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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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 Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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Good points. Now run that by your students. 
I'll only cite phrasal verbs as the thorn in the side on relative easy grammar to learn. |
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Perpetual Traveller
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 651
Location: In the Kak, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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Another point in English's favour is that the alphabet is shared by so many other languages. I think this is one of the main reasons that is it always likely to be favoured over such languages as Chinese and Arabic. Somehow I just can't see the rest of the world knuckling down to learn all... just how many Chinese characters are there anyway?!? 
Here's a link that talks about the importance of teaching English, just in case anyone needs a little ego massage 
http://iteslj.org/Articles/Kitao-WhyTeach.html For those who can't be bothered reading the whole article, it also makes the point that while English is not the widely spoken language in the world it is the most widespread with an estimated 350, 000, 000 native speakers and a further 400, 000, 000 speakers of English as a second language. That would sure take some changing!
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stillnosheep
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| Good points. Now run that by your students. |
I have done - though in ever so slightly simplified versions:
For the advanced: "English is simplified German with French and Latin knobs on. Languages change over time. The upper classes had more education and tried to keep the language complicated. In England the upper classes in England spoke Latin and French and so English could quickly change and become simpler.
"English is German with French and Latin knobs on" for the intermediates,
and for the elementaries: "Hello. My name is stillnosheep. What is your name?" |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Is that Greek knob broken again? |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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| dmb wrote: |
| Is that Greek knob broken again? |
Is that a punchline to one of Biff's jokes? |
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stillnosheep
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| dmb wrote: |
| Is that Greek knob broken again? |
Not broken, just not as big, though highly polished. |
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Perpetual Traveller
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 651
Location: In the Kak, Japan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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But is it chromed? All the serious knobs are chromed...
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