[BOGAnotes] Things I learned in the 1st strata

Yesterday, I took the 20-part final exam to finish the 1st strata of the BOGA program. This time around, it was much easier than before as I had a better foundation in some of the tougher-to-grasp grammatical concepts. I also think that the somewhat-tough exercises in the review portion helped properly prepare me for the final exam.

As I was flipping through my notes for the 1st strata, I thought it would be a good idea to post some of the things I've learned here. Hopefully, new Euskara-learners will be able to gain new information and native-Euskara speakers will be able to see how non-native speakers see their language. (Please feel free to offer any corrections/tips/observations!)

Things I learned in the 1st strata:

• Euskara has no gender = Unlike Català (and many other languages), nouns in Euskara have no gender, that is, they do not come in masculine or feminine forms.

• Sentences are constructed in a very different way compared to English = Even a simple sentence like: "I am Isabel" comes out very different in Euskara: "Ni Isabel naiz" wherein Ni = I, Isabel = Isabel (although technically, the form in Euskara is Ixabel), and naiz = am. This certainly makes things interesting as I often find myself having to resist the urge to translate directly from English and using the same sentence structure (a very bad idea and one pitfall every language-learner must avoid).

• The article 'the' is not a separate word, rather it takes the form of the letter 'a' which is added at the end of the word = In the BOGA program, new vocabulary words are usually given in the definite form- with the +a already attached, however, in the dictionaries* I use, they always give the indefinite form of the word. Keep in mind though, that some words already do end in an 'a' (called a organikoa). Examples: futbolariA = a footballer/the footballer (remove the +a and it just becomes footballer) and now an example of a word with an organic a: kamiseta = shirt/a shirt/the shirt.

This is the part where I get a little bit more into the grammatical concepts, so new Euskara-learners might find this bit confusing though I do hope you guys will come back to it once you are further along in your studies.

• If the noun goes before the demonstrative, it is in the indefinite form = It took me a while to remember this rule and I did not quite get it up until I compared these two sentences: Hau zubia da = This is a bridge & Zubi hau berria da = This bridge is new.
  

• When an element accompanies an interrogative pronoun it is in the indefinite form = This was not confusing at all except I did experience some problems for sentences in plural form as I would end up writing: Zubiak horiek berriak dira instead of the correct version: Zubi horiek berriak dira.
  

Aside from all that I have previously mentioned, I was able to build up quite a vocabulary of words from the 1st strata which I have made into flashcards so I can make sure that they are engraved in my memory.

Although the 1st strata was a lot of fun, I'm quite happy to be able to move on to the 2nd strata as I'll be taking one step closer to my goal of being fluent in Euskara.

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* I make use of Gorka Aulestia and Linda White's Basque-English, English-Basque Dictionary as well as a compact Euskara-Gaztelania, Castellano-Euskara Dictionary. Leer más...

An in-depth look at the BOGA program

As I stated in a previous entry, the BOGA program, created by HABE (Institute for the teaching of Basque and Basque Language Literacy to adults), is my main method for learning Euskara. Seeing as I intend to blog about my experiences with the program, among other things, I feel like I should at least give a more thorough explanation.

When I started using the BOGA program a few months ago, I did so by sending an email to the Basque Museum in Boise, Idaho. I chose it quite randomly from a list at the original website for the BOGA program. After getting into contact with the Basque Museum, I mailed a cheque for $20, which was the cost of the four activation discs as at that time, the program was accessible only through CD-rom.

As I was starting the 2nd strata, the program conked out completely and I was left without it for at least two months up until the new and completely online BOGA program was launched. This new program, as far as I can tell, includes all the same content as its predecessor only this time, every quiz the student takes is viewable by the assigned teacher, making it easier for the latter to pinpoint areas wherein the student needs more help. Also, instead of a one-time fee of $20 for the activation discs, this new program costs $50 per semester.

One of the great things about BOGA is that it makes use of a number of sketches in order to present certain grammatical concepts. For instance, in the 1st saio, we meet Andoni and Mikel, two friends who have just arrived at Bilbo (Bilbao) and as they spend time there taking in the sights, they come across Andoni's friend Ixabel and her co-worker Ainhoa. As they spend time together, Andoni pairs off with Ixabel and Mikel with Ainhoa and... well, I think I'd rather not ruin the surprise ending for this particular storyline.

Aside from the sketches there is a virtual teacher (with a photo of a woman and the cartoon body of a genie) who explains some of the grammatical concepts. In a very nit-picky way, I must admit I don't particularly like the virtual teacher-genie. I find her voice quite distracting as she manages to mispronounce words in Euskara and English and I know this because there is another voice within the program that sometimes says the exact same words except she does so correctly.

Also, within each saio, there are about 15 or so mini-quizzes. These are quite easy and are usually fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice. However, at the end of each saio, there are three difficult evaluation tests. It is my experience that sometimes, these tests include concepts that were not discusses or that were glossed-over in the preceding saio, which is why I feel like there are still changes that need to be made to the BOGA program.

All in all, I would give the program a rating of 7/10. I took off points for errors in the program, its propensity for crashing (apparently the database is susceptible to overloading) whilst I'm in the middle of a saio and also for its incomplete lessons as I find myself having to turn to other resources to fully understand some concepts.

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So you want to learn Euskara...

When I finally decided that I was serious about learning Euskara, I decided to search for a way to learn the language while at the same time not have to resort to eating ramen noodles for the rest of my life. I decided to do a little research into the methods people use to learn Euskara and here are some you can try out:

• Euskara in the Basque Country - This could very well be the most expensive option for people living outside of the the Basque Country, however if you choose this route you will have the benefit of a total immersion into the language as well as the culture. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a single link that features all the euskaltegiak (Basque Language Centers) that accept foreign students. Once I do find it, it will be posted here.

• University Courses - As far as I know, there are only two Universities in the United States that offer courses in Euskara. The first is Boise State University, which offers a Basque Studies Minor and Certificate and the the second is the University of Nevada,Reno, which offers a Basque Studies Minor both in-campus and online.

• BOGA program - BOGA is an online program created by the Eusko Jaurlaritza (Basque Government) designed to teach adults Euskara and to provide them with a knowledge base sufficient enough to pass the EGA (Euskararen Gaitasun Agiria)- which is a proficiency test and mandatory for anyone who wishes to work for the Basque Government. The BOGA program is, compared to the first two methods, quite affordable as the current tuition is $50 per semester.

• Self-study Books - There are a few books out there designed to help students learn Euskara and they range from the simple, Beginner's Basque by Wim Jansen to the more complex, The Basque Language: A Practical Introduction by Alan R. King. When I first started learning about Euskara, a number of people have told me it would be sheer madness to try and learn it by myself however I don't think it would be wise to discredit all of the self-study books. I think that some could be used a great introduction to the language, especially if you are not completely sure if you want to seriously pursue it or not and it can also be used to supplement your current program.

I am currently making use of the BOGA program as my main resource for learning Euskara. I chose it as the $50 per semester along with the online access was a great fit for me because it wouldn't burn a big hole in my wallet and it wouldn't require me to have to lose time for work as I can easily do it during my free time.

The program itself is entertaining as it is filled with interesting sketches, exercises and tests. However, it also has its flaws, the major one being its propensity for crashing for a few days. I also find that the explanations in English sound quite unnatural at times, as if it were translated into English by a non-native speaker and although that can easily be ignored, it can sometimes cause a bit of confusion. But I firmly believe that even with those flaws, it can be a very valuable tool.

I am also studying Euskara through a book called Bakarka I: Método de aprendizaje individual del euskera by J.A. Letamendia. This teaches Euskara (or Euskera as it is called in Spanish) through the medium of the Spanish language. I find that whenever there is any concept or grammatical rule that I cannot quite understand when explained in English, I need only read it in Spanish and it suddenly becomes clear.
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