Why can't people be taught proper english as thier second language

[Sanx]

You smartarse sack of shit, I have full NCEA level 3 english you cock.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is as damning an indictment of the current education system as you're going to find.

And you're actually a nuclear physicist right?

Nah, he's a brain surgeon. The nuclear physics and rocket science are just hobbies.

scone (Skonn) Scone (Scoone)...or is there another?

That's just the Scots being unable to pronounce things. Or it could be I just hadn't heard of that one; though it's arguable that 'Scone' is a place name rather than a word you'd find in the dictionary (Scrabble rules).

[shcabbeh]

At work I get customers transferred to me if the rep can't (or say they can't) understand them. When they're put through I don't have a problem with dealing with them, you just have to listen a little closer to what they're saying.

I have a feeling some of this lack of understanding on the rep's part is put down to prejudice. They have no problem sharing their opinion with me on the particular customer's nationality/stereotype. It's not that they don't understand them, they just don't put the effort in due to that prejudice, I think.

It may also be partly due to their own failure to fully grasp the language they speak. Not understanding means a lack of proper communication which INCLUDES the listener. It's easy to understand your mates when they're drunk and spewing colloquial shit about your day because you want to. If you want to understand someone it's a lot easier to than if you approach it with stereotype poised.

Anyway, I think the moral of the story is uhhhh...stay in school. Hur.

[Dave Lobster]

i lived in a council house.... and by the looks of it so did/do you

Nope... But I think you missed my point entirely.

[Hitcher]

Why can't people be taught proper english as thier second language
why is it asians and others i'm sure learn a language and leave out crucial bits....

I don't know where to start really. Let's start with "why can't people be taught proper English as their first language?"

Grammar tip du jour: An ellipsis has only three dots. Not four or, as most people seem to use, seven. An ellipsis has only three dots.

[boomer]

Nope... But I think you missed my point entirely.

no i saw your point, i picked up on this one because its a gross generalization as is my suggestion; based on the fact you've got a gut and tatts and possible a bald heeed.

it was an attempt at showing how ironic your statement was.

[RantyDave]

why is it asians and others i'm sure learn a language and leave out crucial bits....

Oh! Sneaking it in, just before the deadline ... skidMark's astoundingly strong entry for Troll of the Month for June 2007. Well done.

Dave

[Beemer]

At work I get customers transferred to me if the rep can't (or say they can't) understand them. When they're put through I don't have a problem with dealing with them, you just have to listen a little closer to what they're saying.

I have a feeling some of this lack of understanding on the rep's part is put down to prejudice. They have no problem sharing their opinion with me on the particular customer's nationality/stereotype. It's not that they don't understand them, they just don't put the effort in due to that prejudice, I think.

I agree. I worked doing quality assurance at a national call centre a few years ago and that involved taping the operators' calls and then marking them against set criteria. There was one Maori woman who obvioulsy loathed Indians and unfortunately for her, every time I taped her, she got at least one Indian caller. She was so totally obnoxious it was unbelievable. One guy spoke excellent English (better than hers if the truth be known), albeit with a strong accent, and she kept saying "I don't understand what you are saying, can you please get someone who speaks English?" He would clearly repeat what he wanted and she would just say "I can't understand you, call back when you can speak English" and hang up. She even said to one guy "are you thick or something?" Can you imagine the outcry if she, as a Maori, was treated this way?

A lot of it comes down to ignorance and bad experiences and I am sure everyone here is guilty of it at some time. I have had nothing but lovely dealings with German people so I tend to think they are all nice (I bet they aren't!), and after our experience living next to an open Brethren family, I actually scowl whenever I see one of their kind in town. But I certainly don't think people who don't speak perfect English are thick. I interviewed a professor last week who had a strong accent and the only thing I noticed was he emphasised different parts of words - for example he would say (I'll try and do this phonetically) 'L-ter-natives' rather than 'alt-urna-tivs' which is how most of us would pronounce alternatives. And he kept catching me out with the word digestability, which he pronounced as 'di-ge-stability' with the emphasis on 'stability'. It was only when checking my notes against the tape that I picked up he was saying digestability and not stability. But I'd bet everything I own that he is a hell of a lot more intelligent and qualified in his specialist field than I am, whether or not I speak clearer English!

[Brian d marge]

A Hawwww a hawww Hey Cleetus they all are a talking about us


Stephen

[scracha]

yukuri itte wo kudasai bakka gaikojin

Seriously though, what has coming from a "council estate" got to do with being able to communicate properly. I was a "schemie" and always will be.

[RantyDave]

she would just say "I can't understand you, call back when you can speak English" and hang up. She even said to one guy "are you thick or something?"

Did she get fired? (this is almost a rhetorical question)

I have had nothing but lovely dealings with German people so I tend to think they are all nice

Likewise, they seem fine to me.

Dave

[Beemer]

Did she get fired? (this is almost a rhetorical question)

You must be joking! I fully expected her to get a bollocking but month after month, the calls I recorded were no different. I am not sure if she is still working there now but she got away with it while I was there, despite every report I did on her marking her way down for her politeness. I also made additional comments that she seemed to have a problem with Indian callers but I was told to stop that. Makes you wonder why you bother!

[Krusti]

I appreciate the fact that many new comers to NZ take some time to come to grips with the Kiwi language but who is the idiot that keeps giving them the job of taking orders at KFC and BK drive throughs?

[Hitcher]

I appreciate the fact that many new comers to NZ take some time to come to grips with the Kiwi language but who is the idiot that keeps giving them the job of taking orders at KFC and BK drive throughs?

You will probably find that these organisations have some sort of non-discriminatory equal opportunities-type policy that prevents them from discriminating against people they hire and then in terms of how they are deployed. Unfortunately they haven't then done a reality check of this policy against their desired customer service experience.

[peasea]

I don't know where to start really. Let's start with "why can't people be taught proper English as their first language?"

Grammar tip du jour: An ellipsis has only three dots. Not four or, as most people seem to use, seven. An ellipsis has only three dots.

I knew a bloke who had ellipsis, when he threw a fit you couldn't understand him either.

[Virago]

...Grammar tip du jour: An ellipsis has only three dots. Not four or, as most people seem to use, seven. An ellipsis has only three dots.

Except when the sun is ellipsised by the moon, it becomes one large dot...