When greeting an old lady of Belize
a tourist praised, "You speak English with ease."
"I know it, you fool;
They teach it in school!"
English is the State Language of Belize.
BELIZE LIMERICK
1
Tag Archives: language
PROMPT: Topics
I’d like to know more about the capabilities and limitations of AI, a rabbit-hole that I have only recently stumbled upon, but which I am tumbling down hard. Particularly, how to best use it for language acquisition as I am currently learning Chinese and would like to increase my literacy so I can open myself up to a whole new world of books.
I’m also curious about pratfalls and physical comedy all of a sudden.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Favorite Word
What’s your favorite word?
“Sword” is “words” with a simple swap where the word leapfrogs its ass, and yet they are unrhymable with each other. That’s a word with some sort of voodoo magic.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Use Regularly
Daily writing prompt
If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?
“Facetious.” But I only use it so much because I am it so much.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Excited
Being able to read Chinese, even if is dumbed-down stories for beginners and I still have to look words up every few sentences. But it feels like I’ve stumbled upon a door to a whole new universe.
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Writing
EPIPHANIES.
But, if you think about it, writing is miraculous. In the scheme of gifts that nature grants, it is way out beyond left field. Encoding ideas and images in simple characters in a way that can evoke emotional or cognitive responses in readers is kind of a superpower. (As is reading.)
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOK: “Old Master Q Chinese Idioms LOL 5” by Wong Chak
Old Master Q Chinese Idioms LOL 5 by Wong ChakMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher Instagram – Ng Hing Kee
This collection of chengyu (four-character Chinese idioms) are presented by means of humorous comic strips. Each idiom takes up one page, which includes: the chengyu in both Traditional Chinese characters and pinyin (Romanized phoneticization,) very brief literal and colloquial definitions as well as a statement of the general circumstances under which the idiom might be used, and a four to six panel comic strip that shows the reader a humorous scenario for which the idiom is applicable.
The book is divided into five parts, and at the end of each part there are a few pages of exercises to test the reader’s understanding of that section’s material. (Answer keys are provided — upside-down at the end of each quiz.)
As someone learning Chinese, I found this book to be useful. However, it doesn’t require any Chinese literacy to learn. If you’re interested in compact bits of wisdom or quotes, you may find this book worthwhile.
View all my reviews
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOKS: 千字文 [Thousand Character Essay] by 周兴嗣 [Zhou Xingsi]
千字文 by 周兴嗣My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A version with English commentary can be found at the IFA Gallery
This short work, consisting of just one-thousand characters, is first and foremost a teaching tool for children. While it presents a thousand of the most important Chinese characters, it also delivers lessons on history, ethics, philosophy, and culture by way of short sayings.
It’s arranged into 250 4-character phrases (125 sentences) and reads as a lyric poem, though because it dates to the Sixth Century, the degree to which the rhyme scheme holds varies depending upon the which spoken language one speaks (e.g. Mandarin, Cantonese, or Hakka.)
There have been different versions of this work over the centuries.
This is a much beloved work of literature among Chinese, though its sayings do not necessarily hold up as well as works like Sunzi’s Art of War or Laozi’s Daodejing. Some do, but most are much less relevant than when written.
As someone learning Chinese, I’d highly recommend this work as a way to expose oneself to language while gaining insight into Chinese culture.
View all my reviews
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
PROMPT: Talk
I’d like to be able to talk to anyone in Mandarin soon, unfortunately my pace of learning is so glacial as to preclude talking “soon” — at least on broad and undefined topics. [Note: When I say “anyone” I mean anyone who speaks Mandarin and has interesting things to say.]
Share on Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.
BOOKS: “Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Intermediate” ed. by John Pasden, et. al.
Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Intermediate by John PasdenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher Site – AllSet
I’ve found this series helpful in offering a basic guide to grammar for learning Mandarin through Simplified Characters and pinyin. It provides plenty of examples and is not dense with explanation and elaboration but rather focuses on the core principles as well as demonstrations of common pitfalls. It covers the B1 grammar points which is a designation used by, but not original to, the series. (As far as I can tell, it’s a European standard that has been applied across languages to organize the concepts one should be able to express at a given level of language learning.
This is the second book of the series that I’ve worked through (the third if one counts the “Just the Basics” level which is a subset of the Beginner level book,) and I intend to continue on to the “Upper Intermediate” guide.
This may not be the series you want if you’re a linguist looking for nuanced insight into Chinese grammar, but it’s excellent for your average language learner. [It also seems to be quite affordable compared to many competing grammar books and series.]
View all my reviews
Tiger Riding for Beginners 