# data[].attributes.body
While going through Italian 102 it is difficult to see the progress that you have made, as each day and week something new and challenging is supplemented on top of the previous day’s vocabulary and grammar. It is not until you begin to look back at some of the work that you have done throughout the semester that you get a clear visual of just how far you have come in not only the knowledge of the language, but also the knowledge of the culture. Specifically, it is clear to see how much my knowledge of both Italian language and its culture has evolved by looking at my first chat that I did to introduce myself and my interests, a reading comprehension exercise that was done halfway through the semester, our second journal, and lastly our cultural project.

At the beginning of the semester we were tasked with creating a video commentary discussing ourselves and our interest. In this video my speaking skills are very poor, and I often struggle with pronouncing words in Spanish as opposed to Italian. I use very simple sentences that are almost exclusively in the present time period, such as, “mi piace guardare un film e uscire con i miei amici.” I do however use one sentence that is in the passato, which is, “abbiamo guardato Step Brothers…” though you can see a clear lack of confidence when I say it, as I have to pause and think about how to formulate the sentence. Now I can say these things in full confidence without having to think twice about what verb needs to come before the passato as well as using sentences that are not entirely made up of present vocabulary.

Later in the semester there was a reading comprehension worksheet that we had to complete that I remember gave me so much trouble when I sat down to complete it. There were numerous words in the reading that I did not understand as well as struggling with what the questions were asking. Looking back on this exercise now, I can do a one-time read through and understand 99% of what is being said, as well as the questions that they are asking me. I can also see that the sentences that are used are very simple and do not have much complexity, though at the time it was extremely challenging for me.

One month after this reading comprehension, we had our 2ndjournal of the semester in which we had to use l’imperfetto to describe ourselves as children; how we were in school, vacations we may have taken, etc. Looking at this, I can see that I was starting to develop a better grasp on some of the vocabulary that we had been learning, as well as becoming comfortable with speaking about past experiences. I was having some problems with spelling that I do still struggle with, though my overall content was satisfactory.

Lastly, delving into the cultural project that I completed with Jonathon Kuo, I learned very much about the overall Italian Industry and the ambiance that it has. Whether that was learning about the extremely rich and stable automotive industry that has a focus on extreme quality over quantity or the classical renaissance when Italy was the hub of forward thinking with leaders like Leonardo Da Vinci. It was clear that Italy is a country that is very focused on luxury and a deep appreciation for quality over all else.

Looking back on all of these assignments I can see that I have accomplished almost all of what I had hoped to at the beginning of the semester, whether that be to no longer pronounce words in Spanish as opposed to Italian, garner a deeper understanding of Italian culture, or simply becoming more comfortable in listening to and having conversations in Italian. Though moving forward in my Italian studies, I wish to take this learning a step further and gain an understanding of the language in which I am not having to translate every sentence that I want to say in my head before saying, but rather be able to formulate as I am going, and have it come out smooth and grammatically correct. I expect that during my time in Italian 203 I will begin to move closer to that goal as I believe that the class is more focused on real Italian interaction as opposed to book learning, so I feel that my goal will be accomplished.

# data[].attributes.body
I feel that collaboration that was done outside of the classroom aided us very much in class. Gabbe and I were partners for multiple projects throughout the semester and we found that the preparation that we had to do in order to get ready for a live chat was extremely helpful in cementing the knowledge that we would be speaking about in our live chats. We feel that this was the most beneficial form of collaboration that we were involved in throughout the course of the semester because it forced us to use all of the new vocabulary and grammar that we had learned, and it did not allow us to shy away, as the prompts very specifically asked us to use the new information that we had learned. During this experience I found that I learn best when I have to try to use the new terminology taught to us in my own sentences and then trying to carry on a conversation with a peer from class. Once I felt confident enough to do that with a partner, I learned that I had a solid understanding of the new concepts and would then be ready to move on to new material. In addition, Christian and I would do prep-work for our Live Chats. We would have sample conversations before recording, using the chapter's vocabulary and practicing using verb tenses and conjugation. By doing this, we immediately became comfortable and confident in our oral proficiency, and comfortable speaking with one another. The classroom that we were a part of was very welcoming, and encouraged speaking aloud, even if it was incorrect at first try.

# data[].attributes.body
I was not able to upload the video as the file was over 10MB so i just put the audio. However, this assignment was one of the first that we had in the class and you can clearly hear how simple my sentences were and how almost all were only in the present tense. When i did try and use the Passato you can hear me stumble over my words, not confident in what i wanted to say. Looking back on this, i can say that i have come a very long way since this.

# data[].attributes.body
This was one reading comprehension that really stuck out to me as i was going back through my previously submitted work. I remember at the time that i was doing this how many problems this story gave me in both vocabulary as well as understanding of what the questions were looking for. Looking back on it now it is weird to imagine that i had a difficult time with this, as the concepts and sentences are rather simple and straight forward, as well as the questions that are asked. I feel this assignment really shows me how far i have come.

# data[].attributes.body
This journal was the first time that my ability to tell stories in the past was tested. I feel that i showed a good understanding of the overall content, however, i was lacking on spelling and some grammatical errors. While i do continue to have a bit of a difficult time with spelling of certain words, i believe that i have fixed the grammatical issues that can be seen in this early journal.

# data[].attributes.body
This assignment was one of my favorites that we did in class. It allowed me to look at one of my favorite subjects, automobiles. I was able to delve into the automotive genius of Italians and the cultural significance that Italians place on quality. This project helped me to see a side of Italy that one cannot learn simply from reading the textbook.

# data[].attributes.headline
Cadoux: Narrative & Learning Reflections 

# data[].attributes.subject
Cadoux: Narrative & Learning Reflections 

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v6CV5ub63LyJyvdGz6EyJfnGQDPSPfZEsg0U6qstNrI/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fPmi0avq1kggwp7g--y6zzKniHRBuwWDVzEDABdV3Gc/edit

# data[].attributes.body
Included below is my evaluation form of my first oral exam, and the oral exam itself. I was very nervous about my capabilities to speak Italian with correct pronunciation and fluency. These happened to be the two areas I scored highest on. During the exam, I realized that I was speaking in the present tense for one segment instead of the required past tense. I immediately caught myself, restarted that segment, and completed the exam with much more confidence than I had initially going into it. Overall, I have learned to have much more confidence in my speaking of the language; when I make a mistake, I fix it, and continue to learn.

file:///Users/gcadoux/Desktop/Movie%20on%202-26-18%20at%2012.30%20PM.mov

# data[].attributes.body
The Cultural Project assignment has been by far one of my favorite assignments throughout all of my Italian courses. Learning about culture is refreshing, interesting, and a must-have. Not only are we allowed to learn about Italian culture in depth, we are allowed to conduct our own research. Being able to do research and learn about a cultural difference in Italy that I have shown interest in was a highlight of this class for me. I am interested in Global Health and medicine; being able to learn about the healthcare system in Italy vs the healthcare system in the US by doing my own research for a project has kept me very interested in the language and Italian courses. Also, learning about what my classmates presented was a real treat.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F7kbtqMCThlF5-wHatBeOKKLaKGPPxQZPO5xt3eVqNs/edit

# data[].attributes.headline
Cadoux: I pronomi Oggetto Diretto & Indiretto, o La particella Ne

# data[].attributes.subject
Cadoux: I pronomi Oggetto Diretto & Indiretto, o La particella Ne

# data[].attributes.body
This topic in Italian has proven time after time to give me trouble. I have not yet fully mastered the topic. However, I have improved my skills regarding this topic immensely by completing practice exercises like the one shown below. Although this is a more recent exercise, I really enjoyed completing it. I felt as if this particular exercise was one of the most helpful out of all that I have completed this semester.

# data[].attributes.body
This topic was quite the struggle for me to begin with. I worked with my Italian tutor for many sessions regarding this topic, plus heavy attention to detail on it in class. The photograph below is  of an exercise completed in class during the time the subject was being taught. With exercises such as this one, and hard work with my tutor, I was able to complete the Che/Cui section on our test with 100% accuracy.