If you can listen past the thump, thump, thumping of the quasi-Jungle beat, and hear past the strained, decidedly uncouth tone and rapid-fire delivery of the brazen vocalization [I could never bring myself to call it “singing”], you –– and I –– could learn a great deal from this bizarre exhibition.
It’s obvious intent, of course, is to mock people like me who care a great deal about expanding awareness and making greater use of our marvelously rich and varied vocabulary while maintaing good grammar and promoting high standards of syntactical elegance and precision. Nevertheless, the information provided , however mockingly, is well worth our time. By all means take it in, and make it your own.
I disagree... I don't find it mocking. Music is a wonderful memory aid. If only all of our lessons had been set to music, we wouldn't have forgotten so may of them!
ReplyDeleteI rather enjoyed this little instructional musical video. I was reminded of things I studied and learned 50 years ago. Long since stopped consciously thinking about them.
ReplyDeleteGood point Thersites.
"It’s obvious intent..."
ReplyDeletedeliberate?
FT,
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this video mocks us grammarians at all.
On the contrary -- and I'll speak from personal experience and my extensive research in neurology.
I learned my phonetic sounds and multiplication tables via vinyl record. The same rhythms as that in this video were not the same as the rhythms on my records, but there was indeed a kind of rhythm, which, with visual clues on the cards that came with the record sets, forced the information to cross my brain's corpus callosum and store the information in my long-term memory. Crossing the midline is a very important part of all kinds of learning: both verbal and nonverbal.
I employ rhythms (and hand motions to the beat) when I teach certain lessons which have to be memorized -- for example, the list of linking verbs.
Thersites,
ReplyDeletePerhaps you can elaborate on my above comment. I know that you, too, are interested in "brain stuff."
I love speculating in the realm of neurophilosophy, AoW... but I'd probably put you all to sleep with my musings.
ReplyDeleteNeedless to say, it is my belief that the more "white matter" you have crossing the corpus callosum, the more ability your conscious/dominant hemisphere has to immediately "differentiate" and extract audio and visual data for comparison w/ engrams sequences stored in long term memory.
As is so often the case, my friend Emily speaks more clearly for me than I ever could for myself. I'm the implications pertaining to the way I feel about rest of the discussion will be obvious enough:
ReplyDeleteArcturus his other name,—
I ’d rather call him star!
It ’s so unkind of science
To go and interfere!
I pull a flower from the woods,—
A monster with a glass
Computes the stamens in a breath,
And has her in a class.
Whereas I took the butterfly
Aforetime in my hat,
He sits erect in cabinets,
The clover-bells forgot.
What once was heaven, is zenith now.
Where I proposed to go
When time’s brief masquerade was done,
Is mapped, and charted too!
What if the poles should frisk about
And stand upon their heads!
I hope I’m ready for the worst,
Whatever prank betides!
Perhaps the kingdom of Heaven’s changed!
I hope the children there
Won’t be new-fashioned when I come,
And laugh at me, and stare!
I hope the father in the skies
Will lift his little girl,—
Old-fashioned, naughty, everything,—
Over the stile of pearl!
~ Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Man is not material -- and certainly not mechanical. Man's essence is spiritual.
FT,
ReplyDeleteI would never say that man is material -- completely, anyway.
But physiology exists and has a significant impact, IMO.
Thersites,
ReplyDeleteYour musings wouldn't bore me, I'm sure.
I agree with the second paragraph of your comment @ July 17, 2014 at 3:53 PM.
In fact, this afternoon, I spent and intense hour working with a student who has some neurological deficits. In teaching Latin, I make every effort to force students to cross that corpus callosum, and I can see the difference with the crossing happens consistently.