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Modals
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buravirgil



Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 9:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So, you understood that?
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CANDLES



Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 605
Location: Wandering aimlessly.....

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Haha!!! Plain English is so much easier than sounding pompous, don't you think?
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buravirgil



Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CANDLES wrote:
Haha!!! Plain English is so much easier than sounding pompous, don't you think?
I'll say this comment comes closer than before to expressing your objection to my posts.

Pomposity, or tone, is what you took issue with-- not the literal meanings of the post. Claiming you couldn't understand "a word" of the post was a rhetoric and, in this case, hyperbole. Asserting I might agree with your characterization is, also, rhetorical.

When you can express why the OP's link is, indeed, a reasonable example of a lesson on modals, by all means do.
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bograt



Joined: 12 Nov 2014
Posts: 331

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Anyone who could parse that talking head's syntax would have already used, if not mastered, modals. It is a highly prescriptive and exacting explanation. It's meta. It is a presentation of a particular point of grammar (about), and not with (exercise) or through (method).

Its prescriptive character does lend itself to be used as a reference for review by students at a level of proficiency equal, or greater, than the presenter. Or, as Fluffy says, rule mongering.




Quote:
Buravirgill

I didn't understand a word you wrote????? Was it intentional? Rolling Eyes


It's kind of ironic that the guy who's having a go at the talking head for not grading their language properly, can't seem to manage to do it himself. I assume Burgaville doesn't talk the way he does to his students (although who knows?) so why can't he adapt his style of discourse to better suit an internet forum on which many people have previously made comments like Candles made above?

Perhaps because, like with the youtube clip, sometimes it's more important to come across as high brow and intelligent than to actually convey your message effectively and connect with your audience. Wink
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buravirgil



Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bograt wrote:
I assume Burgaville doesn't talk the way he does to his students (although who knows?) so why can't he adapt his style of discourse to better suit an internet forum on which many people have previously made comments like Candles made above?
Assume is the operative word here.

This forum is not comprised of students. I don't keep track of who addresses my tone, and wonder why you do. Adapting to the complaints of others is an exercise in futility; You can't please everyone.

Stick to the OP. Ignore what you don't like and refute what you can.
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bograt



Joined: 12 Nov 2014
Posts: 331

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Adapting to the complaints of others is an exercise in futility; You can't please everyone


Yep. that's the ideal attitude to have when you're a teacher. Or any job when you're dealing with the public Rolling Eyes

The fact is if you write the way you do on here you're only going to get two reactions.

1) People don't understand what you're saying
2) People understand what you're saying but think you're a dick.

The third possible reaction would be something like 'I love the way Brugaville expresses himself, he'd so erudite and intelligent', but I can't really see that happening to be honest.

If you only want to reach half your target audience and have the other slag you off, then fair enough. Otherwise have a bit of self awareness.
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buravirgil



Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 1:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bograt wrote:
Yep. that's the ideal attitude to have when you're a teacher.
What are you on about? I've criticized a work, or effort, not a person.

The OP is about a presentation/lesson and I have been critical of it in terms familiar to anyone familiar with readings related to TEFL and adequate training. Why are you wildly extrapolating about whether anyone is suited for teaching based on a forum post?

"You're pompous!" And now, "It's so ironic you don't agree with so-and-so that your tone doesn't please X number of people."
"What you say just proves you're not a good _____."

Again, address the OP. Assert something good about the OP as concisely and clearly as you claim I have not, and more so.

In all sincerity, Good luck to you.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I seem to have started a war. That was not my intention. I thought we might have some discussion about how to present Modals.

Last edited by scot47 on Tue Sep 22, 2015 3:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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buravirgil



Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scot47 wrote:
I thought we might have some discussion about how to present Modals.
Yah dig deep into register, example status, and role-play that puppy.
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spiral78



Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 3:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Yep. that's the ideal attitude to have when you're a teacher. Or any job when you're dealing with the public Rolling Eyes


Teachers are not dealing professionally with the public. It is not a sales job where any Joe can walk in off the street.

Unless you produce a free video lesson Laughing
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Free ? I DO NOT LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT.
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OhBudPowellWhereArtThou



Joined: 02 Jun 2015
Posts: 1168
Location: Since 2003

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, folks, but English isn't taught in the US like this.

ESL has co-opted pedagogy to suit its own needs. Sure, modals are taught, but "modal verbs" are NOT taught.

It's like "phrasal verbs". They aren't taught in American English grammar classes.

Sorry.
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They are, however, taught in American ESL classes, art least they are here.


Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe NM

Regards,
John
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buravirgil



Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Posts: 967
Location: Jiangxi Province, China

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou wrote:
ESL has co-opted pedagogy to suit its own needs. Sure, modals are taught, but "modal verbs" are NOT taught.
I think it's an interesting point, though I'm unsure why apologies are in order.

Modals are a class of auxillary verbs, defective, express condition, and are often doubled up in the South. Before I was taught auxillary, the term was helping and that covered just about everything.
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kpjf



Joined: 18 Jan 2012
Posts: 385

PostPosted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 5:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scot47 wrote:
I seem to have started a war. That was not my intention. I thought we might have some discussion about how to present Modals.


Why not tell us how you would present modals then?
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