I will try to address them over the weekend, if I have time, since it will likely require a lot of time. Mostly, I'm talking about talking symobolically rather than objectively. Yes, I believe there are elements in any language, and probably no language is wholly deficient in these elements. However, I was pointing out that languages may tend one way or the other as the speakers of the language do.
I'm not avoiding responding to your question, but before I do, I'd like to know more about why you think that they are weak in their mother tongue, (or why English speakers are stronger), which is what I found interesting, or surprising. Is it because of lack of exposure to Chinese classics, as you mentioned? And are English speakers more exposed? I actually think that exposure to math and science — in a real research way and not just theory — forces a language to become explicit with words instead of symbolic.
My reaction may be anecdotal, but I'll try to come up with at least six or more illustrating examples or patterns that I've experienced in Taiwan. There could also be cultural differences between different Chinese-speaking countries as well. My characterization of Chinese language might be summed up in the well-known phrase: "do (or interpret) as I mean instead of as I say."
What does age contribute to L2 acquistion?
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
I ought to stress a few pooints:
1. The friend who told me this is a mother tongue speaker of Chinese, and so are his students.
2. I was referrring to text-translation, not the spoken language.
I'd had this conversation with others before, and it would seem that he's not the only one who opines that his students' grammar has been slipping over the years. His theory is that they're spending too much time on English to be bothered with the mother tongue. The seem to have this attitude that there is not enough time to learn the mother tongue with all the English to be learnt, not realizing that mastery of the mother tongue is in fact the key to the second language.
1. The friend who told me this is a mother tongue speaker of Chinese, and so are his students.
2. I was referrring to text-translation, not the spoken language.
I'd had this conversation with others before, and it would seem that he's not the only one who opines that his students' grammar has been slipping over the years. His theory is that they're spending too much time on English to be bothered with the mother tongue. The seem to have this attitude that there is not enough time to learn the mother tongue with all the English to be learnt, not realizing that mastery of the mother tongue is in fact the key to the second language.