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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 3:55 am Post subject: Materials Development |
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My objection in my previous post requires explanation.
Say you make lessons for other teachers from the USA, and you are from the UK.
It is ok to use phrases that are common in your country but one should realize that people from North America could find them unusual and would not want to teach them.
"Oh dear" is just the latest in a long list of times where said teacher used what is common in his country, but would not be used in North America. If "Oh dear" is followed by (UK) in the plan I would not object, as a couple other teachers are from the UK as well, and they will teach British English.
As the students at my school who study abroad tend to go to the US,
well, those students should learn American English.
At times vocabulary used in the lessons was British and teachers from North America were forced to make changes. As a teacher who can be busy, it just adds to the workload. |
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buravirgil
Joined: 23 Jan 2014 Posts: 967 Location: Jiangxi Province, China
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 5:08 am Post subject: Re: Materials Development |
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mitsui wrote: |
My objection in my previous post requires explanation |
Starting another thread was nonsensical.
And so is your explanation of a trifling. No, a triviality.
Was that harsh? That was harsh. |
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spiral78

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:39 am Post subject: |
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Say you make lessons for other teachers from the USA, and you are from the UK. |
Oh, dear, the differences between UK and US English don't diminish clarity, meaning, understanding. Why even bother to make a distinction?
I've never understood why anyone gets his/her knickers in a twist about this (I'm American by birth, btw). Especially given that most of us live and work in non-Anglophone regions where there are far more challenging 'problems' communicating in English on a daily basis than the differences between UK and US English. |
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buravirgil
Joined: 23 Jan 2014 Posts: 967 Location: Jiangxi Province, China
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:56 am Post subject: |
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spiral78 wrote: |
I've never understood why anyone gets his/her knickers in a twist about this (I'm American by birth, btw). |
I'm an American and can't parse twisted knickers. Take a clue from Sarah P. and just say knotted (and/or wadded) panties for crying out loud. |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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There's nothing "British-only" about oh dear. It's an acceptable usage, is it not? I would not worry about the differences unless significant and immediately relevant (unless it's a specific activity, for example, differences between BrE and AmE for high-intermediate or advanced speakers). |
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Xie Lin

Joined: 21 Oct 2011 Posts: 731
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Say you make lessons for other teachers from the USA, and you are from the UK.
It is ok to use phrases that are common in your country but one should realize that people from North America could find them unusual and would not want to teach them.
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Good grief. Easy enough to avoid if it bothers some overly sensitive teacher. Plenty of (more useful) language left to teach.
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nomad soul

Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2015 2:58 pm Post subject: Re: Materials Development |
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mitsui wrote: |
At times vocabulary used in the lessons was British and teachers from North America were forced to make changes. As a teacher who can be busy, it just adds to the workload. |
Is admin "forcing" teachers to make these unnecessary changes? Or is this a decision you and your colleagues are making on your own?
I'm with the other posters on this one. This isn't a big deal; it's not unusual to end up teaching either English exclusively. If anything, spelling differences are pointed out, but that's no biggie either.
As for "oh, dear," just include it in context so that the students understand how/when it's expressed. No need to actually "teach" it. |
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Shakey
Joined: 29 Aug 2014 Posts: 199
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 7:09 am Post subject: |
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I can't stand British English or even the sound of a British accent. That aside, yes, I would find it irritating, as an American, to have to spend time explaining to my students that only 80 year old grandmas say, "Oh! Dear!"
Speak American! |
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spiral78

Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 8:28 am Post subject: |
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[/quote]I can't stand British English or even the sound of a British accent. That aside, yes, I would find it irritating, as an American, to have to spend time explaining to my students that only 80 year old grandmas say, "Oh! Dear!"
Speak American![quote]
There's a post that embodies the true spirit of EFL - fostering international communication between people speaking different languages  |
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gregory999

Joined: 29 Jul 2015 Posts: 372 Location: 999
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 10:15 am Post subject: |
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Shakey wrote: |
I can't stand British English or even the sound of a British accent. That aside, yes, I would find it irritating, as an American, to have to spend time explaining to my students that only 80 year old grandmas say, "Oh! Dear!"
Speak American! |
Oh là là, he speaks American!  |
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sunrader
Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 101
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Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2015 11:57 am Post subject: British vs American |
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I'm an American, working for more than 3 years in Central and South Central Asia (in fact, as a materials designer) where I've learned some British and American differences in terms, but I still agree it's not a big deal at all. When I run into Americans or Brits who think it's a big deal, it always seems to be about something that they would understand if they had a higher level of English themselves. In short, the varieties aren't that different at a higher level, except for some use of terms, a wee bit of pronunciation and spelling, and that thing with the full stop/period in or out of the quotation marks, all simple things to show people, and with the internet, many, many learners will encounter a mix of both, and need to understand both, anyway. |
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wangdaning
Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 2:22 am Post subject: |
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Just beware of the word fanny and your fine. I had a funny comment with that, but I don't think it is in good taste, so I will allow you to create your own. |
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buravirgil
Joined: 23 Jan 2014 Posts: 967 Location: Jiangxi Province, China
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 4:02 am Post subject: |
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wangdaning wrote: |
Just beware of the word fanny and your fine. |
Good advice, but what's this about a fee? |
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johnslat

Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 13859 Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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And American girls be aware that "I'll knock you up tomorrow morning" said by a British guy may not mean what you think.
Regards,
John |
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gregory999

Joined: 29 Jul 2015 Posts: 372 Location: 999
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