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muffintop
Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 803
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 Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2014 5:10 am Post subject: |
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Let's not get petty here. I think we can all agree that if students have more tools at their disposal...it's a good thing. If they start using crazy words they can't pronounce..stop them. Make it a rule of thumb...if you can't say it, don't write it.
I know every time I hear the words 'delicious' or 'happy' I want to smack people with a thesaurus. |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:24 am Post subject: |
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I've just been reminded of another cliche, words from a recruiter:
the university in taiyuan, teacher wants u a lot, and as you know, the salary is really high for an english teacher in university, do you want a try?. i think maybe you can try first.... |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| "have a try" |
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MisterButtkins
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 1221
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| Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| choudoufu wrote: |
that's awesome! they can use a thesaurus!
you think they're gonna pick the appropriate word?
of course not! they're gonna select the longest word
or phrase, cause it looks more educateder.
once upon a time, your students may have written:
"i want to speak with foreigners."
but no more! now they have a new tool! now they write:
"myself covet en route for verbalize in the midst of aliens." |
Yeah, this.
| Quote: |
| So let me get this straight. We want our non-native English-speaking students to expand the English vocabulary they use in (mostly) writing. We have two tools available which will help them do that. But showing our students how to use those tools and encouraging them to do so is “basically useless” when their vocabulary isn't large enough. And if we want them to start using these tools we have to teach them concepts that a native speaker would look at you in mouth-agape wonder if you asked them about. And it ends up being a waste of time because they might use these tools imprecisely. |
Yeah, this too. Good to know people understand where I'm coming from. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:30 am Post subject: |
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| Shroob wrote: |
I've just been reminded of another cliche, words from a recruiter:
the university in taiyuan, teacher wants u a lot, and as you know, the salary is really high for an english teacher in university, do you want a try?. i think maybe you can try first.... |
No caps! Is that recruiter e e cummings or something?
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
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Trevor Wadlow
Joined: 14 Oct 2007
Posts: 103
Location: china
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:08 am Post subject: Cliches used by Chinese students in their writing |
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"With the development of science and Technology."
"A bright future."
'A double edged sword." |
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muffintop
Joined: 07 Jan 2013
Posts: 803
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:17 am Post subject: |
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I named my school 'Bright Future'
.........
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:26 am Post subject: Re: Cliches used by Chinese students in their writing |
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| Trevor Wadlow wrote: |
"With the development of science and Technology."
"A bright future."
'A double edged sword." |
+1
Indeed--definitely all of these. I come across these rather often.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:26 am Post subject: |
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| muffintop wrote: |
I named my school 'Bright Future'
.........
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Warm regards,
fat_chris |
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DCHun
Joined: 06 May 2013
Posts: 51
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| LarssonCrew wrote: |
The worst thing with 'as everyone knows' is they use it for obscure Chinese things that only Chinese would know.
Then they use it for things like IELTS speaking:
'My favourite actor is Sum Ting Wong, as everyone knows he was in the Chinese move 'movie name', and is very handsome. His name is the same as the king from the 'insert time period here.' who 'insert bullshit propaganda here.'
Then I'm open mouthed because I didn't know any of those things, and checking with other foreigners, they have no clue. YET, these people don't know who David Beckham is, or who the Queen is. |
erhmagawd!! These people don't even know who David Beckham is?
As everyone knows, everyone knows who David Beckham is... |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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| As everyone knows, everyone knows who David Beckham is... |
I didn't. Now I do. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003
Posts: 3198
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| johntpartee wrote: |
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| As everyone knows, everyone knows who David Beckham is... |
I didn't. Now I do. |
Eez dat lovely chap dat played fer LA Galaxy a while back whut whut whut.
Warm regards,
fat_chris |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:28 am Post subject: |
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| johntpartee wrote: |
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| As everyone knows, everyone knows who David Beckham is... |
I didn't. Now I do. |
He's that guy they use to advertise condoms, despite his having four kids. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:07 am Post subject: |
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| MisterButtkins wrote: |
| Bud Powell wrote: |
A lot of these are carryovers from their Chinese oral English classes. The idiotic phrases are used to buy time for them to gather their words together. |
You realize that everyone does this to some extent, right? This is the purpose of hesitators like 'uh' or 'umm' as well as filler phrases like 'you know?'. |
I am well-aware of this, but I have never seen this sort of speech act offered as a strategy in any foreign language textbook except a Chinese textbook (at least not Arabic, French, German or even English authored by a native speaker). But then, I've seen other things in China that I've never seen anywhere else.
I've noticed that the better speakers eventually drop these acquired habits. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2014 1:12 am Post subject: |
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| You better [do something] instead of You should |
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