Job Discussion Forums

[arioch36]

I am doing my best to stamp out the use of "sth." in China. Somewhere, somehow, some foreigner taught the Chinese that sth is okay to write instead of something. So Chinese teachers use this, textbooks use this, and of course, my students want to use this "word". Even in their written essays. This is aceptable to Chinese teachers.


That, and the dreaded "and so on". Is this only a problem in China? The Chinese, even those with "proper" english will always abuse and misuse the use of "and so on"

Example : China TV (CCTV9) Documentaries

"There are many cities in Henan that once hosted ancient capitals, such as Luoyang, Kaifeng, Anyang, Nanyang, Zhengzhou, Xinyang, and so on.


HELP!!!

[denise]

My students do it, too--even after I made it a rule for their papers, I still got several "and so ons."

Other problem words (more spoken than written): ask a student how he or she is doing, and the answer is always "so-so." If they enjoy something, it is always "interesting."



d

[johnslat]

Dear arioch36,

"Somewhere, somehow, some foreigner taught the Chinese that sth is okay to write instead of something."

I wonder if it didn't all start with a miscommunication, seeing as "sth" is used so extensively in so many dictionaries:

STUDENT: Teacher, what this "sth" in dictionary mean?"

TEACHER: Oh, that means "something".

STUDENT (thinks): (Ah, if dictionary use it, MUST be GOOD.)

Regards,
John

[Kitegirl]

Things that drive me barkers in my Business Writing textbook.

- Constant use of "gonna' and "wanna"
- At the beginning of sentences - But, And, So and Because
- Confusion of prepositions
- Use of abbreviations and colloquial language in formal writing.
- Absence of articles

PHEW! Got that off my chest.

Forgot something.

When I get my hands on the person who taught the Chinese "Actually" and "How about...?" I'm going to.... suggestions anyone?

[Shaman]

[dmb]

'so-so'is also prevalent amongst Turkish Learners. But this comes from a direct translation of "soyle boyle". Is this true in China?

[Echo]

My personal bugbears:

"How about (insert noun)?" as an initial question rather than a suggestion, and

"How to spell/say/pronounce?" used in every class I have.

I now know what they mean, but when I first came to China I would get tripped up by trying to understand the question. I have heard again and again: "But my middle school/high school/university teacher taught me to say this..."

[johnslat]

Dear echo,
What I used to love about that was when, in writing classes, students would put all three choices in their sentences, usually retaining the parentheses:

e.g. Did you know that your (brother/sister/dog) got hit by a car and (he/she/it) is dead?

Regards,
John

[latefordinner]

Echo> "But my middle school/high school/university teacher taught me to say this..."

My standard replyis, "Did your teacher speak English?" It rarely has the desired effect immediately, since the default setting of almost all students is to ignore what they see and hear and revert to what they've been told. Over a semester however it does sink in that they have to listen and think for themselves. It's a work in progress.

The Chinese "How about <noun>?" is annoying, but it's based on a too-literal translation of zenmayang. Explaining that we are more likely to ask, "what is it like?" than "How is it?" helps, but explanations are usually a poor second cousin to demonstrations. <sigh> At least they seem to adapt to "How is it?", whcih is something. Nothing to do but a lot of repetition, sorry. BTW, in a way I think "How is it?" is the more logical question, but I'm not about to change current usage.

[rick_martin_78]

next time you do a roll call, try this

Billy...
John...
Kate...
and so on...

[David Bowles]

Isn't this how languages change? For the moment teachers may be fighting the use of 'so-so', but in 20 years' time we may all be teaching it. A quarter of the world's population, an expanding economy, increasing contact with just about every other country... Chinglish may become the world's no.1 language. Altogether now- 'Happy everyday!'

[Atlas]

I ws gonna teach 'em not 2 use "gonna, wanna", ever, but to understand it whn they hear it. But ur not gonna believe how hard it wuz. Sth about "just so-so" is just so contrived and seems 2 be a standard response in the Middle (just so-so?) Kingdom.

Student reading text: "Hello, Sir/Madam, your son/daughter is very beautiful." How about a little sympathy for the little girlyboy?

Ur not gonna believe the next one: "I by bike go to school". "I bought my book to school". Or my fave, after 7 years of English: "Teacher, I student." I said, ok, here's year 8 for you: "AM".

Or the student who comes to the teacher's office, shouting "Where's John???" 'Scuse me? I just stare blankly and they think there is something wrong w/ their pronunciation.

O 2 B w/o ths probs! I mean, listen to this 'un:

me: "How do you spell your name?"
student: "youahaia"
me: what?
student: "youahaia"
me: what?
student:"youahaia"
me: "say it loud and clear"
student:"youahaia"
me: "again, louder please"
student:"youahaia"
me: "Please spell your name"
student: "youahaia"
me: "I can't understand you. Again please, slower"
student:"youahaia"
me: "try to spell each letter"
student: "you-ahaia"
me:"are you drunk?"
student:"youahaia"
me:"One more time, please spell your name very slowly"
student: "you ahaia"
Other student: Teacher, that's Uriah"
me: " Oh-you mean, U-R-I-A-H. Can you hear 5 letters?"
student: "uh."

Eight years of study!

[Roger]

Good examples!
I get routinely annoyed by students not knowing where to insert a comma or a full stop:
"I like vegetables. Such as baicai. And spinach."

And, everybody here uses a capital 'N' for "no." (number).

Oh, I could go on for hours...

Just visit the forums at CHINADAILY...

[Dr.J]

I think it's cute/charming to misuse prepositions.

I had a Japanese teacher who would always say "bla bla" when meaning "blank" in an example sentence structure.

EG "The man bought a BLA BLA." "Did you BLA BLA"

Had me in stitches. Obviously she'd heard someone use it but she sounded like a sheep.

[arioch36]

Isn't that blah blah blah?

That is the proper use of it. "to refer to something thatis said or written without giving the actual words because you think they are boring or unimportant" Collins CoBuild Dictionary

Or did the teacher not pronounce the "l" and instead said Ba ba ba?