Job Discussion Forums

[Joeldew]

The concept of �assertiveness� was introduced into our Business English class (banking professionals) and how it could be fashioned into their writing and speech. One VERY confident student shared the following with her classmates:

�Effective today, I want intercourse with the boss�.

I had to excuse myself and leave the room.

Admittedly, from a corporate-climbing perspective, I couldn�t find any fault with that intention. It was certainly one way of gaining a promotion.

She was later informed of the meaning of that word. Needless to say, she was completely embarrassed and very apologetic.

Let's hope that she's a CEO somewhere and attained the position because of other virtues.

*********************************

Taikibansei,

When you stated �She won, by the way�, I�m assuming that the student came first in the competition and certainly NOT in the context that you gave in to her request � �Let's have intercourse together, yes?"


Best regards

[swetepete]

A kid today said "I have black hair and a brown eye."

[guangho]

[John Hall]

In Japan, difficulty with "r" and "l" can cause such gems as "Clinton's upcoming erection," but then there are equally hilarious things that happen with "s" and "sh." I used to have a picture of a sign in Japan that was supposed to say, "Do not sit down." I also remember more than once seeing classified ads in English-language magazines and newspapers in Japan that were supposed to announce that someone was looking for an English-speaking babysitter for their child.

[Sweetsee]

I have a student who always has fresh answers. He entered the classroom last week late and we were in the middle of learning to tell the time. Before he sat down, I asked him if he knew the time and he looked at the clock and repied, "I don't know." Later, I asked him again and he looked at me and said, "Check it yourself!"
Enjoy,
s

[maya.the.bee]

A student today asked me how to use "ray" as a verb.

I had no idea, so I said "maybe it's English"

"...um, I mean British" I blame my cold. But can anyone use "ray" as a verb?

[dmb]

From dictionary.com

[Guy Courchesne]

Normal, everyday verbs eh...

[johnnyenglishteacher]

I once corrected a student's CV for her - apparently she used to work for a Brazilian charity that educated women on AIDS, prostitution and sexual exploration. It now reads sexual exploitation.

[cangringo]

I have a few already...all from Spanish speakers - oh and btw just asked the roommate to say focus (he knows the other word) and it was hilarious...thanks for that. Don't worry he found it funny too...

compact di*ks instead of disks
long johnson - when explaining long johns...when I told her what that meant she had a good giggle

and that same student was trying to get at hen and asked me how to say "the wife of the chicken" - it was funny at the time and she laughed with me

On the other side we made a sign for our home tutoring classes and we had Ingles without the accent which means groin or similar in Spanish so we had a good laught over that as well.

[Venti]

A Japanese student in one of my classes said this about his wife's sleep disorder:

"When she's sleeping, my wife often gives me the violence."

[Malsol]

You think "species" is inappropriate? Why?

Chinese eat raccoon, porcupine, civit, mongoose, snakes of all kinds, dog, cat, rat, bat, tortoise, etc.

http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/Week-of-Mon-20031229/014782.html

[georginachina]

[thelmadatter]

[gaijinalways]

I don't know if I would use the word 'lazy', but as an American I personally think it's a bit much when almost every word can be used as a verb. Then again, if you don't want English to be a dead language, some change is good once in a while, yeah?