PE Reflection

Goals:

• Fluency: As a recap, my main goal with fluency is to improve my ability to have conversations "on the spot". I've noticed improvements in my fluency, though I am not always able to smoothly hold a conversation. I do try to treat in-class practice seriously because it's good practice as free conversation. I tend to mentally evaluate my own speaking afterwards so as to continue to think about where I can improve.
• Intonation and naturalness: I don't see much improvement with my intonation though I have also been working on it with shadowing. Perhaps I am hitting the various pitches, but it just doesn't sound the same as a natural speaker to me (even when shadowing very slowly). I don't think I would ever become a good voice actress haha.

Activities:

• Anime: I have been watching several times a week and shadowing various phrases (including some that we've learned in class while focusing on the prosody).
• Self-study: I have been practicing the phrases we've learned in class on my own while reading them aloud in different combinations given to me by Anki. I then listen to the text-to-speech audio to check my pronunciation, as well (though the one I'm using is not as good at Suzuki-kun).
• Language table/office hours: Unfortunately, I haven't been going to this...But thankfully, my thesis is due soon, and I'll find myself with a lot more free time.

I will be keeping all previous goals and activities. I hope to better take the opportunities to go to language table and office hours as the final stretch draws near..!