Done working on the paper for the evening, so may as well indulge a bit...
Kimpatsu wrote:I'm not entrenched in my position;
Oh. Maybe it's just me.
if you can show proper statistical evidence with a funnel plot that your method of "suck it and see"
I'm obviously missing out on something that's going through your head in this discussion.
is truly more effective than my already-proven method of hard work and effort, with a reasonably-sized cohort for both your trial and control groups, then I'll listen.
So far, I'm the only one of us who has produced scholarship of any type in this exchange.
Making unreasonable and excessive demands of evidence from others while providing none yourself...????
Until then, I'll stick to recommending what I KNOW works.
Which is exactly what I'm doing.
Snark aside for a moment, the methods you ascribe to are very successful in producing skilled translators of written materials, which, I gather, you are. In Korea's and Japan's early days of modernization, there were few Westerners in residence in those countries. Their main sources of scientific and technical information was from the written media of textbooks and journals. Therefore, they quite rightfully adopted the Grammar-Translation Method to address their needs. As long as nothing more than translating written materials is the target skill, that method is appropriate. However, my students need oral communication skills. Most of the larger corporations that hire them after graduation are requiring TOEIC Speaking and OPIC test scores as part of their selection process. As the world becomes more globalized and mobile, productive language skills are increasing in demand. The Natural Approach and Second Language Acquisition Theory are better suited for the skills my students require. When I do teach translation and writing classes, I revert to the Grammar-Translation Method, with the added nuance of Comparative Grammar/Syntax, etc.
So, for me, it's just a matter of choosing the better tool for the job. What you're after is quite different from what my students need/demand, so it's hardly surprising that different tools, methods and approaches are appropriate for each of us. If I've given you the impression that I disrespect or disregard your individual accomplishments, it's almost certainly due to my flawed representation of my position.
Nice talking to you, too. BTW; is that a crown or a tiara you're wearing?
Tiara. It was forced upon me. As were the overalls and sleeveless plaid shirt.
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken
"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."
"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."