Nice people thread 2 - now even nicer

carolt

Do they?

You want to have words with your m8s.

These classes are aimed at adults, not teens, and I don't think text speak is part of the curriculum.

vivatifosi

misskool wrote: »

Is it wrong that I'm so annoyed that Labour's manifesto includes the suggestion that all migrants will now have to take an English test? Unbelievable.

I don't know what my thoughts are, they aren't that crystalised, but on balance I don't know that it is a bad thing. At the library we meet a lot of people who come in to borrow ESL courses so that they can get the most out of living here. As far as I can tell it's nothing to do with race, age, wealth (or lack of), or brainpower, just a pragmatic sense that to get the most out of living here you have to speak the same language to avoid isolation. I don't think its a bad thing.

However I do see why you're frustrated re barely literate kids. Its an issue I was discussing with my SiL recently who is a social worker. She says that she's regularly talking to teens who say they don't care if they don't do well at school, if they don't get a job they can always go on benefits. It's a sad indictment isn't it? Still, there are a lot of very bright, motivated immigrants learning english at this moment in time who will be very happy to take the jobs that these kids can't be bothered with.

A final point on the subject if I may. When I was a kid my circumstances were very much like those kids who go to school in Peterborough. I lived in Australia during the great mass migration of the late 1960s and early 1970s and went to school there. In my class of 52 children, only half spoke English. However what the school did was to have two teachers, one for those speaking English and one to help the other kids catch up. In breaks, the Italian children, Lebanese children etc would have extra tuition to get them to catch up. About two years later they spoke English as well as I did. Where there is a will there's a way...

SingleSue

I have a major problem with text speak, not sure if it is my dyslexia but I can't put the words together...so m8 I will read as the letter m (as in em) and then say 8..so em8.

Gmmmr I read and say as gmmer.

Just a blind spot I have and is why I have such a hard time decoding text speak.

misskool

vivatifosi wrote: »

I don't know what my thoughts are, they aren't that crystalised, but on balance I don't know that it is a bad thing. At the library we meet a lot of people who come in to borrow ESL courses so that they can get the most out of living here. As far as I can tell it's nothing to do with race, age, wealth (or lack of), or brainpower, just a pragmatic sense that to get the most out of living here you have to speak the same language to avoid isolation. I don't think its a bad thing.

The other thing is, just thinking about it quickly is that it will only be applied to non-EU migrants. English language requirements are already part of the application forms for non-EU migrants. EU migrants don't need to be able to prove they can speak English when they move to England. Perhaps that's where people find most of the problems, rather than those that have already proved that they can speak enough English to be here?

It's a sign of the weak leader when they can only think of populist manifestos instead of something that will actually fix the problem. But I suppose I am in the minority of well-educated, following all the rules, pay all my taxes immigrant that isn't the worry of great British population but I will be classed as part of the great unwashed by government policy.

SingleSue

Forgot one bit of fun we had today....

Eldest has the school prom coming up and of course, he needs suitable attire, so it was up to the local Gentlemans shop (or as we call it, that posh shop at the top of the hill) to hire a suit.

His face when the assistant had to measure his inside leg (think beetroot with a surprised expression), the look of confusion at posh trousers, the 'what on earth is that blooming thing' at the cummerbund but the sheer delight at the choice in colours of the bow tie, was really quite sweet to see.

Made me feel really old though, can he really be old enough for proms? Or worse, talking about driving lessons tonight!

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Davesdave, davesnave....whoohoooooooo. Please can you give me some advice? Dahlias...I'm gonna try again.. is now ok to plant them do you think?

We had a bed that basically is bit of a right-off as it is, it has a dapnhne, and some glorious baoque irs, but .....well...then kind of drops off....and I put some euphorbia in, and I have some dahlias and glads I bought, in oranges and pinks...I'm hoping it will look like a crazy sunset: it might just look a terrible mess....

Sorry, conked-out before 10 tonight after not following my own advice about working too hard, so didn't see this. Have just re-surfaced! Glad to read you are much better, though.

Err... dahlias. Yes, they should be OK to go out soon on your soil, provided you are taking precautions against our slimy enemies. I might leave it another two weeks in case of late frosts, or have fleece handy to throw over.

Being on very light soil here, we don't seem to have too many slugs. In Bath, we had huge numbers of frogs and toads helping us with the small ones, so it was snails that did the damage there. We need to get a really good pond up & running again, but we have plenty of birds helping out. Trouble is, some of them bat for both teams...:(

I don't use nematodes for slugs. I'm not a fan of blue pellets either, but in small targeted quantities they are OK. I use nematodes in preference to chemicals for vine weevil though, and they are pretty effective.:)

Back to dahlias & 'sunset' borders; you should be able to grow crocosmias, achilleas, rudbeckias and heleniums well on your soil to add to the hot theme. I've bred an orange dahlia, currently still on trial with Blooms, and that would be perfect with its contrasting dark foliage. Wish they'd release it, but it's always, ' Maybe next year.' I have to be nice to them because they control another of my plants, which is patented. :cool:

On the subject of text speak, I don't really do it. About the only thing I ever text is 'Goin thru checkout now.':rotfl:

Davesnave

SingleSue wrote: »

Made me feel really old though, can he really be old enough for proms? Or worse, talking about driving lessons tonight!

I am old and it still doesn't feel any better!

Our youngest turned 21 at the weekend, which is still the real milestone with us, so we had a bit of a knees-up.

Kids are always just 'on loan.' Maybe that's why I spent so long with other people's....

tomterm8

misskool wrote: »

Is it wrong that I'm so annoyed that Labour's manifesto includes the suggestion that all migrants will now have to take an English test? Unbelievable.

I think you will find its all migrants from outside the EU. I don't think they have the ability to stop EU's coming into the country; so, French people won't have to take the test, but Americans will.

Which is a sensible move:D

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

Sorry, conked-out before 10 tonight after not following my own advice about working too hard, so didn't see this. Have just re-surfaced! Glad to read you are much better, though.

Err... dahlias. Yes, they should be OK to go out soon on your soil, provided you are taking precautions against our slimy enemies. I might leave it another two weeks in case of late frosts, or have fleece handy to throw over.

Being on very light soil here, we don't seem to have too many slugs. In Bath, we had huge numbers of frogs and toads helping us with the small ones, so it was snails that did the damage there. We need to get a really good pond up & running again, but we have plenty of birds helping out. Trouble is, some of them bat for both teams...:(

I don't use nematodes for slugs. I'm not a fan of blue pellets either, but in small targeted quantities they are OK. I use nematodes in preference to chemicals for vine weevil though, and they are pretty effective.:)

Back to dahlias & 'sunset' borders; you should be able to grow crocosmias, achilleas, rudbeckias and heleniums well on your soil to add to the hot theme. I've bred an orange dahlia, currently still on trial with Blooms, and that would be perfect with its contrasting dark foliage. Wish they'd release it, but it's always, ' Maybe next year.' I have to be nice to them because they control another of my plants, which is patented. :cool:

On the subject of text speak, I don't really do it. About the only thing I ever text is 'Goin thru checkout now.':rotfl:

OK I'll hold off this week. A neighbour had good success with nematdes a few years ago, and something HAS to be done. we have toads and frogs and a huge bird population...the song thrushes here are remarkable but we also have lots, and lots of slugs. Its either defeat or give up gardening ATM.

Thanks for the other planting ideas. I'll have a think on it. Far too much bare soil this year. Annuals haven't been sown yet though, but still, its all looking ''gappy''.:(

misskool

lostinrates wrote: »

OK I'll hold off this week. A neighbour had good success with nematdes a few years ago, and something HAS to be done. we have toads and frogs and a huge bird population...the song thrushes here are remarkable but we also have lots, and lots of slugs. Its either defeat or give up gardening ATM.

Thanks for the other planting ideas. I'll have a think on it. Far too much bare soil this year. Annuals haven't been sown yet though, but still, its all looking ''gappy''.:(

it's ok. I have dandelions and field buttercups on my front borders. No idea what annuals to stick in there yet. Probably just throw some hollyhocks or some cosmos or some sweetpeas up a mini trellis.