tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Jun 03 21:09:20 2004

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Re: mu' lo' QaQ 'oSbogh mu'tlheghmey

David Trimboli ([email protected]) [KLI Member] [Hol po'wI']

From: <[email protected]>

> In a message dated 2004-06-03 7:27:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> [email protected] writes:
>
> > No one is going to learn
> > to speak the language if he is given phrases from experts.
>
> This is precisely how everyone learns his native language (considering any
> native speaker to be an expert).  This is how many, perhaps most, people
learn a
> second language.  Klingon should be no different.


If we had native Klingon speakers to pass on their knowledge to us, then
your suggestion of a proper usage list would be just fine.

We have no native Klingon speakers available to tell us what proper usage
is.

Kinda presents a problem.

Native speakers may be experts, but experts are not necessarily native
speakers.  I'm an expert, and I can tell you there's more about Klingon that
I don't know than I that which I do.  Klingon is not just any second
language.  In most second languages learned, there's a native speaker
available who can tell you when you get something wrong, even if it's
obscure or subtle.  We have no such resource in Klingon.  Learning Klingon
is not the same as learning another secondary language, unless you are
learning that secondary language in complete isolation from any native
speakers (in which case you are sure to get a lot of it wrong).

SuStel
Stardate 4424.8

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