It's a pack of lies

Jun 23, 2009 18:21

I mentioned at some point that I have a exams for which I'm required to learn everything about Asian history, peoples, languages, writing systems, and everything not included in the aforementioned.
These exams are tomorrow, from 9 a.m. to noon.
I started studying for them tonight.

This is kind of annoying, because I certainly could've learned the dynasties (thank you army_kitten, now it's not completely hopeless), had I put in some time. The thing is, the courses these exams are for are completely nuts and I haven't taken them. Well, whatcha gonna do. I had other stuff that required my attention, or that's what I'm telling myself. And also, to anyone who asks.

As a side note, I'm intrigued by a pattern I've noticed. It seems that it's very much a trend for people on the internet, upon being criticized for their spelling mistakes, to respond with a variation of "Well, I've mastered (insert number) languages, including my native language, WHICH BTW ISN'T ENGLISH". Usually this statement contains a lot of swearwords and an unusually high percentage of spelling, grammar and syntax errors.
I don't necessarily see how knowing more than one language excuses one from both not knowing how to spell and neglecting to use a spell-checker. I mean, I learned my spoken and written english at the same time, so I don't think I have any excuse for not knowing how to write words I know how to pronounce. In the case of native english speakers I think occasional errors in spelling are more than natural, because there's a discrepancy between the times when the spoken (parole) and written (langue) languages are learned. So if I was a native speaker and someone told me my spelling was poor, I'd tell them that I'd spoken the language since I was six months old, but only written it since I was five, so we should get back on the subject in another four and a half years. (So I don't know what age babies start talking. Or actually I do, I used to study General Linguistics, but who can remember. Not I)
Also, if I was really trying to be a massive jerk, I'd mention how I don't quite see how anyone can claim to have mastered a language they can't in fact use properly.
What a jackass I'm being again.

In any case, while writing this, I've also learned very many interesting things about the chinese language. Also, yay for remembering to use tags.

piss moan, language, uni

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