Whether it’s a book, a newspaper, or just a tablet computer, I almost always have Chinese literature in hand with me. And when you do that, you get to meet people who are convinced that they could never become literate. But you don’t even have to go that far and actually interact with people. To…
21 search results for "suckage"
Intermediate Angst: Dealing With Feelings of Suckage
by khatzumoto
This entry is part 4 of 15 in the series Intermediate AngstThus spake Hangul Fangirl (@HangulFangirl): “[Dear Khatzumoto, You are handsome beyond comprehension. And also very slim. Your delicate, schoolgirl figure is an inspiration to us all.] How do you get past the feeling that you’re not progressing and end up forgetting to keep going?…
A Proposal Towards Reduced Suckage in the Classroom
by khatzumoto
Classes suck. But could they be made to suck less? Even, *gasp* worthwhile? A reader named Kurojohn asked me that, and I got carried away with the response, so for the purposes of easier discussion, here it is as an article. First, the question: Khatzumoto, I know that language classes are not highly regarded by…
Teaching Is Dead. Long Live Teaching: Why School Sucks, But (Some) Teachers Don’t
by khatzumoto
If you know the AJATT origin story well, then you’ll know that I once took an actual Japanese class. It was a newspaper reading class. One time I showed the instructor, a lovely older gentleman, a website that automatically puts furigana on Kanji. Nearing retirement, he was visibly crestfallen, and somewhat sadly remarked that students…
Why You Don’t Actually Have A “Native” Language (Nobody Does. There’s No Such Thing.)
by khatzumoto
There is no such thing as a native language or a native dialect or accent. You don’t have one. I don’t have one. No one does. Let’s unpack this. The word “native” comes from the Old French natif, which comes from the Latin nātīvus, which itself comes from nātus (also Latin), the past participle of…
HABU Yoshiharu’s “The Big Picture”, Part 5: Why You’re Wrong to Have Intermediate Angst
by khatzumoto
This entry is part of 10 in the series What Shogi [Japanese Chess] Can Teach You About Languages, Learning and Life 「最も悩む局面が、最も面白い」 “The parts of the game [situations] where you worry the most are actually the most fun and interesting parts”. 最も＝もっとも 悩む＝なやむ 局面＝きょくめん 面白い＝おもしろい “The parts of the game where you worry the most…