Now at the University of Hawaii she is studying Japanese this quarter, no doubt to the same ineffective result.
actually, probably to much better effect, though it may be she simply has no talent for languages. one cannot write her off simply because she never learned to speak French at an American high school. the way they teach those old-school foreign language courses (French, German, Latin) at US high schools is beyond retarded. they turn the language into some weird kind of algebra where each sentence is a problem that must be solved. especially the verbs, LOL. there are fetishistic books like "500 French Verbs". and of course nobody speaks French in class.
you can buy those stupid verb books at any bookstore, which attests to their popularity, and to the popularity of ineffective teaching methods. what do people think, that in the middle of a conversation they're going to whip out their 500 Verbs? no, these books are designed for Language As A Problem. they are Tools to help Solve Problems, like French Composition and other such drivel. get out your protractor, it's time for foreign language class!
by contrast, Japanese courses are taught not as math, but to learn to communicate effectively. what a concept.
i don't know about University of Hawaii's Japanese program in particular, but their Korean program and Korean Studies dept are the best in the world outside Korea. i visited the campus this summer. the Korean Studies department is housed in a building that looks like a Korean Buddhist temple. |
