Squirrel's nest

Discuss any questions in English. Practise your writing skills.

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Belka_Teacher
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#76

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

Chaika, thank you very much! Can you also take a look at this? Belka_Teacher (Squirrel's nest)
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#77

Сообщение tourist »

Belka_Teacher,
See, Chaika is on the side of mine on my side )

btw, are your writings in the CPE thread open to suggestions as well ?
I've got no clue about the format and CPE requirements,
but from the pure usage perspective I could offer my 2p worth of advice .

and no, I'm not stalking you )
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#78

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

tourist, of couse, feel free to suggest any improvements there! You are a great help!
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#79

Сообщение Chaika »

lived with French families
One year and a half ago
correct: A year and a half ago OR: One and a half years ago

I know what you mean about losing your fluency. By the time I graduated from college I could speak German fluently but then used it only to read technical articles (very rarely) and now would struggle. My Polish is completely gone (though I have learned that a large percentage of my heritage is Polish, so I should be more enthusiastic about it).

>decided to study French again
This would be better: to take up French again

Your writing is easy and clear, with minor issues that other people have noted and you have corrected.

Très bon!
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#80

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

Chaika, thank you!
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#81

Сообщение tourist »

Again, Chaika has just confirmed my gut feelings)
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#82

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

OK, I wanted to write in my blog only once a week, but now, after all this quarreling in other parts of this forum, I just feel like I need to express my thoughts in this safe place.

Guys, why is this forum full of people fighting with each other? We are well-educated and civilized people; so where does this urge to insult each other come from? And even if you do say something that hurts somebody else’s feelings, is it too difficult to apologize when you cool down a bit?

This past month has been really stressful for me, with the former forum having been shut down and all the disagreements that followed it. I was so happy when people seemed much friendlier here at first and when there were no complaints about other users for a while. However, after all this fighting in the Teaching section, I don't even know if I want to write there anymore.

Luckily, there are some parts of this forum where I still feel safe, namely, this thread. I was pleasantly surprised by how supportive and helpful everyone has been to me here! You guys rock! I also love "Other languages" section. People are so co-operative there, learning songs, translating texts, and doing exercises together.

I’m also over the moon that I’ve met so many talented people with the help of this forum. None of my friends or acquaintances understands my obsession with languages, and this community of like-minded people is truly invaluable to me. Just I hope that we will all make an effort to co-exist here peacefully.
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#83

Сообщение acapnotic »

Fighting is in our genes. Consider the history of mankind — it's a history of wars.

That the people here were peaceful in the beginning is also natural, but it shouldn't have deceived anyone. We are not going to change just because a forum has shut down. It can change our behavior for a while — until the situation gets back to normal.
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#84

Сообщение liana »

where does this urge to insult each other come from?
From people having issues).
If someone doesn't have any of those, then they either do the teaching job just for fun or probably live in a different country (and I don't mean that different country's Ukraine).
I hope that we will all make an effort to co-exist here peacefully.
Imagine someone won't. Should you really stop writing because of that? If your aim's to perfect your language (or teaching) skills, you have to achieve it no matter what, and achieving an aim is far from being all roses and sunshine.
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#85

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

liana, oh now, I don't really think this aim is so important that I have to sacrifice my sleep, my health, and good relationships with my husband. Someone has said that we should just grow a thicker skin - I don't think it is really possible after a certain age.

Currently I am at a loss what to do. Now I'm thinking about limiting my activity to this thread and sections 'Other languages and Exams section'.
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#86

Сообщение Yety »

Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 02:43 where does this urge to insult each other come from?
acapnotic пишет: 29 мар 2018, 07:09 Fighting is in our genes.
That's too broad a scope you offer here, imo. The question was addressed to each and every one of those involved individually (as I read it); yet, the answer is too sociological to explain the psychology of a single person.
Otherwise you tend to sound like a Social Darwinist or a Marxist... just a bit))
This clash of egos can only be accounted for through (self-)psychoanalysis. Which is usually a pretty hard and unpleasant thing to do/go through.
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#87

Сообщение acapnotic »

Yety пишет: 29 мар 2018, 13:13 That's too broad a scope you offer here, imo.
Maybe. But I hadn't taken part in or followed the conflict that probably caused the question, so I couldn't do any psychoanalysis of its participants anyway. ;) What I actually replied to must have been this:
Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 02:43 Guys, why is this forum full of people fighting with each other?
Why should we expect people not to fight on this forum? Fighting is one of the typical human reactions to offence.
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#88

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

acapnotic, I thought that people who love languages and, hopefully, literature, have been making attempts to evolve to a level a little bit higher than mere instincts. I know I sound idealistic and naïve, but I can't help it, sorry.
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#89

Сообщение Juliemiracle »

Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 16:43 I thought that people who love languages and, hopefully, literature, have been making attempts to evolve to a level a little bit higher than mere instincts.
I'd say people fight even more fiercely for their viewpoints. Think about all those religious wars (the Crusades etc).
Bet you've never been to some place where, say, scientific paradigms clash. Take, for instance, defending a PhD thesis. This forum discussion might look like a leisurely walk along the beach compared to some of the battles I've witnessed in such places.
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#90

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

Juliemiracle, and I'm glad that I never will! I'm just not cut out for that sort of thing. I'd better sit in my little comfy nest and work with pleasant students.
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#91

Сообщение Juliemiracle »

Belka_Teacher,
on the other hand, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger (c). I've toughened up a lot since graduation. It does have its drawbacks as well, though; I won't deny that.
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#92

Сообщение tourist »

Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 02:43 Guys, why is this forum full of people fighting with each other?
it's complicated
here's some answers ( longish !)
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-r ... -1.2295986
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#93

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 12:17 grow a thicker skin - I don't think it is really possible after a certain age.
I think the age itself makes it thicker )
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#94

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

Kind_Punk, didn't happen to me though.
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#95

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 22:40 didn't happen
haven't )

The older you grow, the thicker it becomes )
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#96

Сообщение Belka_Teacher »

Kind_Punk, hasn't?
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#97

Сообщение Kind_Punk »

Belka_Teacher пишет: 29 мар 2018, 22:46 Kind_Punk, hasn't?
Lol you're rite )
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#98

Сообщение Yety »

Now we are supposed to learn from religious wars and the Crusades all of a sudden...
And all that in the Age of Tolerance and Diversity...
God forbid.)

And put our activity on this board on the same footing with the clash of titanic scientific paradigms...
And all that in the Age of Quantum Mechanics and Multiverse theory...))
СпойлерПоказать
This version feels more relevant)):
СпойлерПоказать
You rise, you fall, you're down then you rise again
What don't kill you make you more strong
You rise, you fall, you're down then you rise again
What don't kill you make you more strong
The 3 grammatical irregularities in the sentence are probably a purposeful violation of grammar rules by the rebellious spirit.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009 ... s-hetfield
"Metallica turned a cliche into its own awkward statement of purpose (...) : "What don't kill you make you more strong."
There's nothing elegant, original or grammatical about that lyric, but it made its point bluntly before a near-capacity crowd. "
PS
"That quote is attributed to the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche.
Actually, he said it much more eloquently: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.”
)) More eloquently, aber auf Deutsch (Götzen-Dämmerung, oder, Wie man mit dem Hammer philosophirt)
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#99

Сообщение Juliemiracle »

Yety пишет: 29 мар 2018, 23:09 Now we are supposed to learn from religious wars and the Crusades all of a sudden...
And all that in the Age of Tolerance and Diversity...
God forbid.)
And put our activity on this board on the same footing with the clash of titanic scientific paradigms...
And all that in the Age of Quantum Mechanics and Multiverse theory...))
I'm not saying we should learn from that. Those were the examples of the events when not only instincts govern people who fight for something. IMHO, the Age of Tolerance & Diversity is greatly overhyped. I mean it's declared at every turn, yeah, but reality bites, and I haven't noticed any significant rise in the levels of tolerance lately.
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#100

Сообщение Yety »

Juliemiracle пишет: 29 мар 2018, 23:33 I haven't noticed any significant rise in the levels of tolerance lately.
Everyone can refuse to be their own contemporary. We don't have to live by the Zeitgeist.
Marxism and Social Darwinism are greatly overhyped.
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