My cousin is a garderner working with my father. he is studying english at night school.. and in his homework there are idioms he must learn but, i don't see the point of learning a bunch of idioms that only outgoing Americans have mastery and tradtion of using.
Here's an example:
-squeaky clean
-shaggy
-the pigtail set ( referring to young girls)
-cliche
etc etc. the only people i ever here using this kind of words are white people or acculturated americans, fiction books. I was born here in usa but i never ever use any of these idioms, the only American people i have contact with are in work related settings. It's a stupid thing to waste time with idioms when students are not realy ever going to be part of white people's culture or be bookworms. And also his class is english second level..it's not like an advanced class or anything. "cliche" when do I ever use that? my god.
2006-09-20 16:21:01 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
I couldn't agree with you more. As an ESL teacher and as a language student, I think that our curricula should definitely reflect the needs of our students. If your cousin is dissatisfied with the class, perhaps he can find another program.
2006-09-20 19:41:30 · answer #1 · answered by drshorty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not that much of a bookworm and I use all those idioms (except for 'pigtail set' - no one says that nonsense) once in awhile. If I was talking to an American and they didn't know what cliche or shaggy meant, I would think they were living under a rock or something. Those are pretty common words to me. Dude, I can see that you speak English really well, the problem is exactly as you were saying in another post - the reason why you think these idioms are useless is because you don't associate with any other Americans. Any average educated American will tell you that these words are common.
2006-09-21 08:56:49 · answer #2 · answered by billysimas 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hell, I've never even heard of the term "pigtail set" before, and my family's been immersed in the American culture for a very long time.
I thought the same way with learning idioms in American Sign Language. It's not like I'm ever going to become a part of the Deaf culture. Even though my brother's Deaf, HE isn't even part of the culture, so why should I bother? In result, I learned then what I forgot later, but remembered the important things.
I don't understand why you're the one who seems bothered by this, but all I can say is suck it up. It's not your class. As for your cousin, if he feels the same way as you do and you're expressing it for him on here, he has to deal with the fact that with language, comes culture--even if it's stupid idioms you would never use. If the entire class is based purely on idioms and you never get to the integral piece of actually understanding the language itself, try to find a new class that will. If you talk in idioms day in and day out and don't understand anything BUT idioms, it pisses people off.
2006-09-20 17:24:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man, why are you so negative. My wife is form Mexico and one of the most important parts of her learning the language has been learning the idioms. Other words can just be looked up, but idioms can be very important.
BTW, most people would like to become, in at least a small part, part of the culture in which they live. Otherwise you will never make a good living.
2006-09-20 16:25:34 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe the course materials are a little dated. Learning idioms and colloquial phrases in any languages is good, useful and refreshing because it takes one to a level beyond the normal grammatically correct language. And there is nothing wrong with assimilation.
Cliche? Gawd, I and my friends use that word ALL the time! We practically speak in cliches!!!
2006-09-20 18:20:01 · answer #5 · answered by crowbird_52 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why wouldn't you want to learn as much English as you can? Do you plan to form a special under-class of menial workers? (Excuse me for using advanced words. I mean, do you want Mexican immigrants to stay poor and do unskilled labor forever?) I guess the people teaching this class think immigrants want to get ahead and make more money.
2006-09-20 19:14:56 · answer #6 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ahahhah Im half mexican..and yeah gimme a break..as if being white washed enough to fit in by speaking proper english wasnt it but now you have to learn suburban slang? "Well I'll be a monkeys uncle" "Aint that sumthin" Next it will be learning the Acky Breaky dance. Dose the teacher know That CA use to be Mexico before it got Shang-Haid?? oooops i just used another racial white mans slang.
2006-09-20 16:30:40 · answer #7 · answered by Megatron 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the schools are thinking about the future, because people that speak more of one language have more chance to meet people around the world.
2006-09-20 16:37:29 · answer #8 · answered by Charly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jessica close your racist fat mouth. and because some mexicans dont be responsive to lots english. besides that the college can coach young ones to write down and communicate enligsh, thats how i found.
2016-10-01 05:02:25 · answer #9 · answered by gangwer 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's probably more hours the teacher can make money "teaching"
2006-09-20 16:27:48 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋