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■新學期伊始，學生如果自覺「學習去學習」，將有更大裨益。資料圖片
"What's up?" - Asking this question is a common way to greet people when we see each other. It is asking "What's new?" or "What's happening?". This new column aims to talk about things that happen around us recently, hence the name. This time, to mark the beginning of the new school year, we'll talk about "learn".
When we were young, we learned. When we become adults, we learn to learn, which is an even more remarkable skill. What then is meant by learning to learn, as contrast to mere learning? To learn per se is to be taught, which means you do not know how to learn something by yourself, but need someone to teach you. Learning to learn is on a higher level, in that you can learn something by yourself alone without the help of anyone else.
Learn to be, learn to live
But is there any kind of learning that is even more profound than learning to learn? It is an emphatic yes. As early as in 1972, an education report entitled Learning to be was published by UNESCO. How true - is not learning to be, learning to live, an even more vital endeavour to human life than learning to learn, while not excluding it?
The report states thus: "Is this not the time to call for something quite different in education systems? Learning to live, learning to learn, so as to be able to absorb new knowledge all through life; learning to think freely and critically; learning to love the world and make it more human; learning to develop in and through creative work." How true and inspiring indeed these words are. In the new school year, let us bear these wise and refreshing words in mind.
Learned or learnt?
Except learning to learn, let us also learn the word 'learn'! You may know already that 'learn' has two different forms of the past tense and the past participle: 'learned' and 'learnt'. Do you know what their differences are, like when to use which, and also if they are pronounced differently?
About pronunciation first: both 'learned' and 'learnt' has exactly the same sounds: both end with 't', i.e. both are pronounced 'learn-t'. But in fact 'learned' has different pronunciations when used as an adjective depending on its meaning. When describing something that you learn, 'learned' is pronounced 'learn-d', i.e. the ending sound is 'd', as when we say 'a learned skill'. But if it is to describe someone who has a lot of knowledge, 'learned' should be pronounced 'learn-nid', i.e. the ending is not a mere 'd' but with a 'nid' sound, as when we say someone is 'a learned person'.
But how about the first question, as to when to use which of 'learned' and 'learnt' when they are verbs? In the US, people usually use 'learned', while British people often use 'learnt' - though 'learned' is not uncommon in the UK either.
Let's all try our best to learn, to learn to learn, and to learn to live and learn to be! Happy new (school) year to you all! ■MT Ness
Questions
1. What will you be learning if you are issued a learner's permit in the US?
2. Please complete the word: A learned man is a person of great learn ╴╴╴╴.
3. What do you call the rate and process at which you learn something - learning ╴╴╴╴?
Answers 1. driving 2. learning 3. learning curve
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