Ok, I apologize in advance for this being a not-entirely-original question, but my girlfriend and I are looking to teach English somewhere in Europe starting this fall (we're thinking mostly of Spain and Italy, but we're open to suggestions), and I was wondering how important certification is, and how to obtain the correct sort of certification from a reputable authority. Thanks, AskMeFi!
posted by clockzero
on Dec 26, 2004 -
12 answers
Can anyone supply me with a link to, or scan of, an English translation of a poem by Paul Eluard? Specifically, "Le Dur Desire de Durer" ("The Dour Desire to Endure")? Merci/Thanks.
posted by stonerose
on Dec 8, 2004 -
5 answers
PunctuationFilter: I'm writing the copy for a CD insert booklet in which the title of a book is mentioned. Typically, I'd italicize it, but the entire piece is already in italics. What's the standard here?
posted by plexiwatt
on Dec 6, 2004 -
18 answers
More clothing-related japery!
So I'm an English major and pretty queer for most things Victoriana, and have been desirous of obtaining some natty duds in the
Dandy style for... years now. The problem is that I'm something of a failure at all this fashion stuff. I am just no good at it. I don't dress like a slob, but I have
no idea how one would go about obtaining, you know,
waistcoats. Especially at reasonable prices, since I really don't have all that much discretionary income.
So: enlighten me!
Where do you find these sorts of things for real bargain-basement prices? If you have specific regional advice, I live in Madison, WI and have easy access to Minneapolis/St. Paul. Otherwise, specific ebay strategies might be helpful? I find browsing the listings tedious, and although I have bid on things occasionally, there's always someone willing to pay more than me. Are there other sites worth looking at for this sort of thing?
Thanks in advance!
posted by kavasa
on Nov 23, 2004 -
11 answers
"One is not amused..." Personal pronoun, or third person generalisation? [MI]
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posted by benzo8
on Nov 6, 2004 -
9 answers
Let's suppose I wanted to go on holiday to various countries. Is there a reliable resource on the Web (short of reading a few hundred pages) telling me which are the countries where English is fairly widely spoken and understood? (It doesn't need to be the national language, but enough that I could comfortably move around without hitting a serious language barrier.)
posted by madman
on Oct 21, 2004 -
5 answers
I would like to go to school (for a PhD in English Literature) in New Zealand and would very much like some advice. [more inside]
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posted by lumiere
on Oct 20, 2004 -
2 answers
My sister was asked if she wants to join a friend teaching english in europe. One thing she said raised a red flag, though. [mi]
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posted by SpecialK
on Oct 10, 2004 -
4 answers
What are the stereotypes of the native English speaker's accent as perceived by non-English-speakers?
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posted by Shane
on Oct 7, 2004 -
16 answers
Cats have kittens, dogs have puppies, Geese have goslings, foxes have kits, goats have kids, people have kids. What do apes have?
posted by Miles Long
on Sep 1, 2004 -
17 answers
Does anyone have experience of teaching English as a foreign language in Santiago, or elsewhere in Chile? (more inside)
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posted by penguin pie
on Sep 1, 2004 -
5 answers
Academical? While listening to NPR this afternoon, a UVa student giving a tour used the word "academical" in describing a portion of UVa's campus . The use of "academical" struck me as sounding very odd although it is arguably correct. Is it all
academic?
posted by Dick Paris
on Jul 3, 2004 -
10 answers
What does "normative" mean? Is it a useful word? I only ever see it used in obscure, academic writing, which makes me suspect it's worthless. How is it different from "normal"? My dictionary says it means, "Of, relating to, or prescribing a norm or standard: normative grammar." That sounds like "normal" to me, so why not just say "normal"? Can someone give me some clear sentences that use the word -- sentences that are not written in post-modern, complit speak? Can one use "normative" meaningfully in a sentence about real-world things, like butter, eggs or bricks?
posted by grumblebee
on May 21, 2004 -
24 answers
ForeignLanguageFilter: What tools (if any?) are available on the Internet for translating materials that are
not prose into English? Specfically, I need an English translation for a song lyric I have only in French. Neither my pathetic high school slacker French nor the
usual suspects are producing anything useful... Any suggestions?
posted by JollyWanker
on Apr 26, 2004 -
9 answers
What's the difference between the words "proffer" and "offer"? This has been driving me mad for some reason for a few days now. Every dictionary I consult basically seems to say that they mean the same thing. But surely there must be a difference, right?
posted by reklaw
on Apr 19, 2004 -
12 answers
Could someone please explain what the phrase "bleeding deacons" means ?
posted by sgt.serenity
on Apr 14, 2004 -
13 answers
Popstar - The British Version of American Idol. Does anyone know where I can find the clip of the Sikh guy who audtions for the judges - and is the equivalent of William Hung? As I recall he doesn't really sing, and in the middle of his routine he starts to do something that resembles some breakdance moves. Painful to watch, yet funny.
posted by turbanhead
on Mar 24, 2004 -
5 answers
A writer's question: how does British English read (and internally, silently sound) to Americans? [
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posted by MiguelCardoso
on Feb 22, 2004 -
35 answers
Quite a few American MeFi users, notably
Matt, write "not so big
of a deal" or, as in the linked example, "too subtle
of a point." Is this a legitimate American construction or is that
of redundant and/or just plain wrong? If it's acceptable, is it in any way related to the colloquial English construction "
Of a Saturday, I enjoy a walk in the park"?
posted by MiguelCardoso
on Jan 30, 2004 -
30 answers
Excuse me, but can anyone tell me: What exactly is the origin of the phrase
Go piss up a rope? I know it's present in the American South and Midwest, but did it originate elsewhere? Does the phrase occur in other countries? And how exactly
does one
piss up a rope? Does it mean
Go climb a rope (similar to
Piss off!), or literally
Go urinate up a length of braided twine? And, while we're at it, what the hell does the
H stand for in
Jesus H Christ? I've always wondered.
[...a little more inside] [more inside]
posted by Shane
on Jan 19, 2004 -
12 answers
Why do people misspell 'lose' as 'loose'? I was looking at this
old entry at waxy. All the info on the web seems to be of the 'haha, look how stupid people are' variety but I haven't found anything that tries to explain these mistakes away. Is it phonetics, usage, words that are an exception to a rule?
posted by vacapinta
on Dec 30, 2003 -
19 answers
Ever say an uncommon word or phrase -- such as "doxology" or "round-a-bout" -- in a crowded room and hear it travel across the room to different conversations? This happens to me all the time, but I have no idea what the term for it is, or if there even is one. Any guesses? In a related question, what do you call a freudian slip that you hear instead of say? (For insteance someone says "hold my glass" and you hear "hold my ass".)
posted by woil
on Dec 24, 2003 -
6 answers
