Archive for langcafe2.myfreeforum.org Come in and have your daily cup of languages!
 


       langcafe2.myfreeforum.org Forum Index -> Culture
André in Zuid-Afrika

Your school

My school's crest (Diamantveld)



A posse ad esse = from a possibility to a reality

The school uniform



And the building







Sigh... :? I broke it again... Elaine, would you kindly do that thing again you did last time...please? :oops: :roll: Ignore the first one, just link the other two.... :oops:
Elaine

Re: Your school

André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
Sigh... :? I broke it again... Elaine, would you kindly do that thing again you did last time...please? :oops: :roll:


Oh shit. I had it all pieced together on my old work computer, and when I transferred files onto my memory stick, I didn't think I'd ever need that photo again so I deleted it. :(
André in Zuid-Afrika

Re: Your school

Elaine wrote:
André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
Sigh... :? I broke it again... Elaine, would you kindly do that thing again you did last time...please? :oops: :roll:


Oh shit. I had it all pieced together on my old work computer, and when I transferred files onto my memory stick, I didn't think I'd ever need that photo again so I deleted it. :(


Gasp.... you didn't think you'll ever need a picture of my school again!? :shock: :evil: How could you... :cry: :cry:




Don't worry, I'm sure everybody gets the idea! :D
Walker

What do you think about school uniforms? We don't have them here. I think it might be a good idea, but I'm not sure...
André in Zuid-Afrika

Walker wrote:
What do you think about school uniforms? We don't have them here. I think it might be a good idea, but I'm not sure...


In SA all schools (private and public) have uniforms. It does add to discipline, and more importantly, a sense of pride (in your school).
Elaine

For André:

André in Zuid-Afrika

Elaine wrote:
For André:




Oh, you are a DARLING!!!!!!! :angel13: :love7: :love4: :love4:
André in Zuid-Afrika

Ladies and gentlemen... courtesy of Eliane... MY SCHOOL!!!! :D


Elaine

Sigh... it's a shame we have to do this all over again. If I ever make my way to Grenoble, I'm gonna kick that Yann's blooming arse. But, here goes...

My high school:


My school crest:


My school uniform:


Just kidding! This is actually what we wore:





Our Alma Mater song:

    Raise on high your standard,
    Sing to Alma Mater,
    Immaculate Heart, we greet you,
    Every loyal daughter,
    We’ll lead you on to victory
    Never will we fail,
    For the glory of the blue & white,
    Hail, our Alma Mater, Hail.
Walker

André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
Walker wrote:
What do you think about school uniforms? We don't have them here. I think it might be a good idea, but I'm not sure...


In SA all schools have uniforms. It does add to discipline, and more importantly, a sense of pride (in your school).


Hm, I think we could use school uniforms. Discipline is very much needed in many school here, and I guess that some pride wouldn't hurt either.

About my High School, according to what I've heard the students of it produced the worst result of all the High Schools in town, or a very poor result anyway, on the annual national math test once upon a time. Later someone came up with the idea of putting up "2+2=5" on one of the school's outer walls. And so they did, fairly recently, although it was there during the time I went there. So it's not something that sombody sprayed on the wall or anything, they put it there.



You can't see it here but the numbers are behind those trees to the left, in red. 2+2=5
André in Zuid-Afrika

Elaine wrote:
Sigh... it's a shame we have to do this all over again. If I ever make my way to Grenoble, I'm gonna kick that Yann's blooming arse. But, here goes...


Yehhhh.... :x

Elaine wrote:
My school uniform:



Well, that might answer Walker's question! :lol:
André in Zuid-Afrika

A very impressive building, nonetheless, Walker! :D
Deborah

I graduated from a public school in San Francisco in 1967, so there were no uniforms. However, there was a dress code.

Here's a typical student, entertaining his fellow students on their lunch hour:


And here's the Student Body President delivering the opening address at my graduation ceremony:
Walker

André in Zuid-Afrika wrote:
Elaine wrote:
Sigh... it's a shame we have to do this all over again. If I ever make my way to Grenoble, I'm gonna kick that Yann's blooming arse. But, here goes...


Yehhhh.... :x

Elaine wrote:
My school uniform:



Well, that might answer Walker's question! :lol:


¡Ay, caramba! I guess it does! :)

Elaine, those are some grand lyrics you got there! Sometime I'll post the lyrics of our song... :wink: :roll:
Elaine

Deborah wrote:
I graduated from a public school in San Francisco in 1967, so there were no uniforms. However, there was a dress code.

Here's a typical student, entertaining his fellow students on their lunch hour:


And here's the Student Body President delivering the opening address at my graduation ceremony:


Deborah, you neglected to post a picture of your class' summa cum laude delivering her impassioned valediction:



Walker wrote:
What do you think about school uniforms? We don't have them here. I think it might be a good idea, but I'm not sure...


When I first started going to Immaculate Heart, I hated having to wear uniforms b/c I felt it stifled my individuality and killed my fashion creativity. But eventually I grew to like the idea because it saved me from the embarrassment of not having the latest designer fashions. And I'm sure my parents were thrilled not having to spend so much money to keep spoiled little ol' me content.

I'm actually quite glad I didn't have to go through that ridiculous game of fashion one-upsmanship that American kids are practically forced into. It's bad enough that they have to deal with dating, hormonal changes, insecurities, and body issues, now they have to worry whether their Prada skirts match their Manolo Blahniks. I don't know how bad things can get over in Sweden, but over here, kids kill other kids for what they are or aren't wearing (not often, but it happens from time to time). :(
Deborah

Elaine wrote:
Deborah, you neglected to post a picture of your class' summa cum laude delivering her impassioned valediction:



Well, actually, Elaine, I was the valedictorian that year, so that's me! (I looked pretty slick, eh?)
Deborah

As I said, we did have a dress code at my school, part of which was that girls had to wear either dresses or skirts. The year after I graduated, that rule disappeared. Rats! I hated the way I looked in dresses and skirts in those days and, given the chance, would've worn jeans every day. Since my feeling was that I was going to look bad no matter what I wore, I never worried about not having fashionable clothes. I suppose I would have thought I looked bad in a uniform, too! And since I've always disliked regimentation, I probably would have objected to a uniform. And I'm sure it would not have created any feeling of loyalty to my school.
Elaine

Deborah wrote:
Well, actually, Elaine, I was the valedictorian that year, so that's me! (I looked pretty slick, eh?)


Really? Wow, brava! :gg2:

<Sigh> Where are all the Janises and Graces of today? :( Instead we have to contend with people like Pink and Ashlee Simpson to get our bad girl "rock" fixes. :roll:
Deborah

Elaine wrote:
Deborah wrote:
Well, actually, Elaine, I was the valedictorian that year, so that's me! (I looked pretty slick, eh?)


Really? Wow, brava! :gg2:


Just so there's no confusion, I wasn't the valedictorian. In fact, I didn't even attend my graduation ceremony.
Deborah

Nice avatar, Elaine! Is that you? Funny, you bear a superficial resemblance to Kirk -- just your coloring, I guess.
Walker

Deborah wrote:
As I said, we did have a dress code at my school, part of which was that girls had to wear either dresses or skirts. The year after I graduated, that rule disappeared. Rats! I hated the way I looked in dresses and skirts in those days and, given the chance, would've worn jeans every day. Since my feeling was that I was going to look bad no matter what I wore, I never worried about not having fashionable clothes. I suppose I would have thought I looked bad in a uniform, too! And since I've always disliked regimentation, I probably would have objected to a uniform. And I'm sure it would not have created any feeling of loyalty to my school.


In high school I would probably have objected to a uniform too, if we'd had them. I guess there were a few dress codes at my school, but none was official. One group wore what they probably considered 'finer' clothes and me and my friends used to joke and say that they were wearing uniforms since they all looked pretty much the same. I had a feeling that you had to dress and have your hair in a certain way if you wanted to belong to that group. But it was generally pretty laid back at my school; there's another school in the city that's reputed to be a "snob school", and to some degree it is. I'm not sure if I'd object to an introduction of school uniforms now, though. It seems like a decent idea. At work we wear "uniforms", more or less and I don't mind that at all, even though there's a different reason for wearing "hospital clothes" at a hospital from wearing a school uniform at a school. But it does give you a little sense of belonging or whatever, I guess. And you don't have to worry about what to wear every day, that's the best part.

Elaine wrote:
When I first started going to Immaculate Heart, I hated having to wear uniforms b/c I felt it stifled my individuality and killed my fashion creativity. But eventually I grew to like the idea because it saved me from the embarrassment of not having the latest designer fashions. And I'm sure my parents were thrilled not having to spend so much money to keep spoiled little ol' me content.

I'm actually quite glad I didn't have to go through that ridiculous game of fashion one-upsmanship that American kids are practically forced into. It's bad enough that they have to deal with dating, hormonal changes, insecurities, and body issues, now they have to worry whether their Prada skirts match their Manolo Blahniks. I don't know how bad things can get over in Sweden, but over here, kids kill other kids for what they are or aren't wearing (not often, but it happens from time to time).


What? Well, I don't think we've reached that point yet. But of course there's bullying I'm sad to say. I don't really know to what extent, though. You seem to have reached the outermost brink and then a few miles more, I'm glad we're not there. You know, most kids here couldn't afford all those expensive clothes anyway. I believe that those who do wear those expensive clothes are so few that the rest don't really care too much. At least when talking to my younger sister it seems that most people in the different "teams" accept each other. There are the fashion people, the "ordinary" people and those who want to look different in one way or another, like dyeing their hair black and wearing black clothes, for instance. At my school there was some 'them against us' but nothing very serious.
Deborah

Having gone to a public school in a time when I was required to wear clothes that I thought were unflattering to me, I'd sympathize with anyone who had to wear a uniform that was unflattering to her/him. In that respect, wearing a uniform doesn't really put everyone on equal footing in the emotional hell that is* adolescence.

*That can be, at any rate.
Walker

Deborah wrote:
Having gone to a public school in a time when I was required to wear clothes that I thought were unflattering to me, I'd sympathize with anyone who had to wear a uniform that was unflattering to her/him. In that respect, wearing a uniform doesn't really put everyone on equal footing in the emotional hell that is* adolescence.

*That can be, at any rate.


I guess you're right about that. Everybody wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a uniform. And for some people it's important to be able to express themselves by wearing certain kinds of clothes. I'm not sure, but I think I would have felt like a prisoner if I'd had to wear a school uniform.
Elaine

Walker wrote:
What? Well, I don't think we've reached that point yet.


It doesn't happen often but there have been instances of teenagers killing other teens for their Nike shoes or their iPods, etc. And then there are gangbanger teens who kill others for wearing the enemy colors. :evil:

Quote:
At least when talking to my younger sister it seems that most people in the different "teams" accept each other. There are the fashion people, the "ordinary" people and those who want to look different in one way or another, like dyeing their hair black and wearing black clothes, for instance. At my school there was some 'them against us' but nothing very serious.


I think that living in such a plastic and superficial environment like LA, there's such a strong pressure to look, dress, and act a certain way that misguided parents give their kids everything they want so that their kids aren't perceived as a losers or outsiders. You should hear how my co-workers and friends go on about putting together expensive "theme" parties for their five year olds so that they outdo the kid in class who’s special-fx-technician-at-Dreamworks father built a lavish Star Wars stage set for his bday party complete with laser light show… (or some stuff like that). It's ridiculous and that's why we have such a problem with spoiled and obnoxious teens and young adults who think they're entitled to everything their black little hearts desire. Of course, you do have the kids in school who turn their backs against all that and join the less popular and less fashionable cliques just to be different.
Walker

Those parents only do what they think is good for their children, but they ought to realize what they're really doing to their kids.
Benjamin [inactive]

It's quite difficult for me to comment on the issue of school uniforms, because I've never known any different as essentially all schools in the UK have uniforms. Wearing the uniform is part of going to school -- that's just the way it is here. The issue of school uniforms is a popular subject for English presentations and debating clubs, and I'm sure that a lot of students would like to abolish it, but no-one really thinks that it's going to go away anytime soon so you just accept it.

The uniform at my school is quite similar to that of André's. My school is assentially a government-run (non-fee-paying) school which selects its pupils on the basis of academic merrit. It is an all-boys school and is one of the best in the country according to the exam results. The students here come from diverse religious backgrounds, with about 30% of them being Muslims, not to mention many Hindus and Sikhs. But essentially, we're mostly middle class, even if only about half of us are white. I love it! :) Oh, and we hug each-other, sit on each-other's laps, give each-other neck-massages and wear pink on non-uniform days, as I think I've mentioned before.
Walker

Quote:
Oh, and we hug each-other, sit on each-other's laps, give each-other neck-massages and wear pink on non-uniform days, as I think I've mentioned before.


Yes, you have and it still strikes me as strange. However, I imagine that some neck-massage would actually be well-suited in such an environment in a way, since you sit still so much.
Uriel

School uniforms are the work of the devil. I never had to wear one, thank god!



My first high school, Trumansburg High outside Ithaca, NY. (Nobody called it Charles O. Dickerson... I didn't even know that was its name until I looked up this pic!) Not much better than a central school, as all three buildings (elementary, middle, and high school) were next dor to each other. Couldn't find a bigger pic, sorry.





High school #2, Romulus Central School, Romulus, NY. "Central" means that ALL grades, kindergarten through 12th, were housed in one building -- 7-12 were upstairs. Sorry I couldn't find a more recent pic (I'm starting to get the feeling I went to some obscure little schools...)





My last high school, Zama American High in Camp Zama, Japan. Ah, the beauty of government architecture!

In all honesty, I had forgotten what all of these schools looked like, and these photos are ringing no bells. Weird. :?
KSa

In Poland, the uniforms were compulsory during the communist time and the purpose was (besides enhancing discipline) to equalize people.
As I remember correctly, they dissapeared shortly before the communism collapsed. Now there is a debate over bringing them back.
Harrenys Targaryen

My latest alma mater, amidst the sprawling masses:

Loic

Well, I wrote this for my marketing tutorial class and the article was received with amusement from my mates. Of course, I must say that I do not have an idea as to what the product I am marketing is all about, but do tell me I've made a credible attempt to understand.

Quote:
Marketing Playboy

Half a century ago, pornography was a byword for sleaze and criminality – on hindsight, maybe it still is. The industry was run by an uncoordinated group of amateur freelancers peddling their wares in news-stands at the corner of the street to an unassuming and otherwise inconspicuous market which mainly consisted of men throwing furtive glances at their back before discreetly fishing for the picture rack. The business was opaque, inefficient and predictably closed to outsiders. Today, the deregulation of the industry has seen unprecedented leaps in the number of choices for discerning consumers and the outlook of the current landscape, for better or worse, can be attributed to the story of one man and how he single-handedly transformed the market.

Playboy is now a worldwide icon. As far as its board of directors is concerned, it has reached ISO standard. Like Toys “R” Us whose marketing strategy revolves around creating a memorable store experience, Playboy has succeeded in fostering an unforgettable service experience by creating memories. The celebrated inaugural issue of Marilyn Monroe with her trademark pearly grin has become part of America’s folklore and every schoolboy worth his weight in salt back in 1953 would have fond memories of that particular edition. Where Monroe took off, others came in quick succession to replace. A long list of beautiful women graced the covers and they all became indelibly linked with the memories of that particular era: pouting Brigitte Bardot and shouldering Sophia Loren with the swinging sixties, icy blonde Ursula Andress with the topsy-turvy seventies and pop sensation Madonna with the materialistic eighties.

Playboy set the industry standard and has left its print rivals in a cloud of smoke. No other publishing house would be able to boast of a collection of photos that embody each era. For that matter, no other magazine in the industry can conceivably claim to have cornered a segment of the reading market as successfully as the black headed bunny.

Therein lies the powerful appeal of the brand’s simplicity: its logo. Instantly recognisable, often misunderstood, always polarising, it never fails to generate intense debate. Hugh Hefner is at heart a marketing man and he recognised the importance of a logo that leaves an imprint on the consciousness. The rabbit is an animal with a benignly cuddly exterior with a curious and innocent personality – just the sort of qualities which the readers identify with the cover girls. Just as a horrible brand image is capable of sinking an enterprise, a well-designed one thrusts the product into the limelight.

Hefner has carefully positioned Playboy not only as a purveyor of ribald images and tawdry stories – he has positioned Playboy (more or less) as a lifestyle brand. By appealing to the ostentatious nature of the market segment (read: impressionable young men), Playboy has come to epitomise the rich and the good, the famous and the notorious. Hefner himself claims to represent the life which everyone else aspires to. And who can blame him? Throwing lavish parties at his sprawling mansion and being surrounded by leggy models young enough to be the octogenarian’s granddaughters, there is no more powerful way to promote a lifestyle brand than to have the founder actually living up to what he promises.

Marketing scholar Phillip Kotler proposed the virtuous triangle where a strong positioning reinforced by good differentiation leads to brand integrity. This in turn strengthens the pre-determined positioning and so the cycle continues. While Hefner certainly has not heard of Dr Kotler when he established the company, Playboy has unconsciously adopted this strategy since its inception. By positioning itself as a magazine that caters to the lifestyle aspirations of the readers, Playboy distinguishes itself from competitors on the racks. It is achieved by claiming –half plausibly- that Playboy enriches (with good articles) as well as stimulates (with titillating pictures) its readers’ minds. This was differentiation as other porno mags were exclusively concerned with titillating stimulation and not literary enrichment. The Playboy brand was thus born because it was credible and delivered what it promised.

However, blips on the radar have appeared and the runaway success of Playboy has predictably enticed newcomers to the industry. Changes to the environment have made internal reforms imperative as Playboy has to now fend off competition posed by direct competitors, the Internet as well as the ‘pervasive power of Wal-Mart’. The Playboy brand has certainly lost some of its lustre in recent years as new Davids have risen to take on the Goliath in Playboy. FHM, Maxim and other lad magazines have stolen some of Playboy’s thunder with a policy that is crafted to avoid distribution issues. While Playboy’s policy of nudity was a revolutionary asset in the less enlightened days of the fifties and sixties, it has since become a liability as Wal-Mart, Seven Eleven and other retailers with worldwide reach have started saying no to the black-headed bunny.

On the other hand, the Internet is a double-edged sword as far as the Hefners are concerned and it remains to be seen if Playboy is able to turn a potential adversity into their advantage. For one, the proliferation of pornography on the Internet has conditioned a generation of potential Playboy readers into expecting adult entertainment to cost nothing. Playboy has to thus cast around for a new business model that responses to the new demands of the consumers while remaining profitable. Your correspondent suggests that Playboy adopts the model of another service provider, Youtube, and provides the bulk of its services for free. Money can be earned from advertisements that give coverage to products from a similar or related industry. One idea is for interested partners such as night clubs or cabarets to co-operate with Playboy in a ‘participatory video ads’ scheme whereby advertisements are uploaded and then shared among the viewers. While the idea may not seem like a pot of gold waiting to be discovered at the end of a rainbow, it is nonetheless workable especially when it is used in tandem to promote other Playboy products such as videos. The combination of advertising as well as sales of Playboy videos would be a way for Mr Hefner to wield the sword without cutting himself.

Yet this is not enough. Alternatives need to be generated to stem the decline of market share. Playboy has been consistently in the red until 1999 and it is only in recent years that it has finally redeemed itself in the eyes of its stakeholders. A roadmap for the future would bet on a savvy synergy of base acquisition and expansion plans. To recognise that Hugh Hefner is virtually synonymous with Playboy makes for a very compelling brand identity. This is akin to the way Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Mobile Group are linked in the eyes of the public. Mr Hefner has been quick to exploit his reputation for self-aggrandisement purpose and credit must be given to him for that. However, the world does not explicitly realise that Mr Hefner, apart from being a consummate gentleman playboy, is also one of the world’s shrewdest salesman. It never hurts to write a book sharing his pearls of wisdom and selling it on the market. The former CEO of General Electric (Jack Welch) did just that with Winning while the supremo of both Renault and Nissan (Carlos Ghosn) lent his name to a business strategy book called Comment Carlos Ghosn a sauvé Nissan. Either way, the stock of both these titans of the business world rose immensely with the sale of these books.

Playboy is one of the many linchpins of the adult entertainment world and it is only fitting that the company collaborates with other players in the industry. Playboy had a short-lived presence in the clubbing scene with its chain of Playboy Bunny Clubs. While no fool’s gold, the failure of the venture highlights the dangers of going solo. It is more viable if Playboy enters a partnership with well-established local business groups to open clubs, pubs, bars, cabarets and other venues of nightlife entertainment. These venues would have a theme that allows Playboy to play to its strengths – bawdy entertainment without descending into pure mindless filth.

Of course, the biggest obstacle that is acting as a brake on its plans for growth has to be legal: it is a sad fact that selling Playboy off the rack is a criminal issue in many parts of the world. Salman Rushdie famously said that the legality of pornography in any society is a barometer of how free it is. It is uncannily coincidental that the markets where Playboy has not been allowed into are often countries with a unorthodox perception of democracy. In these benighted regions where the markets are declared no access, Playboy is seen as nothing more than the Devil’s work which corrupts the minds of the young.

Gaining social respectability is a big ask in large swathes of the world where the lauded magazine is still banned reading matter. Retaining its core readers is a challenge; capturing new market share would be a new mountain to climb. Making a strong stand against social ills in the world would be a good start: campaigning against child pornography, paedophilia, the unchecked spread of AIDS and human trafficking. Playboy has positioned itself as a lifestyle magazine for gentlemen right from the beginning so it is also not far-fetched to take a robust position against issues which may seem incongruous to the nature of the magazine. Tackling world poverty by pledging to donate a share of its profits to wretched regions of the world is an effective means of lifting Playboy beyond the sordid grime of (dis)respectability.

At first glance, the raunchiness of Playboy and staid social responsibility may not be natural bedfellows. But in the sprawling mansion of Hugh Hefner where lavish and glamorous parties are often thrown, they will probably bounce on the couch together.
Uriel

I don't even consider Playboy decent porn. It's barely softcore, and not very exciting softcore, at that. But then, I'm not a man.

Elaine, I remember havbing a good friend from LA who was image-obsessed to the point of absurdity -- she had to put on makeup and do her hair just to check her mail or head down to the cafeteria for a bite (this was in Northern Cal, where such narcissism was much less practiced!). And she didn't get dressed so much as she costumed herself for the day. Ridiculous. We used to get so frustrated with her because she always made us late. She put it down to being from LA, where people are used to always being under the fashion microscope. i never saw anything like it, and I can assure you all that the rest of the US doesn't live and die by such shenanigans.

I thought of this when I was watching Sex and the City last night -- SJP was wearing, on not one, but TWO occasions during the episode, formal gloves. NOBODY in real life wears such things! :roll:
André in Zuid-Afrika

Excellent article, well researched, well argued and well written, Loic! Perhaps you should consider journalism as a career! :wink: :D
Loic

Yes, a career in journalism is appealing but at the end of the day, penning a flurry of articles to meet datelines is not my cup of tea. Besides, one of the fumamental principles of communication is to get the facts right and I must admit that I couldn't really be arsed at times to find out if I am delivering pearls of wisdom or spouting plain nonsense.

As for whether Playboy is even pornographic, I suppose that is a value judgement. In my opinion, it is not so much erotic but artistic. But a marketer would move heavens and earth to convince his target segment otherwise.
Porthos

I don't really have one school. Get this. I've been to three elementary schools, three junior high schools, and four high schools. Almost all of them have some very bad memorys, except for the ones in richville where I went on an interdistrict transfer. Now that was fun! I could dress how I wanted, and not have to worry about getting jumped! And the girls, don't get me started. Orange County Baby!
fab

that was where was my school

http://www.hotel-pas-de-calais-pa...mg/ecole-des-beaux-arts-paris.jpg
Deborah

fab, your school appears to have a lo-o-o-ng tradition.

What was your field of study?
fab

architecture and urban planing
Porthos

Apparently, in all European high schools, there are trade schools, or at least schools which specialize in one subject. In the U.S., high school is just about general education.
Guest

Porthos wrote:
Apparently, in all European high schools, there are trade schools, or at least schools which specialize in one subject. In the U.S., high school is just about general education.


here's it's general also, but a bit spearated to be well suited to different people. at school, you leanr geneeral education.

LAA, Im upset. Breunns always delete my threads abotu dutch. i created one today, for dusicss how ducth is between german and enlgish. there are severla people who are interested to discuss this and the thyead was a succes until bruenns decided to deletde it. why he delets all my threads ?

then afer, I'v wrote him a thread to ask, what i can put as the title, but he deleted my quetsion and didn't anwered me.

sory, i can't write well when i'm upset. i hope that it's possible reading it.
Pauline

sorry, it was me. I didn't rememberd log in.
Porthos

Pauline, I don't know what to tell you. Perhaps he is uncomfortable with threads in Dutch because he can't understand them. If he can't read Dutch, then there is no way he can properly monitor the discussion. For all he knows, people could be using vulgar language, or drifting way off topic. So I would suggest that if you wish to have a discussion on Dutch, that you write in English, or French which he understands quite well. Otherwise, he might invent a reason to delete your thread. I couldn't understand what you wrote in Dutch, so I don't know what the thread contained which would be offensive to Brennus.

Or another suggestion is to try to translate whatever you write in Dutch. Write in Dutch if you want, but then whatever you write in Dutch, also write in English. That way Brennus knows what is being said, and maybe he'll feel comfortable at that point.

Bonne chance! Au revoir! :D
Tiffany

I don't think Brennus is very impartial - which is a bad quality in a moderator. But perhaps we should start a separate thread on that so we do not hijack this one.
Benjamin [inactive]

Well, I don't speak Dutch, and I can still more or less understand what you're saying when you write in Dutch, Pauline. If Brennus knew as much about languages as he likes to think he does, he'd be able to guess at it, I'm sure.
Walker

Porthos wrote:
Apparently, in all European high schools, there are trade schools, or at least schools which specialize in one subject. In the U.S., high school is just about general education.


Most High Schools in Sweden have more than one program, or one program that specializes in certain subjects. The political science program and the natural science program are the two programs that have the largest number of students. Those two programs are supposed to prepare you for college. But there's also the construction work program, the hair-dresser program (you might not believe it, but you have to have pretty good grades to get accepted into that one), the vehicle program and so on. Not all of those trade oriented programs make you a certified whatever, though. For instance, if you graduate from the el/teknikprogram you have to go through and pass an apprenticeship of six months to become a certified electrician.

Being in one of those trade oriented High School programs doesn't mean you can't go to college. I think that most of them meet the basic admission requirements for college. In some cases you need to complement by taking an extra class, but that's no problem since you have X number of credits which you have to spend on optional classes. For instance, my sister is in the fashion and tailoring program but she'll take an additional math class so that she can go to college.
Benjamin [inactive]

In England, after the age of 16, you have basically four options:

1. Leave education and get a job.

2. Do A-Levels, usually either in a school's sixth form or at a sixth form college. These are academic qualifications which prefer you for university. The norm is to start with four in the first year (I did French, Geography, Religious Studies and English Literature) and drop one in the second year (I've now dropped English Literature), but you can technically do as many or as few as your sixth form will let you.

3. Do vocational courses such as GNVQ or B-TEC in a college or sometimes a school. Courses include ICT, business management, hairdressing, painting/decorating, graphics, performing arts and a whole catalogue of other weird and wonderful things. This won't really enable you to go to university.

4. Do a modern apprenticeship for a very specific manual trade, such as plumbing.

There are probably other options which exist that I don't know about, but those are the main ones.
Porthos

Yeah, we don't have any of those options in the U.S. It's just four years of general education at high school, and then onto college, if you decided to that is. You have the option of going to a community college for your first two years, as it is cheaper, and from that point, you can usually transfer to a major university.
fab

Tiffany wrote:
I don't think Brennus is very impartial - which is a bad quality in a moderator. But perhaps we should start a separate thread on that so we do not hijack this one.



Yes, I have noticed some truth are tabu for him, generally without apparent reason.
fab

LAA,

Is "high school" a different thing from university ? I don't know really the USA system.
Uriel

No, they're different -- high school is for older children -- 14 to 17 or 18, and part of the compulsory childhood education, while college/university (interchangeable in American English, but different in British English) is for adults, and confers various professional degrees.

Cute pic, Andre! And loic, you look mighty suave, there. I don't know how my photo got so huge -- I thought I had used the same one from before, but I'm too tired to go back and shrink it, so ya'll will just have to put up with it for now.
Loic

Benjamin: I always find it fascinating to compare our education system with yours because of obvious similarities that are differentiated by some changes. Are there polytechnics in Britain that are open to school leavers with the O level cert?

Quote:
Cute pic, Andre! And loic, you look mighty suave, there. I don't know how my photo got so huge -- I thought I had used the same one from before, but I'm too tired to go back and shrink it, so ya'll will just have to put up with it for now.


The bigger for us to appreciate, Uriel!
fab

Thank you Uriel !

So High school should be equivelent of "Lycée" (15 to 18)

What is confusing is that in French "collège" is not at all university. It is before lycée, when you are between 11 and 15 year old.
Benjamin [inactive]

And even more confusingly, the German equivalent of all this is 'Gymnasium'. :)
Benjamin [inactive]

loic wrote:
Benjamin: I always find it fascinating to compare our education system with yours because of obvious similarities that are differentiated by some changes. Are there polytechnics in Britain that are open to school leavers with the O level cert?

There used to be polytechnics, but they were all made universities a few years ago. One example would be the University of Central England, where my dad teaches.

I don't know about the specifics, but I'd imagine that at least some sort of additional qualifications after GCSEs (we don't call them O-Levels anymore), even though the entry requirements are lower than in the older universities.
Uriel

fab wrote:
Thank you Uriel !

So High school should be equivelent of "Lycée" (15 to 18)

Sounds about right.

What is confusing is that in French "collège" is not at all university. It is before lycée, when you are between 11 and 15 year old.

That would be roughly equivalent to our "middle school". But I think Americans may be the only ones who use "college" as a synonym for "university".

       langcafe2.myfreeforum.org Forum Index -> Culture
Page 1 of 1
Create your own free forum | Buy a domain to use with your forum