<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:tahoma, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma, new york, times, serif">I have seen very few Japanese students here at Post (which used to be Teikyo Post) who, no matter how fluent their speech might be, their writihg is sometimes a translation from Japanese, from syntax to cultural context, which could lead to some very disconcerting results and a <EM>lot</EM> of asking questions... Actually, I did like the French educational system, too, and actually loved nothing better than an <EM>explication de texte.</EM></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: tahoma, new york, times, serif">Bonnie<BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">----- Original Message ----<BR>From: Steve Kaufmann <steve@thelinguist.com><BR>To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List <professionaldevelopment@nifl.gov><BR>Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 12:56:43 AM<BR>Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2384] Re: Questioning and DiscussionStrategies for Practicing Critical Thinking<BR><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr>Bonnie,<BR><BR>A very interesting comment from a fellow victim of French education ( I actually really enjoyed it). I agree that some discipline of form is essential to being able to express oneself, and even to being able to organize one's ideas. This form can very from culture to culture. <BR><BR>It is very difficult to leave the form of one's original culture. When I write in Japanese or Chinese, I am basically expressing myself structurally based on my European language educational background, while using Chinese or Japanese words.I must assume that it is difficult for the Japanese or Chinese student not to do the same in reverse, when writing in English.<BR><BR>That is where I think words are so important. When I correct writing, if the words are used correctly, in terms of meaning, and in terms of which words are used with which, a certain amount of unstructured wandering, or "cultural license", seems to be acceptable, and as you
say, what is most important, still leaves the meaning understandable.<BR><BR>Steve<BR> <BR><BR><BR clear=all><BR>-- <BR>Steve Kaufmann<BR><A href="http://www.lingq.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow>www.lingq.com</A><BR>1-604-922-8514 </DIV></DIV></div></body></html>