How long have you been in the Gulf?
Dec 17th 2012, 10:53 pm
#106
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Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
Fully human? Yes, Fully educated? I think not.
All of the educated (and I only deal with educated people at work) speak great English. Its uni taught or by their maids but, all the same, they speak English.
I always thought the best language teachers would be ones who have learnt a foreign language OR, perhaps, who know the language of the students they are teaching. I seem to remember all my language teachers at school speaking great English but I guess they were all BEd and PGCE. No disrespect but a lot of TEFL teahersI have met have one of those Diploma things which only takes a few months to pass rather than 3+1 years teahers.
All of the educated (and I only deal with educated people at work) speak great English. Its uni taught or by their maids but, all the same, they speak English.
I always thought the best language teachers would be ones who have learnt a foreign language OR, perhaps, who know the language of the students they are teaching. I seem to remember all my language teachers at school speaking great English but I guess they were all BEd and PGCE. No disrespect but a lot of TEFL teahersI have met have one of those Diploma things which only takes a few months to pass rather than 3+1 years teahers.
Dec 17th 2012, 10:54 pm
#107
Banned
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 96
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
"O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors; they are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust. (The Noble Quran, 5:51)"
Now this is a good reason few learn Arabic
Now this is a good reason few learn Arabic
Dec 17th 2012, 10:56 pm
#109
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Posts: 96
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
Isn't that a bit like learning to cook a pizza with an Italian that's never, actually, cooked one?
Dec 17th 2012, 11:04 pm
#110
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Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
I guess your experience of becoming fluent in Thai from a wife who speaks English & Thai has shaped your opinion, and my experience of becoming fluent in Arabic by being forced into Arabic-speaking only environments has shaped my own!
Perhaps we're both right............................................. .............
PS who were you asking about being white
Saff
Dec 17th 2012, 11:07 pm
#111
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Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
Those "teachers" with a 4-week TEFL Cert are not teachers. Many of us have taught English after years of study on English and other languages !!
And I would argue that to understand the problems of foreign language teaching and learning the teacher must have experienced foreign language acquisition. Not necessarliy the languge spoken by his students, but that would give an insight that your average monoglot does not have ("Wacha mean its a verb ?" as one of my feebler Englsih students said when I was attempting to teach him some German !)
And I would argue that to understand the problems of foreign language teaching and learning the teacher must have experienced foreign language acquisition. Not necessarliy the languge spoken by his students, but that would give an insight that your average monoglot does not have ("Wacha mean its a verb ?" as one of my feebler Englsih students said when I was attempting to teach him some German !)
Last edited by scot47; Dec 17th 2012 at 11:11 pm.
Dec 18th 2012, 5:20 am
#115
hmmmm...nice
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 27,923
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
I have been here 8 years, and so this is my home. This is where I live, work, have my social life, it's where my kids are etc.
I am Dutch and I am going to Holland for Christmas. And that's what I say, going to Holland, I don't say I am going home for Christmas, cause I don't have a home there, or a job etc.
I don't understand how people can live their lives here for years and years, and still be adement it's not their home. It makes it sound as if their lives are on hold, and that it's all just a temporary thing and the real thing will happen once they are back in the UK or where ever they are from...
Home for me is where I live my life.
I am Dutch and I am going to Holland for Christmas. And that's what I say, going to Holland, I don't say I am going home for Christmas, cause I don't have a home there, or a job etc.
I don't understand how people can live their lives here for years and years, and still be adement it's not their home. It makes it sound as if their lives are on hold, and that it's all just a temporary thing and the real thing will happen once they are back in the UK or where ever they are from...
Home for me is where I live my life.
Dec 18th 2012, 5:22 am
#116
Bored liberal
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Over there ----->
Posts: 13,713
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
I have been here 8 years, and so this is my home. This is where I live, work, have my social life, it's where my kids are etc.
I am Dutch and I am going to Holland for Christmas. And that's what I say, going to Holland, I don't say I am going home for Christmas, cause I don't have a home there, or a job etc.
I don't understand how people can live their lives here for years and years, and still be adement it's not their home. It makes it sound as if their lives are on hold, and that it's all just a temporary thing and the real thing will happen once they are back in the UK or where ever they are from...
Home for me is where I live my life.
I am Dutch and I am going to Holland for Christmas. And that's what I say, going to Holland, I don't say I am going home for Christmas, cause I don't have a home there, or a job etc.
I don't understand how people can live their lives here for years and years, and still be adement it's not their home. It makes it sound as if their lives are on hold, and that it's all just a temporary thing and the real thing will happen once they are back in the UK or where ever they are from...
Home for me is where I live my life.
No doubt we'll next get the usual nonsense about our fake and plastic lives...
Dec 18th 2012, 5:25 am
#117
hmmmm...nice
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 27,923
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
Dec 18th 2012, 6:02 am
#119
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Location: Motor City
Posts: 67
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
We've been here 6 years and regard it as my home (for now). We have kids and parents here until recently left for uni. We still own a property in the UK but I do not regard the UK as my home anymore. We plan to stay here until we retire probably, unless another offer somewhere intereasting comes up, and then who knows? Certainly don't want to retire in England, thinking of somewhere European which is warmer than the UK but cooler than the Middle East or somewhere your money will go a long way like Sri Lanka.
Dec 18th 2012, 6:33 am
#120
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Posts: 96
Re: How long have you been in the Gulf?
No, not bitter Patsy. Just in touch with what I like and dislike - I have nothing to be bitter about. The Gulf has been good for me, financially. And there is a vast spectrum between disliking a place and feeling somehow 'bitter'. Of course what you say is indeed true, alothough I dont think I suggested otherwise. Clearly, because I do not like the Gulf, quite obviously, does not mean that others are not enjoying it. Indeed, some people postivey love the 'lifestyle'. I am not one of them.
I accepted another job, as I said, because I am here purely for financial reasons - a means to an end, if you will. For me, it is barable because of the people I know here and because of the money I bag. You asked me:
if you hate it so much why on earth did you accept another job here? I know that if I disliked a place as much as you say you do then I wouldn't go there, regardless of what was offered
The best I can probably do here is paraphrase you, in sorts:
Just because, if you disliked a place so much that you wouldnt go there, regardless of what is offered - it doesn't mean that other people are not focused on what's on offer!
My way of dealing with what I perceive as a dull, lifeless, indulgent and unjust part of the world is to make it work, for my personal financial planning, improve the lives of the so called 'TCNs' along the way (who are treated like animals if you just take the time to look) and then leave this dusty toilet to the locals and expat Gulfies to enjoy. And I will leave for a more humble country, one which doesnt see people ranked by nationality, rather than skill / spirit / potential / the list could go on and on.
I must admit, I am always keen to understand just what the attraction is, over and above building wealth, that keeps people here for 32 years or, in your case, sees you defending your host country with such aplomb.
How's that?
I accepted another job, as I said, because I am here purely for financial reasons - a means to an end, if you will. For me, it is barable because of the people I know here and because of the money I bag. You asked me:
if you hate it so much why on earth did you accept another job here? I know that if I disliked a place as much as you say you do then I wouldn't go there, regardless of what was offered
The best I can probably do here is paraphrase you, in sorts:
Just because, if you disliked a place so much that you wouldnt go there, regardless of what is offered - it doesn't mean that other people are not focused on what's on offer!
My way of dealing with what I perceive as a dull, lifeless, indulgent and unjust part of the world is to make it work, for my personal financial planning, improve the lives of the so called 'TCNs' along the way (who are treated like animals if you just take the time to look) and then leave this dusty toilet to the locals and expat Gulfies to enjoy. And I will leave for a more humble country, one which doesnt see people ranked by nationality, rather than skill / spirit / potential / the list could go on and on.
I must admit, I am always keen to understand just what the attraction is, over and above building wealth, that keeps people here for 32 years or, in your case, sees you defending your host country with such aplomb.
How's that?
The thing is, the Gulfies I tend to hear saying that are not the pick of the bunch and have caught that expat bug. You know, the bug whereby they didnt have great job / salaries in the UK, came to the Gulf and suddenly became first rate white folk with maids to clean up their mess and a few bob for a winter holiday.
Last edited by bahrain saudi; Dec 18th 2012 at 6:48 am.