argumentation

Should Everyone in Taiwan Learn English?

Over the years, government officials and educators have been instilling the importance of learning English in our people. Candidates for public service are required to pass English proficiency tests to prove their competence. Excellent English ability is also a strong advantage in resumes or when employers are considering a pay raise and promotion. It seems all the information are telling us we can’t live in today’s world without using this global language, but I think everyone should give a deep thought about why learn English and find out their personal need.

Indeed, English is the major language in business, politics and tourism all around the world, so knowing English has a lot to do with one’s worldview. And how one perceives the world has impacts on one’s reaction and decision in the society. So it makes sense that more and more employers take job applicants’ English ability into consideration. And since English serves as the medium for people to understand the world today, not only do we need a large number of translators and interpreters in several professional areas, but we should also encourage students and people of all ages to learn English.

However, what really concerns me is that the emphasis on learning English has been carried too far. Is our English ability in proportion to the amount of money, time, and social resources that have been invested in learning it? What’s worse, when school children are forced to learn a foreign language before they can use their mother tongue with confidence and appreciate the beauty of Chinese literature, they may gradually lose the interest in exploring our profound culture. So why do parents send kids to expensive bilingual schools? Besides, from kindergarten and all the way up to university, I always have one or two troubled classmates who speak fluent English but misbehave all the time. Has the focus on teaching kids English distracted parents from teaching kids disciplines?

My high school math teacher is never shy about how bad he did on English in the college entrance exam 30 years ago—he got only eight points. To this day he still has difficulty in pronouncing easy words such as “luggage”. Yet at the same time he’s also proud of the fact that he has traveled all over the globe without knowing much about English, all because he can afford an interpreter. I’m not saying learning English isn’t important by giving this example, but the world today is a complicated collaborative system based upon expertise in different fields and teamwork of all the people. When one’s talent is not in foreign language learning, why conform to what everyone is already doing—learning English?

As an English major, I have to take the required listening, speaking, reading and writing courses. However, if I’m not planning to work with or under people who speak English when I enter the workforce, or if I don’t want to travel to English-speaking countries all my life or make friends from these countries, why do I have to take the oral drill class? And if I’m not going to write a book or publish anything in English (even if I do, I don’t think I’ll sell a copy), why bother working hard on an essay? Still, as a non-native speaker, I’ll never excel native speakers in the study of literatures in English, why am I studying English Literature when Chinese and Taiwanese literature remain strange to me? My point is, language learning should be tailored to everyone’s different need. Instead of enhancing English ability at all levels, everyone needs to find their own niche.

definition

Prince/Princess Illness

Perhaps seriously influenced by cartoons at the early age, or well-read in comic books and novels, some people today behave with an aura of untrue perfection and confidence, like they are princes or princesses in real life, living in castles they imagine. Underneath these self-proclaimed princes/princesses are people who want to be at the center of the universe, but the result is usually far from what they wish for— everyone keeps his distance from them.

Guys with prince illness are extremely narcissistic. They believe appearance says everything in the chase for the opposite sex, so they do everything they can to be attractive and seductive, like wearing perfume. They’re aware that a sense of humor is the first step to get attention but their tricks really suck. They play sport not only to stay fit but also for girls’ screaming and cheering up. They tend to use some English or foreign words in their daily conversation even if they don’t have excellent linguistic ability. They think women are all into rich guys so they drive fancy cars and wear designer brands but they don’t have any personal style, because they only reproduce an ideal prince image. Since these princes exert themselves to be noticed, they forget to reflect on their inside. And when they can’t live up to the aristocratic life style of a prince, they brag.

Patients of princess illness are also narcissistic and egoistic. They believe they are born to be served and pampered so naturally everyone around them should be their subjects and at their service anytime. Whining, dropping tears, playing weak and helpless are their strategies to get people go their way. To meet the princes of their dreams, princesses need to be versatile. They learn singing, dancing, yoga, cooking, playing pianos, embroidering and all the womanly arts you can think of. It’s understandable these princesses set high expectation for their Mr. Right—maybe someone among Fortune 100—because princesses are so good at so many and their parents have invest so much on them. And since marrying the right one is what they live for, princesses never have real girl friends.

A classmate of mine is a seriously-ill "princess". She always approaches me for a certain purpose: either when she needs a ride or when she needs advice on something. I did help her for the first few times, but soon I realized I was treated like her personal driver without any pay. Whenever I sent her to a place, she would keep me waiting or expect me to be of further help without considering that I had my part-time job to do. I never hesitate in giving people suggestions, yet she always responds to my opinions like her ideas are much better. Once her birthday was around the corner, she wrote down a wish list for we classmates to share the price and send her as gifts. "This is how I celebrate birthday with my royal family," she justified. She claims she has a 30-something wealthy boyfriend, but we all suspect he’s a non-existent dream lover she fabricates.

In spite of their unwelcome personalities, since these princes and princesses of modern times are so "impressive," everyone around them has long been accustomed to the way they are: self-centered, narcissistic and pretentious. We have no more comments on whatever they do that should have aroused criticism. It’s just that they can hardly sustain friendship or relationship, because no one would share inner feelings with princes and princesses who wear masks and take advantage of people all the time.

20090529

I participate in the singing contest this Thursday. My voice is really bad, so is my singing. What's worse, I have serious stage fright. When I was on the stage, the light from the sound effect room in the back of the conference room was so strong that I felt like partially blind when i was singing. But somehow from the audience's screaming and shouting i know my performance was a success. I guess the judges probably gave me a zero for my singing and 100 for my dancing. (but the weird thing is, my dancing is always really bad, too)

I know my performance and ideas could be copied and stolen because I heard that some classmates going to KTV that night sang MY SONG. So I'm determined to come up with more signature songs, maybe one day I can perform my signature songs in the year-end dinner party if i'm working in a international company like Honhai, and then maybe get some scouts' attention or attract some successful entrepreneurs like the way 曾馨瑩 attracts 郭台銘.

20090522

Last weekend I went to the young designer's exhibition in Taipei world trade center. Many graduates this year of industrial design came up with bicycles or bicycle accessories because cycling is hot. I've never had a really great experience of watching the yearly YDE, so i'm here to write down some do's and don'ts for a better experience next time:

Arrive early so I can take my time watching the show.
Bring food and water with me so I can stay hours in the center.
Watch the show on weekdays.
Visit stands of the art schools in which I'm interested first, and roam around the rest.
Go with friends/families but watch the show on my own, i don't like listening to others' opnions when i'm still trying to grasp designers' ideas.
Collect cool designers' business cards.
.
.
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20090515

I have bought more than 7 books online this semester but I haven't finish reading any one of them. Our teacher Ms. Chu also gave everyone of us a book (translation : Yesterday's Laborer, Today's Google Manager) in compensation for the meal she's not going to buy us (everybody complains), so I have a lot of books going on right now.

I buy books in which I believe I can find wisdoms or answers to my life or simply out of curiosity. I'm not a fast reader. When I find a sentence that means a lot to me, I stop and keep thinking about it. It's really a great transfornation that I start collecting books because all my life before I bought magazines or beauty books only(no wonder i'm this shallow today) For the first time in my life I realize I can be attracted to the power of words(not Word Power, i hate it), and i feel good about it.

Speaking of books, last weekend I bought my mom a cook book with pictures all looking tasty and healthy to me. I bought the book in name of mother's day celebration, but in fact I expect my mom to try the recipes so I can eat those, for I know nothing about cooking. Will my mom cook as delicious as those pictures seem to me? Fingers crossed.

20090508

Back to reality, the idea of quitting school pops out in my head from time to time, at different stages of my school life. Actually this idea comes back to my mind again, in this time of recession, everyone is afraid of losing jobs and some students are leaving school because of their unemployed parents!

Well, I'm just saying. I cherish the fact that I'm still studying at school and thankfully I still have two years left before graduation. I know I have the right attitude, but i need to get rid of some bad habits(being late is one of them, but it takes time to improve, i can't promise being on time for this composition class from now on....), work on something I don't have, try something i never did before(what are they? shhh......i won't reveal). In fact, professional area is my last concern now, and I'm confident I'll never be eliminated however bad the economy is.

20090501

I always say that I have to find a breadwinner to support me and my brother is my first choice, yet recently i have a feeling that I got more potential to be successful than he does. I'm not as good as he is in getting good grades but I'm much more talented, motivated and I know I'm good at discoverying problems and take actions to solve them. Since my brother is now officially the student of department of accounting in ntu, I think I can take advantage of that and cooperate with him. Maybe I can hire him as my personal assisstant/accountant if I'm a super career woman at job.

But what if I'm laid off no matter how hard I work? well then, I still have a highly educated brother, a sister who is a civil servant and a responsible brother-in-law to depend upon. What if my family are seperated by some irresistible force? Then I'll find a friend to live together and cooperate.

My bottom line is I can give up the mundanity and be a bald headed nun sweeping the floor, helping and lecturing people in a buddhist temple , if I'm all alone, unemployed, bankrupt in this world. Honestly, I'm not afraid of letting go everything.
(未完)

20090417

My PE class this semester is dancing. Before I took this class I heard about rumors that it's going to be relaxing and easy to pass. Besides, many of my classmates also take this dancing class. Because of so many companions and the rumor I never worry that I would have difficulty in passing the class.

The name of the class also sounds like it's a good chance to work out my arms and legs once every week (which i really need because I never excercise beside in PE class.) As I get older, metabolism is slowing down, (I'm petrified) so I'm in desperate need of more excercise to get rid of my fat.

However, now in the middle of the semester, Jessica and i are thinking about giving it up. Not only we have a lot of steps to memorize every week, but I'm also tired of the way the teacher dance. (like senior citizens dancing in the park early in the morning, god) It's definitely not the kind of dance i would show each other or perform after the class.

I hate that whatever PE class I take, at the end of the day it's about passing the exams. That's probably why there're not many sports i enjoy.(sigh) I miss the good old days in elementary school and junior high when I don't have to worry about uv rays or any exams in PE class, simply the fun of playing dodgeball or basketball......

20090410

I got a new haircut lately. I didn't expect my hair to be cut this short. I remember I had a stomachache after sitting down in the hair salon, so I didn't spend much time telling my stylist exactly what i want, and during the cut all I was thinking is"get this done as soon as possible and rush to my toilet at home when it's done "

Besides, I wore glasses that day and I had to take it off, so I didn't check in the mirror how my hair stylist was doing to my hair. As i put on my glasses when the cut was finished, I was really scared. "Who is this ugly girl in the mirror?" I thought to myself. Though I was sad, I still put on a smile cuz I didn't want to dissapoint my stylist.

Everyone at school keeps saying that my new hair style is fresh, boyish and cute.(really?) It kind of grows on me. Whatever, making myself uglier(cutting my hair short & wearing braces) is the quickest way to scare away unwanted suitor.

20090403

I also passed by and had a peek at the fitness center and swimming pool in NTU. Needless to say, the facilities in the best public university are much better and cleaner than those in our school. And student yearly membership for the swimming pool is only NT1800, which is the average monthly membership for private pool.

In contrast, I really have no idea about what is going on with our school's pool. I wanna take swimming class cuz I think I looks good in my swimsuit and what's best about swimming is that I don't feel any sweating and i can take a free shower after the class. However, our pool has been alledgely under construction for nearly a year. Chung Hsing University should be shut down in no time, really.

Honestly, if I work harder in the entrance exam I wouldn't be stuck here in chung hsing. Luckily my brother is really good at getting good grades and he is going to fufill a dream I never realize. Once he gets accepted into NTU, I'm planning to visit my dear brother frequently on the weekeds, to put myself in the real academic and free atmosphere. Besides, students outside NTU are allowed to join their clubs, so joining a cool club and meet some really cool people there is also part of my plan.

By the way, it's my brother's Bday today. I pay for whatever he wants in 7-11 to bribe him. After all, he is my another potential breadwinner if I am unemployed in the future.

20090327

Accounting: same as most lawyers today, accountants work for the rich


Dentistry: I asked questions about braces because I was about to wear them. I always have doubts about how much better my teeth would look like after taking off the braces because i know people who are not content with the results. A senior assured me that I'll look prettier (relief ) and for my long chin he suggested plastic surgery. (I'm not sure about this, I don't want to end up like 斯容or幹譙龍 ) Finally I walked away with a lot of toothpaste sample and I think they'll come handy when i need to brush my teeth at school.


Philosophy: I always have respect for people who study philosophy. They are really cool. And the guy talked to us about his department really was. He wears long hair. He showed us the concept of philosophy by telling us a story. (long story, I won't tell) At the end of his storytelling, I asked one question those who study philosophy fear the most-- about their career choices. His answer? all walks of life from being a lawyer to selling fried chicken. How cool is that. Life is full of possibilities. I'm not going to set limits to my career choices either.


Sociology: At the stand for the department of sociology there's a sign which reads--

Why can't boys cry?
Why should we study at university?(That's a good one, i'd like to quit school)
Why is it weird for women to pop the question?
Does being the minority means being powerless?
Why are there foreign laborers/brides?
High school students studying in 放牛班 because they are intellectually challenged?
Does the invention of washing machine really make our life easier?

---my conclusion:sociologists discover and discuss social problems but they never come up with solutions. (right up my alley)


Economics: department of economics in Taiwan have many theory-laden classes, which is why many students give up their major once they don't find it interesting anymore. However, economists need these theory in explaining what happen in the market, the currency, problems between people and the government, and different financial phenomenon. According to my friend, it's better to get familiar with basic theories first in undergraduate school, and go application later in graduate school such as management.
(未完待續)

20090320

Though helping my brother collect information about every department was my excuse to go to NTU, I did learn a lot from the exbihition. The following are what I have learned from this trip:

school of medicine: my brother is not going to study medicine, but still I visited the stand for medical school cuz I'd like to know how students who score best in college entrance exam are like. Students placed first in medical school usually choose dermatology(lucrative), which is an area i'm really interested in, so I asked a cute guy(he doesn't look very "NTU" to me) where the best student in his class was, but unfortunately he had no idea. Perhaps the most studious student in Taiwan never take part in activites like this.

DFLL: to anger myself, I compare one of the best English department in Taiwan with the one I'm studying in. Again, it's a cute guy introducing to three of us(my friend, my brother and i) about his department. (why, I can hardly find one accomplished and talented guy with good look here in NCHU)

I asked if he could introduce in English, but he was afraid he couldn't cuz he is freshman(ok, i accept that)and the rest of our conversation was full of comparison between DFLL in NTU and in NCHU which almost put me to death.

school of law: laws can be applied in different aspects in our daily lives and those who study laws speak louder in situations dealing with laws, but are there many lawyers fighting for the poor and for justice out there?
(未完待續)

20090313

Besides reuniting with this old friend, I also had a great time hanging around NTU campus. The Azalea Festival every march is also when every club tries to recruit more members by showing how fun their club is. I've always known NTU has clubs really different, but when I saw the names and the people of thoese clubs in person, it's a whole new feeling I can't and don't wanna describe. I took a lot of photos of the stands for each club that day, but I am not going to put them here.

Manicure Club is not particularly different, neither is its club leader, but still i spent over an hour at their stand cuz the price of their basic manicure service, which is NT150, really attracts me. A freshman from law school did my manicure. I asked a number of questions I always have about nails throughout the service and also something about her department because my brother might be studying in the same department next year. She gave me cuticle oil and some nail care tools for free when it's all finished. i think my money was well spent.

20090306

This weekend my brother and I went to the Azalea Festival in NTU for a better understanding of each department, because my brother is about to take the entrance exam. But that 's just an excuse, my real intention is to meet an old friend of mine who is now a graduate. If I have to choose one word to describe him, i'll say "encyclopedic". Once he gets his master's degree in biology, he's planning to study overseas for advanced research. After finishing his education abroad, he'll return Taiwan and teach in university.

He once had crush on me in high school, and me too. Since nobody would ever be interested in a guy with 173 cm in height and over 100 kg in weight (keeps gaining weight), he's always mine. He's always there and always will be.

I always have a deepest fear that I'll be out of job after graduation, so I need a breadwinner to support me when my mom is no longer supportive. Now i'm determined to keep this special friend.

20090227

It's been a long time I do facial every night while watching TV. I stare in the mirror but I'm not really paying attention. I know this is now my problem in skincare and honestly my skin condition is even worse than actresses wearing heavy makeup everyday in extreme weather in mainland china and twice my age.

It's always things we do everyday like sleeping, eating and exercising influence us the most and decide who we are. Sadly people these days are always occupied with things that won't last forever. I used to be one of these people, but now I 'm looking for something eternal. So what things are eternal to me? That's my secret and I'm not gonna tell anyone.