Friday, July 4, 2025

Sharing on helping Chinese speakers learn English



Here is a short video I made, which elaborates on key differences between English and Chinese to help Chinese learners grasp them. By distinguishing these fundamental differences, the video may assist both Chinese learners of English and English learners of Chinese in understanding the nuances of these languages.

In my opinion, Chinese learners commonly make the following mistakes in English, which I've highlighted:

Verb Tenses: This is a significant area, stemming from the absence of tense in Chinese. Specific issues include:

  • Confusing the usage of the present perfect and past simple.

  • Incorrect application of future auxiliaries (e.g., "will").

  • Misusing the simple present tense for ongoing actions.

  • Difficulties with passive voice forms and conditional tenses.

Word Morphology (Word Forms): Due to Chinese being an isolating language (where words do not change form), common difficulties are noted with:

  • Correctly applying verb endings (e.g., "-s" for third-person singular, "-ed" for past tense, "-ing" for continuous forms).

  • Forming correct noun plurals (both regular and irregular).

  • Using correct adjective comparisons (e.g., "-er," "-est").

  • Properly using pronoun cases (e.g., distinguishing between "he" and "him").

Clarity, Conciseness, and Natural Flow: Many mistakes can be attributed to challenges in sentence structure, word choice, and overall flow, which hinder the achievement of more natural, idiomatic, and concise English expression. This includes:

  • Avoiding redundancy in phrasing.

  • Improving sentence structure for better readability.

  • Ensuring appropriate formality and professionalism in different contexts.

I have curated some learning materials for Chinese speakers learning English, including videos and relevant books.

Relevant YouTube videos

Must-know Chinese (Mandarin) Phrases to Learn in 1 Minute #ShortsLearning English - More STUDY TIPS For Chinese Speakers - YouTube

ENGLISH Tips for CHINESE Speakers

 

📘 Foundational Reading: Contrastive Grammar & Linguistics

Resource

Description

Chinese-English Contrastive Grammar: An Introduction

A practical guide to common ESL errors by Chinese learners, covering phonology, syntax, and pragmatics.

Contrastive Analysis of Chinese and English Syntax

A generative grammar approach to structural differences—great for academic framing.

Grammatical Contrastive Analysis of English and Chinese Basic Structures (UBC Thesis)

A classic thesis applying Lado’s contrastive method to predict learner difficulties.

🧠 Teaching Strategies & Pedagogical Insights

Resource

Description

How to Teach English to Chinese Speakers: 14 Effective Tips

Covers cultural context, pronunciation, grammar, and classroom strategies.

FluentU’s Guide to Teaching Chinese Students

Emphasizes rhythm, stress, and pronunciation challenges with actionable classroom activities.

Your Cheat Sheet for Teaching English to Chinese Students

A culturally sensitive guide with tips on rapport, classroom management, and learner psychology.

Teaching Strategies for Chinese Students in English-Speaking Countries (PDF)

Research-based insights into pedagogical mismatches and how to scaffold learning.

🗣️ Pronunciation & Speaking Tools

Tool

Use Case

Rachel’s English YouTube Channel

Clear explanations of American English sounds, stress, and intonation.

ELSA Speak

AI-powered pronunciation feedback tailored to non-native speakers.

Sounds of English (BBC)

Free, structured lessons on English phonemes and connected speech.

🧩 Interactive Learning Platforms

Platform

Features

Duolingo English for Chinese Speakers

Gamified learning with Chinese interface and scaffolded grammar.

HelloTalk

Language exchange app connecting Chinese and English speakers.

Quizlet

Flashcards and games for vocabulary and grammar drills.



Sunday, June 29, 2025

Challenges in AI-Assisted Programming

 


The Double-Edged Sword: Challenges in AI-Assisted Programming


In my practice with AI-enhanced programming, I am exploring the complexities and pitfalls of relying on AI for code generation in modern development. This paper briefly introduces my reflections about AI-enhanced programming.

AI in Coding: The Promise vs. The Reality

AI tools have revolutionized coding, promising unprecedented speed and efficiency by generating boilerplate code, suggesting functions, and even writing entire scripts. While these tools excel at repetitive tasks and common patterns, their application in complex or nuanced programming scenarios often introduces unforeseen challenges, particularly in understanding and debugging.

The Hidden Costs: Debugging AI-Generated Code

One of the most significant challenges with AI-generated code emerges when dealing with complex tasks. While the code might be syntactically correct, it can contain subtle logical flaws or fail to account for edge cases, making traditional debugging methods less effective. As I have done this week, developers may find themselves spending significant effort not just on fixing bugs, but on understanding *why* the AI made a particular decision, turning debugging into a complex detective hunt.

Beyond the Code: Quality, Context, and Skill Degradation

AI's impact extends beyond just functional correctness. Issues like non-idiomatic code, inconsistent coding styles, and a potential over-reliance on AI can affect overall project health and even developer skill sets.

The "Black Box" Problem:

AI-generated code, especially for complex algorithms, can sometimes feel like a black box. Understanding its internal logic and how it arrives at a solution is often opaque, making it difficult to optimize, secure, or troubleshoot when issues arise beyond simple syntax errors.

Lack of Nuance & Context:

AI models lack true understanding of project-specific architectural decisions, legacy code complexities, or implicit team conventions. This can lead to functionally correct but poorly integrated or inefficient code that requires significant human refactoring.

Code Quality & Consistency:

Maintaining a consistent coding style, adhering to best practices, and writing idiomatic code across a large project can be challenging with AI tools. Different prompts or iterations can produce varied styles, adding to technical debt.

Potential Skill Degradation:

Over-reliance on AI for routine coding tasks might lead to a degradation of fundamental programming and problem-solving skills among developers over time, making them less capable of truly understanding or fixing complex issues when AI falls short.


Navigating the Future: Strategies for Effective AI-Assisted Development

Based on the points I've gathered while practicing AI-enhanced programming, I believe that learning to code still requires independent thinking, along with a deep understanding and mastery of programming fundamentals, including logic, syntax, and the nuances of solving specific demands. While challenges exist, strategic integration of AI can still enhance productivity. The key lies in adopting best practices that prioritize human oversight and understanding.
Clear & Iterative Prompting:
Provide highly specific and detailed prompts. Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable chunks for AI generation, and iterate on prompts based on early outputs.
Human-in-the-Loop Review:
Treat AI-generated code as a first draft. Thoroughly review, refactor, and understand every line. Do not blindly accept AI outputs.

Robust Testing & Validation:

Implement comprehensive unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests for AI-generated code. Validate its behavior against requirements meticulously.

Maintain Foundational Skills:

Continue to hone core programming skills. A strong understanding of algorithms, data structures, and software architecture is essential to effectively guide AI and troubleshoot its outputs.









More thoughts about Copyright: Compliance and Utilization

 


Copyright: Compliance & Utilization


I curate this guide for creators and users on respecting and leveraging intellectual property. This guide will help in creating original works while ensuring compliance with copyright laws.


Complying with Copyright: Using Others' Content Legally

When using content created by others, it's crucial to ensure you have the legal right to do so. Unauthorized use can lead to infringement claims. Here are the primary ways to comply:

1. Obtain Express Permission/License:

The safest way is to directly ask the copyright holder for permission or to obtain a license (e.g., stock photo licenses, music licenses). This often involves a formal agreement or payment.

2. Understand Fair Use:

Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. It's determined by four factors:

  • Purpose and character of the use (transformative vs. commercial)
  • Nature of the copyrighted work (factual vs. creative)
  • Amount and substantiality of the portion used
  • Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work

*Fair use is a legal defense, not a right. It's assessed case-by-case and can be risky.*

3. Utilize Public Domain Content:

Works in the public domain are no longer protected by copyright and can be used freely by anyone. This typically includes:

  • Works with expired copyright (e.g., generally 70 years after author's death in the U.S.).
  • Works specifically dedicated to the public domain.
  • Certain U.S. government works.

4. Leverage Creative Commons (CC) Licenses:

CC licenses are standardized tools that allow creators to grant specific permissions for their work in advance. When you find a CC-licensed work, you can use it according to its specified terms (e.g., requiring attribution, allowing non-commercial use). Always check the specific CC license attached to the work.

Utilizing Your Copyright: Protecting & Sharing Your Own Work

As a creator, understanding how to utilize your copyright is essential for protecting your work and controlling how it's used.

1. Automatic Copyright Protection:

In the U.S., copyright protection is **automatic** the moment your original work is fixed in a tangible medium (e.g., written, recorded, saved on a computer). You don't need to register it or add a copyright notice for it to exist.

2. Copyright Notice (©):

While not legally required for protection, adding a copyright notice to your work is highly recommended. It serves as a public declaration of your claim and can deter infringement.

Format: © [Year of First Publication] [Your Name/Company Name]

3. Copyright Registration (U.S. Copyright Office):

Registering your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office is not mandatory but offers significant legal benefits and advantages for enforcement.

4. Sharing Your Work with Creative Commons (CC) Licenses:

If you want to share your work more broadly while retaining some control, you can apply a Creative Commons license. This tells the public precisely what permissions you grant (e.g., allowing reuse with attribution, or non-commercial use only). It operates *on top of* your underlying copyright.

The Morphological Maze: English vs. Chinese Word Forms

 


The Morphological Maze: English vs. Chinese Word Forms

Last week, I identified some difficulties for Chinese speakers learning English, and I believe this topic is worth elaborating on. I will develop more thoughts on this issue into content.

English utilizes complex morphology, meaning words change form (e.g., through suffixes or prefixes) to indicate grammatical function (e.g., plurals, verb conjugations, comparative adjectives). Chinese, however, is largely an isolating language, where words typically remain invariant regardless of their grammatical role. This absence of morphological inflection in Chinese makes English word forms particularly challenging for Chinese learners.

English Morphology Example:

  • Verb: walk, walks, walked, walking
  • Noun: cat, cats
  • Adjective: big, bigger, biggest

Chinese Invariance Example:

  • 走 (zǒu) - walk / walks / walked / walking (context determines)
  • 猫 (māo) - cat / cats (use measure words or context for plural)
  • 大 (dà) - big / bigger / biggest (use particles for comparison)

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Insights on Learning English as a Chinese Speaker



As a Chinese speaker, I have learned English for many years. However, like many Chinese learners, I find it very difficult to learn how to use English as native speakers do.

It's been a valuable experience to study and think about learning technology since joining the ISLT program. This summer, after more practice learning English, I have identified some specific reasons for the difficulties Chinese learners face.

In my opinion, the main reason Chinese speakers use "Chinglish" (a non-standard form of English) is primarily due to two fundamental differences between Chinese and English. First, English morphology is entirely different from Chinese. In the Chinese language, the same word can function as a verb, noun, or adjective. The rules for using different forms of a word to convey different meanings are completely unlike Chinese and are easily overlooked by Chinese learners. Second, English syntax, particularly the use of various tenses to describe activities across different times and procedures, is fundamentally different from Chinese. In Chinese, describing procedure and time involves directly using specific words, which does not alter the sentence structure. These two differences are deeply embedded in my speaking habits, thus easily leading to errors in English expressions.

I am very pleased to have discovered these issues this summer. I believe that when a problem can be described clearly and meaningfully, it is quite close to being completely solved.


Progress of programming practice2: data visualization




This week, I successfully used Python to draw stock prices in a diagram. Now, I can directly convert stock trade records into figures. The charts I draw in Python are simple, but they are quite flexible for expanding algorithms to support different data analysis models.


Although this was just a single, static figure, I have also learned the skills to visualize data for multiple stocks. For my next practice, I am considering creating a GUI for a dynamic stock price visualization system. 


Sharing on helping Chinese speakers learn English

Here is a short video I made, which elaborates on key differences between English and Chinese to help Chinese learners grasp them. By distin...