T C T Announces New Farang Culture Test For Thai E F L Teachers

[PeaceBlondie]

BADCOCK, Thailand - NEWS RELEASE - 14 July 2008

Today, the Teachers Council of Thailand announced a new requirement for Thai teachers of English in all schools in the entire Kingdom. The test, to be administered on 31 July 2008, will be graded electronically by the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey.. The passing score will be 80%, In their professional style as the world's leading educational tester, ETS has already sent a full selection of sample questions to the TCT, which is expected to brief all the Thai teachers. Of course, there are almost no multiple choice questions.

Samples of questions follow:

1. What was the maiden name of Eleanor Roosevelt?

2. What are the three main ingredients of a Frito Chili Dog?

3. Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

4. Which US presidents were Quakers?

5. Is Brighton, Brisbane, Biloxi, Billabong, or Bournemouth a more popular resort?

6. Who is the Prince of Wales, and why is he?

7. What is the most common nickname for New York City?

8. Which is coldest in December: Dover (England), Dover (Maryland), Dublin, Denver, San Antonio, Hobart, Calgary, or Kalgoorlie?

7. Describe the differences between mashed, creamed, French Fries, and potato pancakes.

8. Why should an Englishman tourist in San Francisco be careful about asking to light a fag?

9. How many Maori are named Moore?

Further questions may be submitted forthwith and hereby.

[Loaded]

do they have to dance the hokie cokie? or, be told how much the bush family is respected across the world?

[PeaceBlondie]

do they have to dance the hokie cokie? or, be told how much the bush family is respected across the world?

Of course! But no mispronunciations. You do the hokey-pokey, you turn yourself about, and that's what it's all about. Thanks for questions number 10 and 11.

As the Who asked, "Who's next"?

[booma]

do they have to dance the hokie cokie? or, be told how much the bush family is respected across the world?

Of course! But no mispronunciations. You do the hokey-pokey, you turn yourself about, and that's what it's all about. Thanks for questions number 10 and 11.

As the Who asked, "Who's next"?

Loaded was actually more correct. The hokie cokie first appeared in England, the hokie pokey appeared in the US later. Go google it!

B

[mijan24]

PB great not eveyones cup of tea but for me it does the trick start the week with a smile.

spelling

Edited July 14, 2008 by mijan24

[Loaded]

do they have to dance the hokie cokie? or, be told how much the bush family is respected across the world?

Of course! But no mispronunciations. You do the hokey-pokey, you turn yourself about, and that's what it's all about. Thanks for questions number 10 and 11.

As the Who asked, "Who's next"?

Loaded was actually more correct. The hokie cokie first appeared in England, the hokie pokey appeared in the US later. Go google it!

B

knees bend, arms stretch rah rah rah oh the hokie cokie oh... Without this The 'Great' could not have been prefixed to Britain.

[haltes]

Nice questions PB but I prefer something a bit more meaty.

Some more questions:

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Is proletarianisation or embourgeousiement more appropriate to describe recent changes in western class structure? Why?

Comment on the humour inherent in the quote " To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."? Do you think it is funny? Why?

To what extent is habeas corpus an inherent culural cornerstone in Western democracies? How and why has it been subverted?

York is more than 2000 years old. What were the Roman and Viking names of this city?

"The idea of hereditary legislators is as inconsistent as that of hereditary judges, or hereditary juries; and as absurd as a hereditary mathematician, or a hereditary wise man; and as ridiculous as a hereditary poet laureate." Discuss.

[lost_in_space]

Has anybody else read "Mai pen rai means nevermind" by Carol Hollinger?

Great book.

She writes about a question, for the final exam, that was given to a Chula class on Shakespeare.

I can't quote it because I couldn't understand it myself, and I've taught Shakespeare.

But it was something like "compare and contrast the sub-themes of violence and redemption in the historical tragedies of Richard the 2nd,........"

My point, and I do have one, is that PB's sample questions are not so far fetched as they might seem.

The book is also a good reminder that things in the English teaching field are not so much different from 50 years ago.

[PeaceBlondie]

We memorized the answer to haltes' woodchuck question by sixth grade. The answer is, "As much wood as a woodchuck could chuck." Later we learned to say, "Chuck you, Farley!"

[Unfaithful]

Even if I do not teach in BADCOCK I teach CONTEXT.Such as why Frannie and Zoe say what they say.Why Richard the Lionhearted had a mean brother.Why Solomon's son raped his father's concubines in broad daylight on the same rooftop where Solomon saw Bathsheeba taking a shower.Why Dancing with Wolves portrays the Lakota Sioux accurately enough.Convicts in Tasmania.Maori and Ainu.Show me two Thai teachers who can teach two of those contexts without looking them up and without skipping a beat.

[bob4you]

We memorized the answer to haltes' woodchuck question by sixth grade. The answer is, "As much wood as a woodchuck could chuck." Later we learned to say, "Chuck you, Farley!"

I remember it as "as much wood as a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood"

[apex2000]

Later we learned to say, "Chuck you, Farley!"

Pissed myself laughing at this one