User Comments - wordbroked20
wordbroked20
Posted on: Talking about Illness
August 6, 2011 at 3:15 PMBoy, that was quick! I was in the process of editing out my question because I read Mike in Ewshot's post when you must have put in your reply. But thanks anyway. Now I've got the whole word for poultry, not just 'qín'.
Posted on: Talking about Illness
August 6, 2011 at 2:56 PMSorry, Ken, but if I hadn't been taking medicine all these many years for one of my medical problems, I probably wouldn't still be here to get you and Jenny's first-class instruction.
Posted on: Teaching English in China
August 5, 2011 at 2:13 PMA scientific & historic reference that might interest someone if they want to pursue it further. In 1861 the French scientist Paul Broca(1824-80) discovered the seats of articulate speech in the left frontal brain region, since known as the convolution of Broca. In 1874 further work on the capacity of the brain's left hemisphere to control the ability to speak languages was done by the German scientist Carl Wernicke(1848-1905). The 1880s led to more groundbreaking discovery. It was eventually found that just a portion of the left hemisphere controlled the ability to speak linguistically and that the left brain also is involved with abstract skills in logic & numbers. On the other hand, the right brain hemisphere was found to be more involved with imaginative, creative and artistic skills. To move closer to the present, last year in November Professor Tang at New York Univ. reported it has been found that Americans learning Chinese use both sides of the brain, probably because this has to do with learning characters. Also, it seems native Chinese speakers use both sides of the brain when tackling English.
Posted on: Visiting the Hospital with a Fever
August 4, 2011 at 5:04 PMI have the feeling there are some líhécí in this lesson, e.g., guàhào, yànxiě, yànniào, kāiyào, chīyào, fāshāo, dǎzhēn, and even kànbìng. I'm more doubtful of guà yánshuǐ since it seems to be two separate words. Please let me know if any of the 1st 8 listed here aren't separable verbs. Xièxie.
Posted on: A Trip to Nanjing
August 3, 2011 at 12:39 AMWould someone please tell me if there is any lesson in which 'Chángchéng' is featured at all? And I don't mean where the Great Wall is mentioned just in passing. I've seen some of that. To me Chángchéng is the pre-eminent Chinese historic & geographic symbol in that it represents more than anything China's long tradition of civilization behind which human culture can flourish without being overrun by less advanced cultures. Of course, this has not always been the case in the short run, but in the long run China has always managed to overcome its temporary declines under foreign influence. So it seems strange I haven't been able to find a lesson about the Great Wall per se unless such a lesson is under some title I have overlooked. So, tài xièxie nǐ le, if you can direct me to the right lesson even if it is an advanced one. That might force me to learn a lot more shūfá fast.
Posted on: Future Plans
August 6, 2011 at 4:59 PMJenny, International Relations will always be a hot major as long as there are nation-states. Like you, I also majored in the subject and am partial to it as well. Then I went on to get a master's in philosophy. So that gives me something in common with Ken, too. As you probably both know, language instruction to foreigners can be a great way to apply some of the knowledge you pick up from studying both subjects. Keep up the great work!