in fact, this is a very interesting topic. i just want to give some examples which perhaps could demonstrate sth. and by which, we can further deepen our topic and make clear our minds.
there must be a lot of single immigrants in canada, and perhaps a majority of them cannot speak english very well. so the post author made an important clue: lack of linguistical environment. why? in china u can complain of it, but this time, why in canada?
we can never achieve a high level of language without working hard at it. several years ago, i had a strange conversation with my french foreign teacher in class in china.she thought that the only fact of being in france will better our french proficiency. i said openly no. and then all my classmates stared at me werdly, including the teacher. i said' if they stay together or stay alone, they will learn nothing, even worse than in china, in this class.
they said nothing, but i know they agreed nothing neither.
a rainy day, two persons walk in the street, one with an umbrella, the other without. but the latter returns home good and dry, the former becomes all wet.
ok, this time, my own story. my girlfriend speaks to me not very often in french or in english, for any reason which would be. me, on the contary, always encourge her to pratice, with me, and spend long times with her french friends. we tried several times ago,
but finally quitted, for simple reason that we forgot it.perhaps we have not made it as our habit. yersterday, i showed her this post, i said to her with a big smile ' look, this time u cannot dodge again. it's your problem.'
so we started to communicate in french, we felt not tired, but we both concluded that it's much easier to speak with french natives, and it's tired to communicate with coreens and vietnameses. it's sth. middle when speak with chinese, our own people, in a foreign language.
but the most interesting thing is not the language pratice, it's sth. brought by this practice. when i speak with her in french, i find i am in a totally different register of speaking. i feel i have a total respect to her and the soft language make us much more closer, from a different angle. and i wish i can keep this habit, during a big part of our time at least.
conclusion: at the very beginning of learning a foreign langue, u probably feel u are a walking corps, or a silly baby ( perhaps u think a silly baby does better than u do), without mind and spirit, only having a compassionate heart.( of learning it) at this stage, u mind is the servant of your langue. your basic language limits your intellectual abilities. and u feel despaired... angry.. sometimes happy.--- a strange circle.
then, u try ur best to overturn this stituation, for u are eager to be master of your mind, u don't want to be directed by your basic language, and u don't want to be a puppet neither.
finally the day is coming when u will feel a sense of independance...
in france, people say ' il faut apprendre une langue étrangère par se fatiguer.' sth. like ' no pain, no gain' and of course, perhaps most important, with a willing and thinking heart, for only perfect pratice makes perfect.
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只可惜中国男人又少了一个机会.
