Winter's not hot. Have I learned my lesson not to moan about summer (see prev posting)? I think I shall be nothing but eternally grateful the next time I see blue sky, no matter how much humidity accompanies it. It isn't cold exactly. By which I mean that the dutch overcoat that was far too warm to wear in Melbourne on all but the coldest nights gets outed every time I leave the house and keeps me thoroughly warm, with just a light scarf to help. It's grey, grey, grey. Next Christmas I'm definitely coming home so I can a) complain about the heat or b) make like a pom and head for the beach wihtout sunscreen.
Which by the way, if it were a more common word here in NODNOL, would probably soon join the ranks of words undergoing the great vowel shift in my vocabulary, e.g.
teeach (teach)
yerr (year), hyerr (here)
oh - (oh, but now with a diphthong rather than a pure short o sound)
buke (book)
Not to mention new words:
sortid (fixed)
loads (lots)
sellotape (stickytape)
pritstick (glue stick)
felt tips (textas)
colours (coloured pencils)
lesson (class/period)
break (recess)
register (roll)
ain't (isn't) - I actually said this to a lifeguard at my local pool!
alright? (how ya goin'?) - though I can't bring myself to actually use this one, I have learned how to respond to it - I wasn't sure for a while
And the ones that have to be phased out to avoid incomprehension
crook (which I have been constantly in one form or another since a week before Christmas)
and most of the words above in brackets.
I miss youse lot in Ostralia (I will NEVER pronounce it like that).
Lots and lots of love,
Tuchfrau
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8 comments:
Hello tuchfrau/tofu :)
Yeh, I've had that "orright?" thing lots of times. My initial concerned response was, "um, yes..., do i look like there is something wrong with me?"
hope you're feeling better now!
hi tuchfrau
how's the sleet?
if i may, i'd like to ask you a question.
where did you study TESL/TEFOL/ whatever the acronym is, and would you recommend the course?
ta much
Hi Tuchfrau,
I'm finally posting after promising to.
How exactly does one respond to "alright?" This is a long-standing mystery to me.
If you want to begin appreciating miserably cold and rainy weather, buy some property in North-Eastern Victoria...
Hi Bonnie,
Yes, feeling much better thanks, though still coughing and wheezing if I run at all, or laugh too much. Hey, at least I've been lauging lots! Funny response to orright!
;)
Hi Itchy,
Sleet? Not a bit of it. Torrential rain the other day, but normally it seems to rain at night. The four week course I did in (choose your acronym - actually, I think this one was classed as TEFL) was called the Cambridge Certificate of TEaching English Language Teaching to Adults. It's very well recognised all around the world (not that that necessarily means you'd be highly PAID, but easy to get a job. And if you're lucky enough to get a job with it in Aus (normally you need a Dip ED in Aus as well, but if you are..), the pay in Aus by the hour is very nice. Probably good in some countries but not others.
Anyway, it's licenced by Cambridge Uni, and you get a shiny certificate from Cambridge Uni. It's taught in Centres all over the world and as far as I know, in Melbs you can do it at RMIT, La Trobe, Holmesglen TAFE (which is where I did it), Monash Uni, and Holmes College. Some have the 4 week intensive version, and some have various part time versions, and some have both. It -is- expensive, ($2500ish) but if you're serious about teaching English OS it's a very worthwhile investment. Oh, and it's a lot of fun!
Hi Zosh,
When they say "alright", I say "well thanks, and you?" It seems to work. I have been told that in infromal situations you just reply "alright". Not sure I can bring myself to. Or indeed if the 60 year old woman I asked really knew. hmm.
thanks Tuchfrau, that was very useful.
i take it you did a Dip Ed as well?
hmmm, $2500, back to considering the options. . .
I did a Dip Ed, but I DID get a (five week) job at Monash Uni straight out of my CELTA before my Dip Ed. the thing about that though, is that there's lots of work in Summer, but not so much the rest of the year. But for teaching EFL O/S, the CELTA is actually far more recognised than a Dip Ed cos it's seen as international. Do do the CELTA and travel! Do!
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