2 min readfrom Language Learning

These two people got into an argument.What about language learning and I don't know whom to believe.

Our take

In a lively voice room, a heated debate erupted over language learning techniques. One participant, a polyglot, attempted to explain vocabulary to an English speaker learning a new language. Frustration mounted when the polyglot described words in the target language instead of simply translating them. The English speaker, exasperated by the roundabout explanations, proclaimed, “Just forget it, I’ll look it up myself.” Their clash escalated into condescension and mutual tantrums, leaving observers wondering about the best approach to mastering a new language. Who was right?

These two people got into an argument about language learning*

Basically, I was in a voice room, and there was this one guy who speaks several languages, and this other person who speaks English, learns another language.

Every time the English speaker was trying to understand a new word, the other person would describe it in the target language of the English speaker, and the English speaker would get frustrated.

Like "what does fire mean?"

The other person would describe in the target language: "it's the really hot thing, it's like a gas." And would occasionally send pictures to show.

The english speaker would grow frustrated and say things like "just forget it, ill look it up myself... so it means fire in English." "Yes..." "Ok so you could've just said that."

He said that that's not how languages work

They started becoming condescending to each other and he started doing things on purpose like.

"Ellos estaban tomando vino."

What is vino?

Him "vino means he arrived, or she arrived, or it arrived."

Then he got told he sucks at teaching, and they went nuts and a mutual tantrum ensued, I left the chat room.

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Tagged with

#language evolution#philosophy of language#humor in language#creative language use#word meaning#language learning#English speaker#target language#frustration#communication#teaching#describing words#condescending#voice room#mutual tantrum#language barrier#new word#learning a language#pictures to show#vocabulary