| Stran v tématu: < [1 2 3] > | Possible answers to "How are you?" Autor vlákna: Momoka (X)
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| More cultural issues | May 11, 2005 |
Another aspect that you should consider Momoka is that your Japanese students have a different, culturally based, learning and teaching style, ie, Confucian. It is currently this issue which is being discussed in terms of Asian students studying at foreign universities, and not achieving well due to their different cultural expectations of what a teacher and a student should do. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it really is. Alot of research into the area has been done, with reccomendati... See more Another aspect that you should consider Momoka is that your Japanese students have a different, culturally based, learning and teaching style, ie, Confucian. It is currently this issue which is being discussed in terms of Asian students studying at foreign universities, and not achieving well due to their different cultural expectations of what a teacher and a student should do. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but it really is. Alot of research into the area has been done, with reccomendations made on how to offer better services to Asian students in Western universities.
However, for your purposes, it's probably not necessary to get deeply involved in the debate, and instead just to be aware. A really good book that ALL language teachers should read is "Learner English' edited by Michael Swan and Bernard Smith. It's a Cambridge University Press book. It's basically a teacher's guide to interfernce and other problems. Hope this helps a bit more. ▲ Collapse
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This is a bit of a non-standard answer, but you could say: "Absolutely top-hole, with a ying and a yang and tippety-do" (from Black Adder).
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I really learned a lot from this thread.Tks.
| | | | Hermeneutica 
Švýcarsko
Local time: 20:31
nizozemština -> angličtina
+ ...
| How do you do? | Jan 24, 2008 |
Was what I was taught as a small girl --- many, many years ago, of course. And the proper answer was - and still is - not an answer at all but the same thing "How do you do?"
Needless to say, US EN has shortened this to Cowboy-speak "Howdy!". Note, as an exclamation and not as a question.
I have to admit that especially when things *are* bugging me I sometimes get so fed up with this kind of cynicism that I purposely *do* go into detail of all that is wrong, esp. if it... See more Was what I was taught as a small girl --- many, many years ago, of course. And the proper answer was - and still is - not an answer at all but the same thing "How do you do?"
Needless to say, US EN has shortened this to Cowboy-speak "Howdy!". Note, as an exclamation and not as a question.
I have to admit that especially when things *are* bugging me I sometimes get so fed up with this kind of cynicism that I purposely *do* go into detail of all that is wrong, esp. if it should be pretty obvious [by appearance, evidence or third party knowledge] that things are not good. A great way of sorting the friendship wheat from the chaff! )
I agree with all the other answers.
Best, and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2008 to all of you!
Dee ▲ Collapse
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Dan Dascalescu
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 11:31
rumunština -> angličtina
+ ...
| Make fun of the question | Sep 21, 2008 |
Charlie Bavington wrote: I see your point, but IMO "how are you?" is just oil to the gears of human interaction - no-one really wants to actually be informed of the other person's state of health or mind 
You know someone's a bore when you ask them "How are you?" and they actually start telling you.
I also like this one:
Girl: How are you? Me: I've been told I'm pretty damn good
| | | | | where are you teaching ? | Jul 17, 2010 |
fatagina wrote:
I was interested to know where you are teaching? Could it be not that the person is not comfortable with the options you have given her, but is instead hampered by her own cultural norms which don't encourage her to speak about herself?
I wanted to ask the same question.
In the place where I teach (Japan), people are actually taught not to show their real emotions. It makes teaching quite uncomfortable, not to mention the regular human relationships.
| | | | Paul Dixon
Brazílie
Local time: 15:31
portugalština -> angličtina
+ ...
| My suggestion | Jul 17, 2010 |
Konnichi wa! (here in Brazil, probably Ohaio gossaimáss at this time in Japan)
My suggestions:
A: How are you?
B: Just fine. What about you? or And you? or What about yourself?
With a student I have we often use
How are you?
SURVIVING!
May not work for a basic student, though - you would have to explain "surviving" in this context.
| | | | Tom in London
Velká Británie
Local time: 19:31
Člen (2008)
italština -> angličtina
Paul Dixon wrote:
Konnichi wa! (here in Brazil, probably Ohaio gossaimáss at this time in Japan)
My suggestions:
A: How are you?
B: Just fine. What about you? or And you? or What about yourself?
With a student I have we often use
How are you?
SURVIVING!
May not work for a basic student, though - you would have to explain "surviving" in this context.
Currently there's a very annoying habit in the UK by a certain kind of person who thinks it's cool to say "I'm good" in response to the question "How are you?"
I can't stand that.
[Edited at 2010-07-17 18:59 GMT]
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Brian Young
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 11:31
dánština -> angličtina
| Don't ask that question at all! | Jul 17, 2010 |
It seems that everyone agrees that it is a stupid question, and that nobody expects or even wants an honest answer. I have tried to remove that expression entirely from my vocabulary. When I meet someone I just don't ask that question. There is usually some real and sensible question that can be asked. I met some people today who I had not seen in years. It was at an art exhibition. I just said "hi xx, nice to see you! What do you think of the exhibition? We talked for a while, and neither of us... See more It seems that everyone agrees that it is a stupid question, and that nobody expects or even wants an honest answer. I have tried to remove that expression entirely from my vocabulary. When I meet someone I just don't ask that question. There is usually some real and sensible question that can be asked. I met some people today who I had not seen in years. It was at an art exhibition. I just said "hi xx, nice to see you! What do you think of the exhibition? We talked for a while, and neither of us ever asked "how are you doing". It is just unnecessary fluff, and you can learn to do without it. Just try to think of something sensible to ask. You will be surprised at how easy you can avoid that cliche. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
Velká Británie
Local time: 19:31
Člen (2008)
italština -> angličtina
KLS wrote:
A: Hey, how are you?
B: I'm good, and you?
This can even be shortened to:
B: Good, you?
I can't stand that. What do people say if you ask them "Are you a good person or a bad person?"
| | | | Samuel Murray
Nizozemsko
Local time: 20:31
Člen (2006)
angličtina -> afrikánština
+ ...
Momoka wrote:
I'm currently teaching ESL to beginners, and one of my new students is never at ease when asked "How are you?". I've taught her the traditional replies ... but I guess she needs more -short- options, since it's too soon for her to start talking about herself and what has happened that made her feel this or that way, etc.
If "How are you" is a greeting, then the question is just a formality and it would actually be bad manners to answer the question by telling the person how you really feel, unless the person is a friend who won't mind hearing about your life.
To add to what some of the others have said, in South Africa we have an expression "howzit" (how is it) which, in some subgroups, doesn't mean "how are you" but should be responded to by saying "howzit" again.
So the conversation would be:
Person A: Howzit!
Person B: Howzit!
(end of greeting)
If one of the people isn't from the subgroup, the conversation might be:
Person A: Howzit!
Person B: Fine, thank you, and yourself?
Person A: Erm... err... huh?
In different languages, people have different question-and-response series that might not make sense in other languages. For example:
English:
Would you like some tea?
Yes, please.
Here is you tea.
Thank you.
It's a pleasure.
Dutch:
Would you like some tea?
Yes.
Please, here is your tea.
Thank you.
Please.
It took me (South African) two years to figureo out that when my Dutch relatives hand me something and they say "Please" again, that they're not actually asking for anything.
| | | | Brian Young
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 11:31
dánština -> angličtina
| Don't ask, Don't tell | Jul 18, 2010 |
Americans will be familiar with that phrase.
Many years ago my wife was a teacher at a boarding school for Greenlandic youth, brought to Denmark as part of the process of colonization. One of the adult Greenlanders explained to me how, when some German anthropologist was "inventing" a written version of their language, he came to the point where he wanted to know how they greeted each other. In fact, they did not greet each other. A man could be gone for days, in one of the harshest and mo... See more Americans will be familiar with that phrase.
Many years ago my wife was a teacher at a boarding school for Greenlandic youth, brought to Denmark as part of the process of colonization. One of the adult Greenlanders explained to me how, when some German anthropologist was "inventing" a written version of their language, he came to the point where he wanted to know how they greeted each other. In fact, they did not greet each other. A man could be gone for days, in one of the harshest and most dangerous environments on Earth. Upon returning home he would simply enter the hut, and slowly and quietly the women would go out to see what he had caught.
It was almost as if it would have brought bad luck to ask. After all, he was home!
We have something similar in the US, and in Denmark. If we say something, or ask a question that was not necessary, we say "knock on wood". In Danish they say "bank paa bordet". It is almost as if we want to cancel out the potential ill affects of posing a stupid question, or saying something that we should have kept to ourselves.
Giving in to the insistence of the anthropologist, the Greenlanders finally made an attempt to shut him up by saying "I am still alive". Thought they never actually said that, in words, that would at least have been in their thoughts.
"How are you?" In reality, we rarely care, and don't really want to know. It is a habit that can be easily broken. Ask a question that really matters, or be quiet. ▲ Collapse
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Sheila Wilson
Španělsko
Local time: 19:31
Člen (2007)
angličtina
+ ...
| Beginner choices should be limited | Jul 19, 2010 |
I'm really worried you're going to swamp your beginner with all these options. In my experience (12 years teaching business English in France) it's that, above all, that makes most beginners nervous of opening their mouths.
You've heard a multitude of possibilities from native or near-native speakers. They're all perfectly possible (although I agree that "I'm good" is horrible), but a beginner should be given one or t... See more I'm really worried you're going to swamp your beginner with all these options. In my experience (12 years teaching business English in France) it's that, above all, that makes most beginners nervous of opening their mouths.
You've heard a multitude of possibilities from native or near-native speakers. They're all perfectly possible (although I agree that "I'm good" is horrible), but a beginner should be given one or two options only - the most common ones.
"Fine, thanks. And you?" is a perfectly suitable response to this question - why confuse the issue for a beginner who has many other things to worry about? As others have said, the asker isn't really interested in the answer anyway.
If you tell your beginner that this is the most common response, which they should use until they become comfortable with other forms, then they have a solid foundation and know they aren't going to say something inappropriate. By all means tell them that there are other possibilities but do stress that this entire question+answer is just a formality - much like bowing or shaking hands. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
Velká Británie
Local time: 19:31
Člen (2008)
italština -> angličtina
| The English way | Jul 19, 2010 |
Brian Young wrote:
Upon returning home he would simply enter the hut
You could always adopt the standard English method of greeting people when they arrive. This consists of completely ignoring them.
Similarly, when an English person leaves, they simply leave. They don't say goodbye, and none of the people remaining give the slightest indication that anything has happened.
In these situations the most you can expect from an English person, if they are of a particularly emotional disposition, is an almost imperceptible slight raising of one eyebrow, and perhaps a brief glance; but this would be considered bad form.
[Edited at 2010-07-19 07:21 GMT]
| | | | Jennifer Forbes
Local time: 19:31
francouzština -> angličtina
+ ...
In memoriam | How do you do? | Jul 19, 2010 |
In the UK, at any rate, the usual formal response on being introduced to someone new is (or was?) to say "How do you do?" as you shake hands. The reply to this question is (or was?) simply "How do you do?", definitely NOT a report on one's health or how one is doing.
I have an acquaintance who "enjoys" ill health. When I meet him somewhere I avoid saying "Hello, Michael, how are you?" because I know I WILL get a detailed health report of some duration.
Less formally, the reply to "Ho... See more In the UK, at any rate, the usual formal response on being introduced to someone new is (or was?) to say "How do you do?" as you shake hands. The reply to this question is (or was?) simply "How do you do?", definitely NOT a report on one's health or how one is doing.
I have an acquaintance who "enjoys" ill health. When I meet him somewhere I avoid saying "Hello, Michael, how are you?" because I know I WILL get a detailed health report of some duration.
Less formally, the reply to "How are you?" is usually "I'm fine, thanks, how are you?". Except, perhaps, when visiting the doctor - although I tend to say that to his enquiry almost automatically. How silly ...
In the case of a friend about whose health you are genuinely concerned, the tone of voice or emphasis might be slightly different. e.g. "How ARE you?". Then, the friend can (and is perhaps expected to) give some kind of health update.
Hoping you are all absolutely FINE.
Jenny ▲ Collapse
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