Conversation Examinations
For a final exam my students had to write out a minute and a half long conversation, memorize and present it. I helped them with grammar and vocabulary, but if what they originally wrote made sense then I left it alone. This, of course, means that they came up with many interesting statements. Here are a few of my favorite moments from the exam:
B: Nothing in the world will change my mind.
A: As might be expected. I respect you.
B: That’s right. I am a prodigy.
A: Oh! …see you.
B: See you.
A: Oh, I watched a basketball game on TV because there was the All-Stars Games. They were considerably bigger than me.
(these girls were talking about what kind of boy they like)
A: What is your priority; appearance or character?
B: When you say it that way, “it is character.” How about you?
A: I should say that appearance is my choice.
A: By the way, have you gotten fat lately?
B: Rude!! And so I walk everyday.
A: No kidding! Impossible! Don’t continue!
B: We are walking and talking now! Together let’s lose weight! By the way are you hungry?
A: I… well… have some patience. Shall we go to my favorite cake shop?
B: I want to go to that cake shop!
A: Let’s go. Anyway, you are on a diet, aren’t you?
B: Yes, I am. I have a poor memory because I love delicious food.
A: That’s right! Young people don’t need to diet!
(talking about the class they’re in. OC = oral communication)
A: OC test is very difficult.
B: I can’t memorize many sentences.
A: I am going to fail.
B: Teachers need not have given us such an assignemnt.
A: Do our best to pass the exam.
A: Is w-inds your favorite singer?
B: Yes I love w-inds.
A: They are not very good.
A: Do you have anything to do today?
B: I will study Swahili language hard.
A: Really? I study Ketyua language everyday.
(I like to think this was a clever shot by two of the students about how useful learning English is to them. But, knowing the guys, it was probably just them being very random and trying to be funny. Actually, one of these two guys (while they were writing the script) suddenly took out his wallet and showed me that he carries a condom. I was so shocked at this random action that all I could say was, “it’s important to be safe”. And he smiled and said “yes, safe.”)
Thing I miss most about Canada today: Knowing what to expect when from the seasons.
Thing I love most about Japan today: It’s getting warm. It was like 12 degrees this afternoon!
