Schnerby
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« Reply #45 on: May 21, 2009, 03:25:09 PM » |
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Surely not every sword has two edges. What about a cylindrical sword - or is that not a sword anymore. What about a three-edged sword. Again, perhaps not a sword.
As for FUNEX and the lot, it's making fun of a Sweedish accent.
'Have you any eggs?'
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DaDan
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Yeppers! We`be livin now!
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« Reply #46 on: May 21, 2009, 03:56:43 PM » |
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Swords Don't cut people... `People cut people.  |
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me pappy sayd... Once ya get past the smell... ...  ... `You got it licked... |
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Mr Nobody
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« Reply #47 on: May 22, 2009, 01:02:59 AM » |
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A sword is just a tool, for killing. Swords don't cut people, people don't cut people, people using swords cut people. Unless they are learning Tai Chi Jian here, in which case they probably couldn't even with a sharp one.  Anyway, back to the sayings: Coins don't just have two sides, they are 3D. The Oz 50c has plenty of sides enough for anyone. Reality doesn't have two sides, it has lots. All this kind of talk is demonstrative of two valued aristotlean logic, which has largely been superceded by 'multi-ordinal' or 'relativistic' thinking (some called it Null-A after Alfred Korzybski, but Einstein and others used it before Korzybski coined it). Not "good vs evil" but relatively "right and wrong" kind of thinking. (eg the premise of the 'golden compass' children's books) Not black and white, and not only shades of grey, but a whole spectrum of colours. Phase space. The complete range of what is possible, and the relationships between them. Coins have two sides, indeed. What a crock. |
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Ruth
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« Reply #48 on: May 22, 2009, 01:27:54 AM » |
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"Thank you, that's all" or "Thank you for your listening" at the end of a speech. "And so on" when they've run out of things to say. Especially irritating after they give only one or two examples. "In a word..." and then go on with several words, or even sentences  |
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If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.
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Mr Nobody
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« Reply #49 on: May 22, 2009, 01:33:02 AM » |
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Yes, Ruth, me too. I bloody correct them just about every week. We do lots of presentations etc in my courses, since I want the little .... dears.... to actually say SOMETHING. These things happen all the time no matter how many times I correct them to the whole class and explain ... and so on.
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Ruth
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« Reply #50 on: May 22, 2009, 02:12:01 AM » |
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In a word - you really hate it and wish they would listen to your teaching and correct their bad habit. You are quite tired of repeating yourself. Oh wait, that was 24 words. Anyway, thank you for your listening.
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If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.
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old34
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« Reply #51 on: May 22, 2009, 02:43:39 AM » |
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I tell my students that if they use "in a word" I will take off one point for each word after the first word that follows. That scares them. Then I try to teach them to rewrite their summary paragraphs. I also give them a list of 6 or 7 possible substitutions for "in a word". Ninety eight percent of them latch on to the substitution method and, in particular the last one on that list. So now 98% of the essays end with "In a nutshell,.....". Same issue, different wording. The few very "clever" ones go the rewrite way and have learned to use "in a word", in a word, correctly. They get extra credit.  |
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Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. - B. O'Driscoll
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Mr Nobody
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« Reply #52 on: May 22, 2009, 02:57:05 AM » |
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I have been trying to get them to use 'in other words' but, although correct, isn't any more aesthetically pleasing. I also get them to just say "thanks" or "thank you" at the end. Simpler, and easier for them, since they just have to stop before they say 'for your listening', giving them a chance to remember. I get a lot of "thank you f.. oh! mumble mumble," but it is working.
I try to explain that the list of things for 'and so on' must have a common theme or there is no 'so on'. Eg I like sport, eating and computers and so on has no meaning since you can't guess if another item should be one the list.
But "i like ping pong, tennis, badminton and so on" tells you she likes individual ball sports, so she would probably like squash.
Stuff like that.
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Worldtour
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« Reply #53 on: May 22, 2009, 03:20:02 AM » |
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"My hobby is sleeping"
" and so on"
" Can you use chopsticks?"
"It will take time"
"you can't do anything without the help of friends" (insert bribe)
"China is a developing country"
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The Local Dialect
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« Reply #54 on: May 22, 2009, 04:07:16 AM » |
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Or how about when students use "sbdy" or "sth" in formal essays? I know their Chinese teachers abbreviate like this when they're writing out sentences on the board because I've seen them do it, but not on formal essays, that's just laziness.
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dragonsaver
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« Reply #55 on: May 22, 2009, 04:56:44 AM » |
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"sbdy" or "sth" When I see this I put a big X through and say NOT A WORD!! |
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Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.
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adamsmith
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« Reply #56 on: May 22, 2009, 05:02:24 AM » |
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and not 'every sword has two edges, some only have one |
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Mr Nobody
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« Reply #57 on: May 22, 2009, 05:17:53 AM » |
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In Chinese, only one edge is Dao or knife, even if it is 4 foot long or on the end of a big stick.
Jian has two edges. Translated as sword, even if two inches long. Yes, I know, not accurate.
So to chinese people, a sword does have two edges.
And a jiaozi is a dumpling even if it isn't, but some kind of Chinese ravioli.
And baijiu isn't wine, but urine.
Oh well.
I keep telling them En, sbd, sth, etc aren't words too.
I got the "china is a developing country" as the empassioned and angry retort to 'chinese English text books have so many english mistakes'. That was AFTER I explained the pressure on teachers to make text books so they can get a level increase, so much so that they copy the whole thing including the CD and call it theirs. Without editing. That naturally results in crap. Plus the bribe/rewards to the teachers for choosing the text for their students, eg trips to japan. Adds about 5-10Y to a text price to the student by my calculations, based on local examples.
Anyway, in what direction is it developing given this?
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decurso
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« Reply #58 on: May 22, 2009, 05:49:39 AM » |
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Or how about when students use "sbdy" or "sth" in formal essays? I know their Chinese teachers abbreviate like this when they're writing out sentences on the board because I've seen them do it, but not on formal essays, that's just laziness.
I've heard reports of American students doing this!!!! |
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Mr Nobody
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« Reply #59 on: May 22, 2009, 05:55:55 AM » |
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well, maybe sbdy should to sth about it.
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