English 4U - Lesson 1

[j.preston]

Hi there,

First of all...I'm fond of English. With this message I'd like to initiate a
guide for all English learners, for those who just started and those who find
themselves quite experienced in this field. In my lessons I'll use the AE
(American English).

------------------

Slang expressions in AE

1. I really need some antifreeze in me on cold days like this.

antifreeze - a hot-drink

2. He barfed all over the seat of the airplane.

to barf - to vomit, to throw up

3. I think I'm goin' bonkers.

bonkers - mad

4. My trip to New York was a bummer

bummer - a total disaster

5. I need a place to chow down

to chow down - to eat in a quite distincted manner (nażreć się)

6. Shut up or I'll give a knuckle sandwich

a knuckle sandwich - (kanapka z pięści) - Zamknij ryj albo zarobisz strzała :P


7. Where is the best place to get some grub around here

a grub - sumpin' to eat, żarełko :)


8. What a stupid schmuck.

a schmuck - a jerk, palant


Having read these few examples of slang, you'll some learn some usefull &
cool expressions:) Let's call it a day today:) If you have any questions
regarding English, feel free to contact me and I'll do my best to handle them.

take care

J.Preston
GG : 902239

[Gość: unimpressed]

Perhaps you should take a few more lessons yourself before you try to teach.
You may be fond of the language but by no means are you good at it or even
familiar with current slang.
Sorry your guide gets an E (and that is only for effort)

[j.preston]

Gość portalu: unimpressed napisał(a):

> Perhaps you should take a few more lessons yourself before you try to teach.
> You may be fond of the language but by no means are you good at it or even
> familiar with current slang.
> Sorry your guide gets an E (and that is only for effort)

Mr or Mrs unimpressed,

By this what you've written I fully understand that your slang knowledge
utterly exceeds mine. This "guide" is only the beginning, which is to be
expanded every day, not only with slang expressions. Who said that I want to
teach, huh? What I'm striving at is to show some slang usage (ready-to-use
sentences) to the other people, that's it. I hope it will meet with their
appreciation.

Ps. I don't get why you said it's not the current slang? Which one of them is
not used in everday's life? Why do you state that I'm not good at the language?

Ps2. I guess, you are familiar with slang, if so, you have this very advantage
of living in the English speaking country.

awaiting your reply

take care
J.Preston
GG : 902239

[Gość: still unimpressed]

What makes you think that I am a Mr. or a Mrs.? Perhaps I am a Miss or a Ms.
Making this kind of assumption is wrong, old fashioned and shows a lack of
current usage.

It is obvious that you are thinking in Polish and translating to English by the
structure of your sentences and the grammatical errors.

Why do I think you want to teach? Perhaps it was the title of the post, or
perhaps your statement starting with “In my lessons…”? You pick which.

Just a couple points on your slang.

Antifreeze is a product placed in the radiator of a car and contains an
alcohol. Thus, hot drink, would not apply but should be an alcoholic beverage.

Bummer is not a total disaster but a great disappointment or boredom or perhaps
both. You could say “My team lost in the last minute, Bummer.”.

Chow down …..man that’s old. Maybe a trucker or cowboy might use it? How do
you eat in a distincted manner….. that’s not even a word.

What is “a grub”? Not a good effort with sumpin’ either… is that Black slang?

Schmuck is commonly used for a stupid person or an oaf. It has its origin in
Yiddish and actually means penis. It is believed to be derived from the Polish
word smok.

Then in your closing…”you’ll some learn some usefull & cool expressions”.
Give me a break!!

You seem to want to get into a pissing contest but I’m not interested.
So perhaps a few more lessons or practice would be in order before posting
something as a lesson.

[Gość: doktor]

Put up or shut the f**k up!

j.preston, keep going, it's interesting, and don't worry about those morons.

[j.preston]

> Just a couple points on your slang.
>
> Antifreeze is a product placed in the radiator of a car and contains an
> alcohol. Thus, hot drink, would not apply but should be an alcoholic
beverage.

Buahahaaha. Why do you think I wanted to mention alcohol? There is nothing like
it in this expression. "Antifreeze" can be used in a slang to denote any
beverage that makes you warm. That's it.

> Chow down …..man that’s old. Maybe a trucker or cowboy might use i
> t? How do

So what? If it's old it means that it can't be used? It is used by people from
Southern states in the US.



> What is “a grub”? Not a good effort with sumpin’ either̷
> 0; is that Black slang?

Yes, it is.
Sumpin' - why?

> Then in your closing…”you’ll some learn some usefull & cool e
> xpressions”.
> Give me a break!!

Here you have.

take care
J.Preston

Ps. As I thought, you live abroad, so have this very visible advantage. I wish
I had that chance:)

[eliz123]

First learn some English, then try and teach ...

[j.preston]

Heh, but still I don't know what's wrong with my English in those examples.
Geez, please justify your assessment :)

take care
J.Preston

[Gość: doktor]

Just ignore the morons.

Where do you live by the way?

[Gość: student]

j.preston napisał:

> Heh, but still I don't know what's wrong with my English in those examples.
> Geez, please justify your assessment :)

I am afraid I agree with unimpresseed.

Firstly, these are examples of English used mainly by uneducated people, and
they are certainly not cool or useful. One might learn them for the learning
sake but I wouldn't advise anybody to use them.

Secondly, I'll skip the grammar and spelling part of your post, but please
think for a moment about your writing style. It is a mix of informal and formal
expressions. They don't go together well because they are usually used in
different circumstances. Sometimes you can contrast them to reach certain
objectives, but you shouldn't do it constantly. Let me give you some examples:

Informal:

I don't get why you said...
Let's call it a day today:)
I'll do my best to handle them.
I'm fond of English.

Formal:

I hope it will meet with their
appreciation.
you have this very advantage...
Why do you state...
I fully understand...
What I'm striving at...
...your slang knowledge
utterly exceeds mine.

The random mixture of these expressions in your post is the sign of the weak
language control. You could have used one of the above styles consequently.
However in my opinion it would have been much better to use the standard,
school English and say 'I understand' instead of 'I fully understand' or 'I
don't understand' instead of 'I don't get it' etc.

Finally, you should also take care of not only spelling, grammar and style but
also the logic and content. Your question '...what's wrong with my English in
those examples.' doesn't make any sense because there is no 'your English'
in 'those' examples. You simply quoted them.

[j.preston]

I'd like you to know, that my language control is "under control". All these
formalities and informalities were used deliberately to mock at some persons.
It was done 4 purpose!
If we are talking about "my English", it's my, because I and only I try
to explain meaning of those expressions. If you want to have it clear "my
(usage of) English".

to have it finished
I don't give a heck to what you say, but on the other hand I'll take some gists
for the future.

take care
J.Preston

[Gość: erwas]

bear up J.Preston. your English is better than that of most natural-born
anglophones.
since you are Polish (as is your unimpressed foe) you have this heartbreaking
problem with definite and indefinite articles (as does your foe). that plus the
occasional deviation from any known forms of the English language. no big deal.

as I see it offering instant cures to everyone's English could be a nice little
earner. perhaps you and I could go into business together. no use offering this
service for free. I could offer telepathic communication with clients, help
them myslec po angielsku (they'll like that), and steer them away from other
schools of English, while you deal with, on this forum, language tips, answer
all their questions, tell jokes; you know, that kind of thing.
I'll take care of the money-side to give you more time to write.

[j.preston]

Gość portalu: erwas napisał(a):

> since you are Polish (as is your unimpressed foe) you have this
heartbreaking
> problem with definite and indefinite articles (as does your foe). that plus
the
> occasional deviation from any known forms of the English language. no big
deal.

Thank you for that remark. I always have burning problems to shun some
deviations, as you kindly pointed out. I think, that the only way I can cope
with them is to live for some time abroad. My dream is to live and work in the
USA. I guess that most of you (potential readers) will find my dream quite
mundane, but I'll overcome all difficulties to make my plans come true:)


> earner. perhaps you and I could go into business together. no use offering
this

How nice of you...:P I treat this activity as a kind of voluntary one. If I can
I'll give the answers. If I can't I will find it out:) It's only a matter of
time.

<To all language experts> If you see my mistakes please let me know, because all
who read this, will benefit from it.

take care
J.Preston

[erwas]

I don't take rejection lightly.

chow down on your knuckles, schmuck.

> Thank you for that remark. I always have burning problems to shun some
> deviations, as you kindly pointed out.

you're deviating again j.preston. you're deviating.

> My dream is to live and work in the
> USA.

we all need a dream.

>I treat this activity as a kind of voluntary one.

when you come to USA you can keep a section of your local community highway
litter-free, join the PTA, report on your neighbor's marijuana plantation, put
out fires and rescue lives, visit paranoid schizophrenic inmates on death row,
bring frozen pierogi to your local garden club pot-luck, clean the caciques
ditches (conditional on receiving Jemez Pueblo Indian nation tribal membership
as part of a package deal with your Green Card), raise funds for your district
High School Cheerleading team's new G-strings (car wash? walkathon?), serve on
the school board, rattle a can in your Wall Mart parking lot for Advil supplies
for Iraqi war wounded writhing in puddles of blood and sweat on their unchanged
sheets in a southern Georgia terminal ward...
...but please, won't you reconsider my offer? you are caught up in the romance
of noble deeds and unreachable ideals without regard to practicality. no one
reads my posts except you. we can make a deal. look, I'll let you see the
books. I'll cure you of your deviations. I'll carry you on my back across the
Rio Grande to El Paso TX. what more can I offer?

[butter_fly]

erwas napisał:

> no one
> reads my posts

eh??? what was that? a screaming ego?? is that supposed to mean that I am (or
my screaming ego) called no one?
Look at the crowds coming here to read you and only you...

BTW - would you accept me as the first telepathic student of your?

[Gość: erwas]

my toes curl slightly when I read your kind words, butter_fly.

> BTW - would you accept me as the first telepathic student of your?

I will place you at the top of my list. What do you wish to study?
However, there are still some small details to finesse concerning the mechanics
of this process - technical stuff; service will be provided at a soon to be
announced date.

[chickenshorts]

Gość portalu: erwas napisał(a):

> my toes curl slightly when I read your kind words, butter_fly.

Just uncurl your toes and rise up to this bait.

[butter_fly]

chickenshorts napisał:

> Gość portalu: erwas napisał(a):
>
> > my toes curl slightly when I read your kind words, butter_fly.
>
> Just uncurl your toes and rise up to this bait.
>

Oh, Mr chickeShorts - perhaps you'd like to join the classes?

[butter_fly]

Gość portalu: erwas napisał(a):

> my toes curl slightly when I read your kind words, butter_fly.

I hope you are all right by now - back to your old self;) Eh?


> > BTW - would you accept me as the first telepathic student of your?
>
> I will place you at the top of my list. What do you wish to study?

You wrote these words to Mr Preston:
"since you are Polish (as is your unimpressed foe) you have this heartbreaking
problem with definite and indefinite articles (as does your foe). that plus the
occasional deviation from any known forms of the English language. no big deal."

Now I think that could apply to me as well, so why not start here?

> However, there are still some small details to finesse concerning the
> mechanics of this process - technical stuff; service will be provided at a
> soon to be announced date.

Fine!

[erwas]

tonight, I will seek stillness and solitude (the silent desert? a lofty
mountain peak perhaps) to begin first broadcasts on the psychic highways.

I can tell already that you are going to be a difficult student. your English
is better than mine and you live where?...a small, unfinished town in Poland C?
PGR's at the gates? you might not get good reception, what with the poor
psychic infrastructure in those parts.

now, by way of preparation, as you go about your daily chores, let "the" seep
into thee, open yourSelf to "a", be at one with "an". as the night sets in, you
should be ready.

(I need to do a quick check on Time-Zone stuff. this might cause problems. be
right back)

[kociamama]

Well, forum is not a Master's Thesis, and one doesn't have to stick to the
formal or informal style. The language which is presented here is usually
natural, rather a stream of consciousness than a thouroughly planned
composition.

You castigate the usage of formal and informal register simultaneously, but
this mixture characterizes real, spoken language. The school English, which
you suggest would be a bit artificial. Imagine yourself using only the phrases
which are taught in POlish coursebooks (especially the ones for foreigners)
These are usually existing and universal phrases perfectly comprehensible to
anyone, but are in real life eagerly replaced with some more current
expressions which are trendy at a particular moment.

Forum is not a composition on a CAmbridge Exam or university, so creativity,
mixture of various styles, spelling errors and individuality = being natural
are welcome.

Later,
Kociamama.

[Gość: doktor]

I for one would like to learn more; it seems I'm having more and more trouble
understanding my American friends :)

[Gość: KBB]

Maybe it's just that your American friends are forgetting how to speak
English :)

[k.k8]

I spent in UK one year living there and speaking English with English people
and I can tell you that few of them speak formal and correct English. Even on
national TV programmes (BBC) they make mistakes. The correctness of language
is not so important as it is in Polish. I'm for the correctness. The language
people are taught in schools or at courses in Poland differ much from the
spoken one.
Unless 1 want 2 speak witha Queenie ;-))))

tc

[Gość: chris]

Everybody makes mistakes, no matter English or Polish. Just have a look at
different Gazeta's forums and see how many Polish native speakers have problems
with spelling or expressing themselves clearly. The same is true for the
English.
I'm for the correctness, too. But... nobody's perfect;-)))

preston's dream

[chickenshorts]

"My dream is to live and work in the
USA."

Good Lord! He must have heard you and sends the 'dream makers' your way... Hope
it doesn't turn into nightmare.

NEWSDESK

08 Jan 2004 16:53:05 GMT Poland in talks on hosting U.S. military bases

WARSAW, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Poland has launched negotiations with Washington on
hosting U.S. military bases on its territory, Defence Minister Jerzy
Szmajdzinski said on Thursday.

"We expect the second round of consultations on the issue of bases early this
year. It's too early to give any details," Szmajdzinski told the parliament's
defence committee.

He added Poland was generally in favour of hosting the bases, but the issue of
who would cover their operating costs remained open.

The United States began a diplomatic offensive last month in a dozen European
capitals to discuss a redeployment strategy expected to involve closing bases
in western Europe and reflect a greater NATO focus on the east and south.

Poland, a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, could see one of the biggest
build-ups of U.S. forces in Europe on its territory, diplomats say.

Poland joined NATO along with the Czech Republic and Hungary in 1999

No bull

[dokt0r]

Yeah like you can get U.S. security clearance in Poland :)

The article conveniently missed the fact that Americans will choose the best
offer in Eastern Europe, NOT just Poland. So the base plans in Powidz are NOT
finalised yet. It might as well be in Slovakia, I'm sure they'll come up with
something real cheap.

chickenshorts napisał:

> "My dream is to live and work in the
> USA."
>
> Good Lord! He must have heard you and sends the 'dream makers' your way... Hope
>
> it doesn't turn into nightmare.
>
> NEWSDESK
>
> 08 Jan 2004 16:53:05 GMT Poland in talks on hosting U.S. military bases
>
> WARSAW, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Poland has launched negotiations with Washington on
> hosting U.S. military bases on its territory, Defence Minister Jerzy
> Szmajdzinski said on Thursday.
>
> "We expect the second round of consultations on the issue of bases early this
> year. It's too early to give any details," Szmajdzinski told the parliament's
> defence committee.
>
> He added Poland was generally in favour of hosting the bases, but the issue of
> who would cover their operating costs remained open.
>
> The United States began a diplomatic offensive last month in a dozen European
> capitals to discuss a redeployment strategy expected to involve closing bases
> in western Europe and reflect a greater NATO focus on the east and south.
>
> Poland, a staunch supporter of the war in Iraq, could see one of the biggest
> build-ups of U.S. forces in Europe on its territory, diplomats say.
>
> Poland joined NATO along with the Czech Republic and Hungary in 1999

[dokt0r]

Haha, correctness is important in Polish? Like in Gazeta Wyborcza?

k.k8 napisała:

> I spent in UK one year living there and speaking English with English people
> and I can tell you that few of them speak formal and correct English. Even on
> national TV programmes (BBC) they make mistakes. The correctness of language
> is not so important as it is in Polish. I'm for the correctness. The language
> people are taught in schools or at courses in Poland differ much from the
> spoken one.
> Unless 1 want 2 speak witha Queenie ;-))))
>
> tc

[dokt0r]

> The language
> people are taught in schools or at courses in Poland differ much from the
> spoken one.

Well I reckon they should teach it the way it's ACTUALLY spoken in REAL WORLD.
Is it like: "- Excuse me sir, I am terribly sorry to inconvenience you but could
you please tell me what time is it at this particalr moment?" LOL

> Unless 1 want 2 speak witha Queenie ;-))))

Queenie? As in faggot?

[dokt0r]

Earth to KBB, Earth to KBB, reality check :)

Gość portalu: KBB napisał(a):

> Maybe it's just that your American friends are forgetting how to speak
> English :)

[Gość: KBB]

Oh I am being realistic!

[dokt0r]

LOL :)

The thing is that 99.999% of world's population don't use formal language, as
taught in foreign language schools, or as spoken in courts (i.e. the way lawyers
speak, etc.)

[dokt0r]

The other thing is that American English, South African (not Afrikaans :), or
Australian English for that matter differ quite a lot from the original in
'mother country'.

Sometimes the differences are quite big, then again there's different slangs,
accents, etc. All this makes it a little more difficult to understand each
other, at least if you don't know the person..

How exacly do you define 'proper' English? Should everyone speak English as used
in East Anglia? Or maybe Lowlands?

For example, is the Silesian dialect 'improper' even if it was used for hundreds
of years?

[Gość: usfan]

Proper English is the one spoken by the majority of people at the moment,
therefore it is AE.

[Gość: ani]

So it seems that the British or Australians do not speak proper English?
Interesting...

[Gość: dokt0r]

Perhaps 'usfan' is an English language expert. In that case perhaps she/he'd
like to enlighten us?

What is 'proper English'?

[Gość: dokt0r]

How do you define 'Proper English', e.g. pronunciation, accent, etc.?