I’m kinda excited for what’s about to happen.
I started this journey back in February/March 2022. (The first week was really the setting into the process and it was a blur.) Duolingo was a great help to me to get me used to the sounds and grammar and words, but it is not really a useful tool for conversations for this language. Unlike other, more broadly used languages, Haitian Creole (kreyòl ayisyen) doesn’t have the bells and whistles such as conversations and stories and the like. So I’m paying full price and not getting all that other languages get. (But given that it’s in Beta and I am willing to use anything, it’s good enough!)
Hiring a tutor in April took it up another notch. My tutor has been helping me with some conversational learning, where we read short pieces and I answer questions from a workbook, but he said two weeks ago that it’s time to split the lessons into two parts: the first part of just conversation, and the second of using the workbook. So this is what I wanted—conversations and not just conversational lessons. I want to be thinking in kreyòl by the time I’m done (if I’m ever done!).
Our first full-hour lesson is tomorrow. (I started with half-hour-long tutoring lessons, and stepped up to 45 minutes for each lesson in May.) I’m “practicing” by writing out some stories and hoping that I’ll have something useful to say when we talk.
Bòn nuit, zanmi m! Dòmi byen aswè a epi pase yon bèl jounen demen! (Good night, my friends! Sleep well tonight and have a wonderful day tomorrow!)