The Coffee House

[limr33 3]

Hemingway is my favorite author. He was an absolute master of the language. His writing was deceptively simple because he was so precise with his words, layering meaning upon meaning into his sentences. If I could read no other books for the rest of my life except his, I would probably still be finding new meanings and interpretations of stories I've read dozens of times.

 

[limr33 3]

I don't intend to skip any important part of the sentence, (at least not on purpose) but when my grandson was learning French, he thought it contained a double negative, and because he had learned to not do that in English, he wondered why it was o.k. in French.

Is all.

I used to teach remedial writing classes in the English department as well as my current department (Modern Languages), so these students were native speakers of English. Sometimes students who are bilingual but would probably have been better off in the ESL classes were placed in those English dept along the native speakers. Most of the teachers were able to handle it just fine, but some teachers just couldn't figure out what to do with students who also spoke another language.

I was scoring exams one semester and another adjunct sitting at the table with me just blurts out, "What is with these ESL students? Can't they learn vocabulary?" I asked him what he meant. "Well, they have the same grammar, why can't they just learn the English words to put in the sentence?"

Dude thought that every language in the world had the same grammar, just different words. I think I did a decent enough job at not being too witheringly sarcastic, but I don't think I was able to entirely keep the "you're a moron" tone out of my voice.

 

[Designer]

Well even I know there are differences in grammar among languages. I wish I had studied some other language in school. Probably too late now. Never mind.

 

[bribrius]

I don't intend to skip any important part of the sentence, (at least not on purpose) but when my grandson was learning French, he thought it contained a double negative, and because he had learned to not do that in English, he wondered why it was o.k. in French.

Is all.

I used to teach remedial writing classes in the English department as well as my current department (Modern Languages), so these students were native speakers of English. Sometimes students who are bilingual but would probably have been better off in the ESL classes were placed in those English dept along the native speakers. Most of the teachers were able to handle it just fine, but some teachers just couldn't figure out what to do with students who also spoke another language.

I was scoring exams one semester and another adjunct sitting at the table with me just blurts out, "What is with these ESL students? Can't they learn vocabulary?" I asked him what he meant. "Well, they have the same grammar, why can't they just learn the English words to put in the sentence?"

Dude thought that every language in the world had the same grammar, just different words. I think I did a decent enough job at not being too witheringly sarcastic, but I don't think I was able to entirely keep the "you're a moron" tone out of my voice.

schools don't know what they are doing anyway. They tried to put me in remedial classes when i was young. My mother pulled the b.s. card and made them give me a iq test. suddenly i was transferred to gifted and talented and graduated early. Pulled one of the highest sat scores ever from my state. And they had wanted to put me in remedial classes! i still don't know a damn thing though. One of my sons, just starting school came back with a list of "below proficiency" or something. Basically things he below standard with. According to them. My wife was concerned about it. i just through it in the trash, where it belonged.

 

[limr33 3]

Students are miplaced at times for sure, but remedial classes aren't a joke. For some they are very necessary. And remember that I teach at a college. These are students who allegedly graduated from college and can barely put a sentence together. They are not ready for college work.

 

[limr33 3]

Well even I know there are differences in grammar among languages. I wish I had studied some other language in school. Probably too late now. Never mind.

Most people do realize that, even if they don't know what the differences are. I was astounded to hear that idea, though, from a fellow English professor!

Never too late to learn! Probably harder to learn it fluently and certainly too late to have a native-like accent, but learning even a little bit of a foreign language has massive cognitive benefits, especially as we get older.

 

[Designer]

Yes, we had to fight with our boys' schools too, over a variety of issues. Plus, we fought for some other children's rights as well, such as a Type 1 diabetic girl, and a disciplinary problem in one boy. That diabetic girl basically skipped high school altogether at the urging of my wife. Our DIL skipped her final year of HS as well. WAY too much BS in our school system.

 

[Designer]

.. remedial classes aren't a joke.

As a nearly 40-year-old returning adult student, I was happy to take Math 90 my first semester. Then I took Math 140 and aced it. I needed that remedial math class.

 

[Designer]

Never too late to learn! Probably harder to learn it fluently and certainly too late to have a native-like accent, but learning even a little bit of a foreign language has massive cognitive benefits, especially as we get older.

I'll do it! Wifey wants to travel to Europe in a few years to explore our families' roots. I have to go along to pull her luggage.

 

[bribrius]

Students are miplaced at times for sure, but remedial classes aren't a joke. For some they are very necessary. And remember that I teach at a college. These are students who allegedly graduated from college and can barely put a sentence together. They are not ready for college work.

Granted. And some people, just aren't cut out for school. square peg, round hole. you must mean they graduated from high school. Think i will give my children a option. Either go to college or start your own business. i wont push education, but i will push self sufficiency. If they want to work at mcdonalds fine. But they better have a plan in place to own one of the franchises. And if they want to go to college, that is fine too. i am actually thinking of a way to buy a apartment building for each one of them. They can collect rents, learn responsibility. Use whatever they make (assuming the make something) on either their education or getting themselves a start in the world. i have one so far, i can give to my daughter. Not worth much. i need to come up with a couple more.

 

[pgriz]

My 92-year old mother decided to take written French lessons because she didn't want her brain to get complacent. Same lady who still speaks about seven languages.

 

[bribrius]

Well even I know there are differences in grammar among languages. I wish I had studied some other language in school. Probably too late now. Never mind.

Most people do realize that, even if they don't know what the differences are. I was astounded to hear that idea, though, from a fellow English professor!

Never too late to learn! Probably harder to learn it fluently and certainly too late to have a native-like accent, but learning even a little bit of a foreign language has massive cognitive benefits, especially as we get older.

while that sounds great, in my case i have a problem just with english. And that is my native language. LMAO i had those learn french tapes once. Played them in the car. Didnt get far. which is kind of too bad since i spent so much time in quebec and a lot of people i couldnt communicate with. other than pointing .

 

[bribrius]

.. remedial classes aren't a joke.

As a nearly 40-year-old returning adult student, I was happy to take Math 90 my first semester. Then I took Math 140 and aced it. I needed that remedial math class.

Thats great! you are the same age as me? it is important to keep learning, anything. i took some real estate appraisal quite a while ago, just for the sake of it. Took classes for mortgages and became registered with the state, stuff like that. Nothing like getting a phd but enough to keep me busy. Long as you are learning SOMETHING. i would like to go back and get my commercial drivers license again. It bugs me that i cant drive a dump truck. i dont own a dump truck right now. But it still bugs me i dont have the option. I rented a backhoe and had to find someone to tow it for me. It was annoying..

 

[snowbear119 50]

Don't forget lerp, whatchwhozits, zingafreedle, and bestaboo.

We're still talking english, right? I must not be running in the right circles (or left circles for that matter), because I've not tripped across any of these. But then again, "bae" was apparently in fashion for a while and after the corporate take-over, has been jettisoned by the literati.

They are from the Wrenn Dictionary of Homegrown English.

 

[snowbear119 50]

Does a double negative make a right?

I'm pretty sure I read that it does in Russian.