Job Discussion Forums

Richfilth · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Warszawa

For one, biff, the OP said excluding accomodation.
For two, as is often pointed out, teachers in Poland don't make as much as they could do, so they're not cheap, they're frugal.
Thirdly, what's the point in spending more money than you have to? Does paying 18zl for a beer make it taste better?

I dont doubt there are places in all Polish cities to splash your cash, and the general cost of living has gone up, but if you want to burn 1000zl in one night you'd still have to be really determined, or have specific taste in prostitutes; only the stupidest kind of tourist would travel all the way to Poland for the first time and then spend his or her evening drinking in Champions or an Irish bar, eating burgers and quaffing the same regurgitated black muck you can buy in any city in the world.

Harry from NWE · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Posts: 283

Biff: I'm still waiting for that list of places which charge 20 for a Guiness.

Rich: Champions is surprisingly cheap to drink in at the weekends if you stick to the happy hour stuff (i.e house beer and spirits). Unfortunately it is also filled with w@nkers.

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

OK Harry...try Cindy's, Miami's, Cafe Astra etc etc....and then try some of the clubs.
You hang yourself with your own maths.
9ZL=2 Quid=4 Dollars. Tyskie
12ZL= C 2.70=5.40. Franziskaner
15Zl= C3.30=6.60. Murphy's
18ZL= C4 Quid=8 Dollars.
My OP said $4-6.50...my point....Poland is much more expensive than people think. Get a life...just trying to help the poor guy out. I don't think $60 is much of a daily allowance for a HOLIDAY....especially if you're dating.
As for what I spend? Well, that's upto me ain't it?

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

biffinbridge wrote:

"maths".

haha, i'm not one to pick on grammar on this forum, but i gotta ask, maybe it's just me, or a British thing......can you pluralize "math"?

i know you can say, for example, "the sciences", for example, but that would encompass more than one science.......

hmmm.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In British English it is "Maths" (="Mathematics"). If you are teaching English in an international context you really should be familiar with both British and American usage !

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

Scot47,

oh come on. i don't know if you're British or American or what, but what I can tell you is this: If you are British, or anything other than American for that matter, I can promise you that if you sat in on a conversation between my friends and I, you would routinely be missing meanings of words, and hear words/constructions you are unfamiliar with.

To say that because I've never heard of "maths" is some sort of shortcoming of mine as a teacher is just plain old wrong bud.

I work with an American at my school, and a Brit as well. Time and time again, he misses words that are spoken between my American colleague and I. At the same time, I hear words from the Brit that I either never use, or, I probably am missing the true meaning at times.

Po-tay-to - Po-tah-to

nabakow30 · Joined: 25 Jan 2006 Posts: 35 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

somewhere in the middle be the truth...
although it is going away from the thread...

(north) american english usage and british are, inevitably, different. The differences can sometimes be quite significant and dynow is right to point this out.

But certain words (of course, that list is going to be subjective, but could include sidewalk/pavement, pants/trousers or whatever) and their counterparts SHOULD be known by teachers.

maths, or indeed, math, are amongst those words.

oh, and biffin. Where are you getting your exchange rates from?

No.

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

today's currency exchange rates:

Dollar to Zlotych: 1 to 2.16

British Pound to Zlotych: 1 to 4.27

Sgt Bilko · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 136 Location: POLAND

Richfilth · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Warszawa

keeping the pluralising "s" for maths is because mathematics is a plural group, incorporating amongst others algebra, calcula and geometry, but has since become, as bilko said, uncountable.

Dynow, there's no need to become defensive. All vareities of English contain differences but at teaching levels up to Advanced (sorry, EU grade C1/C2) it would be unprofessional not to know a certain amount of international variations - it's so crucial that I can't think of a series of coursebooks that doesn't include it at some level or other. Vocab pairs for school courses, as well as travel, city infrastructure and food (courgette/zucchini, for example) are par for the course.

Of course, no-one cares what Ozzies, Kiwis or Saffas use, because there are no bogans in Poland anyway Wink

We might as well close this thread now, because the OP hasn't been back since he/she posted the question anyway.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Dynow's arrogance goes a long way to explain why Yanks are received with such hostility by the rest of the world, whether Anglophone or not !

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

Yep it's all doom and gloom on the exchange rate front with regard to the overpriced Zloty. I haven't seen an ER like that since 1996. When the banking crisis unravels it'll go back to 5+ or there abouts...I remember studying 'Hysteresis' at uni. The balance of trade hasn't shifted by 25% that's for sure...just plain old speculation as the crisis has screwed the Dollar and Sterling and the Euro is, rightly, the safe bet
As for Dynow Scott, just pity him.....as you know, math/maths has nothing to do with 'grammar', it's simply spelling.

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

Nah Biff, the Zloty and property prices are probably due to all the Poles in the UK sending home funds from all their hard work. Mind you, I'm suffering too in the Eurozone....

Incidentally, I recommend you don't get on to drinking wine. Prices for Franziskaner or whatever probably don't vary too much but wine is another matter....

As for 'maths/math' - I find it surprising that this isn't common knowledge.

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

47 wrote:

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

One has to distinguish between the Brits who live there and the stag dos that go there for weekends 'on the lash'. While being a foreigner no longer has the 'hero status' that it did, the Poles generally still like us and want to work in our country. They also want to take UCLES exams, which are British.
Rightly, the Poles have tightened up on teachers from North America as they are often unqualified, generally inexperienced and from a country that makes it very difficult for Europeans in which to work. As for the Yanks I know in Poznan...they're there for the same reasons as the British males and for the same reasons that Americans go to Mexico for their holidays.
At least Brits don't gib when it comes to a round.