Job Discussion Forums

[dduck]

[Will.]

I find that quite often the students have already asked around before they ask me so I ask for contributions from the class and assess each with a knowing nod and an uh-huh. This gives me time to formulate a response that is suitable to the level of the class and does not stray into red herring territory. If there is no time left or we are pressed for time I make a note and return to it later. or 1-2-1 after the lesson.
For the most part the questions are not germane to the lesson at hand and in the form of a lateral thinking exercises I respond curtly with The question "Relevant or irrelevant?" and then respond to their reply with a confirmation "Later, ok?" The question will be answered... but not now.

I think the cheapo electronic word machines should be used as doorstops. They create more confusion than they are worth. There are better ways to increase your knowledge of lexis and its origins. We can teach this to our students and wean them off these infernal machines.
Sorry to be such a Luddite but sometime technology does not produce a better version. This is a case in point. (see if that is on the machine)

[Capergirl]

[guest of Japan]

I'd much rather have a student use an electronic dictionary than simply never bother to learn the meaning of a word at all.

Certainly some students get hung up on them, but I think they are quite useful.

They enable students to reach beyond their language boundaries. We as teachers can then refine their new information.

[jud]

Italians like to know why.

For example, why do we use the present perfect for unfinished states (they use the present simple). Actually, there's a good reason, but many students can't make the mental jump from how things are in their language to how things are expressed in English.

Why do we use borrow and lend while they have one word for both actions? Good question. I'm not a linguist, and while I could hypothesize, I don't know why we don't use one word.

Noticing the difference can be interesting for some students. I'm not convinced that it helps them use the forms, though.

I think dictionary time in class is best spent with an English to English dictionary, at any level. I discourage students from using English to Italian dictionaries and don't use them in lessons.

[Wolf]

[dmb]

"Just because. It's English" The best answer ever.

[Lynn]

[dduck]

I like to learn words too. My family used to fight over who could answer the newspaper crossword at home. So, I enjoy fielding the students questions. So far I've learned the the odd word or two from the students.

Iain