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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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Bob S. wrote: |
I wouldn't worry too much about English diluting your mother tongue. English itself is composed of thousands of loan words. So if you add a few English loan words to your language, you are probably adding something that originally came from French, Greek, or Latin (particularly in the sciences). Loan words don't impact the core of the language and the grammar.
For something really to worry about, consider the loss of basic writing literacy in languages that use Chinese characters resulting from convenient advances in technology. It has already hit Japan, and will soon hit China if it has not already. As young people become too familiar with using clever text input method editors on computers and cell phones, they don't practice (and end up forgetting) how to write the Chinese characters by hand.
To our friends in China, what do you think? Is it not a concern yet, or do you see it happening? |
Hummmm, Bob, I disagree with you when you said the loss of basic writing literacy in languages that use Chinese characters resulting from convenient advances in technology. actually, when Chinese young people use English, they think that's a kind of vogue and grace!! and most of them think that English can make them look well-educated and charming! I worry, as time gose by, maybe they would think Chinese sounds old-fashioned that's what I sorely worry about. |
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Snake777
Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 301 Location: Ho CHi Minh , Viet Nam
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Blah blah , Mandarin ... sounds great ! I'll ask you everything i want to know But now , i have nothing in my head . Too tired to think
Aww and noone knows " shou ai ni " means ! Lol none of my friends knows either , i saw it in a song . Oh well w/e
Hey redrose , how long have u studied English ?! Your English is EXCELLENT ! I have to study more and more if i want my English to be as good as urs ! Hahaha i want to beat u up Hahaa jk  |
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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:43 am Post subject: |
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Snake777 wrote: |
Hey redrose , how long have u studied English ?! Your English is EXCELLENT ! I have to study more and more if i want my English to be as good as urs ! Hahaha i want to beat u up Hahaa jk  |
Thank you. I have learnt English for several years You can beat me up already  |
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Snake777
Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 301 Location: Ho CHi Minh , Viet Nam
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:21 am Post subject: |
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Ohhhh plzzzzzzz , tell me exactly HOW LONG ?! lol "several years" does not make any senses
Hummn hey , how do you say " I miss you " in Mandarin ? Lol , just wondering lol anywayz "xeixei laoshi"
And hey , Ni jiao shenme mingzi ?! Lol Wo jiao Tram hahahah look at my Mandarin !!!!!!! OMG >_< is it good ?! |
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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:36 am Post subject: |
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Snake777 wrote: |
Ohhhh plzzzzzzz , tell me exactly HOW LONG ?! lol "several years" does not make any senses
Hummn hey , how do you say " I miss you " in Mandarin ? Lol , just wondering lol anywayz "xeixei laoshi"
And hey , Ni jiao shenme mingzi ?! Lol Wo jiao Tram hahahah look at my Mandarin !!!!!!! OMG >_< is it good ?! |
wow! your Mandarin is good!
I have learnt English for 2 years.
I miss you =wo xiang nian ni in mandarin. |
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Hayde
Joined: 23 Oct 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Icheon, Korea
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:47 am Post subject: |
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doi, ta de zhongwen hen hao
I can't believe you have only been learning English for 2 years RedRose. I know it is possible, but most people can't study that hard and are not so focused. How did you study? I am really curious, I want to learn your secret  |
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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:57 am Post subject: |
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Hayde wrote: |
doi, ta de zhongwen hen hao
I can't believe you have only been learning English for 2 years RedRose. I know it is possible, but most people can't study that hard and are not so focused. How did you study? I am really curious, I want to learn your secret  |
when I was in high school, we learnt mute English as all Chinese students did in those years, and I hated that! I didn't really learn english during my middle school.
2 years ago, I got infatuated in English! To like it, and you learn it, that would be the best way to learn a new language.
Watch as many English movies as you can!<-----A Catalan girl told me. and that would improve your English-listening ability. |
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Snake777
Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 301 Location: Ho CHi Minh , Viet Nam
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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O` ... i agree with you , Redrose ! I've been sutdying" Mute English " at my middle skool and also highskool now Vietnamese teachers teach us and its freaking boring . They only teach us the grammar and vocabulary . AND WE DONT SPEAK ENGLISH IN CLASS ! Vietnamese for only ! 'CUZ my friends re toooooo stupid to understand . If my teachers keep speaking English , my friends will tell them to speak Vietnamese and sooooooo on . Teachers dont really care if we can speak English ( or maybe they do care but try to ignore it ) , they dont help us with our listening skill nor speaking much ! Alll they care is : THE GRADE WE GET IN THE TESTS AND EXAMZ !
See ??!! It's a reason why that bunchs of my friends here cant speak English at all ( like the student that you mentioned , redrose ) I think all they can speak is just : Hello , my name is , how re u and some words ( eventhough they re juniors at highskool ) I used to have to tutor my friend . She did not really know anything ... grammar or vocabulary >_< . I tried alot to help her and good thing that she passed all the tests and examz . See ?! The way they teach us does not make us interested in English , just make us sleepy
Yup yup , and watching English movie helps me alot , i can learn everything from it hahah there re good things and bad things also . I cant wait until i graduate HS ! I want to be like you , redrose ! Now i dont have much time for English and other languages , i have many subjects to study at skool . Maths , physics , Chemistry and everything ! They barely confuse me alot I'm not good at them at all so i have to try alot  |
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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, snake, English-education in Vietnam is exactly like it in China! that's very dull!
Good luck to all your subjects.  |
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weiyao
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 105
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 9:38 pm Post subject: Re: Worry |
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RedRose wrote: |
Nowadays, English is getting more and more important as an international language. I am glad that more and more people love to learn English. Take me for example. At the beginning, I learnt English for the purpose of promotion and teaching my daught. but now I take English as a hobby. I find plenty of happiness in English-learning.
On the contrary, what I worry about is the loss of our mother tongues. Actually, I love Chinese because it is so wonderful(like all other languages), I can use Chinese fluently when I write something or speak, because I am an adult, and I have learnt Chinese for many years. I have received good Chinese language education since I was a kid. however, what about our kids? grandchildren? what about our great-grandchildren? In many elementary schools, for students, English class is more important than Chinese class! Nowadays, in China, many high school students can't use some beautiful traditional Chinese usage to write their articles.
English is invading other languages. as a Chinese, I worry... what if our kids can't handle Chinese as well as they use English? Maybe the diversity of culture will vanish. like monoculture? sigh! |
Actually lots of foreingers are learning chinese too, in the future, english and chinese will be the two languages that used the most. so both of them are equally important. Therefore, while learning english, don't forget to study chinese too.
I like english as well as chinese, but I am not good at them
Maybe you guys can help me with that right?  |
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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2005 1:52 am Post subject: |
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I hope what you said would come to true! weiyao.
and I am happy to help u with chinese  |
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weiyao
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 105
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Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2005 5:35 pm Post subject: |
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RedRose wrote: |
I hope what you said would come to true! weiyao.
and I am happy to help u with chinese  |
Thanks RedRose, but I need help with english too. |
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RedRose

Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 2735 Location: GuangZhou, China
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 2:51 am Post subject: |
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weiyao wrote: |
Thanks RedRose, but I need help with english too. |
Me too!! and your English is good enough to help me  |
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Snake777
Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 301 Location: Ho CHi Minh , Viet Nam
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 6:00 am Post subject: |
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Hehhehe dont be soo modest u guys . Your English is soooooo good ! Nothing to complain  |
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weiyao
Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 105
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Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2005 8:45 am Post subject: |
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hey, I am telling the truth, my english is poor, I need a lot of help with it.
RedRose, you are kidding me, your english is so good, I need to learn from you, so how can I help you? you must have said it ironically. |
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