Stephen Krashen famously (among linguists, that is) coined the pseudo-mathematical phrase "L+1" to describe the features of a language (syntax, vocabulary, phonetics, what have you) that are ju-uust beyond the reach of an individual language learner.

I am pleased and happy to say that I have finally managed to create an "L+1" Chinese writing/reading zone . . . this has been a feat involving many steps. (To wit: Learn some Chinese characters. Figure out how to get the characters to display on my computer. Figure out how to make Chinese sentences, and then how to use my handheld E>C, C>E translator to get at the words I want. And then figure out how to type the characters. You think that part's easy? You think it's a matter of typing in some pinyin and then simply choosing from among the 542656565 characters that the Chinese use to make that sound? Sometimes it's like those "Find 6 Differences" puzzles that you see on the kids' page of the Sunday comics - little pictures at 12-point font, and me with eyes that have aged beyond their years . . . )

At any rate, we have finally gotten to enough vocabulary that it can stretch to make a short composition (especially if you throw in pictures). So I gathered all my resources (vocabulary lists xeroxed from the book, my own vocabulary lists, my translator, my computer, yada yada). I have this vision of traveling to China and needing to drag around all these appurtenances so I can speak . . . this makes me feel like Louis in The Trumpet of the Swan.

So, with all my stuff at the ready, I wrote a short composition in Chinese and sent it to the folks in China. I have gotten a huge amount of positive reinforcement for my efforts (which is actually kind of weird. After all, we told them we were taking a Chinese class. Didn't they think we would learn? Did they think we would give up?). Several people have written back to me in Chinese, which is great. If they also include pinyin, I can use my translator to translate the characters I don't recognize . . .

So basically, I have a whole bunch of emails, written by friends, that I'm dying to read (which means: translate and then read). I really can't think of a better motivator for learning to read, can you? Now learning Chinese is starting to get reeeeeeeeeeeeaaaallly fun . . .