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Rule number 2: Be aware of the difficulties of cultural references!
The following text is the first part of the introductory paragraph to a question about car speed:
"The police used to measure the speed of cars on the road by having two PCs some distance apart using a stopwatch. One of them would stand and wave as a car reached him. When the wave was seen by the second PC a stopwatch was started. As the car passed the second PC, the stopwatch was stopped."The question itself read:
"Is the car exceeding the maximum speed limit in Britain?"The ESL student who asked for my help with this question was puzzled how a personal computer could stand and wave. He also had no idea what the maximum speed limit is in Britain.
I would like to know how two personal computers can stand some distance apart and use a stopwatch.
5 comments:
Catherine, I believe "PC" stands for "Police Constable" in British English. "Constable" is the lowest rank in the Police.
Don't get your knickers in a twist!
That's what I thought!
I was completely flummoxed by that example --- which is funny, 'cause the web site is about how to teach ESL students but it runs afoul of cultural references for a native English speaker from the U.S.
I'm not criticizing the web site, btw --- from what I saw of it, it will be terrifically helpful to me in teaching composition.
I thought maybe it meant "police car" and they were being very liberal in the definition of car.
Catherine, don't you mean 'criticising' ..... :-)
Richard I (brit exiled in BC)
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