Comments on: Alcohol and Six http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/ Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:55:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: TEFL star http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-15 TEFL star Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:04:39 +0000 http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-15 http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/nouns/noncount.htm http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/nouns/noncount.htm

]]> By: TEFL star http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-14 TEFL star Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:31:37 +0000 http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-14 there may be...I tend to think that it's a bit like gender in the french language, though--you just have to memorize it and internalize it. Like idioms and collocations, too. why do we say "low battery" but not "high battery?" who the fuck knows? You just learn it and use it until it's in their noggins, eh? Don't be too hard on yourself! It is hard stuff. Sometimes with kids it's enough to teach it and say "that's the way it is." That's how we learned it, after all! It might not be remiss to do a whole noncount noun lesson, though, with paper cakes that come apart in pieces, bags of rice, etc etc, and get the students to start saying "piece of cake" and "grain of rice" and then "eight grains of rice," "Three cakes," and "five pieces of cake, and "four pieces of cake from two cakes." Could be fun! there may be…I tend to think that it’s a bit like gender in the french language, though–you just have to memorize it and internalize it. Like idioms and collocations, too. why do we say “low battery” but not “high battery?” who the fuck knows? You just learn it and use it until it’s in their noggins, eh? Don’t be too hard on yourself! It is hard stuff. Sometimes with kids it’s enough to teach it and say “that’s the way it is.” That’s how we learned it, after all!

It might not be remiss to do a whole noncount noun lesson, though, with paper cakes that come apart in pieces, bags of rice, etc etc, and get the students to start saying “piece of cake” and “grain of rice” and then “eight grains of rice,” “Three cakes,” and “five pieces of cake, and “four pieces of cake from two cakes.” Could be fun!

]]> By: gaijzilla http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-12 gaijzilla Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:57:17 +0000 http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-12 <p>Is there any simple way to tell students how to predict when to use the plural vs singular (noncount nouns vs count nouns)? Keeping in mind that I don't speak Japanese and the JTE's ability to understand complex concepts in English is limited.</p> Is there any simple way to tell students how to predict when to use the plural vs singular (noncount nouns vs count nouns)? Keeping in mind that I don’t speak Japanese and the JTE’s ability to understand complex concepts in English is limited.

]]> By: TEFL star http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-11 TEFL star Tue, 19 Jun 2007 09:10:34 +0000 http://gaijzilla.com/2007/06/19/alcohol-and-six/#comment-11 strawberry is a count noun, cake is a non-count noun, like grass or rice. As in: would you like three strawberries, four blueberries, five cars, six ipods? Those are count nouns. Non-count nouns go like so: Would you like two pieces of cake, three blades of grass, four grains of rice? You can't say "rices," and "Cakes" and "Grasses" take on different meanings when plural. this tends to affect article usage as well. For example, one wouldn't have much reason to say "a rice," or "a grass." HOWEVER! One might say "a cake!" it's articles that are the bugbear of all. ;-) strawberry is a count noun, cake is a non-count noun, like grass or rice. As in: would you like three strawberries, four blueberries, five cars, six ipods? Those are count nouns. Non-count nouns go like so: Would you like two pieces of cake, three blades of grass, four grains of rice? You can’t say “rices,” and “Cakes” and “Grasses” take on different meanings when plural.

this tends to affect article usage as well. For example, one wouldn’t have much reason to say “a rice,” or “a grass.” HOWEVER! One might say “a cake!” it’s articles that are the bugbear of all. ;-)

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