When people want to learn languages, it's usually easy for people to learn short words or phrases. Probably it's because people from other countries could usually hear native speakers say short words or phrases very commonly so that people can easily remember them.
However, it might cause some problems. For example, many people learn languages from movies. And it's very common to hear people in movies say some or many grimy words so that audiences might easily understand and know how to say dirty words unknowingly. The impact of movies on many people is quite serious, especially for younger. Is it good to learn languages from TV or movies so that people can easily understand what the words that native speakers usually say are, including bad words? Or shall I say it's not a big deal as many people do?
2007年12月3日 星期一
Learning Languages
張貼者： Simón 於 清晨6:23
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1 意見:
We normally use a pronoun when the subject or object noun is repeated a second time in a sentence or a paragraph: "When people want to learn languages, it's usually easy for them to learn short words or phrases."
"grimy words" is different and even interesting, but it's not idiomatic. Most native speakers would much prefer "dirty words" or "four-letter words". Except in a poem, of course.
"The impact of movies on many people is quite serious, especially for younger." This sentence is incomplete for a couple of reasons.
First, and most obvious, it needs some different words at the end; maybe it should say this: "especially younger people" or "especially young people" or "especially children". I don't know who you mean by "younger", so you have to make that clear.
Second, you don't say much about the impact of movies on many people. All you say is that it is "serious". I wonder what that means. You need to give some explanation and examples. I don't think one can say that learning short expressions and dirty words from movies is a "serious" impact or effect. Do movies change the personality and character of many people? Do they affect the behavior and thinking patterns of many people? Do they cause many people to commit crimes or to become better citizens? These would all be serious effects.
Some people will say it's not a big deal, but others will say that it is a big deal. After all, how does one communicate with others? Mostly by using language. If someone uses dirty words all the time, then most people won't want to communicate with them. I use dirty words from time to time, as does everyone I know, but not all the time. I don't particularly like listening to people who can't speak without using four-letter words in every sentence.
Is it a big deal that American movies especially have so much foul language in them? That depends on the person watching the movies. I don't like it very much, but it doesn't have a big impact on my vocabulary. It will have a big impact on the vocabulary of students of English and children, though. They will believe that this is the proper way to speak American English, even if it's not.
If EFL students watch movies and ask their EFL teachers about the language, then they should get good advice about what language to use and what language not to use when speaking and writing. The bad language is no longer a big deal.
There are many questions that have to be asked about the language used in movies. Is it real? Do people actually speak that way? How many people actually speak that way? Is it necessary to include that language in movies? Why (not)?
We can ask the same question about smoking and drinking in movies. Lots of people smoke and drink, but is it necessary to show that behavior in movies? Some people think it's better not to show smoking at all. Other people say that not showing it makes the movie too unrealistic.
Think about realism in movies for a few seconds. Everyone goes to the toilet. We know this. Should we also show people urinating and defecating in movies? That's realistic and real. Not showing it should also be subject to the same criticism that it makes the movie too unrealistic, shouldn't it?
Well, you can see where this is going, I think. Nowhere. There are so many questions but so few answers that satisfy.
What I really want to know is what you mean by "The impact of movies on many people is quite serious" and how you know this to be true.
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