Years ago I attended a public lecture given by a world famous linguist, Michael Halliday. The topic was about English being an International Language. The lecture was fully packed with about 2000 people.
Factors for a language to become an international language include
- its global political status
- its economic power
- its native speakers
- others
The first two factors are quite clear. The third one is interesting. How native speakers respond to foreigners using their language has an impact on its popularity among learners. One of the things Prof. Halliday has mentioned was that native speakers of English in general are tolerant of foreigners' mistakes and inaccuracies in using English. This, I find is largely true.
It is not uncommon to see that native speakers show patience in trying to understand foreigners expressing themselves in English. They show appreciation and are rather unreserved in giving compliments when foreigners are using English to communicate regardless of their fluency and proficiency.
For learners, this is a token of acceptance. And it will help learners build confidence, which in turn will encourage learners to continue to learn and use the language.
I only wish English teachers in Hong Kong would be like that. Then students would behave more positively in learning the language. Yes, teachers should aim high - that students should be able to use the language correctly and speak it beautifully without mistakes. But in reality, we need to remind ourselves that even educated native speakers of any langauges make mistakes.
Any educated native speakers of any languages would make pronunciation errors, grammatical and spelling mistakes. It's only natural. If it's natural for native speakers, why would some non-native speakers criticise other non-native speakers so mercilessly? What do they want to prove? One incident I came across is the use of the structure 'Although ...but...'. Well, it's not grammtically correct, but I don't see the severity as some 'teachers of English' in Hong Kong do. One said, 'That's an unforgivable mistake and must be penalised.'
Another example which I find very funny is what I call 'double comparative', for example 'more better'. If you say that to any non-native English teachers in Hong Kong in oral exams or interviews, you are dead. Yet, you hear it in normal or casual conversations among native speakers. After hearing John (an educated native speaker of English) say 'more better' for many times over a number of years, I once challenged him and told him that he was wrong. He thought for a while and said, 'Yes, it might be wrong, but we do that. Of course, you don't say that in formal circumstances. Hey, just relax; people don't speak like teachers in daily situations. That's very unnatural and sounds horrible.'
I beleive it is really not necessary to pick on students and other people who make some language mistakes and blow it up unproportionally as if it is something fatal or lethal.
Many people choose to learn English because they like the 'flexibility'. They don't have to be perfect users. They like the feeling that as long as they can get their message across, the native English speakers are happy and they will not be discriminated against because of the mistakes they make or the accent they carry.
English teachers may want to remember that picking on learners and other non-native speakers unnecessarily and ruthlessly will not prove that your English is better. It will only discourage students and confuse users. To view it from another angle, if educated native speakers make mistakes when using their own language, why can't foreigners make mistakes?! What langauge users don't make mistakes?
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
What language(s) do you WANT to speak?
Learning a language could be a most boring thing to many. But we need it! When I was a child, my grandmum used to tell us that her mother (that's my great grandmother) viewed language learning no more than a survival skill - write your name and read the street names!
Being able to master a language could be a status symbol in colonial times. I grew up in Hong Kong - a British colony once. Of course, at that time, the official language (or ruling language) was English. To top it off, big businesses operations and high class professions were conducted in English. Chinese (or the Cantonese dialect), on the other hand, naturally became an underclass item. So, it is not hard to visualise what the society was like. If you could speak the ruling language well, you could get a job easier, line up for promotion faster, and thus move up the social ladder quicker.
Because of English's unusual status in society due to the 'special' historical background, there was an abnormal phenomenon - people pretended not to know Chinese. It was very funny. Young people returning to HK after spending a few years in English speaking countries (probably got stuck in Chinatown anyway) would tell you that they forgot how to speak Chinese and of course, they couldn't read and write it anymore. The funniest thing was - when they did speak the language (definitely more comfortable for them and for the listeners), they twisted their accents to something like a foreigner speaking the language. That was hilarious and it was pure joy to watch them act and embarrasss themselves (to me, not to them).
I wonder how often and where would one find people pretending not to know their own native language and feel pride in not knowing it?
Well, it's very sad. China was fully wrapped up in all sorts of political movements and activities during the first 40 years of its establisment, and that had left them economically, academically, socially (and in many other areas) extremely backward. Also, because of its communist rule and isolation from the international community, China was not a desirable nation to many of its western counterparts. So, to many Hong Kongers, the Chinese langauge was not a favourable identity.
After the cultural revolution, because many people suffered too much during that time and they lost hope and optimism for their future in China, many of them were somehow very desperate to get out of the place and go somewhere else where there would be peace, jobs, food, shelter, stability, justice, hope and of course, freedom and humanity. Their destination - US / UK - English speaking countries.
I believe that it just followed that English would somehow symbolise all those good things they imagined or dreamed... That further pushed up the desirability of the English language (and thus English speaking people) among a significant part of the Chinese population in Hong Kong.
This has since (even now) created another very strange, funny and down right embarassing phenomenon - that anyone who looks caucasian (From Brazilian to Russian, from those who are illerate to highly educated, from beggars to professionals) can easily find a highly paid English teaching job in Hong Kong - they only need to look 'western'. That will do!
That's beyond sad!
From early on, I have developed an interest in language learning and I am fortunate that I never feel bored in language learning and I believe I have a little talent in languages. I made good grades in any languages that I learned (Chinese, English, French and German) and I am proud of it.
I am glad that I could enjoy the fruits of being able to communicate in several languages. I used to struggle to feel right about my own mother tongue. It was hard! But since learning other foreign languages, I feel emancipated.
Now, I will laugh at and at times, look down on those people who try hard not to learn and speak their own native language when growing up in their own country. I would even avoid those people because I believe if they feel so inferior about their true identity, how could I trust them?
Next time, I will talk about how some people pick on foreigners who speak their language - That's another funny story!
Being able to master a language could be a status symbol in colonial times. I grew up in Hong Kong - a British colony once. Of course, at that time, the official language (or ruling language) was English. To top it off, big businesses operations and high class professions were conducted in English. Chinese (or the Cantonese dialect), on the other hand, naturally became an underclass item. So, it is not hard to visualise what the society was like. If you could speak the ruling language well, you could get a job easier, line up for promotion faster, and thus move up the social ladder quicker.
Because of English's unusual status in society due to the 'special' historical background, there was an abnormal phenomenon - people pretended not to know Chinese. It was very funny. Young people returning to HK after spending a few years in English speaking countries (probably got stuck in Chinatown anyway) would tell you that they forgot how to speak Chinese and of course, they couldn't read and write it anymore. The funniest thing was - when they did speak the language (definitely more comfortable for them and for the listeners), they twisted their accents to something like a foreigner speaking the language. That was hilarious and it was pure joy to watch them act and embarrasss themselves (to me, not to them).
I wonder how often and where would one find people pretending not to know their own native language and feel pride in not knowing it?
Well, it's very sad. China was fully wrapped up in all sorts of political movements and activities during the first 40 years of its establisment, and that had left them economically, academically, socially (and in many other areas) extremely backward. Also, because of its communist rule and isolation from the international community, China was not a desirable nation to many of its western counterparts. So, to many Hong Kongers, the Chinese langauge was not a favourable identity.
After the cultural revolution, because many people suffered too much during that time and they lost hope and optimism for their future in China, many of them were somehow very desperate to get out of the place and go somewhere else where there would be peace, jobs, food, shelter, stability, justice, hope and of course, freedom and humanity. Their destination - US / UK - English speaking countries.
I believe that it just followed that English would somehow symbolise all those good things they imagined or dreamed... That further pushed up the desirability of the English language (and thus English speaking people) among a significant part of the Chinese population in Hong Kong.
This has since (even now) created another very strange, funny and down right embarassing phenomenon - that anyone who looks caucasian (From Brazilian to Russian, from those who are illerate to highly educated, from beggars to professionals) can easily find a highly paid English teaching job in Hong Kong - they only need to look 'western'. That will do!
That's beyond sad!
From early on, I have developed an interest in language learning and I am fortunate that I never feel bored in language learning and I believe I have a little talent in languages. I made good grades in any languages that I learned (Chinese, English, French and German) and I am proud of it.
I am glad that I could enjoy the fruits of being able to communicate in several languages. I used to struggle to feel right about my own mother tongue. It was hard! But since learning other foreign languages, I feel emancipated.
Now, I will laugh at and at times, look down on those people who try hard not to learn and speak their own native language when growing up in their own country. I would even avoid those people because I believe if they feel so inferior about their true identity, how could I trust them?
Next time, I will talk about how some people pick on foreigners who speak their language - That's another funny story!
Monday, November 5, 2007
Biting back
Recently I have read a news article in an Australian newspaper about some aboriginal people from Fitzroy Crossing moving to Broome for the convenience of buying full strength beer.
To begin with, let me give some background info about these two places. Both towns are in Western Australia. Fitzroy Crossing is a rather remote place and are home to many aboriginal communities. In economic terms, it's neither a rich or prosperous town. In fact, too too too far from it. On the other hand, Broome is famous for its Southeast Asian, beach and tropical weather type of ambience. It's a booming tourist town for mostly Australians. Basically, the booming Broome is all about high-end tourism, luxurious gifts shopping (Pearls and jewllery) and expensive beach resorts.
So, what's in the news article? Well, it's about 5-star beach resorts, shops on 'tourist' streets being tainted by those 'alcoholic, filthy, and homeless' aboriginals and that has severely affected 'the tourist industry' and of course, put off those well-heeled Australian tourists. They don't like that at all.
They complained about their smell, unhygenic practices (urinating and even defecating in public places and even in the full view of restaurant patrons). They protested against them setting up tents and the women having a child in one arm and a beer in the other hand wandering around the town selling crafted boab nuts and probably some other little native craftwork.
The whole news article focuses on the unsightly and uncivilised way that these aboriginal people are carrying themselves. Not one word is about 'help', 'aid', 'sympathy', 'the root of the cause', and anything relating to humanitarian concerns. It's all about the economic losses that businesses may suffer because these aboriginal people 'scare off' tourists.
The Aboriginals issue in Australia began from about 200 hundred years ago when white Europeans claimed the land and denounced the existence of the natives, trying to exterminate them (both intentionally and unintentionally), but not quite successful. Over the years, the whole issue has turned into a very complicated problem whereby, I believe, has absolutely no solution to it.
I would say - that's the consequences of the white Australian government's (Oops, the Australian government has never been in any other colours) decades and series of pathetic and wrong military, political and social policies on native Australians. No white Australians should complain. Today's problems regarding the natives are the consequences of what have been done to them.
I have no solution and no suggestions to the problems. I have talked to sincere and kind-hearted Australian people who work and live in the native communities for a long time. I have read many many articles, reports and stories about them and their issues.
I tried to throw in my two cents worth saying something like... 'Now the natives have to stand up to face the reality. They are the only ones who could help themselves. If they think that the white Australians have put them in the game, then learn the rules and outplay them to gain some control of the game. That's the only way to go forward. If you want to be strong, you have to be economically independent, academically strong, socially competitive, and professionally proliferating in different fields. They should aim at moving forward (yet not to forget the tragic past). They must not indulge in endless grieving about those tragic events and waste time. They need to take action for the benefit of their whole race and country. They should turn grief into strength and determination. They should break away from those alcohol, drugs and lax habits that will certainly put them in a position of destruction and exterminate them eventually... blab blab blab'
That's what I used to say. But now, after hearing and reading so much about the underlining issues... it just seems to me that I was too naive. I was too much 'pro-action' (in the sense of the modern world). I have not taken into account the innate personality and the evolution characteristics of the aboriginal people. I have ignored that fact that the metaphysical aspects of the aboriginal culture could be far too different from the Chinese culture and all western cultures. It is beyond our comprehension. And assimilation is not really a suitable approach.
I can offer no solution. But I know well that relying on outside people's help, sympathy and hand-me-outs (mainly the white Australians) is no solution and actually a very wrong path to take. I believe there is still time and there are still ways to put the aboriginals right on the centre of the stage or the game. Just don't wait till it's too late.
To begin with, let me give some background info about these two places. Both towns are in Western Australia. Fitzroy Crossing is a rather remote place and are home to many aboriginal communities. In economic terms, it's neither a rich or prosperous town. In fact, too too too far from it. On the other hand, Broome is famous for its Southeast Asian, beach and tropical weather type of ambience. It's a booming tourist town for mostly Australians. Basically, the booming Broome is all about high-end tourism, luxurious gifts shopping (Pearls and jewllery) and expensive beach resorts.
So, what's in the news article? Well, it's about 5-star beach resorts, shops on 'tourist' streets being tainted by those 'alcoholic, filthy, and homeless' aboriginals and that has severely affected 'the tourist industry' and of course, put off those well-heeled Australian tourists. They don't like that at all.
They complained about their smell, unhygenic practices (urinating and even defecating in public places and even in the full view of restaurant patrons). They protested against them setting up tents and the women having a child in one arm and a beer in the other hand wandering around the town selling crafted boab nuts and probably some other little native craftwork.
The whole news article focuses on the unsightly and uncivilised way that these aboriginal people are carrying themselves. Not one word is about 'help', 'aid', 'sympathy', 'the root of the cause', and anything relating to humanitarian concerns. It's all about the economic losses that businesses may suffer because these aboriginal people 'scare off' tourists.
The Aboriginals issue in Australia began from about 200 hundred years ago when white Europeans claimed the land and denounced the existence of the natives, trying to exterminate them (both intentionally and unintentionally), but not quite successful. Over the years, the whole issue has turned into a very complicated problem whereby, I believe, has absolutely no solution to it.
I would say - that's the consequences of the white Australian government's (Oops, the Australian government has never been in any other colours) decades and series of pathetic and wrong military, political and social policies on native Australians. No white Australians should complain. Today's problems regarding the natives are the consequences of what have been done to them.
I have no solution and no suggestions to the problems. I have talked to sincere and kind-hearted Australian people who work and live in the native communities for a long time. I have read many many articles, reports and stories about them and their issues.
I tried to throw in my two cents worth saying something like... 'Now the natives have to stand up to face the reality. They are the only ones who could help themselves. If they think that the white Australians have put them in the game, then learn the rules and outplay them to gain some control of the game. That's the only way to go forward. If you want to be strong, you have to be economically independent, academically strong, socially competitive, and professionally proliferating in different fields. They should aim at moving forward (yet not to forget the tragic past). They must not indulge in endless grieving about those tragic events and waste time. They need to take action for the benefit of their whole race and country. They should turn grief into strength and determination. They should break away from those alcohol, drugs and lax habits that will certainly put them in a position of destruction and exterminate them eventually... blab blab blab'
That's what I used to say. But now, after hearing and reading so much about the underlining issues... it just seems to me that I was too naive. I was too much 'pro-action' (in the sense of the modern world). I have not taken into account the innate personality and the evolution characteristics of the aboriginal people. I have ignored that fact that the metaphysical aspects of the aboriginal culture could be far too different from the Chinese culture and all western cultures. It is beyond our comprehension. And assimilation is not really a suitable approach.
I can offer no solution. But I know well that relying on outside people's help, sympathy and hand-me-outs (mainly the white Australians) is no solution and actually a very wrong path to take. I believe there is still time and there are still ways to put the aboriginals right on the centre of the stage or the game. Just don't wait till it's too late.
Friday, November 2, 2007
From parents to a detective masterpiece
My parents and my two sisters are the best things that have happened to me so far. I love them dearly and without reservation. I know I am very forturnate. To me, my mother represents all the virtues you could name. She has passed away but there is no day gone without missing her and thinking of her.
I believe there are many good mothers and fathers who are trying their best and doing all the right things to bring up their children.
Yet, the 'parents' stamp does not mean 'Saints'. Some parents abuse their children. Some parents spoil their children to the extreme. Some never really care about them. Some use them as money-making tools. Some use them as relationship weapons. Some treat them as possessions because these parents have nothing else and have not achieved anything in life. Some see them as a way to exercise their 'rights' as a woman or a human. Some need them for social convenience, such as, social benefits, free housing and what not. Some have children without reason. Oh, they were accidents. So, let's make it clear that some parents are just rubbish. It just so happens in this world that whoever you are, if you can conceive, you can have a child.
Parents make mistakes, even the best and highly educated and intelligent ones. At the end of the day, they are just humans. Please remember, they are just HUMANS.
Like any normal human beings interacting with each other, they could get frustrated, angry with, and irritated by their own children. Children throw hysteric tandrums. They can't be reasoned with and they constantly seek attention. They also know exactly how to irritate their parents, take advantage of their love, play their natural psychological games to get what they want from their parents, and at last wrap them in their tiny little finger mercilessly.
In response, some parents tell their children off when necessary, discipline them, set limits and boundaries, lock them up in their bedroom, confine them to the naughty corner, send them to counselling sessions, put in place an award and punishment system, and many more. However, sometimes, that could be overdone and which may lead to some sort of damage. Some damage is slight and some could be irreversible.
I will not be surprised if the Madeleine McCann case would turn out to be one of those. Why should we rule that out and label the McCanns 'Saints'? What make them 'Saints'? Why should we be so illogical and irrational in assuming them they don't make mistakes in bringing up or treating their children? Why shouldn't we be suspicious until the case is solved? Why should we persecute the Portugese Police Force and brand them useless, inept and incompetent?
There are several possiblities.
1. The child was taken away and is now with someone else.
2. The child was kidnapped and the criminals want a ransom. (If so, it would become too difficult for the kidnappers now because the whole world knows it)
3. The child was killed by the kidnappers because the situation became out of hand.
4. The child was killed by some weirdo.
5. The child was killed because she was unlucky.
6. The child was killed because she was hated by somebody.
7. The child died of accident, negligence.
8. The child has just disappeared.
Okay, honestly it could be one of the above. Well, to help the Portugese Police solve the mystery and deal with the child's high profile and intelligent parents, we need Agatha Christie's exceptional 'detectives'. Miss Marple would tell you that people could be evil. M. Poirot would ask you to put things in order and use your grey cells.
The Madeleine case is an interesting one and should interest the best minds to find out the truth.
I believe there are many good mothers and fathers who are trying their best and doing all the right things to bring up their children.
Yet, the 'parents' stamp does not mean 'Saints'. Some parents abuse their children. Some parents spoil their children to the extreme. Some never really care about them. Some use them as money-making tools. Some use them as relationship weapons. Some treat them as possessions because these parents have nothing else and have not achieved anything in life. Some see them as a way to exercise their 'rights' as a woman or a human. Some need them for social convenience, such as, social benefits, free housing and what not. Some have children without reason. Oh, they were accidents. So, let's make it clear that some parents are just rubbish. It just so happens in this world that whoever you are, if you can conceive, you can have a child.
Parents make mistakes, even the best and highly educated and intelligent ones. At the end of the day, they are just humans. Please remember, they are just HUMANS.
Like any normal human beings interacting with each other, they could get frustrated, angry with, and irritated by their own children. Children throw hysteric tandrums. They can't be reasoned with and they constantly seek attention. They also know exactly how to irritate their parents, take advantage of their love, play their natural psychological games to get what they want from their parents, and at last wrap them in their tiny little finger mercilessly.
In response, some parents tell their children off when necessary, discipline them, set limits and boundaries, lock them up in their bedroom, confine them to the naughty corner, send them to counselling sessions, put in place an award and punishment system, and many more. However, sometimes, that could be overdone and which may lead to some sort of damage. Some damage is slight and some could be irreversible.
I will not be surprised if the Madeleine McCann case would turn out to be one of those. Why should we rule that out and label the McCanns 'Saints'? What make them 'Saints'? Why should we be so illogical and irrational in assuming them they don't make mistakes in bringing up or treating their children? Why shouldn't we be suspicious until the case is solved? Why should we persecute the Portugese Police Force and brand them useless, inept and incompetent?
There are several possiblities.
1. The child was taken away and is now with someone else.
2. The child was kidnapped and the criminals want a ransom. (If so, it would become too difficult for the kidnappers now because the whole world knows it)
3. The child was killed by the kidnappers because the situation became out of hand.
4. The child was killed by some weirdo.
5. The child was killed because she was unlucky.
6. The child was killed because she was hated by somebody.
7. The child died of accident, negligence.
8. The child has just disappeared.
Okay, honestly it could be one of the above. Well, to help the Portugese Police solve the mystery and deal with the child's high profile and intelligent parents, we need Agatha Christie's exceptional 'detectives'. Miss Marple would tell you that people could be evil. M. Poirot would ask you to put things in order and use your grey cells.
The Madeleine case is an interesting one and should interest the best minds to find out the truth.
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