Assalomu alaykum,
Great news! First off, it's happening! I'm set to go this summer to Arizona State University in Tempe for a 7-week Uzbek intensive language program.
Searching around for summer ideas this past year I stumbled upon ASU's Critical Languages Institute website and found they had this option for students to study Uzbek. It looks perfect for what I was interested in: at a college, in the United States, affordable, flexible.
I cleared everything with my school and parents and am now enrolled for Elementary Uzbek I. Really really looking forward to the program, and going to get started studying on my own so I am ready when I get there with basics and more practice particularly with vocabulary.
I want to document my experience with this amazing opportunity online so I figured a blog like this would be an easy and accessible means to do so. This way friends, family, and other language enthusiasts can gain insight into both the language and the program at ASU should they be interested in studying Uzbek or another great Central Eurasian language.
Also, today my textbook for this course came in the mail. It's called simply Uzbek Textbook by Nigora Azimova and is published on beautiful paper by the Georgetown University Press. So far it looks like an excellent coursebook, that combines language information with visuals and exercises that will be great for a classroom environment.
For a personal coursebook, I usually prefer less graphics-oriented, more grammar/translation-based selections such as this DLI course (free PDF, excellent), but I think this will suit well for the program, and is what is required regardless. Will post more about this soon.
Hope everyone is doing well and stay tuned for more!
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| My Uzbek textbook came! So excited |
Brian
