Yesterday, I was marking some papers for the new classes who will be starting next year. These tests are used to separate the classes into higher & lower levels. This is a regular activity at this time of the year, and it always offers some amusing mistakes, and I peer into the Great Chasms of Lack of Comprehension - (don't think I'll go bungee-jumping in there!)...but yesterday, there was a new twist. Not so much a lack of comprehension...just a different way of looking at things, but also a great example of how language is learnt by young people these days.
Two students obviously learn the same way ;-) They were completing this exercise:
A: Oh, what a beautiful new ring you have!
B: (and here, they are supposed to write something like "Thank you, it was a present from my boyfriend/girlfriend/etc...")
The first student wrote: "Thank you. I think it's the best song." I confess, this confused me. I put it down to a total lack of comprehension, scratched my head, and moved on with my marking...
However, a couple of papers later another student wrote: "It's my favourite song." An alarm bell began to ring...(Ring?! There's that word again!) And then I had it! Suddenly the penny dropped and the mystery was open to me. I confess, I was on my own in the office at the time, and I laughed out LOUD!!!
These students were writing about the ring-tones on their mobile phones! :-)
Well, well, well - that puts things in a whole different light. And it also serves as a warning to us teachers when we set tests in future - we really need to be absolutely clear as to what we want, for it seems that even a word such as 'ring' is not to be trusted any more...is it, my precious? ;-)
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