Have Pen, Will Write

[Bear Lac Loi]

I’m going to take advantage of TanBeck’s question in the free-write thread, "Tại sao @ lười đeo @?" and make it a 20-minute essay. The idea is a copy from another website, which promotes a free-writing learning style among ESL and American students.

The writing doesn’t have to follow any specific format. Spelling or grammar mistakes, though not highly recommended, will not be frowned on.

When we start writing, we shall write (or type) whatever comes to mind for about 20 minutes. At the end, even if the 20-minutes time frame may pass, we may want to conclude the essay with some kinds of closing sentences or passages.

Of course, we will make a lot of mistakes this way, but I have found that this will not only help us write well in English, it also helps us think quickly on our toes.

I hope we all will participate and learn how to write better in English together. If we are lucky, those, who are fortunate enough to have a better opportunity than most to learn English, will help correct our mistakes so we can write better one day.

--- o0o ---

Bear sẽ nhân dịp trả lời câu hỏi của TanBeck trong phần free-write thread, "Tại sao @ lười đeo @?" để làm một bài luận "20-phút". Bear copied khái niệm này từ một website khác khi họ muốn khuyến khích những học trò ESE, hay ngay cả học trò Mỹ, học cách viết tự do.

Cách viết này không phải theo hình thức đặc biệt nào. Những lổi đánh vần hay ngữ pháp, dù không được tán thành, nhưng cũng không bị chỉ trích.

Khi bắt đầu viết, mình sẽ viết bất cứ những gì mình nghĩ ra (nhưng phải cùng đề), và sẽ viết một hơi trong khoảng 20 phút. Ở cuối bài, mình nên viết một vài câu để kết thúc bài viết.

Tất nhiên là mình sẽ có nhiều lỗi khi viết kiểu này, nhưng Bear thấy cách viết này không những sẽ giúp mình viết được tiếng Anh, nó cũng giúp luyện cách suy nghĩ của mình.

Bear hy vọng mọi người sẽ tham gia và học viết tiếng Anh với nhau. Nếu mình may mắn, hy vọng rằng những người biết tiếng Anh giỏi hơn sẽ dành thì giờ để giúp đỡ và sữa chữa lổi viết của mình, để rồi một ngày nào đó, mình sẽ viết tiếng Anh đúng hơn.

--- o0o ---

If ESE's board of directors approves of the idea, I suggest the board organize the resources to help correcting the essays for students (if there are any participants at all). This task is too time consuming for one person to handle. I sympathize with TamTungTeGieng. He has taken the initiative to correct the writing, but since he did, others, which included me, assumed that he would fix every posted essay by himself! Sorry, Mr.

Ops and instructors, if you don’t feel like using your nick when correcting the students' English, let’s create another nick and make that nick volunteer.

My part? I commit to be a regular until school starts in August. If this takes off, we'll continue, otherwise, we'll cry and say good bye.

Until then, please jump in and be silly with us.


=D>

[Bear Lac Loi]

I'm going to give it a try. Here's my essay.

--- o0o ---

I’m starting my stop watch .... tic … tac … (but no toe).

Hmm … why don’t ops wear @? I guess the question would be better answered by qualified people, such as those who are eligible to wear @. Bear Lạc Lối is nowhere close to being qualified, but I’m going to put in my wild guess just for the fun of it.

Let me do the thing that I dislike the most: I’m going to answer a question with another question: "Why does an op wear @?" Since I’m stuck with 20 minutes of thinking and writing, my answer is not intended to be a correct one, but I’ll try to keep my spelling and grammar in check. Sorry TanBeck, the answer may not be the one that you would expect either.

Why does an op wear @? Let’s see … An op needs to wear @ to perform the op tasks. Those include keeping the room free of unhealthy practices. Ops with @ have the right to mute or bounce those who do not respect others in the room. @ also allows ops to post lined messages, which use the line-feed characters.

There may also be another reason: An op doesn’t wear @ because the op doesn’t want to be different from others in the room. The @ sign seems to couple with a sense of authority, and it makes the op feel uncomfortable wearing it. When a class is not in session, most ops just want to blend in and have fun with the rest of us students.

Therefore, Mr. TanBeck, here’s an answer to your question. An op doesn’t wear @ because, at the time, the op doesn’t feel the need to do the op tasks or to post lined messages. In addition, the op also wants to blend in and have fun with other people when there are no classes.

What this also means is that when an op doesn’t wear @, the op is subject to be picked on, used, and abused like the rest of us poor students. No mercies are needed. Remember, though, respect is the key word.

My 20-minute is up.

=D>

[Bear Lac Loi]

Here's another essay as an example. Beginners, please don't be discouraged by the length of my essay. I've been in the US for quite awhile now, so my writing is a bit better than a beginner's level's one. I can write faster and make fewer mistakes.

If you post your essay, I'll do my best to fix it and bring your English to my level. Once it gets there, there will be those, whose English is much better than mine, who will help advance yours to their level.

--- o0o ---

There is no such thing as a typical date in my case. Being short, fat, and almost bald at the age of 20, dating doesn’t usually happen, if at all. So, when talking about a typical date, I would have to settle on the one date that I have had so far throughout my adult life.

I have no idea what happened that led to our date. Was I attracted to her because of her angelic beauty, or was it she who noticed me out of pity, then later, went on a date with me out of curiosity? Either way, I haven't really figured that out … yet.

The first time I saw her, we were waiting for a bus near the University Center. The bus was kind of full and had room only for one more person, so I let her have it. I later realized, while walking along the snow-covered street on the way home, that it was the last bus of the day.

I saw her the second time in a computer lab at school. She came in when I was sitting in a corner, working on my assignment. Later, I had to stay up all night to finish the project since I hadn’t done a thing but hiding behind the monitor and watching her nibbling her pencil all afternoon.

The third time I saw her, she was talking animatedly with her friends across the basketball court during a game. In a moment of insanity, I thought I saw her smiling and waving her hand briefly at me. I didn’t wave back. I was paralyzed with the sensation.

I saw her the fourth time when I was sitting alone in the cafeteria, reading my favorite Clive Cussler book. I heard someone saying hi, and asking if it’s OK to sit down at the table. When I looked up, I saw her eyes radiated with brilliant light. I saw the brightest smile on earth coupled with the most beautiful and seductive lips. I could have sworn that I saw halo covering her forehead. I must have seen an angel.

The fifth time happened just one day after the fourth time. It might have been a cold Saturday, but I didn’t feel the chill. My heart felt warm as if I were at the center of the earth. We were sitting next to each other. She was watching the sun disappearing into the lake. I was watching her.

That was the date.

:clap:

[Tu-An]

Aww ... sweet! :x

[tamtungtegieng]

Actions speak louder than words, you indeed are a very loud-spoken man.:)
I sincerely thank you and applaud your effort to undertake an active role in our community. I ultimately hope to see many more participants, and we'll have discussions of what logical explanation determines the correctness of our writings. We would then read each other's writing and make necessary correction. Remember, I too make mistakes, and hope to see someone correct me; even the most prolific writer will make mistakes, I'm nowhere near, so do expect it. As long as we can detect those mistakes afterwards, it is all helpful. Until then, I hope to see you all in here, writing whatever your heart desires.

[Bear Lac Loi]

Another example of a 20-minute essay ... actually, this took me almost 30 minutes, with editing and all. Sometimes, words don't come easy! :smiile:

--- o0o ---

How can I find a way to learn a second language quickly? Really, I have no idea how. If I did, I would have been the most famous bear on earth.

Mind you, though. There are special language programs. They are designed for diplomats to accelerate their learning effort before taking a new job in a foreign country. I’ve searched the Internet and found additional programs that offered such things. They remind me of the “Get Rich Quick” schemes, which we often see on TV at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning.

In the case of a slow bear like me, it has taken me forever to learn English. Among speaking, listening, and writing in English, I had always tried to determine which one was the hardest. I felt the need to figure out where in English I should put the most effort in, which would be proportional to its level of difficulty. Oh yes, I also believed that the day when I dreamt in English would be the day when I mastered the language.

I first thought that speaking was the easiest. Why not? If I knew the words, I would just put them together, and American could always guess what I meant. In Vietnam, people didn’t invent the phrase, "nói tiếng bồi" out of nothing, did they? If I "nói tiếng bồi," I was sure that people could understand.

Then I considered between listening and writing in English. I thought writing was easier. Wasn’t that the truth? If I didn’t know the word, I could always pull out my Lê Bá Kông pocket dictionary. However, after a near death incident when I took my first English composition class in college, I changed my mind. The class had made a true believer out of me that writing well is not a walk in the park.

After years of living in the US, I stopped weighing the levels of difficulty in learning English. They are equally hard. Despite the fact that I’ve been dreaming in English for a long while, I’m always conscious of my pronunciations. I usually edit my writing over and over. And once in a while, I still ask people to “please say it again.” To me, learning a second language is a lifetime process, which will probably never end.

:clap:

[Bear Lac Loi]

I’ve read a latest post from gdpt and saw her mention the word “team”. I'm taking the opportunity to write another 20-minute essay as an example. Please, ESE students, let's jump in. Let's just write anything that comes to mind.

--- o0o ---

From my understanding, teamwork is a concept where multiple individuals work together to accomplish a common objective.

“Teamwork” is a new term, but the concept has existed since the beginning of living things. Teamwork doesn’t limit to only human. It also applies to other animals or even vegetations. We have heard of a pack of lions who hunt together, or a group of wild plants, which grow closely to keep from being blown away by strong wind.

In school, we see groups of students sharing their efforts to study for final exams. In some colleges, engineering students work together to design and build Mini Baja, which is a small vehicle that can endure races through extreme road conditions such as a mud bog and a rough hill. It even has to cross a shallow river.

At work, people work as a team to improve the productivity. In a busy restaurant, we see waiters and waitresses help serve each other’s customers instead of waiting only their own tables. In larger scale, though he might not officially know the term, Henry Ford brought the teamwork concept to his company by creating assembly lines, where workers applied their skills on specific parts to build a whole car.

We also see teamwork in sport. There is no such thing as a one person basketball team or soccer team. The team consists of many individuals working together against the other team. Without them, the team has no chance of getting their goal unless they are lucky, or their opponents aren’t any good.

So, teamwork does work, and it works better when every team member puts in the same effort to reach the common objectives. Let me borrow a quote from gdpt, “There is an ‘I’ in contribution (she may also mean ‘individual’), but there ain’t no ‘I’ in team.” I guess the sentence means to tell us something.

:clap:

[Handsome Bear]

I’ve read a latest post from gdpt and saw her mention the word “team”. I'm taking the opportunity to write another 20-minute essay as an example. Please, ESE students, let's jump in. Let's just write anything that comes to mind.

--- o0o ---

From my understanding, teamwork is a concept where multiple individuals work together to accomplish a common objective...

:clap:

I’m a rebel. I can’t stand seeing people keep talking about teamwork and the wonderful benefits of having a team. It is at the tip of everyone’s tongue nowadays, and I’ve had it. I have a poster at work that says, “’Teamwork’. ‘Teamwork’. OK. I’ll shoot the third person who says ‘teamwork’.”

Wait. Boss, if you’re reading this, please hear me out before firing me. I do firmly believe that most of the times, two heads are better than one. Whenever the work requires more than one individual, we should employ the team concept.

Or … should we?

Let’s see why we need a team. We need a team because the job requires more skills and efforts than one can possess.

It sounds good, right? Yes, it is, but only if each member possesses the right level of skill on his respective task. Teaming with a group of freshman physics students wouldn’t help Oppenheimer build a better nuclear bomb. We all heard of a story when someone put a team of three blind mice together. Would you wonder how they run? A team of two scarecrows can’t make them any smarter than one, can it?

And the efforts from each member also need to be leveled as well. Unfortunately, the 20/80 rule does apply even in teamwork. As the survey would confirm, there’d usually be 20% of the team members who do 80% of the team’s work. Thus, teamwork works, but it works only among a team of the 20% team members who will carry the whole team on their shoulders.

Another ironic of teaming is the leadership. I’ve seen teams with highly esteemed members who know what they are doing, and do what requires of them. However, I’ve also seen cases where a team works best when it has a dictator as a team leader. We see that a lot in a successful business, where the owner or the CEO is a slave driver.

Oh, by the way, the poster that I mentioned in the first paragraph is just from my imagination. I don’t have it. Don’t y’all put it up at work either! It’s hazardous to your employment.


:thankyou:

[di13]

To me short, fat and bald are cute. My twenty minutes is up. It's time for a bowl of soup~O)

[ghost]

The fifth time happened just one day after the fourth time. It might have been a cold Saturday, but I didn’t feel the chill. My heart felt warm as if I were at the center of the earth. We were sitting next to each other. She was watching the sun disappearing into the lake. I was watching her.

That was the date.

:clap:

ganh tị dã man.

[Bear Lac Loi]

I was about to discuss why we write, but I went to a different direction halfway due to the time limitation! In addition, my laziness had kept me from preparing an outline for the essay. I chose the easy route. Instead of forcing myself to write differently, I went on to finish the essay and changed the title from "Why Do We Write?" to "Communication."

Anyway, this is just another short essay to be used as an example. Sorry for the boring post! Hope to see more writing from everyone.

--- o0o ---

There are few common ways that we use to communicate an idea. We can talk, or we can write. Some people find it easier to express themselves through talking, while others prefer writing. For many, there are no preferences. They can either talk or write, whichever serves the purpose at the moment.

Gesturing is another way to communicate. This form of communication is limited to a single idea. Shaking head usually means “no.” Nodding head usually means “yes.” Shrugging shoulders may mean “no matter.”

However, talking combining with gesturing enhances the communication tenfold. Talking face-to-face allows people to clarify what they mean through gesturing. Coupling that with the intonation and emotion, the effect of the spoken words is unlimited. Another advantage of talking is the interaction. A speaker can adjust the message by observing the reaction from the listeners, or listeners can stop the speaker to clarify their understanding before moving further into details.

Writing, on the other hand, is a different story. It is much harder to couple gesturing with writing, though people have attempted to do so with motion icons available in text chats or emails. This style, however, has not yet been popular in formal writing. In addition, writing can’t be interactive. A message with multiple ideas has to be perfectly written to precisely express its objectives. Worse yet, a written message is in the mercy of the state of mind of the reader, who may choose to interpret the message in a different way.

Due to its limitations, writing demands a lot from a writer. When writing a funny story, the story has to make people laugh. When preparing a resume, the resume has to be impressive. When writing a marketing letter, the letter has to sell its products. To do all that, one has to possess a certain writing skill. Achieving a skill requires practice, and the same is true for writing.


:clap:

[Bear Lac Loi]

Here's another one. This time, I didn't change the title.

--- o0o ---

When I was little, I wrote because my older siblings did. Seeing them holding a pen and writing something was an amazing thing. So I tried. My mom likes to tell the story about her pre-school son trying to draw letters. Though he didn’t understand his drawings, he proudly told everyone that he could write.

When I got to know how to write properly, I wrote because I wanted to write a book. And yes, I did write books, except that they weren’t my books. One of those was "Chinh Phụ Ngâm Khúc" by Đoàn Thị Điểm. I don't remember how long it took me, but I remember spending days copying every word down with my own handwriting. I forget the purpose of doing it. I must have been bored, or the book must have left such an impression in my mind.

I changed to romantic poems when I grew older. By that time, I wrote because I couldn’t tell anyone what I’d been imagining. I filled my notebook with romantic poems or lyrics of love songs that matched my feeling at the moment. Among pages of the works from the professionals were those from the nerdy high school kid. At one point in time, I thought I was a poet. Weren’t we all?

Writing is no longer fun when having to write in a strange language, which is not the same with my mom's lullabies. I write because I have to. Dreams are still there; sky is still blue; and heart is still tender (maybe), but the rules of writing have changed. There are verbs to conjugate; tenses to tumble on; and no longer can the number of words in every line of a poem be consistent.

But sometimes, I also write when I don’t have to. I write short essays, silly stories, or just some poems or letters. I don’t really know why I’ve written those letters. I’ve written … just to write. Oh well, may be one day I would send the letters. Who knows? They may bring a smile to a dear friend, or one of them … may make it close to someone’s heart...


:clap:

[Bear Lac Loi]

I don't dare to mess up Miss IPropose's thread with my rebellious thinking in responding to her post http://tienganh.net/showthread.php?p=4798 (http://tienganh.net/showthread.php?p=4798), so I made it a 30-minute essay and put it here.

--- o0o ---

My elbows are pressing against the desk. My hands are supporting my heavy head. My eyes are looking upon the printed words: “Think of someone who can’t speak,” “Think of someone who has nothing to eat,” “Think of …,” “Think of …”

Those words are whipping my head and puncturing my brain. I know. Those are great words. They intend to do me good and to make me a better person. They are to remind me to appreciate what I have and be satisfied with what I’ve got … but how can I?

I am burdened with guilt because what I have are always more than few others who could. How should I feel? Am I not deserved to demand more just because I have more comfortable life than someone else? Should I stop working hard for myself because what I will gain will weigh my shoulders down with guilt? Should I move on with life without ambitions or dreams?

I have been told more than once that life is short, and that I should enjoy it when I can. Should I, though? Should I enjoy most of what I have today and be satisfied with what little I will have left tomorrow, without worrying about what will come when I will have nothing? Will I be guilt free and happy once I get to that point? I don’t know. I don’t think I have the courage to accept such consequences. A coward that I am, I don’t dare to find out.

I think I am cursed with the ability to desire. I want many things in life. I got some; I lost some; and I desired for what I couldn't get. Some of us may achieve the ultimate goodness in life. The rest of us, just like me, are suffering every day because of our desire to have more, to get more, and to strive for more. Once in awhile, I might look back and smile with my undeserved satisfactions, then move forward to be more than who I had been.

I guess I’m an imperfect human being. I am so lost.

:sad_no:

[Tu-An]

Cho mình xí tí chổ nha … By the way, I'm not going spend 30 minutes writing this so ...

I chuckled after reading both of your posts. You guys are making my day although I still have a long way to go. One may think that I am a wishy washy person after reading my response, but then … oh well.

I can see the validity in both of the posts. I agree with LL’s statement of, “I guess I’m an imperfect human being.” Of course you are – we all are. That’s the exact reason why we should continuously find ways to improve ourselves. No one is perfect. If one thinks s/he is perfect, I believe that person is either in a self-denial stage or is an egotist. (By the way, I’m not pointing finger at anyone as suggested by iPropose’s post although I really, really want to. But then, he probably knows I’m talking about him. kekeke)

I don’t feel guilty simply because I am better off than a few people. I feel blessed; I am blessed. …

Although I am grateful with what I have, I want to have more. …

“Today, before you say an unkind word – Think of someone who can’t speak.” Since they can’t speak, they can’t say any unkind words; therefore, I need to be the one to say those unkind words for them. See, I do think about them. Can you see how thoughtful I am? (J/K)

I can give you more examples of what I do when I think about other people who are less fortunate than I am, but I better not. :)

[gdpt-]

“Today, before you say an unkind word – Think of someone who can’t speak.” Since they can’t speak, they can’t say any unkind words; therefore, I need to be the one to say those unkind words for them. See, I do think about them. Can you see how thoughtful I am? (J/K)

Hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! That's called abusing the spoken language. LOL.

I guess you also need to consider the reasons and causes for their misfortunes. If it was by birth, I'll stop here. But there are people who, due to their negligences, end up where they are. For many, their misfortunes are by choice. For others, unfortunately, are just life's wrongful lessons.

So, in accordance with TA's comments, take advantage of what life has to offer because maybe... other less fortunate individuals can eventually benefit from it.

[iPropose]

:)
No one ever said anything about imperfection, or one should stop asking more of one's self. Just don't forget those who helped you got to where you are.

[HcVcT]

I don't dare to mess up Miss IPropose's thread with my rebellious thinking in responding to her post http://tienganh.net/showthread.php?p=4798 (http://tienganh.net/showthread.php?p=4798), so I made it a 30-minute essay and put it here.


I guess this will be my 30' essay which was thought of throughout the entire day. At whatever the consequences will be, I must write this post. Please allow me to also put it here.

"Wow... Thanks for a wonderful reminder. I needed this very reminder today. Today, you're the angel sent to tap me for a self check." That was my original response to cô IP's post of the "lovely story". But there must be a reason why I sat staring at it for 45' and wouldn't hit the [submit] button. There had to be a reason for the tears that I tried so hard to hold back trickled down my face. I don't know why it hit me so hard. After all, I am a big man who speaks sternly, who always appears composed, who is in control of the surrounding, who has a valid reason for all that was done -- even the wrong thing.

Truth is, I too felt guilty. All the "think of" also pierced me and shed light upon my own darkness. Truth is, I was ashamed of myself -- not from a desire to desire -- but from the lack of appreciation of what is possessed. My arrogance had started to cloud my judgement. My excuses started to disguise as justified reasons. I started to, once again, slide backward. Once again, I found myself abusing the very power I preserve. I violated the principle I set out to protect. More disappointedly, I failed to recognize my downfall and started to justify my own action.

See, my friend, I had unjustly muted down someone on mic. The act in itself could possibly be played down to negligence or even ignorance. The damage could easily be minimized. The situation could easily be settled, forgiven, and forgotten in time. As a matter of fact, I could just ignore it and by tomorrow, it'd be just water under a bridge. Sadly, it's not so much of the action stemmed from negligence or ignorance. It was the result from an outburst of an evil temper sprouted from an unstable state of mind. All day, I couldn't stop replaying what happened. I did all the "think of", "think for", and "think about". It took cô IP's simple post of reminding ... to force me to face my worst enemy -- myself.

I sat here disappointed, not daring to even ask of my right to deserve, submerging in the torments of my short comings, contemplating my own integrity, questioning my own ethics. With my head lowered, possibly to hide my guilty eyes, I yearn to make things right. I thank God for everyone around me who periodically touches my heart unintentionally. As I am too blessed, I have but one desire. I desire more. I want more. I demand more ... not more of what I could have or deserve, but more of what I am. I don't believe I am defined by my possessions; rather, I am an existence within them, or lack of. Please don't patronize me by thinking of me as some noble figure; as the truth of it is, I have much to overcome just to be at an acceptable threshold where most of you already are. I am to rectify the situation, that's the easy part. The difficult part is to figure how to grow from this.

[Bear Lac Loi]

Western movies have always been my favorite type of movies. I used to love those Saturday afternoons in college, lying on a couch in an empty lobby of a deserted dormitory, and watching those cowboy movies. Those days have passed, but the love for western movies has not. I sometimes caught myself flipping through Encore Western or Comcast’s On Demand, trying to catch a good one. Last Saturday, instead of logging into Paltalk, I watched Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

I was thrilled with the scenery; I was ecstatic with the music; and despite the three hour long movie, I wasn’t even bored for just a second. The movie got all my attention. There were a couple of times when my phone rang, but I ignored it. The phone could be called back, but if I missed the movie, it would be long gone. I wouldn’t be able to tell when they would play it again. Later, when checking the caller ID, I regretted a little because the number belonged to a long lost lady friend. I tried to call her back, but she was probably watching a Meryl Streep movie, and ignored the call.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is about three individuals of the Wild Wild West, who had to rely on each others’ information in their search for a hidden treasure. Despite his ugliness, I actually felt sorry for Tuco, The Ugly, who was used and abused by the other two characters because of his stupidity. I detested Angel Eyes The Bad, but I wasn’t too fond of Blondie The Good either. When the movie finished, however, I was happy to see the bad guy die, the good guy get the money, and the ugly, though still abused to the end, get his share. I wonder what kind of millionaire he was going to be.

It was five o’clock, and another movie was coming up. Not willing to let go the feeling after a great movie, I turned off the TV and got back to my computer. I logged into the websites of both rooms to see if there were any essays to be corrected. There were some, so I started on them.

While typing, I somehow thought of Miss Jeedy. At 112 words per minutes, I wonder if she is as fast in typing as Clint Eastwood in drawing his gun…

:clap:

[Bear Lac Loi]

It has been awhile now that I’ve worked with many dedicated Vietnamese students who love to write in English from different websites. The purposes of writing from each student are varied. Some write just to write, while others write to learn. Many students are living in Vietnam, while few are living abroad. The levels of English comprehension are also different among students.

I have found it interesting to see many people repeat the same mistakes I’ve made when I had just learned English. And since I’m doing OK now, I believe that they will, too. Learning another language is not an easy thing to do. Learning English is no exception, and being efficient in English is even harder. Unless one is gifted with a linguistic intelligence, it would take one forever to master English. I don’t know how long it will take me.

While correcting the students’ mistakes, I’ve learned something new as well. Like many people who have been in the US for a long time, I would write a sentence and determine whether or not it is grammatically correct based on how it sounds. Now, instead of telling the students that a sentence is not correct because it doesn’t sound right, I at least know why it is wrong, with few exceptions, of course.

It is also interesting to see how a student writes. Some try so hard to pack a lot of ideas in one long sentence, while others also try as hard to break a long sentence into many shorter ones. There are cases when some students prefer to write really short sentences to avoid mistakes, which make the essay sound … choppy. Different teachers in Vietnam have taught them different ways. Every teacher has different opinion on how one should write, and how a sentence should form.

I guess I also have my own opinion about how one should write! Well … actually, it is more like … how I should write. There were more than once when I was told that I’m wordy. I can’t help it. I’m still trying to search for my writing style. With such a defect, I feel so bad sometimes when I red-lined so many sentences in a student’s essay. May be I’m not as flexible as I have wanted to. As always, I’m still lost.

:sad_no:

[gdpt-]

I am hesitating to whether or not I should reply to this post of yours. I will try to compose my sentences wisely to prevent any possibility of sounding like a stalker. I must admit, I've been watching you. Okay, maybe watching sounds a bit too creepy, but I've been shadowing you. Yes, shadow sounds more pleasant. "Every move you make, every step you take..." ... I'll be there, eyeing you.

Through your words, you present yourself as a respectable individual who seeks for perfection. No doubt, you are an inspiration to many... including myself. You are the first instructor/tutor/adviser (however you want to call it) I see who not only corrects grammar, but also "runs" the extra mile to explain and educate why such corrections were made. I admire you deeply. I admire your profound, yet humble, insights. I admire your encouragement and support for those who are less efficient in the linguistic field.

**I have to admit, there are times where I deliberately ignore an essay... just to see how you would approach it and hopefully learn a thing (or 20 things) from you.

Hopefully, I don't sound like a stalker. A fanatic is fine. Anything but a stalker.

^:)^ All hail to thee.

[Bear Lac Loi]

I need help. Would an English-Vietnamese expert step forward? I desperately need your help explaining why we use "bro" or "sis".

I hadn't had the opportunity to spend much time around many Vietnamese in the US, and my Vietnamese-English communication skill is sort of behind. I hadn’t talked much to other Vietnamese beside my mom, my siblings, and a few close friends until I got on Paltalk.

Before Paltalk, I heard people calling each other “bro” or “sis” many times. Most of the times, I heard that from athletics, from religious sect members, or from African Americans - mostly from African Americans, whom we commonly refer to as black people. However, while they are calling each other “bro” or “sis”, they don’t usually add the name after that.

I’ve hardly ever heard anyone address Magic Johnson, a basketball legend in the US, as “bro Johnson”. I heard plenty, though, that they just call him “bro”. I also heard The Supremes calling each other “sis”, but never once have I heard them say “sis Diana Ross”.

Religious sect members do use the terminology "Brother" or "Sister", and Roman Catholic Church also use "Brother" or "Frère", or "Sister" or "Soeur", but no, they don't address each other as "bro" or "sis" either.

That all changed when I got on Paltalk. People started to call me “bro Bear” or Godforbid, “sis Bear”, and the terminologies startled me. As a Vietnamese, I know “bro” is for “anh” and “sis” is for “chị”, but what about “em”? A true conservative guy as I am, I would love really old people to call me “em”, younger people to call me “anh”, and much younger folks to call me “chú”. Why don’t they just call me “anh Bear”, “chị Bear”, or specifically “chú Bear” as LainH usually calls me? Better yet, why not calling me Bear?

For the sake of argument, why would we feel comfortable calling other “bro” or “sis”, but it’s kind of weird to call the teacher "teacher” as in “teacher Dieu_Nhac” Why don’t American kids in high school address their teachers as “teacher Johnsons” or “teacher Smith”? Because they just don't.

In college or in Harry Potter, we do hear people address their professor “Professor” as in "Professor Dumbledore"; however, this is a different case. “Professor” that they are referring to is a title. It is similar to calling a captain “Captain” as in "Captain Hook", a general “General” as in "General Smiths", or a president “President” as in "President Bush", and they are usually capitalized in writing. If there are such titles as "Bro" and "Sis", my limitted English vocabulary doesn't include them.

So, there we have it. Why would that be, “bro Huu”, “sis Jeedy”, or “teacher Mag”??? Would y'all explain that to the poor and confused Bear, and not “bro Bear”, please?

:)

[gdpt-]

Hahahahaaa, this actually made me hi' hi' aloud for a bit. ;))

I'm guilty as charged so I am going to submit a response... to end your suffering. 8-|

BRO/ANH
Anh has two destinctive definitions to it. There's Anh as in 'anh yeu' and Anh as in 'anh hai.'When it comes to Paltalk, personally (meaning it's my view, my perspective--not anyone elses'-- you may or may not agree),
I restrict myself to only refer someone as 'Anh' when they fall into the mentioned catagory.

**The term 'anh hai' usually refers to someone who is older than me (but not old enough to be entitled 'chu') AND literally, an older brother (and definitely nothing more). It's difficult for me to title someone as an "anh," even if I am consciously aware of the big age-gap between us. It's not out of disrespect, it's just that 'anh' is such a subjective and personal term that I really don't want to abuse it.

Anh in "anh yeu" is pretty much self-explanatory. It should be limited to only one person.

Bro, on the other hand, is very impersonal. When I refer to someone as Bro, I am saying, "Eh, I know you... you know me... we're close... and we really don't have to be that close BUT I definitely have respect for you..." Also, Anh as in Anh YEU is most likely out of the question. So, in cases where a person is not yet classifed as any of the above mentioned,
refering to their ID is most appropriate.

SIS/CHI/EM
From a female's perspective, sis is "semi-personal" and "chi/em" is factual.
When I say "factual," there is an apparent gap difference between the two and you want to acknowledge it. Since this is Paltalk (where age is mostly unknown) it'll definitely be demeaning for one female to suddenly assume another female's age and quickly denotes her as an em. Referring to someone as "sis" not only gives them a sense of familiarity and respect but it's also... SAFE.

So, when it comes to Paltalk... bro and sis is PREFERRED over ANH/CHI/EM.

It's quite funny, since in the "real world," I seldomly call anyone "sis/bro" xcept for my biological siblings. It is always CHI (and YOU if they are a younger female/male) and ANH.

Back to work.

[OoSoOSwtJenna]

gdpt- There's Anh as in 'anh yeu'

Jen cung muon mot nguoi falls in "anh yeu" category ma van chua co anh nao het :( ;;)

[iPropose]

Anh dda^y ne` em Jenna! ;;)

[Bear Lac Loi]

em Bear,

It is safe to call someone sis/bro online because we don't know their age. We don't want them feel uncomfortable. If someone call a guy is chú and a lady is dì, he/she may think like this " oh !! No. I am not that old why call me chú or I am not that old why call me dì " If we don't know someone else age, then better call bro/sis. It makes them feel comfortable. I prefer call you "Bear" instead of "em Bear" :D Online most people prefer call them by nickname or bro/sis instead of "em" "anh" "chị" or "con" In real life, I rarely hear people call each other bro/sis. They usually call Miss, Mrs, Mr, Sir, Mam.

bro = (hey !!! at least I know you a guy)
sis = (yeah !!! I know you a girl, so don't fall in love with me)
I think that is another reason why they call each other bro/sis online
em Bear,

It is safe to call someone sis/bro online because we don't know their age. (question mark) We don't want them feel uncomfortable. If someone call (calls) a guy is (delete: is) chú and a lady is (delete: di) dì, he/she may think like this "oh !! No. I am not that old (period) why (add: would you) call me chú (question mark) or I am not that old why (add: would you) call me dì (question mark)" If we don't know someone else (else’s) age, then (add: we had) better call (add: that person) bro/sis. It makes them feel comfortable. I prefer call (calling) you "Bear" instead of "em Bear" (add: when) Online (comma) most people prefer call them (replace: “prefer call them” with “prefer to be called”) by nickname or (add: by) bro/sis instead of "em" "anh" "chị" or "con" (period) In real life, I rarely hear people call each other bro/sis. They usually call Miss, Mrs, Mr, Sir, Mam (Ma’am).

bro = (hey !!! at least I know you a guy)
sis = (yeah !!! I know you a girl, so don't fall in love with me)
I think that is another reason why they call each other bro/sis online

--- o0o ---

Thank you for the opinion di` 13.

May I suggest a different way to write?

In your writing, you’ve used a lot of “/” as in sis/bro or he/she. It is perfectly correct; however, it creates a pause from the reader. I suggest replacing “/” with “or” as in “sis or bro,” and “he or she.”

Second, the term doesn’t sound very smooth. I suggest trying to replace he/she with “they” or “person” and his/her with “them” or “person”. Of course, when doing that, we will need to replace few words in the writing as well.

For example, let’s take a look at the following sentence: “If someone calls a guy chú and a lady dì, he/she may think like this …”

I would rephrase it as, “If someone calls a person chú or dì, the person may think like this …”

Now, the word “he/she” or “person” may also confuse the reader because the reader doesn’t know who “he/she” or the “person” is. Is that “someone”, “a guy”, or “a lady”?

In order to reduce the confusion, replace “someone” with “people” or “we”: “If we call a person chú or dì, the person may think like this …”

Now, that is a perfect sentence. There is no more confusion because we know for sure that “a person” can’t replace “people” or “we”.

How does that sound to you?
:)