F2F Class Notes 2nd March (Tony)

Reducing Chinglish, or Speaking in common English

The movie of Leonardo DiCaprio, which he won an Oscar. DiCaprio’s movie. The movie DiCaprio used to win an Oscar.        Dicaprio’s Oscar-bait movie.

Vocabulary

if it doesn’t work out

Perspective – point of view

eg: “The story was told through a first person perspective.”

necessities – things that are needed

eg: “The first thing I’ll do is buy the necessities.”

Armageddon – end of the world, a battle that destroys everything.

eg: “The new today was warning us about ‘Snowmageddon’.” (A creative use of combining words, Not proper English.)

cut corners – to not follow all the proper steps to do something.

eg: “Cutting corners is not a good way to learn.”

redundant – unnecessary repetition

eg: “Try to avoid redundant words in your sentences.”

Grammar

a bit more than usual – Make sure you use a comparative word, when using than to compare:

way bigger than before. Much stricter than my other teachers.

Describe what you expect to accomplish by studying abroad, which you could not accomplish in China.

Original –

I expect to play soccer games on a normal size soccer field. Since our school is actually nor as big as a normal size soccer field. There’s no middle school in Shanghai that have a normal size soccer field. And on my travel to those American high schools, every school contains at least 2 normal size soccer field. And I expect to study in a totally new teaching environment as well. since in China regular schools teach students just for the exams, but in American high schools, schools are more focused on the things in their mind, knowledge they know. And American schools have more play time. And also have better college choice in America. Since the best college in China, they are not as good as the good college in America, and to be honest I think the best college in china are almost impossible for me to get in.

Correction –

I expect I’ll be able to play soccer on a normal sized field. Since our Campus in Shanghai is actually not even as big as a normal sized soccer field. There’s no middle school in Shanghai that has a normal sized soccer field. On my visit to some American high schools, I saw that every one of them has at least 2 normal sized soccer fields. I expect to study in a totally new teaching environment as well. Since in China, regular schools just teach students to prepare for the exams, but American high schools are more focused on students’ knowledge but also have more time for activities. I will also have a better choice of colleges in America. Since the best college in China is not even as good as a good college in America. To be honest I think the best colleges in China would be almost impossible for me to get accepted to.

Pronunciation

Silent letters

clothes – (the TH is silent)   close

honor – (the H is silent,)      Aww ner

garbage – Gar bejj