Throughout the essay 'A way With Words, or Away With Words: Effect of Texting and iMing on Language' by Timothy Barranco, a new and even creative idea to which the majority of people from old generation to the youth oppose is presented and supported by a variety of both reasonable and persuasive evidence. The author breaks the common stereotype that texting language will bring ruin to existing formal language and says that texting language is not a cause for concern. Instead, to some extend, texting language contributes to the development of language.
The first evidence provided is from the perspective of texting language. In this essay, this second language frequently used by today's youth is not actually a language used for formal and necessary communications in life but 'merely a degradation of proper English'. From this point, it is expected that audience will think this issue over and start wondering whether what they used to believe is absolute.
The other evidence provided are either from the aspect of history or personal experience. In terms of historical reason, the author points out that text is just a new example of undergone constant evolution. If it can not adapt, then it may just die off and that is all about it. Additionally, personal experience is exhibited to strength this idea because these are facts that no one can deny its existing. It is a powerful method that is worth learning.
Thinking about how the framework of this essay also helps support the topic, I find that counterargument is presented as a claim and then some stereotypes are broken by some powerful evidence. Following that, it goes deeper and deeper to support the idea with all possible aspects.
All in all, this essay is found to be persuasive with all these different types of evidence.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
things would be different if considered at a different point of view
After reading "From Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee", I realized that there is nothing absolute right or wrong because the judgment is made upon a certain point of view and things would be different from what they are original thought of if considered at a opposite point of view. For example, the history we are taught is generally thought to be absolute right with no doubt. However, if considered deeply, there might be plenty of doubts about things we have learned.
People have been taught when they were children to have a basic thought about what is right and evil. As time goes, the children grow to be adults and start to look at things wisely. Something which is commonly thought to be wrong and abandoned does make sense in other field. The history is no exception. History is written by the winners and surely all that have been written in the book is saying good about the winners and bad about the losers. Like the China community, according to the Chinese history book, there is nothing written about what evil things committed by the China community but a whole bunch of nice and beauty things accomplished by them. Born and growing up in China, I have never thought the China community to be anything wrong until I was taught in high school, but I never blame on them for not allowing children to know the truth. Instead, I understand and strongly agree with them about doing so. By all means, they are the winner and they have the right to make all people obey them by impressing their people with good imagines.
All in all, everything exists in two sides, depending on which point of view it is looked at. Winners can write the history in a way they like and so do losers.
People have been taught when they were children to have a basic thought about what is right and evil. As time goes, the children grow to be adults and start to look at things wisely. Something which is commonly thought to be wrong and abandoned does make sense in other field. The history is no exception. History is written by the winners and surely all that have been written in the book is saying good about the winners and bad about the losers. Like the China community, according to the Chinese history book, there is nothing written about what evil things committed by the China community but a whole bunch of nice and beauty things accomplished by them. Born and growing up in China, I have never thought the China community to be anything wrong until I was taught in high school, but I never blame on them for not allowing children to know the truth. Instead, I understand and strongly agree with them about doing so. By all means, they are the winner and they have the right to make all people obey them by impressing their people with good imagines.
All in all, everything exists in two sides, depending on which point of view it is looked at. Winners can write the history in a way they like and so do losers.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Three unfamiliar words
Preeminent: greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement
Furious: very angry
Bluntly: speaking in an honest way even if this upsets people
Furious: very angry
Bluntly: speaking in an honest way even if this upsets people
Agreement with 'Two Years in the Melting Pot'
Liu's rough experience dealing with American culture exactly illustrates basically what life is about for those living under a different culture circumstance. I agree with him and conclude that it is reasonable and understandable that foreigners are tend to stay with people who have the same culture background. Two main reasons are cultural gap and loneliness.
No matter how much time I have spent trying to be with American people in order to get inside the culture, the gap between people that have different culture background is still unlikely to be removable. Culture shock is everywhere. One same result can be resulted from different perspectives by people who have different culture background, because the culture in our mind has deeply influenced the way we are thinking and the way to judge what is right and tolerant and what is wrong and unacceptable. For example, when Liu was tempted to speak out that what the professor was teaching is not right, he received a response which was considered rude and offensive by him with Chinese culture background but normal and reasonable by Americans. Culture shocks apart and separate us from American and certainly result in that we Chinese like to be with other Chinese.
Loneliness is hard to overcome. For us, it seems to be true that living in a different culture is sometimes like living in another world. To be with people from my own country can make us feel warm. We are likely to become close brothers and sisters dealing with difficulties together.
Cultural gap and loneliness generate the distance from being adapted with a different culture and contributes that people from the same country like to stay together.
No matter how much time I have spent trying to be with American people in order to get inside the culture, the gap between people that have different culture background is still unlikely to be removable. Culture shock is everywhere. One same result can be resulted from different perspectives by people who have different culture background, because the culture in our mind has deeply influenced the way we are thinking and the way to judge what is right and tolerant and what is wrong and unacceptable. For example, when Liu was tempted to speak out that what the professor was teaching is not right, he received a response which was considered rude and offensive by him with Chinese culture background but normal and reasonable by Americans. Culture shocks apart and separate us from American and certainly result in that we Chinese like to be with other Chinese.
Loneliness is hard to overcome. For us, it seems to be true that living in a different culture is sometimes like living in another world. To be with people from my own country can make us feel warm. We are likely to become close brothers and sisters dealing with difficulties together.
Cultural gap and loneliness generate the distance from being adapted with a different culture and contributes that people from the same country like to stay together.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
nonvernal communications
Having been in the United States for thus a long time, I realize that one of the major difference between them is called nonverbal communication, which includes eye contact, gestures and body space and any other communications without languages. The nonverbal communication is deeply influenced by different culture since a same nonverbal communication might be used to express different meanings by people under different culture, such as Chinese and American.
Numerous nonverbal communications are used differently when looked deeply. With over 5000 years of history, China has rooted its own way in expressing emotions without words. It is likely that eye contact is defined as different ways in different situations. Eye contacting with elders is considered to be rude sometimes while it is a way to show respectability in America. Compared with Chinese, American are eager to share their emotions and expect to be respected when talking with others. However, eye contacting has some different meanings when used under different culture.
American are more likely to be sensitive to body space than Chinese. Enough space is needed when American are talking with each other and it will be considered rude otherwise. Private security is thought to be important while usually Chinese pay more attention to the content instead of the space.
In addition, there exist some universal nonverbal communications such as smiling. There is no doubt that smiling is an easiest way to show interest and respect. Smiling can dissolve many misunderstandings when communicating with people from other culture.
All in all, nonverbal communications are an aspect of a culture. In other words, culture is the origin to generate the meanings of nonverbal gestures.
Numerous nonverbal communications are used differently when looked deeply. With over 5000 years of history, China has rooted its own way in expressing emotions without words. It is likely that eye contact is defined as different ways in different situations. Eye contacting with elders is considered to be rude sometimes while it is a way to show respectability in America. Compared with Chinese, American are eager to share their emotions and expect to be respected when talking with others. However, eye contacting has some different meanings when used under different culture.
American are more likely to be sensitive to body space than Chinese. Enough space is needed when American are talking with each other and it will be considered rude otherwise. Private security is thought to be important while usually Chinese pay more attention to the content instead of the space.
In addition, there exist some universal nonverbal communications such as smiling. There is no doubt that smiling is an easiest way to show interest and respect. Smiling can dissolve many misunderstandings when communicating with people from other culture.
All in all, nonverbal communications are an aspect of a culture. In other words, culture is the origin to generate the meanings of nonverbal gestures.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
a stratergy to make friends
Friends are the basic element for some who want to be successful in managing their lives. Is there any point to make it easy to get a nice relationship formed between two strangers in their first conversation? According to "from the first four minutes" by Leonard Zunin, "a relationship can only develop if both parties are interested in pursuing it", which means, presenting undivided attention for the first four minutes can help a lot form a good start and will somehow determine the direction the relationship towards. Some of my experience when facing strangers can be a good example.
You can not be respected unless you respect others. This is even more important in first meetings with strangers because what you do will influence deeply the imagine of you in others' mind. I notice this strategy and apply it successfully and eventually I get plenty of friends. However, the interesting thing is that I have some friends who do not like some of my other friends at all. I respect what others' personalities and opinions and pay my total interest when talking with others, especially in the first four minutes with someone I first meet. Perhaps that is the reason why I get good imagine of myself in others' mind.
All in all, the first few minutes when contacting with others is so important that usually the rest relationship will be determined by it. Paying attention for first four minutes will help a lot in forming a good imagine of you and get a lot of friends.
You can not be respected unless you respect others. This is even more important in first meetings with strangers because what you do will influence deeply the imagine of you in others' mind. I notice this strategy and apply it successfully and eventually I get plenty of friends. However, the interesting thing is that I have some friends who do not like some of my other friends at all. I respect what others' personalities and opinions and pay my total interest when talking with others, especially in the first four minutes with someone I first meet. Perhaps that is the reason why I get good imagine of myself in others' mind.
All in all, the first few minutes when contacting with others is so important that usually the rest relationship will be determined by it. Paying attention for first four minutes will help a lot in forming a good imagine of you and get a lot of friends.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Response to "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan
"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan is such an educational and impressive article that calls for deep thinking about the differences between a same language used in formal and informal situations and by different generations of speakers. The article shows how different "Englishes" lead to different results by presenting some funny stories happened in a family, in which the mother spoke an informal English while her daughter spoke a formal and perfect English. It is quite common to see that a same language used by different generations, such as parents and children, can usually have people generate different perceptions of a same thing. Parents use their language, which has been used for about 40 years, to express their opinion while we children sometimes speak a language that can not be understandable or misunderstood because lots of things have changed after 40 years. Also, the languages used in formal and informal situations differ from each other in either the way it is spoken or the different words chosen.
My language spoken by parents can easily cause a generation gap between parents and children. Personally I prefer to stay with my peers rather than parents because I love the feeling of free talk. Nothing is forbidden to speak out when talking with peers while I often feel unatural when standing in front of parents. Parents are speaking a language which is quite serious and formal and it seems that the words they use are carefully selected. Sometimes a word can be defined with two totally different meanings by parents and children, so misunderstanding happens between the two generations.
Different languages used in formal and informal situations can surely cause different results. When talking with bosses or in some formal meetings, the language should be different from daily language and the way words are organized should be thought of before spoken out. Just like writing essays, some informal and folk words are better not to be used.
Generally, language is not always straight forward. There are a variety of languages used by different classes and in different situations. The point is that whether the language used is in the right spot.
My language spoken by parents can easily cause a generation gap between parents and children. Personally I prefer to stay with my peers rather than parents because I love the feeling of free talk. Nothing is forbidden to speak out when talking with peers while I often feel unatural when standing in front of parents. Parents are speaking a language which is quite serious and formal and it seems that the words they use are carefully selected. Sometimes a word can be defined with two totally different meanings by parents and children, so misunderstanding happens between the two generations.
Different languages used in formal and informal situations can surely cause different results. When talking with bosses or in some formal meetings, the language should be different from daily language and the way words are organized should be thought of before spoken out. Just like writing essays, some informal and folk words are better not to be used.
Generally, language is not always straight forward. There are a variety of languages used by different classes and in different situations. The point is that whether the language used is in the right spot.
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