Micah Zarin's Blog

The following post is an adaptation of a reddit comment I made:

Reading to Apply

As I’ve move through my academic career, I’ve found it becomes less about memorizing facts and more about truly understanding and applying concepts. Sure, anyone can memorize vocabulary or definitions, but beyond the discipline it takes, there’s not much merit to rote memorization. It’s not about recalling facts; it’s about how you use them to analyze, synthesize, and make connections. That’s where the real value lies, especially in higher education or any field where critical thinking is key.

To get better at this, I believe that it is crucial to practice application skills. One of the best ways to do this, in my opinion, is by actively engaging with the material as you read. Instead of just passively absorbing information, try summarizing what you’ve learned in your head after every few sentences. Don’t get bogged down by the details or try to remember every little fact. Instead, focus on the bigger picture—what’s the main idea? What are the key concepts? How would you explain this to a friend in a way that’s clear and concise?

This approach forces you to process the information at a deeper level, which not only improves comprehension but also retention. It’s like teaching the material to yourself as you go. Let’s try this method with a real example. I’m going to give you a passage and some questions. Read the passage only once, then apply the technique I mentioned and see what you come up with.

THE PASSAGE

Language does more than string words together; it builds a framework through which speakers understand and navigate their world. One crucial tool in this framework is the use of markers. In linguistics, markers are additions to a word—like prefixes, suffixes, or even entire words—that provide extra information. These can signal things like tense, number, gender, mood, or politeness. For example, in English, adding “-ed” to a verb like “walk” signals that the action happened in the past (“walked”). This is a simple form of marking for tense. Other languages have more complex systems. Take Spanish, where verbs are marked not just for tense but also for the person doing the action (“hablo” for “I speak,” “hablas” for “you speak”). These markers provide essential clues about who is doing what, when, and in what manner.

Markers are more than just grammatical add-ons; they reflect what a culture considers significant. For instance, in many languages, politeness is marked. In Japanese, there are different levels of formality depending on who you’re talking to, ranging from very casual to highly formal. This politeness marking isn’t just about choosing the right words; it’s a window into cultural values, showing deep respect for social hierarchy and relationships. Similarly, in some languages, certain verb forms are marked to show whether the speaker witnessed an event or learned about it second-hand, reflecting a cultural emphasis on direct experience versus reported information.

Markers can also shape thought patterns. Consider languages that have different markers for inanimate versus animate nouns, such as in Navajo. This kind of marking influences how speakers categorize the world around them, possibly affecting their attention to living versus non-living entities. Thus, markers don’t just fill in grammatical gaps; they mold how people perceive and interact with their world.

The Questions

Imagine you are a linguistics researcher studying a newly discovered language. This language uses unique markers to indicate whether a statement is factual, speculative, or an opinion. Additionally, it marks verbs differently depending on whether the speaker directly experienced an event or heard about it from someone else. How might these markers shape the worldview and communication style of the speakers? Consider the following:

1. ⁠How might the distinction between factual, speculative, and opinion markers affect social interactions or debates in this language?
2. ⁠What impact could the markers indicating direct versus indirect experience have on storytelling, news reporting, or sharing personal experiences?
3. ⁠As a researcher, what cultural values might you infer from the use of these specific markers?