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This thread is for LLC level 6 graduates willing to continue communicating in Eglish.
LET US START !  :bq:

Test message:
"A few words about Aztec people. I thought that all of Aztecs were exterminated in 16 century or so. However, from Wikipedia I found out that there are some descendants of Aztecs. Now they are called as  Nahua peoples, but their language has descended from the Aztec language. Thus we may say that there are living Aztecs there in Mexico. There are about 1.3 mln people speaking that language there. Of course they haven’t saved all the Aztecs’ traditions and they don’t have written sources of their ancient culture as everything was burnt at conquistadors’ time. But I must admit to my mistake about extermination of all ancient Indians."

OK, shall we discuss the Nahua people? How could it be possible to call themselves in such a hopeless way?..  :D

Would you like to discuss the origin of the word or people themselves? At the moment I don’t know either one issue or another. I have to look for additional info to elaborate my opinion. Of course I as usual can invent a story about those people but it is going to be unreliable one. What do you prefer – some info from the net, or an invented story? I guess, for practical purpose of English both ways will be good, but inventing stories can help one’s imagination to grow.

All in all I don’t see anything bad in the name “Nahua people.” At least in the Aztec language it could mean something nice as opposite to Russian one.

You always take my jokes seriously, driving me crazy of that ))

Well, being serious, I'm afraid the modern Aztecs are in fact typycal undereducated and hard drinking mexicans...  :bl:

Is there message editing option at this forum?
I've miswritten the word 'typical'...  :ah:

After you post over 100 messages on this forum, you will be allowed to correct your messages. Until then you have to check them on spot to be sure you send correctly spelled words and grammatically correct phrases.
I am always serious even when I am joking :)
But why not discuss Nahua people and their language?

Cuz I know Nihua about Nahua language... as well as you don't, I guess...  :Р

Don't you want to find out something about those Nahua people? Don't you want to know how American indigenous people and their languages have been developed over centuries? At least you could learn their history.

It's a wide wide field for researches and talkig. Their languagues, cultures, traditions, histories...
The Indians` traditions and way of life seem more interesting for me than their languages, since the languages are too complex to learn even a little about, I guess. For me it's enough to learn English by now :)

Do you remember Ken's saying "Only fools and horses work"? It seems indians liked having their work done, they used to have slaves and didn't want to work. And they didn't invent a weel, they used to go on foot. Do you know how many Aztecs lived at Columbus times and how many cities they had? Is it easy for you to remember names of their cities?

The Aztec names are just impossible to utter, them. I can't imagine how I could remember even a couple of them... ))
Well, Tenochtitlan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenochtitlan) is not so bad to pronounce... ))

I love these funny limericks, especially about the floatin axe.... )))
http://otvet.mail.ru/question/31546963
(but I'm afraid you gonna not like it again...))

The only book I read about Aztecs was MONTEZUMA'S DAUGHTER. Did you read it? I am not sure if it is a trustful book. Probably there is no word of truth there, but it’s interesting in terms of adventures. I know you like adventures. You can read it. It’s kind of an easy reading. At least I read it in adapted version 15 years ago, when I just started to learn English and, however, there were some unknown words there, it was quite understandable to read without any dictionary. Please try it, if you have time. http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1848/pg1848.txt

And I like limericks. But I have to have a look at exatly those you referred to.

They are not exact traditional limericks, though. They are chastushki.

Well, Google speaking...
http://translate.google.com.ua/#en/ru/limericks

Thanks for the book, I'll save it :)

It seems to me it's not going to be easy to develop topic about Aztecs in terms of history. And you don't want to discuss their language and dialects. I guess it could be more productive to read a book about them (e.g., MONTEZUMA'S DAUGHTER) and discuss either grammatical issues or historical ones we will have run into during reading. Or maybe you have some better suggestions?

hi,  boys! i've read your discussion about aztecs. you are very seriously men! now I can't join to your discussion, but i will enjoy speaking with you for another topics :) i'm with you
 

pilugaeff
Hi!
You're welcome!
You can give any topic you like, because I see that Aztecs can end up in a deadend. The main thing is not a topic, but a discussion. It's not about Aztecs. It's about the process of practicing English. If you don't want to develop the Aztecs' topic, start a new discussion and we'll se if it is easier to develop. All in all I tend to have voice chats in  Skype for practice. At least once in a blue moon, instead of writing tons of letters (characters). Will you want to talk in Skype?

Hi all!
Oleg, what do you mean by "once in a blue moon"? Is it a kind of idiom?
A agree that we'd better finish with Aztyecs. Shall we discuss something else? Maybe hobbies or work, I don't know... :)

Yes, let's finish with Aztecs. Let's develop the topic to the very finish. Have you started reading Montezuma's daughter?
I guess it will pour some light on the topic if you know what I mean.
As to "once in a blue moon", it means "rarely".

Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her Masters.
What about hobbies? My latest and continuous is studying English, however, I would like to learn French and German as well. Other hobbies of mine you might have known. We can discuss, but I can write a lot if I am in a mood.

Oleg, I'm sorry to be not sure I uderstant this correctly:
"Yes, let's finish with Aztecs. Let's develop the topic to the very finish. "
So, shall we finish the Aztec topic, or shall we develop it? %)

 I've saved the "Montezuma's daughter" to my disc, but I can't promise I'll read it soon... Just because I'll still need a vocabulary, and it's quite a piles to leaf through it... :)

It's funny about marriage :)

Well, please start writing about your hobbies, I guess it can progress better than Aztecs topic... :)

SP

OK, let's get to hobbies, and after you read Montezuma's daughter we will get back to discuss Spaniards and event described there and then we could have got more information to develop the discussion in details and draw it to its finish line.
Well, my hobby is studying English. However, I feel that I use inappropriate approach, because I cannot remember details, and events , and words, and date and I don't remember how sounds sound and much more. What shall I do to remember the language better and to get answers to any questions quicker (those concerning English)?

Tourist, you're being modest :) I guess, you were probably the best in our group who could remember "details, and events , and words" etc. ;)

SP
You’re a bit tricky. Don’t you remember many cases when I couldn’t recall one or another rule. E.g, just the latest case when I was asked why we couldn’t say “He took a taxi not to be late”, and although I remembered reading somewhere why it wasn’t possible to say like that I couldn’t remember, but after the teacher showed where it was written I could see in my textbook that I even underlined it before in order not to forget to use that rule, because I always want to make a sentence shorter and say/write like in the incorrect example. And I could remember much more examples where I forgot something and I couldn’t remember.

To make things even worse I couldn’t remember details when I am just reading or listening. Hundreds of times I listened to audio and when I had to answer questions to the text I couldn’t remember the simplest things, because, even though I heard those words and caught the meaning of the text, I couldn’t remember not only details but the general meaning of the text.

However, playing mafia helps me a lot (or a little bit) in remembering details.

No, I didn't remember. I just learnt them by heart years ago, and now just revised them so that I could be seen as if I knew something that others didn't. It is kind of a trick, or it wasn't my level - I should have got into a higher-level group, but I enjoyed our group - it wasn't too intensive and I could make homework during my way to the school. Should the level be higher I would have had to study harder :), but I would probably have had not enough time for that and I wouldn't have been the best then :)

tourist, I'm not tricky and I said it sincerely.
Nobody's perfect, and no one can remember everything.
So I guess you underprice yourself, though you're probably right about you should be in higher level group.

What I meant is the program wasn't tight enough for me, but I was glad because I wouldn't probably manage it if it had been more intensive. Of course more intensive you work, more you could manage to do over the same time. For me it was good, but not intensive if I wanted to greatly improve my level or to pass any international tests etc.
Are you going to pass any international tests?

No, I'm not interested in any international test by now, as there's no real need for me.
As I said already, I went to LCC just to "refresh" my English a little. A didn't set any great goals to myself. Just because I don't have any real motivation (like specific job or living in USA) now to make my English really fluent.
And I don't really consider English a "beautiful" language (it sounds like mumbling for me)) or somethin really interesting to be studied "just for the sake of art" :) It's rather a matter of modern reality needs for me.

What language do you consider "beautiful"? Let's study that beautiful language then, but what we wouldn't know to explain in that language we'll explain in English, OK?

Well let's try to start the tourism topic :)
My most impressing "jorney" was in summer 2002, when me and my friend desided to climb Avunda mountain (1480 m) near Gurzuf in Crimea.
We planned it as a day walk, took no water, no food, no equipment (and no experience)) - just a small photo camera (crazy morons)). As a result, we reached the summit, but got lost in the mountain forest and had to spend the night under a pine tree on a steep slope. And we returned only the next day.
You can read the whole story in Russion, if you want: http://otpusk-photo.narod.ru/summ2002 (unfortunately they deleted the pics for some reason) - it starts from the middle of the article.
But it's quite a long tale (and may be boring for you )), so you probably could better start asking the questions right here, so I will tell more details of the story in English :)

SP
Thank you for the topic.
I have a prepared essay. It needs improving. Will you help me improve it? I don't like some of the phrases in it, but I don't know how I could improve them. At the same time, it is a story of the beginning of my hiking career.

There are several things in my life I like to talk about. Let’s begin with my favourite topic which is trips I like going on.
So… It’s the nature of people to be curious and in want to find out something new. Since its birth, a child makes its acquaintance with the surrounding world. It’s usually a little bit scary, but, as the child doesn’t know anything, it is necessary for it to be curious and to take risks at any moment to gain some additional knowledge. Adults have some desires to learn, but some of them are too frightened to change their lives, while the others are adventurous enough to try something new. Once I was adventurous enough to bring some new feelings into my life. I went on a hiking trip. It happened after my vacation at the seaside.
I had gone to a beach at the Black Sea to have a rest after my first working year. I was with my friends who knew how to have a good time, but I didn’t. I could spend my time at the beach all day long, but after sunset I didn’t know how to entertain myself and, as a result, I was bored. I returned home after my vacation at the seaside and in the meantime my other friends suggested that I should go on a trip to Moldova. Having had an experience at the seaside, I agreed.
My friends told me how it could be dangerous and it would require a lot of effort from me to endure things that are unusual for the city life. They told me what a hard work it would be to carry a backpack all day long; it wouldn’t be easy to cook on an open fire and so on. Considering that, I prepared for the worst. But, nevertheless, knowing that “A rolling stone gathers no moss”, I was determined to go there.
When I was walking throughout Moldova I was wondering why it wasn’t as difficult as I was told. I carried not only my backpack but I often helped carry backpacks of those who lagged behind. After our sitting around a campfire I went to bed and couldn’t fall asleep. However, I got up at about 5 in the morning, as they had told me to be ready to get up early in the morning, and I prepared breakfast, this consequently bothered everybody in the group.
The trip seemed to me a dangerous enterprise and I was really surprised to learn that there wasn't a night guard in the camp. Generally, it was so wonderful and so many different feelings arose inside me that I decided to spend my free time hiking. It was a little bit scary, it was unusual, it inspired me to be active in work and in rest and it gave me an enjoyment of communications with different people and, particularly, with the friends of mine.
Later I became friends with people who were fond of white water rafting. We went usually to great mountains to make our trips there. I remember the trip to the river in the mountains of Tian-Shan. I like the nature in such picturesque places. The river created the great canyons. The river have done its job over many thousand years and its work is magnificent. The river goes along its bed through many obstacles. The obstacles are sometimes very dangerous and the water turns white at such places. There are deep pits and big rocks over which the water flows and falls and groans. There are some obstacles that frighten you when you see them. Sometimes, when you are a member of an experienced team, the fear evaporates and you can pass the obstacles, doing only what your captain demands of you and everything finishes well. But if you are frightened and you are uncertain it would be better not to go to such dangerous places.
Sometime I wonder why I go there.
Undoubtedly it is because I like having this kind of trials. Going on trips, I grow and overcome something within myself. I was in mountains, deserts and forests. It was always a little bit scary, but every time there is something interesting. You could acquire some knowledge on the condition of your body and mind. You could make fellowship with the wonderful people. You could become closer to nature. As for me, the main thing I get from the trips is to fight my fears and laziness. Everyone should realize their dream, at least they should make an attempt to do this. Each person faces some challenges in the life. Don’t run away from them. Each decision requires application of some efforts. Your mind and a parachute are both useless if they remain close. This means: open your mind and face difficulties and overcome them. Do whatever you need to and you will have some great feelings and a good self-esteem.

I've read about half of the book Montezuma's daughter. I don't know how well the writer knew the matter, but if he knew it well, it turns out that Maya and Inks lost their states because they believed that there would be a day that white people would come and overtake their lands. It means that any belief is dangerous and harmful, expecially if this belief is negative one. What do you think?

Hi! I haven't advanced in reading Montesuma's Daughter because of absence of additional messages in this thread. Shall we continue reading of the book or shall we discuss something else?

By the way, I finished Level 4 this semester, but as a teacher. I am not sure how much I have learnt but I learnt something and this is without doubts.

Do you have any ideas of continuing to increase our level in English? Shall we enter other courses or shall we continue self-education?

Is there any idea?