For Arabic class tomorrow...
Jul. 8th, 2004 06:57 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_journalDon't bother bringing the textbook. We're going to try immersion, just to give you all a break from studying grammar; I've arranged to have one of the big TVs set up in our classroom, so we're going to watch the news on Al-Jazeera.
Consider it an exercise in educated guessing. You'll have the images to give some context to the words, and I'll be asking you to work with your conversational partner or partners to jot some notes down on the fly. Afterwards, we'll have a discussion about what we've just seen, and I expect everyone to participate.
I've been noticing a really disturbing trend (not just in the Arabic class, but also the Mandarin) of people being afraid to speak up because they think they're going to 'get it wrong'. You don't learn a language without making copious mistakes. (Unless you're telepathic and can cheat.) No one is going to laugh at you... or at least, they'll only laugh once, as I will have them writing 'I am a stupidhead' in the appropriate language five hundred times on the blackboard if I hear so much as a snicker.
Consider it an exercise in educated guessing. You'll have the images to give some context to the words, and I'll be asking you to work with your conversational partner or partners to jot some notes down on the fly. Afterwards, we'll have a discussion about what we've just seen, and I expect everyone to participate.
I've been noticing a really disturbing trend (not just in the Arabic class, but also the Mandarin) of people being afraid to speak up because they think they're going to 'get it wrong'. You don't learn a language without making copious mistakes. (Unless you're telepathic and can cheat.) No one is going to laugh at you... or at least, they'll only laugh once, as I will have them writing 'I am a stupidhead' in the appropriate language five hundred times on the blackboard if I hear so much as a snicker.
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Re: *grins*
Date: 2004-07-09 03:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-09 03:58 am (UTC)Ha!
Date: 2004-07-09 05:02 am (UTC)While ordinarily I would just let the two of you snipe...
Date: 2004-07-09 07:03 am (UTC)Re: While ordinarily I would just let the two of you snipe...
Date: 2004-07-09 08:01 am (UTC)It's like, essential to good communication that you have something to call people when you can't remember who the hell they are.
Think of all the serious diplomatic incidents that could be avoided with just a simple "Dude" honorific for all?
*pauses* Am I even remotely gettin' my butt outta the fire here?
Point...
Date: 2004-07-09 08:09 am (UTC)Re: Point...
Date: 2004-07-09 08:17 am (UTC)Hmm...still, I had an even worse time finding a word in Askani. And seriously, totally never meant to call you what I did in Askani class...I didn't even know they had a word for that.