Anyone interested in sharing reading experience?

A.Jiang

Hey, guys, how is everyone doing?
It’s my first post here in this English section and this forum.
I’m glad to be here and get to know you guys.
To be here is to have a sense of belonging.
And to know your guys, I’m sure, is the starting point of a special and lasting bond.

I see there are a lot of articles that are quoted rather than written by ourselves.
I’m not opposed to sharing good articles.
But I believe we need some creative writings, too.
Maybe some of us can set up some kind of reading club.
We don’t have to meet in person to discuss about what we’re currently reading.
Online posting will suffice.
Just write an outline of the book you’re reading/the movie you’re watching/the music you’re listening or whatever, and write down your thoughts IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
Yeah, say it in your own words. You can research about the subject in order to inspire your writing, but do express your own point of view in your own words. That’s the whole point.
This is going to be like book reports you wrote in college, only this is not mandatory.
You have all the freedom at your fingertips and the imagination to excel.
I’m wondering if anyone is interested in doing this together.

By the way, I'm reading Lin Yutang’s The Vermilion Gate (Chinese title: Zhu Men) these days. I have finished 200 pages, almost halfway through. Maybe I can start with this one.

Guys, what do you say?

[ 本帖最后由 A.Jiang 于 2009-10-7 23:24 编辑 ]

cynicbull

Ding, guli ni de "sharing"

769720101

Surprised at so proficient  your English is,I cannot help wondering that you write this article by yourself you just copy it from somewhere.Because it will be beyond my wildest imagination if  it is written by a Chinese.

Whatever,I'm reading a book named The 48 laws of Power.It just started several days ago.
So what do u say?

cynicbull

Anyway, when I read your msg, I can make sure that is written by non-native English speaker. There are so many Chinglish expressions.... lol  

原帖由 769720101 于 2009-10-10 15:07 发表
Surprised at so proficient  your English is,I cannot help wondering that you write this article by yourself you just copy it from somewhere.Because it will be beyond my wildest imagination if  it is w ...

A.Jiang

Finally there are responses to my post!
Thank you!
I was starting to feel worried that I was only embarrassing myself by making such a proposal.
I know quite often, we're easily intimidated by the seemingly arduous work of thinking and writing.
I think there are also people not feeling confident about writing in English, even if they want to.
Plus this is definitely time-consuming, both in the reading and the writing part.
But I really want more of you to join in.
Take this as a practice and a way to improve English. That’s what I think it really is.
Don’t worry too much about your English. It’ll get better and better in the process.
However, be sure to check if you’re making careless mistakes by looking up in a dictionary or googling.

It’s really a compliment to me that you said I might be a native English speaker.
While I may have better command of English than some people, I definitely still have much to learn.
The truth is, writing like this is no easy task for me.
I have to think very carefully about the sentences and word choices and consult dictionaries very often.
It takes time but I enjoy it.

I never heard the book you mentioned, The 48 laws of Power.
What’s in it? Is it about exerting influence on other people in the business world?
I can google it, but I prefer you tell me (and other possible viewers) about it. : )
So, come on.

[ 本帖最后由 A.Jiang 于 2009-10-11 09:01 编辑 ]

pol168168168

Months ago, I read the book "AUDACITY OF HOPE" written by the US President, BARACK OBAMA. President Obama shares his view in politics in the book.
Two years ago, I read the book "TUESDAY WITH MORRIE". The author wrote about his visiting to his former sociology professor who was dying. Through his visiting to the professor, the author gives me a sense about the value of my life, family, etc.
I know there is still a long way for me to learn English. Hopefully, I will gain great experience with you guys

[ 本帖最后由 pol168168168 于 2009-10-14 12:26 编辑 ]

A.Jiang

Keep reading and practicing and we'll improve along the way.
Tuesday with Morrie is such a bestseller. It says on Wikipedia that more than 11 million copies has been printed worldwide. I haven't  read it. But it should be a book that would interest me. I've already download a pdf version from eMule. Hopefully I can get back to you and talk about this book very soon.

[ 本帖最后由 A.Jiang 于 2009-10-11 23:58 编辑 ]

pol168168168

I grew up in China, and i'm really interested in the Chinese recent history.
However there was no class in Chinese recent history when I studied at school.
I got to know the Cultural Revolution, Great Leap Forward, Tiananmen Crackdown from the English articles.
Is the communist dirty?
Did the Chinese suffer enough? What's more coming?
Can anyone give me an insight of the CCP?
Is the Vermilion Gate a book about a family story of communist China?
A Jiang, can you write a conclusion after you finished the book?

[ 本帖最后由 pol168168168 于 2009-10-18 14:29 编辑 ]

A.Jiang

I think we do have history lessons in school.
And they pretty much give us a sketch of China’s modern and contemporary history.
Only…maybe something is left untold, or truth told slant.
But still there are other sources of information.
And you can manage to piece together what it was really like decades ago.
You’re right about one thing though.
We can learn certain facts unavailable in Chinese via the English media (mostly on the Internet).
For example, you can read this piece of news.
It’s what our government chooses not to tell us.
Fairly speaking, we enjoy more freedom of information and speech than our fathers and grandfathers.
But the reality is far from satisfying.
China still needs to progress in spite of today’s achievement.
I believe in the long run, problems concealed will be discovered, only more to the dismay of those responsible;
just like emotions repressed will come out, only in a more explosive way.
Those in authority should learn this and be careful in their decision-making.
Hopefully, China will improve without much disturbance.
When disturbance does happen, it’s our people who will suffer.

I have been writing about the first half of Vermillion Gate.
I'll share with you in a few days.
The story setting of the novel is in Xi'an in the 1930s.
So it's not about things of "Communist China".

[ 本帖最后由 A.Jiang 于 2009-10-13 08:17 编辑 ]

pol168168168

A.Jiang, are you  English as Second Language or English as Native Language?
Not too much Chinese are able to write the English posts like yours.
If you are English as Second Language, you are an outstanding person in English.
If you are English as Natvie Language, you may not understand that it is a hard thing for most Chinese to study English.
First, from elementary to high school(except some special schools) in China, students don't have any practice in writing English essays.
Secondly, unlike the Spanish or French, structure of the Chinese words is very different from the English words in which harden us to spell correctly.
Third, Chinese students don't have an English environment to impove thire listening, spoken English etc.
So don't suprise if people don't understand what you talk about in English

[ 本帖最后由 pol168168168 于 2009-10-14 00:53 编辑 ]