Job Discussion Forums

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I was wondering if anyone other than the Kiwis and Aussies would know what that meant- I thought they could probably guess though! It was just what came to mind at the time- I'm glad not all the Kiwi-isms have disappeared from my English after this long in Japan! Wink

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:53 am Post subject:

Sorry to disappoint but its also used in standard UK English.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Ah, wasn't sure if it was one of those phrases we share with the UK or not. There are all kinds of phrases that are common for us but draw a blank if I use them when talking to people from North America- "it really knocked me for a six", or "that threw a spanner in the works, didn't it"- "What's a spanner?" said my Canadian friend.

Anyway, back to eikaiwa vs. ALT Cool

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

not to mention " a six" ???

LOL, long live kiwi English! (even when its not so kiwi!)

Squire22 · Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Shizuoka, Japan

I do ALT work, and I'm not sure I could even imagine doing Eikaiwa work. I teach lessons in the mornings and play sports in the afternoons. I join in the random activities, go to sports day, chorus festival day etc. And I get paid for it (I mean this in an "I can't believe I get paid to do this " kind of way). I get my weekends and long holidays. I can't quite imagine switching to an eikaiwa schedule of teaching all day from 1 - 10pm, and doing nothing else but teach and prep lessons. Eikaiwa people seem to be lucky if they get two consecutive days off, and they seem never to be both Saturday and Sunday together. Not sure that would be for me.

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:16 am Post subject:

True enough. There are many idioms and terms (especially sports based) that confuse those from the US or Canada. Anything from cricket or rugby normally earns me a few strange looks.
But to be fair when one of my collegues was telling me about a "fender-bender" he had on the way to a "gridiron" match, I was even beginning to suspect that we weren't speaking the same language.
And don't get me started on their grammar or spelling Evil or Very Mad

I had to learn US standard as I was often asked to work with students who were off to college there or trying to get jobs in companies that work very closely with companies in the US... not fun!

But I'm just making a mountain out of a mole hill here Embarassed

I'll admit, many of those old sayings are becoming less well known amongst the younger generation here. And I swear I don't understand the half of what comes out the little yobs' mouths (not that I particularly want to). So perhaps in a few years you'll get to call them Kiwi-isms.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

seklarwia · Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:21 pm Post subject:

elkarlo · Joined: 08 Dec 2008 Posts: 240 Location: Maryland

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

I was too serious yesterday. Great to find this thread!

"...that threw a spanner in the works, didn't it" Hah! I only knew what a "spanner" is, because I learned the word from a Japanese carpenter (they use it as a loan-word). In America, we'd say "wrench." But we do have the almost the same idiom: "That threw a monkey wrench into it." We also say, "knock off" for stopping work for the day, or before a break, etc. I wonder where that expression originated?
My favorite expression which Americans don't have, but should adapt? "Poofter." Not in its primary usage as a derogatory term for gay men, but just as a general derogatory term for any male. It's hilarious. As in, "Hey, Bon Jovi! You're a poofter!"(actually shouted out by a British friend of a friend to John Bon Jovi, even while said shouter was dropping his pants in public, so as to expose his buttocks to JBJ).

JL · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 241 Location: Las Vegas, NV USA

Suddenly, the silence on this thread is deafening.
All because of little ol' me and my uncouth post? Crying or Very sad

(

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Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

maybe. Or maybe not JL.
Got my interview with Clark County in early March.

Back on topic.
I had to teach classes for the CAE exam for a year in Poland.
Sometimes I would think to myself, hey that's wrong! But later realized that it was just British English.

I taught British English with a American accent. I just had to take a little time.
It wasn't automatic. At least I didn't have to teach grammar.

with British business English there are some differences with vocabulary.

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

flyer · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 539 Location: Sapporo Japan

talking about ALT dispatch;

How much paper work do you have to do? I heard somewhere you have to send in papers (info) on all the lessons?
what does this involve? how long does it take?

I am a private ALT, I don't do anything like that