Speaking Sep 9

Describe a person who likes to make things by hand (e.g. toys, furniture)

Well, I’m going to describe Tom, a senior PhD in our department who spends weekends hand-soldering circuits and building analog synthesizers and mechanical keyboards. I met him in a reading group on quantum field theory, and later in the dorm he showed me a current-limited bench power supply he’d assembled from discrete components, with an aluminium case he milled himself and small 3D-printed jigs to keep switches perfectly aligned.

He enjoys making things by hand because material literacy matters to him—knowing component tolerances, thermal behaviour, and failure modes. He also values independence from black-box devices: when something breaks, he diagnoses it, replaces a capacitor, and the instrument lives on. There is a sustainability angle too; refurbishing and modding extend the service life of hardware and reduce electronic waste.

I must say I find his approach deeply instructive. Under his guidance I assembled a simple constant-current driver; the exercise improved my experimental discipline—documenting every change, calibrating instruments, and respecting error propagation. Beyond the gadgets, he’s taught me that embodied knowledge—what your hands learn—can sharpen theoretical reasoning as much as any textbook. At the end of the day, his bench is a classroom in rigour, restraint, and repairability.

Well, I’m going to describe Tom, a senior PhD in our department who spends weekends hand-soldering circuits and building analog synthesizers and mechanical keyboards.
/wel aɪm ˈɡəʊ.ɪŋ tuː dɪˈskraɪb haʊ eɪ ˈsiː.ni.ə ˌpiː.eɪtʃˈdiː ɪn ˈaʊə dɪˈpɑːt.mənt huː spendz ˌwiːkˈendz hænd ˈsɒl.dər.ɪŋ ˈsɜː.kɪts ænd ˈbɪl.dɪŋ ˈæn.ə.lɒɡ ˈsɪn.θə.saɪ.zəz ænd məˈkæn.ɪ.kəl ˈkiː.bɔːdz/

I met him in a reading group on quantum field theory, and later in the dorm he showed me a current-limited bench power supply he’d assembled from discrete components, with an aluminium case he milled himself and small 3D-printed jigs to keep switches perfectly aligned.
/aɪ met hɪm ɪn eɪ ˈriː.dɪŋ ɡruːp ɒn ˈkwɒn.təm fiːld ˈθɪə.ri ænd ˈleɪ.tə ɪn ðə dɔːm hiː ʃəʊd miː eɪ ˈkʌr.ənt ˈlɪm.ɪ.tɪd bentʃ ˈpaʊ.ə səˈplaɪ hiːd əˈsembld frɒm dɪˈskriːt kəmˈpəʊ.nənts wɪð æn ˌæl.jʊˈmɪn.i.əm keɪs hiː mɪld hɪmˈself ænd smɔːl θriː diː ˈprɪn.tɪd dʒɪɡz tuː kiːp ˈswɪtʃ.ɪz ˈpɜː.fɪkt.li əˈlaɪnd/

He enjoys making things by hand because material literacy matters to him—knowing component tolerances, thermal behaviour, and failure modes.
/hiː ɪnˈdʒɔɪz ˈmeɪ.kɪŋ θɪŋz baɪ hænd bɪˈkɒz məˈtɪə.ri.əl ˈlɪt.ər.ə.si ˈmæt.əz tuː hɪm ˈnəʊ.ɪŋ kəmˈpəʊ.nənt ˈtɒl.ər.əns.ɪz ˈθɜː.məl bɪˈheɪ.vjə ænd ˈfeɪ.ljə məʊdz/

He also values independence from black-box devices: when something breaks, he diagnoses it, replaces a capacitor, and the instrument lives on.
/hiː ˈɔːl.səʊ ˈvæl.juːz ˌɪn.dɪˈpen.dəns frɒm blæk bɒks dɪˈvaɪ.sɪz wen ˈsʌm.θɪŋ breɪks hiː ˌdaɪ.əɡˈnəʊ.zɪz ɪt rɪˈpleɪ.sɪz eɪ kəˈpæs.ɪ.tə ænd ðiː ˈɪn.strə.mənt lɪvz ɒn/

There is a sustainability angle too; refurbishing and modding extend the service life of hardware and reduce electronic waste.
/ðeə ɪz eɪ səˌsteɪ.nəˈbɪl.ə.ti ˈæŋ.ɡəl tuː rɪˈfɜː.bɪʃ.ɪŋ ænd ˈmɒd.ɪŋ ɪkˈstend ðiː ˈsɜː.vɪs laɪf ɒv ˈhɑːd.weə ænd rɪˈdjuːs ɪˌlekˈtrɒn.ɪk weɪst/

I must say I find his approach deeply instructive.
/aɪ mʌst seɪ aɪ faɪnd hɪz əˈprəʊtʃ ˈdiːp.li ɪnˈstrʌk.tɪv/

Under his guidance I assembled a simple constant-current driver; the exercise improved my experimental discipline—documenting every change, calibrating instruments, and respecting error propagation.
/ˈʌn.də hɪz ˈɡaɪ.dəns aɪ əˈsem.bld eɪ ˈsɪm.pəl ˈkɒn.stənt ˈkʌr.ənt ˈdraɪ.və ðiː ˈek.sə.saɪz ɪmˈpruːvd maɪ ɪkˌsper.ɪˈmen.təl ˈdɪs.ə.plɪn ˈdɒk.jʊ.men.tɪŋ ˈev.ri tʃeɪndʒ ˈkæl.ɪ.breɪ.tɪŋ ˈɪn.strə.mənts ænd rɪˈspek.tɪŋ ˈer.ə ˌprɒp.əˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

Beyond the gadgets, he’s taught me that embodied knowledge—what your hands learn—can sharpen theoretical reasoning as much as any textbook.
/bɪˈjɒnd ðiː ˈɡædʒ.ɪts hiːz tɔːt miː ðæt ɪmˈbɒd.id ˈnɒl.ɪdʒ wɒt jɔː hændz lɜːn kæn ˈʃɑː.pən ˌθɪəˈret.ɪ.kəl ˈriː.zən.ɪŋ æz mʌtʃ æz ˈeni ˈtekst.bʊk/

At the end of the day, his bench is a classroom in rigour, restraint, and repairability.
/æt ðiː end ɒv ðiː deɪ hɪz bentʃ ɪz eɪ ˈklɑːs.ruːm ɪn ˈrɪɡ.ə rɪˈstreɪnt ænd rɪˌpeə.rəˈbɪl.ə.ti/

part3

Are traditional handicrafts important to tourism?

Well, I think traditional handicrafts are crucial because they anchor a destination’s place identity. When travellers encounter region-specific crafts—blue-and-white ceramics in Jingdezhen or Suzhou embroidery—they perceive authentic cultural capital rather than a generic retail strip. That uniqueness strengthens destination branding, increases dwell time, and supports a broader value chain: workshops, guided demonstrations, museums, and specialised retail. In other words, handicrafts convert intangible heritage into a differentiated visitor experience, which raises spend per visitor without resorting to mass entertainment. At the end of the day, tourism becomes more than consumption; it becomes cultural participation.

Well, I think traditional handicrafts are crucial because they anchor a destination’s place identity.
/wel aɪ θɪŋk trəˈdɪʃ.ən.əl ˈhæn.dɪ.krɑːfts ɑː ˈkruː.ʃəl bɪˈkɒz ðeɪ ˈæŋ.kə eɪ ˌdes.tɪˈneɪ.ʃənz pleɪs aɪˈden.tɪ.ti/

When travellers encounter region-specific crafts—blue-and-white ceramics in Jingdezhen or Suzhou embroidery—they perceive authentic cultural capital rather than a generic retail strip.
/wen ˈtræv.əl.əz ɪnˈkaʊn.tə ˈriː.dʒən spəˈsɪf.ɪk krɑːfts bluː ænd waɪt səˈræm.ɪks ɪn ˌdʒɪŋ.dɪˈdʒen ɔː ˌsuːˈdʒəʊ ɪmˈbrɔɪ.dər.i ðeɪ pəˈsiːv ɔːˈθen.tɪk ˈkʌl.tʃər.əl ˈkæp.ɪ.təl ˈrɑː.ðə ðæn eɪ dʒəˈner.ɪk ˈriː.teɪl strɪp/

That uniqueness strengthens destination branding, increases dwell time, and supports a broader value chain: workshops, guided demonstrations, museums, and specialised retail.
/ðæt juːˈniːk.nəs ˈstreŋ.θənz ˌdes.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən ˈbræn.dɪŋ ɪnˈkriː.sɪz dwel taɪm ænd səˈpɔːts eɪ ˈbrɔː.də ˈvæl.juː tʃeɪn ˈwɜːk.ʃɒps ˈɡaɪ.dɪd ˌdem.ənˈstreɪ.ʃənz mjuːˈziː.əmz ænd ˈspeʃ.ə.laɪzd ˈriː.teɪl/

In other words, handicrafts convert intangible heritage into a differentiated visitor experience, which raises spend per visitor without resorting to mass entertainment.
/ɪn ˈʌð.ə wɜːdz ˈhæn.dɪ.krɑːfts kənˈvɜːt ɪnˈtændʒ.ə.bəl ˈher.ɪ.tɪdʒ ˈɪn.tuː eɪ ˌdɪf.əˈren.ʃi.eɪ.tɪd ˈvɪz.ɪ.tə ɪkˈspɪə.ri.əns wɪtʃ ˈreɪ.zɪz spend pɜː ˈvɪz.ɪ.tə wɪˈðaʊt rɪˈzɔː.tɪŋ tuː mæs ˌen.təˈteɪn.mənt/

At the end of the day, tourism becomes more than consumption; it becomes cultural participation.
/æt ðiː end ɒv ðiː deɪ ˈtʊə.rɪ.zəm bɪˈkʌmz mɔː ðæn kənˈsʌmp.ʃən ɪt bɪˈkʌmz ˈkʌl.tʃər.əl pɑːˌtɪs.ɪˈpeɪ.ʃən/

What are the benefits for students to learn to make things by hand?

Why do many children like to make things by hand?

Are there any traditional handicrafts in your hometown?

Is it reasonable to charge a high price for handmade things?

How does modern technology change the handicraft industry?