Mixed English Grammar Thread

The teacher should of course. That and have an eye on exam expectations and partial outcomes. Non-native teachers have a real struggle with that concept.

You're correct that traditional ones are model sentences (and newer ones should be) however some of the newer ones are more thematic (the topics covered in satiate exams) at the cost of accuracy and ease of use.

For children's materials, even the CEFR lexis gets stripped down a bit. Generally for good reason.


Welcome to my world, Maf (and of course probably yours too; I think you work with language).

Learners and non-native teachers often get flummoxed by word or grammar frequency. They get appalled when they reach the level that 'be used to' and 'get used to' come in. Plus there's the prescriptive/descriptive approach to grammar.

If you want to see looks of horror, just tell them that the Cobuild people in Warwick analysed an evening of U.K. terrestrial TV and identified 84 conditional forms...

To be clear I've worked with some non-native teachers that are far more effective than some native teachers..... ideally both have roles to play but the roles are separate (with some overlap).

I really enjoyed working in a translation module with a Polish teacher with very realistic views of usage in both languages (so the students had a broader perspective - English from the point of view of a Polish speaker and Polish from the point of view of an English speaker).

I do think that textbooks are overused... at a certain point they need to jettisoned in favor of real world materials (as is done with some other languages that don't have bloated textbook industries).


A (very advanced) student once asked me why past a certain point English teachers (native and non-native) use forms that are supposed to not exist (I think this was about "If you'll....")

I had to think for a moment and then said "in high school they explain things in a way that high school students can understand... at your level you have to be able to understand things in a new way... the way that language professionals understand"

It seemed to work.

There are some, especially at the top end of the market. Further down, there are some horror shows.


I agree, however in exam classes where you're essentially teaching to the test, good ones are invaluable. The exam-focussed ones are a world apart from some of the dreck from publishers with big marketing budgets.


With that one (some B2s do ask) I say it's about the historical connection between will (będzie) and will (woła). And also say very often pretty well exactly what you say. Also that there are emphatic forms, hedging and the ultra polite which leads to forms being used by natives that even a highly proficient non-native would avoid but shouldn't stress over if they hear it.

Luckily I have no idea about grammar. No matter what language we are talking about.

Good. The state of absolute oblivion is just perfect for imbeciles. They don`t have to worry about so many things in life and in result are on cloud nine all the time.
Do you know which famous Polish writer introduced that motif into literature????? Ha!!!!

Didn't Żeromski write a book or short story called that? I haven't read that one, only the usual.

Perfect point.

My granddaughters didn't know the difference between adverbs and adjectives and at the age of 8 spoke perfect American.

Yesterday, I watched the inauguration activities, heard many speeches, and didn't come across one word I didn't know - both spelling and meaning. Never studied English, either...Professor Lyzko...

Life is simple. When you know English, you know all the languages worth knowing. Basic Italian or French if you want to get laid without paying.

Not Żeromski. It was Stanisław Lem who wrote a comedy play about travelling to other worlds - during one journey the protagonists visit a planet whose inhabitants put special devices on their heads which block thinking and make them imbeciles for good mood.

Ironside probably put it on one day and can`t take off. hahahaha

I am not an imbecile and I am in a good mood just from knowing the pain and suffering leftist woke scum must be feeling today - and for the next four years...

There are exceptions to every rule. Life.
I mean simple!

I should read Lem.

Science fiction isn't my thing, though there are certainly some good speculative fiction books.


Earbuds do that. Replace reflection and contemplation with whatever Spotify's algorithm thinks you'll like.

That and MAGA hats, however fortunately they're over there not over here so we don't need to worry about the fine mess they've gotten themselves into.

That`s how we like you, jon - posting sth of value on Polish culture, instead of your previous immature pranks. Keep up good work.

You were still wrong though.

Here's a riddle:

Where are the Antipodes of Poland?

I don't, and I don't care. To remember something so worthless, one needs to be an imbecile himself.

You are on the roll today, Iron...What can I say...