Online Class Notes (Jesse)

Watch this and take notes on vocabulary, and the ideas you learned. Summarise and discuss in class / or write it all out and send for correction in class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4&t=161s

Tense – when you use a verb, you’re telling me the time. Verbs have time inside them!

I speak English = I usually / sometimes / often / always speak
I spoke English = In the past and a specific time, I spoke English (maybe not now)

Vocabulary

i closed the door on my hand / I slammed my hand in the door

top layer
eg. the top layer of skin was burned

I apply sth
I apply for sth
eg. I apply makeup to my face  = put it on
eg2. I apply for the job = ask for it, you want to do it and request it

per = every + continuous
eg. I have 1 glass of water every day = per day
eg2. I have 2 shots of the vaccine, in 1 month / within 1 month you need to have 2 shots = not continuous

blood clot 
eg. some people get blood clots from the vaccine

Grammar

the most weird – the weirdest 

most time i speak Chinese – most of the time I speak Chinese

when I was watching TV on the weekends – when I watch TV on the weekends

even though I dont…. but I think I…

i dont want to my kids learning korean – I don’t want my kids to learn Korean

someone do – someone does 

Are you learning another language? Maybe you’re trying to get to grips with (understand / master / accept) it for work or study, or maybe you’re trying to master it just for the fun of it? Language learning is nothing new, of course, but technology has made it easier than ever to grasp (understand).

The popularity of language-learning apps in particular has boomed around the world, especially as more people are working or studying at home. They are usually easy and convenient to use because you can access them on your smartphone. And apps can offer languages not popular enough to be taught at evening classes or schools or universities.

Many of us are aiming to be bilingual to enable us to communicate with people around the world. But, maybe surprisingly, it’s the British, who are not renowned (well known for) for their enthusiasm (passion / energy / excitement) for language learning, who are leading the way in the growth of these apps. US firm Duolingo told the BBC that in 2020 new user numbers globally were up 67% compared with 2019, while in the UK they shot up by 132%, almost double the worldwide average. And London-based Busuu, saw a similar trend for learners based in the UK.

But for anyone trying their hand (try sth for the first time) at a new language, what motivates them to carry on learning when there isn’t a teacher around to manage their progress? Colin Watkins from Duolingo told the BBC that for UK learners at least, “people are learning because of culture, brain training, family, and relationships, along with school and travel. We want a positive use of our time, and to do something productive on our phones.” The recent lockdowns have given us more time to do this. Certainly, becoming bilingual or a polyglot (someone who can speak lots of languages) is a good thing, and it helps us to bring the world a little closer together.

I think if someone only speak 1 language, only speak his mother language but he can’t speak it very well it is very weird. for example if a shanghainese cannot speak the mandarin very well, only speak shanghainese i dont think it is a good way for him / i don’t think he doesn’t have a good education. For me i think i have a stereotype for that kind of person who cannot speak their mother language. For me, sometimes i really like that my mother language is chinese but not. I think because my father was a soldier at that time so he usually speaks chinese when i was born but my grandmother speaks korean.

I think if someone only speaks 1 language, only speaks they mother tongue but they can’t speak it very well it is very weird. For example if a shanghainese person / someone who is shanghainese cannot speak the mandarin very well, only speaks shanghainese i dont think it is a good way for them/ i don’t think they have a good education. For me i think i have prejudice against that kind of person who cannot speak their mother tongue well. For me, sometimes i really wish that my mother tongue was chinese but it’s not. I think because my father was a soldier at that time so he usually spoke chinese / he used to speak when i was born but my grandmother spoke korean.