What do they call you?

[Alan]

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Hi,

Your name has already been decided for you as soon as you're born. There's not a lot you can do about it. Well, I suppose you can change it or shorten it. But if you keep your original name and as time passes, you get used to it and as you get older, you wonder what you would have been like if you had had another name. Interesting question?

http://www.english-test.net/newsletter/the-name-of-the-game-107.html

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Nukookka]

Hi all,
If you have been to Thailand. And ask someone for their name . They will answer you with their nickname . Thai people don't have middle name . We have only first name , last name and nickname . We use nickname most frequency , daily life, school, business firm. Nickname tend to shor er and more easier than first name. In name card , they might write their nickname after first name :) I thought , the nickname is good, it represent how you enclose to someone. You might remember them only nickname if you are a far friend . You can't find with nickname in goverment record.
I have nickname too. My nickname same as my name in this web but shorter. But I didn't have name in English . Could you all make my name in English. I tend to like good meaning name but short . One of my friend's name 'Stephani' . It's really good . I used to like the name 'Victoria' but she told me . You have to fight and win that mean 'Victoria' . I don't like to fight , but I do if it have to. Fighting sometime have to loose.
Well, I will waiting to hear from you.
Thanks for your advance,
Nukookka

[Kitosdad]

You look like a "Nicky" to me. Cheerful and full of mischief.

Kitos.
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Achi14]

Good morning Mr. Alan.
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2010.
Please can you help me to correct my answer. you can add something if you see I miss it to write it or to change something…..and thanks much for your help
This the question:
A parent calls to tell you that, after a long talk with her son, she disapproves of the objectives you have written for health education---particularly those referring to the anatomy of the human body---but that you have taken almost verbatim from the teachers’ guide to the adopted textbook. Compose a written response to this parent that shows your understanding of where objectives come from.
My answer for this Question
The parent needs to know that the student was learning from the teacher’s guide to the
Adopted textbook. That is why the objectives are referring to the anatomy of the body.
This might seen confusing to the mother who is interested in eating a good diet and washing etc.
To stay healthy. The textbook will explain the bones and organs for example. This seems too difficult for
the student to understand and it does not help to healthy the mother thinks.

Thanks
Best regards
Achi

[Nukookka]

Thank a lot :)

[Borislav]

Hii,
I know August like existing name ana May for women too.May tends to some asian culture but in the region here it is very famous.
Interesting name is "Burkan" translated like jar.This is tipical gypsy's name.There is a possitive side on this name - attractive like something extraordinary and funny.

People don't impress me very much with their names so far.There are exceptions of course - in the news I saw a person(from my country) who wants to change his name to "Manchester United Ivanov" because he adores ManUn.
Another curious case is a man with nickname "Pishtova"(The gun) who changes his last name to his nickname.

I want to ask you all whether in your countries the signatures have to contain your first and last name ? Is there not written rule ?
However, you can give me a suggestion for name of mine.
Bye.

[Cesar Lopez Petrovich]

Hi, Alan,
Many thanks for sending me that quite interesting essay about "What's the name of the game".
It was really useful and priceless (invaluable), indeed.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you very soon.

Best wishes,
Cesar Lopez Petrovich.

[Normanx]

Hello and happy new year from Mexico City!

There are a lot of funny stories about names and how to choose them in Mexico. The catholical way is to take
the name printed on the religious calendar birthday. Names like "Pedro", "Pablo", "Clara" and others are the natural ones but
when the calendar has a special text (because of an official day) the distracted parents name his child "anivdelarev" an abrevittion for "aniversario de la revolución" literarly "revolution's aniversary".

Another example of naming procedures is "la tona". "La tona" is the name of the fist animal or thing that cross a painted circle around the new born's house. So, if an eagle crossed the circle, the name will be John Eagle, but if a donkey did, the name will be John Donkey. This happened in a Mexico town, but unfournatly I don't know the town's name.

NormanX

[Abdou01]

Hello everyone and Happy New year to all the people in the world, whatever nationality they are or whoever they are.
this is the first time I write, and I hope it will not be the last. I do believe that what count is the essence of poeple, their feelings and aspirations, their passion to live with and love others, the ability to share and care not only for their relations, but for everyone else in the world. Of course, and this is very rare, a name can reflect these characteristics in any person. When giving a name to a newborn, parents ignore whether their child is going to be lazy or hardworking, nice or nasty, clever, intelligent, or a criminal. More funny is whether August is going to be cool or sweltering( very hot) as far as her feelings and relations are concerned! Parents and relations like to play the role of God fathers and choose a name they like, or perhaps they wished it had been theirs. Again there is no rationality in choosing a name.
However, there is another controversory fact. Names may be dictated, in a way, by some religions. How is that? In some religions, Judaism for example, parents should name their children after prophets, notable Jews, or maybe Jews who were too much cruel to others.
In Islam, the only one who was named before his personality and traits is Our Prophet Mohamed, (Allah Praise him and Peace may be Upon him) and that is of course found in may apostles and prophecies, notably that of Jesus Christ. furthermore, our prophet has recommended that the name of a new-born baby should be chosen carefully and and should be better one of his 63 Character-Names, or should be taken from the 100

[Abdou01]

(sorry for this problem of connection) I want just to clarify on thing is that in the Islamic World, people name their children after hish notable prophets, Paradise, angels...I personally have names my two daughters: the first one Hajar( this is Abraham the prophets first wife) ;and the second child: Imane, which means Faith and belief in Allah, His messengers, books ... For my two boys, I have chosen to name the first one Yahia, the name of a prophet I love too much , of course after Our prophet Mohammed. You may be surprised to know my second child s name! He is named after Arrayane: a gate in Heaven the paradise, dedicated from Allah(tha Lord) to people who fast a lot. So, you see that names may religious connotations. But Islam has adviised its followers not to use nicknames, especially those who portray bad habits or point out physical anomalies, ... this is of course a trial to keep people in touch and together and unified.
Well, I am very happy to take part in this site,and thank you Mr Alan for this occasion.
Take care everyone.

[Rosette]

HI ALAN,

Happy new year and thanks for your last essay; I loved the quotation at the end.
WHEN I was in high school, i disliked my arabic name; so I translated it into french;since then, everybody calls me "rosette";(it happens that I forget my real name;) I FEEL THAT ROSETTE SUITS ME WELL.Don't you think so?
best regards,
rosette.

[Najuib]

hello every body &happy newyear. iam just want to talk abouat name of the game its realy correct .because every body has name and other people like call hime diffrent name as they like to call . iam realy have anouther name is (shosho)
bye see you next time . in addition some peolpe dont like to call them bad names

[Torsten]

Hi Najuib,

Since this is a place for people who want to improve their English I'd like you to work on your typing and spelling habits. Please read the following guideline and follow its suggestions: http://www.english-test.net/community/index.html#How_can_I_improve_my_writing_skills

Many thanks,
Torsten

TOEIC listening, question-response: How many years have you been with the firm?

[Rosalisa]

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Please listen to my recording and respond with a voice message too. Many thanks.

Hi Alan,

This is a very interesting question. You know, I often ask myself this question. What would I have been like if I had had a different name? Rosalisa is not my nickname or real name. It is a name I picked before I signed up for this forum.

In my country, names represent a lot about ourselves. I have no ideas why it has been so. Of course, since our name has been decided as soon as we're born, it is extremely unfair to judge a person by their names. However, I have lived all my 22-year life with this name, and everything good or bad I have experienced or encountered has been closely attached with my name. My real first name is Kounila, which is not a typical name in this country. I usually get a lot of attention when my name is announced publicly; therefore, I do feel proud with this...I only feel good about it. However, what I do is not really influenced by the name I am given, but by the lessons learnt. All I can say is: I might have done some different things, but I would have been the same person I am determined to be.
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If you want to change the world, be one of the change.

[Political Lurker]

Well Alan
Christened James I have always disliked Jimmy.
When I came to Munich and then Leipzig in the mid nineties most German people called me Jamie which I think is the equivalent of Jimmy to most Germans?
Then after the Germans had rechristened me Jamie - The British and Irish community then rechristened me "Belfast-Jamie" Like Manchester Shaun etc
I of course had no input in this process what so ever and it felt rather strange for a time especially when people are talking about you when they don't know you're talking to them? but eventually I just got used to it.

But now I'm back home it sounds strange hearing it again sometimes.- it's almost like Im 2 different people or something weird?
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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.