Family and becoming an ex-pat

PenguinJim

NinjaSavingKat wrote: »

The OP didn't come to this forum for help on her English skills which I am sure take form when required in a more formal setting.

The posts are littered with basic mistakes that, in my humble opinion, should not be passed along to thousands of students and potentially damage their language skills (and possibly their careers). Your suggestion that the OP would make such mistakes on an everyday basis but not in a classroom environment is overwhelmingly charitable. Possibly even patronising.

purpleshoes_2

PenguinJim wrote: »

OP, could the reason your parents are not supportive is that your English language skills are quite poor? You have dozens of straightforward English mistakes in the post I've quoted alone. Maybe when you finish your CELTA course and have your spelling, punctuation and grammar to a high enough standard to teach English, your parents will be encouraging, and you will be able to represent the UK in a positive light?

There was another poster a few months ago who wanted to teach English abroad, but they wanted us (i.e. the MSE forum-goers) to check the (dreadful) English in their introductory letter! :rotfl: Thankfully you're not as arrogant as that, but please do remember that you're going to be an ambassador while you're abroad, whether you like it or not. I would suggest that you ask your English tutor to help with your capital letters, commas, apostrophes, hyphens and sentence structures in particular.

I'm not going to go through your post with a red font for you, but please, please do stop shouting about your visa! "Hey, I've applied for a VISA! I'm getting a VISA!" Yikes!

I wish you the best of luck with your CELTA course. English is a particularly difficult language for beginners, but it's so wonderfully malleable when you reach the advanced levels.

Dear me. Why don't you go back and read some of the threads the OP has posted about her home situation and then come back and you might find that the reason her parents aren't being supportive is nothing to do with her English language skills.

Absolutely unnecessary post. What if someone suffered from anxiety and/or low confidence and read a pedantic post like that?

Why shouldn't she post about her VISA? Represent the UK? She's not doing the 100 metres hurdles in the Olympics.

Perhaps, just perhaps when people post here they can sometimes post in a rush and don't particularly care about whether their posts are exactly as they should be.

Go through her posts with a red font? If you can't say anything positive say nothing at all, no wonder this forum is in the shape it's currently in.

Person_one

PenguinJim wrote: »

The posts are littered with basic mistakes that, in my humble opinion, should not be passed along to thousands of students and potentially damage their language skills (and possibly their careers). Your suggestion that the OP would make such mistakes on an everyday basis but not in a classroom environment is overwhelmingly charitable. Possibly even patronising.

My posts are often littered with errors thanks to Apple's delightful autocorrect. You seem to only use one space after a full stop and your final sentence has no subject.

We're none of us perfect after all.

PenguinJim

The difference is that I'm not an English teacher.

I'd hope to avoid seeing Financial Advisers on these boards give incorrect financial information, or driving instructors make mistakes when discussing the Highway Code. I'm sure that the good ones would be appreciative if they had their mistakes pointed out to them, however. Coincidentally, the "one space or two" issue came up a few months ago, and the overwhelming consensus is that, today, two spaces is wrong. As you say, you're not perfect.

purpleshoes wrote: »

Why shouldn't she post about her VISA?

I don't mind at all, except that capitalising the word gives the impression of SHOUTING ABOUT IT.

I'm sure that the OP will be much better when they've finished their studies, but as they're still having trouble with their apostrophising, I do hope that they'll make every effort to perfect their skills before beginning their teaching. Of course, if I'm wrong and the OP's English is far, far better than their posts suggest, then they know this and can simply correct me or ignore my comments with no harm done.

Perhaps I'm just being crazy for putting the students ahead of the teacher.

purpleshoes_2

I am pretty sure that the OP has posted a few threads about the relationship with her mum and she also posted that she moved back home because she broke both her wrists. It's not that difficult to have a search of someone's posting history and it make it easier for people to understand that if someone is upset about a good dress being borrowed and then worn just to doss around the house in, there's probably much more to it than the OP being upset for the sake of it.

Well done to you OP, you've posted a few times about tougher times, I hope this is the start of something good for you.

missbiggles1

Person_one wrote: »

My posts are often littered with errors thanks to Apple's delightful autocorrect. You seem to only use one space after a full stop and your final sentence has no subject.

We're none of us perfect after all.

Spacing after a full stop is a typing error, nothing to do with language skills.

moneyistooshorttomention

To clarify that (very minor) point re spacing after full stops.

I am a trained Personal Secretary and passed my English O Level back when it was necessary to use correct English to do so and we were taught that it's one space after a full stop in my secretarial course.

missbiggles1

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

To clarify that (very minor) point re spacing after full stops.

I am a trained Personal Secretary and passed my English O Level back when it was necessary to use correct English to do so and we were taught that it's one space after a full stop in my secretarial course.

That's what I said, it's a typing/secretarial issue, nothing to do with English language.

top_drawer_2

Thank you to everyone saying go for it, I intend to grab the opportunity with both hands. PurpleShoes is correct in saying that my Mum and I have a difficult relationship. Catkins I guess there is always others who hope to point out any issues (even non-existent ones) in the hope of dragging everyone down to their miserable level.

I've been a little surprised by many peoples attitude, I told work that Monday was the last time I would be available for work (I am bank staff) and why and I've had a text message off someone who I found to be unpleasant to work with, she often acted as teamleader and used her power to sit about talking with her mates and demand that people who weren't in "her gang" did the work that needed doing. She's said she wants to hug me (!!) that she used to enjoy our little chats (??) and wished me luck. I'm bemused to put it mildly. I haven't responded yet, I'm torn between responding with the truth in saying that I found her a venomous presence and a bully at times or being nicey-nice and saying thank you. She has no power over me anymore to make my life difficult.

I'm wary of sharing any issues I'm having, and resentful that I have to always seem perky as instantly she will conclude its all negative i.e when I went to university, I wasn't happy about being placed in smoking accommodation halls and when I told her about it she concluded there was hardly a point me staying as it was all going to be similar..... Oh and then she goes onto say how she said it wouldn't work out / I should have just stayed home / it was too far away for me / she knew I would never cope (!!).

Conradmum I do a lot in relation to my sister although much of it is "fun" stuff, so yes she is going to miss out on quite a lot. Unfortunately, my Mum has always been much the same... T was born when I was 10 and the course was already set way back. Its a shame. T is very capable but needs encouragement to try to be independent; she seems to want to remain a dependent, to ensure that Mum has to care for her. I guess she is scared of what would happen if she didn't have my Mum around, who regularly threats to abandon her in one way or another.

PenguinJim - I doubt my Mum would notice such things. I don't bother applying my skills as what exactly would be the point?! I am not a whizz on the computer and sometime back I installed a autocorrect which "learns" and creates all manner of errors or ignores others. I don't believe that grammar would make what I want to say any clearer to read or to understand and this style is more effective in conveying what I want to say, I think it helps in conveying tone too.

Pyxis - its not exactly treasured, I resent giving it to someone who may treat it with contempt in the same way she has other things I have given to her in the past. Plus the way she demanded it as if it were some sort of right!

Ninja Saving Kat - lol at your username. Its not been easy by any means and I'm glad someone can understand what it is I've actually done. Blackburn College are offering the course at £950 and the train station is easily in walking distance, if your interested.

moneyistooshorttoomention - This rings true in some ways although I think a lot of it is just that they are very selfish and I've upset their applecart a little. Sometime back I overheard Mum telling someone I don't "do" much with myself, ....went back to college again but have I done anything with it? No. Still in the same job / poorly paid / no boyfriend etc. I guess I've dealt with that criticism although I didn't have a job offer at this point but hadn't mentioned that I was applying as I knew she would possibly work in thwarting things / complaining about my chosen countries.

RAS

Wow top_drawer

When I think back to some of your early threads - wow. You have blossomed so much.

It is going to be scary and exciting. Think about the physical responses to exciting things? And those for scary things? They are actually pretty much the same.

Just take a deep breath, or two, make the best decision you can based on what you know at the time and go for it.

As you know mum is going to be more peed off that you have made it than she would be if you were at home were she can bully you daily. So water off a duck's back?