RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I'm trying to spend as much of the limited camp budget on dictionaries that can be used by all the students, year round. We have no dictionaries and my CT with 12yrs experience and an MA  seems to think I'm being a bit odd by making the students use picture dictionaries to learn new words by themselves instead of asking us "How do you spell chicken?" or "What is '똥' in English?"
50X a day.

Look, I assume you're talking Oxford Picture Dictionary? Those are great books. I have used them too. But I also recognize that it is 2021 and maybe 20 of them might be a dated approach.

I mean, if you really want to go old-school, buy 20 copies of Minjung's Essence. Pictures are just a poor substitute for imagination and critical thinking, right?

First things first, are you using these picture dictionaries for content or to look up definitions? Because in your OP, it sounds like you're simply using them for definitions. If that's the case, then the Oxford Picture Dictionary is incredibly INEFFICIENT for simply figuring out how to spell something or to define it. Where they are most effective is when tied to specific theme, as that is how they are organized. If you're just using it for definitions, 20 used copies of Minjung's Essence that are about to be remaindered are a better choice.

Old school? No, my friend, I'm talking pedagogical strategies that are being used, right now, around the world.

From a Structuralist approach, which I'm a proponent of, learners rely on MKOs to learn with the Zone of Proximal Development.
MKOs need not be a person, particularly as I only have around 40min per week per class, I have minimal one on one time with learners.
Picture dictionaries are accessible , convenient and pragmatic MKOs for learners in an ESL class, even in 2021:

- They free up the teacher's time
- They work in both a low and high affective filter environments/learners
- They encourage a proactive approach and learner-learner centred language development, which should make up around 80% of activities, according to the Communicative Approach, which I adopt where possible in this broken excuse of a curriculum.

Furthermore, I've been regularly using these dictionaries at my other schools, in a variety of ways, since the beginning of the year. The results have been fantastic.

All of this for "How do you spell chicken?"

Instead of asking for a bit more information, you jumped the gun and went all Captain Planet.

2) Although we aren't discussing this, if you would care to link on this thread your lesson plans and published research, particularly in relation to these picture dictionaries, to help us teachers, that would be great!

2) Again, linking your lesson plans involving those picture dictionaries might help us evaluate how effective they are. You're the one blasting your CT for wasteful spending, while trumpeting the extraordinary results, while saying demanding evidence or research, I think you should offer some up as well.

I actually did ask for more information twice. Both times, you've completely ignored that. You don't have to give away your recipe, but you can talk about the dish.

All that being said, as I posted, those are great books. I know exactly what you saw in them. There's a reason why I referenced them by name and why I never disagreed with the core concept, just the spending strategy. Whether you're formally educated or more experience-based, their educational potential should be obvious.

But just saying, there's almost always a way to save on costs and sometimes we can forget we're in the digital age and the potential cost saving strategies we use. Before we criticize we should always wonder if we're not making a similar error (though obviously not at the same level as buying floor blankets or whatever). In a dream world, they would have paper copies for each student+tablets and everything else. But with budgets and things competing for resources, sometimes you have to look to take advantage to save costs through various methods.

Seoul Cinema is closing its doors.

She-ball.

https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=311610

The World Health Organization said inoculations must be completed quickly to prevent the spread of the variant, but they are progressing at a snail's pace due to a shortage of vaccines.

In Korea, vaccination is still limited to over-60s and some frontline workers until July 26, when the turn of over-50s comes. People in their 40s have no hope of getting inoculated until August because the government failed to secure enough vaccines.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/07/05/2021070500762.html

Yeah, but I still get to go mask-free on my walk to work tomorrow morning, so ...

Not anymore:

"Wearing masks will remain mandatory even for fully vaccinated people in the greater Seoul area as the lifting of lockdown has been kicked into the long grass. The reversal comes as daily infections rose above 700 again and officials panic about coronavirus variants."

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/07/05/2021070500762.html

Not anymore:

"Wearing masks will remain mandatory even for fully vaccinated people in the greater Seoul area as the lifting of lockdown has been kicked into the long grass. The reversal comes as daily infections rose above 700 again and officials panic about coronavirus variants."

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2021/07/05/2021070500762.html

Crapola!

A record 1200+ infections Wednesday.But of course one knows that's DOCUMENTED infections. Many don't show symptoms or stay away from hospitals.Yet, the most alarming stat on Wednesday: 50+ new army recruits infected. Really? Dang. That suggests thousands of cases nationwide. ... So, um,... Please keep your social distance. Don't get into an occupied elevator. No masks on chin. Don't go into a restaurant or movie theater and sit anywhere near others, k? K?! The locals still seem to congregate with other strangers even though they don't say anything, don't give them the time of day, but breathe down their throat, nestled at the three tables in one corner of the huge restaurant. Gawd man. You don't know them. You don't talk to them. So why the hell do you feel compelled to sit by them?! ... cultural history, ugh, i know, i know.

(rant over)

Koreans head into summer with prospects of ever harsher social distancing instead of more freedom earlier promised by political leaders and health officials.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210707000868

Korea “may need to consider the toughest degree of social distancing, if the COVID-19 situation does not improve in the next two or three days.” Under the country’s updated social distancing scheme, the strictest measures mean no more than two people can socialize at once past 6 p.m.

Korean websites or any website for that matter with a ****** USA flag for English language option. **** off. Why don't they just use abc instead of a flag?

Koreans head into summer with prospects of ever harsher social distancing instead of more freedom earlier promised by political leaders and health officials.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210707000868

Korea “may need to consider the toughest degree of social distancing, if the COVID-19 situation does not improve in the next two or three days.” Under the country’s updated social distancing scheme, the strictest measures mean no more than two people can socialize at once past 6 p.m.

No more gang bangs after 6pm. : (

Korean websites or any website for that matter with a ****** USA flag for English language option. **** off. Why don't they just use abc instead of a flag?

get fucked canuck (i think?)

Korean websites or any website for that matter with a ****** USA flag for English language option. **** off. Why don't they just use abc instead of a flag?

America wins.

COVID-19 transmissions in the capital Seoul are approaching a level where the government could impose the toughest restrictions.

http://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210708000173

Under the toughest restrictions, private gatherings of two or more people will be banned after 6 p.m.

No more gang bangs after 6pm. : (

There's always rotation.

Well, it looks like today's numbers will be similar. It's likely the new cases will exceed 1300.
Yet the government is still waiting until the end of this week to decide what to do. Two big mistakes made recently. One is to ease the regulations when only 30% of the population received one dose. And the other one is the hesitation now.
Remember how they struggled with hospital bed shortages when the daily cases were around 1000? Now it will be worse.

Korean websites or any website for that matter with a ****** USA flag for English language option. **** off. Why don't they just use abc instead of a flag?

This meme always gets a chuckle out of me:



 

wack. everyone knows portuguese should be the brazilian flag

Two big mistakes made recently. One is to ease the regulations when only 30% of the population received one dose. And the other one is the hesitation now.

Did you see this? (Just announced.)
___________________ ________
 
“South Korea has decided to impose the strictest Level Four social distancing scheme in the greater Seoul area”

https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=162713

“After 6 p.m., private gatherings of more than two people will be banned.”

This meme always gets a chuckle out of me:



 

While it is fun. It's actually misleading. If you look at which country more and more develops new words and also injects technical terminology and academic lingo into its vernacular, it is undoubtedly the United States.

In fact, if you look at terms that are used for things, particularly those that are recently developed, American English appears to place a greater emphasis on distinction and concept.

I mean 'elevator vs. lift' and 'parking lot vs. car park' Someone sure is simplified and it's not the Americans.

While it is fun. It's actually misleading. If you look at which country more and more develops new words and also injects technical terminology and academic lingo into its vernacular, it is undoubtedly the United States.

In fact, if you look at terms that are used for things, particularly those that are recently developed, American English appears to place a greater emphasis on distinction and concept.

I mean 'elevator vs. lift' and 'parking lot vs. car park' Someone sure is simplified and it's not the Americans.

I don't believe that I have to explain this, but... American English, when it differs from Commonwealth Standard, tends to regularize both spelling and conjugation, hence "simplified".
The reason you're not laughing right now is because the joke is funnier when it doesn't need to be explained....and/or when you're not American, I'm guessing. 

Of course you're right that the US does come up with a lot of technical terminology etc, but I would  say that this is a contribution to English as a whole rather than just AmE or BrE.
Also, just to pick at one of your examples, "car park" is a park for cars (a synonym for "car lot") as opposed to a hideously ungrammatical reference to parking. I wouldn't say one is particularly more simple than the other.