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Milky Posted 19 years ago
Linguistics Studies

Wannabees both?

Lets' say a young person come to you and asks you to teach him the "slang" of the American youth culture norms of coolness. Another young person comes and asks you to teach him only the Standard British English norms used by upper class youths in Britain. Which young person, if any, would you label a wannabee and send packing?
  

Top answer

I don't send anyone packing. Teaching English is how I make a living.

  • I don't send anyone packing.
  • Teaching English is how I make a living.
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50 Answers
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I don't send anyone packing. Teaching English is how I make a living.
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wannabee?

Definition, please.

CJ
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CalifJimwannabee?

Definition, please.

CJ

I'm surprised you don't know the term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wannabee

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
wan·na·be also wan·na·bee
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Mister MicawberI don't send anyone packing. Teaching English is how I make a living.

So you'd still consider the teaching of the "slang" of American youth culture norms of coolness as teaching English, as it were, right?
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They both want to be something, I suppose. Don't we all? But isn't that irrelevant to sending them packing? I think so. I would try to put them in touch with people who were more expert at those ways of using language. I'm just a bit too old to teach the most up-to-date, coolest slang, and being middle-class American, I wouldn't be very good at upper class Standard British English eith
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It would also be reasonable to point out that the slang would be outmoded, by the time the student had mastered it; and that command of that particular BrE variant would not necessarily be a social advantage.

I wouldn't send her packing either.

MrP
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But can I send the second one to you, anyway, Mr. P.?
You can do what you blokes call a posh accent, can't you?

CJ
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That's what I'll tell 'em, anyway.

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