Are Native English Speakers at a Natural Learning Disadvantage?

[Icyblackflame]

Sorry Icy, but you were the one that failed to get your point across. That's evidenced by the fact that everyone missed the point you were trying to make. To fault everyone else (including me, incorrectly) for not reading the entire post is shameful.

Okay. You're right. I shouldn't expect people to read the OP. Next time, I'll just have the topic in the title and not type an OP.

Okay, Kaz was waaay off...

Lol. That made me laugh. He has been.........waaay off" with a lot of topics lately >.>

...but if you look at my first reply, it suits both a grammatical topic and the mathematic topic you intended. I simply stated that on different playing fields (thus generating a segway from your post to mine), English speakers have the advantage. Yet, you still gave it a negative response.

But your topic is not the same as mine. I mean, in a manner of speaking, it is waaay off also. You were simply speaking mathematics in a manner that everyone can learn, and in ways that were influenced by the conditions you were taught under. Meaning that it could be changed to suit the individual better. I was speaking of ways that generaly can't be helped. As in the laguage itself. Sure, we can change words, but to change the entire system of math in the English language...? Well, I can't say that it is impossible since Japan did it quite a few times (>.>), but is does seem rather unreasonable with the vast amount of speakers of English.

Actually, now that I am reading it...almost nothing in your post connects with anything. Not even the information within your post. You're trying to justify that Latin-based languages have the advantage with math by stating that they have the concept of "or." Maybe I'm a little slow, but you're going to have to give me reasons on 1) what that even has to do with math (what you were trying to justify) and 2) how that provides mathematical advantages in any way. You were off with the Asian comment...I tried to make it clear that that wasn't the message. If you didn't see that, then that is your bad, not mine.

It's okay if you introduce something new (I guess), but all of that was just...off. Am I unclear with what I mean by "natural?" I don't mean the smartness level or the environment or the teachers. Nothing that can be helped. With that being said, I do not mean diseases or anything that can impair learning. I mean the actual language itself. According to numerous tests (I can find more websites it anyone wants, but...isn't my post "too long" already?), because of the actual number words themselves, it is easier to learn numbers and discover a pattern and recognize base ten. I can explain this, but it would take a lot of words in addition to what I have already written (I wouldn't mind at all! But...who would read that much...? Besides me, I mean >.>). 'Sides, you can learn somethan new and discover new reasons to hate your life! Fun! (Not YOUR personally, but generally). Actually, making a thread about that sounds rather fun! But..it would generally be...pointless? *Cries*

I think you're mad because you didn't get the responses you wanted, whatever those might've been. Perhaps, "Icy, you're the smartest guy ever!" Not this time, ace.

I'm not mad. It's not my fault if you guys firstly, don't read the entire OP, and then secondly, don't understand something clearly stated because of not reading the OP. Your logic desn't work here, Ace, because, apparently you are the only person who supposedly read the whole OP. Kaz clearly didn't, and Bunny stated that he didn't. Well, sort of. I don't understand how I could make it any clearer. I really don't. It doesn't bother me. I've posted this on other websites and have pages and pages of responses. Those are keeping me busy, so no worries. Yes, some people don't get it, but they are the ones who obviously have not read the OP (giving replies like Kaz's <.< and over the wall things that have nothing to do even with learning ).

Not ever, Ace. I would never think that I was a guy!

Now on to the Free Will thread!
-Icy

 

[breathilizer]

Icy, when I said you were shameful to fault people for not reading the whole thing, I meant it was shameful to resort to that sort of an attack when you have no idea whether they read it or not.

And please read my first reply because I NEVER said Latin-based languages are advantageous in math, nor did I say that "or" had anything to do with math. I simply stated that different languages offer different advantages and disadvantages in different subjects. The Japanese language offers an advantage in math, but Latin-based languages are preferable in literature, one reason being the word "or."

 

[Bunny]

German is a good language at not using 'or' because 'oder' gives you a single option and no choice.

It is also why Germans seldom get jokes from other countries. It is also probably why they came first in an average population IQ test several months ago.

 

[Icyblackflame]

German is a good language at not using 'or' because 'oder' gives you a single option and no choice.

It is also why Germans seldom get jokes from other countries. It is also probably why they came first in an average population IQ test several months ago.

>.> He was talking about Asian languages,

Seriously, Breath. You shure that it's MY problem?
-Icy

 

[Bunny]

This is a message board - for messages, not for in depth analysis.

I was countering the point by demonstrating (a little, as befits a message board) that some languages are better than English). Sorry, I don't know Cantonese or Mandarin.

 

[Icyblackflame]

This is a message board - for messages, not for in depth analysis.

This is MATURE DISCUSSION. If you can't KEEP UP, then GET OUT.

I was countering the point by demonstrating (a little, as befits a message board) that some languages are better than English). Sorry, I don't know Cantonese or Mandarin.

Countering that same languages are better than English? How so? I don't see you doing that. "Countering" means giving proof that the statement is not true by giving evidence that proves otherwise.

Firstly, we are not trying to prove which language is the best. Secondly, we are not talking about one language. I'll give you that one because I said "English" in the title, even though, in the OP, I said "Indo-European" and "Asian."

But, silly me. Who reads the OP?

Thirdly, English and German are both Indo-European.

Fourthly, why are you picking random shit to discuss?
-Icy

 

[Bunny]

Your posts are disrespectful and pointless.

I won't bother again. If you think I can't make a discussion - I got 17 As, 2 Cs and a B at university. My discussion ability is good; yours is not. That's it!

 

[SuiGeneris]

First: Grade average is no indication of your intellect or your capacity for discussion. More often than not, grade averages reflect your dedication to what you are learning, and your ability to stay on task. Not your ability to form coherent thoughts, and piece opinions together to form a ligitament argument.

That being said, I'm not saying you don't have the capacity. It just annoys me when people hide behind their grades, or show them off. (Not saying you're doing either, just had to get that out there.)

Also, I can sort've see where Icy is coming from. Not necessarily, in the regard that you were off base, just you gave no connection. Give us a one to two sentence little piece connecting your thought to the previouse thought, then we're dandy.


Second: This is the Mature Section, all posts here are open to scrutiny, however, the posters themselves are not. In depth analysis, is the basis of this section.


Third: I think this whole matter should perhaps be dealt with through Private Messages. Breath and Icy you're both going at it with a vengance, and while both seem to have some points, the point of any thread is to stay on topic, if you have severe problems with eachother take it up in private or with a mod.


Fourth: To the actual topic. (It's sad it took that long just to get on topic.)

Perhaps, it was simply because I was talking to Icy at the time, but the OP does lean heavily towards the perspective of math. However, I think this could be an interesting discussion as a whole, of how language affects one's learning ability.

I for one, have been trying and can't quite grasp the whole concept of "one ten two." I mean the smaller numbers are pretty easy, but then we get to "one ten four five seven four two three two one five nine three" I mean...good luck with that. I can see how they have had a better success rate in terms of mathematics than the United States, consistantly, for the past decade.

The human brain can be formed to learn certain ways, and atleast with the articles it seems their way is best suited for math.

Also, the English language has tons (and I mean TONS) of double meanings. Take the word "Our" for instance. We have "hour", "are", and "our" all sound the same and our spelled differently. To a person just learning the language, I can't imagine how confusing that can get.

That being said, all languages are inherently difficult, the concept of putting thought into words, is something that takes practice no matter who you are.

 

[Scooter]

There are so many problems with this topic that it just needs to end.

It could have been an interesting discussion, but then it turned into a pissing contest on who read what and what the original intent of the topic was.

If you can't post without making a snide comment about a previous poster, this is the wrong place to be posting.

Let's not make a habit of dragging intelligent discussions into the gutter, m'kay?