Job Discussion Forums

[BELS]

I speak rarely now in my native language over the past four years. I now have residency, and no longer have to visa visits.

But last year, on a visa trip I did four weeks teaching English. It was nice to speak to some native English teachers again, although many of them were either Czech or Polish. It was a great experience, but not much money. But I did get free accomadation, food whilst waiting for a delayed invitation.

It's true that while being in Russia, you tend to speak and write in simplified English, especially when you teach from beginner level mainly to young children and teenagers. Yes we speak and write text style English, and we do tend to speak clearly with a low accent.

And we do learn to mix our language. Smartree! look at your books!!
Doma Robota?? Da , where's your homework. Okay!! Doma Robota !! Write it down. Pissayett, Pissayett!! Yes!! write it down!! Daveye!! Daveye. Excuse my guessing on spelling, as my official speller, my wife, is not around

OH! and I do have a lousy Rover Notebook, which is like a 1970s Lada, and that doesn't help. Time for a new computer, on a teacher's salary

My two year old Russian son is also mixing Russian and English, but that's ok, as the good books state that language should be fun, and he does know the difference. Even at two he is joking with his Daddy. No!! Da!!
Nyet! Yes!! Daddy!! No!! Pappa dog!! No! sabaka!!

[BELS]

Eesho!! Eesho! More! More!

[123go]

What in God's name is all that about?

I'm not talking about the transliterated Russian, but the English paragraphs are little short of nonsense - "native English teachers - although many of them were either Czech or Polish" !!

"text style English in a low accent"???

Please! I'm not having a go personally but what are you trying to say?

[rusmeister]

I think he meant that some of the teachers were native, but many were not, and were Czech or Polish).
Although it does point out a practical limit in how much we ought to be able to "let our hair down" in communications in our free time. Oh, and the root for "accommodation" is "commode"; thus an 'o' instead of an 'a'.

Actually BELS, I learn to NOT mix my languages, and it is a tightrope dance, esp. with adults.
With children, I just refuse/pretend to not be able to speak Russian for the first few years. By year four, you HAVE to start dealing with translation, but I've got it down so that before that point I stupidly look things up in a R-E dictionary, make outrageous mistakes, and let the kids correct me. But it's really important to train the kids to use and depend on English.

[Sashadroogie]

Too true, 123go and rusmeister!

I have always thought it so ironic that the most vocal of the posters bemoaning the TEFL industry are usually also the ones who write as though they have barely finished secondary education themselves. Typos are one thing, but obvious inability to spell is quite a serious shortcoming for an English teacher. And if one cannot express oneself in at least basically comprehensible written English, I shudder to think what one's lessons might be like.

But maybe I'm just an old stick-in-the-mud...

[rusmeister]

[BELS]

[BELS]

[Sashadroogie]

Hey, BELS, no you didn't insult me on any forum. Didn't mean to sound insulting to you either, as was commenting on posters generally. But man, if the cap fits... I really do not understand half of what you write...