F2F Class Notes (Nick) [S]

Tell me about your time in London! Was the English accent quite as charming as you expected? How was the British museum? Smashing, I hope!

Vocabulary

Deadpan – to say or do something without any feeling; often for jokes
e.g. The Muscovites are very deadpan speakers.

Muscovite – a person from Moscow

Vodka – the most common Russian alcohol, usually made from potatoes

Standard – the usual or best of something 标准
e.g. This is a standard small car (nothing special about it, very common)
e.g. This way of teaching English is standard among English-teaching companies (this is accepted as the best way to do it)

Audio Guide – something you listen to as you go around a museum that tells you more about what you’re looking at
e.g. I need an audio guide in Chinese for the British Museum.

British Museum – 大英博物馆

Windsor Castle – the castle in London

Hold – to keep something while something else is happening
e.g. The US consulate will hold my passport FOR THREE MONTHS while they process my visa application (pretty slow).

Traditional – 传统

Modern – something that comes from today, that is current, up-to-date
e.g. This is a very modern home, because it was just constructed last year.

(Facial) Expression – 表情

Accent – a way of speaking, like a 话, people who can understand each other but say things differently

Smashing – (British) really good!

Grammar

Someday my English will good enough – will be

I will go to the US three months ago / later – from now
— “Ago” is a + go and means, in the past
e.g. I went to the US one month ago.
— “Later” is usually a word for comparing.
e.g. I will arrive later than he will (after him）
e.g. I will arrive later (not now, like you thought, but later than expected)

Use because + of to give an explanation, a reason (but only for nouns):
e.g. I arrived late because of the traffic on the road.
e.g. I arrived late because of I was eating.

I think when I speaking – when I am speaking

I think because the Chernobyl show. Just the people really 传统. Just like their boss say what and, someone work for the boss they just afraid to say no. But I think it’s the old Moscow, old Russia, not today. But the people in Moscow not very nice I think. (makes serious face, no expression) They have really good candy and chocolate, and the KFC is better than in China, and cheap. Tomorrow I will fly to London. I look forward. I think the London people talk is very charming, the sound. American accent is like the normal one, everyone say it, but I can’t say the London accent, it’s hard.

I think (I didn’t like it) because of the Chernobyl show. Just the people are really traditional. Just like their boss says something and someone work for the boss they are just afraid to say no. But I think it’s the old Moscow, old Russia, not the situation today / not modern Russia. But the people in Moscow are not very nice I think. When they speak they have no expression / they are expressionless / they are deadpan when they speak. They have really good candy and chocolate, and the KFC is better than in China, and cheap. Tomorrow I will fly to London. I look forward to it. I think the way that Londoners people talk speak is very charming, the sound. The American accent is like the normal one, everyone say speaks like that, but I can’t say speak / do the London accent, it’s hard.