Teaching my wife english

**JackMcG** · 09-16-2008, 06:34 PM

My wife just asked me to help her with her english... my response, in english was..."sweetheart, I will help you with your english till the cows come home". I spent the next 20 minutes explaining the meaning of that saying!:LMAO: Hasta que llegen las vacas a casa! Doesn't work in spanish the same way!

**El Greco** · 09-16-2008, 07:53 PM

If there's a will there's a way! She'll learn fats. I remember when I Immigrated to the USA my biggest desire was to lear English, I was 11 years old and it took me 2 years to learn it. of course I learned the bad words first... Buena suerte Jack

**El Greco** · 09-16-2008, 07:55 PM

Learn English! sorry for the bad spelling my pc sucks the keypads sometimes they don't punch in

**JackMcG** · 09-16-2008, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by El Greco

If there's a will there's a way! She'll learn fats. I remember when I Immigrated to the USA my biggest desire was to lear English, I was 11 years old and it took me 2 years to learn it. of course I learned the bad words first... Buena suerte Jack

Gracias amigo.... muy amable!

**travelling man** · 09-17-2008, 06:38 AM

I do not posses the greatest amount of Patience
And my wife sometimes is a great challenge. She always wants to change the English language to suit her way of thinking. My standard answer that is the way it is taught and I myself do not understand English and that it was not my best course actually my worse course doesn't help. I think my sister explained it best to her that our English is a mix of words taken from other languages and some of the rules are applied from these other languages. So my solution was to get her hired as a school bus monitor and work as a teacher’s aid for pre to 2nd grade. She has learned more English from this than from any class or program (Laura stone) she has taken. Good luck and keep a big bottle of FDC handy.

**randude** · 09-17-2008, 07:17 AM

John had said something about www.wordchamp.com and I checked it out. Lot of different languages, chatting, sound recognition, flash cards, all free.

**JackMcG** · 11-04-2008, 05:06 PM

More fun with my wife's english....

She has been watching the news lately about the election and asked me today about the word "polls".... I had previously explained to her that it means to gather the opinions of various people on a particular subject. In this case, the popularity of the candidates. I was surprised when she asked me again today about the word "polls" having already explained it to her. But she said, NO, I want to know why they call the place where the people go to vote, "The Polls".... I have no answer!

Other than to say that sometimes english es mas loco que spanish!

**tresfrijoles** · 11-04-2008, 05:25 PM

I will tell you what, if you can afford to purchase Rosetta Stone English, it is well worth it.

My wife was asking me to teach her English, and I begun to, but I am not a teacher and I don't even know where to begin. Not to mention that my wife stays very busy all day, so trying to get the time in to sit down with her and actually create some lessons is a bit difficult.

The required English classes which she takes in her University is a waste of time, they teach a bunch of random phrases related to Tourism and Hotel Administration, and spread it out over 4 years and 12 levels. I have tried speaking to upperclassmen there in English to test them and they don't have any idea what I'm saying.

In anycase this Rosetta Stone is awesome, you speak to the program and the program speaks to you, its an opportunity to be put right into an English situation, but in a slow manner and with a bit of guidance. Reading and writing is also on it to.

Now my wife has not found a lot of time to use it but my 7 year old sits down at the computer daily and plays with the program. She has already made it through about 100 lessons, and although she skips and cheats a bunch and goofs off with it, she has managed to pick up quite a bit.

I really recommend this program. Make sure its the newest version available, some of the older versions are alright but not as good as they have become.

My favorite part about the program is the amount of vivid pictures and the non computer voices, its like a real person.

**Little Corn Tom** · 11-04-2008, 05:35 PM

How much is it?

**JackMcG** · 11-04-2008, 05:36 PM

We do have the Rosetta Stone program and it is a good one.... it also takes the pressure off of me to be teaching her all the time.... also, here in the Ocean City MD and in many places in the US are offered free english classes. When my wife first learned that the classes were free, she could hardly believe it. We hear a lot of negative stuff about immigration and "our" policies but I have to say, the US, through various manners and at various levels, does an awful lot to help people assimilate and succeed in their new country!

**El Doc** · 11-04-2008, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Little Corn Tom

How much is it?

I got the Rosetta Stone to learn Mandarin (my challenge for 2009). I did the first chapter but I've put it on hold until after the move.

It was around $600 earlier this year. Expensive, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

**JackMcG** · 11-04-2008, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Little Corn Tom

How much is it?

Here ya go Tom...

http://www.rosettastone.com/personal...glish-american

**Jonh** · 11-04-2008, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by El Doc

I got the Rosetta Stone to learn Mandarin (my challenge for 2009). I did the first chapter but I've put it on hold until after the move.

It was around $600 earlier this year. Expensive, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

Giving up on Nicaragua?

**tresfrijoles** · 11-04-2008, 06:20 PM

Each chapter costs about U$180-U$200 then there are deals for buying all or some of the chapters. For US English there are 3 chapters. For the hell of it I tested myself on the final exams of each chapter. I scored a 72% on the 1rst chapter and a 66% on the 2nd chapter, I suppose I would really fail on the 3rd and final. The great thing about this program is you can take your time on it, do it when you have time and not try to fit it into any busy schedule, and repeat lessons over and over until you feel confident.

To start off in any of the languages you may just want to buy 1 level at a time. When you are ready for the following chapters there might be a newer better version.

**tresfrijoles** · 11-04-2008, 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by El Doc

I got the Rosetta Stone to learn Mandarin (my challenge for 2009). I did the first chapter but I've put it on hold until after the move.

It was around $600 earlier this year. Expensive, but I think it will be worth it in the end.

I wanted to pick the Mandarin chapters up to.

Hey Mandarin has some advantages with the businessmen at Zona Franca and theres quite a few Chinese in the Casinos too.

**renco** · 11-04-2008, 06:37 PM

Originally Posted by 3 frijoles

Hey Mandarin has some advantages with the businessmen at Zona Franca and theres quite a few Chinese in the Casinos too.

You too can enter the high paying field of casino operations management!!

**thunderdial** · 11-04-2008, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by renco

You too can enter the high paying field of casino operations management!!

:LMAO:

U vwewy funny man!

**randude** · 11-04-2008, 08:54 PM

Mr Bean, that is quite the endorsement. You got me

Originally Posted by 3 frijoles

I will tell you what, if you can afford to purchase Rosetta Stone English, it is well worth it.

My wife was asking me to teach her English, and I begun to, but I am not a teacher and I don't even know where to begin. Not to mention that my wife stays very busy all day, so trying to get the time in to sit down with her and actually create some lessons is a bit difficult.

The required English classes which she takes in her University is a waste of time, they teach a bunch of random phrases related to Tourism and Hotel Administration, and spread it out over 4 years and 12 levels. I have tried speaking to upperclassmen there in English to test them and they don't have any idea what I'm saying.

In anycase this Rosetta Stone is awesome, you speak to the program and the program speaks to you, its an opportunity to be put right into an English situation, but in a slow manner and with a bit of guidance. Reading and writing is also on it to.

Now my wife has not found a lot of time to use it but my 7 year old sits down at the computer daily and plays with the program. She has already made it through about 100 lessons, and although she skips and cheats a bunch and goofs off with it, she has managed to pick up quite a bit.

I really recommend this program. Make sure its the newest version available, some of the older versions are alright but not as good as they have become.

My favorite part about the program is the amount of vivid pictures and the non computer voices, its like a real person.

**El Doc** · 11-04-2008, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by John

Giving up on Nicaragua?

Heck no, I just figure Mandarin is going to be useful in the 21st century. I am after all a business man and they have all the money!

**randude** · 11-04-2008, 09:08 PM

I only learned one phrase in Chinese...
"Me so horny, me so horny" It has a different meaning there I think.

[YT]qb5Ii0iIcXo&feature[/YT]

**El Greco** · 11-04-2008, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by randude

I only learned one phrase in Chinese...
"Me so horny, me so horny" It has a different meaning there I think.

[yt]qb5Ii0iIcXo&feature[/yt]

A little Vapors action!

**JackMcG** · 03-11-2009, 07:48 PM

The little woman has a shot at a bank teller job (her dream job!...it's a Nica thing!) so we have been working a bit harder on her english and this came up......the english phrase "how come?" As in (for you wise guys)...

Maria... Jack, I didn't call my mother today.
Jack.... How come?
Maria... COMO???????? Que significa?????? (She always goes to spanish when there is confusion)

Anyway... I explained that it is the same as asking..."WHY".... but now my question is ........

How come, in english, we say...."How come?"... Where did it come from?

**tresfrijoles** · 03-11-2009, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by JackMcG

The little woman has a shot at a bank teller job (her dream job!...it's a Nica thing!) so we have been working a bit harder on her english and this came up......the english phrase "how come?" As in (for you wise guys)...

Maria... Jack, I didn't call my mother today.
Jack.... How come?
Maria... COMO???????? Que significa?????? (She always goes to spanish when there is confusion)

Anyway... I explained that it is the same as asking..."WHY".... but now my question is ........

How come, in english, we say...."How come?"... Where did it come from?

I don't know about your question, but this bank job thing has come up so many times with my wife and others around the house. They were extremely shocked when I told them that several people I had gone to high school with had bank teller jobs on the weekends and others had full time jobs at banks out of high school, "How could you ever be a bank teller without having a college education!" was their comment of shock.

Anycase the Bank Tellers I deal with in Nicaragua are a bit less competent than the bank tellers in the US, but they are apparently much more educated.

Cork Sinks...