Salut! (Hello in French)
For as long as I can remember I have been an avid lover of alternative music. By alternative music, I mean music that is not linguistically mainstream, music that you don't hear people talk about. I must profess that I never actually thought of it like this until just now. Why? Because I only ever thought of it as getting to know and better understand the culture in question. Music is a path to the soul and rhythm - the heartbeat of a culture. It is also an important way to enjoy and practice the language. It can be very useful for listening practice. Music videos can help you to better understand the conditions and realities of a country, despite how much the presentation may be cleaned up for the purposes of the video.
Anyways, without further ado, on to a story about how I discovered Zouk:
One day a couple of years ago, I came to the realization that I have heard music of this variety in numerous languages and from even more cultures, but I don't know what is out there in French. What do people from Africa listen to? What music do people from the French-speaking Caribbean listen to? I know the answer to that last question for the English- and Spanish-speaking countries of the Caribbean. I have found some answers to that question since, but I have definitely not finished that quest.
That quest has led me to Zouk though. Zouk is a genre of music originating in the French-speaking Caribbean, it appears to be an attempt to move away from Meringue and Compas/Kompas and towards a more locally originated form.
Dry historic narrative aside, I want to provide you, the reader, with some real historic context:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vv1wxZAR1k
This song is in Antillean Creole - which is créole antillais in French and probably something like kreyòl antilla (?) in Antillean Creole - and it seems to have found a special place in the hearts of those of the French-speaking Caribbean. It is a classic that is still played at parties even now. It's unique style draws you in - or, at least, it did with me. I hope you like it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_OIoTsK3ww
Here is a more recent song, from what I believe to be the same genre. Hopefully as you listen to the music, this will help you to understand the historic trajectory that forms across the decades between these two songs. This song is certainly more understandable than the first for French speakers. Try to pay attention to how the style of music is different between the two and, also, watch the video and pay attention to the presentation of the local culture, locales, styles of dress and dance as you watch the music video. What country might this be from? What do you think they are trying to portray in the video given the choice of locale? Why are they performing the actions that they are in the video?
This last part with the questions is a thought experiment. Try to think it over for yourself first what you think the answers to those questions might be, then see if you can find out.
As a bonus, here is a modern sample of one of the genres that Zouk was attempting to replace ever since its inception - Compas/Kompas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LR_dnUNjIU I recommend you, at the very least, listen to the first song.
Cheers,
Evren
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
Crucial Software for Learning Chinese [Mandarin Chinese]
To be perfectly honest, this is not how I envisioned starting off this blog after the introduction, but it did just occur to me that this is something that people need to know:
Technology has come a surprisingly long way in the time that I have been on this Earth. Smart phones have proved to be amazing and they are a crucial device for those interested in quick and efficient language learning. BUT, we're not going to talk about that today. I will say that if you are learning a new language, go ahead and install the keyboard (NOTE: I use the term keyboard for smart phones and input method editor for computers) for whatever language it is that you are learning on your phone. It is extremely helpful. Now, a note of caution: make sure you install the correct one. (e.g. if you are learning Brazilian Portuguese, make sure you're not installing the the keyboard for European Portuguese, etc.) Also, anecdotally: if you are using a windows computer, as a Tibetan learner, you might as well just stick to your smartphone for typing.* I would strongly avoid typing in Tibetan on a windows computer at all costs, unless you have keyboard decals. This is an example of a difficulty that you may face if you are learning an obscure language. And, while I say that, all keyboard layouts will require some degree of memorization on your part, and possibly even keyboard decals, such as with Russian and Tibetan.
In the stead of further discussion about smartphones and relevant tangents, I'm going to teach you how to procure the best input method editor (IME) currently available for Mandarin Chinese. All Chinese people know of it. The one that I am going to suggest is certainly not the only one, and it may not always be the best one, but for now, the best IME is Sogou's pinyin input method editor.**
Whether you are a learner of simplified or traditional Mandarin, I HIGHLY recommend Sogou's IME.
To download it, follow the appropriate link:
PC (red button that says 立即下载)
http://pinyin.sogou.com/
MAC (blue button that says 立即下载)
http://pinyin.sogou.com/mac/?r=pinyin
The relevant button, as of 09/13/2016 is RED for PC and BLUE for MAC, it says 立即下载lìjí xiàzài(also read as: xiàzǎi)
Importantly, if you want to know how you would have gotten to that page on your own, you could have searched 搜狗拼音 or 搜狗拼音输入法 (for reference, that's sōugǒu pīnyīn or sōugǒu pīnyīn shūrù fǎ -literally Sogou pinyin input method***)I believe and know this to be important, because, as a language learner, you have to recognize the fact that the phrases that you use to search the internet in English may not have a comparable phrase in whatever language you are learning. It is also possible that the phrase that you are looking for is not easily obtained by yourself as a non-native speaker. This is particularly true of highly analytical languages, such as Mandarin, that have highly specified usages for their compounds. (read: words)
Why is this valuable?
If you are typing Mandarin on a computer or smart phone, while there are other options available, you are most likely going to be using a pinyin IME. That means that you are writing out the pronunciation and then choosing the correct characters by hitting the corresponding number in the list that comes up, or by hitting the space bar if the IME gives you the right choice as the first option. More frequent combinations are displayed in order of frequency. Please, please learn to use the space bar well. I don't typically even look at the combinations being displayed, I type and then hit 'enter.' I glance back at what was typed as I continue typing to make certain that the IME gave me the correct choices - did it use the correct 他/她/它 tā/tā/tā， etc. This makes typing in Mandarin a relative breeze. DO NOT sit there choosing the correct character combination with every compound, that will take forever. If you're a language learner, your time is valuable， even if it is fun and insightful to peruse all the different character combinations available for 'tā,' etc., you can't and won't be doing that with every single compound.
This input method allows you to use both simplified and traditional characters. To switch back and forth between the two, hit Ctrl+Shift+f or hit the 简 or 繁 button to switch to the other in the toolbar or on the palette. (if you have the palette enabled) To switch back and forth between English and Chinese, just tap 'Shift.' As you type, it will give suggestions for what characters you are wanting to use and it will also recognize names of things, places, etc. It seems to have the best recognition ability available. If you are typing the name of something unusual, such as the name of a video game, then it may offer the desired suggestion in the second slot, which should have a little cloud icon next to it. The suggestion with the cloud next to it may take a second or two to load the suggestion if whatever you are typing is, say, particularly obscure.
Is this common in language learning?
Input method editors are certainly common, but the ones provided by PCs and macs are usually sufficient for most languages. This is subject to change, but more obscure languages may require a language pack download from microsoft. The most common languages should be included with windows.
Two examples of where the IME provided is not the best choice is with Chinese and Tibetan. I am also not a great fan of the stock IME that windows has for Japanese, though I have never taken the time to find a better solution, as the vast majority of my time spent typing in Japanese has been on my mac or via smart phone. They are working on these things all the time though, so this is very much subject to change.
Do remember that there are other IMEs out there and, if you hear of one better or one with an interesting feature, let me know. I am always to other options and eager to learn about new things.
* Aside: The last I checked, android also falls short for Tibetan. It doesn't have a readily available option for learners of the language. Apple has been a godsend for Tibetans and Tibetan learners alike. You install the input method/keyboard for your mac/iPhone and you're good to go. The keyboard layouts are logical for non-native speakers as well.
** For those of you that don't know, pinyin is the method currently used by the majority of Mandarin learners foreign or domestic. (read: native) The pinyin system was invented in mainland China and it has displaced the Wade-Giles system as the most used system for transliterating Mandarin characters using the Latin alphabet.
*** For the curious: '輸入/输入' shūrù means 'to input' or 'to import.' e.g. '輸入一百字/输入一百字' shūrù yībǎi zì means 'to input one hundred characters' or '輸入糧食/输入粮食' shūrù liángshi means 'to import grain.' Its antonym being 輸出/输出 shūchū, 'to export'. It doesn't have to be used purely with physical substances, such as grain or crops.
Technology has come a surprisingly long way in the time that I have been on this Earth. Smart phones have proved to be amazing and they are a crucial device for those interested in quick and efficient language learning. BUT, we're not going to talk about that today. I will say that if you are learning a new language, go ahead and install the keyboard (NOTE: I use the term keyboard for smart phones and input method editor for computers) for whatever language it is that you are learning on your phone. It is extremely helpful. Now, a note of caution: make sure you install the correct one. (e.g. if you are learning Brazilian Portuguese, make sure you're not installing the the keyboard for European Portuguese, etc.) Also, anecdotally: if you are using a windows computer, as a Tibetan learner, you might as well just stick to your smartphone for typing.* I would strongly avoid typing in Tibetan on a windows computer at all costs, unless you have keyboard decals. This is an example of a difficulty that you may face if you are learning an obscure language. And, while I say that, all keyboard layouts will require some degree of memorization on your part, and possibly even keyboard decals, such as with Russian and Tibetan.
In the stead of further discussion about smartphones and relevant tangents, I'm going to teach you how to procure the best input method editor (IME) currently available for Mandarin Chinese. All Chinese people know of it. The one that I am going to suggest is certainly not the only one, and it may not always be the best one, but for now, the best IME is Sogou's pinyin input method editor.**
Whether you are a learner of simplified or traditional Mandarin, I HIGHLY recommend Sogou's IME.
To download it, follow the appropriate link:
PC (red button that says 立即下载)
http://pinyin.sogou.com/
MAC (blue button that says 立即下载)
http://pinyin.sogou.com/mac/?r=pinyin
The relevant button, as of 09/13/2016 is RED for PC and BLUE for MAC, it says 立即下载lìjí xiàzài(also read as: xiàzǎi)
Importantly, if you want to know how you would have gotten to that page on your own, you could have searched 搜狗拼音 or 搜狗拼音输入法 (for reference, that's sōugǒu pīnyīn or sōugǒu pīnyīn shūrù fǎ -literally Sogou pinyin input method***)I believe and know this to be important, because, as a language learner, you have to recognize the fact that the phrases that you use to search the internet in English may not have a comparable phrase in whatever language you are learning. It is also possible that the phrase that you are looking for is not easily obtained by yourself as a non-native speaker. This is particularly true of highly analytical languages, such as Mandarin, that have highly specified usages for their compounds. (read: words)
Why is this valuable?
If you are typing Mandarin on a computer or smart phone, while there are other options available, you are most likely going to be using a pinyin IME. That means that you are writing out the pronunciation and then choosing the correct characters by hitting the corresponding number in the list that comes up, or by hitting the space bar if the IME gives you the right choice as the first option. More frequent combinations are displayed in order of frequency. Please, please learn to use the space bar well. I don't typically even look at the combinations being displayed, I type and then hit 'enter.' I glance back at what was typed as I continue typing to make certain that the IME gave me the correct choices - did it use the correct 他/她/它 tā/tā/tā， etc. This makes typing in Mandarin a relative breeze. DO NOT sit there choosing the correct character combination with every compound, that will take forever. If you're a language learner, your time is valuable， even if it is fun and insightful to peruse all the different character combinations available for 'tā,' etc., you can't and won't be doing that with every single compound.
This input method allows you to use both simplified and traditional characters. To switch back and forth between the two, hit Ctrl+Shift+f or hit the 简 or 繁 button to switch to the other in the toolbar or on the palette. (if you have the palette enabled) To switch back and forth between English and Chinese, just tap 'Shift.' As you type, it will give suggestions for what characters you are wanting to use and it will also recognize names of things, places, etc. It seems to have the best recognition ability available. If you are typing the name of something unusual, such as the name of a video game, then it may offer the desired suggestion in the second slot, which should have a little cloud icon next to it. The suggestion with the cloud next to it may take a second or two to load the suggestion if whatever you are typing is, say, particularly obscure.
Is this common in language learning?
Input method editors are certainly common, but the ones provided by PCs and macs are usually sufficient for most languages. This is subject to change, but more obscure languages may require a language pack download from microsoft. The most common languages should be included with windows.
Two examples of where the IME provided is not the best choice is with Chinese and Tibetan. I am also not a great fan of the stock IME that windows has for Japanese, though I have never taken the time to find a better solution, as the vast majority of my time spent typing in Japanese has been on my mac or via smart phone. They are working on these things all the time though, so this is very much subject to change.
Do remember that there are other IMEs out there and, if you hear of one better or one with an interesting feature, let me know. I am always to other options and eager to learn about new things.
* Aside: The last I checked, android also falls short for Tibetan. It doesn't have a readily available option for learners of the language. Apple has been a godsend for Tibetans and Tibetan learners alike. You install the input method/keyboard for your mac/iPhone and you're good to go. The keyboard layouts are logical for non-native speakers as well.
** For those of you that don't know, pinyin is the method currently used by the majority of Mandarin learners foreign or domestic. (read: native) The pinyin system was invented in mainland China and it has displaced the Wade-Giles system as the most used system for transliterating Mandarin characters using the Latin alphabet.
*** For the curious: '輸入/输入' shūrù means 'to input' or 'to import.' e.g. '輸入一百字/输入一百字' shūrù yībǎi zì means 'to input one hundred characters' or '輸入糧食/输入粮食' shūrù liángshi means 'to import grain.' Its antonym being 輸出/输出 shūchū, 'to export'. It doesn't have to be used purely with physical substances, such as grain or crops.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Apparently, I am a Polyglot. Goal...achieved? Achievement...unlocked?
As cliché as it may sound, I find myself at the end of a journey and, inevitably, at the beginning of another. Thus, I feel that it is appropriate that a dash of reflection is in order to help put things in perspective.
During my sophomore year of high school back in 2002, on one of the lazy last days before the beginning of summer vacation, as I was in English class waiting for the period to end. The teacher happened to switch the topic of discussion to foreign languages and, little did I know, what was said would prove to leave a lasting impression on me.
To the point, one of my classmates made a joke that set in relief the reality of the foreign language situation in the USA. The joke was as follows:
-"What do you call someone who speaks three languages?"
-"trilingual"
-"What do you call someone who speaks two languages?"
-"bilingual"
-"What do you call someone who speaks one language?"
-"American."
While this could be said of the citizens of many a country, America's position at the head of the world economy has led to the dominance of English in various realms and this has, in turn, created a vicious cycle that continues to the present - namely that there has traditionally not been a great perceived need to learn a foreign language for purposes other than the study of English and the Classics. (i.e. the effectively dead tradition of studying Latin and Greek) As someone who, from a very young age became entranced with foreign cultures, particularly those of East Asia, the message of this joke achieved special significance for me and remained in my subconscious, slowly drifting to the surface, every now and then.
The inner complexities of the workings of the mind are beyond me, so I am unable to fully describe the exact process, but, however it happened, somewhere around this time, I came to the firm decision that I wanted to learn Japanese. Eventually this evolved into a desire to learn Chinese as well as Japanese and to study abroad in college in the country of whichever language I chose to tackle first. Afterwards, I would study the other language and avail myself of the opportunity to spend time in the other country.
I have accomplished these things and the quest very much continues to this day. My vision has expanded as my horizons were broadened. Success in high school and on the job with Spanish led me to continue my study of the language in college, which has in turn led me to other languages. All told, I have, at present, studied around 20 languages and I do not expect that I will stop learning languages ever. It is such a joy and, what's more, it is the all-important means by which you gain access to a linguocultural sphere and the milieu of the denizens that create said sphere with every day of their lives.
Apparently that makes me what is called a polyglot, I honestly did not know of this term until I found that I was one. Now, I guess that it is high time that I bear the responsibilities of being one. My exact vision for what that means will become clearer with time as I develop this blog, but for now, I encourage you to stick around. I am ready to slowly release the floodgates, as I help you to understand the way that a polyglot thinks about and looks at languages, language learning, and the world.
Cheers,
Evren
-A polyglot and a southerner
During my sophomore year of high school back in 2002, on one of the lazy last days before the beginning of summer vacation, as I was in English class waiting for the period to end. The teacher happened to switch the topic of discussion to foreign languages and, little did I know, what was said would prove to leave a lasting impression on me.
To the point, one of my classmates made a joke that set in relief the reality of the foreign language situation in the USA. The joke was as follows:
-"What do you call someone who speaks three languages?"
-"trilingual"
-"What do you call someone who speaks two languages?"
-"bilingual"
-"What do you call someone who speaks one language?"
-"American."
While this could be said of the citizens of many a country, America's position at the head of the world economy has led to the dominance of English in various realms and this has, in turn, created a vicious cycle that continues to the present - namely that there has traditionally not been a great perceived need to learn a foreign language for purposes other than the study of English and the Classics. (i.e. the effectively dead tradition of studying Latin and Greek) As someone who, from a very young age became entranced with foreign cultures, particularly those of East Asia, the message of this joke achieved special significance for me and remained in my subconscious, slowly drifting to the surface, every now and then.
The inner complexities of the workings of the mind are beyond me, so I am unable to fully describe the exact process, but, however it happened, somewhere around this time, I came to the firm decision that I wanted to learn Japanese. Eventually this evolved into a desire to learn Chinese as well as Japanese and to study abroad in college in the country of whichever language I chose to tackle first. Afterwards, I would study the other language and avail myself of the opportunity to spend time in the other country.
I have accomplished these things and the quest very much continues to this day. My vision has expanded as my horizons were broadened. Success in high school and on the job with Spanish led me to continue my study of the language in college, which has in turn led me to other languages. All told, I have, at present, studied around 20 languages and I do not expect that I will stop learning languages ever. It is such a joy and, what's more, it is the all-important means by which you gain access to a linguocultural sphere and the milieu of the denizens that create said sphere with every day of their lives.
Apparently that makes me what is called a polyglot, I honestly did not know of this term until I found that I was one. Now, I guess that it is high time that I bear the responsibilities of being one. My exact vision for what that means will become clearer with time as I develop this blog, but for now, I encourage you to stick around. I am ready to slowly release the floodgates, as I help you to understand the way that a polyglot thinks about and looks at languages, language learning, and the world.
Cheers,
Evren
-A polyglot and a southerner
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