DesktopMonitor's recent activity
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Comment on They don’t read very well: A study of the reading comprehension skills of English majors at two midwestern universities in ~humanities
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Comment on They don’t read very well: A study of the reading comprehension skills of English majors at two midwestern universities in ~humanities
DesktopMonitor (edited )Link ParentAbsolutely true. It is also true that manner and extent to which one uses idiomatic language is a result of personal circumstances that are highly variable among individual speakers. We can find...Absolutely true. It is also true that manner and extent to which one uses idiomatic language is a result of personal circumstances that are highly variable among individual speakers. We can find this variance acknowledged at least as far back as Quirk, Greenbaum, Leech, and Svartvik’s absolutely massive 1985 ‘A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language’. Anyone who gets a chance should read through the introduction of that book. It is well worth it!
Anyhow, the point I intend to make is that description of a linguistic event, rather than labeling a person with an initialism originally used to describe a school subject in which pupils tend to feel ostracized from their peer group due to differences in their upbringing landing them there, is a more useful and accurate means by which to describe the circumstances behind an observation such as the one mentioned in the comment above.
Note: I would like to reassure anyone reading this that the strength of my convictions *is aimed squarely at the topic under discussion and absolutely not at any commenter.
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Comment on They don’t read very well: A study of the reading comprehension skills of English majors at two midwestern universities in ~humanities
DesktopMonitor (edited )Link ParentMultilinguals’ use of all their languages changes over time according to complex individual circumstances. What is being described above is an event in which a third party observed the influence...Multilinguals’ use of all their languages changes over time according to complex individual circumstances. What is being described above is an event in which a third party observed the influence of one or more other languages on someone’s English output.
Referring to someone as ‘
anESL’ is an act of labeling and it’s best avoided because it prescribes a static identity instead of handling objective description of an event. In other words, to answer the question of ‘what would you call such a person?’ I would answer that I just wouldn’t.Thinking about it from my own experiences, when I notice that my Japanese is influencing my English I simply think of it like that. When someone else notices that my English has influenced my Japanese they might say it was 「英語っぽい」or ‘English-sounding’.
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Comment on They don’t read very well: A study of the reading comprehension skills of English majors at two midwestern universities in ~humanities
DesktopMonitor Link ParentI would like to suggest referring to such people as multilingual.I love reading writing by folks who are ESL
I would like to suggest referring to such people as multilingual.
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Comment on What a $15,000 electric SUV says about US-China car rivalry in ~transport
DesktopMonitor LinkWhat it says to consumers in Japan like me is that Toyota would rather offer us this same car with a one liter turbo for about $1,600 less… even though selling it here for $15,000 would undercut...What it says to consumers in Japan like me is that Toyota would rather offer us this same car with a one liter turbo for about $1,600 less… even though selling it here for $15,000 would undercut the economy electric cars offered by its competitors by like $7-8k. Ugh.
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Comment on When can we call this a dictatorship? in ~society
DesktopMonitor Link ParentYou do you! That’s why I hedged my comment. Anyway, it’s a great article if you’ve not read it. Written by some authoritative academic voices. …I swear the pun was an accident.You do you! That’s why I hedged my comment. Anyway, it’s a great article if you’ve not read it. Written by some authoritative academic voices.
…I swear the pun was an accident.
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Comment on When can we call this a dictatorship? in ~society
DesktopMonitor LinkAlternatively, you could say that the U.S. is on a path toward authoritarianism. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/path-american-authoritarianism-trumpAlternatively, you could say that the U.S. is on a path toward authoritarianism.
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/path-american-authoritarianism-trump
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Comment on What is one of the coolest museums you've visited? in ~travel
DesktopMonitor Link ParentBack in the early nineties I visited that museum with my family. I saw two things that blew my mind: A short film explaining how they were going to make cables out of glass that could somehow send...Back in the early nineties I visited that museum with my family. I saw two things that blew my mind:
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A short film explaining how they were going to make cables out of glass that could somehow send information very quickly, and that this would result in the whole world becoming informationally interconnected.
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A glass sword.
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Comment on Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix 2025 - Results in ~sports.motorsports
DesktopMonitor LinkIt was disappointing that the Ferraris couldn’t squeeze the Mercedes so Hamilton could have a shot at overtaking them both to finish behind his teammate. It didn’t seem like Leclerc was ever going...It was disappointing that the Ferraris couldn’t squeeze the Mercedes so Hamilton could have a shot at overtaking them both to finish behind his teammate. It didn’t seem like Leclerc was ever going to be within range of Piastri anyway and no one else was getting any passing done on track… so why not back them up into Hamilton once he had pitted for softs?
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Comment on Yuki Tsunoda set to replace Liam Lawson at Red Bull in ~sports.motorsports
DesktopMonitor Link ParentHow’d you come to support Tsunoda? I would like to be able to get behind the only Japanese driver on the grid, but I just haven’t gotten there yet. I missed most of last season but prior to that...How’d you come to support Tsunoda? I would like to be able to get behind the only Japanese driver on the grid, but I just haven’t gotten there yet. I missed most of last season but prior to that his behavior on the radio really turned me off. I like to keep an open mind though, so please change my opinion!
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Comment on 23andMe files for bankruptcy in ~finance
DesktopMonitor LinkI solved a lifelong family mystery with the help of 23andMe. It’s changed our lives for the better and I am profoundly grateful that technology came about in my lifetime to make that happen. The...I solved a lifelong family mystery with the help of 23andMe. It’s changed our lives for the better and I am profoundly grateful that technology came about in my lifetime to make that happen.
The service has also brought about no shortage of controversy but I don’t feel the need to qualify my experience in light of that.
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Comment on What are your goto cocktails? in ~food
DesktopMonitor LinkGin Sonic! Flavorful with waaaay less sugar than a gin tonic. Of course because it’s gin, particularly in contrast to anything fermented, you’ll feel great the next day too. Given a 250-300ml cup:...Gin Sonic!
Flavorful with waaaay less sugar than a gin tonic. Of course because it’s gin, particularly in contrast to anything fermented, you’ll feel great the next day too.
Given a 250-300ml cup:
50g ice
25g gin @ 47%
25g tonic
150g soda water -
Comment on Google claims news is worthless to its ad business after test involving 1% of search results in eight EU markets in ~tech
DesktopMonitor Link ParentOh my goodness does that extension actually do what I think it does: add multiple concurrent Mozilla Account support to Firefox?Oh my goodness does that extension actually do what I think it does: add multiple concurrent Mozilla Account support to Firefox?
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Comment on Perhaps I should write worse? in ~talk
DesktopMonitor (edited )LinkI've got a couple thoughts about that based on my own experiences. ymmv. First, the very reason I came here from Reddit during the API fiasco was because I was sick of writings posts where replies...when I write correct English, readers will assume that I am a native English speakers, generally American. This comes with a lot of baggage and expectations for the interpretion of sophisticated context which I lack. When I fail to conform to those expectations I am met with hostility. At that point it is useless to disclose my nationality, since the bad vibes are already set.
I've got a couple thoughts about that based on my own experiences. ymmv.
First, the very reason I came here from Reddit during the API fiasco was because I was sick of writings posts where replies would almost always adopt the most bizarre interpretation of my ideas no matter how carefully I hedged (of which 'softening' is a type) or considered other perspectives. Many others tended to assume that I was writing in bad faith. What you describe above could be a bit of that rather than your written English proficiency, which is clearly C2, so you're fine on that front.
Also, some people don't respond well to the use of formal language. If you're getting negative reactions from that then I think that's just a universal of attaining a high degree of education. We all have to switch in and out of specialized language (or 'group jargon') depending on who we're communicating with... which is never really clear on the Internet. That might sound elitist, but any specialist has to do the same thing whether it be a mechanic, a medical doctor, or a teacher discussing pedagogy with parents or students.
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Comment on Long-term experiences with Google search alternatives? in ~tech
DesktopMonitor Link ParentBy academic stuff are you referring to Google Scholar?By academic stuff are you referring to Google Scholar?
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Comment on What works do you think should be added to the literary canon? in ~books
DesktopMonitor Link ParentI’m about to finish Equal Rites and Mort is next! Discworld novels are so easy to read and they’re just delightful. With Equal Rites he took a big step forward as a writer… I’m reading them all in...I’m about to finish Equal Rites and Mort is next! Discworld novels are so easy to read and they’re just delightful. With Equal Rites he took a big step forward as a writer… I’m reading them all in the order they were published and really looking forward to all the novels to come. Happy to see his books suggested here.
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Comment on Restaurants recommendations near Times Square in ~travel
DesktopMonitor LinkThe large restaurants in and around the area you are staying would be fine for a kid that goes for the foods you’ve listed above. They definitely don’t reflect the state of NY cuisine but in a...The large restaurants in and around the area you are staying would be fine for a kid that goes for the foods you’ve listed above. They definitely don’t reflect the state of NY cuisine but in a pinch it doesn’t matter.
More practically though, you will also find that anywhere with office buildings generally has eat-in type places near it that have everything from coffee, sandwiches and soups to salads and even pastas and pizza.
The simpler forms of the type of place I mentioned above are the deli and the bodega. The difference between the two is that the former is less likely to have a sandwich press and the later is more likely to have a resident cat sleeping among the bread or potato chip bags.
You will quickly start to recognize the difference between the array of non-restaurant food places and find a few that have the type of stuff and atmosphere that you prefer. Please be sure to have many different deli sandwiches, toasted bagels with different types of cream cheese, a bacon egg and cheese on a roll, and one of those square carrot cakes with frosting on top next to the cash register for the kid.
Times Square is a place most New Yorkers and commuters pass through rather than go to and stay in. Most of your time there will be spent negotiating heavy foot traffic and various delivery vehicles whilst inhaling blasts of secondhand weed smoke. If someone tries to get your attention always completely ignore them and keep moving at a steady pace. Be prepared for disgusting public bathrooms. Make sure you visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History but not both on the same day. Hudson Yards, the Highline, and the new Whitney museum are also great places frequented by tourists and locals alike.
Enjoy your trip!
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Comment on A boutique German car customization house has given the Tesla Cybertruck a radical exterior and interior makeover in ~transport
DesktopMonitor LinkThose carbon fiber layups are… not my favorite. It looks like they took a bunch of scraps from a bin to save on costs.Those carbon fiber layups are… not my favorite. It looks like they took a bunch of scraps from a bin to save on costs.
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Comment on Playing DOS and Windows 98 games on a retro PC (real hardware) in ~games
DesktopMonitor Link ParentDust, tobacco tar, lots of small ants/spiders, … !?Dust, tobacco tar, lots of small ants/spiders, … !?
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Comment on Woman sues US fertility clinic, saying she gave birth to another patient’s baby in ~health
DesktopMonitor Link ParentAll the best to you on your IVF journey and hang in there through those egg retrievals!!All the best to you on your IVF journey and hang in there through those egg retrievals!!
I would refer to them as multilingual. There is no hard and fast rule, but I would say that anyone with at least a CEFR B1~B2 command of more than one language could begin to refer to themselves as multilingual. There is no equality across language domains inherent in the term multilingual. In fact, I'm happy to say that the very moments you are celebrating in your comment above underlie some of the core motivations behind the development of multilingual theory! I will include some open access links below. No offense or attack was meant by my above comment!!
May, S. (Ed.). (2013). The multilingual turn: Implications for SLA, TESOL, and bilingual education. Routledge.
https://www.academia.edu/download/71972752/Anastassia_Zabrodskaja.pdf
Meier, G. S. (2017). The multilingual turn as a critical movement in education: Assumptions, challenges and a need for reflection. Applied Linguistics Review, 8(1), 131-161.
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/applirev-2016-2010/pdf
Cenoz, J. (2019). Translanguaging pedagogies and English as a lingua franca. Language Teaching, 52(1), 71-85. https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/C684EE2F715747B35F9565761257CA74/S0261444817000246a.pdf/translanguaging_pedagogies_and_english_as_a_lingua_franca.pdf