I have read the Amy Tan story "Two Kinds" so many times that it is no wonder that it came to mind today in class when I noticed a slight difference between myself and another student.
None of us are anywhere close to being fluent in French yet. So when we come across an unknown word or phrase we will ask the professor to explain what it means to us.
There seem to be 2 types of questioners in my classes: the kind that ask the question and are content and the kind that ask the question and don't stop asking questions about it. I count myself among the former - give me a word I don't know and I'll ask you to explain it; once you explain it I'm happy to move on and let it sink in. But there are others who come across that same word and ask what it means and once they find out start to ask question after question about it and how to use it and when it's used and why it's used until the word itself becomes forgotten and the class is completely disrupted - all this for a word that they will probably never use again.
I don't know the people like this very well but their constantly doing this makes me wonder if they are not comfortable with the unknown; as if asking question after question will somehow make sense of everything so that they can go out and live without any uncomfortable situations or slips.
I like these uncomfortable situations and slips - those are the places I've learned the most. I am more than happy to live my life just knowing the few words I've collected and letting the rest come to me as it will.
So I bite my tongue when these people ask their questions and content myself with the fact that there are 2 kinds and I am not their kind.
None of us are anywhere close to being fluent in French yet. So when we come across an unknown word or phrase we will ask the professor to explain what it means to us.
There seem to be 2 types of questioners in my classes: the kind that ask the question and are content and the kind that ask the question and don't stop asking questions about it. I count myself among the former - give me a word I don't know and I'll ask you to explain it; once you explain it I'm happy to move on and let it sink in. But there are others who come across that same word and ask what it means and once they find out start to ask question after question about it and how to use it and when it's used and why it's used until the word itself becomes forgotten and the class is completely disrupted - all this for a word that they will probably never use again.
I don't know the people like this very well but their constantly doing this makes me wonder if they are not comfortable with the unknown; as if asking question after question will somehow make sense of everything so that they can go out and live without any uncomfortable situations or slips.
I like these uncomfortable situations and slips - those are the places I've learned the most. I am more than happy to live my life just knowing the few words I've collected and letting the rest come to me as it will.
So I bite my tongue when these people ask their questions and content myself with the fact that there are 2 kinds and I am not their kind.
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