I want to write a bit about the controversy surrounding the term ‘grass widow.’ I also want to address what I found to be be the very painful suggestion that only some people ought to speak Yiddish.
Most of that went over my head, but the 'it sounds like'. When I was learning french and german (no never did actually learn either) one of the teachers said, if you can't work out what a word is, try to work out what it might be from other words around it. Even try english words that sound similar, to see if that's it. Odd but I think it helped a few times.
When I taught English as a foreign language we’d been trained (RSA Diploma) to teach meta skills such as this, which can be described as ‘inferring from context’. There’s a lot of technique to it and I found it fascinating but I wasn’t sure how helpful it was to students overall. I suspected it depended on an individual’s learning style and I wondered whether those for whom it ‘worked’ would have naturally done it anyway as they would have been employing the techniques in their own language.
I used to read dictionaries when I was a child because I find words so luscious. I hoped I'd be able to learn every word in the English language....still trying!
Thank you so much! As a person who has learned 5 languages over the years (2 with native proficiency, I agree. I am pained by the stridency of this kerfuffle, and the hurt it has caused the parties. Some have poured kerosene on the fires. Not many have taken a step back. This is unfortunate. Did the "grass widow" go overboard in her hurt and when she felt "shamed" as a convert. Yes, she did. But, also, cooler heads should have prevailed. This whole thing of who has the right to what, is so painful in the U. S. environment. Hurt people hurt others. And what works in one context here, can be disastrous or harmful abroad. This biological reality work is hard; these women are human struggles are maddening. The sacrifices feminists and activists make, take time, and effort, and courage. I personally found the term "grass widow" to be poetic license. As a writer, I found it lyrical, even. What I find unbearable is the relentless venomous, second hand-stridency of some platformed women I have greatly admired. I cannot bear to listen to some people's screeching anymore. True feminist solidarity holds fast without demanding the abnegation of the other party. May all of us in this fight take deep breaths, make amends, and try to be wise. Exulansic, may your good work keep lighting the way and provide guidance and fresh ideas to us!
What you wrote about language, and in particular about learning Spanish with the accent your caregiver had, reminded me of something from my childhood. I was always good at picking up bits and pieces of other languages, though I've now lost much of my French, the only language other than English I studied at any length and could hold a halfway decent conversation in. When I was in my early teens I got hold of my Mum's old Latin textbooks from her school days and some "teach yourself" German and Russian books and tried learning from them for fun (my attempt at teaching myself Russian was a dismal failure though I've still retained a little bit of German). I really liked my first high school French teacher, who was originally from Bulgaria, but she took extended leave the next year and the one I had in Year 8 was an Anglo guy who was rubbish - he was basically phoning it in, pitched it as if none of us in the class had any knowledge at all, and I was so bored that my mother started tutoring me at home to keep my interest going. So at her suggestion I did an evening French course run by a woman who had been born in France (I would have been around 14 or 15 at the time) - I remember out of the blue this teacher asked me about the ethnic background of my school French teacher which I thought was odd. She later said to my parents that she was fascinated by the fact that this kid who spoke English with a strong Australian accent was pronouncing everything in French with a Bulgarian accent.
When I lived in Japan, I met a number of British-accented English-speaking Japanese citizens who had never traveled abroad. I assume I have a blended accent in English at this point since I relocated as a young adult. I notice in my videos my pronunciation of the same word will change and I imagine that's due to saying it at different times as my overall accent was influenced, then learning that pattern via practice. So I have a few stored patterns for words like gamete, cais, etc. Seems to affect ey/ah-containing words.
my parents are from different parts of the country, one says bath and glass with 'a' like cat, the other says glass and bath with 'a' like arse. I slip between the two pronunciations. I grew up amongst numerous different english accents, and I pick up accents really quickly, it really irritated my mum.
Yes we're called therapists.
Even though I'm a fellow pan-heretic, I still bless the day I found you.
Most of that went over my head, but the 'it sounds like'. When I was learning french and german (no never did actually learn either) one of the teachers said, if you can't work out what a word is, try to work out what it might be from other words around it. Even try english words that sound similar, to see if that's it. Odd but I think it helped a few times.
When I taught English as a foreign language we’d been trained (RSA Diploma) to teach meta skills such as this, which can be described as ‘inferring from context’. There’s a lot of technique to it and I found it fascinating but I wasn’t sure how helpful it was to students overall. I suspected it depended on an individual’s learning style and I wondered whether those for whom it ‘worked’ would have naturally done it anyway as they would have been employing the techniques in their own language.
thanks, fascinating.
I used to read dictionaries when I was a child because I find words so luscious. I hoped I'd be able to learn every word in the English language....still trying!
So many things I like about this but I’m falling asleep, so I’ll just say thank you ❤️ I read the whole thing, it’s nice to read your writing
Thank you so much! As a person who has learned 5 languages over the years (2 with native proficiency, I agree. I am pained by the stridency of this kerfuffle, and the hurt it has caused the parties. Some have poured kerosene on the fires. Not many have taken a step back. This is unfortunate. Did the "grass widow" go overboard in her hurt and when she felt "shamed" as a convert. Yes, she did. But, also, cooler heads should have prevailed. This whole thing of who has the right to what, is so painful in the U. S. environment. Hurt people hurt others. And what works in one context here, can be disastrous or harmful abroad. This biological reality work is hard; these women are human struggles are maddening. The sacrifices feminists and activists make, take time, and effort, and courage. I personally found the term "grass widow" to be poetic license. As a writer, I found it lyrical, even. What I find unbearable is the relentless venomous, second hand-stridency of some platformed women I have greatly admired. I cannot bear to listen to some people's screeching anymore. True feminist solidarity holds fast without demanding the abnegation of the other party. May all of us in this fight take deep breaths, make amends, and try to be wise. Exulansic, may your good work keep lighting the way and provide guidance and fresh ideas to us!
This was a compelling read - thank you.
What you wrote about language, and in particular about learning Spanish with the accent your caregiver had, reminded me of something from my childhood. I was always good at picking up bits and pieces of other languages, though I've now lost much of my French, the only language other than English I studied at any length and could hold a halfway decent conversation in. When I was in my early teens I got hold of my Mum's old Latin textbooks from her school days and some "teach yourself" German and Russian books and tried learning from them for fun (my attempt at teaching myself Russian was a dismal failure though I've still retained a little bit of German). I really liked my first high school French teacher, who was originally from Bulgaria, but she took extended leave the next year and the one I had in Year 8 was an Anglo guy who was rubbish - he was basically phoning it in, pitched it as if none of us in the class had any knowledge at all, and I was so bored that my mother started tutoring me at home to keep my interest going. So at her suggestion I did an evening French course run by a woman who had been born in France (I would have been around 14 or 15 at the time) - I remember out of the blue this teacher asked me about the ethnic background of my school French teacher which I thought was odd. She later said to my parents that she was fascinated by the fact that this kid who spoke English with a strong Australian accent was pronouncing everything in French with a Bulgarian accent.
When I lived in Japan, I met a number of British-accented English-speaking Japanese citizens who had never traveled abroad. I assume I have a blended accent in English at this point since I relocated as a young adult. I notice in my videos my pronunciation of the same word will change and I imagine that's due to saying it at different times as my overall accent was influenced, then learning that pattern via practice. So I have a few stored patterns for words like gamete, cais, etc. Seems to affect ey/ah-containing words.
my parents are from different parts of the country, one says bath and glass with 'a' like cat, the other says glass and bath with 'a' like arse. I slip between the two pronunciations. I grew up amongst numerous different english accents, and I pick up accents really quickly, it really irritated my mum.