Yesterday I had met with Ivan Yin, my conversation partner from Taiwan. We met up at Chili's upon my request, as I had been thoroughly famished. We began by asking if he was hungry and he explained he made himself a large bowl of fried rice, so he just watched me eat the entire time ha. At any rate, what he lacked in physical food we more than made up for in sustenance for the mind as I had asked him many questions regarding his time here and his studies. Ivan seems to be very enthusiastic about polishing his English, however, I had wondered why it wasn't as fluent as his two years of being here would've suggested. I found out that he spends most of his time speaking in Chinese, be it with his family or friends, even here at the university. Much of our conversation, when it had reached more abstract and nuanced points, required his looking up the definitions of words in an English to Chinese dictionary. I noted to myself that perhaps the best method for improving upon one's second language would be to start thinking in that language. I didn't note that to him but I am thinking that for our next meeting we shall focus on activities that stress his depth of knowledge regarding vocabulary.
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