No me gustan los ejercicios de inglés y lo digo!
Hello
I’m learning English in Newcastle for three weeks and today my teacher has chosen teach us the expression using “make”. For that she has thought that your book is the most convenient (In this school there are a lot of gramatical books to choose).
The last week, we used it too and we learned the things she wanted to teach us but today I’ve sorprised because I’ve found a chauvinistic actitude in an exercise.
I like your book and the way you make us learn and practise English, especially because it’s very dinamic so I don’t want people aren’t going to buy it for be no-correct.
I explain you: In Module 9 (Future society), the exercise 1, we have to match a question\statement in A with a response in B.
I think all the sentences are chauvinistic and if you are teaching people, you should be responsible with your opinions.
You’re doing more than teaching English so it’s better if you avoid these mistakes.
I’m going to check the question\statement:
a-
(woman voice) I can’t decide what to wear.
(man voice) Well, hurry up and make up your mind!
I understand you use commonplaces to teach English but I think the society is chancing and you should chance with them. Now, men couldn’t decide what to wear, or I can imaginace a lot of sentences when the man is particulary lazy or other cliche similar, but we’re learning English.
I think this sentence is better:
(woman voice) I don’t know where go on holidays
(man voice) make up your mind because you should to book your hotel soon.
b-
(woman) Why’s the car making than strange noise?
(man) It sounds okay to me.
There’s a commonplace what say men knows mechanical, cars… so He know if the car is ok or not. I think you can chance it. Maybe you can put:
(man) Why’s the car making than strange noise?
(woman) I don’t know, maybe it’s the motor. I’m going to ask to the mechanic if you want.
c-
(man) Have you locked all the doors?
(woman) I think so… I’ll just make sure.
Other commonplace: Women’re always forgotting things!!
d- (woman)What a lovely shirt… what material is it?
(man) I’m not sure. I think it’s made of cotton.
Of course only a woman can ask about shirts and its material and man obviasly isn’t sure about clothes.
e- (man) Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.
(woman) Can you make a better sugestion then?
In the listening, the woman use a sarcastic intonation. Maybe she is angry because he isn’t agree with her opinion or maybe because “women don’t accept other men sugestion”…
The other sentences are similar. If I read only two sentences like that, I hadn’t written you, but I think all the exercise is very estrange.
I think it’s better if you check your exercise and avoid the commonplace.
Thank you
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4 OPINIONES
1.
Loy escribió un 31 de Octubre de 2007 a las 20:34
Con mi inglés de veinte pavos creo entender que el tema va de machismos anacrónicos… Inglés caca… Es mi conclusión… Aunque el español está apañao también…
2.
KATREyuk escribió un 09 de Noviembre de 2007 a las 11:21
When beginning your post I was thinking that would be very funny and, as usual, I would agree to most of your comments. After reading it… I can say that I cannot agree at all with some of the things. I don’t know if some sentences are chauvinistic or not, to be honest, I’ve never used that word, but talk about things in a general way is used daily and it doesn’t mean anything bad. Probably, not all women have problems to decide what to wear… but probably also, 85% will, probably not you, but girlfriends I had where always worrying about it, so if you experience it… you think it’s true. I not a good mechanical, but I know that also 75% of men like this things, the same that they have more skills at home making “chapuzas” and they don’t usually show those skills with a fregona or a escoba. We know that world is changing, but you have to follow that change and be patient, and also don-t have “bad thoughts” about what you read.
Women don’t forguet things, but this is a common situation when you live together with someone… one closes the door, and the other (that don’t do it) asks later about it. As we do it como un acto reflejo we don’t remember and we need to check, no sexysm on that.
Avoid commonplaces is not easy, you can speak about english people and their tea, but not everyone drinks it…
Anyway, is good to read you again and answer you in english…
I miss you lady, we should swap some emails again
Cheers from rome
3.
Patri escribió un 09 de Noviembre de 2007 a las 22:14
My dear KATREyuk:
When It´s 9 in the morning, on Thursday (last night party finished at 4 o´clock) in a class more interesting that the lesson I promisse you that I can´t have “bad thoughts”. This exercise was chauvinistic.
But I´m wrong: We´re chauvinistic. Sorry.
I don´t like cars, mechanical, football, gore…
Somedays, especially when I like somebody, I´m worry about my clothes
Sometimes I like a stronge man who protect me
Sometimes I need a stronge man who save me
Sometimes a stronge man want to protect, save me
Your comment makes a good sugestion. I´m sure. I thought like you, then I thought we like to be chauvinist and finally I´ve discovered (my opinion, I´m respecting yours) that we can´t chance if a little girl go to school and read it.
I think it´s natural a woman “need” a man to surviver to protect the child.
But if I hadn´t wathed Disney Movies I think Now I wouldn´t need a man who save me.
Maybe, if in the TV there weren´t models, very thing singer who has a lot of guys, I would like be worry abaut my clothes.
I think the first education is at home (with the family), later the school, and later in the TV, books…
A child who live with a mum who clean, if he doesn´t think later and If this idea is reinforced with her English grammar book she is going to clean when she grow.
I had boyfriends and friends who clean and they have mothers beeing wifehouse.
I had boyfriends and friends (the mayority) who wait you do it first.
I´m patient with this important chance but I think everybody need do it. The writer of this book too.
We can´t wait chances happen. We have to do something. The writer of this book too.
.
It´s my opinion but I want protect me, I want save me, I want to go to a party without be worryed about my clothes, I want women aren´t worryed about their clothes when they are in a intime moment, I want to eat a doble chocolate muffin and don´t think in calories. I´m not speaking about me. I´m speaking about the mayority of women.
.
Thank you for give me your opinion, I´m agree with you, but I prefer to think if I were the writer of this book, I can help to this change doing better the exercises. It´s a positive way to see the job. Maybe he/she thinks his/her job isn´t important!!! I´m not agree with him/hers!!!
.
YOU MIGHT BE AWARE OF THE POWER OF SMALL THINGS!!!
Thank you again, your answer makes me smile. In English!! I feel so proud!!
4.
KATREyuk escribió un 10 de Noviembre de 2007 a las 11:39
Ok, I agree again with your first lines…
But we should be honest, if a man likes cars and a woman likes buy lots of clothes is not chauvinistic, everyone can do what they want (respecting the others), the problem is if a woman likes cars and a man is very fashion and we don’t respect it, that’s the issue.
I agree with you that TV can influence people as a tool being used for our society for spread their values, but… Rome wasn´t build in day, and 30 years ago you, as a woman, had to go to a “appropiate” class where someone would teach you how to be a good “wife” (or slave)… now, we are a lot of men understanding and respecting women, and changing day by day this world… and needing a man to protect you is not something made by the TV, is logical if you think that we are animals and male in this specie is bigger than female (as an average), so that makes sense, probably women are smart and, for example, can be better leaders (one study of any university proofs that)
I would answer you for ages…
One friendship is one conversation with a beginning a without an end…
I deeply agree with you… small things are crucial, important… and invisible,
we should always be awere about the power of this small things
Cheers Patri, and thanks for this big wink and strong hug under an answer