▶ Your Answer :
“Study never stops.” As a proverb in Asia
said, the more we learn, the more complicated things to study we will find.
This notion is probably why the argument claims as the given way; however, I
disagree with the statement because knowledge accumulated can be beneficial for
learning contents on the next level for most cases.
First
of all, when learning a second language, knowing a certain grammar rule can help
learners to more easily grasp the contents in the next level. For instance,
suppose a student has learned the subject-verb agreement rule (e.g., I like an
apple. She likes an apple). Once the student acquires this linguistic knowledge
– that verb forms should follow the subject numbers, it will be easier for
him/her to learn the next related rules. For example, the student can identify
why English speakers use “like” for “I, you, and they” and “likes” for “he,
she, and it.” Thus, in this case, one can conclude that knowing knowledge is
not making learners more complex, but feel comfortable in acquiring the forthcoming
and related knowledge.
Likewise,
applying the acquired knowledge will effectively lead people to learn better.
In the same context of learning English as a second language, consider a
student who learns how to articulate the consonants of “f” and “v.” He knows
the place of articulation for the two letters exactly same – using upper teeth
and bottom lip and blowing out the air from your lung between those spots.
However, one critical difference is whether or not each case has the voiced sound.
“V” is voiced, and “F” is unvoiced. If the learner is already aware of the
different features of voiceness by learning “B” and “P” sound for example,
identifying the difference between “f” and “v” will be easier.
On
the other hand, however, one might say that as we gain more knowledge in a
field, the things will be more complicated and mysterious. This claim might be
true especially when it comes to certain questions that would not be explained
logically. For example, let us say that the student for examples of the grammar
rule and voiceness struggles with a particular vowel sound of the English alphabet
“a.” The first letter of English alphabet has two sounds such as, /ae/ as in “cat”
and /ah/ as in “want.” This phenomenon can be perceived as one thing that cannot
be explained logically, thus the rule of thumb for this pronunciation among
English teacher is that helping students to memorize the rule. In this case admittedly,
the content could be more complex and mysterious for the students than other
contents that can be logically discussed and studied.
In
sum, even though knowing more about a certain field may make things more
complex and confusing, I disagree with the statement because learned knowledge
can help people to easily learn the next knowledge by applying it. Grammar
rules and phonics rules can be good examples. However, still we should
understand that there are exceptions that can cause confusing and mysterious
feeling to learners; therefore, maintaining both views in a balanced way will
be important for us. |