Over the past decade, I have been trying to learn and use proper English as much as I can. I studied a lot the English grammar, and the more I studied, the more I discovered my deficiency. Until I explored the world of Spanish, then my English improved as well. Now I’m running the Language Clinic to supposedly cure students’ linguistic deficiency. Am I qualified for that?
I realize that there is no such thing as perfect English. Whose English is perfect? Queen Elizabeth? The President of the United State? Or the native speakers? Who is the native speaker of English? The British? The American? Or the Australian?
When I say this piece of English writing is perfect, which is to say, that piece of writing pleases me; it pleases all my senses until I choose to fall for it. On the other hand, when I don’t like a certain piece of writing, it doesn’t necessarily mean the language used is not perfect. It just fails to stimulate my receptors hence no signals are sent to my brain and therefore no liking takes place. No liking means it is not perfect for me, right?
Same theory goes with a perfect friend, he or she must be someone compatible with you and when you go out with this friend, you feel comfortable, so this friend is perfect; a perfect boyfriend, he must be someone who knows how to please you in many ways, and to him, you are never wrong; a perfect teacher must be someone whose teaching methodology matches your learning style, who gives you A, free chocolates and no homework; a perfect son must be very filial, he does everything you want him to be, he only obeys, he never disobeys.
It is absolutely impossible and silly to please everybody. I’m not a perfect son, neither a perfect boyfriend nor a perfect teacher. My English is not perfect either; I go with the style I like. I’m not perfect and I am not trying to feign like one.
I realize that there is no such thing as perfect English. Whose English is perfect? Queen Elizabeth? The President of the United State? Or the native speakers? Who is the native speaker of English? The British? The American? Or the Australian?
When I say this piece of English writing is perfect, which is to say, that piece of writing pleases me; it pleases all my senses until I choose to fall for it. On the other hand, when I don’t like a certain piece of writing, it doesn’t necessarily mean the language used is not perfect. It just fails to stimulate my receptors hence no signals are sent to my brain and therefore no liking takes place. No liking means it is not perfect for me, right?
Same theory goes with a perfect friend, he or she must be someone compatible with you and when you go out with this friend, you feel comfortable, so this friend is perfect; a perfect boyfriend, he must be someone who knows how to please you in many ways, and to him, you are never wrong; a perfect teacher must be someone whose teaching methodology matches your learning style, who gives you A, free chocolates and no homework; a perfect son must be very filial, he does everything you want him to be, he only obeys, he never disobeys.
It is absolutely impossible and silly to please everybody. I’m not a perfect son, neither a perfect boyfriend nor a perfect teacher. My English is not perfect either; I go with the style I like. I’m not perfect and I am not trying to feign like one.
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