Creative expressions from the tech field

Can you believe that in mid-2009, the millionth word arrived in the English language?  Just how many words does one language need, you may well ask.  But like them or hate them, neologisms (a linguistic term for newly coined words) are all part of the ever-changing phenomenon that is language.

 I  am fascinated when I hear a new word, even if I choose not to add that word to my vocabulary. After all, a person of a certain age using words more suited for a newer generation may appear  as ridiculous as if they were sporting purple spiked hair and tats (tattoos to the uninformed).

Here are some of the new words and expressions that I have come upon recently from the field of technology.  Some have brought a smile to my face; others have given a name to an experience I have had; still others have made me think about changes in our society.

HACK.  I thought hacking and hackers were negative terms.  Aren't hackers often gaining illegal entry into computer systems and causing chaos and mayhem these days (like to Target shoppers?)? Recently though, I have noticed the term "hack" being used as a synonym for a tip or bit of advice, something to make life easier.  Sounds like something pretty positive to me.

    

TIP OF MY THUMB.  Linguists analyze "tip of the tongue" experiences in order to make predictions about how language is stored in the brain.  A little play on words results in  "tip of the thumb" experiences where you almost type something in a text message that you then think better of.  I haven't learned yet to text with my thumbs, but the expression brings a smile to my face.

GAMIFICATION.  My favorite web-based language learning tool is Duolingo.  And it is my favorite because it has been gamified, that is, constructed with some of the elements of a video game. Since video games were not part of my teenage years, I'm having fun playing with language and learning language at the same time.  Duolingo is so much more engrossing than memorizing those old-fashioned verb conjugations!

Duolingo Owl

BIGDATED.  Despite the fact that my son informs me that the concept of big data is widely misunderstood, I still think the invented term "bigdated" is useful for describing a common phenomenon - our interests expressed online being turned into ads by the Internet. How did someone know I was planning a trip to Scotland, I wonder?  Or that I may need to attend to crow's feet around my eyes? Some may find this practice intrusive. I  just consider it part of modern life.

CROWDSOURCING.  I like this term because the Internet has presented a new possibility in life to us.  Crowdsourcing refers to the generation of support and cooperation (including financial) for projects through the Internet.  The concept of strangers helping other strangers appeals to my sense of idealism.  I like the idea of cooperation on a gigantic scale that would not have been possible twenty years ago.

Are there new tech terms that have caught your eye?  Let's discuss! 

The good news about my Spanish class

For the past several weeks on this blog, I have been complaining about teaching methods used in a Spanish class I am taking. Just because the class does not meet my personal needs or expectations is no reason to be a Negative Nelly!

What I needed was a serious attitude adjustment.  I  decided to turn over a new leaf and describe some of the good practices that I have observed in my class.

First and most importantly, the class is conducted 99.9% in the Spanish language.  Using the target language is excellent methodology and very much in line with current findings about second language acquisition.

Listening to excellent, expressive Spanish spoken continuously by the instructor for an hour and a half is music to my ears. I can jot down words I want to remember and observe grammar usage without having to worry about producing language myself.

I remember high school and college classes in which the instructor would use English to teach us about Spanish or French but seldom actually spoke the new language. I hope no one is still making students suffer through that out-date model!  Here is a link to a balanced discussion of which language to use for teaching.

Article on Classroom Language Use - Stephen Krashen

Next, in my current class, many members do volunteer to read original paragraphs aloud. Their willingness shows they feel a certain level of comfort with the instructor.  When instructors are over-demanding, students tend to shut down and keep their language to themselves.

And, finally, there have been instances when I could feel the atmosphere of the class change palpably for the better.  Those instances occurred when the instructor appeared to be just chatting with students, asking non-threatening questions and responding as in a normal conversation. This, I thought to myself, is what language acquisition should be like,

The field of language acquisition in the classroom is an exciting one, marked by much controversy! What is the optimum way to teach foreign languages in the classroom?  I'm still searching for an answer to that question.  Here is a recommended Youtube video if you would like to jump into the controversy yourself!

Thumbs up for vocabulary; thumbs down for grammar

Yesterday I left Spanish class happier than I had the week before.  (See last week's blog if you would like to read my lament!)  Realizing that I can't mold the class to do what I want it to, which is help me recover some fluency in Spanish, I decided to concentrate on expanding useful Spanish vocabulary. 

I listened carefully to all of the Spanish around me, both the correct language of the very expressive instructor to the more imperfect language of class members.  By the end of the class, I had jotted down more than 50 words and expressions I didn't think I could have come up with on my own in a conversation.  Here are examples of what I gained by critical listening.

cada vez que haya - every time there is ( remember to use subjunctive verb)

vigente -  in current use  (a fancy new word )

medusa- jellyfish (very important  word if you are on the beach in Mazatlán, Mexico!)

de flor en flor- (always hard to get those prepositions correct in a second language)

de hecho - in fact or actually (a great transition expression)

But about halfway through the class, the instructor began to correct participants reading short original paragraphs aloud to the class.  A participant would begin to read, perhaps use an incorrect verb tense, and receive an oral correction at that moment.  "No, not the preterite verb estuvieron; use the imperfect estaban."

It was interesting to note that for about the first thirty minutes the instructor had done only minimal grammar correction.  The atmosphere in class was pleasant.  Class members were volunteering to read, clapping when others had presented, and asking questions.  When the grammar correction became more frequent, I could feel the class atmosphere change.  Participants were more tentative and less enthusiastic.  Who wants to speak when someone is ready to pounce on your errors? 

I have played both roles in life - the language instructor and the language student.  I understand how frustrating it is to constantly hear grammar errors and not want to eradicate them (the red pen syndrome).  Surely if I just tell someone the right verb form then they won't make that same error again?  How sad that language acquisition doesn't usually happen that way.

Speakers are constantly making grammar when they produce language. "Shall I use estuvieron or estaban?" they wonder subconsciously.   To truly use more correct grammar, speakers have to make the correction for themselves in their own brains for that information to be accessible at a later time. But how does a speaker know the correct form?  We are back to critical listening.  Which verb do native speakers choose and in what circumstances?

So even if I am not finding enough speaking opportunities in class, the listening opportunities are there for me to improve my Spanish.  As I just learned in class, "No hay mal que por bien no venga." (Something good always comes from something bad.)