Thursday, November 26, 2009

What do Swashbuckling Pirates and NASA have in common?

Not much except they both figure into questions I've been asking students at the English Institute this week. With a wide range of skill levels (first to fourth year students) and spread across the age spectrum, it's never dull.

A sampling...

Question: Do you like skydiving?
Answer by 11-year-old boy: Yes, yes I am!
(had no clue what I was talking about)

Question: If you were the president of Argentina, what would you do?
Answer by teenage girl: Change everything!
(ahhhh, the certainty of that age)


Question: In the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, who is your favorite character?
Answer by 10-year-old boy with dazzling smile: Elizabeth! She is beautiful!
(watch out girls, a young Lothario!)


Question: What are the qualifications for an astronaut?
Answer by 16-year-old boy: Lots of training. He must know first addition and how to land a space ship.
(I think he meant first aid)


Question: What did you write about for your essay?
Answer by an adult female: Comparative between the Great Depression and the current situation because I think there are many similarities and we must learn.
(a graduating student who has learned English as part of her job responsibilities because she must communicate with her contemporaries in the space program in the U.S.)

Question: If you could do anything you'd like, what would it be?
Answer by 15-year-old boy: A professional basketball player!
(he's certainly tall enough!)


Overheard by Ivan: An adult male after he finished the exam said, "She is divine!"

Still smiling over that one. Made the six hours of administering oral exams -- with one five minute break -- totally worthwhile. More today. 

Happy Thanksgiving from this DIVINE southern girl!

5 comments:

Mari said...

Those are so good, and - you are divine!

Christy Duffy said...

Divine! I love it! Happy thanksgiving, Kim.

riTa Koch said...

Come to think of it 'divina' is used so commonly in Spanish, or maybe Argentina. Probably equivalent to our adorable or cute?

Those were quite some questions. Are you given what to ask, then?

KD said...

made in the father's image...equals divine. No? :D Love the questions and the joy that shines through your writings. Thank you

Skoots1moM said...

prayed for you over my thanksgiving table...knowing you were working...while i wore the necklace you sent me :)...my mother loved it, and I got to show your quilts to her...I'm trying to talk her into going to Argentina with me :D...she's never been on a plane...(she loved your hand work...she said she may try an abstract quilt after seeing how creatively you put your together)

anyway...so glad your exams were such a success...i agree, YOU ARE DIVINE!