My 姨丈 is my hero.....and here's why......
Showing posts with label language. Show all posts
Showing posts with label language. Show all posts
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Friday, October 07, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Mi Vida Loca
BBC's video course Mi Vida Loca is really one of the most well-designed introductory courses I have seen.....whoever designed it really did a top notch job.
The course enables you to practice listening and speaking, in an interactive way, in the context of a mystery storyline that takes place in Spain. With the suspense, it motivates you to keep going to the next lesson, to find out what happens. With the video, you also see nice pictures of Madrid, the Spanish countryside, and the Canary islands. You practice things like checking into a hotel, renting a car, ordering in a restaurant, and buying groceries in a marketplace, all in an interactive way.
An interactive phrasebook helps teach you the things you need to say, and you can click for reminders as well (in the event that you forget what you need to say). Helpful phrases are written and spoken for you, and you can click again to hear it multiple times, and toggle back and forth between Spanish spellings and English equivalents.
At the end of each unit, there's a review that's also interactive, that takes you through grammar, vocabulary, and additional practice. You learn the language in its natural context, and rather than feeling forced, you are able to pick up useful phrases without bland and repititious memorization.
I highly recommend it. You know those Taiwanese methods of learning languages? The ones that make those poor students do countless grammar exercises without focusing on real conversation and real-life situations? The ones that result in Taiwanese kids not being able to say a single word, because they are too afraid to express themselves in the foreign language?
This is the exact opposite. Language learning made fun, and effective - in real-life useful and interesting contexts, rather than bland grammar and memory lessons. Kudos to the BBC!
The course enables you to practice listening and speaking, in an interactive way, in the context of a mystery storyline that takes place in Spain. With the suspense, it motivates you to keep going to the next lesson, to find out what happens. With the video, you also see nice pictures of Madrid, the Spanish countryside, and the Canary islands. You practice things like checking into a hotel, renting a car, ordering in a restaurant, and buying groceries in a marketplace, all in an interactive way.
An interactive phrasebook helps teach you the things you need to say, and you can click for reminders as well (in the event that you forget what you need to say). Helpful phrases are written and spoken for you, and you can click again to hear it multiple times, and toggle back and forth between Spanish spellings and English equivalents.
At the end of each unit, there's a review that's also interactive, that takes you through grammar, vocabulary, and additional practice. You learn the language in its natural context, and rather than feeling forced, you are able to pick up useful phrases without bland and repititious memorization.
I highly recommend it. You know those Taiwanese methods of learning languages? The ones that make those poor students do countless grammar exercises without focusing on real conversation and real-life situations? The ones that result in Taiwanese kids not being able to say a single word, because they are too afraid to express themselves in the foreign language?
This is the exact opposite. Language learning made fun, and effective - in real-life useful and interesting contexts, rather than bland grammar and memory lessons. Kudos to the BBC!
Friday, April 01, 2011
DELF B2: passed!
Well, I passed the DELF B2, with a score of 76/100.
Apparently though, I have a problem with listening....and no problems with speaking. Well those that know me shouldn't be surprised about that.
Listening 15/25
Reading 17/25
Speaking 21/25
Writing 23/25
I have no idea when I would try for a DALF C1, but my impression is that the gap between B2 and C1 is rather large!
Apparently though, I have a problem with listening....and no problems with speaking. Well those that know me shouldn't be surprised about that.
Listening 15/25
Reading 17/25
Speaking 21/25
Writing 23/25
I have no idea when I would try for a DALF C1, but my impression is that the gap between B2 and C1 is rather large!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
This non-Taiwanese person speaks awesome Taiwanese!
I think those Taiwanese that can't speak Taiwanese should be ashamed of themselves after watching this:
Bravo, white guy! Bravo!
Bravo, white guy! Bravo!
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
A Perfect Score!
So last December, I wrote a German Proficiency Test, called the Zertifikat Deutsch. It's not particularly hard, in fact I should have written it a long time ago...I have, after all, been here over three years already!
The Zertifikat Deutsch corresponds to the B1 Level in the European Framework for Languages, so it's not really difficult, but the minimum necessary for possible future immigration to Germany.
I got the results today, and because it wasn't difficult at all, I was expecting to do well, but in the end, I got a perfect score!
I wasn't expecting to do that well!
Here's my certificate:
and here's the evaluation report showing that I got 300 points out of 300!
The Zertifikat Deutsch corresponds to the B1 Level in the European Framework for Languages, so it's not really difficult, but the minimum necessary for possible future immigration to Germany.
I got the results today, and because it wasn't difficult at all, I was expecting to do well, but in the end, I got a perfect score!
I wasn't expecting to do that well!
Here's my certificate:
and here's the evaluation report showing that I got 300 points out of 300!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
German Proficiency Exams
So, if you want to attest that you can speak German at a certain level, you would just take a proficiency exam at the appropriate level, and be done with it, right?
No, of course not! This is Germany, and they wouldn't make things that simple, would they?
Take a look at the different German Proficiency Exams that exist, and you will see that things are not so simple...
Which one to choose between the following?
BULATS
DSH
Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International
TestDaF
Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung
Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung
Zertifikat Deutsch
Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf
Einbürgerungstest
Goethe-Zertifikat B2
Goethe-Zertifikat C1
blah blah blah....
Why don't they just simply things? Oh, wait, I forgot, this is Germany - where simplicity is frowned upon....
No, of course not! This is Germany, and they wouldn't make things that simple, would they?
Take a look at the different German Proficiency Exams that exist, and you will see that things are not so simple...
Which one to choose between the following?
BULATS
DSH
Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom
Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International
TestDaF
Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung
Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung
Zertifikat Deutsch
Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf
Einbürgerungstest
Goethe-Zertifikat B2
Goethe-Zertifikat C1
blah blah blah....
Why don't they just simply things? Oh, wait, I forgot, this is Germany - where simplicity is frowned upon....
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
C.T. and S.T. - more German silliness
In Germany, sometimes the time that an event starts is given with a C.T. or S.T. postfix after the time. This especially occurs often at universities and academic institutions.
What they mean can be found on this link.
Basically 14:00 st means 14:00 while 14:00 ct means 14:15 where ct means "cum tempore" and st means "sine tempore".
I have no idea why Germans insist on this, especially since the terms are Latin, not German. Wouldn't it just be easier for everyone to write 14:00 for 14:00, and 14:15 for 14:15? Or does that make too much sense?
What they mean can be found on this link.
Basically 14:00 st means 14:00 while 14:00 ct means 14:15 where ct means "cum tempore" and st means "sine tempore".
I have no idea why Germans insist on this, especially since the terms are Latin, not German. Wouldn't it just be easier for everyone to write 14:00 for 14:00, and 14:15 for 14:15? Or does that make too much sense?
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Finally a Taiwanese dictionary
Taiwanese is a great language - unfortunately, it was oppressed by the KMT dictatorship, and is only in the last 10-20 years being respected again. The problem is that the Taiwanese themselves don't treasure their own culture, and less and less Taiwanese can speak the language.
In fact, a Canadian-born person like me (2nd generation Taiwanese) can speak better Taiwanese than the majority of people my age who live in Taiwan.....that's really sad.
Finally the government of Taiwan has come up with an official Taiwanese to Chinese dictionary. About time - this should have been done 10 years ago!
Hopefully this tool can make written Taiwanese more frequent, and more accessible!
But the Taiwanese themselves need to show more willpower to learn and use Taiwanese!
Link to Dictionary webpage
Hopefully there will also be an English-Taiwanese dictionary available soon!
In fact, a Canadian-born person like me (2nd generation Taiwanese) can speak better Taiwanese than the majority of people my age who live in Taiwan.....that's really sad.
Finally the government of Taiwan has come up with an official Taiwanese to Chinese dictionary. About time - this should have been done 10 years ago!
Hopefully this tool can make written Taiwanese more frequent, and more accessible!
But the Taiwanese themselves need to show more willpower to learn and use Taiwanese!
Link to Dictionary webpage
Hopefully there will also be an English-Taiwanese dictionary available soon!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
French is not useless after all....
Well, I guess my French knowledge is not useless after all....
Is it because I am Canadian, and with French, I can communicate better with my fellow countrymen in Quebec? No - French Canadians can speak English, and you can survive with English quite well in Quebec.
Is it because I live 30 km from France, and I can communicate better with the French? No - French people can speak English, no matter how hard they try to pretend that they don't.
Rather, my French knowledge is going to come in handy in Madagascar - where the local people there hardly speak any English - rather they speak Malagasy and French. (I guess French colonialism, though regrettable, does make this country much more accessible to people like me)
I used to think that French was really uncool - but I guess it does have its uses!
Is it because I am Canadian, and with French, I can communicate better with my fellow countrymen in Quebec? No - French Canadians can speak English, and you can survive with English quite well in Quebec.
Is it because I live 30 km from France, and I can communicate better with the French? No - French people can speak English, no matter how hard they try to pretend that they don't.
Rather, my French knowledge is going to come in handy in Madagascar - where the local people there hardly speak any English - rather they speak Malagasy and French. (I guess French colonialism, though regrettable, does make this country much more accessible to people like me)
I used to think that French was really uncool - but I guess it does have its uses!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
French words polluting the German language
I really am annoyed with the amounts of French words that occupy everyday German vocabulary. I'm not really sure why Germans tolerate them, since they have their own words for them, but for some reason, want to use French words in their speaking.
I think it spoils the beauty and unity of the German language - but what can you do?
Here a list that I came up with (I think most Germans are oblivious to their usage of French):
Restaurant (just say Gaststätte)
Saison (just say Jahreszeit)
Serviette (just say Handtuch)
Vision (just say Traumbild)
Niveau (just say Stufe)
Étage (just say Stock)
Cousin (just say Vetter)
Recherche (just say Forschung)
Chance (just say Gelegenheit)
Revanche (just say Rache)
Version (just say Ausgabe)
Detail (just say Einzelheit)
Orange (just say Apfelsine)
Balance (just say Gleichgewicht)
Portemonnaie (just say Geldbeutel)
I think it spoils the beauty and unity of the German language - but what can you do?
Here a list that I came up with (I think most Germans are oblivious to their usage of French):
Restaurant (just say Gaststätte)
Saison (just say Jahreszeit)
Serviette (just say Handtuch)
Vision (just say Traumbild)
Niveau (just say Stufe)
Étage (just say Stock)
Cousin (just say Vetter)
Recherche (just say Forschung)
Chance (just say Gelegenheit)
Revanche (just say Rache)
Version (just say Ausgabe)
Detail (just say Einzelheit)
Orange (just say Apfelsine)
Balance (just say Gleichgewicht)
Portemonnaie (just say Geldbeutel)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Movies in Germany
Something I don't understand about Germans....why do they insist on dubbing every single movie over in German? It's really a shame - one cannot hear the original soundtrack.
And anyway, the average English level ability in Germany is quite good (although not as good as Scandinavia), and so they should be able to handle it if the original language is in English (and put subtitles for those who cannot understand).
But no, this is Germany, and if they dubbed it before, then they will ALWAYS dub it....
Rather unfortunate....
And anyway, the average English level ability in Germany is quite good (although not as good as Scandinavia), and so they should be able to handle it if the original language is in English (and put subtitles for those who cannot understand).
But no, this is Germany, and if they dubbed it before, then they will ALWAYS dub it....
Rather unfortunate....
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Duzen and Siezen
Well, living in Germany is sure an experience, but there's one thing as a native English speaker that I've never gotten used to: duzen and siezen.....
What do these mean?
Well, duzen means to use "du" to say you (in German), which one typically says to friends, colleagues, kids, dogs, buddies, classmates, basically anything in a social setting.
And siezen means to use "Sie" to say you (in German of course), which one typically says to clientele, service personnel, adult strangers, elders, etc. Basically much more polite, something one would use in a formal or official setting.
The problem is that there are many cases where the line is very fine between "du" and "Sie". In my group we all "duzen" each other - which is good, because it removes the awkwardness and distance that "siezening" someone creates. Except for my boss and the secretary. And also an older professor who "siezens" everyone else.....but that's really strange, especially when everyone's saying the familiar "du" until speaking to this older professor (or my boss and his secretary speak with each other).
Another weird scenario was when we visited some friends, and the mother-in-law of the guy is around 70-80 years old. Her son-in-law told us to just use "du", but when we did so, she "siezened" us back....what should we do? If we continue with "du", we are being impolite, but if we use "Sie" there's an awkward distance created, and as well, its kinda strange to take back "du" and then continue with "Sie".
Textbooks tell us to use "Sie" when in doubt...but using "Sie" when you should use "du" presents a very awkward formal situation that's also weird......maybe I'm too North American, but I really prefer the "du", and perhaps start with "duzen" a bit too quickly.......
But I also think that some Germans need to be a little less uptight about this thing, and just relax and go "duzen" someone! I would say that Germany is the most strict at the "duzen" and "siezen" separation for a European country.
Thank God I don't live in Japan! (How many people would I offend a day?)
What do these mean?
Well, duzen means to use "du" to say you (in German), which one typically says to friends, colleagues, kids, dogs, buddies, classmates, basically anything in a social setting.
And siezen means to use "Sie" to say you (in German of course), which one typically says to clientele, service personnel, adult strangers, elders, etc. Basically much more polite, something one would use in a formal or official setting.
The problem is that there are many cases where the line is very fine between "du" and "Sie". In my group we all "duzen" each other - which is good, because it removes the awkwardness and distance that "siezening" someone creates. Except for my boss and the secretary. And also an older professor who "siezens" everyone else.....but that's really strange, especially when everyone's saying the familiar "du" until speaking to this older professor (or my boss and his secretary speak with each other).
Another weird scenario was when we visited some friends, and the mother-in-law of the guy is around 70-80 years old. Her son-in-law told us to just use "du", but when we did so, she "siezened" us back....what should we do? If we continue with "du", we are being impolite, but if we use "Sie" there's an awkward distance created, and as well, its kinda strange to take back "du" and then continue with "Sie".
Textbooks tell us to use "Sie" when in doubt...but using "Sie" when you should use "du" presents a very awkward formal situation that's also weird......maybe I'm too North American, but I really prefer the "du", and perhaps start with "duzen" a bit too quickly.......
But I also think that some Germans need to be a little less uptight about this thing, and just relax and go "duzen" someone! I would say that Germany is the most strict at the "duzen" and "siezen" separation for a European country.
Thank God I don't live in Japan! (How many people would I offend a day?)
Sunday, January 20, 2008
No hablo español!
Welcome to España! A week trip to Barcelona, Sevilla and Granada proved how good Spanish life is. I highly recommend southern Spain to everyone. I recommend a trip to: Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, Malaga, Cadiz and Ronda. Take up some sun in Costa de la Luz and maybe take a ferry from Algeciras to Tangiers. I would say that a one month trip to Spain ought to do it!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Japanese and English...again
Yet another display of Japanese second language abilities....
the guy on the video is my hero!
the guy on the video is my hero!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Learning English...
So, being in Europe, I am amazed how well some people speak English, especially here in Germany. Maybe the French are not as good, but in any case the average French person speaks better English than the average American/Englishman speaks French. And the northern European countries are amazing at English...Denmark, Holland, Norway, etc.
So I guess English is indeed the international language, and learning it is important....
If one needs further motivation, you can see this:
Now that we've established that English is important to learn, what is the most effective way to learn it?
I vote for this method:
he he he he he....no wonder Japanese people speak English so well!
Anyway, once that's done, unfortunate situations like this one can be avoided!
Win-win situation!
So I guess English is indeed the international language, and learning it is important....
If one needs further motivation, you can see this:
Now that we've established that English is important to learn, what is the most effective way to learn it?
I vote for this method:
he he he he he....no wonder Japanese people speak English so well!
Anyway, once that's done, unfortunate situations like this one can be avoided!
Win-win situation!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Stupid German Bureaucracy
So I read on the Canadian Consulate in Stuttgart website that Canadian driver's licences can be exchanged for German driver's licences without having to go through a driving test.
Cool! This is very useful, so I go this morning to change my driver's licence. I know German bureaucracy quite well now, so I make sure I have my documents: my passport, my driver's licence, a letter mailed to me at my address to prove I live there, my work contract, and a passport photo for the licence.
Well, I had almost everything in order, it turns out they need an official translation of my driver's licence!!
How stupid is that?
What do they need to translate?
The words "Date of birth"? Can't they tell by the date underneath it?
Then there's "Cond." which underneath says "Corrective Lenses".
Come on, you're telling me that this isn't self-explanatory?
Well, I guess I have to find a "state-approved" translator to get my driver's licence.
Stupid German bureaucracy....
Booooooo! Booooooooo!
Cool! This is very useful, so I go this morning to change my driver's licence. I know German bureaucracy quite well now, so I make sure I have my documents: my passport, my driver's licence, a letter mailed to me at my address to prove I live there, my work contract, and a passport photo for the licence.
Well, I had almost everything in order, it turns out they need an official translation of my driver's licence!!
How stupid is that?
What do they need to translate?
The words "Date of birth"? Can't they tell by the date underneath it?
Then there's "Cond." which underneath says "Corrective Lenses".
Come on, you're telling me that this isn't self-explanatory?
Well, I guess I have to find a "state-approved" translator to get my driver's licence.
Stupid German bureaucracy....
Booooooo! Booooooooo!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
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