Patexpat
April 3rd, 2009, 15:43
Well as we seem to have a number of spelling and grammar experts on this board, and may be amongst them an English teacher or two, I wonder if anyone has heard of the following occurring elsewhere ...
We had a small gathering of friends at my home, two falangs and five Thais. I was wearing a T-shirt with the logo 'The Elephant King' on it .... upon which one Thai friend pointed out that it was wrong, and it should read "Da Elephant King'.
Why? because he had been taught at school that when the noun began with a vowel, then it should be addressed with 'Da', and when a consonant then 'The'. Furthermore the other 4 Thais all from different parts of Thailand and therefore different schools agreed, as they had all been taught by their (Thai) English teachers that this was so.
As it happens I gained an A grade in English when I was at school (yes alright a long time ago) but of course I was in the wrong as no way could there teachers have been incorrect. Well not until I persuaded them otherwise by beating them round the head with a stick of specially imported Yorkshire rhubarb .... however it does seem to highlight the quality of English teaching in schools AND emphasis the blind faith Thais have in their teachers.
Scary ...
We had a small gathering of friends at my home, two falangs and five Thais. I was wearing a T-shirt with the logo 'The Elephant King' on it .... upon which one Thai friend pointed out that it was wrong, and it should read "Da Elephant King'.
Why? because he had been taught at school that when the noun began with a vowel, then it should be addressed with 'Da', and when a consonant then 'The'. Furthermore the other 4 Thais all from different parts of Thailand and therefore different schools agreed, as they had all been taught by their (Thai) English teachers that this was so.
As it happens I gained an A grade in English when I was at school (yes alright a long time ago) but of course I was in the wrong as no way could there teachers have been incorrect. Well not until I persuaded them otherwise by beating them round the head with a stick of specially imported Yorkshire rhubarb .... however it does seem to highlight the quality of English teaching in schools AND emphasis the blind faith Thais have in their teachers.
Scary ...