Let's speak English!, practise conversation with us Options

[Cindy]

Meg, Cambridge! In plus, cred ca diploma Toefl este valabila doar 2 ani, spre deosebire de Cambridge care are valabilitate nelimitata!

This post has been edited by sweet_girl: Feb 20 2008, 11:23 PM

[Meg]

uhm.. m-ar interesa pentru anglia, inscriere pe acolo la un colegiu.
de la o tipa care a plecat in america la un colegiu am inteles ca avea camb, dar a pus-o sa dea toefl, ca ala ii trebiua de fapt. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/zapacitul.gif)

[walpurgik]

Daca e pt Anglia, Cambridge e ok.
Daca pretentiile nu-s foarte ridicate, ca non-native poti opta intre astea cu un minimum de note sau calificative dupa cum urmeaza, insa fiecare university stabileste stacheta ei:
IELTS: Grade 6.5
TOEFL: 230-computer based, 570 paper based
Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English: Grade C
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: Grade C
Succes! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Meg]

walpu, merci, dar m-ai pierdut pe drum.
ce sunt astea, nivele? am inteles ca ar fi niste nivele la camb de exemplu.
toefl e un singur nivel? sau ai si acolo beginner (treapta 1 ?), medium, advanced?
si la camb, trebuiesc cumparate toate cartile? as fi facut in liceu, dar profa ne-a spus ca e ff scump si sa mai asteptam. si acum imi pare rau.. o fi fost vreo avere, parca..

[walpurgik]

Meguta, depinde ce-ti cere universitatea respectiva, dar generic poti da examene pentru diferite nivele, cel putin la Cambridge. Cursurile sunt destul de scumpe, eu iti pot oferi ceva materiale pentru lucru individual, insa, de obicei, trebuie sa mergi la cursuri la Brititsh Council, unde te inscrii si iti mai ofera si ei materiale necesare. Cambridge-ul are diferite parti, oralul de obicei il dai cu profi de la univ. iar lucrarile se corecteaza in Anglia. Grade A ar fi cea mai buna nota de la nivelul pentru care optezi. Cat despre TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) si IELTS (International English Language Testing System. It measures ability to communicate in English across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking – for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication.) nu iti pot spune prea multe intrucat majoritatea opteaza pt Cambridge insa pe site-urile aferente afli informatii suplimentare. Si aici insa iti pot oferi materiale pe suport electronic.

[angeldust]

Megule, eu am dat Cambridge First Certificate in clasa a XI-a. Dupa ce l-am dat mi-a parut rau ca nu am dat Advanced, pentru ca la FCE am obtinut A+ la toate probele f usor. Pe atunci stiam muuult mai multa engleza decat acum. Eu te sfatuiesc sa faci pregatire cu vreo profa ok care a mai pregatit oameni pentru asa ceva. Eu asa am facut si nu am cumparat nici o carte, avea profa toate materialele necesare.

[cristina_h]

I kept thinking these days that most of us consider English as a second language, a privileged linguistic area from which we take words/phrases and "jargonize" our Romanian sometimes pushing it up to extremes. I also believe it to be nourishment to our minds as a lot of info provided by media comes to us through this means, the music we psychedelically apprehend and feel is mostly filtered through this language, our job which demands it more and more imperatively nowadays. It's a river of words which we fish sometimes to appease our hunger of expression, of more meaningful communication, caringly making use, but also carelessly making abuse of.
I thought we might create a virtual space here where we could share opinions, exercise our minds in other languages than our own, enhance our skills in writing and speaking-in-writing through colloquialisms. If this be taken enthusiastically, I suggest we have session of conversation in other languages as well (Francais, Deutsch, Italiano, Espagnol, so on and so forth), perhaps it suits us well to get to improve language skills with pleasure and along with friends than alone trying to decipher the mystery of grammar stuff or so.
We may talk about certain issues or let the flow of language follow its way, it's up to you.
As a topic starter I thought of demanding you about what you think of the following affirmation; feel free to state your point of view, discuss, argue, whatever.
Here it is: (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pistolar.gif) It's a challenge!

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he's always doing both.
-James A. Michener, attributed

[color="#8B0000"][/color] Dear "walpurgik", I like your idea of speaking English, the roumanians' favourite second language, even though I must accept the topic you've chosen is quite difficult, and needs proper consideration. First of all (before I forget) let me congratulate you for the wonderful vocabulary you seem to have and master, (if only we could all express ourselves so academically). Now to your topic, let me think. Maybe it is good , on the one side, to be as passionate for the dull things in life ,like work, as you are for other more pleasurable activities, but human nature is weak ,and I think we're prone to see the bad side of life much faster. We are always complaining about things, and most often we even like doing it, we expect compassion, understanding. If, for ex, after a hard day at work we go home and say " it was such a wonderful day today", we practically have nothing much to add, the conversation stops there. We, I think , are more passionate about things we don't like than about things we like. So yes I think we, the normal people do make clear distinctions between our activities, and even like to underline how we are capable of joggling them all in a hard day's work. If such a "master in the art of living " really exists, it could be good for him/her but the society , I think, would consider that person either crazy,or eccentric, or a genius, depending on society and luck. As always, time and place is essential to how a person thinks, and how the rest react to his thinking. There is much more I could say on the topic, but I'll first wait for some reply. Until then live your life like "a master inthe art of living" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[walpurgik]

Welcome, cristina! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/floricele.gif) Hope you enjoy your stay.
Congrats right back at you as your command of English is excellent and your ideas just as fine, so feel free to express yourself here.
There's not quite an answer to expect for your assertions, cause any opinion is as justifying as it is your own, and yours has a great truth within which I completely agree with.
Of course, history has witnessed plenty of wise, witty individuals to play with the language of life, and lots of other persons to pursue their words as so meaningful to what reality represents.
Life is sometimes too blunt and it strikes you back with cheapest experiences, hardship, chaotic nerves etched on your skin. Though the majority of events are dull, though time at work, which seizes the day, is mostly headaching, happiness, beauty and whatsoever other values, they are all in the viewer's sight.
We are designed to act our way though reality, and our capacity of handling the everyday and the tomorrows one step away is what defines us best. Playing, still, just as much as acting, is one of the most pleasurable activities man can take advantage of, because it lies within, and all you need to do is sharpen it. It's a pity, though, that most people stumble too much in the biology that lies within words and situations, and cease to invest their language with the zest of life, with healing words, playing their way through life in an enjoyable manner.

[walpurgik]

What do you think about this?
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/magindesc.gif)
'Comparison, a great teacher told me, is the cardinal sin of modern life. It traps us in a game we can't win. Once we define ourselves in terms of others we lose the freedom to shape our own lives.' Jim Collins, Author 'Built to Last'

[cristina_h]

I like your idea of living life to the fullest, it would be great if we could transform all the dull and trivial aspects of life into passion and excitement. But I think for me it would be quite a milestone. I'm so used to react mechanically to all that surrounds me, for fear of making a mistake, of being censured or simply laughed at that acting naturally would be almost " unnatural" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif) .
But I'm still young, ready to try new things, and your little quotation has given me something to think about. Why not be natural, and different and live life as you want not as society wants you to. Well nobody said that living is easy but I also think that nothing is impossible for the human mind. So I'll let you know if my little experiment with life is a success (which I'm sure it will (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)