New Words from the Technology Industry that Change How We Live

Michael Chuang
Department of English Literature, Soochow University
[2021 Summer] Introduction to English Linguistics
Freddy Chen
August 8, 2021

In recent decades, we see an immense rise in rapid technology development, and humanity advancing at an unprecedented pace. As a result, more and more newly-introduced terms are created in response to the escalating need for new, emerging applications in the technology industry around the globe. This essay aims to collect words of significance from the technology industry, whose impact are so immense that they have greatly shaped our lives today, or will be shaping our lives tomorrow. 

The Death of the Moth: Book Response

At first glance, the Death of the Moth seemed like an ordinary essay one would randomly jot down in his or her diary, some unparticularly significant matters on an unspecific day; it seems like the essay is the collective result of a mindless account of things, where nothing is organized, nor does it make any sense to me. However, after taking a closer look at the Death of the Moth, I had finally caught up with the swift thoughts of perhaps one of the most brilliant modernist writers I have ever seen to date, along with her life, her sufferings, and ultimately her death. Contrasting how little I knew when I first read this story, the finally-caught-on realization when I re-read the book 2 or 3 times, magnified my amazement, as well as my respect for Virginia Woolf, this unusually exceptional pioneer of feminism and modernism.

I’m a Chinese Tutor in Soochow University, and I’m Proud to Be One

When I say that the one who teaches others actually receives more, I mean it.

A few weeks after I got into this university, I went to a conference where the host introduced Chinese Language Center and the Chinese tutors who voluntarily work and help foreign students on the campus. And I immediately knew I had to sign up for this.

(Brief) Thoughts on Bilingual Education in Taiwan

Yesterday, I read an article discussing bilingual education in Taiwan and our government’s endeavor towards making people of Taiwan with a deeper “world view”. The author expressed disapproval to the government’s actions towards building a bilingual country and how the government tries to integrate the idea of Bilingual education into the New Southbound Policy, a concept by President Tsai.

Edit: welp, I can’t seem to find the article now.

Comparing the Different Versions of Narcissus

This article was written as one of our assignments for Introduction to Western Literature.

     Narcissus, known in Greek Mythology, was a man of striking beauty that had attracted many admirers. But to his arrogance, he disdained those who loved him and spurned them all, causing some to commit suicide, while some others calling on the goddess Nemesis to avenge him. Their prayers were answered when Narcissus was led to a forest, where he saw his own reflection in a pool. Allured by the great beauty in the water, the young hunter could not resist but gazed at his own reflection. Narcissus eventually withered away by the pool. His body disappeared and all that was left was a narcissus flower.

The Constant Struggles of Uber in Taiwan｜May. 6, 2019

This news report was written on May. 6 by Joshua Lan & me.
The following article was written for a course that my friend Joshua and I take. In the end, this assignment was canceled. However, knowing this would be a great topic to cover, I decided to keep it and further expand on the issue here.

A Brief Look into How We Speak｜Mar. 18, 2019

This story was written on Mar. 18 by me.
It’s just fascinating to think about the fact that every individual of us speaks a certain yet very distinct, fully personalized pattern of language, and have an unintentional formulation of choice of words. As far as I know, this happens in people speaking their native language, as well as foreign languages. We all tend to speak, write, and express emotions with a selection of words and phrasings that even we ourselves sometimes aren’t aware of.

Part-Time Tutor? (Part 1)｜Mar. 4, 2019

This story was written on Mar. 4 by me
A couple of weeks before the winter vacation I noticed an article hiring English tutors on Soochow University Facebook group. That got me interested. I handed the information to my girlfriend and said, “This actually looks cool. Do you think I should give it a try?” She said, “Dunno, but I’m definitely gonna give it a try.”

Japanese Lectures｜Nov. 12, 2018

The article was written on Nov. 12 by me.
I feel so fortunate when I meet good professors.

I chose Japanese as my foreign language in school since it’s a requirement to study a second foreign language besides English in our department, at least in our first two years of college. I’ve been interested in learning Japanese since a long long time ago but never put it into practice. Well, to be fair, I did. I looked up methods to study it online and took free courses on my phone and computer. I even read my sister’s Japanese textbooks to pretend that I could suddenly become proficient by reading those books designed for Japanese college students.

Literature, Ah, Literature.｜Oct. 15, 2018

This story was written on Oct. 15 by me.
As part of our work, we are required to read as many pieces of English literature as possible. We’ve seen a lot during Introduction to English and American Literature lecture and if we can, we wish to never see some of those names ever again. Hemingway is so dark, I would get depression if I read anymore piece of his work. Bob Dylan’s music is amazing, and is often full of meanings too, but his songs are just not my type. I’d more prefer modern pop. James Thurber’s works are funny as they are amazing, but it can sometimes be very scary as well, if you understand what the story is really trying to convey. English and American literature, in general, is pretty cool, but it definitely requires some background knowledge and patience to absorb the most.