who is absolutely sick of english? (1 Viewer)

[Morgues]

ummm...your all comparing apples and oranges

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by spice girl
Hehehe...Mercury's also right

I use english to communicate with non-mathematicians, and there's an awful lot of these around. I use english to communicate with mathematicians, because maths is inappropriate for normal communication. In fact I use english to communicate, because that's it's main purpose of existence.

Whereas maths serves another purpose. I dun need to go thru all this again.

It's really funny how my english teachers always seems to be at war with my maths teachers. Soon, my principal says that they'll be in opposite rooms of the same building, which would be interesting!

I know, why can't those two faculties just get along? Both subjects are important.

I have nothing against maths, I quite enjoy it at times (but I'm not exactly that good at it either ). I just don't like it when someone goes on about how unpractical it is.

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by Morgues
ummm...your all comparing apples and oranges

I'm not saying either is better or more useful, rather I am just saying to "english-haters" that english is just as important and practical as maths...

Oh, I like apples better

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by Bon

Heh. I don't think complex numbers are literal, they're imaginary numbers. Why do you assume that I don't enjoy reading science fiction or other books for that matter ? That is not *english* as such as we are taught at school. Instead of appreciating the ideas put forth by the book, we are burdened with this bullshit of technique and HOW it creates meaning. Who really cares ? That's going to get you places in the real world ? You're going to sit down and think about all the techniques you know when you write somthing, evaluate the effectiveness of each one on how it creates meaning, then purposely use techniques to put across a message ? You've got to be joking.

All subjects have aspects of them that aren't as practical as others. You get taught alot of things so you have your options open when you choose your career path. Will I ever use calculas for everyday life no! Only if you chose a career that is mathematics are physics based will you need to know it. The same goes for the techniques in english, you need them if you get into journalism and media and communications.

Originally posted by Bon
You've gone off topic, we were discussing english as it is taught in school. Despite that, I don't think any of us said communicating was not important. English is just ONE medium we use. Do you not use eye contact to communicate with someone ? Do you not use body singals, handgestures, expressions on your face, etc ? They are all different mediums for communicating, english is just one of the many we use. Do you think it's also a coincidence most IQ tests are heavily mathematically based ?

Eye contact, body signals, hand gestures and facial expressions are all part of english, believe it or not. This is especially true when you discuss in class and have debates and speeches etc.

Originally posted by Bon
haha, a narrow mind is needed for mathematics ? Puh-lease, you're contracdicting yourself again, name calling! If a narrow mind is needed for mathematics, do you think you could program a forum like the one we're posting on ? You're using software created by narrow-minded individuals, so I can deduce that you're narrow-minded too, can I not ?

When you programme software you don't really need to be open-minded to program. When you design the actual graphical user interface you probable need to be at least a bit.

Originally posted by Bon
The smartest people I know. When I say smartest, I mean the people who I have the best debates with and the deepest conversations with, are people who do 4u or 3u math/physics/SDD. I don't know any smart person who is comparatively good at english like they are at mathematics.

Thats a rather weak argument, cos its based on PERSONAL experience. The people that I have the "best debates and deepest conversations" with tend to be people who do english, arts and humanities subjects. But thats not to say that there are plenty of people who do science and maths who have the same sorta conversations. But for the most part people in my school who don't do well in English and choose math and science based subjects tend not to articulate themselves that well and don't know much about current events, politics, science and art.

 

[spice girl]

Originally posted by MoonlightSonata

"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."

English is not the only manifestation of "imagination". Nor is mathematics a field of pure knowledge. Those who are successful in mathematics or science have imagination and innovation when they carry out their research.

The flaw in this argument is that either a)you've automatically equated english with imagination, and maths with knowledge, or b) your quote is irrelevant.

 

[Morgues]

Originally posted by MoonlightSonata
Exactly merc.

And just for the record, I go to a selective school and came first in the SDD accelerated course, 2nd overall if you include the year 12s above me

SDD requires you to bullshit so much its almost english

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by spice girl


English is not the only manifestation of "imagination". Nor is mathematics a field of pure knowledge. Those who are successful in mathematics or science have imagination and innovation when they carry out their research.

The flaw in this argument is that either a)you've automatically equated english with imagination, and maths with knowledge, or b) your quote is irrelevant.

i have to say, while english is more imaginative and less knowledge and maths is vice versa, you are correct. The best mathematicians, scientists, artists etc. use both to their advantage

 

[Minai]

Originally posted by Dumbarse

just face the facts u english losers, your only good at it cause u suck at maths.. english is reading and writing, end of story.

if u want to argue, argue intelligently
your comments are just the same as me saying u are a maths loser, your only good at it cause u suck at english.. maths is calculations and writing, end of story.

anyway this topic is pointless since, as Morgues said, your comparing apples and oranges
mathematics is a completely different language to english, and is used for different purposes, yet they both share the same objective - to communicate and inform. I dont suppose you've ever tried to solve a harder mechanics question by writing a feature article? and conversely, I'd never answer a question such as "what is your idea of change" by mathematical induction.
The fact of the matter is that both are languages that make communication easier FOR THEIR GIVEN PURPOSE, so it's irrelevant to suggest that one is better than the other - they are of equal importance, and their effectivness in application depends on the given situation. The genius of Galileo is that he used his creative mind to propose that, eg, objects travel in a projectile path in an inertial frame of reference - he used mathematics to prove his proposals, and the english language to publish/communicate his newfound laws to the rest of the world. What if Galileo just published a book filled with mathematical calculations with no explaination as to what he was doing? at the same token, what if he publish a book communicating his laws with no mathematical evidence?
I think its fair to say (in my opinion) that both maths and english are required in tandem in a modern day world, just like u need both males and females...and together, they work in..err..simple harmonic motion together

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by Bon


Well done.

I currently 2nd in sdd and accelerated a course last which I came first in, your point ? What was your actual HSC mark ?

'When you programme software you don't really need to be open-minded to program. When you design the actual graphical user interface you probable need to be at least a bit.'

It's obvious you have no idea of programming.

Please explain why you need to be open-minded.

And while your at it rebut everything else I had to say, and not just a select snippet.

 

[Fradam]

*another 4U Eng student ventures into this thread*

Originally posted by wogboy
Imagine there was a huge war between the math and english students, what would happen? The math students would be using projectile motion knowledge to fire missiles @ the english students and english students would be defending themselves with poetry?? Maths rulz all the way.

Just throwing this over to you wogboy as an idea - that the pen is mightier than the sword.

 

[Minai]

Originally posted by Bon


Very good point, I agree with you MinAi. My only problem is, that it was Galileo =D

Ah damn, thats right..ill ammend that

 

[spice girl]

Originally posted by mercurydrinker
Please explain why you need to be open-minded.

I know this is irrelevant, but you need to be open minded because you need to consider every case, one for each (or each type) of values your program will pass into each function.

It's called debugging.

 

[spice girl]

Originally posted by Fradam
*another 4U Eng student ventures into this thread*
Just throwing this over to you wogboy as an idea - that the pen is mightier than the sword.

I agree...i can't solve very maths questions without writing it onto paper...

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by Bon

Goes back to my point, you think people sit down and think about all the techniques they know and evaluate each one to use in a particular situation ?

I believe it would be more closlely linked to pyschology, human behaviour, some branch of science. =D

True. Current events and politics are mainly boring. I do business studies, do you think it's ironic I got a lower mark in that subject which is much easier than physics, even when I find physics harder ?

If you do journalism and media and communications for instance you would have to understand linguistic techniques and their effectivessness and their uses. This is because you're writing things like feature articles, columns, newspaper articles etc. and in order to be persuasive (or whatever purpose you are trying to achieve) you need a firm understanding of the techniques.

It doesn't matter if its more closely linked (in your opinion) to psychology, its still an integral part of english.

That's very subjective, but wouldn't you say that Politics and Current events are topics of "deep conversations" and debates (e.g. whether or not to strike Iraq, september 11, third world debt etc. etc.)? you are using personal experience again, I can argue that MOST people in my school failed the latest physics exam and that they find business quite easy (which is true)

I won't argue about whether programming is an open-minded task, not really my area of knowledge.

 

[spice girl]

What pisses me off sometimes is that it diverges into different fields in english (2unit anyways):

For change, you have to make up something philosophical.

For transformations, you need to study history

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by spice girl
What pisses me off sometimes is that it diverges into different fields in english (2unit anyways):

For change, you have to make up something philosophical.

For transformations, you need to study history

I actually find that sorta thing quite enjoyable and interesting, it sorta expands the subject in to other areas. But thats just me.

But I do have to say, English is far more enjoyable and interesting (despite the immense work load) than it was in years 7-10.

 

[Dumbarse]

can u get off our maths thread thermometer drinker, everyones sick of your pathetic debating and argumental skills, just face it u suck

 

[mercurydrinker]

Originally posted by Dumbarse
can u get off our maths thread thermometer drinker, everyones sick of your pathetic debating and argumental skills, just face it u suck

Is that the best you can do? Personal attacks?

It's not your godamn thread, I can post whereever I please, and it was a topic that interested me, so I posted. It also helped me realise that some people are just stubbornly closed-minded about English.

 

[spice girl]

Originally posted by Dumbarse
can u get off our maths thread thermometer drinker, everyones sick of your pathetic debating and argumental skills, just face it u suck

What a professional example of excellent debating and argument skills you've demonstrated here!

 

[Dumbarse]

why thank u spice girl,
i dedicate my victory to bored of studies, god, my parents, peers and of course thermometer drinker and moonhead