An update on school :0

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Episcopus
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An update on school :0

Post by Episcopus »

It was funny the other day my physics teacher was talking about space and the months and tried a mangled 1-10 latin numbers. I just sat there while the girls at the front were laughing and saying "ask Aramique he loves latin...ha ha (latin is for dull old guys)"
I was laughing at him and writing the ordinals up to 20 in my physics book for no apparent reason.
Mwah I'm going to fail physics, if I take an A* in Sciences it will be very funny...the lack of zeal and teacher is not even funny anymore. Force = mass x acceleration hell yeah :shock: Theta/360 :lol: no that's maths, but maths is physics. alpha beta gamma delta epsilion zeta eta theta iota kappa lambda mu radiation :lol: Whenever that is mentioned I feel the need to write out the greek lower case alphabet and the great alpha a hundred times down the page. Also for no apparent reason `arpadsó, I plunder is it?
Yesterday tamen he said when talking about the planets in by far the most interesting yet unproductive lesson ever, "Uranus is again some latin word for something. There is a ring around Uranus." And typically everyone laughed at the crude unprofessional cheap joke of the teacher.
When he talked about mars all we did at the back was have great fantasies about living there. The bad things humans have done to earth, the mess, the people who rule it. We would take over! And how, if you bounce a bouncy ball, it would go flying off into space. We would put a camera onto the ball so that it would film the universe.
We also happened to be bouncing super bouncy balls around the class. I love bouncy balls, especially the super little ones. Some boy, actually a boy, brought two into school a few days ago and I am uncontrollable with them. In the cantine it's dangerous. Hoc spacium est longius atque BALL fortiter cotidie contra murum iacio. Yesterday it bounced of the wall, I failed (a shame for a bouncy ball expert) and it hit a girl in the back. I laughed and said sorry. Thankfully it hit not anyone's food.
It was raining very hard yesterday. There were gale force winds. It is very cold. Trees were falling down etc. so I skipped my last lession in order that I walk the couple of miles to my house. I like this weather. I both look like and have characteristics similar to, a vampire. I prefer dark and rain.
In Chemistry we were let out early for lunch because, and I quote, the teacher, "gotta go ta tha pub". :shock: And I hadn't even finised copying the notes on reversible reactions that I just didn't understand. Can I actually see what one is?
Lastly I can not believe that America promised $3 billion reparations to Vietnam after the Viet Cong stopped fighting and DID NOT pay JACK.
Now little 10 year old girls work in cotton factories with their mothers from 5 a.m to 5 p.m every day for a shared 70 pence (~$1) per day.
The more I learn about them the worse it is seriously. I don't even try to come across this information, it was what we did in history.

Anyway this forum is quiet...so yeah

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Post by Emma_85 »

I skipped double maths the other day and didn't miss a thing - the funny thing is every time I skip a maths lesson I'm the only one that actually understands what we did in the lesson I wasn't there. Lol, all our teacher does is confuse us, better to stay at home and not be confused sometimes. :roll:
I'm just glad super bouncy balls have not made it to German classrooms yet.
Nearly all my teachers (yes, even the physics teacher), in fact I think every teacher, knows Latin and most know Greek at my school, but that doesn't stop them being terrible teachers.

I'm glad it's winter; soon it'll start to snow and be too cold in the classrooms to teach. :twisted: 'specially if we open all the windows...
About every second lesson we'll then go into town (5 meters walk :P ) and some stall on the main street in front of the cathedral we'll drink hot red wine to warm up. After a few lessons on the main street and a few mugs later things start to get interesting...

tadwelessar
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Post by tadwelessar »

Oh, interesting, my teachers (except Latin and Greek teachers, of course) aren’t very good at either Latin or Greek. On Wednesday our biology teacher, who believes she’s very intelligent, was questioning two friends of mine and asked them:
- Teacher: Arianna, che cos’è la biologia? (Arianna, what’s biology?)
- Arianna: La biologia è la scienza che studia la vita (It’s the science which studies life [very rough translation])
- Teacher: brava, dal greco bíos “vita” e lógos “discorso” (Good, from Greek bíos “life” and lógos “speech”). Adesso, Stella, parlami degli zuccheri. (now, Stella, tell me something about sugars)
- Stella: Gli zuccheri o glucidi sono …bla-bla-bla……… (sugars or glucides are…idle talk….)
- T: glucidi deriva dal greco glícos “dolce” (glucides is from Greek glicos “sweet”) [ N.B. the correct Greek adjective for “sweet” is glykýs; I don’t know why I didn’t laugh]
- T: E perché si chiamano anche carboidrati? (And why we can call them also carbohydrates?)
- Stella: Perché c‘è il carbonio e perché … perché… non lo so! (Because there is carbon and because… because… I don’t know!)
- T: perché è dal greco idrós che vuol dire “acqua”, sei un’ignorante!! (because it’s from greek idrós [????] which means “water”, you’re an ignorant!!)

After that I hid myself because I couldn’t smother my laugher. (The correct greek for water is hýdōr, hýdatos, tó). I think my teacher believes all Greek words end in –os.


Another thing: each country has its own system for school marks, can you explain me how does it work in yours?
In Italy marks are form 0 to 10:
0 – you don’t open your mouth
1 – you open your mouth but all you say is wrong
2 – you say something but you’re sleeping and you talk about the last football match
3 – seriously low
4 – less seriously low
5 – nearly pass mark
6 – pass mark
7 – fair
8 – good
9 – over every forecast (I took this one from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”)
10 – excellent

usually teachers never give 0, 1 or 2

with this numbers, teachers use ½, + and –
½ means + 0.5. e.g. 8 ½ = 8.5
+ means + 0.1 e.g. 8+ = 8.1
8++ = 8.2
– means – 0.1 e.g. 8– = 7.9
8– – = 7.8


Unfortunately in Italy (and expecially Sardinia) the climate isn’t very cold, in never snows in my town and we have to go to school all the morning :( .

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Post by Emma_85 »

We have marks from 0 (worst) to 15 (best)

0 is worst

1 to 3 is a very bad (a fail)

4 to 6 is enough (although 4 is still sort of like a fail)

7 to 9 is average

10 to 12 is good

13 to 15 is very good

Our teachers don't mind handing out loads of 0 points, but they don't hand out 15 points much to make up for it :( .
This is not for the whole of Germany just for the MSS (that is the Mainz school system, other school systems may be different).

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Post by Episcopus »

Emma_85 wrote: I'm just glad super bouncy balls have not made it to German classrooms yet.
Nearly all my teachers (yes, even the physics teacher), in fact I think every teacher, knows Latin and most know Greek at my school, but that doesn't stop them being terrible teachers.
-> Not into the german classrooms because I'm asleep then :cry:
Not one kid in the class can accept or grasp that after a modal the verb goes to the end. "ich kann gehe zu Schule" is the best that we have :o
One kid wrote "kunnen" which is the Dutch, I think.

By contrast, the last teacher to know latin from my school was my old English teacher. He left 4 years ago to a head of English strong at English and teaching yet lacking in all the benefits of latin. And I stunned him in my Macbeth essay when I wrote "stychomythia" in greek letters, which was fun.

tadwelessar, che? I need to learn Italian! It's the next language on my list!
Join the stupid arrogant teacher club! :wink:

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Post by Emma_85 »

Well, not all teachers are terrible, even the ones who's last Greek lesson was over 40 years ago and never bothered to look at their Greek books since.
My Chemistry teacher isn't that good at Greek, sometimes he's not too sure on all the words he's trying to explain to us (a bit like your biology teacher tadwelessar), but he really does want to teach us Chemistry.
My school is uh... under funded... yes, just slightly under funded...
Anyway we have no money for any chemicals, and you can just imagine how much fun Chemistry is when all you've got is a black board and the teacher talking and no experiments at all (we don't have a book either).
So he actually buys in all those expensive chemicals and pays for them out of his own money.
I was really cross about my chemistry lessons, until I found that out, because when I was at school in England for a short time it was the first time I ever did a Chemistry experiment myself and didn't just have to watch the teacher do it. But now I know why... whereas the British schools are well funded and there are enough chemicals for everyone to try it, there's not even enough money to pay for any chemicals at all here.

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Post by Clemens »

"ich kann gehe zu Schule"
ouch :mrgreen:
Anyway we have no money for any chemicals, and you can just imagine how much fun Chemistry is when all you've got is a black board and the teacher talking and no experiments at all (we don't have a book either).
Oh that's really bad, thank goodness it isn't as bad here...

Episcopus
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Post by Episcopus »

Clemens wrote:
"ich kann gehe zu Schule"
ouch :mrgreen:
Indeed.

I need your advice: I have been holding it in for about 1 year. I keep trying to tell the german teacher that she is not doing it well at all. Really, when "ich kann gehe zu Schule" is one of the best efforts then there is a problem.
Not to be arrogant but I am relatively great at languages. Latin ironically yet unsurprisingly to me is my best language. Not that I know much, but I am given a rule and accept it. Unlike the methods of teaching here (pick out random words that you know and see if you can just about understand the basic point of the writing) D'Ooge teaches me to write and be able to be quick and sharp enough to speak some also.
German is nothing like this. I speak naturally the word order, because it makes sense and comes naturally - it is not I. But when I try to read anything I just don't understand. And Horverstehen "ein lachendes Madchen" springs to mind.
Anyway to the point, she is such a nice teacher and because of this I approach her determined then I leave, having failed. Any evil techniques?

Today I was discussing Mandarin Chinese with a very special boy in the class. I did no german obviously. Each lesson and that's no exaggeration.

She wants us to pass the exams, which don't involve writing (but speaking memorised answers!!) at the end of the year.

I want to speak, write, read and understand spoken german. Reading german is necessary as so many great books have been written by great german scholars as you all know.

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Post by Episcopus »

Latin is my strongest language, or rather, shall be, due to the teacher.

So much depends on the teacher many more times than the child's mind.

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Post by Episcopus »

Remind me to tell you the awful story of the fight today, but my hands hurt at the moment. :wink:

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Post by tadwelessar »

I love languages too and I'm quite good at them. I study English, French and Latin I would like to learn Swedish and Norwegian

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Post by Clemens »

But when I try to read anything I just don't understand.
Where is the problem? Is it Vocabulary or Grammar, or do you have difficulties with getting the context?
I want to speak, write, read and understand spoken german.
Understanding spoken German can be very difficult though. There are many dialects which differ in many ways. So I'm sure you wouldn't understand me talking my native dialect. But you will understand the Germans quite well...:)

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Post by Episcopus »

The problem is that I don't know the grammar. Or any vocabulary.

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Post by tadwelessar »

If you don't study German how can you understand it?

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Post by Episcopus »

Well I have german 'classes' but, and this is no exaggeration, I do NOTHING. For one year and 3 months I have done nothing. Mandarin Chinese learn I more there than German. As our education system is totally based upon qualifications, we must follow some stupid GCSE course strictly, and the examination boards tell the teachers: "DO NOT TEACH GRAMMAR. IT ONLY CONFUSES THE STUDENT." In my opinion this could not be more incorrect and retarded.
Hence no one can write, speak, understand any german. I mean, how can one, really? Adults say, they be better. pff.

Yesterday there was a fight. Two crazies rolling around on the floor and beating eachother. Two female teachers with their coffee mugs still in hand said "now stop that"' only - it was a serious fight. Soon I was overrun by sick zealous stupid children, and by no means could I break it up, even if I had wanted to do thus. Moreover, as my mother wisely said, knowing the children they may have held knives. And as the Italians say, "Perche?!" Finally two male teachers to their credit jumped in and broke it up, after having been punched many times themselves by the combatants. Then one of the female teachers said to me "You could have broken it up. That's cruel. Disgusting." I said "what? There were about 50 people running in front of me and you were standing right in the ring, and you didn't even put your mug down." Stupid cow. I hate them, teachers. All of them. Not even one do I like. Then came an English teacher down the stairs. Female, young, fat (could beat me up) and retarded. Really she can not spell. The other non-aforementioned female teacher who had seen the fight said to the English teacher eagerly, like a child, "Oh, You've just missed a fight!"
"Really? Between who?" And I said annoyingly yet amusingly "Between whom", and she looked down, wanting to tell me off but having no reason. It was funny to degrade a teacher, albeit in a petty way - she was an English teacher however which made it worse for her. And I said, "And you're an english teacher." Many who had heard were laughing at her. Justified was it because they were being cheeky to me. As if I could have done anything. And they were being payed. I was being trapped in a school where I learn nothing. As if I'm to be hurt. I was feeling particularly evil today also. I have been very calm and have avoided trouble this year. Not for much longer I fear.

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Post by Clemens »

hehe...

Regarding German you have two options. Either you try to learn it on your own or you will have to face the fact that you won't learn it in school anymore...;-)

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Post by Episcopus »

My plan, rather naive, at the start of last year was to learn french and german in school, and a few out of school (which will be hopefully latin, chinese, italian, not telling, greek) within the next 2 years...hoc consilium autem nunc deletum est :x

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Post by Clemens »

Oh I see...
I would love to learn Chinese but unfortunately there isn't any opportunity to learn it around here... :(

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Post by Episcopus »

And you assume that there are opportunities to learn chinese here? There is an opportunity to learn nothing here, unless one teach one's self.
It's nicer to teach myself. I am the best teacher that I've ever had! Seriously! :lol:

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Post by tadwelessar »

I'm going to study (on my own, of course) also Ancient Nordic and Ancient German.
With these, plus Greek and Latin, I shall know all the ancient European Languages. After that I will try to learn German and Swedish with the best teacher I've ever known (me).

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Post by Clemens »

...unless one teach one's self.
Yeah, that's true, but in my opinion Chinese is a language that is really hard to learn without a teacher. Take the word "ma" it can mean donkey or mother. The meaning depends on the pitch (I'm sure you know that, since you learn it already...:)) and I guess it's rather difficult to learn that without a teacher or a native speaker...

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Post by Episcopus »

It's quite a strange story, how the Chinese gods called me to learn their language. And all the signs during everyday life were not coincidences.
Also some gods gave me a language in my sleep. That's why I was late for school on monday.

By the way, thank you for being very able to speak English all of you! I could not communicate in German, Italian, Dutch etc!!

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Post by Carola »

Episcopus wrote:Also some gods gave me a language in my sleep. That's why I was late for school on monday.
That's a great excuse - I must remember that one!
Episcopus, is English your first language, or was some other language lucky enough to have that honour?

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Post by Clemens »

By the way, thank you for being very able to speak English all of you! I could not communicate in German, Italian, Dutch etc!!
I hope you can at least guess what I mean when I write English... 8)

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Post by tadwelessar »

Episcopus wrote: By the way, thank you for being very able to speak English all of you! I could not communicate in German, Italian, Dutch etc!!
Thanks but I'm afraid my English isn't very good

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Post by Episcopus »

Unfortunately, ashamedly say I that English my first language is :cry:

And again ashamedly I admit that I'm not fluent in french, mostly because I am reluctant to speak it (it sounds queer). Latin I am progressing. German is a disaster. Armenian nobody speaks it around me so I don't really speak it at all to the point of thinking myself to be unable, yet despite my awful vocabulary I understand it as if it were my first language, although I have neither been taught nor spoken to much in this language. But when I study Italian, chinese and this mystery language no one will stop me. For they sound amazing.

And plus there is another language that, seriously, some strange beings gave to me in my sleep. No joke people.
Last edited by Episcopus on Wed Nov 19, 2003 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

tadwelessar
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Post by tadwelessar »

Toutefois je pourrais parler en Français aussi!
However I could speak French too!

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Post by tadwelessar »

Intersesting, Gods teaching languages? Why doesn't it happen to me?? It takes a lot of time studying Latin and Greek, If I could study during the night...

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Post by Episcopus »

Oui je dois l'ecrire aussi vite que je peux ecrire de peur qu'elle soit oubliée dehors la tete :?

ton anglais c'est super, ne me dis pas que tu ne peux pas :wink:

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Post by tadwelessar »

Si je pourrais parler en Latin comme je parle en Anglais...
If I could speak Latin as well as English... (I don't know if this is correct English but surely it's comprehensible)

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Post by Episcopus »

ne pas faire du souci! ces mots-la sont parfaits!

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Post by Clemens »

Unfortunately, ashamedly say I that English my first language is
Hmm...is that the word order you usually use when you're speaking English? If I didn't know better I would think you're a German guy who just translates German sentences...*confused* ;-)

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Post by Episcopus »

manchmal doch! wenn Englisch mir langweilig ist, spreche ich wie Clemens :shock:

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Post by Emma_85 »

Mir is' grad sau langweilig, weil ich noch die ganze Kunstgeschichte des Barock lernen muss... also google ich nach Caravaggio (wär net schlecht wenn ich wüsst wie man den eigenlich schreibt, aber des gute is, dass die meisten im internet des wahrscheinlich auch net wissen, also sind meine chancen vielleicht gar net so schlecht). Na ja, egal... wollt nur was für Episcopus schreiben, dass er wieder mal was zum übersetzten hat... :wink:

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Post by Episcopus »

willst du 'wäre' und 'wüsste' schreiben nicht wahr? :wink: oder bin ich ja so schlecht daß ich nicht verstehen kann :oops:
ah...Deutsche Leute...total verrückte

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Post by Clemens »

Naja, normalerweise schreibt man auch nicht "net". :mrgreen: Emma ärgert dich gerade mit einer hinterhältigen Mischung aus Hochdeutsch und Umgangssprache...;-)

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Post by Carola »

Episcopus wrote:Unfortunately, ashamedly say I that English my first language is :cry:


And plus there is another language that, seriously, some strange beings gave to me in my sleep. No joke people.
Your English always sounds as though you are translating it from another language - very well, but with slightly different word order and grammar - so maybe it's your dream language? I wouldn't worry about it - for years I have been dreaming of a strange world with very different animals and plants. It's so vivid I could probably draw or paint it . Nothing ever happens there, it's not a nightmare or anything, just like looking at a view-cam in a park. I have no explanation for any of this, I just enjoy it! You should try to write down your dream language. Some authors, like HP Lovecraft and Steven (or Stephen?) King wrote a lot of their stories from dreams.

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Post by Emma_85 »

Now here's something I have to tell you, it's so funny! :lol:
My east German Maths teacher is just pathetic, he always thinks he has to prove himself because he's from east Germany like. Thinks the other teachers don't take him seriously because of that or something.
Anyway, I found out today that he's be teaching us something wrong for like a month. He'd been telling us that the variance is a delta, but today for the first time in months like we used the book a bit, and there it was a sigma. So I asked him why the book uses a sigma and he was all confused, to him sigma and delta look the same, and he's like studied maths, but never realised that he's doing it wrong :roll: . So we then went through all our notes and corrected them (changed all the deltas into sigmas), and laughed at his phi, which looks just like a rho and he was so upset: '... I never even knew really what Greek and Latin were until I came here... nothing like that in east Germany...'
We then all gave him a short lesson in 'how to draw sigmas, what the difference between a delta and a sigma is and how to draw a phi that doesn't look like a rho.

So today in sociology I wrote out the Greek alphabet for him and how to pronounce each letter and so on and left it in the staff room for him.

Lol, half my maths course has ancient Greek as a main subject, we were all just laughing our heads off, while the other were all just as confused as my teacher and much more sypathetic towards him :P .

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Post by tadwelessar »

If you write in German please write also the English translation or I won't understand a word

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Post by tadwelessar »

Also my maths teacher is a bit confused about greek letters. He usually writes the "my" backwards

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