Canalblog
Editer l'article Suivre ce blog Administration + Créer mon blog
Publicité
Tales of Tyre-racing, Makis and M'zungus.
21 janvier 2013

Right. Where do I start?

           

P1070774

         

I am frequently asked what my students' level of English is like. It is, after all, their third language after Shimaorese and French... and it's not as though they speak the first two properly. English is very difficult for most of the kids. Their fluency falls into several categories. Underneath, you will find examples from a test on both, neither and whereas where they had to compare two singers and from a test on food where they had to compare healthy food and junk food. They were given to a total of 150 students aged around 15 years old, in their fourth year of English lessons.

The test on music and singers was an "open-books" test where they could use their books to help them. I did this because I got fed up of them cheating with their books hidden under the table. As they knew they would be using their books, they didn't bother revising and wasted a lot of time during the test searching for the information they needed. The results were the worst I've seen so far.

 

They confuse similar-looking (to them) words in English.

  • "Both Bob Marley and Elvis Presley took the dreadlocks" (drugs)
  • "Bob Marley was born Jamaique whereas Elvis Presley was born Television" (Tupelo)
  • "Healthy food is the best bread"
  • "I hink healthy food is the best than junk food. I hould eat five fruit and chocolate" (Still wondering if this one was deliberate.)
  • "You shoulder the junk food is"

 

They confuse English words with French words.

  • "Bob Marley and Elvis Presley was the two of song"
  • "Elvis Presley recorded lots of the chanted"
  • "Elvis and Bob taken both in the drogue"
  • "Elvis Presley nationalité whereas Bob Marley isn't nationalité"
  • "The healthy food about is the most équilibry than fast food"

 

They have slight problems with the specific words in the lesson, how to spell them and where to put them in the sentence...

  • "Nei Elvis nei Bob a died old"
  • "Both Bob an Elvis singer lots of"
  • "Elvis appeared on national (television) whereas Bob isn't American"
  • "Elvis Presley was born whereas Bob Marley wasn't born"
  • "Bob Marley is name married whereas Elvis isn't name Presley"
  • "Whereas nationalité América Elvis and Bob Marley"
  • "Elvis was born an January 8th 1935 whereas Bob isn't Elvis American parents whereas Bob"
  • "Bob Marley the neither record lots of songs the not"
  • "Bob Marley was born 6 févier 1945 nine miles whereas Bob Marley universid of Miami hopital and clinic Bob Marley children is Ziggy Marley, Cadella Bob Marley l'epous rita Anderson Elvis Presley daughther's Lisa Bob Marley is black and Elvis presley is blanc"
  • "A healthy food than a junk food is better"

 

...and the verbs, for that matter...

  • "Elvis was recorded songs than Bob"
  • "Bob and Elvis playeding both a guitar"
  • "Neither Elvis Presley and Bob Marley they are isn't died old"
  • "Both Bob Marley and Elvis Presley was born singing"
  • "Both Elvis Presley and Bob Marley neith the drogue"
  • "Bob be married in Elvis the record lots of sangt"

 

Some have cultural problems...

  • "Bob Marley is a good couleur de peau (skin colour) whereas Elvis Presley isn't a good couleur de peau"
  • "Both Bob Marley neither Elvis Presley were born an French"
  • "My opinion is than lettuce is junk food because I don't like"
  • "I think than chiken wills is healthy food because he is the best"
  • "Fast food is the most popular shiken wings"

 

And finally, some don't seem to be speaking the same language at all.

  • "Whereas Marley are negra tha Elvis wtithe whereas Elvis January 8th"
  • "Ni Bob Marley y orntni Elvis ployets both"
  • "Yes I don't hey af sang"
  • "Is not dwena"
  • "You healthy drink alive water spordy"

            

P1070776

             

Publicité
Publicité
Commentaires
Publicité
Newsletter
Visiteurs
Depuis la création 39 588
Publicité