[lojban-beginners] Re: transforming sentences

[m.kornig@sondal.net]

Selon Pierre Abbat <phma@phma.optus.nu>:

> Thursday I went to CPCC

What's CPCC?

> to find out what courses to take, and as part of the
> process I took a test in which I had to transform sentences or correct errors
> in sentences. Would that be useful in learning Lojban? For instance, take {mi
> pilno lo me'andi lo nu skagau lei kerfa} and rewrite it using {pi'o}.
> 1. mi skagau lo me'andi te pi'o lei kerfa
> 2. mi skagau lei kerfa pi'o lo me'andi
> 3. mi skagau lei kerfa se pi'o lo me'andi
> 4. lo me'andi cu skagau lei kerfa pi'o mi

Personally, I think correcting errors may be
reasonable for more advanced students. There
is a little risk however that learners may actually
learn/memorize the mistakes and thus be
confused. Beginners and "weak" students are probably
better off by seeing, listening to and repeating
lots of correct sentences.

I guess, the general rule for writing textbooks
is "avoid/correct as many errors as possible".

Transforming sentences (like "replace one
sumti for another", "make negatives", "say
the opposite", "replace a sumti by a pro-sumti",
"simplify word order", "make yes/no questions",
"give short/long answers", "change tenses",
"give orders", etc.) are good exercises at any
level.

Martin