Hello, Smarties!

I have learned from the past about many things, including observing people's behaviour. So many times I see how differently people behave in regards to their ability of doing or learning something. Back in my home country and Australia during my study time, there are more smart people who can learn the lessons very quickly and yet they don't boast too much. They stay calm and silent most of the time until somebody comes to ask them the question. Then, from there we can tell that one is intelligent. However, there are also some smart people who love to show off their smartness too much, which in my point of view, is ridiculous. This type of people love to dominate in class discussion and very often use some so-called "high-level terms or words" when they speak. It happened so many times during my study at college and uni. However, most of us can cope with the 'high-level terms' what those boastful smarties use, since we were studying engineering and we just needed to read our book to understand those terms. So, it wasn't a big problem, at least for me. ;)

However, it works different way when you study foreign language. When one speaks with one's high-level vocabularies, it is hard for most of us to understand, unless we have previous study or a little knowledge about that foreign language what we are studying now. Reading books is not enough to know the thing what you need to know when you learn language. What I know in learning foreign language is that there are so many ways to express or say things. You can choose to say it in the simple way or in the more complicated way. However, unfortunately some people tend to say it into more complicated way and leave the rest of us in confusement since we don't get what they say --at least, that's what I have seen in my language class. This kinda people are not only love to say things in high-level words, but also love to show off that they are able to speak or understand the language more. Certain people might become down and loose their self-confidence in studying the new language just because of those 'oh-so-intelligent' smarties showing off their 'high-level' skills. People are different, and it also affects on the ability to absorb the new things. Some people are blessed with genius brain that makes them faster and easier to understand the new things, but most people are just average or even below average that it takes time for them to learn the new things.

In learning a new language, discussion and conversation are important since it helps students to be able to speak the language. However, how can one improve one's speaking ability if those smarties are so dominating in discussion and conversation and leave almost no space or chance for others to try their best to speak?! Some people need to be given more chance to speak no matters how less fluent they speak, since it will improve their speaking ability that they can speak better and better. So, it's just not good if those smarties talk too much in the class. They should understand that others need to speak more, especially if they are not fluent yet in speaking.

Another thing that I can't understand is that certain students, though they realize that they are not fluent yet in speaking the new language and they also know that they barely have the chance to practice their language skill anywhwerelse, but at the school, still they do not want to use every little chance they have to practice the language. This type of students always speak in another language that they understand most, even without willing to try to speak the new language just because not dare enough to make mistakes in speaking or they might be just afraid of what other people think about their skill when they speak. However, what's the point of one to come to class and study everyday and night if one ends up not using the words that he/she has studied at all anywherelse, but only in the classroom during the lesson? The break time is the best chance to practice the speaking skill with other students. Actually the best way is to speak to the student who doesn't speak your language, but understand the new language as we have been studying it together. You may also speak to other students who understand the language you are speaking, but say it in the language that you are studying now. Don't bother what they might think of you, whether you are making a spelling mistake or pronounciation mistake or whatever mistake! Don't be afraid of making mistake! Anyway, we're all coming to the class because we want to study, and in learning process one can't avoid in making mistakes. Even those smarties are still making mistakes, though they seems so smart enough not to make mistake. For if you don't use the chance at all, you can't expect that you're progressing on learning the language and for sure, it brings disbenefit for you, too if you are not progressing on speaking the language. You might be able to write or understand the written things, but if you can't speak, what's the benefit for you, then, since if you want to get a job, you must be able more to speak than to write. Moreover, you can't interact with the native people in daily life if you can only write, but can't speak. Therefore, go and speak what you have learned with others who are willing to speak with you if you have no chance to speak it anywherelse but in the classroom only during the lesson, for your own sakes!