Comments on: The Ziad’s Thread is Finally Closed http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/ Language Learning and Multiculturalism Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:51:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Edwin http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-315 Edwin Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:19:36 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-315 Your original comment was in future sense. Now that it happened, I just want to confirm that. Thanks. Your original comment was in future sense. Now that it happened, I just want to confirm that. Thanks.

]]> By: Keith http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-314 Keith Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:15:17 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-314 Edwin, I am surprised by this line of questioning. The answer to your question is in comment 5 which says I posted it on October 13, 2007. Edwin, I am surprised by this line of questioning.
The answer to your question is in comment 5 which says I posted it on October 13, 2007.

]]> By: Edwin http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-318 Edwin Wed, 17 Oct 2007 03:18:09 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-318 I found the recording from your blog. Thanks for your effort. I might call him some day! BTW, how did you arrange the call? Did you email him first, or just called him right away? I found the recording from your blog. Thanks for your effort. I might call him some day!

BTW, how did you arrange the call? Did you email him first, or just called him right away?

]]> By: Keith http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-319 Keith Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:57:11 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-319 I talked to Ziad. He is alive and well! I talked to Ziad. He is alive and well!

]]> By: Edwin http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-322 Edwin Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:52:39 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-322 Now you mentioned it. I always wonder why so many people in the forum claim to speak multiple languages, but yet only a few of them care to record their own voices in different languages. In fact, I posted a thread a few weeks ago to ask that question. Only a few people replied. I mean, if someone can speak multiple languages well, he must have put in a lot of hard work. He should be eager to demonstrate his ability in speaking different languages. A sound clip of 1 or 2 sentences is good enough, and should not be hard to do, even for intermediate learners. I am not saying all of them are lying, just that many claims are suspicious. Now you mentioned it. I always wonder why so many people in the forum claim to speak multiple languages, but yet only a few of them care to record their own voices in different languages.

In fact, I posted a thread a few weeks ago to ask that question. Only a few people replied.

I mean, if someone can speak multiple languages well, he must have put in a lot of hard work. He should be eager to demonstrate his ability in speaking different languages. A sound clip of 1 or 2 sentences is good enough, and should not be hard to do, even for intermediate learners.

I am not saying all of them are lying, just that many claims are suspicious.

]]> By: Keith http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-321 Keith Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:13:14 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-321 Another thought: There was no reason for the administrator to close the thread. He didn't even bother to contact Ziad and ask him to join the forum or to speak in 1 or more of 56 languages. That administrator claims to be able to speak many languages himself and yet he also provides us with no evidence of his achievements. No sound clips, no video clips, nothing. Another thought:
There was no reason for the administrator to close the thread. He didn’t even bother to contact Ziad and ask him to join the forum or to speak in 1 or more of 56 languages. That administrator claims to be able to speak many languages himself and yet he also provides us with no evidence of his achievements. No sound clips, no video clips, nothing.

]]> By: Keith http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-313 Keith Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:31:33 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-313 It's too bad the thread was closed. I would have thought that a lot of people would have called Ziad and he would have been flooded with calls since there are a lot of members on the forum, but apparently that was not the case. Only a few people reported speaking to Ziad. I will have to contact Ziad myself. But I will not just surprise him with a phone call. I will email him first and find out when he accepts calls. It’s too bad the thread was closed. I would have thought that a lot of people would have called Ziad and he would have been flooded with calls since there are a lot of members on the forum, but apparently that was not the case. Only a few people reported speaking to Ziad. I will have to contact Ziad myself. But I will not just surprise him with a phone call. I will email him first and find out when he accepts calls.

]]> By: chris(mandarin_student) http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-320 chris(mandarin_student) Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:56:02 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-320 Excellent :):) Thanks quite funny really that I turned "you are a great linguist" into "you are a terrible language ambassador". :) It was a good example of my next hurdle, getting better at hearing tones in speech. It is not such that I can't hear them just that I often forget to listen too them, particularly if my brain thinks it has a word that fits. 真可谓是语言大师 -> 真可畏是语言大使 that is my spur to dig down deep. I also suffer from having listened to too many women speaking, I fear. Excellent :) :)
Thanks quite funny really that I turned “you are a great linguist” into “you are a terrible language ambassador”. :)
It was a good example of my next hurdle, getting better at hearing tones in speech. It is not such that I can’t hear them just that I often forget to listen too them, particularly if my brain thinks it has a word that fits.
真可谓是语言大师 -> 真可畏是语言大使 that is my spur to dig down deep.

I also suffer from having listened to too many women speaking, I fear.

]]> By: Edwin http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-317 Edwin Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:44:35 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-317 Very good. Not far off. 你懂得五十八种语言 - You know fifty eight languages 真可谓是语言大师 - You are a great linguist 正因为你所说的 - Because of what you have said 中国普通话是较困难 - Mandarin is quite difficult 那麽(我)向你题一个简单的问题 - So I am going to ask you a simple question 在地球上...在月球上能够看到唯一的地球上的 人造工程是什麽? - From the Earth ... from the moon, what is the only man-made object that can be seen on earth? His answer: Dónde aprendió los conocimientos del idioma chino? e también en qué lugar usted lo absorbió con facilidad? Where did you learn Chinese? And where did you learn it with ease? [After the guy shakes his head, the announcer says "it seems you need to keep practising a little more..."] Very good. Not far off.

你懂得五十八种语言 – You know fifty eight languages
真可谓是语言大师 – You are a great linguist
正因为你所说的 – Because of what you have said
中国普通话是较困难 – Mandarin is quite difficult
那麽(我)向你题一个简单的问题 – So I am going to ask you a simple question
在地球上…在月球上能够看到唯一的地球上的 人造工程是什麽? – From the Earth … from the moon, what is the only man-made object that can be seen on earth?

His answer:
Dónde aprendió los conocimientos del idioma chino? e también en qué lugar usted lo absorbió con facilidad?

Where did you learn Chinese? And where did you learn it with ease?

[After the guy shakes his head, the announcer says "it seems you need to keep practising a little more..."]

]]> By: chris(mandarin_student) http://www.towerofconfusion.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/comment-page-1/#comment-316 chris(mandarin_student) Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:24:36 +0000 http://towerofconfusion.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/the-ziads-thread-is-finally-closed/#comment-316 fascinating, I could understand barely a word but it is obvious he messed that up ;). The Chinese guy, I can't make out what he says at the end. I think he says "You understand fifty eight languages ? you truly are a terrible language ambassador. Because you have said (first said) Chinese Mandarin is beset with difficulties, therefore I want to ask you a simple question." Then I get a bit stuck, I can hear lots of words and "cabable of seeing a sole" but can't quite work it out. Something about human or humanity? Help! (I am much better with women speaking so deliberately trying to listen to men speak especially older ones) fascinating, I could understand barely a word but it is obvious he messed that up ;) .

The Chinese guy, I can’t make out what he says at the end.
I think he says

“You understand fifty eight languages ? you truly are a terrible language ambassador. Because you have said (first said) Chinese Mandarin is beset with difficulties, therefore I want to ask you a simple question.” Then I get a bit stuck, I can hear lots of words and “cabable of seeing a sole” but can’t quite work it out. Something about human or humanity? Help! (I am much better with women speaking so deliberately trying to listen to men speak especially older ones)

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