site banner
PaperclipPerfector  5mo ago (text post)   3191 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for December 8, 2023

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

2
Top Bottom Old Controversial Comments
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

How would you start learning Chinese? Has anyone here done it? I'll probably take a class, but I'd also like some digital tools for self-guided learning.

I downloaded Duolingo and, hoo-boy, has that app gone downhill. It's essentially impossible to use without paying for premium version now. Even when they're not shoving ads down your throat, the animations and interstitials are over-the-top annoying.

Duolingo sucks, I've been told by a relative who went from zero to reading difficult Italian literature in two years of self-study. (I'm not sure what's better, he says it lacks context and that there are better apps)

How would you start learning Chinese? Has anyone here done it?

I wouldn't. It's their planet, if they want to run it, the least they can do is learn some native languages.

Obligatory admonition from 4chan on why you shouldn't learn Mandarin for professional reasons.

While I generally frown on 4chan texts other than art, this one is too full of little details and too well-written to be just a psyop. Someone's sincere regrets and desperation. Entire thread.

I don't think Duolingo sucks. It's fine for what it is. It keeps you on track to get through the first few months of learning a language which are the hardest and most boring part and the period where you're most likely to quit. You're never going to learn to speak a language fluently with Duolingo but it will take you from zero to reading children's books in a couple of months and from there you can bootstrap up to harder stuff. I finished the German tree and didn't really pursue it beyond that but it was enough to order food or ask directions in Germany, which was fine for the low amount of effort it took. Then I did the Spanish tree and continued studying on my own after I finished to the point where I can listen to audio books or watch the news without much trouble.

So if you go into it with the expectation that it's going to make you fluent with no other resources then you'll be disappointed but if you use it as a starting point you'll probably be reasonably happy with it.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


New post guidelines

If you're posting something that isn't related to the culture war, we encourage you to post a thread for it. A submission statement is highly appreciated, but isn't necessary for text posts or links to largely-text posts such as blogs or news articles; if we're unsure of the value of your post, we might remove it until you add a submission statement. A submission statement is required for non-text sources (videos, podcasts, images).

Culture war posts go in the culture war thread; all links must either include a submission statement or significant commentary. Bare links without those will be removed.

If in doubt, please post it!


Rules


Recommended Posts And Communities

Recommended Realtime Chats