Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

Keep in mind that there is a leap from 'high school' level writing and university/professional level writing, which requires instruction regardless of language.

The practice of integrating the work of others appropriately (and legally - beware the plagiarism trap) into one's own writing is a pretty advanced skill. Paraphrasing appropriately in any language is tough.

I have many students who wrote successfully in both their L1 and in English in high school, who struggle in our uni academic writing courses.

Likewise, I've had native English speakers in those classes who also don't understand the subtleties of appropriate tone and register and voice in academic and professional writing.

This is also true at the MA and Phd level in many cases - high-level writing in both academia and professions isn't a 'born' skill. Fortunately for me and my job security

[Justin Trullinger]

Wow. This is the first thread I've ever started that went on for so long.

Or went so far off topic. Never seen anything go this far off topic, to tell you the truth.

About dating students. I'm giving up. I strongly recommend against it for reasons which have now been beaten to death. It IS fairly easy for me to say, I realize, as all my dating is confined to a teacher I met on a training course almost a decade ago, and recently married. I understand that this "rule" (don't date students) I propose may be harder, and less convenient, for those of you who are on the scene and looking for someone to date.

So...just be careful out there, will ya? IF you're gonna date students, keep your eyes open, be careful, and go very very slowly. It can have long term consequences for students, and especially for you and your job. Be careful out there. AND, join a club, join a church, take a language class...make sure you have plenty of things to do outside of work. If you have a full social life outside of the workplace, the issue of dating students is a lot less likely to come up.

About:

[Sashadroogie]

The best way to learn is language is to sleep with it! Forget an electronic translator: get a 'sleeping dictionary'! Works wonders. There is no ceiling ( whether adorned with bedroom vanity mirrors or not) to the learning that will take place once you have a full-scale lover/student tiff, let me tell you!

Seriously, the chemical processes that take place in our brains as we 'negotiate meaning' and 'acquire language' are probably just as mysterious as the chemical processes when we fall in love. Who better to explore the limits with of both areas than a (former) student?

Back on topic and, I hope, linking up main themes. It's my skills in musical compostion, don't you know!

[spiral78]

Go for it
This one's been fun on lotsa levels