Job Discussion Forums

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:36 am Post subject:

EFL peeve: why, oh why do course book publishers insist on giving the listening material module code numbers? E.g. 'listening 5.17'. It is so, so much easier to just print the CD track number in the course book.

The only book I've seen doing this is MacMillan's Telephone English by J. Hughes. Very clever! An Order of Lenin for you.

But at least we have finally seen off the days of the tape cassette, and the hours and hours wasted trying to cue up the right listening text.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I agree about the codes. I think it's because there are often multiple cds for one book, so the track numbers would repeat throughout the book. (I just gave an IELTS preactice test)

But at least the days of listening to whirring tape are over! What a waste of time that was -

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:39 am Post subject:

Another EFL peeve: why oh why do some wrecker-teachers leave the board marker cap off the marker? I feel a proclamation coming on - one that will order the liquidation of the perpetrators of any further acts of sabotage....

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:45 am Post subject:

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:47 am Post subject:

Speaking of techie things past, any one ever used one of those old hand-cranked carbon-copiers which used carbon-paper? They peeved!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 7:53 am Post subject:

Ah, 76! The peeves are just rolling by! The march towards our Hegelian determined destiny gathers pace! So let's listen to a nice stirring march:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbIa4h94R-E

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:11 am Post subject:

EFL learner peeve: why is respecting the rules of turn-taking so hard for certain learners?

Yes, yes it varies from country to country, but there is, to my knowledge, no culture that is completely without some system. So, the next learner who cuts across me when I'm answering their question gets a fat lip. Those are the new rules. Respect them!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 10:27 am Post subject:

'Momento' and 'memento'. Grrrrr!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 10:47 am Post subject:

A link. It is 'interesting': http://stancarey.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/mind-your-peeves-and-cures/

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 12:39 pm Post subject:

'Slough'. A peeve. Not only is the name simply horrid....

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Another peeve:

Writing s/he instead of "she or he" or "he or she."

s/he (shēˈər-hēˈ, shēˈhēˈ)
pron.
Used as a gender-neutral alternative to he or she.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:34 pm Post subject:

Dear Sasha,

"'Slough'. A peeve. Not only is the name simply horrid...."

But in the right context, it seem to me to fit:

The Slough of Despond

"'This miry Slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore is it called the Slough of Despond: for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place; and this is the reason of the badness of this ground."

"The Pilgrim's Progress" John Bunyan

But then, I must admit I'm a slough learner.

Regards,
John

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

Wasn't Slough the town in which The Office was located on TV? I loved that town. Didn't peeve me one bit.