Friday, May 15, 2009

Proficiency inefficiency! (I literally only wrote this title because it rhymes. I'm not even sure if it makes sense)

After break students kept coming up to me and inquiring how my vacation was. It was immediately apparent the proficiency level of the student based upon how they reacted to my reply.

Upper level student-
Student: "Oh teacher! How was Sana'a? You like it?"
Me: "it was awful! I was robbed!"
Student: "that's so terrible!" etc etc..

Lower level student-
Student: "Oh teacher! How was Sana'a? You like it?
Me: "it was awful! I was robbed!"
Student: "oh yes teacher(they replied solemnly) the prices are much higher in Sana'a. But other than that it was still good?"

2 comments:

  1. I would say that the "lower level student" has an even higher proficiency than you think....it seems they have come to understand a basic American expression "I was robbed" and have come to understand it figuratively

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  2. I would agree completely with Palms.

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