Job Discussion Forums

sonia12 · Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 13

I�m co-founder of growing start-up OptimalEnglish here in Caracas (please visit our recruitment site www.coachenglish.com and the company�s site www.optimalenglish.com).
I want to encourage everyone to consider moving to Caracas . Despite what you might see in the press, the country is doing well because of oil prices and life in the city is thriving. And of course, the best weather in the world (temperatures ranging between 70 and 80 all year + sun every single day) is here to stay.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

What do you mean, "despite what you may see in the press"? The press has reported that Venezuela had a growth in GNP last year of just under 18% (one of the highest in the world) and this year it's running betwen 10 and 12%.

FYI, it's not the petroleum sector that is responsible for that growth. If you are going to pass yourself off as an expert on Venezuela, you might want to educate yourself about the country first.

Aramas · Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:43 pm Post subject:

Yuk - They teach American English Smile

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Not all that unusual in this hemisphere, where the US State Dept. persists in referring to Latin America as their back patio.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Aramas · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 1:34 am Post subject:

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Aramas · Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 10:53 am Post subject:

I find that odd, since I've never had problems understanding any English speaker, whether they sport the broadest of Glaswegian, Liverpudlian, C o c kney (*snort*), Bermudan, Tanganyikan, Zoomerzet, Canuck or Yank accents or speak the King's English. Nor have they had problems understanding me, but then I have a very neutral middle-class Australian accent and have from time to time been accused of 'not being a real Australian' - or for that matter, being gay Smile

I have, however, had Yanks ask me to translate for them in New Zealand, Tasmania and Queensland.

Perhaps it's only the peasantry who wallow in incomprehension and ignorance Razz

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

http://www.wooldridges.com.au/wooldridges.nsf/docs/160689

JonnytheMann · Joined: 01 Dec 2004 Posts: 337 Location: USA

Aramas, you are way off base. Your comments about US English are clearly motivated by political and cultural hatred. You claim that US English is "English for Dummies". Do you feel that Canadians speak "English for Dummies"? The difference between American and Canadian English is minimal. (Please, guys, no essays expounding the subtle differences between Canadian and US English. Laughing

)

What about Jamaica, Bermuda, Belize, Ireland, Kenya, Malta, India, Singapore, South Africa, Trindad & Tobago, Zimbabwe, etc., etc.? You're deluded if you think the English in all these places is all the same and that you wouldn't need someone to translate for you from time to time.

Read this to expand your ignorant mind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English .... you'll find that some things that Americans do are things that all English speakers used to do. For example, our famous pronunciation of the letter R.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I, for one, do NOT understand Australian English. And given the boorish comments on this forum, I am now even less inclined to try.

snielz · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 165 Location: Buenos Aires

oooh, Aramas, I just want to say that I hate you, too.

Ok, I don�t hate you, but that was a ridiculous thing to say.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Is it fair that 20 million people be written off because of the comments of one person on this forum? As an Australian who enjoys speaking with English speakers from all over the world, and often enjoys most the funny idiosyncracies of different Englishes, I'm quite disappointed by how quickly my countrymen and I are being written off.

What happened to trying to understand each other? Or shall we all just go off to our own little English speaking worlds and become increasingly insular?

I'm not particularly thrilled about what has been said about different Englishes in this post, but I think its really unfair to write those Australians (like me) off who do not agree with the sentiments posted.

Peace.
Lozwich.

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

my hope has been that people don't really mean those things on this thread (and certain others), not seriously anyway... if you look at it that way, it's kind of entertaining...

for instance, i could say something like... "americans also tend to prefer the english accent - especially when accompanied by a handsome english man." first of all, i'm completely making that up.... but it could be more or less true. even so, that doesn't mean that i really think the english accent is superior, or that most americans do, or that it is only fun to hear when it's fun to watch, too, or any other implications that i may or may not be making...

i think/hope that is the attitude that most posters have when they post something like that. either that or they're just trying to get a rise out of others... maybe i'm wrong.