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On Tue, 13 Jul 1999 18:01:45 GMT, mattdm@mattdm.org (Matthew Miller)
wrote:
> Luckily human beings are very good at that. In fact, the rules seem to be
> mostly descriptive -- we naturally say things a certain way, and then
> retroactively we look and say, "ok, that's the right way to say it because
> of such-and-such-rule". Human minds are good at language -- the behavior
> operates at a subconscious level and we don't have to think about the rules
> to form a sentence. We just do it, and then if we want figure out the rules
> as an academic exercise.
*shake* not quite true.
HAve you ever learned a language foreign to you? I'v ebeen lucky
enough to learn English as virtually a second mother language (early
start, mostly), but I've also learnt French, German, Latin and ancient
Greek (to varying degrees). Exceptions to the rules are _not_ easily
picked up on if you learn a language after age 6-8 or so at the
latest.
Believe me, I know. And I also know several friends who have no
trouble at all with French and German, but have actually failed years
solely on English.
Jasper
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Perl rules!
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| (...) Luckily human beings are very good at that. In fact, the rules seem to be mostly descriptive -- we naturally say things a certain way, and then retroactively we look and say, "ok, that's the right way to say it because of such-and-such-rule". (...) (25 years ago, 13-Jul-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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