Language Learning and its unintended consequence

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technobabel
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註冊時間: 週六 5月 14, 2005 8:42 pm
來自: Eastern Seaboard

Language Learning and its unintended consequence

文章 technobabel »

Long time ago, while I was still in college, every Friday during lunch time, there is a big table reserved by a professor from China that teaches Chinese at the college. No doubt this professor from China is ultra qualified to teach basic Chinese. One day this professor told us that teaching basic Chinese is having a negative effect on his intellectual thought process. That is understandable. Of course, if you spend most of your time on something that is too basic or not advance enough, soon or later your mind will learn to adapt to the new situation.

So, the question is when shall a language learner move on to something more advanced and avoid being drowned in the sea of superficiality. The fact is that you will never feel ready, you just have to take the leap. 留學生 和 小留學生 do not have the luxury to pick and choose easy materials to learn. It is a great deals of uncertainties that one just has to face and overcome.
Sherry Liao
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註冊時間: 週五 12月 07, 2007 12:15 pm

文章 Sherry Liao »

To me, English is more like a tool than a discipline, for we see the whole world (or most part of the world) through English. Let's liken English to a lens. To view a broader and wider part of the world, we need to have a broader lens; to view the world in more detail and more depth, we need to have a thicker lens. It is a struggling process to boarden and thicken the lens. However, with no pains, there will be no gains.

BTW, Wayne Chiang must have been experienced a lot of pains, I suppose. :twisted:
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sunny
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註冊時間: 週三 8月 20, 2003 5:03 am
來自: Taipei City
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文章 sunny »

In responding to Wayne Chiang's post...Recently I attended a company training and the instructor's words were really thought-provoking:

“Our body and mind tends to stay in a familiar and safe environment for the sake of security. To enhance our intellectual thought process, the only thing we have to do is to lose the sense of security for a while.”

It's really reflective of our general attitude. In consequence of “playing safe,” we cease moving or making any further progress. By abandoning the sense of security for the present, people will finally find new value and another sense of security for the future. That's why people need change. So don't be afraid if we've got something to break through. Just open up our mind and let it show us the way; hopefullu that's the reason why people come to YOYO ^^

(Ha, I'm starting to talk like Professor Yeh.)
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technobabel
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註冊時間: 週六 5月 14, 2005 8:42 pm
來自: Eastern Seaboard

文章 technobabel »

Actually I am exploring the scenario where a person's languages skill lags behind his or her intellectual ability. And how would such person catch up? Also, when does your English skill actually makes you smarter or sound smarter? On top of that, are there anybody who in the back of their minds quietly telling themselves, "Since my English is so poor, me sounding stupid is of no choice."

Nobody should go against their better judgement on whether to play it safe or be adventurous. There are two sides of the same coin. In regards to language learning, being adventurous probably leads to more mistakes being made. Will you learn less by playing it safe?
Not everyone I met in New York speaks English as much as Yoyo members. But, yet their listening skills are likely to be more "battle-tested"
I am not abandoning Yoyo, I am just dancing slowly away from it.
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technobabel
YOYO member
文章: 1188
註冊時間: 週六 5月 14, 2005 8:42 pm
來自: Eastern Seaboard

文章 technobabel »

SherryChica 寫: BTW, Wayne Chiang must have been experienced a lot of pains, I suppose. :twisted:
Yes, in retrospect, it is a bit nightmarish. It ain't no bed of roses that's for sure. I will not wish what I have gone thru on anybody. Fortunately, it isn'
t too obvious. Only those with keenest observation would have notice. The problem is, when somebody point on the pain, an uncontrollable flashback ensues. It is almost like 二度傷害. :wink:

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