Do Not Watch Until You've Seen This Week's Simpsons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEugtOiasB4
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Vernacular Expressions
--I'm in a pickle: my midterm is in two hours and I can't find my class notes.
--Where are you going for summer vacation now that school's out?
--[Two people bump into each other] "Watch where you're going!" "Up yours!"
--The police have an informant on the inside.
--That's it! I'm quitting this game because I can't get past this part.
--Go home, kid. You're too young to play basketball with us.
--"You guys read these papers and I will read these papers." "Who died and made you boss? I don't want you to tell me what to do!"
--"Did you know I'm Vice President of a company?" "Quit milking it. You only got the job because your dad is the President."
--"I'm going to go home. See ya." "Goodbye."
--I'm in a jam: I have to take my pregnant wife to the hospital and my car won't start.
--I'm sorry you lost your job, dear. Just remember, we still have each other, and you'll get a new job soon.
--The best way to have dignity is to be yourself. If you act like someone else, you won't believe in yourself.
-- [You are late for class.] Where the hell is my wallet!?
--Hey you! Come here! [The person comes to you so you can talk to him.] You are Charles' brother, right?
--I want to go to a fashion show dinner featuring Lin Chi-Ling, but I have to pay $125,000NT in advanced to get a plate. ("Get a plate" means have a reservation at the dinner.)
--I was at the night market with my friends, but they ditched me. Now I am alone.
--"'Sup?" "Nothing. How are you?"
--Although he is a bookworm, the girls like him a lot.
--McDonald's french fries rock!
--The teacher's attempt to seem cool by mentioning the term "Ding Ding" smacked of effort.
--You won't be successful unless you stand up for yourself when others criticize you.
--All he does is play with his computer. He's a real Poindexter.
--Your friend's room is over here. Follow me [to the room].
--If you want to join the bowling group, you have to take a loyalty oath swearing that bowling will always be your favorite sport.
--I went to buy a new shirt, but the store was fresh out of my favorite style of shirt.
--I was joking. I didn't mean to make you angry. Don't have a cow.
--He was punished at school for pulling a stunt involving throwing waterballoons at the teacher.
--That kid pretended to be very friendly, but then he complained about me to my boss. What a little sneak.
--NTU rules! It's the best college in the world!
--Where are you going for summer vacation now that school's out?
--[Two people bump into each other]
--The police have an informant on the inside.
--That's it! I'm quitting this game because I can't get past this part.
--Go home, kid. You're too young to play basketball with us.
--"You guys read these papers and I will read these papers." "Who died and made you boss? I don't want you to tell me what to do!"
--"Did you know I'm Vice President of a company?" "Quit milking it. You only got the job because your dad is the President."
--"I'm going to go home. See ya." "Goodbye."
--I'm in a jam: I have to take my pregnant wife to the hospital and my car won't start.
--I'm sorry you lost your job, dear. Just remember, we still have each other, and you'll get a new job soon.
--The best way to have dignity is to be yourself. If you act like someone else, you won't believe in yourself.
-- [You are late for class.]
--Hey you! Come here! [The person comes to you so you can talk to him.]
--I want to go to a fashion show dinner featuring Lin Chi-Ling, but I have to pay $125,000NT in advanced to get a plate. ("Get a plate" means have a reservation at the dinner.)
--I was at the night market with my friends, but they ditched me. Now I am alone.
--"'Sup?" "Nothing. How are you?"
--Although he is a bookworm, the girls like him a lot.
--McDonald's french fries rock!
--The teacher's attempt to seem cool by mentioning the term "Ding Ding" smacked of effort.
--You won't be successful unless you stand up for yourself when others criticize you.
--All he does is play with his computer. He's a real Poindexter.
--Your friend's room is over here. Follow me [to the room].
--If you want to join the bowling group, you have to take a loyalty oath swearing that bowling will always be your favorite sport.
--I went to buy a new shirt, but the store was fresh out of my favorite style of shirt.
--I was joking. I didn't mean to make you angry. Don't have a cow.
--He was punished at school for pulling a stunt involving throwing waterballoons at the teacher.
--That kid pretended to be very friendly, but then he complained about me to my boss. What a little sneak.
--NTU rules! It's the best college in the world!
Logical Fallacies For This Week
Poisoning the Well:
When you "poison the well," you say negative things about a person or thing, so that everything that that person or thing does becomes suspect.
Example:
A person says about her cousin, "My cousin is a jerk. He doesn't care about people."
The person then sees her cousin give money to a homeless man. She responds to this by saying, "He's just giving the homeless man money to look like he's nice. He's really a jerk who doesn't care about people." By poisoning the well, the person makes it impossible to see anything good about her cousin.
Think of someone you don't like. Nothing he or she does will seem like a good thing, right?
Another example:
Hitler is evil.
Hitler says the world is round.
Therefore, the world must be flat.
--Because we recognize that Hitler is evil, we feel we have to "poison the well" and disagree with everything that he says, even if he says, "Ice is cold."
False Dilemma:
A "false dilemma" is a claim that if we do not do X, then Y will happen, or it is a claim that we can only do 'X' or 'Y'. The dilemma is false because X does not cause Y, or it is false because we have more choices than 'X' or 'Y'.
Examples:
Either Taiwan is independent, or it is part of China. <--We know this is a false dilemma because right now it is (politically and legally) neither.
If you don't study every day, you will fail your classes. <--You know people who do well in school even though they don't study very often. (It is okay to hate them.)
Either you are a good student, or you are a bad student. <--There are more categories than 'good' or 'bad'.
Straw Man
A "straw man" is an inaccurate characterization of someone's argument. The "straw man" is easy to argue against while the person's real argument is more difficult.
Example:
Person A says, "We should reduce the military's budget."
Person B says, "Person A wants to make the military weak. We need a strong military, so Person A's idea is bad."
Wanting to reduce the military's budget does not mean that you want to make the military "weak"; it just means that you want to spend less money. Now, you could argue that giving the military less money could weaken the military, but what Person B says is a "straw man" because it isn't really what Person A said.
Person A says, "We need higher taxes."
Person B says, "Person A wants to take food out of your child's mouth."
Yes, higher taxes will mean less money for people, but does Person A really want your child to starve? Is somebody thinking of the children?
When you "poison the well," you say negative things about a person or thing, so that everything that that person or thing does becomes suspect.
Example:
A person says about her cousin, "My cousin is a jerk. He doesn't care about people."
The person then sees her cousin give money to a homeless man. She responds to this by saying, "He's just giving the homeless man money to look like he's nice. He's really a jerk who doesn't care about people." By poisoning the well, the person makes it impossible to see anything good about her cousin.
Think of someone you don't like. Nothing he or she does will seem like a good thing, right?
Another example:
Hitler is evil.
Hitler says the world is round.
Therefore, the world must be flat.
--Because we recognize that Hitler is evil, we feel we have to "poison the well" and disagree with everything that he says, even if he says, "Ice is cold."
False Dilemma:
A "false dilemma" is a claim that if we do not do X, then Y will happen, or it is a claim that we can only do 'X' or 'Y'. The dilemma is false because X does not cause Y, or it is false because we have more choices than 'X' or 'Y'.
Examples:
Either Taiwan is independent, or it is part of China. <--We know this is a false dilemma because right now it is (politically and legally) neither.
If you don't study every day, you will fail your classes. <--You know people who do well in school even though they don't study very often. (It is okay to hate them.)
Either you are a good student, or you are a bad student. <--There are more categories than 'good' or 'bad'.
Straw Man
A "straw man" is an inaccurate characterization of someone's argument. The "straw man" is easy to argue against while the person's real argument is more difficult.
Example:
Person A says, "We should reduce the military's budget."
Person B says, "Person A wants to make the military weak. We need a strong military, so Person A's idea is bad."
Wanting to reduce the military's budget does not mean that you want to make the military "weak"; it just means that you want to spend less money. Now, you could argue that giving the military less money could weaken the military, but what Person B says is a "straw man" because it isn't really what Person A said.
Person A says, "We need higher taxes."
Person B says, "Person A wants to take food out of your child's mouth."
Yes, higher taxes will mean less money for people, but does Person A really want your child to starve? Is somebody thinking of the children?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Vocabulary Sample Sentences
--He lets his friends make fun of him because he has no dignity.
--I will go to Malaysia for summer vacation.
--I will immortalize my trip to Malaysia by taking many pictures.
--My awkward phase was when I was 13: I had a lot of acne and was very tall and skinny.
--I can't return the broken DVD because I don't have the receipt.
--He hates school, so he didn't buy a yearbook to immortalize his High School years.
--You were one of the most popular boys in school, but now you have no friends.
--That was a corker of a midterm! I don't think I answered any of the questions correctly.
--I missed work for three weeks because I had jury duty; I was on the jury for a theft case.
--She loves the ocean, so she enrolled at the Maritime Academy.
--The septic tank was broken, so we couldn't use the toilet.
--Her dog is her faithful companion; the dog goes wherever she goes.
--Your daughter has many cute stuffed animals to play with.
--He is such a nerd; he only plays with his computer and works on his math homework.
--The teacher thinks he isn't paying attention because he can't sit still; he's always fidgeting.
--He scooped the mud with the shovel and put the mud in the crudbucket.
--He puts notes around his room to remind him what to do, but he just ends up ignoring the notes.
--She said something that her friend thought was rude, so she said to her friend, "Sorry. I was only joking."
--Because the team did not run the play correctly, Tim had to improvise.
--I fell off the swing and landed hard on my fanny. It hurt to sit down for a long time.
--High tide is the best time to go surfing.
--It is nerdy of her to collect so much Full Metal Alchemist memorabilia.
--Didn't I see you sleeping in the Periodicals Section of the library? You were drooling on one of the magazines.
--It is hard to be sincere when everybody speaks in a sarcastic way. Don't people get tired of sarcasm?
--The cops confiscated his car after he was pulled over for speeding.
--He didn't know that school had be canceled because of a typhoon; the campus was virtually deserted when he got there.
--It is unlikely that I will pass the test; I didn't study at all.
--My twelve year-old brother says that Jay Chou is a rad singer.
--I like to wear fashionable clothes; these old clothes that my grandmother gave me make me feel dorky.
--Although Brad Pitt is in his forties, he is still a dreamboat.
--This bag of spicy hot chips that I bought is a dud; the chips weren't hot at all.
--The fireworks at 101 are very beautiful.
--I invited all of my friends to the beach party. Unfortunately it rained that day and we couldn't stay on the beach.
--The expression on her face was one of fear when the teacher told her to speak in front of the class.
--He felt nauseous after getting off the roller coaster.
--I like to play the ring toss game at the carnival.
--A carney who operated a Merry-Go-Round once put out a lit cigarette on one of my friend's skin.
--I will go to Malaysia for summer vacation.
--I will immortalize my trip to Malaysia by taking many pictures.
--My awkward phase was when I was 13: I had a lot of acne and was very tall and skinny.
--I can't return the broken DVD because I don't have the receipt.
--He hates school, so he didn't buy a yearbook to immortalize his High School years.
--You were one of the most popular boys in school, but now you have no friends.
--That was a corker of a midterm! I don't think I answered any of the questions correctly.
--I missed work for three weeks because I had jury duty; I was on the jury for a theft case.
--She loves the ocean, so she enrolled at the Maritime Academy.
--The septic tank was broken, so we couldn't use the toilet.
--Her dog is her faithful companion; the dog goes wherever she goes.
--Your daughter has many cute stuffed animals to play with.
--He is such a nerd; he only plays with his computer and works on his math homework.
--The teacher thinks he isn't paying attention because he can't sit still; he's always fidgeting.
--He scooped the mud with the shovel and put the mud in the crudbucket.
--He puts notes around his room to remind him what to do, but he just ends up ignoring the notes.
--She said something that her friend thought was rude, so she said to her friend, "Sorry. I was only joking."
--Because the team did not run the play correctly, Tim had to improvise.
--I fell off the swing and landed hard on my fanny. It hurt to sit down for a long time.
--High tide is the best time to go surfing.
--It is nerdy of her to collect so much Full Metal Alchemist memorabilia.
--Didn't I see you sleeping in the Periodicals Section of the library? You were drooling on one of the magazines.
--It is hard to be sincere when everybody speaks in a sarcastic way. Don't people get tired of sarcasm?
--The cops confiscated his car after he was pulled over for speeding.
--He didn't know that school had be canceled because of a typhoon; the campus was virtually deserted when he got there.
--It is unlikely that I will pass the test; I didn't study at all.
--My twelve year-old brother says that Jay Chou is a rad singer.
--I like to wear fashionable clothes; these old clothes that my grandmother gave me make me feel dorky.
--Although Brad Pitt is in his forties, he is still a dreamboat.
--This bag of spicy hot chips that I bought is a dud; the chips weren't hot at all.
--The fireworks at 101 are very beautiful.
--I invited all of my friends to the beach party. Unfortunately it rained that day and we couldn't stay on the beach.
--The expression on her face was one of fear when the teacher told her to speak in front of the class.
--He felt nauseous after getting off the roller coaster.
--I like to play the ring toss game at the carnival.
--A carney who operated a Merry-Go-Round once put out a lit cigarette on one of my friend's skin.
Paper 5 Conclusion
The conclusion of Paper 5 should talk about why cultural metaphors exist and why people should study them.
In the introduction, you shared some metaphors with the reader.
In the body, you explained the metaphors.
Now, tell us why people would call the new generation "strawberries" instead of just saying, "The younger generation is weak." Next, tell us why it is important to study cultural metaphors. Do cultural metaphors explain how a culture thinks and what a culture thinks about? How?
I will include a sample Paper 5 soon to help you with your Paper 5 rewrite.
Sean
In the introduction, you shared some metaphors with the reader.
In the body, you explained the metaphors.
Now, tell us why people would call the new generation "strawberries" instead of just saying, "The younger generation is weak." Next, tell us why it is important to study cultural metaphors. Do cultural metaphors explain how a culture thinks and what a culture thinks about? How?
I will include a sample Paper 5 soon to help you with your Paper 5 rewrite.
Sean
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sample Works Cited Page Link on Facebook
Class:
The "Sean's NTU Classes" group on Facebook now has a good link for a sample Works Cited page. This includes unusal examples (i.e. internet site sources, sources without an author, etc.). I will open the group so anyone can join if you aren't already a member.
Sean
The "Sean's NTU Classes" group on Facebook now has a good link for a sample Works Cited page. This includes unusal examples (i.e. internet site sources, sources without an author, etc.). I will open the group so anyone can join if you aren't already a member.
Sean
Extra Credit/Support Your Teacher Opportunity
Students:
This Wednesday afternoon I am giving a talk for the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department. You can watch me talk and be bored--just like in class! Here is the information.
Obviously I can't give you extra credit just for coming, but if you do show up, I will give you a brief assignment related to my talk that you can complete for course credit. This is a good opportunity if you want to boost your score a little, and it's a great idea for making up for absences, bad classroom behavior, etc.
I start the talk with a quote from a Simpsons episode that we watched in class.
Here is the information.
The Conatus of Obsolescence:
A.R. Ammons' Garbage and Other Studies of the Aged Male Subject
Speaker: Dr. Sean Allan (DFLL Project Instructor)
演講人：項亞倫博士（臺大外文系專案計畫講師）
Moderator: Dr. Bennett Yu-hsiang Fu (DFLL Assistant Professor)
主持人：臺大外文系傅友祥助理教授
Time: 3:30 ~ 5:00 pm, Wednesday, April 23, 2008
時間：2008年4月23日週三下午3:30-5:00
Venue: DFLL New Conference Room, 1F Old Main Library
地點：臺大舊總圖一樓外文系新會議室
This Wednesday afternoon I am giving a talk for the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department. You can watch me talk and be bored--just like in class! Here is the information.
Obviously I can't give you extra credit just for coming, but if you do show up, I will give you a brief assignment related to my talk that you can complete for course credit. This is a good opportunity if you want to boost your score a little, and it's a great idea for making up for absences, bad classroom behavior, etc.
I start the talk with a quote from a Simpsons episode that we watched in class.
Here is the information.
The Conatus of Obsolescence:
A.R. Ammons' Garbage and Other Studies of the Aged Male Subject
Speaker: Dr. Sean Allan (DFLL Project Instructor)
演講人：項亞倫博士（臺大外文系專案計畫講師）
Moderator: Dr. Bennett Yu-hsiang Fu (DFLL Assistant Professor)
主持人：臺大外文系傅友祥助理教授
Time: 3:30 ~ 5:00 pm, Wednesday, April 23, 2008
時間：2008年4月23日週三下午3:30-5:00
Venue: DFLL New Conference Room, 1F Old Main Library
地點：臺大舊總圖一樓外文系新會議室
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Bibiliography and Works Cited Pages/ In-text Citation
Here is an example of a book entry.
--Please Note that Blogger does not let me indent. You should indent every line after the first line.--
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Edition Number. Publication City: Name of Publisher,
Year of Publication.
Kirschten, Robert. Approaching Prayer: Ritual and the Shape of Myth in A.R. Ammons and
James Dickey. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1998.
Here is an example of an entry for an essay or story that is part of a book
Chang, Eileen. "Sealed Off." In Chang, Eileen. Love in a Fallen City. Karen S. Kingsbury,
trans. New York: New York Review Books, 2007: 235-252.
--In this second case, this entry means that I discussed only the story "Sealed Off" in my paper. (Love in a Fallen City is a story collection.) This book is translated from Chinese into English by Karen Kingsbury. Here is the template.
Last name, First name. "Title." In Last name, First name. Title. Translator. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication: Page Numbers for the Story.
--Please Note that Blogger does not let me indent. You should indent every line after the first line.--
Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Edition Number. Publication City: Name of Publisher,
Year of Publication.
Kirschten, Robert. Approaching Prayer: Ritual and the Shape of Myth in A.R. Ammons and
James Dickey. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1998.
Here is an example of an entry for an essay or story that is part of a book
Chang, Eileen. "Sealed Off." In Chang, Eileen. Love in a Fallen City. Karen S. Kingsbury,
trans. New York: New York Review Books, 2007: 235-252.
--In this second case, this entry means that I discussed only the story "Sealed Off" in my paper. (Love in a Fallen City is a story collection.) This book is translated from Chinese into English by Karen Kingsbury. Here is the template.
Last name, First name. "Title." In Last name, First name. Title. Translator. City of
Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication: Page Numbers for the Story.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Some More Metaphor Examples, and Paper 5 Body
If you were in my class last semester, recall the Simpsons episode "A Streetcar Named Marge." Recall the head of the nursery school. "What is a baby saying when she asks for a bottle?...She's saying, 'I am a leach'." "I am a leach" is an interesting conceptual metaphor. A leach is a creature that lives in certain types of waters. It attaches to animals and people and sucks out the blood of what it attaches itself too. How does that animal work as a metaphor? (The nursery school head means that a baby who uses a bottle will never learn to feed him- or herself.)
My wife today mentioned the "red cord" in Chinese mythology that is a metaphor for the way in which two people are connected by love. A couple has an "invisible red cord" that connects them.
In the introduction of Paper 5, most of you did a good job describing a metaphor or a group of related metaphors. If you just made a list, think about writing the introduction again, and concentrate on writing about just one or two metaphors.
For the body of Paper 5, you should explain why the metaphor makes sense. For example, "My love is a red, red rose." Why does this metaphor make sense? Red is a bright, beautiful color. Love is also bright and beautiful. The color red stands out; it is easy to notice. Likewise, it is easy to notice people who are in love, and if you are in-love, you notice everything about the person whom you love? Why a rose? Why not a different flower? A rose is considered an especially beautiful and valuable flower, and love is considered especially valuable and "beautiful". In a culture that thinks another flower is more beautiful than a rose, you are less likely to see the conceptual metaphor, "My love is a rose." (Perhaps instead you will see something like, "My love is a cherry blossom.")
My wife today mentioned the "red cord" in Chinese mythology that is a metaphor for the way in which two people are connected by love. A couple has an "invisible red cord" that connects them.
In the introduction of Paper 5, most of you did a good job describing a metaphor or a group of related metaphors. If you just made a list, think about writing the introduction again, and concentrate on writing about just one or two metaphors.
For the body of Paper 5, you should explain why the metaphor makes sense. For example, "My love is a red, red rose." Why does this metaphor make sense? Red is a bright, beautiful color. Love is also bright and beautiful. The color red stands out; it is easy to notice. Likewise, it is easy to notice people who are in love, and if you are in-love, you notice everything about the person whom you love? Why a rose? Why not a different flower? A rose is considered an especially beautiful and valuable flower, and love is considered especially valuable and "beautiful". In a culture that thinks another flower is more beautiful than a rose, you are less likely to see the conceptual metaphor, "My love is a rose." (Perhaps instead you will see something like, "My love is a cherry blossom.")
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Vernacular Expressions
1. "I will only open the door if you use the secret knock."
2. "That does it! Go to your room!" yelled my father.
3. At the gay rights march, the group chanted the well-known chant: "We're here, we're queer. Get used to it."
4. You won't be able to eat at the restaurant if you don't phone ahead and make a reservation first.
5. We need to make violent video games illegal. Please think of the children. Do you want them to grow up with violence?
6. "Down with homework!" chanted the grammar school children.
7. After the High School student pushed the Grammar School student, another High School student yelled to the bully, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"
8. Most of my family members are regular joes: they work at restaurants or factories.
9. Thank goodness no one stole my bike over the summer.
10. A good personality is important when persuing romantic conquest.
11. She was one of the good ones. We will miss her.
12. "I will give you a Big Mac if you give me your sandwich and apple." "Deal."
13. "Thank you for helping me with my homework." "Hey, can the courtesy. You know I'm always willing to help you, and I don't expect to be thanked."
14. For some elders, a young man with long hair arouses suspicion.
15. "How's it hanging?" is a common expression that one young man would ask a male friend. Women can use it ironically. It is a vulgar expression, but it is so common that it doesn't usually bother people. It might even appear on a cartoon show.
16. I plumb forgot about the paper due today. I hope the teacher will give me an extension.
17. Most college students in Japan take a relaxed attitude toward studying because High School was the more important academic period in their life.
18. To be a good teacher, you must have and teach infinite compassion.
19. Hinduism has over 1 million Gods, but one of the most popular Gods is Ganesha.
20. You are always talking. Don't you ever shut up?
21. Because of a grandfather clause, the landlord is not allowed to raise his rent.
22. I know this is not a good school because the classes use out-of-date textbooks.
23. Well, everyone is here. We have to go now to make it to KTV before 8p.m. Let's roll.
24. "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free" says the plaque on the Statue of Liberty.
25. Derek Jeter is the glue that holds the Yankees together as a team, but my favorite Yankee is, of course, A-Rod.
2. "That does it! Go to your room!" yelled my father.
3. At the gay rights march, the group chanted the well-known chant: "We're here, we're queer. Get used to it."
4. You won't be able to eat at the restaurant if you don't phone ahead and make a reservation first.
5. We need to make violent video games illegal. Please think of the children. Do you want them to grow up with violence?
6. "Down with homework!" chanted the grammar school children.
7. After the High School student pushed the Grammar School student, another High School student yelled to the bully, "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"
8. Most of my family members are regular joes: they work at restaurants or factories.
9. Thank goodness no one stole my bike over the summer.
10. A good personality is important when persuing romantic conquest.
11. She was one of the good ones. We will miss her.
12. "I will give you a Big Mac if you give me your sandwich and apple." "Deal."
13. "Thank you for helping me with my homework." "Hey, can the courtesy. You know I'm always willing to help you, and I don't expect to be thanked."
14. For some elders, a young man with long hair arouses suspicion.
15. "How's it hanging?" is a common expression that one young man would ask a male friend. Women can use it ironically. It is a vulgar expression, but it is so common that it doesn't usually bother people. It might even appear on a cartoon show.
16. I plumb forgot about the paper due today. I hope the teacher will give me an extension.
17. Most college students in Japan take a relaxed attitude toward studying because High School was the more important academic period in their life.
18. To be a good teacher, you must have and teach infinite compassion.
19. Hinduism has over 1 million Gods, but one of the most popular Gods is Ganesha.
20. You are always talking. Don't you ever shut up?
21. Because of a grandfather clause, the landlord is not allowed to raise his rent.
22. I know this is not a good school because the classes use out-of-date textbooks.
23. Well, everyone is here. We have to go now to make it to KTV before 8p.m. Let's roll.
24. "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free" says the plaque on the Statue of Liberty.
25. Derek Jeter is the glue that holds the Yankees together as a team, but my favorite Yankee is, of course, A-Rod.
Vocabulary Sample Sentences
1. "Stop panicking and start studying for your midterms."
2. "After you graduate from college, you will have to find employment."
3. "You need to calm down so you can tell us what happened."
4. "Good night. Sweet dreams."
5. "In the 1950s, it was common for housewives to use tranquilizers during the day because they found their lives to be so boring."
6. "He was charged with two counts of armed robbery."
7. "The parents couldn't believe that their intelligent son could be an accessory to murder."
8. "Don't watch that movie. It's horrible."
9. "I am tired of the teacher's constant stupid jokes."
10. "The bears hibernate during the winter."
11. "All of those night market game people are a bunch of hucksters. You can never win the best prize."
12. "His argument that McDonald's food was healthy was based on specious reasoning."
13. "Sean accused his students of ducking responsibility by not coming to class when they didn't finish an assignment."
14. "If my roommate and I stay until after our ARC cards expire, we will become illegal immigrants in Taiwan."
15. "The city passed a referendum outlawing fireworks within the city limits."
16. "He couldn't take the job handing out flyers on the street because he has too much dignity."
17. "The government enforces strict immigration laws. Only a few people can enter the country for temporary residency."
18. "The store manager was made into a scapegoat and blamed for the owner's mistakes."
19. "The traditions of the Dragon Boat festival are alien to me."
20. "He is shy because he does not speak English well. His shyness is understandable."
21. "He was arrested because his Passport was found to be fraudulent."
22. "She is a humble person who never talks about her awards or her success."
23. "It is a common courtesy to hold the door open for someone."
24. "In air combat, an air force is divided into squadrons consisting of three to eight jets each."
25. "She majors in Social Work because she has a lot of compassion for the poor."
26. "I will charge this expensive dress to my father's credit card."
27. "I can't believe what they charge for a hot dog at the movie theater!"
28. "There have been numerous complaints about the dirty library bathrooms."
29. "The welfare of the students is very important to the University."
30. "He is a native of Taichung."
31. "I can't go to class because I was selected for jury duty."
32. "My wife wants to become a citizen of the United States."
33. "Many older professors feel that students are by and large ingrates who don't appreciate the hard work of schoolteachers."
2. "After you graduate from college, you will have to find employment."
3. "You need to calm down so you can tell us what happened."
4. "Good night. Sweet dreams."
5. "In the 1950s, it was common for housewives to use tranquilizers during the day because they found their lives to be so boring."
6. "He was charged with two counts of armed robbery."
7. "The parents couldn't believe that their intelligent son could be an accessory to murder."
8. "Don't watch that movie. It's horrible."
9. "I am tired of the teacher's constant stupid jokes."
10. "The bears hibernate during the winter."
11. "All of those night market game people are a bunch of hucksters. You can never win the best prize."
12. "His argument that McDonald's food was healthy was based on specious reasoning."
13. "Sean accused his students of ducking responsibility by not coming to class when they didn't finish an assignment."
14. "If my roommate and I stay until after our ARC cards expire, we will become illegal immigrants in Taiwan."
15. "The city passed a referendum outlawing fireworks within the city limits."
16. "He couldn't take the job handing out flyers on the street because he has too much dignity."
17. "The government enforces strict immigration laws. Only a few people can enter the country for temporary residency."
18. "The store manager was made into a scapegoat and blamed for the owner's mistakes."
19. "The traditions of the Dragon Boat festival are alien to me."
20. "He is shy because he does not speak English well. His shyness is understandable."
21. "He was arrested because his Passport was found to be fraudulent."
22. "She is a humble person who never talks about her awards or her success."
23. "It is a common courtesy to hold the door open for someone."
24. "In air combat, an air force is divided into squadrons consisting of three to eight jets each."
25. "She majors in Social Work because she has a lot of compassion for the poor."
26. "I will charge this expensive dress to my father's credit card."
27. "I can't believe what they charge for a hot dog at the movie theater!"
28. "There have been numerous complaints about the dirty library bathrooms."
29. "The welfare of the students is very important to the University."
30. "He is a native of Taichung."
31. "I can't go to class because I was selected for jury duty."
32. "My wife wants to become a citizen of the United States."
33. "Many older professors feel that students are by and large ingrates who don't appreciate the hard work of schoolteachers."
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Paper 5: Conceptual Metaphor
Paper 5: Conceptual Metaphor
Most people only think about metaphor when they think about literature. You can see the power of metaphor in a poem: “My love is a rose.” However, if we look at the language that we use everyday, we will notice that metaphor is very common, and in fact, metaphor affects the way that we think.
Here is an example of a metaphor in everyday English. If you are visiting a friend, and you need to leave, you might say, “I have to take off.” This is an airplane metaphor. You have to “fly” away from your friend’s house to somewhere else.
Metaphor can be even more important. If I say, “Taipei is the heart and soul of Taiwan,” I am using two metaphors to describe what Taipei’s relationship to Taiwan is. What does it mean to say that Taipei is the “heart” and the “soul” of Taiwan? How is that different from saying that Taipei is the “brain” of Taiwan?
For this paper, you will discuss a common metaphor in either English or Chinese or Taiwanese or Cantonese or Hakka (you will have to translate, of course). You will analyze how the metaphor affects the way people think. A famous example by Lakoff and Johnson is the metaphor, “Argument is war.” In American English, we say things like, “He destroyed my argument” or “I couldn’t defend myself against his argument.” How does that metaphor affect Americans? Because we see argument as a war, we see argument as something that we “win” or “lose;” we can’t look at an argument as a way of sharing ideas because two parties at war do not share: they only attack each other.
There are a number of ways to approach this paper. First, you can look at just one metaphor in one of the languages that you speak if you can write enough about just one metaphor. Second, you can look at a series of related metaphors to look at patterns. (For example, you could look at metaphors that compare people to food. Young people in Taiwan are sometimes called “strawberries,” for example. Are there similar “people=food” metaphors? What do they mean?) Third, you can analyze the conceptual metaphors in a work of popular media; you could look at a popular song or a television program.
Your introduction will name the metaphors that you want to discuss. Your thesis statement will briefly say what you think is special or important about these metaphors. In your body, you will talk about these metaphors, and you will prove that your ideas about them are correct. In the conclusion, you will discuss why it is important to be aware of how language affects the way that people think.
Most people only think about metaphor when they think about literature. You can see the power of metaphor in a poem: “My love is a rose.” However, if we look at the language that we use everyday, we will notice that metaphor is very common, and in fact, metaphor affects the way that we think.
Here is an example of a metaphor in everyday English. If you are visiting a friend, and you need to leave, you might say, “I have to take off.” This is an airplane metaphor. You have to “fly” away from your friend’s house to somewhere else.
Metaphor can be even more important. If I say, “Taipei is the heart and soul of Taiwan,” I am using two metaphors to describe what Taipei’s relationship to Taiwan is. What does it mean to say that Taipei is the “heart” and the “soul” of Taiwan? How is that different from saying that Taipei is the “brain” of Taiwan?
For this paper, you will discuss a common metaphor in either English or Chinese or Taiwanese or Cantonese or Hakka (you will have to translate, of course). You will analyze how the metaphor affects the way people think. A famous example by Lakoff and Johnson is the metaphor, “Argument is war.” In American English, we say things like, “He destroyed my argument” or “I couldn’t defend myself against his argument.” How does that metaphor affect Americans? Because we see argument as a war, we see argument as something that we “win” or “lose;” we can’t look at an argument as a way of sharing ideas because two parties at war do not share: they only attack each other.
There are a number of ways to approach this paper. First, you can look at just one metaphor in one of the languages that you speak if you can write enough about just one metaphor. Second, you can look at a series of related metaphors to look at patterns. (For example, you could look at metaphors that compare people to food. Young people in Taiwan are sometimes called “strawberries,” for example. Are there similar “people=food” metaphors? What do they mean?) Third, you can analyze the conceptual metaphors in a work of popular media; you could look at a popular song or a television program.
Your introduction will name the metaphors that you want to discuss. Your thesis statement will briefly say what you think is special or important about these metaphors. In your body, you will talk about these metaphors, and you will prove that your ideas about them are correct. In the conclusion, you will discuss why it is important to be aware of how language affects the way that people think.
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