I watched My Fair Lady last night, and I felt enormous sympathy for Eliza Doolittle. My language teachers aren’t much like Henry Higgins, but they have in common a tremendous concern over tones. This is because the meaning (rather than the just polish) of Chichewa rides on tones. For instance, the word “kungu” means either blind person or skin when pronounced differently. The verb “kulemera” can mean to be heavy or to be rich. And a whole category of verbs can either be emphasis or causative depending on which part of the word is pronounced in an elevated pitch.
I am finding my language classes immensely enjoyable and also quite challenging, which is a great combination. I will finish my classes on Wednesday of next week. It's hard to believe that we've already clocked more than 100 (of my required 120) hours. Masiku ndi chitseko, which literally translates to "days are like doors"--over time, you stop noticing the frequency with which they open and close.
When I finish language classes next week, I will focus more fully on my research project. Since getting my ethics clearance earlier this month, I’ve been conducting interviews with educational administrators about policies related to teacher distribution in Malawi. With this research, I’ve been learning about three Malawian policies aimed at mitigating the shortage of rural teachers: the rural hardship allowance, targeted recruitment of teachers from rural areas, and a bond that requires teachers to spend five years in rural schools. Starting next week, I’ll be going into schools to talk with teachers about how they understand and experience these policies. I'm really looking forward to talking with teachers; they lie at the heart of all of these policies, and I feel a connection with them because of my work as a teacher in Malawi.
I am also deriving a lot of enjoyment and value from this project because of what I'm learning about the process of conducting research in Malawi. Pursuing this research has allowed me to think critically about how to get research done here. And approaching the project with this goal--of learning how to do research--has made the experience pleasant and productive, even when important policy documents sometimes just can’t be found and when interviews get cancelled at the last minute.
I’m at an internet café right now, though it's the kind of day where I really should not stay inside too long; it's too beautiful out there! Earlier today, one of my language trainers was complaining about how warm it is. He said it shouldn’t be this warm in winter. While I agree that this doesn’t feel like winter, I’m pretty pleased that it doesn’t. After all, this is summer for me. And it is a pretty great one, though I am really looking forward to coming home. One month from tomorrow, right? I'm sure July 29 will be here in no time. Masiku ndi chitseko!
I am finding my language classes immensely enjoyable and also quite challenging, which is a great combination. I will finish my classes on Wednesday of next week. It's hard to believe that we've already clocked more than 100 (of my required 120) hours. Masiku ndi chitseko, which literally translates to "days are like doors"--over time, you stop noticing the frequency with which they open and close.
When I finish language classes next week, I will focus more fully on my research project. Since getting my ethics clearance earlier this month, I’ve been conducting interviews with educational administrators about policies related to teacher distribution in Malawi. With this research, I’ve been learning about three Malawian policies aimed at mitigating the shortage of rural teachers: the rural hardship allowance, targeted recruitment of teachers from rural areas, and a bond that requires teachers to spend five years in rural schools. Starting next week, I’ll be going into schools to talk with teachers about how they understand and experience these policies. I'm really looking forward to talking with teachers; they lie at the heart of all of these policies, and I feel a connection with them because of my work as a teacher in Malawi.
I am also deriving a lot of enjoyment and value from this project because of what I'm learning about the process of conducting research in Malawi. Pursuing this research has allowed me to think critically about how to get research done here. And approaching the project with this goal--of learning how to do research--has made the experience pleasant and productive, even when important policy documents sometimes just can’t be found and when interviews get cancelled at the last minute.
I’m at an internet café right now, though it's the kind of day where I really should not stay inside too long; it's too beautiful out there! Earlier today, one of my language trainers was complaining about how warm it is. He said it shouldn’t be this warm in winter. While I agree that this doesn’t feel like winter, I’m pretty pleased that it doesn’t. After all, this is summer for me. And it is a pretty great one, though I am really looking forward to coming home. One month from tomorrow, right? I'm sure July 29 will be here in no time. Masiku ndi chitseko!
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