weekly meeting. I will do more research once I get home, before the test. I am going to type up my notes on the meeting that I took in my notebook here (just so I can have them in one place fore later):
- OPI = Oral Proficiency Interview
- Mandatory program component
- The Washington DC office (of American Councils) is scheduling our OPIs. They could be the day we get back or the next month (our RD has no idea)
- It will be scheduled during American working hours
- Level system: novice, intermediate, advanced
o Within each of those levels: low, mid, high
- 15 minutes to 1 hour in length (RD’s longest OPI: 45 minutes)
o The longer you talk the more advanced you are
- It will start in English and they’ll ask your name and maybe for you to spell it
- Then the Tajik will start
o First, they’ll ask you to tell them about yourself
o Then they’ll move to general chat about stuff like current events or even ask you to describe the building you are in
o As you move into the intermediate range they’ll say something like “I have a new car” or house and they ask you to ask them X number of questions about it
o As you become more advanced they might ask you do to a role-playing scenario (much like the skits we do in class)
• They’ll be about shopping or meeting a repairman or something like that
• They’ll explain the scenario in English and then you’ll speak Tajik
• They’ll do their best to complicate what you say/suggest
o The test ends with them asking what you are doing next, so they can assess your use of the future tense
- General advice from our RD (who has taken upwards of ten OPIs)
o Have fun with it (like in the scenarios don’t just go with what they say but push back and offer suggestions)
o The more you talk the better
o If you can’t talk about it, don’t bring it up (like if they ask you about a current event)
o Find an opportunity to recite a poem, if you have a chance, since it shows cultural understanding, since poetry is very important in the Persian world
o Use Tajik idioms if you know them (also shows cultural understanding)
o It’s okay to make things up, but keep track of the lies (like how many uncles you have) because if you change it later they’ll think you didn’t understand the question or something
o Relax, when you are nervous it impacts your ability to speak [AP: this is something I have also noticed on the oral section our weekly tests]
A note on names
I have avoided including the actual names of anyone, whether another American or a Tajik person, for the sake of maintaining privacy and whatever false sense of anonymity on the internet you can get these days.
Next we have to write an 800-word essay apparently on our time in Tajikistan for part of our final exam, which will be an exciting challenge. For homework this weekend we also have to write about our time in Khujand and draw a picture of this lake we are going and then describe it once we get back to class. I am a terrible artist. Our teachers are also going with us on the overnight.
Side note: I have started using Tajik/Russian notebooks, since I have filled my two American notebooks (both were already half full). These “copybooks” are green and as wide as a US notebook but about 2/3rds the height. They are also very slim. But the plus side is they only cost 50 diram (100 digram= 1 somoni and 1 USD= 9.43 somoni, so 1 digram= 0.00106 cents, ignore significant figures). I was thinking on stocking up on some for school in the US, but I went through one in about a week, so in the end it might not make financial sense.
We also talked about the OPI today in our weekly meeting. I will do more research once I get home, before the test. I am going to type up my notes on the meeting that I took in my notebook here (just so I can have them in one place fore later):
- OPI = Oral Proficiency Interview
- Mandatory program component
- The Washington DC office (of American Councils) is scheduling our OPIs. They could be the day we get back or the next month (our RD has no idea)
- It will be scheduled during American working hours
- Level system: novice, intermediate, advanced
o Within each of those levels: low, mid, high
- 15 minutes to 1 hour in length (RD’s longest OPI: 45 minutes)
o The longer you talk the more advanced you are
- It will start in English and they’ll ask your name and maybe for you to spell it
- Then the Tajik will start
o First, they’ll ask you to tell them about yourself
o Then they’ll move to general chat about stuff like current events or even ask you to describe the building you are in
o As you move into the intermediate range they’ll say something like “I have a new car” or house and they ask you to ask them X number of questions about it
o As you become more advanced they might ask you do to a role-playing scenario (much like the skits we do in class)
• They’ll be about shopping or meeting a repairman or something like that
• They’ll explain the scenario in English and then you’ll speak Tajik
• They’ll do their best to complicate what you say/suggest
o The test ends with them asking what you are doing next, so they can assess your use of the future tense
- General advice from our RD (who has taken upwards of ten OPIs)
o Have fun with it (like in the scenarios don’t just go with what they say but push back and offer suggestions)
o The more you talk the better
o If you can’t talk about it, don’t bring it up (like if they ask you about a current event)
o Find an opportunity to recite a poem, if you have a chance, since it shows cultural understanding, since poetry is very important in the Persian world
o Use Tajik idioms if you know them (also shows cultural understanding)
o It’s okay to make things up, but keep track of the lies (like how many uncles you have) because if you change it later they’ll think you didn’t understand the question or something
o Relax, when you are nervous it impacts your ability to speak [AP: this is something I have also noticed on the oral section our weekly tests]
A note on names
I have avoided including the actual names of anyone, whether another American or a Tajik person, for the sake of maintaining privacy and whatever false sense of anonymity on the internet you can get these days.
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