I was recently thinking about the process of learning languages, and how this concept of filling your toolbox and engineering a solution with what you have parallels the process of speaking to others in a new language. Sure, there is the engineering design process where you find a problem, spend some time brainstorming ideas, select a solution, build a prototype to test and evaluate the results, and then reiterate and repeat until you have an optimal solution. This is the process by which most teams follow when building a robot for the FIRST robotics competition. But there is another process that occurs during the robotics competition. Unexpected events occur, for example things break or you discover something else is needed, and you are forced to engineer a solution with only the parts and tools you can find on hand. Therefore, it is important to stock your toolbox and inventory well, but also to be creative in engineering solutions with limited tools and hardware. This was always the type of engineering I enjoyed the most, and I've found that it's helped me speak to others in new languages. In my experience, I have found that with only a very limited vocabulary, it is possible to communicate almost all things I want to say, as long as the words in the vocabulary are chosen carefully. For example, at a restaurant if I want to ask for the check but don't know the word for check, I can ask to pay; or if I don't know the word for pay, I can ask to give you money. Sure the solution may not always be the most elegant, but it works and gets the message across. And, at least for me, trying to sustain a conversation with a limited vocabulary in a new language is almost as exciting as engineering solutions to fix a robot during a fast-paced robotics competition.
Recientemente,
pensaba de el proceso de aprender idioma y como esto proceso es similar de el
proceso de conseguir herramientas y deseñar una solución con que tienes. Claro hay un proceso de deseño ingeniero con
pasos que incluyen buscar una problema, hacer ideas, elegir una solucion,
construir un prototipo por experimentar y evaluar como es, y finalmente repetir
otra vez y otra vez hasta encontrar una solución optima. Esto es el proceso que la mayoria del equipos
usan para construir robotes por la internaciónal competición de FIRST. Pero, hay un otra proceso en la competición
cuando no hay tiempo para pensar mucho y necesita arregular algo o hacer algo
nuevo y tienes que hacer una solución con solo que tu tienes. Por esto, es importante tener herramientas
utiles, y tambien es importante saber como usarlos con mucho creatividad. Esto es el tipo de ingenieria que me gusta mas
y he encontrado que con saber un vocabulario pequeño es posible comunicar casi
todos cosas que quiero decir. Por
ejemplo, en una restarante, si quiero pedir por la cuenta pero no se la palabra
“cuenta” puedo decir “puedo pagar” o “puedo darlo dinero.” Claro la solución no es bonita pero es
suficiente bien para funcióna. Y para
mi, intentar a seguir una conversación con un vocabulario pequeño es divertido
como arreglar un robot en una competicion rapido.
