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Sat Apr 08, 2006 16:07 pm Welcome |
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Hi Polly,
Glad you like the site. Welcome. You say you're writing from Italy. Do you live there or study there?
Alan _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story A Rhapsody of Words |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 7274 Location: UK
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Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:18 am Hi |
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i wanna make friend with people around the world , so i can improve my english better. can i become your friend? _________________ i love to go out with my friend , make friends |
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annavn New Member
Joined: 30 Mar 2006 Posts: 2 Location: vn
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Fri Apr 14, 2006 14:56 pm Hello everybody! |
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Hi Polly, Welcome to the site. I myself am really enjoying it a lot and have no doubt that you will too. By the way, in Bulgaria we also use the word "ciao" for goodbye. Small world, isn't it? As far as I know in Italy you use it both for hello and goodbye. Am I right? Daniela _________________ English Language Learning Online
Learn English with Daniela |
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Daniela Language Coach

Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 150 Location: Bulgaria
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 15:28 pm Welcome |
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| Alan wrote: | Hi Polly,
Glad you like the site. Welcome. You say you're writing from Italy. Do you live there or study there?
Alan |
Hi Alan, I live here! More precisely, I live in Liguria
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Polly I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Italy
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 15:30 pm Hi |
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| annavn wrote: | | i wanna make friend with people around the world , so i can improve my english better. can i become your friend? |
Of course you can, dear annavn! I'd be glad to get to know you! |
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Polly I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Italy
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 15:34 pm Hello everybody! |
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| Daniela wrote: | Hi Polly, Welcome to the site. I myself am really enjoying it a lot and have no doubt that you will too. By the way, in Bulgaria we also use the word "ciao" for goodbye. Small world, isn't it? As far as I know in Italy you use it both for hello and goodbye. Am I right? Daniela |
Hi Daniela, I didn't know "ciao" was used elsewhere! Thank you very much for letting me know. Yes, you're right: we use it both as a greeting and as a leave-taking. |
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Polly I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Italy
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 19:22 pm Welcome |
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| Polly wrote: | Hi Alan, I live here! More precisely, I live in Liguria
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Hello Polly,
In other words, you live under the flap or above the knee of the boot!
I have a question or two for you: Is English taught at school in Italy and from which grade? Can pupils choose another optional language and which? Would you say that English is spreading in your country? Sorry if I’m being too inquiring – if it’s too much, answer the first question only (this sounds like a Groucho Marx line!). |
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Conchita Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 2702 Location: Madrid, Spain
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 20:31 pm Welcome |
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| Conchita wrote: | Hello Polly,
In other words, you live under the flap or above the knee of the boot!
I have a question or two for you: Is English taught at school in Italy and from which grade? Can pupils choose another optional language and which? Would you say that English is spreading in your country? Sorry if I’m being too inquiring – if it’s too much, answer the first question only (this sounds like a Groucho Marx line!). |
Hello Conchita, how are you? You're a really funny person! I will be glad to answer any question, so don't worry about being inquiring! Up until just a few years ago, we started studying English at 11, from the 6th grade ("prima media"). Now children start studying it at 6, from the 1st grade ("prima elementare"). As far as I know, starting from the 6th grade, children can choose between English and French (it's always been like that, even before English was introduced in the elementary school).
Unfortunately, English (as any other foreign language, actually) has always been considered little more than a hobby here. Only in recent times has it been realized that its importance is crucial, but the process of its spread is really slow. |
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Polly I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Italy
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 20:51 pm Slowly but surely |
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| Many thanks for your quick and extensive answer, Polly. It seems that our two countries are more or less in the same situation in regard to learning English. The need for it is more important than the interest, though the latter is awakening...at a Mediterranean pace! |
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Conchita Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 2702 Location: Madrid, Spain
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 21:09 pm There was me |
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Oh Conchita
And there was me thinking you were mad about English. I'm gutted.
Alan _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story If you vote |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 7274 Location: UK
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 21:39 pm There was me |
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| Alan wrote: | Oh Conchita
And there was me thinking you were mad about English. I'm gutted.
Alan |
Oh, but I am! I must be atypical, then.
Sorry to have caused you such hollowing pain (I'm not sure of the exact meaning of 'gutted', but it sounds devastating, somehow).
(It's a good thing I know you're teasing!) |
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Conchita Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 2702 Location: Madrid, Spain
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 22:42 pm Slowly but surely |
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| Conchita wrote: | | Many thanks for your quick and extensive answer, Polly. It seems that our two countries are more or less in the same situation in regard to learning English. The need for it is more important than the interest, though the latter is awakening...at a Mediterranean pace! |
Dear Conchita, I think we are still much too tied to our own traditions, which is a good thing, but we should learn that there is room enough for other cultures and languages as well...  |
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Polly I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Italy
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Polly I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Italy
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Sat Apr 15, 2006 23:34 pm Slowly but surely |
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I think we are still much too tied to our own traditions, which is a good thing, but we should learn that there is room enough for other cultures and languages as .
Hi, I know you think people slowly but surely will learn and master one international language for example English and I have thought same way many years ago. I am afraid it will not happen like this. English will be spread double so much as today and will be taken back again the same way as has been happened with Latin,Norge,Norman French,Portugese,German,Russian etc... The history or the world haven't changed so much we are still just at the beginning. In Italy right after the war many more people were eager to learn English then nowdays and .... ?? Today it looks like English is far far away dream. I remeber in Genova young students approching me just trying to find some occasion for practise and they were unable say even few words ( probably years of education 2/3 hours a week and what was wrong ??) look the true strait in the eyes regards Jan terra firma syndrom man |
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Jan I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 285 Location: at sea
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| I Am A Colledge Student From China | Yet Another Wonderful Newbie (or "yawn") |