English Club

[DanilaMe 20]

To victorian

 

No offence, sir.

 

 

Sorry if I hurt anybody's feelings. Next time I'll take what is being offered.

[Lady LG 4 159]

Dear friends, let's brush up our informal English! Don’t take it too serious, please!

 

Не парься. Don't bother about it.

Отвали. Don't worry about me.

Не вопрос. No problem.

Часики у тя есть? Could you tell me the time, please?

Ну, входи, раз пришёл. Please come in and make yourself comfortable.

Не трещи, помедленнее. Could you speak a bit more slowly, please?

Отцепись, кретин! I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m very busy at the moment.

Ну и дура! What a nice girl!

В точку! Exactly!

Ага! I see!

Да ну? Really?

Круто! Great!

Отваливаю. Bye.

Хорош достал. That's enough.

Согласен. I think so.

Бред. I don't think so.

Хотите на колени встану? I'm so sorry.

Это как? What do you mean?

Фамилия, как звать? Can I have your name, please?

Потрещим за кофем? Would you like some coffee?

Хорошо, если так. I hope so.

Фигня. It's doesn't matter.

Мне паралельно. I don't care.

Типа того. Something like this.

Я тащусь… I like it very much.

Еще раз и по слогам. Could you say it again, please?

Решаю проблемы недорого... Can I help you?

Ну-ка, вали сюда. Come here, please.

Уже в пути. I'm coming.

Ну ты ничо. Glad to meet you.

Опять ты? Nice to see you again!

Я с похмелья. I don't feel very well.

Ты что, с дуба рухнул? I don’t think it’s a good idea.

Я сваливаю. I'm sorry I have to go now.

И почём? How much is it?

[Lady LG 4 159]

Easy reading for our guests:

 

                                                                           The   Wooden   Bowl

 

     Once there lived a very old man. He lived with his son, daughter-in-law and a four-year old grandson. His health was poor. He was half blind, his legs were weak and his hands trembled.

 

     Every evening the family gathered in the dining room for supper. But the old grandfather’s shaky hands and sightless eyes made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. He often spilt milk or tea on the tablecloth. The daughter-in law got irritated with the mess and said to her husband,

 

     “We must do something about grandfather. I’ve had enough of his spilt milk, noisy eating and food on the floor.”

 

     The son had to agree. He put a small table in the corner of the kitchen. Now his old father had supper alone while the rest of the family enjoyed their meals in the dining room. The only words he could hear were offensive remarks when he dropped a fork or spilt a drink. Since grandfather had broken some plates, his food was now served in a special wooden bowl. The old man was too weak to say anything against it, but sometimes while eating, tears ran down his wrinkled cheeks. The four-year old boy watched it all in silence.

 

     One evening before supper the father saw his little son playing with small planks of wood on the floor.

     “What are you doing?” he asked.

     “Oh, I’m making a wooden bowl for you to eat from when you grow old. I’m going to make one more for Mum too,” the boy answered with a smile.

     The parents blushed with shame. Though no word was said, they both new what must be done next. That evening the man took grandfather by the hand and gently led him back to the family table.

 

     For the rest of his life grandfather had meals with the family. And for some reason, neither son nor his wife noticed any longer when a fork was dropped or soup was spilt on the table-cloth.

Изменено 5 июля, 2013 пользователем Lady LG

[victorian 8 435]

Just for fun:

 - Do you know why we call our language the mother language?

 - Because Father never gets a chance to use it.

 

 

****

 

She: I remember the time when you were just crazy to marry me.

He:   So do I, but I didn`t realize it at that time.

Изменено 9 июля, 2013 пользователем victorian

[DanilaMe 20]

 

 

She: I remember the time when you were just crazy to marry me.

He:   So do I, but I didn`t realize it at that time.

 

That's a good one! )

[Lady LG 4 159]

That's a good one! )

I like it too.

 

   Dear friends! A year or two ago we had some funny tasks connected with translation from English into Russian and vice versa. Do you remember?

You know, students are fond of using electronic translators and the trouble is that they don't usually bother their heads about what they write or say.

Sometimes their sentences sound so absurd that we don't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

   I suggest that we should do some similar translations and guess what the student says.  Let's relax and enjoy ourselves.

  

   Example: “In Britain cricket is popular with men and women.”

                 “В Британии крикет популярен среди людей и женщин.”

 

   1. “He crossed the river by boat”   The student translates: …………………………………………….

 

   2. “Nina is free on Saturdays   The student translates: ……………………………………………......

 

   3. Koalas eat leaves and bark from the trees   The student translates: …………………………………………….

 

   Come on! The winner will be given a very nice prize!

Изменено 9 июля, 2013 пользователем Lady LG

[Molly Malone 4 448]

 

3. Koalas eat leaves and bark from the trees The student translates: …………………………………………….

 

Коалы кушают листочки и лают с деревьев гав-гав

 

 

“He crossed the river by boat” The student translates: …………………………………………….

 

Он рассердил речку лодкой

 

 

“Nina is free on Saturdays The student translates: ……………………………………………......

 

По субботам Нина бесплатно

[Lady LG 4 159]

Yes, Molly!

And I want to present you with a magic weather forecasting stone. Place it in your garden near the rose bush.

You see, weather forecasts are so unreliable nowadays...

 

[DanilaMe 20]

Yes, Molly!

And I want to present you with a magic weather forecasting stone. Place it in your garden near the rose bush.

You see, weather forecasts are so unreliable nowadays...

 

What a funny artefact! Sometimes such stones are much more accurate then weather forecast! )

[Lady LG 4 159]

 

“He crossed the river by boat” The student translates: ……………. Он рассердил речку лодкой

Thank you, Molly! Your answer enlarged my collection of "perls", but the student's translation was different. Make another attempt! I'm sure you"ll succeed!

 

So, this task is still here waiting for you and the others!

 

1. “He crossed the river by boat” The student translates: …………………………………….

 

And two more “guess what the student says” tasks:

 

1. He missed the bus – The student translates: …………………………….

2. This service is free of charge – The student translates: …………………..

 

Good luck! Have fun!

[DanilaMe 20]

Thank you, Molly! Your answer enlarged my collection of "perls", but the student's translation was different. Make another attempt! I'm sure you"ll succeed!

 

So, this task is still here waiting for you and the others!

 

And two more “guess what the student says” tasks:

 

1. He missed the bus – The student translates: …………………………….

2. This service is free of charge – The student translates: …………………..

 

Good luck! Have fun!

 

IMHO making fun of student mistakes may discourage a lot of beginners who want to study English. Besides these tasks don't seem to have any educational value but provide entertainment for a very limited number of people.

 

Making mistakes is quite natural if you are learning new stuff. Why don't we switch to tasks that are not capitalizing on someone's weaknesses? 

Изменено 9 июля, 2013 пользователем DanilaMe

[Lady LG 4 159]

DanilaMe

 

   The main rule of our club is: “Be polite and friendly.” We’ve never broken it and we’ve never laughed at other people’s mistakes. We always answer questions

on grammar or vocabulary if there are any. We always encourage beginners. Nobody has been displeased or offended so far.

   Have you looked through the pages of our club? I don’t think so. Begin from the first one and you’ll understand a lot.  Most of the tasks here are rather

entertaining than educational. The reason is simple: they are interesting. Do you suggest we should write about economic recession? Who is going to read it?

Offer your own tasks, nobody minds.

 

IMHO making fun of student mistakes may discourage a lot of beginners who want to study English.

Quite the contrary! I encourage students to work with their own minds and not to use electronic translators.

By the way, they enjoy such tasks and always ask for more.

 

My IMHO: it’s impossible to teach anybody English in the forum. It takes time. We can explain some grammar but what for? They can read it in any textbook.

We just have a talk and feel comfortable here. We’re all good friends and our club is open to everybody.

 

   I accept any constructive criticism addressed to me. Your criticism is the way to my success!

[DanilaMe 20]

Dear LadyLG,

 

I appreciate your prompt reply, and I am happy to participate in further discussion!

 

 

DanilaMe

 

   The main rule of our club is: “Be polite and friendly.”

 

This is a terrific rule, and that is one of the reasons I chose to take part in your peaceful talks. I am a true supporter of it.

 

We’ve never broken it and we’ve never laughed at other people’s mistakes. 

 

Well, of course you are not laughing at particular individual's mistakes. However try to look at it from the different perspective. This forum is public, even guests are able to read it, and the audience differs a lot. I am sure that most teenagers and even most young adults would not find a discussion of their mistakes offensive in any way. However, there is a group of individuals that are very sensitive to such issues simply because the older people get the more delicate they are towards their own mistakes.  It took a great effort for some of them just to start their English studies mainly because they do not like to make mistakes on public.

 

 

We always answer questions

on grammar or vocabulary if there are any. We always encourage beginners. Nobody has been displeased or offended so far.

   Have you looked through the pages of our club? I don’t think so. 

 

That is absolutely great I have no doubt that you did a great job on the previous pages answering on grammar and vocabulary issues. But I am not questioning that at all. I was just a little bit concerned about impression that some delicate students may have after reading the last pages of the topic.

 

Begin from the first one and you’ll understand a lot.  Most of the tasks here are rather

entertaining than educational. The reason is simple: they are interesting. Do you suggest we should write about economic recession? Who is going to read it?

Offer your own tasks, nobody minds.

 

I do not see anything wrong with entertaining topics. Sometime they are terrific, bright and marvelous! I do not suggest to write about economic recession.

 

Quite the contrary! I encourage students to work with their own minds and not to use electronic translators.

By the way, they enjoy such tasks and always ask for more.

 

You seem to have great students who are understanding and grateful.

 

My IMHO: it’s impossible to teach anybody English in the forum. It takes time. We can explain some grammar but what for? They can read it in any textbook.

We just have a talk and feel comfortable here. We’re all good friends and our club is open to everybody.

 

Totally agree with you on that matter. It is impossible to teach anybody English here however it is quite possible to encourage people for fruitful self studies. And it takes time. And effort.

 

Usually English clubs are created to inspire English language discussion on different kind of topics.  I find it fantastic that instead of just copy and pasting content from the Internet we are practicing good English.

 

So lets stay friends and develop this fertile topic together!     

 

 

PS Does anybody know if it is possible to use apostrophe sign on this forum? It looks like the forum engine makes an automatic correction every time I try to use it, and without informal shortening my messages look too ceremonious. My apologies for that.

[Molly Malone 4 448]

 

these tasks don't seem to have any educational value but provide entertainment for a very limited number of people.

 

Oh my god...... (yawning)

We are not having a FCE tutorial here, this is an English club for fun and entertainment, mostly for people with good sense of humour 

 

DanilaMe, why are you so tense? Relax... You  need a good relaxing massage

[Molly Malone 4 448]

 

I was just a little bit concerned about impression that some delicate students may have after reading the last pages of the topic.

 

there is a group of individuals that are very sensitive to such issues simply because the older people get the more delicate they are towards their own mistakes.

 

If those students feel depressed and offended after reading the latest pages of the topic, they are far too delicate. An efficient psychologist may help