A simple questionnaire about learning Chinese
gosolo
June 23, 2009, 02:30 PM posted in General DiscussionHi,everyone!
I am a sophomore majoring in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. As we start learning major course in the third year ，I have little knowledge about the current situation of this field. Now I am doing a survey about the attitude towards Chinese learning ,would anyone like to help me to finishi this simple questionnaire? Thanks a lot!
PS:Since the questionnaire is quite elementary,I don't use an attachment.
姓名 性别 国籍 对学习汉语 常用邮件 备注（1.汉语水平? 2.想学那方面汉语 听/说/读/写? 等） Name Sex Nationality Have interest to learn Chinese or not Regular email-address Remark(1.Chinese Level 2.Which aspect do you want to learn:listen/say/read/write etc.)
是否有兴趣（是/否）
gosolo
June 23, 2009, 03:17 PMI am sorry I haven't make it clear enough for my survey.
As what I put, I need to collect some information for my major study.If possible,I am looking forward to further contact with those foreign friends who have interest in learning Chinese.
It's understandable that you suspect my motives as internet is such a virtual and not that safe emvironment.So it is ok that you don' t have to offer your email address and other information that you think may be a threat to your privacy.I am very appreciated if you can finish the last two blanks as they are the most important information to me.Thank you so much!
PS:gosolo only means "do it by yourself "to me.
I am a sophomore in a University in Zhejiang，China.
zhenlijiang
June 23, 2009, 03:26 PMBodawei--you don't use these terms in OZ? In high school and university, freshman (1st yr) - sophomore (2nd yr) - junior (3rd yr) - senior (4th yr).
bodawei
June 24, 2009, 08:40 AM@zhenlijiang
I suspect that the terms are only used in the US and Canada - and by those people who learn English from Americans. So I would think that the vast majority of people in the world do not use these terms. Thanks for your definitions. Some questions remain: (1) Why is a third year student a 'Junior' I wonder? Is that a Japanese convention that you are translating into English? A Chinese man I spoke to told me that a third year student in China is a Senior. (2) Freshman sort of explains itself (although it would be considered sexist in Australia), but do you know the origin of 'sophomore'? (My 拉丁语 is limited.)
@gosolo
In Australia a man swims a wild river then picks up a can of softdrink, swills it, and crushes the can. That's what I see in my mind's eye when I read 'gosolo'!
Which university? I went to university in Zhejiang too.
joehardy
June 24, 2009, 09:04 AMI think those terms were in the university calendar (the book the university publishes each year with policies, procedures and course descriptions) but no one at my Canadian university in Vancouver, BC actually used the words freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. We just said first, second, third or fourth year. If you were an indecisive, perpetual student you just said, I've been here a long time.
zhenlijiang
June 24, 2009, 09:29 AMbodawei,
I'm out of my depth here--but no, we don't use those terms in Japan at all. HS in Japan is three years so you're 高1、高2、高3 ko-ichi, ko-ni, ko-san--short for （高校）1年（生） etc. In university you're 1年、2年、3年、4年. I believe in China, if you're a 专科生 at a 专科学校 (vocational/tech college?), you have up to three years, whereas 本科生 are attending four-year universities.
Although my education was positively US-centric at school and outside, I can't say those terms were ever explained to me. As far as I understand a junior is junior to a senior. A soph is a bit more sophisticated than freshman (sexist, really? I never thought so, but then I was at an all-girls school, and became college age not too long after women attending university were being called, not as a joke, co-eds--yucch. talk about 死語 shigo, obsolete terminology. this one makes me feel ancient) kids (???). I think an American needs to come to the rescue here.
bodawei
June 24, 2009, 01:08 PM@joehardy
Is that because Vancouver is UK-centric? I mean you even play cricket there! But I'm glad you haven't been seduced by Uncle Sam.
@Zhenlijiang
I just looked 'sophomore' up in the dictionary - looks like it originally meant to 'become wise' (from sophos meaning wise); because you are no longer in first year! It says 'in the USA' and it refers to both high school and university - wow, do they really use those words at high school. and it is still weird to me that after 'becoming wise' you become a JUNIOR. Reminds me of the old English habit of referring to say brothers as so and so Major (older) and so and so Minor (younger).
The majority of Bachelor degrees in Aust universities are three years, unless you are doing a 'professional' degree as an undergraduate (eg. engineer, architect, town planner.) But double degrees are common, 'everyone's doing it'. And double Masters. Keeps you off the streets.
'Co-ed' - it's another American word; we don't have co-eds but I have heard the term in Hollywood films. But I wonder if that has its origin in the years when it was mainly men at university and then women came along. It may have been necessary to talk about 'co-education'; maybe it had a slightly unpleasant connotation. Like, ..'well I'm afraid, men, that you will just have to put up with women invading your space. You will have to learn to CO-OPERATE with them'.
BTW, I didn't mean to be ageist in my comments just there.
joehardy
June 24, 2009, 01:52 PMI'm not aware of any UK bias in Vancouver. (There is an obvious Asian bias, though I'm not sure that is relevant.) I never saw any cricket while I was there, though I frequently see cricket now that I have moved to Calgary, 13 hours drive further east. I only mention I was in Vancouver so you understand MY bias. I can not pretend to speak for all universities in Canada, I didn't go to all universities in Canada. I'm not aware of universities in Canada that use those terms, but that does not imply they don't.
zhenlijiang
June 24, 2009, 02:56 PMBodawei, well I guess a sophomore is considered only a half-dozen frat parties and a few other things wiser than a freshman--which is to say, not too wise at all.
The majority of Bachelor degrees in Aust universities are three years, unless you are doing a 'professional' degree as an undergraduate (eg. engineer, architect, town planner.)
Did not know this!
Yes co-ed is American, it was still being used when I was growing up. It's been out of use for over a quarter-century now (but not so long which, if you pause to think about it, is remarkable). I guess it used to be that if women wanted to continue with education after high school they were expected to attend women's colleges and universities, not mix with men and compete with them academically.
Didn't notice any ageism landmines (that you skillfully stepped around? or inadvertently blew up?) there. And didn't realize I ought to be concerned about any now, hahaha.
gosolo--sorry for hijacking your thread.
zhenlijiang
June 24, 2009, 05:01 PMP.S. gosolo (other college freshmen and sophomores, and anyone else offended), I apologize for the disparaging remarks. They're stupid and should be ignored.
bodawei
June 23, 2009, 02:39 PM@gosolo
Maybe I am lacking in trust, but I think it would help if you told us what the purpose of your survey is? What do you hope to do with the results? And asking for an email address will put people off I imagine - why do you need an email address?
BTW your name 'gosolo' makes me smile - makes me think of an advertisement for a certain softdrink.
PS What is a sophomore? I think I should know but I have never bothered to understand this American terminology.