[tlhIngan Hol] Suffix-number questions in the KLCP test

[qurgh lungqIj]

On Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 4:43 AM De'vID <de.vid.jonpin at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> And this isn't the first time I've heard complaints about having to put
> numbers on suffixes on the test. I believe I've heard this complaint at
> every Saarbrücken qepHom I've attended.
>
>

I think people complain about it's because it's hard to learn lists of
facts like this, especially if one is more used to learning languages in an
organic way. It's why I failed the first time I took it, and why I spent
the next 12 hours drilling them into my head so I could pass the next day.
Once you have internalized that information, then it becomes a cake walk.
The listing on the KLCP Guidelines page makes learning them pretty easy
IMO.

One of the goals of the KLCP is to "Provide credentials for Linguistics
Officers (HolpIn) for fan clubs". These are people who are supposed to help
others with the language, including teaching the language. The test is
supposed to show that you can do more than just speak the language, that
you also understand how it works well enough to impart that information to
others. If you don't know or understand the suffix ordering, how can
you teach someone else about them?

I see the tests as a test of actual knowledge of the language. It's a test
of book-smarts over a test of practical experience/usage. The suffix
numbers are no less a part of the language than knowing which word for
teacup to use in the correct social situation or how some dialect works. As
someone who has sat for all the tests (many times :D), I've found there are
many more obscure grammar points than suffix numbers in the later tests.
Many times I've gone "Why is this on the test?!? I'd never use this
knowledge!", but then I remember that being an expert means you may need to
know stuff you'll think you'll never use.

qurgh
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