meowbrown:

Small update for Meowbrown!

I’m currently prepping for my official teaching certification for Mandarin/Chinese, so expect more Mandarin-related notes for the next couple of months. Hope I can get that certificate on my first try ❤️

I just wanted to give a heads-up so the blog doesn’t feel unrecognizable. I’ll still be posting my other language notes. It’s still Meowbrown, just with a new goal added to the mix. Thanks for sticking around!

I’ve already taken the test in July, and waiting for the results in September, hope I’ll pass 🤞🤞🤞

In the end I actually made an app that can help me review all the past exam questions and study from that, so there wasn’t too much content regarding the test here.

And I’m prepping for N2 JLPT next year!

Mandarin Doesn’t Need A Subject

While studying, t is mentioned that a subject 主語 is not required in Mandarin. This feels a lot like Japanese too.

下雨了。主語

雨が降る。Update: This sentence in Japanese actually has a subject, but see the reply below for examples. Thanks @pinklesbionade!

It is raining. (It is the subject)

In English it is required.

I find it quite interesting as I didn’t really notice this while using the language.

Reflections on Friendships

I find giving gifts a hard thing. It’s like if you don’t give anything, nothing happens. But if you send a bad gift, you might lose the friendship. I feel a bit more calmer after learning that someone else also feels the same.

• 暫停鍵 (zhàn tíng jiàn): To press the pause button (metaphor for taking a break from a relationship)
• 禮物殺手 (lǐ wù shā shǒu): “Gift killer” (someone notoriously bad at picking gifts)
• 少根筋 (shǎo gēn jīn): To be scatterbrained or lacking a certain social “nerve”
• 揪團 (jiū tuán): To organize a group activity (like group buy)
• 主揪 (zhǔ jiū): The lead organizer

13. 衛生紙當生日禮物？三十歲後，我學會按下友情的暫停鍵 | Toilet Paper for a Birthday Gift? Pressing Pause on Friendships After 30

Note: This podcast is for upper-intermediate level, but I think it’s generally good just for immersion and one of the few podcasts that provide Zhuyin transcripts.

Why Build In Public

10. 留下一點存在過的痕跡：I 人的 Build in Public 安靜累積 | So We Aren’t Forgotten: An Introvert’s Build in Public

This podcast is definitely more for intermediate-advanced Mandarin learners. This topic has been fun:

• 船過水無痕: To leave no trace or impact behind
• 撕破臉: To have a public falling-out (when friends become not-friends)
• 背書: To endorse or vouch for someone
• 接案: To take on freelance projects
• 小人物: Ordinary people or “nobodies”

I’m also kinda building in public with my language notes? 🤔

語系

漢藏語系 Sino-Tibetan Family

使用人口僅次於印歐語系 Indo-European Family (English is in this family)

南島語系 Austronesian Family

台灣高山族的語言屬於這個，例如 mata 這個詞展現了台灣原住民語言與南島語系（Austronesian）強烈的關聯性。

• 泰雅語 (Tayal)： mita (看) / mata (眼睛)
• 阿美語 (‘Amis)： mata
• 排灣語 (Paiwan)： maca
• 布農語 (Bunun)： mata
• 卑南語 (Pinuyumayan)： mata

• 馬來語/印尼語： mata
• 菲律賓語 (Tagalog)： mata
• 毛利語 (Maori)： mata

中國古代四大韻文

Putting this down so I don’t forget

• 漢賦
• 唐詩
• 宋詞
• 元曲

Note: 宋朝也有一種叫散文賦跟漢朝的賦不一樣，但既然叫做賦，也要押韻。

Reading Comprehension

• 2000 words – basic meaning
• 6000 words – sentence comprehension
• silent reading is more important because reading out loud is slower – I think I feel this when I try to read Japanese, if I read it out loud, I can read everything but not understand it

SQ3R

• Survey – skim through quickly
• Question – ask questions, what was the title, what was it about?
• Read
• Recite – paraphrase
• Review – read the headings and try to recall the key points

REAP

This feels not as important as the textbook barely says anything about this

• Read
• Encode – into the reader’s own system
• Annotate – summarize in own words
• Ponder

DRTA (Directed Reading and Thinking Activity)

• Predict – predict the content from the headings/images
• Read – silent reading
• Prove – teacher asks open questions

ReQuest

The teacher and student both read. Then take turns asking questions, the person asking can check the text; the person answering can’t look at the text.

(This one actually sounds kinda fun to see in practice)

QAR (Question-Answer Relationship)

This one is kind of like the reading comprehension tests where you read and then answer questions.

• Questions right in the text
• Need to think, combine and integrate information from the text
• Need to combine information from the text along with their own knowledge
• Knowledge that the reader needs to know beforehand

集中識字法 vs. 分散識字法

Methods for teaching Chinese characters. In short it’s (1) learn the characters in a group or (2) learn the characters in context.

集中識字

• 先識字，後讀書 (learn then read)
• easier to compare and contrast the different characters when put together in a session
  媽、姊、妹、奶、姑 -> student may grasp: if I see 女, it’s a female
  把、吧、疤、巴、肥 -> if I see 巴, it usually sounds like ba, but notice there are exceptions
• might cause confusion when similar words are put together in a session
  渴、喝 -> might confuse these two characters
  請、清、晴 -> might confuse which one is pronounced what

分散識字

• 字不離詞、詞不離句、句不離文 (learn in context)
  太陽很大。The sun is big -> Very sunny
  Students will know to use 大 instead of 多 to say sunny

Combining the two together might be: 隨文識字，集中歸類. For example:

1. Encounter 喝 in text
2. Then also give examples of other characters like 吃、叫 they also have 口 so these are characters related to mouth

Or with 太陽很大 as example:

1. In context: 太陽很大。The sun is big -> Very sunny
2. Group the words: 太、大, use a mnemonic like: It’s so big (大) that a drop of sweat (丶) fell off. That’s too (太) much sun!

語言教學法 Teaching Methods (Part 2)

See part 1

I realized only 文法翻譯法 – The grammar-translation method (GTM) focuses on reading/writing. The rest of the teaching methods gives focus to oral (speaking/listening).

肢體反應教學法 – Total Physical Response (TPR)

Teacher tells student what to do. For example say “walk” and then start walking; say “run” and then start running.

暗示感應教學法 – Suggestopedia (STP)

Students are relaxed, sitting on a sofa, baroque music playing in the background and listens to the teacher.

默示教學法 The silent way (SW)

The teacher stays silent, using props to guide the students, and using things like color coded charts to hint students to self-correct when they make mistakes.

任務行教學法 – Task-based language teaching (TBLT)

“book a restaurant” as the task and students use whatever they know, at the end of the task the teacher explains.

自然教學法 – The natural approach (NA)

Uses language just right above the student’s level (i+1) and wait for students to start speaking when they feel ready.

語言教學法 Teaching Methods (Part 1)

Trying to use a few words to summarize the teaching method to make sure I “get” it. There are 10 of these, I’ll put down 5 for now.

Note: Don’t expect this to have textbook accuracy, it’s for me to prepare my Mandarin teaching certification 🙂

直接教學法 – The direct method (DM)

Use the target language to teach, no translations, just like how you’d teach a child in their native tongue.

Focus: speaking/listening

文法翻譯法 – The grammar-translation method (GTM)

Like the boring English classes I had at school. Translates to native language.

Focus: reading/writing (vocabulary and grammar)

情境教學法 – Situational Language Teaching (SLT)

Promotes structural syllabus (課程進度表), have stuff like how to book a restaurant, a scenario for students to practice.

Focus: speaking/listening

聽說教學法 – The audiolingual method (ALM)

More guidance than the direct method, gives a structure, uses drills and repetition to form habits.

Focus: speaking/listening

團體語言學習法 – Community Language Learning (CLL)

Students sit in a circle express what they want to learn, the teacher assists like a counselor. Can use native language. I’ve never seen this done in my life before.