takibari

Put that way, you're right. Anger or any other extreme emotions do affect certain things. I was just really thinking along the lines of being able to perfectly express your thoughts in English WHILE feeling the heightened emotion. Being able to do so comes across to me as control and a show of ability to express linguistically (despite the expectation that words may fail you or you falter verbally because of the intense emotion). As to going back to your native tongue when angry in order to deliver the 'punch' that only your native tongue can accomplish says nothing to me about linguistic ability. What that premise does, however, is show the 'limitation of the English language' as regards to the expression of anger; and not necessarily your linguistic ability. As was said, you can make tirades in perfect English, but the 'punch' isn't just there because there's no English equivalent for 'the vernacular' you wish to employ.

Learning through the use of language roots I think is an helpful tool for vocabulary building. I remember having classes on learning Greek and Latin roots when I was younger. What I gained from those lessons was the ability to know the meanings of several words by the mere use of language roots.

It just occurred to me. Won't things become comical if you get angry and still attempt at expressing the said emotion in your second language? I just thought that we tend to revert to our first language when we are angry because the said emotion has to be coupled with the appropriate verbal expressions. I just can't erase it in my mind someone who's angry and using the second language; it's just a hilarious picture!

The quotes here are nice. I hope this thread gets revived! Few of my favorites are from the Book of Proverbs, written by Solomon (the person attributed to be the wisest person in the Bible) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18) A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1) Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all wrongs. (Proverbs 10:12) Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18) He who works is land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. (Proverbs 28:19)

Let me add a thing about English Proficiency Tests. You're right, as it is only a proficiency test, takers will only know how proficient they are in the English language, based on the standard set by that particular test. While results don't indicate whether you pass or fail the test, one must however still aim for a higher score. I believe U.S. universities have a prescribed TOEFL score for non-native speakers. It is important to achieve a certain score because it will speak highly if whether you have the language aptitude required to finish the course work in that university. University has a lot of course work (academic lectures/writing, etc), and it is necessary that you have grasp of the medium of instruction. Otherwise, you'll have difficulty accomplishing your coursework if your level of English proficiency is below the required standard set by the university.

SMILE!!! Don't forget that. That I think is best thing one can do when greeting a person. One can easily say "Hi, how you doin? but as abruptly as the greetings end, just shrugs off. That to me basically cancels out what has just been said. But saying the greeting, even if it's just a mere "Hi!" and coupled with your best smile can go a long way to how your conversation with the other person will proceed.

With technology, it certainly is getting less frequent to commit wrong spellings. However, when you do write the traditional way (pen and paper), it's probably when you are likely to get the nagging feeling that you are writing the word wrong. Personally, I attribute it to memory recall. Having met the word several times in the past, you probably have an idea how it's supposed to be written, but at that moment you are writing the word, you might be experiencing a bit of lapse in memory. It's not so much the arrangement in the word, because as was said before our brain only has to see the beginning and the end letters of the wrod, and sitll rceogzine the crorcet wrod eevn if the lerttes are anrrgaed wrngoly. Ainmazg how the biarn wrkos!

Standardization is really a necessity. Having levels as the norm make it easier to track a learner's progress. It will surely be a nightmare to not have levels as that could open up to a lot subjectivity. Speaking of subjectivity, a teacher friend of mine once mentioned that she has a student who clearly belonged to a much lower level, but the student was just persistent insisting that he be put in a higher level. According to that student, being placed in the correct level just doesn't motivate him. He reasoned that he fairly understand how much he'll struggle if he's placed in the higher level, but to him the struggle is what will help him more. Unfortunately, I don't know how things went with that student when he was placed in a higher level class. This just makes me think how tricky this leveling can get especially in cases like the one mentioned. Because to me, a student who knows what he wants clearly will try his utmost best to learn and he's unable to do so if leveling is to be strictly followed.

Hi Nadia! Welcome to the forum! I'm not a native English speaker, but I believe I have a good grasp of the language. You said you need help with writing, then, I probably can help. If it's speaking, I'm not much good at it, haha. Anyway, yeah, my English might not be perfect, too. But there's no harm trying.

Everyone's made valid points. Haha, I don't think I've more to add, except probably mention the brain aspect. I think I've mentioned it somewhere in the forum that language learning is like a tree. The more you use it (reading, writing, immersion), the more you'll grow the tree. Similarly, the more activities you engage in, the more you are building neurons (at least that part of the brain responsible for language) in your brain. More usage solidifies these neurons.

Language assessment is a nice tool to determine how you are doing with the foreign language you are studying in relation to a previous performance (or your proficiency (or lack thereof) when you first started with lessons). If your intention is just to see how you are doing, then having another person track your progress is quite a great idea. The other person can provide you with a feedback mechanism that could prove helpful to you. If, on the other hand, there is a goal to your learning the language in the first place, then - you had better take the appropriate proficiency test, and use those to track your progress. As regards English proficiency there are varied 'standardized tests' that can determine your English proficiency. For example, if you're a non-native English speaker and has intention to study in the U.S., then you had better take TOEFL and track your progress according to this standard. If, you intend to work in London or Australia, then it's IELTs or if it's Japan - then TOEIC, that you need to use to track your progress. I'm not sure now, but I think your results for any of these exams are effectively only for two years, and after it has lapsed; you'll need to take it again. The premise for this rule is language can either deteriorate or improve depending on several factors.

I like that word - imperative -! It really has a nice ring to it and totally right about separating the written and oral aspects! These two being distinct skills need to be treated separately. I once took a TOEIC exam, and I got a perfect score!! I'm proud that I managed to ace that particular Listening and Reading exam. But I highly doubt if I can perform the same way with the speaking test, haha! I don't know why I'm not really good with speaking. I suck, haha! So, I can't imagine myself being in a class with classmates who are more proficient than me in speaking. I'd certainly be pulled back.

Hi, lushlala! Wow, there are people who deliberately distort the way they speak?? That's some kind of weird, don't you think? I mean why try to distort your manner of speaking?[i'm totally thinking of kidnappers calling for ransom - that's the only instance I know that the speaking voice is distorted (haha! i'm going off topic). Anyhow, you're truly right. Over the course of your learning, there has to be a point where you try to achieve the foreign accent - as you said; especially once you're confident and more importantly because certain words have to be spoken a particular way.

I'm probably getting things wrong. But I don't see anger or being upset as factors that affect a person's linguistic abilities. They, in fact, are telling factors of how well you have acquired the foreign language. If you're angry and upset, AND still manage to express those emotions effectively in the foreign language, then you have truly mastered the foreign language. THAT speaks HIGHLY of your linguistic abilities. We do tend to go back to our native tongue when we are feeling these raw emotions because our own language is natural to us. That doesn't mean our linguistic abilities have been hampered.

Ideally it IS better to lose your accent and adapt the accent of the foreign language. But I don't think this is an issue of being Right or Wrong; but rather more of are you getting your message delivered? If you end up confusing your listener in an attempt to master an accent; then you're really not communicating effectively. You are better off sticking with your accent. In learning a language, I think the accent should be the least of priorities. Being able to speak fluently and understand completely the foreign language should be the end goal, and not accent acquisition. As Trellum pointed out; our tongues are muscles and they might take a while to train them. If one obsess on acquiring the accent; one might only end up frustrated and give up on learning the foreign language altogether. Doing so is truly a shame.

Ah, so here's the 'other' survey! I'm just curious. May I know how the survey results will be used? Is this just a personal curiosity or there's a more serious goal to it?

I'd attribute it to several factors, with innate interest and aptitude being the main reasons why they learn a specific language with breeze in comparison to other people. I always see interest and aptitude being the driving force, for everything else will follow; putting in the time and effort to learn the language, to spend more on studying than on any other activity among other things. It also helps that the aptitude is there. Interest might be present, but for some reason aptitude isn't - then it will still take longer time to learn. Much like Math, there are just people who easily gets it, even without having to devote more time to studying it.

I see it as a double-edged sword. Some people might be hindered if being placed in a certain level, especially if that person is assigned to the wrong level. Being placed in the wrong level could definitely discourage the person as he's not getting the right stimulation. So, it's highly likely that the person ends up frustrated with the classes. However, for those who are truly learning step-by-step, and they started from the most basic level corresponding to their skills, then the leveling could be beneficial for them. Reaching the higher level could be something for the learner to aspire for. Thus, it'll give him the right motivation to improve. As to your example, perhaps what's best is to not consider speaking and writing as one package. These two are just two different skills that assigning a level as one, might proved problematic. (Btw, my understanding of leveling is to incorporate the two: speaking and writing). I believe they shouldn't be. Your friend should have been assigned a higher level for speaking, but a lower one for writing.

I'm not much of a fan of haikus. But I do appreciate its simplicity in delivering a message. I kind of think of haikus as the minimalist kind of poetry. Some of the few I've read before were written by Matsuo Basho: Morning and evening Someone waits at Matsushima! One-sided love. Now I see her face, the old woman, abandoned, the moon her only companion a strange flower for birds and butterflies the autumn sky

Hi! Sorry for this seemingly stupid question. But what do you mean by 'there is no S-O inversion? Haha, I'm one of those who don't know proper terminology when it comes to grammar. Is S-O (subject-object)? Anyway, is my understanding correct that these kind of sentences are generally those types of sentences that stick to a specific format. Thus, there is no way to phrase them differently?

One of my recent favorite authors is Jodi Picoult. I find her storytelling so compelling and her topics so heartbreaking. I could never read a Jodi Picoult book one after another - or in immediate sequence. The first one I read was Change of Heart and there's Handle with Care. These two by far are the books that truly tugged at my heart. They were a difficult read because of the moral dilemmas, but they were so beautifully written that I find Jodi Picoult a truly gifted writer. What other books have you read that just tugs at your heart?

I know it's a pretty old topic. But I'm compelled to reply as I saw the post. Primarily because reading books come easily to me. But the one I'm currently reading - well, i'm just stumped. I can't continue reading without hurting my brains, hehe... What's ironic is it's just a super thin book, and I'm on my second week reading it. I kept going back. I don't know, perhaps that part of my brain responsible for comprehension is just on break. Anyway, I'm currently reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. It's by far the hardest book I've come across.

I read this book when I was in college. It's from a book called Das Energi by Paul Williams. "Don't ever think you know what's right for the other person. He might start thinking he knows what's right for you." This book has been stuck in my head since the first time I read it.

Imagination goes with the territory. When you're reading, all you have is the written word. The only way the written word becomes real is when you put all those words together and picture them in your mind. I doubt if absent imagination, stories will be engrossing. Stories will remain flat if all you do is just read the words one after another.

Hugs and rant away! I can only imagine what you're going through. I haven't studied a second language quite thoroughly, so I can't offer much advice in that department. But what struck me with your post was that fact about your love for the Chinese language. But over the course of your studies, you're slowly getting frustrated with your teacher and how you think you haven't improved much. What I'm about to suggest might not be practical, but give it a thought anyway. The way I see it, you're forgetting about why you're studying the language in the first place. In your post, I can't quite pinpoint if you still 'love' the language, or everything now is just part of the school requirement - ergo the frustrations. Please, I might be wrong about the impression I'm getting. So, don't take this the wrong way. If you can shift back to the perspective of you 'loving' the Chinese language, instead of focusing on what's wrong wit the teacher and the lack of opportunity to practice, perhaps things can be made easier for you? If the LOVE's lost, then yeah - everything going around will just disappoint and make you treat yourself hard than you deserve. As lushlala pointed out, you've a pretty impressive linguistic portfolio. So, don't be too hard on yourself. Lastly, as Linguaholic pointed out - it's best to reassess things as far as your goals are concerned. Not being clear on where you wish to take your language learning might just be adding to your frustration. Anyhow, just hang in there until you figure out things. Just don't give up just yet. Revive the love! HUGS!