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rote learning. But, Dahlia, I'm interested in what you learnt by rote for your exams -
is this your English?
Dahlia: No, it's not my English. It's something related to my studying. I'm studying
economics&
Martin: Yes...
Dahlia: ...and there is a lot of subjects quite difficult to understand every single
word.
Martin: Yes?
Dahlia: So, we just keep just rote learning it - you know, to pass the exam&
Martin: Yeah
Dahlia: ...but, erm, many words is hard to know the meaning of.
Martin: That's right, and it doesn't actually help to understand it, does it?
Dahlia: Yeah. Most of our books are translated from, from Russian to Arabic&
Martin: Yeah?
Dahlia: & so... quite difficult sometimes to understand everything.
Martin: It is. I think sometimes in learning a language rote learning can be useful. I
know that I worked in China at one time, where my students astonished me by how
good they were at rote learning, and I used to set lists of words for them to learn
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and the next day I'd discover that they remembered them. And then as a teacher I'd
just have to help them understand them.
Question: In terms of learning a language, could you offer an alternative to
a student at home who maybe does want to learn vocabulary and improve
their vocabulary, and maybe isn't finding rote learning good. So, I mean just
as a practical tip, what other ways of learning are there?
Martin: I think rote learning may be useful for remembering it - to understand it, we
have to see vocabulary in a context - so we need to be not necessarily reading a long
book, but reading text in which those words occur. The best is when perhaps the
word is used several times in different contexts, and we can understand from the
context what it means. A good bilingual dictionary is such a useful tool as well.
A question from Ha in Vietnam:
Could you tell me the difference between "satisfying" and "satisfactory"? Thank you.
George Pickering answers:
Well Ha, thank you very much for your question about the difference between
"satisfying" and "satisfactory".
"Satisfactory" means that something is adequate, or acceptable. Whereas
"satisfying" means that something meets your needs or requirements and has
positive associations.
So what would be the difference between a "satisfactory" meal and a "satisfying"
one?
In the first case the meal was ok, in the second case it was one that you enjoyed.
So generally we prefer to have "satisfying" experiences to "satisfactory" ones.
See and watch
I'd like to know the different meanings of see and watch and the typical uses of
these two verbs.
See / Watch
Seeing is noticing something or somebody with your eyes, usually with no explicit
intention or purpose behind the action. If you watch something or someone, you
look at them deliberately, usually for a longer period.
Watch is often used with progressive tense forms. See is not used with progressive
forms, but may be used with can to suggest something in progress. Compare the
following:
Can you hear me at the back? Am I speaking loudly enough?
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I could hear a dog barking but apart from that there was no sound.
I'm surprised to hear you say such awful things about her. I thought you liked her.
I could hear them talking in the next room, but I tried not to listen to what they were
saying.
You need to listen to the tape very carefully if you want to understand what she is
saying.
I didn't hear the phone ringing because I was listening to a Mahler symphony on the
radio.
See / Hear + that-clause
We often use I hear and I see with a that-clause to indicate that we have noted
something or that we understand or gather that something has happened or will
happen.
I hear / understand / gather that you're planning to quit your job with IBM and go
freelance.
Have you heard that Jenny's gone freelance? ~ No, I've heard nothing about that.
I see / understand / gather that the postal workers are threatening another one-day
strike in October.
I can't see / understand what all the fuss is about. It's only a one-day strike.
Note these further, more specific uses of see and watch:
see = meet (note that in this meaning progressive forms are often possible)
I'll see you outside the hospital at eleven o' clock.
He's seeing the doctor about his bronchitis tomorrow.
I'm sorry, but he's not well enough to see you now.
She must really stop seeing him. He has a bad influence on her.
see = find out (note progressive forms never possible)
I'll go and see if I can help them.
He went back to see if they needed any help.
As we saw when he went back to help them, these guys are totally independent.
see = accompany
You may not be able to find your way out. I'll just see you to the door.
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He's old enough to come home by himself, but can you just see him across the busy
road?
watch = be careful about ...
We must watch the time or we shall be late.
Watch that you don't spend too much money in Oxford Street. Watch your purse too.
Watch out for pickpockets.
watch = look after
Can you just watch my bags while I go to the loo?
You may also watch your weight if you decide to be careful about the things you
eat or watch the world go by, if you stand or sit somewhere and watch people as
they pass by.
Situation / Position / Condition
All three nouns are similar in meaning, but they have different nuances or shades of
meaning and are used in different contexts in different ways.
Condition
Condition describes the physical state of something or some one. We talk about
people or things being in good / bad / terrible / etc condition. Condition can
also refer to a health problem:
Considering its age, this house is in excellent condition.
He was in a terrible condition and had drunk far too much whiskey.
She has a severe heart condition and shouldn't be smoking at all.
Conditions (plural) refer to the environment in which something occurs. We talk
about things happening in or under appalling / terrible conditions. We also talk
about people's living or working conditions:
The rescue was attempted under extremely difficult conditions and with little chance
of success.
The refugees were living under appalling conditions with no access to clean water.
Are you happy with your working conditions? ~ Yes, they are excellent. I have no
complaints.
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The extremely windy conditions made it difficult for either side to play decent
football.
Conditions also describe things that must be true or be done before something else
can happen. We talk about meeting or satisfying or imposing conditions.
In order to qualify for a grant as a postgraduate student, you will need to satisfy
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