Recent new words
玩游戏 wán yóuxì play a game
蘑菇 mógu mushroom
爆炸bàozhà explode
地刺 di ci spike weed, but literally ground thorn
There's been a noticeable change in Myles' approach to his Chinese lessons lately. Less and less I have tonag remind him to get his written homework completed before his twice-a-week lessons. Instead he has begged to copy his new characters first thing the morning after each session. Unlike previously, too, he does not express frustration about any word having too many complicated strokes, like our family name, 韩. He might now mention they are tricky, with a hint of pride in tackling them.
The motivation?
More after the jump
The motivation? His and his friends' (and sometimes random strangers on the Metro) playing 植物大战僵尸.
Yes, Plants vs. Zombies and all the related vocabulary of vegetation and violence have reinvigorated Myles' interest to learn Chinese. Not many of these words have a use outside of his peer interactions, nor do they have much true academic value. But he wants to learn Chinese to help him connect with other people based upon a shared interest, one of the purposes of language in the first place.
This path of study is an unusual one to follow. His teacher is all for it, even though it is well outside the scope of the books and the usual syllabi. Clearly, though, it is inspiring Myles. This weekend we had to track down the 植物大战僵尸 book above. It had to be in Chinese, he told me. He can't wait to share it with his tutor.
蘑菇 mógu mushroom
爆炸bàozhà explode
地刺 di ci spike weed, but literally ground thorn
There's been a noticeable change in Myles' approach to his Chinese lessons lately. Less and less I have to
The motivation?
More after the jump
The motivation? His and his friends' (and sometimes random strangers on the Metro) playing 植物大战僵尸.
Yes, Plants vs. Zombies and all the related vocabulary of vegetation and violence have reinvigorated Myles' interest to learn Chinese. Not many of these words have a use outside of his peer interactions, nor do they have much true academic value. But he wants to learn Chinese to help him connect with other people based upon a shared interest, one of the purposes of language in the first place.
This path of study is an unusual one to follow. His teacher is all for it, even though it is well outside the scope of the books and the usual syllabi. Clearly, though, it is inspiring Myles. This weekend we had to track down the 植物大战僵尸 book above. It had to be in Chinese, he told me. He can't wait to share it with his tutor.
He is far from fluent or literate, but my goal is already met. I knew that our approach would not lead to bilingualism. I merely hoped it would stimulate his curiosity and desire to learn. For now, that means more conversations about Plants vs Zombies. I mean, 植物大战僵尸 (Zhíwù dàzhàn jiāngshī).
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