Ryota's Old Daybook: Language Arts & Basic English
2005/03/30
Basic 850: An Online Wordbook
| I have made a new page:Basic 850: An Online Wordbook. It is for accounts and examples of Basic words. ¶ 21:41
2005/03/29
Weblog IN Education
You may say that there are a great number of weblogs, or online daybooks with bookmarks, by learners and teachers, already.
I will say, "Yes. I myself have made one, and there are others." Most of them, however, seem to be ON or ABOUT learning or teaching. Weblogs have power to do more. You may send notes and pictures to be put on a weblog, and they may be sent from your pocket-size telephone. You may put your questions and opinions on your friend's weblog. It is possible for a group of learners to make and keep one weblog. And, after all, it is simpler than the old ways of making and keeping online pages.
Outside of Japan, there are a number of teachers, or network of teachers, exchanging news and opinions about using weblogs in education. I will give some examples:
This is IT!
¶ 22:52
| Network journey has given me an idea that it will be good if we make use of blogs, or weblogs, in education.
You may say that there are a great number of weblogs, or online daybooks with bookmarks, by learners and teachers, already.
I will say, "Yes. I myself have made one, and there are others." Most of them, however, seem to be ON or ABOUT learning or teaching. Weblogs have power to do more. You may send notes and pictures to be put on a weblog, and they may be sent from your pocket-size telephone. You may put your questions and opinions on your friend's weblog. It is possible for a group of learners to make and keep one weblog. And, after all, it is simpler than the old ways of making and keeping online pages.
Outside of Japan, there are a number of teachers, or network of teachers, exchanging news and opinions about using weblogs in education. I will give some examples:
Educational Bloggers Network: <www.ebn.weblogger.com>
SchoolBlogs: <www.schoolblogs.com>
Weblogg-Ed: <www.weblogg-ed.com>
SchoolBlogs: <www.schoolblogs.com>
Weblogg-Ed: <www.weblogg-ed.com>
This is IT!
¶ 22:52
2005/03/28
Looking Back: The GDM Meeting
| The meeting of GDM teachers in Kyoto was great. 21 Japanese teachers of English language took part. Some were from towns round Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Kobe. One was from Okinawa. 14 of them, one by one, gave talks or examples of hands-on training. One of the talks was on language teaching based on Rudolf Steiner's education theory. In addition to that, we happily had discussion and saw recorded motion pictures of work times at middle schools. ¶ 22:50
2005/03/27
Back from Kyoto
Saturday morning was the start of my journey. Snow was falling from the gray sky. Kyoto was in the warm weather, with small flowers like pink and white stars among the trees in the great garden made for the ruler of Japan long time back.
Sunday in Kyoto was another warm day, with soft light coming through the white sky.
Itis [was] raining in Fukushima.
¶ 23:48
| Now I'm back in my living place in the northeast of Japan.
Saturday morning was the start of my journey. Snow was falling from the gray sky. Kyoto was in the warm weather, with small flowers like pink and white stars among the trees in the great garden made for the ruler of Japan long time back.
Sunday in Kyoto was another warm day, with soft light coming through the white sky.
It
2005/03/26
I'm in Kyoto
The picture is one from the hotel's online pages. ¶ 05:44
| After [a] four-hour journey on the special train, I came to Kyoto, and had a good time joining teachers who are working on GDM. Hands-on experience of GDM teaching, talks, and heated discussion made hours go quickly. We'll have talks and discussion, again, tomorrow.
The picture is one from the hotel's online pages. ¶ 05:44
2005/03/25
Going to Kyoto
¶ 13:00
| Today I'm going to take a special train for Kyoto. I'll be at the GDM meeting there. I have a regret to say that I don't have much time for writing now. Let me go offline for a while.
¶ 13:00
2005/03/24
Basic English: International Second Language
| I said that some parts of the book Basic English were in Basic. But it came to me, when I was going over Mr. Bauer's pages, that most of the second and the third divisions of the book are in Basic. So you may have a good time reading them, seeing examples and getting the necessary knowledge of Ogden's designed language. ¶ 00:39
2005/03/23
Bookmarking This Daybook
If you have a desire to put a bookmark to one certain page, firt get the book on the side-bar. If you have come here, for example, through the linke "Bookmarking This Daybook" on the right side space of my Daybook, you will see, in the window over the page, the sign like this: <http://ryotasan.blogspot.com/2005/03/bookmarking-this-daybook.html>. That's the "permalink" or "permanent link" which will give a direction to this same writing for a very long time in the future. If you put a bookmark to that, you will be able to get here, always [all the time]. ¶ 04:54
| If you are going to put a bookmark, or make a link, to this Daybook, please take note that a new writing may be put at the top almost every day, and that the older writings go down. That's the way this sort of online daybook goes. You may always see something different every day if you get here through the bookmark <http://ryotasan.blogspot.com/>.
If you have a desire to put a bookmark to one certain page, firt get the book on the side-bar. If you have come here, for example, through the linke "Bookmarking This Daybook" on the right side space of my Daybook, you will see, in the window over the page, the sign like this: <http://ryotasan.blogspot.com/2005/03/bookmarking-this-daybook.html>. That's the "permalink" or "permanent link" which will give a direction to this same writing for a very long time in the future. If you put a bookmark to that, you will be able to get here, always [all the time]. ¶ 04:54
2005/03/21
Basic English Writers' Japanese-English Wordbook
One great reason of this trouble is our jisho: wordbooks. Let me give you an example from my teaching experience. I have some Japanese friends who have the power of writing good English. When they do their writing without looking at wordbooks and using simple words only, they give out good writings. When they have, however, a Japanese-English wordbooks by themselves, and they make use of them, then their English [writings] quickly go strange.
Most of Japanese-English wordbooks in print were in fact made by the Japanese. Though they are expert university teachers, they made those books with almost no help from mother-tongue users. Most of the examples in the books are not truly examples used in international talks and writings, because getting true examples from outside of Japan takes away too much money and time and it is not a good business for the book company.
So what is a good Japanese-English wordbook made by someone whose first language was English, helped by a group of Japanese?
Frank James Daniels, an Englishman whose birth was in 1899, came to Japan in 1928. Basic English was made public by Ogden in 1930, and Daniels sent a letter of request for Ogden's approval that he would make a Japanese-English wordbook which had all of the examples in Basic. He got married with a Japanese woman, went back to England in 1932, did some work with Ogden, gave teachings on Japanese at University of London, and had a talk with I. A. Richards.
Daniels came back to Japan in 1933 to be a teacher at Otaru College of Commerce. After teaching there for three years, he kept on making the wordbook for three years. And then, because he was in need of money, he became a teacher at Shizuoka Higher School. He went away from Japan in 1941 because of the War, and did some work with Richards at Harvard University. At that time 85% of the wordbook was made, but it took ten years more to make the book complete.
When Japan and Britain were at war, Daniels was a head teacher of Japanese language in the British armed forces. He kept on training Japanese language teachers after the War, and became an expert teacher at University of London in 1961. His wordbook in the complete form came out in 1969 as 『英文を書くための辞書』[Eibun o Kaku Tame no Jisho] or Basic English Writers' Japanese-English Wordbook. His death was in London, 1983.
History of Daniels and the book was taken from dust cover of the book and put into Basic by Ryota.
My friend Mr. Ohyama has put his note on the book in his online notebook.
| Writing English, for most of the Japanese who have been learning English for years in colleges or univeristies, is an uncertain business. Most of them have doubts that their English is all right. If one is dependent on a friend whose mother tongue is English, the friend frequently has a hard time making out what is in the writing.
One great reason of this trouble is our jisho: wordbooks. Let me give you an example from my teaching experience. I have some Japanese friends who have the power of writing good English. When they do their writing without looking at wordbooks and using simple words only, they give out good writings. When they have, however, a Japanese-English wordbooks by themselves, and they make use of them, then their English [writings] quickly go strange.
Most of Japanese-English wordbooks in print were in fact made by the Japanese. Though they are expert university teachers, they made those books with almost no help from mother-tongue users. Most of the examples in the books are not truly examples used in international talks and writings, because getting true examples from outside of Japan takes away too much money and time and it is not a good business for the book company.
So what is a good Japanese-English wordbook made by someone whose first language was English, helped by a group of Japanese?
Frank James Daniels, an Englishman whose birth was in 1899, came to Japan in 1928. Basic English was made public by Ogden in 1930, and Daniels sent a letter of request for Ogden's approval that he would make a Japanese-English wordbook which had all of the examples in Basic. He got married with a Japanese woman, went back to England in 1932, did some work with Ogden, gave teachings on Japanese at University of London, and had a talk with I. A. Richards.Daniels came back to Japan in 1933 to be a teacher at Otaru College of Commerce. After teaching there for three years, he kept on making the wordbook for three years. And then, because he was in need of money, he became a teacher at Shizuoka Higher School. He went away from Japan in 1941 because of the War, and did some work with Richards at Harvard University. At that time 85% of the wordbook was made, but it took ten years more to make the book complete.
When Japan and Britain were at war, Daniels was a head teacher of Japanese language in the British armed forces. He kept on training Japanese language teachers after the War, and became an expert teacher at University of London in 1961. His wordbook in the complete form came out in 1969 as 『英文を書くための辞書』[Eibun o Kaku Tame no Jisho] or Basic English Writers' Japanese-English Wordbook. His death was in London, 1983.
History of Daniels and the book was taken from dust cover of the book and put into Basic by Ryota.
My friend Mr. Ohyama has put his note on the book in his online notebook.
This book is still in print by Hokuseido Press, Tokyo. The picture of the box is from the <www.amazon.co.jp>.
A Short Guide to Basic English
Division 1 "Basic English" is in some different parts: producer's note, part 1, part 2, and additions. Part 1, "A General Introduction," and additions are in regular unlimited English. Part 2, "A Short Guide to Basic English," however, is in Basic.
You may see the inside of the "Short Guide" from the list here:
Reading Ogden's writings in Basic itself is a good training. Have a good time! ¶ 01:25
| Basic English: International Second Language is one of Ogden's books put online by Mr. Bauer. It is in fact a number of different books made into one. The book has three "sections," or three great divisions: 1. "Basic English," 2. "The System in Detail," and 3. "Examples."
Division 1 "Basic English" is in some different parts: producer's note, part 1, part 2, and additions. Part 1, "A General Introduction," and additions are in regular unlimited English. Part 2, "A Short Guide to Basic English," however, is in Basic.
You may see the inside of the "Short Guide" from the list here:
- What Is Basic English?
- Basic as an International Language
- How the 850 Words Do Their Work
- Basic as an Instrument of Thought
- The Learning of Basic
- The Teaching of Basic
- Basic for Science
- Basic for Business
- Sixteen Years, 1927-1943
- The Future
Reading Ogden's writings in Basic itself is a good training. Have a good time! ¶ 01:25
2005/03/20
What Is "Basic"?
The point here is that something basic is not necessarily simple. The word "basic" is, in fact, not on Ogden's list; it is not one of the 850. Some learners may have a hard time learning the basic part of the language. Sometimes it is necessary to have a completely new way to see things. Working hard on this part gives you the power to go on to higher levels. ¶ 03:24
| Ogden, in his book Basic for Science, gave an account of what is the sense of the word "Basic": "getting down to the roots of the purpose and structure of language, and specially designed as an instrument for the distribution of knowledge" (27).
The point here is that something basic is not necessarily simple. The word "basic" is, in fact, not on Ogden's list; it is not one of the 850. Some learners may have a hard time learning the basic part of the language. Sometimes it is necessary to have a completely new way to see things. Working hard on this part gives you the power to go on to higher levels. ¶ 03:24
2005/03/18
On Basic English: In German
| If you are better at German language than at English, you may get knowledge of Basic English by reading an account in German. Here are short accounts by Mr. Robert Warnke. Because I'm not good at German, I'm not certain how good these pages are. ¶ 15:40
2005/03/17
GDM Discussion in Kyoto
The group who takes care of the meeting is the West Japan branch of English language teachers for GDM.
I will give a talk about my experience of learning languages by myself using GDM and getting interested in Richards, Ogden, and Basic English.
The page bookmarked here is in Japanese. If you are interested in the meeting, send your request quickly, because the deadline is tomorrow, 2005/03/19! ¶ 17:27
| An open discussion meeting of the Graded Direct Method, for starters and middle-level learners, is to take place at the Palaceside Hotel (075-415-8887) in Kyoto, Japan, on the 26 and 27, Saturday and Sunday, of March 2005.
The group who takes care of the meeting is the West Japan branch of English language teachers for GDM.
I will give a talk about my experience of learning languages by myself using GDM and getting interested in Richards, Ogden, and Basic English.
The page bookmarked here is in Japanese. If you are interested in the meeting, send your request quickly, because the deadline is tomorrow, 2005/03/19! ¶ 17:27
2005/03/16
Been Away, Will Be Back
| I've been away from my living place for two days, and I've been unable to get a connection. But I will be back soon. ¶ 13:18
2005/03/13
The Bible in Basic English
If you are in need of some knowledge ABOUT The Bible in Basic English, you may see a short acount in Basic here:
<www.bible-researcher.com/basic.html>
The printed form of the Basic Bible had no notes on copyrights, so it was made online. There are a number of Internet pages which have The Bible in Basic English open to anyone interested. One of them is here:
<www.o-bible.com/bbe.html>
Chimikanasan is a Japanese who had a good chance of coming across, in a Tokyo Chiristian bookstore, a paperback copy of this book, which has been out of print for a very long time. Chimikanasan's Japanese note on the Basic Bible, with a picture probably taken by Chimikanasan:
<my.bookworm.jp/chimi/archives/000264.html>
Bookmark to the picture only:
<www.sol.cs.ritsumei.ac.jp/~nakamiti/blog/backnumber/img/basic0.jpg>
¶ 18:30
| The Bible, the most imortant book of Christian religion, has been put into different languages for these 2000 years. The word "Bible" is not on the Basic word list, but it gives us little trouble, because, in countries where English is a common language, this book frequently goes by the name of "the Book." If you go back in the history of languages, you will in fact see that the sense of this word was, first of all, "book."
If you are in need of some knowledge ABOUT The Bible in Basic English, you may see a short acount in Basic here:
<www.bible-researcher.com/basic.html>
The printed form of the Basic Bible had no notes on copyrights, so it was made online. There are a number of Internet pages which have The Bible in Basic English open to anyone interested. One of them is here:
<www.o-bible.com/bbe.html>
Chimikanasan is a Japanese who had a good chance of coming across, in a Tokyo Chiristian bookstore, a paperback copy of this book, which has been out of print for a very long time. Chimikanasan's Japanese note on the Basic Bible, with a picture probably taken by Chimikanasan:
<my.bookworm.jp/chimi/archives/000264.html>
Bookmark to the picture only:
<www.sol.cs.ritsumei.ac.jp/~nakamiti/blog/backnumber/img/basic0.jpg>
¶ 18:30
What Is a Trackback?
This is my first attempt of making a "trackback." I'm happy to see that Mr. Ohyama is writing, on his weblogs, about my Daybook.
| "Trackback" is the name of a new system for making connections to other persons' daybooks. If you come across an interesting writing when you are reading someone's weblog, you may put your opinion about her or his writing, with a bookmark, onto YOUR weblog, send a special sign named "ping" to the special place which takes care of the connection, and then you will see a short statement under the interesting part on HIS or HER weblog.
This is my first attempt of making a "trackback." I'm happy to see that Mr. Ohyama is writing, on his weblogs, about my Daybook.
http://ohyama.way-nifty.com/in_basic_english/2005/03/ryotasans_blog_.html
http://ohyama.way-nifty.com/days/2005/03/ryota.html
2005/03/12
Basic English Insititute
| The best international online pages ON Basic English, so far, has been James Bauer's Basic English Institute. It is, in addition, a not-for-money network for the devlopment of open online program, which is to be the expansion of Ogden's Basic. It was started in the first month of 2003 as an expansion of Basiceng.com - online pages started in 1996 to give out the system of Ogden's Basic to public. Basiceng.com is now moved to http://Ogden.Basic-English.Org.
- The weight of the Ogden pages is on giving out knowledge of Ogden's Basic English.
- The purpose of the new Institute is expansion of Basic English after 2001.
What Is a Comment?
"What is said; opinion" (The Basic Dictionary).
"Something said about a thing, sp. making point in book etc. clear" (The General Basic English Dictionary).
Some new blogs, or weblogs, have a new system of making comments on a writing. If you put the pointer on the word "Comment," give a quick push to your controller, and then you will see a new window opened.
There you may put your opinion in the "Comment ?" box, put the pointer on the word "Preview," give a push to your controller, and then you will see how it will be like.
If you put the pointer on "Publish," give a push to your controller, and you will get your opinion public.
¶ 14:21
| Comment.
"What is said; opinion" (The Basic Dictionary).
"Something said about a thing, sp. making point in book etc. clear" (The General Basic English Dictionary).
Some new blogs, or weblogs, have a new system of making comments on a writing. If you put the pointer on the word "Comment," give a quick push to your controller, and then you will see a new window opened.
There you may put your opinion in the "Comment ?" box, put the pointer on the word "Preview," give a push to your controller, and then you will see how it will be like.
If you put the pointer on "Publish," give a push to your controller, and you will get your opinion public.
¶ 14:21
2005/03/11
Still Learning about Blogs
A > B
Anyway, I haven't come to grips with some new powers of blogs, and still learning, going here and there on the Net. Sometimes I come across a good account in Japanese. Here is one example.
¶ 18:49
| Some network experts say that blogs are more than daybooks. That is, blogs are NOT only daybooks; they have something more.
I'm saying the same thing again because some teachers in Japan, even some experts of language teaching in Universities, get a wrong idea of "more than." "A is more than B," for example, will be put into signs, if the person has the right idea, like this:
Blog Trouble
Users are currently getting "Blog not found" errors
when accessing comment pages. We are working on
getting this resolved ASAP.
So some users are currently getting error signs that say it is not possible to get the page, when the system makes attempts to give the pages where they may "make comments," or put their opinions. And the Blogger company, the caretakers of the system, are working on getting over this trouble, as soon as possible.
When they get an answer to the question, I will make it public. Till then, please, have a good time doing other things. ¶ 15:48
| One of my friends sent a note to me, saying that he was not able to put his opinion onto Ryota's Daybook. So I went into Help pages of the system and came across this writing:
Users are currently getting "Blog not found" errors
when accessing comment pages. We are working on
getting this resolved ASAP.
So some users are currently getting error signs that say it is not possible to get the page, when the system makes attempts to give the pages where they may "make comments," or put their opinions. And the Blogger company, the caretakers of the system, are working on getting over this trouble, as soon as possible.
When they get an answer to the question, I will make it public. Till then, please, have a good time doing other things. ¶ 15:48
2005/03/10
Fukushima University
This is a bird's eye view of my work-place: Fukushima University. The owner of the University is the Japanese government.
My office is at the teaching-training division, teaching young men and women. Most of them have a desire to be school-teacher in the future.
Go to the top-page of Fukushima University, in Japanese.
¶ 23:47
|
This is a bird's eye view of my work-place: Fukushima University. The owner of the University is the Japanese government.
My office is at the teaching-training division, teaching young men and women. Most of them have a desire to be school-teacher in the future.
Go to the top-page of Fukushima University, in Japanese.
¶ 23:47
Still Uncertain
The trouble is that I have a strong desire to make all of the words on the page with the limit of Basic English, but, here and there, words like "post," "comments," "links," "archives," or "trackback" come up. They are hard to be changed because they are parts of the system.
What I may do probably is give accounts of those special words, using Basic, so that anyone with little knowledge of networking will not have a hard time reading my daybook. ¶ 23:26
| I'm still having a hard time making out how to make my daybook looking good. I'm not certain how this machine language does its work.
The trouble is that I have a strong desire to make all of the words on the page with the limit of Basic English, but, here and there, words like "post," "comments," "links," "archives," or "trackback" come up. They are hard to be changed because they are parts of the system.
What I may do probably is give accounts of those special words, using Basic, so that anyone with little knowledge of networking will not have a hard time reading my daybook. ¶ 23:26
About Me
Workplace: Fukushima University, Japan
Position: Teacher (Assistant Professor)
I'm a Japanese, married to a Japanese woman, with a son.
¶ 21:11
| Name: Ryota Iijima
Workplace: Fukushima University, Japan
Position: Teacher (Assistant Professor)
I'm a Japanese, married to a Japanese woman, with a son.
¶ 21:11
2005/03/09
Ogden's List of 850 Basic Words
The 100 for operations, directions and other important works of making other words joined together are the truly necessary ones.
The 600 for things are the NAMES of things, living or not living. Words like "look," "talk," and "walk" are the names of acts, but they are here because they are used, in Basic English and frequently in regular English, like things. You may say, for example, "take a look," "give a talk," or "have a walk."
Those 600 are made of two different groups: 400 general words and 200 pictured words.
The 150 for qualities are the words for "how." They are made of two different groups: 100 general ones and 50 opposites. ¶ 21:30
| The 850 words of Basic English are made of three different groups: 100 words for operations and so on, and 600 words for things, and 150 words for qualities.
The 100 for operations, directions and other important works of making other words joined together are the truly necessary ones.
The 600 for things are the NAMES of things, living or not living. Words like "look," "talk," and "walk" are the names of acts, but they are here because they are used, in Basic English and frequently in regular English, like things. You may say, for example, "take a look," "give a talk," or "have a walk."
Those 600 are made of two different groups: 400 general words and 200 pictured words.
The 150 for qualities are the words for "how." They are made of two different groups: 100 general ones and 50 opposites. ¶ 21:30
2005/03/08
My Friend's Blog
| Yasushi, or Ohyamasan, kindly put his notes on my Daybook. He first gave me the knowledge of "blog," a new form of day-to-day writing with bookmarks, by letting me see his blogs. He takes care, in addition, of the Japanese discussion group on Basic English. ¶ 15:44
The Basic Books
| I have a 32-page newsletter, which was made public in 1938. What is in the letter, all of it, is an advertisement of books on and in Basic English. The most of the words used in the newsletter are Basic words, so the letter is a good guide in Basic to books on Basic. Using a scanner, a machine which takes picture of a paper, I have made it online. ¶ 03:05
2005/03/06
Blog: An Online Daybook
The greatest web in existence is on the international network of machines. It is as wide as the "world," all over the Earth, so it was named "the World-Wide Web." You may see, on your machine, the short form of it as "www."
A "log" is the stem of a tree cut off from its root with its branches taken off. A wood house made of logs is a "log-house."
Long time back, someone made an instrument for measuring the rate of a ship's motion. Because this apparatus was made of a log, it went by the name of "log."
The head of seamen, when on journey, kept a notebook, keeping on it day-by-day record of the ship's rate of motion and what took place on the journey. This notebook got the name "log-book." Years went by and this word got shorter. The word "log" is now used as a name of day-book: any book or notebook which kept the records of everyday event.
In the 1990's, someone using the World-Wide Web made an online day-book keeping notes and bookmarks, with the newest one on the top of the page and the oldest one at the lowest part. This sort of day-book got a name "web-log." It then became a short word like "weblog" or "blog." Because an automatic system of making new "blogs" were put online, we are able to make new blogs freely, and now there are a great number of "blogs" and the number is getting greater and greater. One of those new "blogs" is this Ryota's Daybook. ¶ 22:23
| There are insect-like, eight-legged, small animals named "spiders." The spider, or any spider, gives out thin and sticky threads, and make up a loose net which goes by the name of "web." This word "web" is used for anything like a spider-web, any loose network.
The greatest web in existence is on the international network of machines. It is as wide as the "world," all over the Earth, so it was named "the World-Wide Web." You may see, on your machine, the short form of it as "www."
A "log" is the stem of a tree cut off from its root with its branches taken off. A wood house made of logs is a "log-house."
Long time back, someone made an instrument for measuring the rate of a ship's motion. Because this apparatus was made of a log, it went by the name of "log."
The head of seamen, when on journey, kept a notebook, keeping on it day-by-day record of the ship's rate of motion and what took place on the journey. This notebook got the name "log-book." Years went by and this word got shorter. The word "log" is now used as a name of day-book: any book or notebook which kept the records of everyday event.
In the 1990's, someone using the World-Wide Web made an online day-book keeping notes and bookmarks, with the newest one on the top of the page and the oldest one at the lowest part. This sort of day-book got a name "web-log." It then became a short word like "weblog" or "blog." Because an automatic system of making new "blogs" were put online, we are able to make new blogs freely, and now there are a great number of "blogs" and the number is getting greater and greater. One of those new "blogs" is this Ryota's Daybook. ¶ 22:23
2005/03/04
I. A. Richards
Richards then became a very noted expert of English verse, and got a teacher's position at his college in Cambridge. Though his school-room was full of interested young men when he gave a talk on noted verses, he was not very happy. He got more and more interested in teaching English to early learners. After years of teaching in China, he went to the North America and became a university teacher at Harvard.
While giving talks on English verse at Harvard, Richards made up a system of teaching Basic English, helped by Christine Gibson. Their "method," their way, of teaching was "graded," or step-by-step, and gave ideas in a "direct" way, using pictures. Some teachers became interested in this work and it got a name "Graded Direct Method," or "GDM." ¶ 15:10
| Ivor Armstrong Richards gave helps and suggestions to Ogden when he was making up Basic English.
Richards then became a very noted expert of English verse, and got a teacher's position at his college in Cambridge. Though his school-room was full of interested young men when he gave a talk on noted verses, he was not very happy. He got more and more interested in teaching English to early learners. After years of teaching in China, he went to the North America and became a university teacher at Harvard.
While giving talks on English verse at Harvard, Richards made up a system of teaching Basic English, helped by Christine Gibson. Their "method," their way, of teaching was "graded," or step-by-step, and gave ideas in a "direct" way, using pictures. Some teachers became interested in this work and it got a name "Graded Direct Method," or "GDM." ¶ 15:10
C. K. Ogden
|
Basic English was first made by an Englishman of great knowledge: Charles Kay Ogden.
When Ogden and his friend I. A. Richards were talking about senses of words, they got an idea that it was possible for them to give an account of the senses of any English word by using a limited number of words. Ogden kept on working for 10 years and came up with an English-based new international second language, in the 1930's. That is Basic English.
2005/03/03
Basic English
| Most of the writings in Ryota's Daybook will be in Basic English. It is a sort of English language which seems, to any reader of English, like general English. It is, in fact, a specially designed language using simple rules of structure and word-forms, internationally noted words, and most necessary 850 words. ¶ 20:46
