Page 9: Retell

The woman

The author was at a seminar in Hong Kong and he met a woman who said that learning Chinese was quite difficult and she had worked solid for two years, and even then only had the basics.

The author

The author thought it didn’t have to be that way. He told the woman Chinese can be mastered by westerners more easily and effectively in just a few months actually. The woman didn’t believe him and look at him like he was slightly mad.  

Rather than getting into an argument with the woman, the author wrote this book.

The book

The book is about us, who can learn a new language more easily and faster than we ever thought possible. It’s also about the author, because it follows the journey that the author has taken to learn quite difficult languages– Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese. In the pages, the author shares his personal strategies and techniques that have worked for him, and other successful language learners.

The reason

He writes this book for one simple reason—He wants us to discover how to better use our natural language talent more effectively. After all, we are all language genius anyway because we came into the world with no words and grammar but we have mastered our mother tongue!

Our reason

If we read this book,we probably want to learn a new language. Maybe we are about to go to a new country to live or work. Maybe we are just interested in learning a second language, like me. Whatever our reason, we want to know how to do it with the greatest ease and the most fun.

Answer the questions:

1 Why does the author of “The third ear” say it’s easy to learn a new language?

We are a language genius because we came into the world with no words and grammar, but we have mastered our mother tongue.

2 Does the author have the same view as most other people?

The author doesn’t have the same views as most other people. In his opinion, he believes that a new language can be mastered in just few months and one can learn it more easily and effectively.

3 What are your view about how hard or easy it is to learn a foreign language?

 I think it’s a little bit difficult to learn a foreign language unless we have enough time to speak it and hear it a lot.

4 Why did the author decide to write “The third ear”

Because he wants to show people how to better use our natural language talent more effectively and share his personal strategies and techniques to help people learn a second language with the greatest ease and the most fun.

5 What happened at the seminar that the author attended?

He met a woman and she said that learning Chinese is really so difficult that she worked solid for 2 years and even then only had the basics.

6 What new ideas for you ,did you come across on this page?

The idea that we are a language genius inspired me a lot because I never thought it before.

7 Do you agree with the author’s reason for writing “The third ear”?If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes, I do, because the author is a successful language learner and he can share his personal strategies and techniques, which can totally help us master a second language more easily and effectively.