User Comments - Lantian
Lantian
Posted on: Global Warming
June 21, 2007 at 9:06 AMHi Clarence, I really do think I understand where you are coming from. You are attempting to learn things thru what people call the 'massive input' theory. I also agree with a lot of this, and in many ways I am exposing myself to a massive amount of input while I am here in China. I know it helps. I realize you have a harder time creating a similar enivironment. Kids naturally get exposed to a massive amount of input before they ever get speak. Writing I believe, however, definitely will not come out naturally, handwriting that is, writing out text using a pinyin input tool and selecting hanzi, can emerge naturally. This is what I do now, my learning comes in this order, audio/aural, review/exposure, use both written and oral. The other very clear evidence to me also is that 'incorrect models' will not significantly impair one's learning if you have a significant amount of other correct input. Say 10% bad/ 90 % good. Although I post a lot, and say we combine that with others, I doubt we can make up more than 10% of your input. Right? You are listening and paying more attention to what Jenny and the dialogues say 对不对? Unless you sit down and memorize over and over one of my sentences like Shakespeare, my sentences will come and go and only give you practice in recognition and generating meaning from hanzi. Unless you're calling me Shakespeare, then hey I'll just accept the comment. :) Man2toe, 你说的好。我还喜欢读你的评论。有时候我不认识几个繁体，有时候会，不过都觉得让我的眼睛多练练。 :) Henning, 以前我也喜欢让别人改正我的中文文件，不过这几天我觉得不必须要，没有人有那么多时间查查我的文件，我也不是那么认真学我自己写什么。我就多看书，看电视，在这里写，然后我觉得我能认识自己的问题，错误，就这样慢慢改。也不是那么慢，觉得提高了很多！ 你看了没有我以前的文件，真乱！ 哈哈哈！ 是一个好过程。 大阿姨， 谢谢你的评论。我有点晕了！
Posted on: The Old Man Who Moved a Mountain
June 21, 2007 at 8:36 AMBTW, I'm no Cpod host, nobody confuse my advice with proper knowledge. Lots of new folks around here. ;p
Posted on: The Old Man Who Moved a Mountain
June 21, 2007 at 8:34 AMChangye, I think in Japanese there isn't this kind of nested, linear construction. deshou?
Posted on: The Old Man Who Moved a Mountain
June 21, 2007 at 8:32 AMLe 了 - How come this is tough? I just break up the sentence in two sections, and then thinking in Chinese the first 了 is necessary, the second optional and usually there. 你挡了 You blocked, you have just blocked, you blocked in my past. If you remove the 了 then it becomes present tense and the meaning is very different: You are blocking, you block. 你挡。 我的路了 Here it's optional, but the 了 I feel softens the sentence, indicates something is still happening, or somethings changed. Context would make things clear. I think thinking about grammar too much here instead of the meaning throws off a person in this kind of compound sentence. yah?
Posted on: Global Warming
June 21, 2007 at 3:37 AMHi Clarence, To simplify, one must stay present. If you do not talk, you will not talk. If you do not write, you will not write. If you do not listen, you will not hear. if you do not read, you will not read. If you yourself do not pay attention, no amount of correction from others will affect your errors. From my own experience, one can definitely gain ability in one area and lack it in the other. I do not say this to discourage anyone, and people are free to choose. Not everyone has the time to become wholly complete in another language. Heck, that's a full job in one's own language. Just be aware that your lack of writing in hanzi is only hampering your own ability to write in hanzi. My hanzi-writing certainly is not hurting your fingers in any way whatsoever. While I acknowledge your point about having correct models, why don't you look at user posts as 'quizzes'. Quizzes I provide to you for FREE! As to my level which you mentioned, IMO the levels distinction is quite arbitrary, so I chose elementary. When compared to a native 5-year old child, I am very much a newbie. As you, I use native learners as my benchmark. I think I may have to classify you as Ken #2, most reluctant to write in Chinese. Do you think using pinyin, guessing the hanzi will actually HURT your writing? Hurt me? 别管别人的问题，就好好照顾自己的事。 大家一起写汉字好吧，怕什么呀？！ :) Below I'm reiterating some of what I said in English b/c ...well I want to practice my Chinese. There will be lots of errors I'm sure, but now switching my head to 中文。 我跟Clarence说什么呢。 我说我就觉得他应该好好对自己。如果他不说话，怎么会说出来。如果你不听，听不够，怎么会变能听？ 如果你没有写字，你的手怎么能突然自己写出来字？如果你要读，就应该多读。 他说了他怕别人的错误能打扰他的学子过程。 真的吗，我不觉得。他好像还有别的输入，真标准的，所以应该没问题。他不能就百分自白读我软写的评论，对不对。 我说，为什么他看我的评论的时候不那样想，我的评论就是一条小考试,有对还是有错，他可以看一看！ 然后他说我写了我的水平是elementary。这就是我选了，不过我不觉得Cpod的水平有什么多意思。如果我跟中国小孩子比我们的中国水平。。。唉，我是就开始说话的宝宝。可能他的声音也已经比我好啊！ 所以我不敢在这里选我是高学生，应为多学生们的词汇比我好多。 好了就这样，就是我一个人的看法。正在重要的事是中午我要吃什么？ :)
Posted on: Transferring a Call
June 20, 2007 at 4:32 PMHi Amber, The moment I first read you... well you simplify me. :p Fish, 呵呵，好问题！ So Amber, to '到‘ or not to '到’？Fish's example sentences seem to me a whole different usage of 转 though. Henning & Amber, About "他在和谁通话呢？都讲了半个多小时了。" Why use "都“ (all), why not say "他讲了。。” I'm unfamiliar with this 'dou'. 今大家的评论都讲了好！ 。。。了。 :)
Posted on: Introducing the Fix
June 20, 2007 at 4:13 PMHANZI FIX - How about adding to hanzi, pinyin and English to tThe Fix mp3 so that it can be viewed on the iPod.
Posted on: Transferring a Call
June 20, 2007 at 4:38 AMTO - How come the Chinese in this sentence doesn't require a 'to' - like measure word or verb; 去过北京，找到东西， 等等。 I keep having a feeling that I want to add some measure word or something, do I need to just toss away that feeling? Is it my holdover from the English "transfer to"? I really want to say, 转到四楼， 转去四楼俱乐部，转着四楼饭馆，but these are wrong, yah? 转二三三五房间, 转四楼， 转肩部 are correct right? Is there a more colloquial pattern that might include such a 'in the direction of' particle?
Posted on: Transferring a Call
June 20, 2007 at 4:00 AMSTUCK - 你好， 我不要转，请跟我聊聊一会儿好吧。 谢谢Cpod找到那么美的服务员的照片，真是’真美公司‘。 请给我她的电话号码，好不好。:D
Posted on: The Old Man Who Moved a Mountain
June 21, 2007 at 3:51 PMHi tucsonmichael, I'll wait for other's to give absolute confirmation, my memory is weak at times, but Chinese often say something like "他已经走了“ ta yi jing zou le, they've gone already. Plus "si" ”死“ is actually used a lot in colloquial speech amongst friends, like that's "crazy（dead)" 疯死了 or 杀死 sha si wo (You're killing me)。 Words are really context sensitive.