Job Discussion Forums

[MO39]

My early English teaching experiences were in the States with groups of students from many countries, so I quickly learned how to teach using only English in the classroom, with all levels from false beginner to advanced. Thus, when I found myself in mono-lingual classes in Mexico, and later in Spain, I continued the methods I had successfully used in the US (and one summer in London) - English Only in my classroom was my "lema".

[TheLongWayHome]

Making a statement into a question such as: I don't know where is it and I don't know what can I do - these are structures that need to be taught alongside question forming before they get the question word-auxiliary pattern so drilled into their heads that the error is fossilised and almost impossible to correct.

And my other pet peeve - the difference between I don't have and I have not (tener vs. haber) - some students take years to work this one out when it can be easily explained.

[Phil_K]

[MO39]

[kidefl]

[New Haven]

In the night instead of at night. I go out of my house instead of I leave my house. What I can do? instead of What can I do? I have 21 years old instead of I am 21 years old. These errors are all direct translations from L1 and therefore tend to be tough to eradicate, even at the advanced level.

[raulyn]

The type of errors are not just in Mexico.
Living in NYC, I have heard these over and over. But what struck me the most is how Spanish and English are combined here. There is a huge Spanish speaking population here. These immigrants are usually uneducated in their own language. They teach their children. The children learn this horrid form. They talk to each other in Spanish and English. And viola, a nueyorspanglish is created and perpetuated.

Expressions like... English: What does this bring? (What does this device come with? Accessories..etc) What happened? (What did you just say?) and my personal favorite... Thanks God! (Not the imperative.)

Spanish: Llamame p'atras. (Call me back) etc.

This is from people who are born and raised here.

When explaining to my students about grammar, I ask them if they've noticed this permeated form of Spanish. They all nod. I ask if they think it sounds horrible. They all nod. I get my point across.

But Jesus does it make it difficult when all my students hear this corrupted form of English. ....Teacher! I hear people say," ____ " instead of what you're teaching.

[TheLongWayHome]

Or you spend weeks trying to stop them saying, 'You say me' instead of you tell me only for them to hear/remember the Lionel Richie song, 'Say you, say me'... thanks Lionel.

'But is in the song teacher'.

'Lionel Richie writes drivel - what the hell is, 'dancing on the ceiling'. Can you do that?!

[notamiss]

I always thought Lionel Ritchie was singing "Say 'you;' say 'me'" because no other interpretation occurred to me!

[sweeney66]

At the risk of starting a controversy, I must say that I like "learner English."
I find it poetic, and sometimes remarkably apt.
Spanglish was my intro to Spanish, and it got me by when I first arrived here.
It's taken quite seriously as a dialect in NYC, and I would certainly never tell my students that they sound "horrible."
But then, I'm not a prescriptive grammarian.
Check out the poetry of Newyorican Poets Cafe.
Loisiada!

[sweeney66]

OK, I take some of that back.
Calderon just told the US Congress (in English) to "take a decision!" Arrrgh!!!
Who's his English teacher????

[Phil_K]

[TheLongWayHome]

[leslie]

Bye

[sarliz]

This is funny, I just figured out that "take a decision" is the British version while watching Tony Blair on the Daily Show. I figured he had it right, as wacky as it sounds to me.