weird.weird.weird

[dieloreley]

Our Chinese teacher was explaining to us on Tuesday why we had to skip 2 chapters of our textbook and why she picked those chapters to skip. We simply don't have enough time to study all of it so I'm glad they're not making us do something insane like study 2 chapters a week. BUT the chapters we skipped were so interesting! Chapter three was on

Comments

[dragonsangel68]

That simply doesn't make sense *shakes head* Is your Chinese teacher actually Chinese? I ask because the Japanese teacher at the high school my kids attend is Irish (with a very broad accent).

[dieloreley]

Yeah, she is. My Japanese teacher in high school was Australian but she was married to a Japanese so she was practically Japanese. No broad accent here. :) How's Mitch's Japanese going?

[dragonsangel68]

Mitch celebrated when he got to drop it at the end of year nine *g* He passed the subject, but he honestly has no idea how, because he admits to never doing anything in that class. It's not behavior I would usually take lightly, but languages are a waste of time for some students.

[lyndsiefenele]

LOL! Are they setting you up to be able to marry people over the Internet in Chinese? Sweet!

Also, as far as cutting culture: wtf? Uh, at my school they made us take a class called "Language and Culture" which talked about the intrinsic nature of the two. Even the study abroad programs were titled Language, Literature, and Culture. Um, yeah. It's silly to cut that stuff but leave in "Internet love." Unless internet loving is big in China these days?

[dieloreley]

Hehe... "ANU's new Chinese program involves learning language in a whole new way. Research has shown that being in a relationship with a native speaker of the language you are learning increases learning by 200%. With this new data, the China and Korea Centre has introduced training in the use of China's most popular online dating website into the intermediate language program in order to advance the speed at which Chinese students take in the language." *snort*

We had to do culture studies in French too. I thought it was more interesting than learning about sharp knives and psycho lovers anyway. Apparently it's a big issue in China, though - it expands your social circle and reduces the responsibility, commitment and stress that comes with a regular relationship. Or something.

[lyndsiefenele]

Uh... jeez! I guess, at least they're warning you about jealous online lovers? Wouldn't do for you to get stabbed out of ignorance...

[elvishly]

AHAHA, the first thing that popped into my head when I read Internet love (and Chinese) was http://www.chnlove.com/my/newprofiles.php XD

[dieloreley]

Normal 40 year-old women don't look like that! ...do they?

[cosmo_jenny]

In the 3 years, I studied English I never had a class about any English speaking culture.
If I had ever finished my studies, I could have done so without attending any culture or social classes about the States, Britain, Australia.

It is mind boggling in my opinion but *shrug* That's higher education, right?

[dieloreley]

I suppose it might be hard - if you asked me, all 3 countries have completely different cultures but that might just be because I live in one of them. :D

[cosmo_jenny]

Of course, they have completely different cultures.
My point is, how can someone be a uni graduate in English and never been taught anything about culture and society in an English speaking country?

[dieloreley]

*shrugs* Like you said, that's higher education for you. My opinion is that we should all be sent away to an immersion program as part of the major. That would do the job just fine. :D

[wolfstar07]

Darn! Those do sound really interesting. Perhaps you can read them anyway, if you ever get time?

[dieloreley]

I hope so! I mean, I get to keep the textbook so maybe in the summer break?