Assignment 2 - Language Analysis And Meaning

Assignment 2 for XXXXXX Training Course November 3 – 28, 2008 Phuket, Thailand A. Analysing a language item B. Conveying and checking the meaning of vocabulary C. Conveying and checking the meaning and form of structures

Presented to: XXXXXXX By: Shelia A. Peace Date: November 17, 2008

Written Assignment 2 Part A Analysing a language item. Focusing on the function of advice wit a low-intermediate class, I am explaining two types / examples of giving advice: 1. Why don’t you . . . (talk to her about it), and 2. If I were you, I’d . . . (do something about it now). In the first question, “Why don’t you talk to her about it?” we use the bare infinitive (Parrot, 2000) talk with why to make a suggestion. The meaning is to urge the subject (you) to talk to her about an unnamed object / secondary subject. “The infinitive is the simplest word form of the verb. It is exactly the same as the base form that follows I, you, we¸and they in the present simple tense of all verbs other than be.” These verbs are called infinitive, because they aren’t “part of the tense of the verb.” (Parrot, p. 136) We use infinitive after question words when the main verb don’t and the verb in the infinitive talk have the same subject you. We say, Why don’t you talk because you are the person who will talk. “Why not + infinitive without to is used to make suggestions . . . Why don’t . . .? can be used in the same way.” (Swan, 1996) Form: Why don’t + subject + infinitive without to . . .” OR Why don’t / you / + infinitive without to. A phonemic translation of the sentence is:

In this sentence, stress (emphasis) is placed on the word talk and the second syllable of about. Why don’t you talk to her about it? ~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^

Why don’t you talk to her about it?

The wavy line pattern shows

intonation tunes (pitch change) for this sentence. (Harmer, 1998).

This

pattern would be used as a solution for anticipated problems for this CELTA learners’ group: wavy lines and humming exercises mimicking the intonation pattern: ____talk to her about it?____ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ^^^^^^^^^^^

The second sentence: If I were you, I’d . . . (do something about it) is a conditional sentences with: a main (“conditional”) clause, containing a verb in a form with will or would, and a subordinate clause, introduced by if. (Parrot, p. 231). This is a hypothetical conditional sentence (Harmer, p. 46). The conjunction if is used to preface a condition [If I were you (condition) I’d do something about it.] contains the modal auxiliary would, making it hypothetical (unlikely / impossible) rather than real (possible / likely) (Harmer). If I were you is a Type 2 conditional sentence (Parrot, p. 234) idiomatically expressing advice. Its form is: If I were you + subject + would . . . Phonemic pronunciation is:

Stress pattern: If I were you, I’d do something about it now. There’s a pause after you. Anticipated problems with this learners’ group would be the pause after you and intonation / inflection. Again, a wavy pattern should help If I were you I’d do something about it now. Dialogue examples: Dialogue 1

A: What’s the problem here? B: I can’t get my neighbor to sort his trash. A: What? B: New regulations require food to be separated from paper. He won’t comply, and there are flies in the trash bin area. A: That’s bad. Why don’t you talk to him about it? B: That’s a good idea. I’ll do that tomorrow. Dialogue 2 C: This has to stop! D: What are you talking about? C: I’ve gained 5 pounds this week. I’m eating too much! D: That’s really bad. If I were you, I’d do something about it now. You don’t want to get fat. C: You’re right. I’ll start a diet today.

Part B Conveying and checking the meaning of vocabulary. A. embarrassed vs ashamed When it was time to pay the bill, I gave 20 baht, instead of 200 baht. I mixed up the notes! I was embarrassed. When I saw the beggar, I was too lazy to reach inside my pocket to give money. Now, I am ashamed. Both embarrassed and ashamed are states of being resulting from something one:  Couldn’t do better (embarrassed), or  Wouldn’t do better (ashamed). Something you can do, but forget, or mistakenly don’t do. / Something you should do, but do not. Concept Check Questions: I was embarrassed. 1. Did I make a mistake? (Yes) 2. Was I happy about it? (No) 3. Was I comfortable with the mistake? (No) 4. I should have paid attention. Concept Check Questions: Now, I am ashamed. 1. Did I give money? (No) 2. Could I give money? (Yes) 3. Was it good not to give money? (No) 4. Should I give money? (Yes) When one is, embarrassed no one is hurt. When one is ashamed someone may have been / is hurt. ___________________________________________________________ B. stranger vs foreigner 1. Write the words: stranger ______________________foreigner. 2. Then list attributes:  Someone born in another country.  Someone new to you.

Ask: “Which one is born in another country?” (foreigner / stranger) Ask: “Which is someone new to you?” (foreigner / stranger) Now, relate the following story: Jose was born in Mexico. He came with his cousin to Thailand. Mexico is his home. In Thailand, he is a (foreigner / stranger), because he was born outside of Thailand. Martha doesn’t know the man who lives next door. She has never seen his face. She does not know his name. She sees him leave his house and return home but they have never said “hello.” He is a (foreigner / stranger). Check differences in meaning:  Someone you do not know is a ________________.  Someone you never met is a _________________.  Someone you know nothing about is a ___________________.  Someone born in Thailand (is / is not) a foreigner?  Someone born outside of Thailand (is / is not) a foreigner?  A Mexican who visits France is a (foreigner / stranger) in France.  A Mexican who doesn’t know his neighbor is a (foreigner / stranger) to the neighbor.

Part C Conveying and checking the meaning and form of structure. Concept questions: B. She must have gone (drawing conclusions about the past). (Parrot, p. 615)  Did she go? (Yes)  How do you know? (She’s not here.)  Are you sure? (99%)  Why are you sure? (Her car isn’t here.)  Will she come back? (Maybe)  So, she’s not here now? (Yes)  What do you say if I’m right? (She’s gone.) Form: She / must have / gone.

D. When they arrived the film had already started.  Are we talking about the past / future? (Past)  Do you know exactly when? (No)  Was the film starting when they arrived? (No)  Was it about to start? (No)  Was the film ready to start? (No)  Had the film already started? (Yes)  So, it started before they arrived? (Yes) Time conjunction used to talk about two actions or events that happen one after the other. (Parrot, p. 428) Form: When / they / arrived / the film / had / already started. The present perfect can help to mark the first action as separate, independent of the second.

A. She’s been working here since 2001. Structure: Present Perfect Continuous + since (from that time until now) Time Line: o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o----------------------------------------------

2001

Present

Future

Since + a specific point in time: She/ ‘s / been / working / here / since 2001. In sentences with since , we use present perfect or past perfect in the main clause. (Parrot, p. 520).

D. I was going to phone you yesterday. Structure: Simple Past + going to Time Line: o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o-----------------------------------------

Yesterday

Today

Future

I / was / going to / phone / you / yesterday.

Going to is used to express an intention or plan. It is not a definite arrangement. The decision was made before the moment of speaking (Workman, 2006).

Works Cited Harmer, Jeremy. How to Teach English. England. Pearson Education Limited, 1998. Parrott, Martin. Grammar for English Language Teachers – With exercises and a key. United Kingdom. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage: International Student’s Edition. England. Oxford University Press, 1996. Workman, Grahamj. Concept Questions and TimeLines. Chadburn Publishing, 2006.