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> Learning a language is _not_ like learning math. I disagree. As a mathematician, looking at the language learning problem from a very "structural" perspectiv
by wolfgke 6y ago
> Learning a language is _not_ like learning math.
I disagree. As a mathematician, looking at the language learning problem from a very "structural" perspective helped me a lot to grasp languages much better. Unluckily, most language learning textbooks are written by people who are not very "mathematically-minded", thus making their method of teaching overly complicated for me.
PhD students in mathematics told me that my explanations of languages make so much more sense than how the foreign language is taught at the language course at the university. On the other hand, from people who are more "humanities-minded", I often get reactions that my way of explaining languages is deeply confusing and has no value.
- sova 6y agoOne keen insight I have had recently into the stratification between mathematics and language is that language immediately presents the 5 or 6 main "Who, what, when, where, how," as we introduce more language. Mathematics can start with few axioms or many. Taking those points in mind, I think there can be a lot of similarity when thinking around an equals sign and the verb is/to be.
- wolfgke 6y ago> Taking those points in mind, I think there can be a lot of similarity when thinking around an equals sign and the verb is/to be. I am cautious about this: In Spanish and Portuguese, there exist two "to be": ser and estar, which roughly refer to "general situation" vs. "current state". For European Portuguese, pedrocr gave a nice explanation on HN in the past: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12879529 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12879529 So, don't confuse (Spanish) Tú eres linda. Tú estás linda. (Portuguese) Você é linda. Você está linda. ("you are gorgeous" (referring to a female person)). The second means that she is currently beautiful with a possible hint that she might normally be ugly.