Does anyone know "If I were a boy again"?

[laywong]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Not that simple, laywong.

English language? Sure.
Completely ENGLISH? What's that, written by a citizen of England?
Are you asking if it's proper English grammar? That would depend on which English speaking country and what time frame you're asking about.

English is not rigid, it's constantly changing. Words are added and others become obsolete, every year. So acceptable grammar is constantly changing, and varies depending on the country.
Hell, even the spelling varies between countries.

Thanks, xoxoxoBruce. I understand that language is subject to changes all the time. Let me just mention one little example about the word "concrete". I wonder what is your intuitive understanding of "concrete steps". Well, it is not steps made of concretes but rather, something the Chinese likes to say as in "take concrete steps". This could be due to the influence of the Chinese discourse.

However, here I am just taking a relatively static point of view to this very piece of writing. It is recommended to the Chinese students as "classic English writing worth reading and reciting". I just worry about the consequence of their memorizing Chinglish. I am very eager to find out its origin and remove it from the recommendation list because they need real, authentic English, at the English beginner stage.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by laywong

However, here I am just taking a relatively static point of view to this very piece of writing. It is recommended to the Chinese students as "classic English writing worth reading and reciting". I just worry about the consequence of their memorizing Chinglish. I am very eager to find out its origin and remove it from the recommendation list because they need real, authentic English, at the English beginner stage.

What is interesting is the phrase "classic English writing worth reading and reciting." Given the moral and ethical differences and values between the East and West I wonder if such a text exists that is both, "classic English writing" AND "worth reading and reciting."

I think that explains some of the unusual quality to the writing. The content seems to me to be more aligned with Chinese values and wholly irrelevant to Westerners, while the writing style has a distinctly Western, if not outdated, ring to it. (I realize I am painting with a broad brush)

As for real, authentic English, why not try real authentic English writing authors. Start with E.B. White, he was a very skilled writer. The potential problem is that along with the baby, you get the bathwater, i.e. Proper written English with content that may not be in alignment with your values.