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The secret of learning

發表於 : 週四 4月 16, 2009 11:32 pm
Sherry Liao
In the middle of a crazy workday, a teacher from kindergarten phoned and told me that my son had been absent from school for two days in a row.

That’s not good. Yesterday my little son played possum to evade the duty to go to school, so last night my husband had him go to bed very early, and this little guy assured us that he would definitely go to school this morning. Apparently he ate his words.

I phoned my mom and the delinquent picked up the phone. I asked him if he had been to school today. Instead of simply answering “沒有” or “沒有吔”, the four-year-old gave me a brief pause, then replied: “嗯, 上學的話, 是沒有”. What a perfect sentence! I was so amazed that I almost forgot to blame him. To the best of my recollection, I have never heard anyone in my family use such a sentence structure (maybe I was wrong). Did he learn it from school? Or from TV? What’s the learning process?

When I was in college, I read a bunch of learning theories and language learning theories from developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and even biological psychology. All of those psychologists were trying to find out the secret of learning. However, the more I read, the stronger I felt that we human beings really knew very little about it. After I gave birth to my first child, I observed her and tried to discover how she obtained a language. However, she learned it so quickly and easily that I totally lost track of it. Then the second child was born. Then the third child. Finally they all started to speak fluent Chinese but, alas, I still cannot figure it out.

Children are no doubt quick learners (in many ways). How I hope they can give me a hint or two on how to obtain a language, or something else; however, they don’t even know how to illustrate it.

Anyone knows the secret of learning? If there is an answer, it should be invaluable.

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週五 4月 17, 2009 2:20 am
technobabel
Sounds like you are setting up the stage to talk about this book by Steven Pinker

圖檔
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Language_Instinct

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週五 4月 17, 2009 11:58 am
Rock
Kids are really experts in language learning. I heard that some kids can even learn up to five languages if their family members speak them. But I also believe that if you were thrown into a foreign country and you needed to learn their language to survive, then you would be as good as your kids. No problem. (You look just like one of them. :lol: )

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週日 4月 19, 2009 9:41 am
Sherry Liao
technobabel 寫:Sounds like you are setting up the stage to talk about this book by Steven Pinker
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Language_Instinct
" … Language (speech) also develops in the absence of formal instruction or active attempts by parents to correct children's grammar."

This part sort of makes sense to me. When my first child started babbling, there were serious problems with her grammar – I mean, we could understand what she said, but the sentence structures she used were not well-developed. At that time, I tried not to correct her grammar (God know how many efforts – try not to correct her - it took me to do that!); however, after a certain period of time, she seemed to correct them herself.

So when my second child started to learn how to speak, I not only prevented myself from correcting his wrong sentences, but tried to encourage them – that is, when he said something with incorrect grammar, I would repeat those sentences or gave him a positive feedback to reinforce his using of those sentences. I specifically chose the sentences from some intimate conversations between us, so others would not have a chance to correct him. However, again, he corrected them himself later.

There's a scene really impressive to me, which happened when my second child was two years old. Back then, whenever I asked him for a promise and I said "你會遵守約定嗎?", he would always answered "遵守約定!". Months later, there was an occasion I asked his promise again:

I said: "你會遵守約定嗎?"
He answered: "會!" (Seemed that he had learnt the correct grammar.)
I insisted: "你應該要說 "遵守約定" 才對啊!"
My boy smiled at me and replied: "媽媽, 應該要說 "會" 才對喔!"

His smile was so impressive. He had never attended a grammar class. Where did his confidence come from?

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週日 4月 19, 2009 9:45 am
Sherry Liao
Dear Uncle Rock,

Thanks. May I have another children's book, then? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週日 4月 19, 2009 8:02 pm
Rock
Of course. I will do anything for you.

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週二 4月 21, 2009 2:19 am
Sherry Liao
Ha... bro, I know what you meant.

But would you mind wording it in a "not-so-ambiguous" way? I don't want to get jumped by your admirers.

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週三 4月 22, 2009 12:44 pm
Georgia
Rock 寫:Of course. I will do anything for you.
(( (( anything )) ))

Just hear it echo, Sherry. He said anything 喔.....

----

I smell coffee, waffles, cakes, ... all on him.

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週四 4月 23, 2009 9:46 am
Rock
Wow! Georgia showed up. Long time no see.
I'd do anything for you, too.


( (( ((( anything ))) )) )



_____________________________________________________
Sorry, just kidding.

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週四 4月 23, 2009 2:17 pm
technobabel
I am not here to diminish Rock's invitational sentiment of offering to do "anything"
It is just such a sincere thing to say even though we all know that there is a limit attached to it.
Then again, who knows? Maybe there isn't a limit.




And I would do anything for love
I'd run right into hell and back
I would do anything for love
I'll never lie to you and that's a fact

But I'll never forget the way you feel right now--
Oh no--no way--
I would do anything for love
But I won't do that
I won't do that
Anything for love
I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
But I won't do that
I won't do that

Some days it don't come easy
Some days it don't come hard
Some days it don't come at all
And these are the days that never end

Maybe I'm crazy
But it's crazy and it's true
I know you can save me
No one else can save me but you

As long as the planets are turning
As long as the stars are burning
As long as your dreams are coming true--
You better believe it!—

I would do anything for love
Oh I would do anything for love
Oh I would do anything for love
But I won’t do that
But I won’t do that

I would do anything for love
Anything you've been dreaming of
But I just won't do that...

Some days I pray for silence
Some days I pray for soul
Some days I just pray to the God of Sex and Drums and Rock'N Roll

Maybe I'm lonely
And that's all I'm qualified to be
There's just one and only
The one and only promise I can keep

As long as the wheels are turning
As long as the fires are burning
As long as your prayers are coming true--
You better believe it--!

That I would do anything for love!
And you know it's true and that's a fact
I would do anything for love!
And there'll never be no turning back--

But I'll never do it better than I do it with you
So long--
So long--
I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
I would do anything for love
But I won't do that
I won't do that


Will you raise me up?
Will you help me down?
Will you get me right out if this Godforsaken town?
Will you make it all a little less cold?


I can do that!
I can do that!


Cater to every fantasy I got?
Will you hose me down with holy water--if I get to hot--?
Will you take me to places I've never known?

I can do that!
I can do that!

I’ve known the territory I’ve been around
And we all turn to dust and we all fall down
Sooner or later you’ve been screwing around

No I won't do that!
No I won't do that

I would do anything for love
But I won’t do that

Re: The secret of learning

發表於 : 週二 4月 28, 2009 6:48 pm
Rock
This song is great. I need to be more careful about this "anything" issue, though. :lol: