Job Discussion Forums

seanaway · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 32

Good job trying to get us to think about this stuff, but next time don't forget the full stops.

Just for you Sigmoid.................................................................. Wink

I think the same could be said for a number of teachers and teacher trainers as well.

I agree with you Tim (Sorry, called you Ben b4) Embarassed

Anyone like to try this out with your Inters and give some feedback here?
I'd be interested to hear other people's experiences with this.

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

At the level where students are comparing Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous especially, the issue is more about ear training than anything. Is it right? LISTEN to it, don't just read or write it. Does it say what you want it to say? Then it's right.

I've been teaching for twenty years.
I've been a teacher for twenty years.
At this level especially, they should be able to tell that it doesn't matter, in the same sense that they should understand the difference between:

Dinosaus have walked on the earth.
Dinosaurs have been walking on the earth.

Sometimes (and alarmingly more often than grammar and ESL teachers like to admit, even to themselves), grammar doesn't matter. And I see no reason not to teach this. It's ENGLISH, not MATHS! As a moment's reflection should show them, the Ss' own languages have the same issues, and this is one point at which it's not a bad idea to point it out, if you know enough of the native language in question.

To address the original question - it doesn't matter, and this is why. Tell the student to relax, listen, and use English to communicate. Don't get so hung up on "solving" the "equation."

seanaway · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 32

Tell the student to relax, listen, and use English to communicate. Don't get so hung up on "solving" the "equation."

Couldn't agree more!

Johanna · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Adelaide, Australia

I don't know if I'm going out on a limb here, and perhaps I am given the energy people seem to have been putting into the idea that the wrongness is all about the grammar but here I go:

Could it possibly be wrong because the student has come up with two sentences sitting by themselves without any context so that before you can make any decisions about which is correct or more appropriate or what ever you will need to enter into a long negotiation about what the meaning they want to express is?

Obviously you will let me know if I am barking up the wrong tree.