Interviewer: What is the best way to teach someone something?
Interviewee: The teacher must be as straightforward as possible in order to avoid confusing the student.
Interviewer: What do you mean by being "straightforward"?
Interviewee: It means two things. Regarding the method of interacting, it means to be honest and to not hide anything from the student. Regarding the method of informing, it means to teach an objective as simply as possible without oversimplifying anything.
Interviewer: What things are you referring to when you say that they should not be hidden?
Interviewee: Teachers must not hide the truth from their students. If a student is wrong, then the teacher must point that out immediately so the student can improve.
Interviewer: Wouldn't you agree that the student will feel ashamed or upset if a teacher is so frank?
Interviewee: This is, sadly, inevitable, but it is also a part of the most efficient way to learn. For example, a teacher who does not make it explicitly clear that an answer is wrong might spare the feelings of a student, but this will cause the student to be confused over his/her validity. In the end, the student will feel burdened, confused, and possibly irritated at the content that is to be learned. By stating that a student is either right or wrong, the teacher saves the student from these stressful feelings, saves time, and also presents himself/herself as knowledgeable and confident in the learning material.
Interviewer: Is constructive criticism not allowed, then, according to what you are saying?
Interviewee: Constructive criticism, which is the mentioning of something positive and something negative, is actually necessary in situations where hiding it would make it a lie by omission. For instance, a student who simplifies an arithmetic expression by applying the order of operations, as required, yet makes a simple mistake in arithmetic, would arrive at an incorrect answer. If the teacher knows the reasoning of the student, then he/she must remark that the student was on the right track but deviated, arriving at an incorrect answer. For a student who arrives at the same incorrect answer by disregarding the order of operations in the simplification process, the teacher must remark that it is incorrect because the previously taught simplification process was ignored. The difference between these two students is that one actually had a correct process, while the other did not. By applying "constructive criticism" to the first student, the teacher tells him/her the whole truth rather than a part of it. After all, it is important to know why an answer is incorrect. This reduces confusion and helps the student learn from mistakes. When the teacher does not commend the student for following the order of operations, the student will have the tendency to believe that his/her mistake possibly came from not following the order of operations, and this is untrue. To make things clear, the teacher must commend the student for following the order of operations. Now, if the teacher were to commend the other student, the best compliment would have to say that the student produced a good effort. While effort is important, the teacher must not say this, for the effort, despite it being genuine, is a misguided effort. The student clearly did not follow the order of operations, and by encouraging the student's effort, there is no way that the student will change, as he/she shall continue to believe that his/her path of computation is a "good" one, when it is actually not. This may sound harsh, but the caring teacher must overcome the desire to make students feel content with their incorrect methods. In essence, the teacher must focus more on the path to the answer than the answer itself.
Interviewer: What if a student gets the right answer, but uses the incorrect process?
Interviewee: In this case, the teacher must do three things. First, he/she should say that the answer is correct. Then, he/she must say that the method used to arrive at the answer is incorrect. Finally. he/she must explain how it is incorrect and how to make the process correct the next time. The first step cannot be considered "constructive criticism", as it is a mere statement of the truth. The people who advocate "constructive criticism" are should essentially be forcing themselves to reveal more of the truth. However, if this "truth" is made up, exaggerated, or irrelevant, then it is harmful to the student's intellectual development and must not be said.
Interviewer: So you're saying that the teachers should focus more on the truth than on the way to respond to an incorrect answer, correct?
Interviewee: Most definitely. I also said that teachers should tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The "whole truth" refers to the mentioning of a correct process in order to avoid confusion. "Nothing but the truth" refers to the avoidance of stretching the truth or exaggerating the importance of a correct answer when there is something else that is clearly wrong.
Interviewer: Can you conclude that this "straightforwardness" of which you speak is simply truthfulness?
Interviewee: Yes; it is truthfulness and honesty.
Interviewer: Why, then, do some teachers still avoid hurting student's feelings when straightforwardness is so logically important?
Interviewee: It is because they fear being judged by their behaviors and impacts on emotions.
Interviewer: Can you elaborate on that?
Interviewee: Yes, I can. When we judge ourselves, we judge ourselves based on our intentions. Consequentialists commonly called these intentions, when accomplished, the "ends". If you think about it, it is completely logical and fair to be judged based on what your end-goal is. However, the conflict arises when a second party fails to do so, and instead, judges based on behavior, called the "means", the direct consequences of such behaviors, and the immediate emotional impacts. For example, teachers who comment on the incorrect thinking methods of students will make some sensitive students upset. This is because these students do not want to spend time considering the reasons behind the criticism. They only remember that the teacher made them feel bad. What is the reasoning behind this, though? It is because humans instinctively dislike being wrong, and do not want others to draw attention to their imperfections. However, we are all imperfect, anyway, and pointing out the imperfections of people helps them correct those imperfections. Rationally, there is no reason to be upset about being wrong.
Interviewer: Couldn't you say, though, that the reason for being upset is because humans dislike humiliation from others?
Interviewee: Of course, but we already know, disregarding society, that these negative emotions of an individual who is wrong are instinctive. They are not, therefore, rational, and so humiliating others based on this illogical reason is illogical in itself. Humiliation in general is frowned upon, and we try our best to eliminate it, but is exists, sadly. Based on this simple, rational reasoning, we can already see that the world is not perfect. Teachers who help students are seen as mean because of these instinctive emotions. If anyone argues that such teachers are truly mean, then these people are biased by their instincts, which are not rationally justifiable.
Interviewer: This is a sad reality! The teacher-student emotional conflict obviously is an imperfection, and who are you blaming for this?
Interviewee: Blaming is something that is immature. I do not need to blame anyone, since the the truth itself shows that the sensitive students and overly-commending teachers have unjustified actions. It's as simple as that. It really is.
Interviewer: Is there a solution to this problem?
Interviewee: Yes, but it is bound to be rejected by society. The solution is quite simple: have teachers teach students about this issue that we're discussing, and have the teachers speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the whole, straightforward, unbiased truth. If a student is wrong, then that student is wrong and should be helped. If a student is right, then the teacher must make sure that the student is right for the wrong reason. If the reason is wrong, then the student is wrong and needs help! "Oh, you're such a cold person!" anyone may could to me. That person, then, would be biased and would have the burden of proof that a "warm person" is better for society. I have already proven that neither a "cold person" nor a "warm person" is the best for society, but that an honest person is. The problem is that society will not accept these honest people. We are humans, after all, and this means that we are swayed by emotions. For these teachers, this would mean that they have to cope with this by praising more often, which is good but many times unnecessary or wrong, as I mentioned earlier. The only way to free these teachers and other enlightened people is to spread these ideas of which I speak, and so I absolutely encourage you, as well as anyone who has access to this conversation in any form, to make a best effort in diffusing these ideas. For if you are not, then you are in support of forever binding humanity in our own chains. The diffusion will be gradual, but without everyone's help, it is not possible. These ideas may seem radical, but one hundred years ago, so was women's suffrage. So was equality between the races, and so was the idea of abolishing monarchies. Sixty years ago, we even believed that tobacco smoke was good in various ways to one's health! If nobody makes a move, then nothing will change about our ideas. We would be living under a king who smokes for his health and whose kingdom oppresses women and minority races! The emotional-logical conflict is the issue of the present, and there will be inevitable opposition. However, if we don't push these ideas and draw attention to the cause, then nothing will happen. We can change the unfortunate reality, and everyone's help is needed in this critical time.
Interviewer: Thank you very much! It was a pleasure speaking with you.
Interviewee: Thank you for giving me this opportunity.
You will likely agree that this blog is universally appealing, as it includes posts for various topics, all for one purpose: to inform you with interesting knowledge, inspire you to take action, and lead you on a personal transformation.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
Things You Should Try: A Two-part List
As I have already mentioned along with my video review of the ambarella fruit in a past blog post, everyone should take the time to experience the world. There is not much time to live, but if you do more things than others do, you will end up happier and with fewer regrets. In this post, I shall give you some specific suggestions that you might find fun or interesting. Some things may bore you, but this is totally normal. In life, not everything you do will be fun, but at least you can have a cheery "been there, done that" attitude. Without further ado, we shall begin the list, which will consist of two parts. The first part will contain the four things I think of first, and I shall include elaboration. The second part will consist of a simple list without elaboration. This does not mean that the first part is more important than the second.
1.) Growing your own food
This is both challenging and fun. I have a garden of Thai peppers and habaneros in my backyard. I started gardening when I arrived home from the TMTA (Texas Music Teachers Association) Piano Performance Competition of June 2014. At a Kroger in downtown Houston, Texas, where the competition took place, I bought one Thai pepper and one habanero. I later planted the seeds of them in my backyard, and I am expecting the third harvest of Thai peppers to be soon. Currently, there are two live Thai pepper plants of consecutive generations as well as seven live habanero plants.
Growing your own vegetables and fruits is fun because of the possibility of harvest. When the first few leaves of lettuce are visible, the gardener is filled with gaiety. When the first few flowers of pepper plants blossom, the gardener is ecstatic. There is always some thrill in the process because there exists a possibility of disaster. When growing pepper plants, the gardener loves to see ripening pods, but is nervous about eating extremely hot chilies. When flowers blossom, the gardener is worried about the number of flowers that will be successfully pollinated. When leafy greens grow, the gardener is worried about the possibility of pests ruining the year's crop permanently. Yet when the gardener is still content in the amount of the harvest, the suspense is released and he/she is satisfied.
When growing vegetables and fruits, one must have the ability of innovative problem-solving. One consistently worries about how to protect plants from inclement weather and must also deal with ants, aphids, insect larvae, fungal growth, and bacterial infections. When one is on vacation, insufficient watering is a concern. When I took a vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park, I faced this problem. As my whole family was away, I had to create a temporary, timed watering system using a soaker-hose, a timer, and a holey chair. We tested the system, and it worked according to my plans. However, when we came back from the vacation, we found out that only seven of the eighteen plants survived. After a few minutes of investigation, we found the source of the problem: the timer's battery ran out of energy! There are many variables in growing your own food, and one must be able to accept the fact that it is not easy to control all of the variables. This is why gardening is both fun and challenging.
2.) Crocheting or Knitting
Crocheting or knitting may be repetitive, and definitely takes much dedication and time. Personally, I prefer crocheting over knitting. For one, it only requires one stick—in this case, it is a hook—while knitting requires two needles that are dangerously sharp. Also, crocheting is more versatile and easier to undo (in case of a mistake). Basically, a crocheted fabric is a gigantic chain of slip knots. Knitting is more repetitive: there are two basic stitches: the knit and the purl, which are opposites of each other. A knit fabric is harder to undo, and, in my opinion, takes a longer time to create. However, with some time, the results can be wonderful. I've always had a "if you don't have it, then make it" attitude, and it is always a delight to tie off the last stitch of a project.
When I was eleven, I crocheted the small purse shown below.
1.) Growing your own food
This is both challenging and fun. I have a garden of Thai peppers and habaneros in my backyard. I started gardening when I arrived home from the TMTA (Texas Music Teachers Association) Piano Performance Competition of June 2014. At a Kroger in downtown Houston, Texas, where the competition took place, I bought one Thai pepper and one habanero. I later planted the seeds of them in my backyard, and I am expecting the third harvest of Thai peppers to be soon. Currently, there are two live Thai pepper plants of consecutive generations as well as seven live habanero plants.
Growing your own vegetables and fruits is fun because of the possibility of harvest. When the first few leaves of lettuce are visible, the gardener is filled with gaiety. When the first few flowers of pepper plants blossom, the gardener is ecstatic. There is always some thrill in the process because there exists a possibility of disaster. When growing pepper plants, the gardener loves to see ripening pods, but is nervous about eating extremely hot chilies. When flowers blossom, the gardener is worried about the number of flowers that will be successfully pollinated. When leafy greens grow, the gardener is worried about the possibility of pests ruining the year's crop permanently. Yet when the gardener is still content in the amount of the harvest, the suspense is released and he/she is satisfied.
When growing vegetables and fruits, one must have the ability of innovative problem-solving. One consistently worries about how to protect plants from inclement weather and must also deal with ants, aphids, insect larvae, fungal growth, and bacterial infections. When one is on vacation, insufficient watering is a concern. When I took a vacation to Rocky Mountain National Park, I faced this problem. As my whole family was away, I had to create a temporary, timed watering system using a soaker-hose, a timer, and a holey chair. We tested the system, and it worked according to my plans. However, when we came back from the vacation, we found out that only seven of the eighteen plants survived. After a few minutes of investigation, we found the source of the problem: the timer's battery ran out of energy! There are many variables in growing your own food, and one must be able to accept the fact that it is not easy to control all of the variables. This is why gardening is both fun and challenging.
2.) Crocheting or Knitting
Crocheting or knitting may be repetitive, and definitely takes much dedication and time. Personally, I prefer crocheting over knitting. For one, it only requires one stick—in this case, it is a hook—while knitting requires two needles that are dangerously sharp. Also, crocheting is more versatile and easier to undo (in case of a mistake). Basically, a crocheted fabric is a gigantic chain of slip knots. Knitting is more repetitive: there are two basic stitches: the knit and the purl, which are opposites of each other. A knit fabric is harder to undo, and, in my opinion, takes a longer time to create. However, with some time, the results can be wonderful. I've always had a "if you don't have it, then make it" attitude, and it is always a delight to tie off the last stitch of a project.
When I was eleven, I crocheted the small purse shown below.
My father found it strange that I was so happy when I finished and said that I was being too effeminate of a boy. However, I always was, and I might cover this topic in a later blog post. Personally, I believe that knitting or crocheting is not simply an activity for females. Historically, this has been the case, but I advocate for others to try this, too, particularly if you haven't yet.
When I first began crocheting, I never really thought about knitting. It was because I did not have access to knitting needles. Being from a Chinese family, though, I found out that it was easy to make knitting needles from chopsticks. Thus, I went to a Chinese restaurant and took back a pair of the cheap bamboo chopsticks. I inserted the chopsticks in a pencil sharpener to taper the ends to a point, and then I used sandpaper to smooth out the tip. The knitting needles worked well, and I was pleased with my own innovation. Nevertheless, I did not find knitting any more fun than crocheting, so I soon stopped knitting. And this is totally fine! In life, nobody will enjoy everything, but until you actually try something, you will not know whether you like it or not. This is why I giving you these specific suggestions.
3.) Traveling
*Blogger deleted the entire post starting from this point. While my memory of the deleted post is still fresh, I shall try to retype everything from my memory. I wish myself good luck!
Hang a map of the world on a wall and obtain a dart. Shoot the dart at the map with your eyes closed. When you see the location on the map that the dart landed on, remember that location and plan a vacation to that area.
The purpose of what I described above is to allow you to experience the world as a whole. When people go to the most popular attractions of the world, they are called "tourists". These tourists live in relatively comfortable conditions and have detailed plans on where to go. I'm telling you not to be a tourist, but to be a traveler.
A traveler is one who does not only go to the most popular attractions. A traveler is one who knows that Paris is not the entirety of France. One cannot visit Paris and say, "I have seen France!" Similarly, one cannot go to Washington, D.C. and say "I have seen the entirety of the United States of America!" The problem is that these places are unrepresentative of the whole, whatever this "whole" may mean. It may be a vernacular region, or it may be a formal region such as a state or a nation. (Yes, there is a difference between a state and a nation; a state has a political boundary, while a nation has a cultural one.)
It is most fun if you do not go overboard in planning a vacation. Find a place to stay and have some room for exploration. A tour, although it may be informative and interesting, does not count as a mode of exploration!
I believe that you understand my point by now.
4.) Learning a Portable Instrument
Learning an instrument is, I believe, universally accepted as a respectable undertaking. If I were to recommend an instrument to learn, it would definitely be the piano. I am biased, since I play piano, but I do have some arguments to present in favor of piano.
Nevertheless, this is not the topic of this section. I advocate that you learn to play a portable instrument like a recorder. It relieves boredom on long trips, gives you more talent, and develops your coordination and preciseness of muscle movements. Plus, you can easily assemble and transport a portable instrument, so you can play it anywhere with ease.
"Casual playing" is a term I use to describe the style of playing portable instruments in informal settings. (That is, you are not an onstage performer.) Some instruments of the symphony orchestra are usually played formally, but can also be suitable for casual playing. I recommend in this category the oboe and the clarinet. The oboe produces a warm, piercing tone that is mesmerizing to listen to; the clarinet produces a clean, pure timbre that resonates appealingly. The clarinet is the easier one to learn, but I personally prefer the oboe.
Notice that these portable instruments tend to be small, common woodwind instruments. These are the easiest to carry, and are therefore suitable to casual playing. Just this Halloween, I went trick-or-treating while playing Christmas carols on my plastic recorder!
*****
The second part of the list, shown below, contains some interesting things you can try in your spare time. I've left out elaboration.
- Singing
- Writing
- Creating origami models
- Trap-making
- Learning a martial art
- Learning a language
- Ballroom dancing
- Computer Programming
- Flag designing
- Cooking
- Public speaking
- Debating
- Composing music
- Filming videos
- Rereading this list so you can actually start doing something
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Brief Thoughts #1
In these "Brief Thought" posts, I will begin with an idea and stem my thoughts out from that starting point, choosing one or more idea-paths on the way for your enjoyment and benefit.
My starting idea for this post shall be school. When I think of school, one particular awkward moment comes to mind. Imagine that you are sitting in a class in which you do not do well. The teacher asks a question, and miraculously, you actually know the answer. You raise your hand, waving your fingertips back and forth, fluttering them like a butterfly flutters its wings, desperate to get called on. However, someone else blurts out that answer before the teacher calls on you, and your glory stays invisible to the world. You sigh.
Has this ever happened? It certainly has for me, and I know that the reason people may feel jealous when this happens is because they desire personal glory. It's like being an absolute monarch. Charles XII of Sweden had the same mentality! However, whoever it was who blurted the answer would have been killed by an absolute monarch like Charles XII. It is sad to hear about such violence, but it is the harsh reality. When people desire personal glory, others end up dying. Isn't this just bad for that person's reputation, though? When people die to make you famous, are you proud of that? You should not be proud of fame-inducing bloodshed, but it used to be a symbol of power. So many other things have changed through time. For instance, wives used to change their surnames to match those of their husbands as a symbol of "giving herself" to the domination of her husband. Nowadays, this has already evolved to be merely a tradition. Female feminists who want in every way to be independent from men sometimes do not change their surnames after marriage, and this is totally acceptable. My mom did just that.
Do you know what else is acceptable? In Colorado, the recreational use of cannabis is allowed legally. Does that mean that everyone should use drugs? No. Of course not! Drug usage is one of the biggest unresolved problems of the world, and the only way to not contribute is to not use drugs. It's like a disease. Once you have the disease (i.e. use the drug for the first time), you will continue to have that disease, sometimes until you die. There is an overwhelming urge for first-time drug-users to use drugs again, and they simply cannot control their consumption! The only way to avoid this insanity is by avoiding drugs. Schools try to teach students this by having a "Red Ribbon Week". While Red Ribbon Week does raise some awareness about drug usage, it actually increases the chance of any random student to use illegal drugs. This is problematic, but there are few alternatives to Red Ribbon Week. After all, the school would like to say that they've at least done something about the issue. Sometimes, intervention simply isn't effective, but at least it's a genuine effort.
Speaking of efforts, I'd like to point out that we judge ourselves by our efforts and intentions and others by their impacts. If you were to kill your neighbor's pets on the streets and said that your intentions were good (i.e. you wanted to stop rabies), you would commend yourself and attack the position of anyone who says otherwise. (This is why people fight or argue.) However, if others were to do the same, you would not care if they had good intentions. Generally, you would only seem as if the results of the persons actions affected you at all. This phenomenon is called selfishness or egocentrism, and is contradictory to principles of fairness and the purpose of this blog.
The final thought is random. The next time you cook the insides of an egg, take your finger and scoop out some of the raw egg white. Put the substance over your nose and the intersections of your nose with your face. Let it dry, and when you pull it off, blackheads should come off with it. I have not tried this yet, but my mother is not skeptical of its effectiveness.
Eat nutritiously and sleep well!
My starting idea for this post shall be school. When I think of school, one particular awkward moment comes to mind. Imagine that you are sitting in a class in which you do not do well. The teacher asks a question, and miraculously, you actually know the answer. You raise your hand, waving your fingertips back and forth, fluttering them like a butterfly flutters its wings, desperate to get called on. However, someone else blurts out that answer before the teacher calls on you, and your glory stays invisible to the world. You sigh.
Has this ever happened? It certainly has for me, and I know that the reason people may feel jealous when this happens is because they desire personal glory. It's like being an absolute monarch. Charles XII of Sweden had the same mentality! However, whoever it was who blurted the answer would have been killed by an absolute monarch like Charles XII. It is sad to hear about such violence, but it is the harsh reality. When people desire personal glory, others end up dying. Isn't this just bad for that person's reputation, though? When people die to make you famous, are you proud of that? You should not be proud of fame-inducing bloodshed, but it used to be a symbol of power. So many other things have changed through time. For instance, wives used to change their surnames to match those of their husbands as a symbol of "giving herself" to the domination of her husband. Nowadays, this has already evolved to be merely a tradition. Female feminists who want in every way to be independent from men sometimes do not change their surnames after marriage, and this is totally acceptable. My mom did just that.
Do you know what else is acceptable? In Colorado, the recreational use of cannabis is allowed legally. Does that mean that everyone should use drugs? No. Of course not! Drug usage is one of the biggest unresolved problems of the world, and the only way to not contribute is to not use drugs. It's like a disease. Once you have the disease (i.e. use the drug for the first time), you will continue to have that disease, sometimes until you die. There is an overwhelming urge for first-time drug-users to use drugs again, and they simply cannot control their consumption! The only way to avoid this insanity is by avoiding drugs. Schools try to teach students this by having a "Red Ribbon Week". While Red Ribbon Week does raise some awareness about drug usage, it actually increases the chance of any random student to use illegal drugs. This is problematic, but there are few alternatives to Red Ribbon Week. After all, the school would like to say that they've at least done something about the issue. Sometimes, intervention simply isn't effective, but at least it's a genuine effort.
Speaking of efforts, I'd like to point out that we judge ourselves by our efforts and intentions and others by their impacts. If you were to kill your neighbor's pets on the streets and said that your intentions were good (i.e. you wanted to stop rabies), you would commend yourself and attack the position of anyone who says otherwise. (This is why people fight or argue.) However, if others were to do the same, you would not care if they had good intentions. Generally, you would only seem as if the results of the persons actions affected you at all. This phenomenon is called selfishness or egocentrism, and is contradictory to principles of fairness and the purpose of this blog.
The final thought is random. The next time you cook the insides of an egg, take your finger and scoop out some of the raw egg white. Put the substance over your nose and the intersections of your nose with your face. Let it dry, and when you pull it off, blackheads should come off with it. I have not tried this yet, but my mother is not skeptical of its effectiveness.
Eat nutritiously and sleep well!
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Language Learning
When I delivered the speech about ad hominem in the speech competition I attended, I gained much knowledge from the speeches of others. The event created mutual benefit for all contestants, but there are things the competitors learned that others have not yet even heard of. This is not exactly unfair, but I believe that you would have some intellectual gain from what I shall share with you.
There was one contestant who spoke on the nature of languages and the learning of them. He told us that "languages are open doors", and that one can gain a new perspective of the world when learning languages. Not only can one establish new friendships, but one can also exercise the mind in learning new vocabulary that might be specific to one culture. I agree with his reasoning, as it shows an understanding of the benefits of language learning and its potential applications.
This idea is very much true, but since it only discusses the reasons for learning languages, I would like to add on by sharing my views on how to learn languages.
The first thing one usually learns when beginning to learn a new language is pronunciation. Pronunciation is only the beginning of learning a language, but that does not imply that it is not important. Rather, you can think of it as a foundation on which everything else is built. You could still build a sturdy house on a not-so-great foundation, but the house may seem a bit slanted or askew. Similarly, on can perfect grammar and vocabulary, yet sound like a foreigner or beginner by simply having bad pronunciation. Therefore, it is almost essential to master pronunciation of letters, then words, and then sentences.
An important thing to note is that the basic unit of speech in many languages is, in fact, not the letter. Letters are the units of alphabet-based languages, such as English, in which vowels and consonants are equally important and are written one after the other in a straight line. There are, however, four other commonly-used systems of writing: abjads, abugidas, syllabaries, and semanto-phonetic scripts. Abjads are scripts that focus on consonants. Vowels are expressed using diacritical marks, but they are not usually written at all. Arabic is the most widely-used abjad. Hebrew also belongs to this category. Abugidas are also scripts that emphasize consonants. Vowels are required to be written, but they exist as large diacritical marks that are found around the main consonant but are pronounced after them. Many Indian scripts are abugidas. Syllabaries are scripts in which most symbols represent individual syllables, usually consisting of a consonant sound followed by a vowel. Consequently, there are many symbols to be memorized, but there is minimal confusion in reading. The Japanese Hiragana and Katakana scripts, as well as the Cherokee script, invented by Sequoyah, are syllabaries. Semanto-phonetic scripts are scripts in which each symbol represents a sound and meaning simultaneously. Chinese is a semanto-phonetic script, and Egyptian hieroglyphics were, too.
Whatever the script type is that you are learning, it is important to learn the pronunciations of a language's phonemes. Therefore, it is a great idea to learn IPA, or the International Phonetic Alphabet. The IPA is a collection of mostly all of the phonemes (i.e. sounds) used in every language. It is an essential reference to use while learning pronunciation. There are two types of phonemes: vowels and consonants. The categorization of vowels takes into consideration three factors: backness, closeness, and lip roundedness. Backness refers to the place of pronunciation. For instance, the backness of the vowel "u" is greater than that of the vowel "i". Closeness refers to how open the mouth is when pronouncing the vowel, and lip roundedness is a binary value, either rounded or unrounded, of the lip shape in pronunciation. The IPA vowel "i", for instance, is unrounded, and its rounded counterpart is the vowel denoted by the symbol "y". (It is like the German "ü" sound.)
Consonants are more difficult to pronounce. The factors of consonant pronunciation include place of articulation, manner of articulation, voicing, aspiration, and tongue shape. Since consonants are more complicated, I have included an IPA consonant chart.
Since I have included a consonant chart, I shall also show a picture of an IPA vowel chart.
It is important to note that each IPA symbol correlates to exactly one phoneme. It is, in a sense, a one-to-one function. This is not the case in English, though. There are only 26 letters in English, but about 44 phonemes. Therefore, letters or combinations of them may map to multiple phonemes. When some of the 44 phonemes are pronounced more often than the others, accents form. When learning languages with different sets of phonemes, though, it is never okay to use mother-tongue phonemes in replacement of that language's similar phonemes and call the incorrect pronunciation of the language an "accent". For example, the word for "woman" in the Eyak language of Alaska is "qe'ł", which is pronounced [qʰɛʔɬ]. However, if one pronounces it [kʰɛʔʃ], which uses English phonemes instead of the correct Eyak ones, and believes that it is merely an acceptable "accent", that person is, sadly, incorrect and must refer to the strict guidelines of IPA to correct the problem before it becomes a bad habit. Unfortunately, this is a problem I witness almost every day. The Spanish learners in my high school do not pay attention to pronunciation and sometimes mock others for "trying too hard to have a Spanish or Mexican accent" without recognizing that they are the ones who do not understand the basic principles of pronunciation. If you are such a person, I hope that this post has helped you realize this problem.
From what I have told you, it seems that pronunciation and scripts are super-complicated aspects of language. This is not true, though; pronunciation and scripts are the most fundamental aspects. The most complicated aspect of language is not the memorization of words or grammar rules, either. It is the expression of ideas in new methods and perspectives. For example, the idea expressed by the English words "there is" is, in German, "es gibt", which literally translates to "it gives". For Germans learning English, it is strange to talk about scissors and pants in the plural. In German, these ideas are expressed by words that can be translated to "scissor" and "pant". Similarly, the English use of the words "have to" instead of "must" is a completely absurd concept to nonnatives. Also, in Chinese, there are words called "measure words" that are used as "counters" or units for every object. For English speakers, this idea is almost inconceivable. For Germans, measure words may be perceived as grammatical genders, but they are, in fact, completely different things. It is almost like the practice of saying "a pair of pants" or "a length of yarn". Now imagine that you are required to use such words for every single noun in Chinese!
Anyway, this post has explored the aspects of language learning instead of its applications and benefits. You can think of the benefits of knowing a new language as a motivation. Without a method to acquire these benefits, though, it is harder to be constantly motivated. Therefore, I have given you some insight on the process of language learning by sharing with you the fundamental components of script and pronunciation, as well as the complicated idea-expression aspect. Overall, there are five parts of language learning that I believe to exist: script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and idea-expression. These are listed in easiest-to-hardest order. If you found this clarification helpful, then I wish that your language-learning journey has already become easier. Have a nice day!
There was one contestant who spoke on the nature of languages and the learning of them. He told us that "languages are open doors", and that one can gain a new perspective of the world when learning languages. Not only can one establish new friendships, but one can also exercise the mind in learning new vocabulary that might be specific to one culture. I agree with his reasoning, as it shows an understanding of the benefits of language learning and its potential applications.
This idea is very much true, but since it only discusses the reasons for learning languages, I would like to add on by sharing my views on how to learn languages.
The first thing one usually learns when beginning to learn a new language is pronunciation. Pronunciation is only the beginning of learning a language, but that does not imply that it is not important. Rather, you can think of it as a foundation on which everything else is built. You could still build a sturdy house on a not-so-great foundation, but the house may seem a bit slanted or askew. Similarly, on can perfect grammar and vocabulary, yet sound like a foreigner or beginner by simply having bad pronunciation. Therefore, it is almost essential to master pronunciation of letters, then words, and then sentences.
An important thing to note is that the basic unit of speech in many languages is, in fact, not the letter. Letters are the units of alphabet-based languages, such as English, in which vowels and consonants are equally important and are written one after the other in a straight line. There are, however, four other commonly-used systems of writing: abjads, abugidas, syllabaries, and semanto-phonetic scripts. Abjads are scripts that focus on consonants. Vowels are expressed using diacritical marks, but they are not usually written at all. Arabic is the most widely-used abjad. Hebrew also belongs to this category. Abugidas are also scripts that emphasize consonants. Vowels are required to be written, but they exist as large diacritical marks that are found around the main consonant but are pronounced after them. Many Indian scripts are abugidas. Syllabaries are scripts in which most symbols represent individual syllables, usually consisting of a consonant sound followed by a vowel. Consequently, there are many symbols to be memorized, but there is minimal confusion in reading. The Japanese Hiragana and Katakana scripts, as well as the Cherokee script, invented by Sequoyah, are syllabaries. Semanto-phonetic scripts are scripts in which each symbol represents a sound and meaning simultaneously. Chinese is a semanto-phonetic script, and Egyptian hieroglyphics were, too.
Whatever the script type is that you are learning, it is important to learn the pronunciations of a language's phonemes. Therefore, it is a great idea to learn IPA, or the International Phonetic Alphabet. The IPA is a collection of mostly all of the phonemes (i.e. sounds) used in every language. It is an essential reference to use while learning pronunciation. There are two types of phonemes: vowels and consonants. The categorization of vowels takes into consideration three factors: backness, closeness, and lip roundedness. Backness refers to the place of pronunciation. For instance, the backness of the vowel "u" is greater than that of the vowel "i". Closeness refers to how open the mouth is when pronouncing the vowel, and lip roundedness is a binary value, either rounded or unrounded, of the lip shape in pronunciation. The IPA vowel "i", for instance, is unrounded, and its rounded counterpart is the vowel denoted by the symbol "y". (It is like the German "ü" sound.)
Consonants are more difficult to pronounce. The factors of consonant pronunciation include place of articulation, manner of articulation, voicing, aspiration, and tongue shape. Since consonants are more complicated, I have included an IPA consonant chart.
Since I have included a consonant chart, I shall also show a picture of an IPA vowel chart.
It is important to note that each IPA symbol correlates to exactly one phoneme. It is, in a sense, a one-to-one function. This is not the case in English, though. There are only 26 letters in English, but about 44 phonemes. Therefore, letters or combinations of them may map to multiple phonemes. When some of the 44 phonemes are pronounced more often than the others, accents form. When learning languages with different sets of phonemes, though, it is never okay to use mother-tongue phonemes in replacement of that language's similar phonemes and call the incorrect pronunciation of the language an "accent". For example, the word for "woman" in the Eyak language of Alaska is "qe'ł", which is pronounced [qʰɛʔɬ]. However, if one pronounces it [kʰɛʔʃ], which uses English phonemes instead of the correct Eyak ones, and believes that it is merely an acceptable "accent", that person is, sadly, incorrect and must refer to the strict guidelines of IPA to correct the problem before it becomes a bad habit. Unfortunately, this is a problem I witness almost every day. The Spanish learners in my high school do not pay attention to pronunciation and sometimes mock others for "trying too hard to have a Spanish or Mexican accent" without recognizing that they are the ones who do not understand the basic principles of pronunciation. If you are such a person, I hope that this post has helped you realize this problem.
From what I have told you, it seems that pronunciation and scripts are super-complicated aspects of language. This is not true, though; pronunciation and scripts are the most fundamental aspects. The most complicated aspect of language is not the memorization of words or grammar rules, either. It is the expression of ideas in new methods and perspectives. For example, the idea expressed by the English words "there is" is, in German, "es gibt", which literally translates to "it gives". For Germans learning English, it is strange to talk about scissors and pants in the plural. In German, these ideas are expressed by words that can be translated to "scissor" and "pant". Similarly, the English use of the words "have to" instead of "must" is a completely absurd concept to nonnatives. Also, in Chinese, there are words called "measure words" that are used as "counters" or units for every object. For English speakers, this idea is almost inconceivable. For Germans, measure words may be perceived as grammatical genders, but they are, in fact, completely different things. It is almost like the practice of saying "a pair of pants" or "a length of yarn". Now imagine that you are required to use such words for every single noun in Chinese!
Anyway, this post has explored the aspects of language learning instead of its applications and benefits. You can think of the benefits of knowing a new language as a motivation. Without a method to acquire these benefits, though, it is harder to be constantly motivated. Therefore, I have given you some insight on the process of language learning by sharing with you the fundamental components of script and pronunciation, as well as the complicated idea-expression aspect. Overall, there are five parts of language learning that I believe to exist: script, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and idea-expression. These are listed in easiest-to-hardest order. If you found this clarification helpful, then I wish that your language-learning journey has already become easier. Have a nice day!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
General Advice Post #1: Ad Hominem, Paper, and Smiling
This series of posts, called "General Advice Posts", is one of my methods of using my personal experience to help you and make your life easier. You should expect to see that all, if not most, of my pieces of advice are based not on logic, but on experience. Being a logical person, I find it hard to give advice to others when the advice is rooted so strongly in empiricism, but since I believe that people learn through both reasoning and experiences, this action is not against my principles in any way. Honestly, there does not need to be a classic "rationalism versus empiricism" debate, for moderation between the two is best for learning, at least in my views.
Anyway, I would like to start with a very simple suggestion to keep in mind. When your views differ from someone else's argument, it is not appropriate to argue with that person via personal attacks. This is a common logical fallacy called an "ad hominem fallacy", and makes your own argument weaker. For instance, Billy may say, "Our group should change our entire project idea and build a model castle instead of a cathedral for Art 101." If you support the idea of sticking to the plan of building a cathedral, you are allowed to defend that point of view, but attacking Billy personally is not okay. The following statements are logically fallacious:
- "Stop arguing, Billy; you're so dumb! You're just wasting everyone's time!"
- "But you're only saying to build a castle instead because Jenna dared you to do so!"
- "You're the one with twelve-thousand model cathedrals at home. You can't just be suddenly against that idea, you hypocrite!"
- "But Arthur McArthur also wanted to build model castles instead of cathedrals when he was young, and now he's in jail for piracy! You don't want to be like him, right?"
The next tip for you is quite specific in topic. I recommend that you keep a pile of scratch paper on your desk or near it. Being an inquisitive learner, I find it convenient to use scratch paper to write down interesting or important information that one would not usually learn at school. Paper can also be used for the synthesis of new ideas. (Bloom's Taxonomy is something you should at least comprehend at this point. If you don't know what it is, search it!) Knowledge can be gathered on paper, and the lasting graphite or ink marks on the paper allow for a test of comprehension of what has been learnt. Application, analysis and synthesis follow. Personally, I believe that synthesis is the most important aspect of learning. Synthesis is innovation. It does not necessarily mean that you are an absolute pioneer in that field of knowledge, but synthesis allows you to train your mind and improve the world around you. For instance, I may learn about mechanics and how dryer sheets can remove the static electricity from your hair. When I write these things down on paper, I can physically see what I have learnt, combine these ideas, and design a mechanical machine that effectively and quickly attaches a dryer sheet to a hairbrush. (This is something I'm working on right now.) I give thanks to myself for placing scratch paper on my desk. However, I must point out that lined paper, especially notebook paper, does not have the same beneficial effects. Lined paper has boundaries set up for you—literally! In school, you learn to write letters in the space between lines. This causes you to write only what you can fit on these lines. Pictures and diagrams do not "belong", in a way, on lined paper, where everything you write has already been limited by your own habits. It makes you less creative, simply speaking. Although I avoid using notebook paper for writing, I find it useful in another area. Since notebook paper is unsuitable for writing, is thinner than normal paper, and thereby is softer, it is suitable to be used as an oil-blotting sheet. (I will conduct a study later to see if lined paper inhibits creativity.)
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| An unlined sheet and a lined sheet of scratch paper lay next to each other on my desk. |
Finally (for this post), I will discuss a way to determine how much a person is interested in a conversation. Notice if the person smiles. Usually, people find typical conversations boring. It is simply because there is a habituation to regular conversations that prevents them from developing acute interest in a subject of discussion. In these cases, smiling is not common. Smiling is the result of something in a conversation affecting the emotions. If one smiles genuinely, his/her emotions are engaged in the conversation. This test does not always work. In some cases, people who are emotionally engaged do not smile because they simply do not have the habit of smiling. I am one of these people. However, when something is particularly interesting, I could possibly smile. More often than not, I do not smile, but people like me are generally very logical, straightforward beings who will readily admit interest when asked about it in an unambiguous fashion. Some others, though, will seem like they are interested by smiling, but are only doing so out of politeness. These people, however, usually only move the muscles of their mouths and ignore the muscles of the eyes, which are involved during genuine emotional engagement. The point is that people who care about what you're saying generally smile. You can also pay attention to body language, etc., but that is not my point for today.
I hope that these tips about ad hominem, paper, and smiling are applicable in your life. Have a nice day.
Friday, October 2, 2015
Fruit Review 1: Ambarella (Video)
This is my first fruit review video. The ambarella is fruit of the the species Spondias dulcis. The fruit grows in Melanesia and Polynesia, and tastes like a tart mango with a hint of the earthiness of a carambola (i.e. starfruit) and a pineapple texture.
The point of this video is not only to let you know about the ambarella fruit, but also to show you that enjoyment comes from open-mindedness. As a living human being of the world, I believe that the ability to readily accept diverse cultural traditions is essential to happiness.
You only live for a certain amount of time. There are so many things in the world that could delight you, yet if you build a barrier between the exciting reality of the world and your ability to be pleased, you will find it very difficult to die. You would eventually regret your narrow-mindedness.
When I eat fruits that you may view as "strange", this is what I think of. I have promised myself that I shall submerge myself into the cultural melting pot of the world and enjoy a multitude of different fruits. I will have no regrets over what I have done; I shall only possibly regret what I have not done.
I hope that this inspires you to be open-minded and try new things. Over the course of writing this blog, I will try many new things that I will not regret. I will travel to places around the world, document my experiences, and share advice with you; I shall grasp the opportunities I have to become a more learned person. If you wait for too long, opportunities disappear. I shall discuss this later.
The point is rather simple. Do not be afraid to take action. It's more general than being open-minded, but it is worthy for me to mention this. When I started the ninth grade one year ago, I noticed that the Clark High School Cafeteria was extremely cold. Keeping the cafeteria cold was a waste of energy and a harmful factor to students' health. However, I never ran for Student Congress to fix this. I never even informed the Student Congress of this issue. That was me one year ago. I'm not the same person anymore, and I don't want you to be that person, either. Have a nice day and rest of your life.
Here is the video. Enjoy.
I hope that this inspires you to be open-minded and try new things. Over the course of writing this blog, I will try many new things that I will not regret. I will travel to places around the world, document my experiences, and share advice with you; I shall grasp the opportunities I have to become a more learned person. If you wait for too long, opportunities disappear. I shall discuss this later.
The point is rather simple. Do not be afraid to take action. It's more general than being open-minded, but it is worthy for me to mention this. When I started the ninth grade one year ago, I noticed that the Clark High School Cafeteria was extremely cold. Keeping the cafeteria cold was a waste of energy and a harmful factor to students' health. However, I never ran for Student Congress to fix this. I never even informed the Student Congress of this issue. That was me one year ago. I'm not the same person anymore, and I don't want you to be that person, either. Have a nice day and rest of your life.
Here is the video. Enjoy.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Clarification of Names
You may have noticed that the author of this post is "Chaojidage" or "Chaoji Dage", or even just "Chaoji". In the simplest sense, Chaojidage is equivalent to the writer of this blog, who goes by the name "Triston Zhang" currently. Please do not confuse these two names, as they are simply the names of two accounts used by one human being.
If you really want to know the details of this issue, you may continue reading. The reason I wrote "human being" in italics in the previous paragraph is because the two names, in fact, represent different persons, although these two persons share a physical body. Triston Zhang is the legal name of the writer, and was assigned by the writer's parents, who assumed that the name would be used in all circumstances and would label one individual male human being. (This is not true!) However, as I grew up, I naturally developed dissociative identities. One alter ego is Chaojidage, whose name means "super big-brother". Although I am not writing this as Chaojidage, I am using his account. Why would I use someone else's account to publish something, though? It is because of the nature of this blog. When Mrs. Wilkinson assigned this project, she instructed the class to use an account provided by Plano Independent School District (PISD). Since I did not know whether the district would delete student accounts after they graduate, I decided to promote Chaojidage's account to the position of an administrator, which is the type of account that I, as Triston Zhang, use to write these posts. This way, when I graduate and leave PISD, I will not worry about the district deleting my account and possibly this blog, to which I have assigned great value.
To further clarify the identity of Chaojidage, I shall explain in more detail. When I was ten years old, I founded a country, now known as Liubishuhuland. You may think that Liubishuhuland is not a real country, but by definition, it is as real as any other "real country" that you can name. Not only does Liubishuhuland's government administration function without being challenged by other countries, there exists a supranational organization, namely the Unofficial Confederate Nations (UCN), that is composed of seven mutually-recognizing nations. In addition, our states have defined area, stable governments, permanent population, and the ability to engage in foreign affairs. These four standards were set by the 1991 Montevideo Convention, and as long as an entity can continuously pass these requirements, it is considered a true state. The supranational organization of these states is called the Unofficial Confederate Nations, but the unofficiality of it does not make it unreal, for there is a difference between officiality and reality. I have published an article about this, which I will post later on this blog.
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| The flags of the UCN, its member states, and Liubishuhuland's provinces are displayed on my home's mantel shelf. |
Anyway, the head of the Liubishuhulandian government is the position of Chaojidage. This word, "Chaojidage", coincides with the name of my main alter ego. This may be confusing, but it makes perfect sense. Chaojidage, the alter ego with that name, became the leader of Liubishuhuland, and became so famous that Liubishuhulandians named his position (i.e. his job) after his own name. For instance, you call the president of the United States of America "President Obama" just as you would call the current Chaojidage of Liubishuhuland "Chaojidage Chaojidage". However, this is rather redundant, so Liubishuhulandians call him "Chaojidage", which is both his name and his position. It's also like the immature teenage practice of naming "ships". (If you don't know what this is, search it!) For example, a "ship" name of Amanda and Andrew may be "Amandrew". Essentially, it's just combining two words. With "Chaojidage Chaojidage", you can also combine the two words very well, since they are the same. Therefore, "Chaojidage Chaojidage" becomes "Chaojidage". I, Triston Zhang, am running for Chaojidage of Liubishuhuland, and if I take the position eventually, I will logically (i.e. based on your knowledge) be called Chaojidage Triston Zhang. However, we cannot base anything on your knowledge, as you are just now learning that the naming system in Liubishuhuland is different from that of the Outside World. (The Outside World is the social and political network outside the UCN.) When you become a Liubishuhulandian Citizen or Resident, you may choose to adopt a name that is different from what you have been using in the Outside World. My (i.e. Triston's) legal name in Liubishuhuland is "Dingdang", so I would be called Chaojidage Dingdang.
This clarification has been relatively simple, although I have fed you with much information already. Note that amount of information is not equivalent to complexity of information. The information in this blog post hereafter shall be more complex.
The account "Chaoji Dage" is not the same as the position Chaojidage, the name "Chaojidage", the name "Dingdang", or the name "Triston". This account was originally intended for use by the Chaojidage (i.e. the position) of Liubishuhuland, but since Chaojidage (the alter ego) shares the same body as Triston (Dingdang), I have access to this account, and must take advantage of this to escape the possible account deletions of PISD,
In summary, "Chaojidage" is a name and the name of a job position, which is currently occupied by a person of the same name, who is the main alter ego of Dingdang, who was born as Triston Zhang and presently goes by "Triston Zhang" in the Outside World. This account is accessible by Triston Zhang and the Chaojidage of Liubishuhuland.
I have given you much information about specific names, persons, and job positions, and through this clarification, you have learned about the definition of a state, the difference between amount and complexity, and various other ideas, many of which you can apply in your life. I genuinely hope that you have been inspired by the information I provide to you, and that you will use this inspiration to transform into a new person.
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