Job Discussion Forums

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

At first, I had to wonder if a bunch of teachers jumped overboard and swam ashore. Now I see that Brits refer to sneakers as 'trainers'. Mexicans call them 'tennis'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4704810.stm

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

'Sneakers'? For sneaking?
I prefer the word 'runners' myself.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Ah, now runners we can use for trainers, or teachers, something like sneakers, as they leave Korea on the redeye to LA.

Dragonlady · Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:05 am Post subject:

deleted

unrelated to TESOL

Dragonlady · Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:22 am Post subject:

deleted

unrelated to TESOL

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

I've ended up calling them 'sports shoes' as 'sneakers', 'trainers', and 'tennis shoes' all seem inadequate.

halif · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 8 Location: my own mind

I always call them "sport related foot apparel" - you know, to make things simple.

some waygug-in · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 339

You really had me going there.....I thought you meant " EFL teacher trainers". Laughing

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

I'm with you Sigmoid.

Though, growing up we always called them "tennis shoes", seems lame now because nobody really played tennis.

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

I really do hope I do not need to explain what plimsolls are

merlin · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:04 pm Post subject:

Doesn't anyone call them "shoes" anymore?

I don't sneak so sneakers are out.
I don't run except for the bus (which I do no matter what I'm wearing) so runners are out.
I haven't done anything athletic besides sex in over 8 years so anything including "athletic" is out.

I have my black shoes, my comfey shoes, my winter boots and my hiking boots ... and of course my sandals.

Why the need for confusion?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

^agreed. I have my work shoes, winter boots, squash shoes, gym shoes and a pair of nikes.*

(oh and my slippers)

* whats it called when a brand takes over the activity? Confused

e.g. I hate hoovering

MELEE · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:48 pm Post subject:

I've been teaching in Mexico for 8 years. For those 8 years I've been telling students, "In English you have to say tennis SHOES, tennis SHOES!, or trainers, but you absolutely can't just call them 'tenis' like you do in Spanish." Now that my darling daughters have a pair, I said to them "Do you want to wear your new tennies?" And I thought, OMG I've been lying to the students all these years.
Okay, so it'd be like teaching them to say "drink it all gone" or "here's your blankie" Embarassed

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

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:52 pm Post subject:

It seems that athletic footwear has different vocab needs the world over. In Catalunya, they call them "Bambas," which is actually a local brand name that went out of business around the time of Franco's death. Interesting, no?

I call them "sports shoes." When I took over this job, the dress code read "no trainers," and half my teachers didn't know what we were talking about. I changed it briefly for "tennis shoes," but nobody here plays tennis, and in any case the other half of our teachers had no idea what was going on.

Sports shoes is inelegant, not the most common term where English is spoken, but completely comprehensible to all.

Regards,
Justin

PS On the subject of brands taking over as the word in common usage, I have an example going the other way. Here in Ecuador, a beer is often referred to as a "biela," which is a corruption of "bien helada," meaning a nice cold one. A few years back, a brand came out. Biela. It's like calling your new beer "A Cold Beer," and seeing who orders it, even without intent.