|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
merlin
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 582
Location: Somewhere between Camelot and NeverNeverLand
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:04 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| Quote: |
| When I'm feeling a bit cynical, I sometimes seem to think that the ESL world is simply one gigantic 'sheltered workshop' - for those who can't 'fit in', back in 'normal' society ! |
Yes, if your a cynic. And if you aren't you could see that we're at the forefront of human evolution: multicultural, multilingual, flexible, adaptive, and so on. I think something happens to the brain during culture shock that's positively beneficial over the long term. It forces us into lateral thinking modes. We have to think about the same thing in two ways (or get drunk and high and forget about it) then we move to a third country and are forced to accept a third dimension, then a fourth. Then we go back to the beginning and we see it in a different way.
So from my point of view nonconformist is a good thing - we need more independent thinkers who follow thoughts with action and even major life changes.
I also believe this is the reality of the future - upheaval and fluidity. Those best able to deal with it will prosper. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Magoo
Joined: 31 Oct 2003
Posts: 651
Location: Wuhan, China
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
quote]"He'll be wanting to learn Hungarian next!" [/quote]
Sounds more like Irish English, as in,"Ye'll be after wantin' soda bread wit dat." (Before the Irish start attacking me for that 'slur', I have a great friend in London who speaks just like that. Born in Neasden, weirdly enough  ). I lived with an Irish Traveller family for 3 months, before I came back to China, and this was very common. "What do you want, now?"="Waddya wantin', ye owld @#%*^& b@stard?". It sounded rough, but there was a certain poetry to it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Chris_Crossley
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 12:59 pm Post subject: "Be wanting to" and "want to" |
|
|
| Magoo wrote: |
| Chris_Crossley wrote: |
| "He'll be wanting to learn Hungarian next!" |
Sounds more like Irish English, as in,"Ye'll be after wantin' soda bread wit dat." |
It's certainly true that the Irish appear to use "be wanting to" far more than the British do, but, as far as I know, this is a valid construction in Standard British English (SBE), too, as an alternative to "want to", suggesting a slightly stronger emphasis. In SBE, one could ask "Will you be wanting soda with that?" as opposed to "Will/Do you want soda with that?" Again, I think that "be wanting" conveys more emphasis than "want" in this context. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Antaraaaa
Joined: 04 May 2004
Posts: 120
Location: Dublin, Ireland
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 1:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I lived with an Irish Traveller family for 3 months, before I came back to China, and this was very common. "What do you want, now?"="Waddya wantin', ye owld @#%*^& b@stard?". It sounded rough, but there was a certain poetry to it. |
LOL Magoo!
I so agree. I have spent alot of my life in Ireland ( LOVE IT!) and I have heard one hell of a lot of "poetry".
I wish could sound like that when I swear. I tend to scare people,
Ant |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Posts: 4946
Location: Blabbing
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
Like another poster said, ESL teachers come from a varied background. Just like everyday people, there are good people, bad people. Workaholics, and lazy. Handsome, and lazy. Thin, and fat.
You can't say "All or most ESL teachers are ______ [ fill in the blank ]. Such a general sweeping statement would be ignorant at best.
People are people. Period.
moonraven wrote:
| Quote: |
| The decent ones I liked have been such a small minority that I normally choose to avoid ESL teachers. |
So, I suppose you have a difficult time with all people everywhere.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Seth
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 575
Location: in exile
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 5:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| The decent ones I liked have been such a small minority that I normally choose to avoid ESL teachers. |
i'm willing to bet it's the other way around. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
moonraven
Joined: 24 Mar 2004
Posts: 3094
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I WISH that were the case--it would save me a LOT of trouble. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stephen Jones
Joined: 21 Feb 2003
Posts: 4124
|
| Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
The continous is very common in Welsh as well. It seems to be a feature of Celtic languages.
One of my grandmother's favourite comments was "It's pouring raining." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
