This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 1162.
Confused by your English teacher's response?
What to do?
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 50 million times.
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With your American hosts Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Boston and New York City, USA.
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What should you do when you ask a question and you get an unexpected answer from your English teacher?
How can you dig deeper to make sure that you got the right answer?
Find out today.
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Hey, Lindsay, how are you?
Hey, Michelle, doing great.
How's it going for you?
Yeah, I'm good.
I wasn't feeling well a little bit earlier in the week, but now I'm feeling a lot better.
Oh, so amazing when you're not feeling well and then you are feeling well.
It's just like, oh, it's awesome.
Yeah.
Do you usually use words like a lot and much to kind of like intensify the comparatives in your conversations?
Yeah.
You mean like you just did right there?
A lot better?
Definitely.
Because I like to overemphasize things, like extremely emphasize them.
You know what I mean?
Just add a lot of feeling to what I say.
So yeah, I do right right right, yeah.
So you might say like a little or much or something like that yeah for sure, for sure yeah no, i think it's a really good, uh way to intensify things and kind of like add a little bit more feeling behind it, right?
Oh, my gosh, this is so important for our listeners at their level.
I mean, this is kind of the missing piece in a lot of ways for a lot of students.
Yeah yeah, definitely.
So we're going to get into that in just a second.
But before that, Lindsay, we want to thank our reviewers, right?
And we want to ask for more.
Yeah, that's right.
Guys, we love it when you review the show because we want to know what you think.
We want to know what your questions are, how we can make it better.
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For example, thank you to Mr. 1002 from China.
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And in the iOS app, thank you to Nelfino and thank you to Gone2012.
Guys, come on over and review us.
Let us know what you think.
Michelle, these are really good reviews too.
They are awesome.
Oh, my gosh.
That's awesome.
Well, thank you guys so much.
Absolutely.
All right.
Very cool.
So let's get into it then, Michelle.
Is there a student question?
There is a student question.
Lindsay, would you read it for us?
All right, here we go.
So the student says, Hi, Lindsay and Michelle, how are you doing?
I'm Yoshihiro, a high school student in Japan.
I really enjoy your podcast.
Last year, I spent about nine months in the US as an exchange student.
So this podcast helps me stay connected with native English.
By the way, I have a question.
Is it okay to say lot better?
In the recent English classes where we reviewed some grammar points, our teacher listed much, by far, still, even, plus comparatives to emphasize comparative forms.
But I think I've heard lot plus comparatives. a couple of times during my stay in the U.S.
I asked her about this, but she told me we don't say it that way.
Am I wrong?
Okay.
Good question, Yoshihiro.
Good question.
Yeah, yeah.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, I mean, you are really on the right track here.
I mean, I think this sounds like a miscommunication between you and your teacher, actually.
Yeah.
So that's kind of interesting how these miscommunications can happen in the classroom and speaking with teachers.
So basically, I personally believe that what the confusion was, was that it's we say a lot.
A lot, right?
Or we could say lots, right?
Oh, yeah.
Like lots more, lots, right?
But typically we would say instead of lot better, a lot better, right, Lindsay?
Yeah, you would never leave it alone, right?
You would never just say lot better.
That's very weird.
So that may be what your teacher was disagreeing with.
Right, right.
So I would say a lot and then a comparative.
So exactly.
Your teacher, I think maybe what happened was your teacher was unsure of the question.
Right.
But I also think that it would have been better for your teacher to explain that it's also that it is correct, if you add a to lot rather than what, just saying we don't say it that way right yeah um, you must use the word.
I use a lot lindsey right, i mean, this is everybody says that.
For sure, for sure, for sure.
I say this a lot talking about like magnitudes of things, right extremes, that sort of thing.
Yeah, i do say it a lot.
Yes, I do say a lot, a lot.
A lot, a lot, a lot.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's a great way to, as the listener put it, to add emphasis.
And to review, the way to do this would be to use a word such as a lot and then add a comparative.
So what does this do?
It makes it sound more intense.
It can be in either direction, right?
Yeah or less, but you know a lot, a little.
Right, we can do another follow up episode on all the specific ways to do this, which I think would be good.
So but for example, with a lot, I could say, Oh, I'm a lot happier at this job than my previous one.
Yeah, I like it.
So you're saying a lot plus a comparative, so a lot happier.
This is good to have that connection when you talk about, I don't know what you used to do in your life and what you do now.
Right, Michelle?
Right.
Right, right, right.
So I mean, I could have just said I am happier at this job, right?
So that's fine, too.
But if you want to express something in a greater way, a lot is just, you know, a nice thing to add.
Oh, yeah, it adds personality.
I mean, we don't want to be boring.
That's the last thing we want to be.
No, Lindsay, what's another thing you could say?
Let's see.
So these suitcases are a lot bigger than the ones you brought last time.
I don't think I can carry them all.
All right.
So again, a lot is just adding something to it.
So and we said we can use other words as the teacher in our listeners class brought up, right?
So A little, a lot, but that's not what the main point of today is.
Guys, we want to talk to you about what to do when you're in a situation like our listener and you're asking a teacher question and the teacher is telling you something that you're almost sure is wrong and you don't understand why.
Yeah, this can be really tough, right?
Because, I mean, I don't know, sometimes when you're in a classroom there are issues of, you know, power contrast between you and the teacher.
And maybe you do want to challenge that teacher a little bit or ask them a question that would push them, but you don't do it because you're afraid of what, how it might look.
Right.
And I can say I mean as a teacher.
On the teacher's side there are a lot of times.
Sometimes what happens is you're trying to teach like one main point.
Yeah.
You're really trying to get that one point across.
And your vision kind of is just like you have like tunnel vision.
Yeah.
Right.
Yeah.
So you and you're somebody asked you a question.
You're like, well, that's not right.
So let's get back to what we were doing.
Right.
And so maybe in a way that's not, it's not like malicious or trying to just dismiss a student.
It might just be okay, well, we'll get to that in a second.
Or, you know, that's not what we're doing.
Yeah, point is right this second.
So let's get to that.
Yeah, maybe.
Yeah.
So sorry, go ahead.
No, I was just gonna say it makes sense.
Because your job as a teacher is someone trying to teach a skill is to isolate that that skill.
You can't teach everything in one classroom one day, you just right.
You can't answer every kind of question.
So you have to be able to isolate that skill.
So it makes sense that you would kind of move the student back to the topic.
Exactly, exactly.
So perhaps that it was a lot better and they didn't hear it.
Instead of a lot, maybe they just thought, okay, well, that's not right.
We don't say that.
So let's move on.
Right, right.
Whereas you agree, Lindsay, you would say a lot better.
There's nothing wrong with that.
We do say that.
Yeah, that's a lot better.
Oh, yeah, for sure.
I mean, where I live now, for example, is a lot better than where I lived last year, for example.
Yeah, absolutely.
Right, right.
So just to explain it from the teacher's end, maybe that's what's happening.
So you don't have to think of it in a way as that you're wrong or that the teacher is dismissing you, or something like that.
I think it's good to understand each other a little bit.
So I mean, what can you do if you're in this kind of a situation?
You want clarification in class or with a tutor, or even just with a friend, if they tell you something's wrong.
Yeah.
I mean, the first thing you could do is check. just to ask.
And you may do this after the class.
Maybe, if the teacher clearly wants to keep going with that teaching point, maybe you go up to them after the class or maybe you do it in that moment.
But you want to push a little bit more and just ask.
For example, just say, I'm not sure I understand why this is wrong.
I believe I've heard it said like this before.
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Right.
And using that kind of language, like, oh, I'm not sure, I believe, right?
That sounds not too direct, right?
That sounds pretty polite to me.
Right.
Just personally, that sounds fine to me if a student said that to me.
Like, oh, and then I might just take a second and say, what did you say again?
Can you repeat that?
Yeah, go back through it.
Take a second.
And then that would kind of alert those teacher like oh oh, I didn't realize that that's what you said.
Sorry about that.
Yeah.
So I just want to highlight what you what you said here, Michelle.
So just to kind of go back.
So you said you're saying that by kind of the way, the ways to soften this could be by saying I believe I heard I've heard it said like this, or I'm not sure I understand why.
Is that right?
Right.
Instead of saying, well, why is this wrong?
I've heard it said like this before.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, that makes sense.
It's different, right?
So instead, it's about the tone.
And it's about these like, you know, softeners, right?
So instead, as so you could say, Oh, I'm not sure I understand why this is wrong.
I believe I've heard it said like this before.
You know something like that.
That sounds a little bit more like you're not trying to embarrass the teacher.
Mm hmm.
Okay, I see what you mean.
Okay, I just want to slow down there.
I think we were going a little bit fast there.
Try to figure out what was going on for our listeners.
Okay, so that's one good way to do it.
So just ask and what would be a second thing then that we could do?
Well, you can give an example, right?
So you might just say, so would this be right?
There are a lot better stores in this mall or something like that.
And you would just say, just give another example.
And maybe that would trigger the teacher say, oh, no, that's not right.
But it would be a lot better.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So you're giving an example of how you're using it incorrectly or how you think it's right.
And then they could fill in the blank and then correct it for you.
Right.
It's about giving the teacher different pathways to make sure that they are understanding the question.
Because as I said, you know, sometimes as a teacher, there's a lot going on.
And as much as we try and do a million things at once and to understand everything, sometimes there can be one thing that we're like oh, we just let it, it goes, you know, kind of past us for some reason.
Whatever it may be, you're focusing, I don't know.
But then if you hear it in a different context, if the student said an example, then the teacher is like Oh no no, no.
It would be a lot better, right?
Yeah.
Teachers have a lot to think about.
I remember I haven't taught in the classroom in so long, but I remember just being in the classroom and you're thinking about the timing of the lesson.
You're thinking about getting through the whole thing.
You're You know, you're taking attendance, you're trying, you're making sure students are engaged, you're thinking about the two students in the corner that are talking and not listening.
It's so much that you know you really kind of have to stand up for yourself guys, if you are in that classroom and you know you think there's been a mistake or something.
Right, right, right.
Exactly.
Yeah, yeah.
And then what's the last thing that you would do, Lindsay?
Okay, so to explain that you just want to make sure, right?
So what do you mean by this, Michelle?
Well, here – I mean, it's kind of – it's a little similar to question number one, but it's getting more into it, right?
So, for example, what I would say is oh, this is something I have been confused about, and I think the word better – may be able to be used here.
So explaining kind of like, okay, this is something that you're unsure about.
You have been confused about this for a little while, right?
And then you can say something like, how can I make sure that I'm using the right word?
Okay.
Okay.
Yes.
Yes.
That works.
Kind of just more of an explanation here.
So this is kind of about holding your ground today's episode a little bit.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What does that mean, Michelle?
To just kind of – you're not backing down over something.
You're saying, okay, wait, I need the time here, right?
Yeah, exactly.
Right.
I mean, I think, you know, Lindsay, you brought up something about asking after class.
And I think that I put that a little bit in the takeaway because I think that that's so true.
That's so important.
If the teacher is really focused, you know maybe – write it down, just write it down in your notebook to ask.
And, and really do ask, go up to that teacher after class.
Yeah say oh, you know, I asked a question in class, but I'm, you know, still a little bit unclear.
Can you help me?
And then the teacher will have more time.
It might you have to kind of read the situation.
Do you want to?
As Lindsay said, Hold your ground.
Do you want to take that time?
And, and that's okay.
Either one is okay.
But you know, you may get a better response if you wait until after class.
And the other piece of this is so cultural, right?
Because we know that certain cultures respond to challenging someone in a position of leadership more than others.
Right.
And maybe thinking a little bit about okay, maybe it's better to ask the teacher after class instead of just focusing in on this here and challenging the teacher and embarrassing them.
So, you know, getting a sense of where you are and what the norms are, you know, that's huge.
Right.
Right, right, right.
And you know what these steps like that we said.
They can also be used in a private conversation with the teacher after class, right?
Asking, giving an example, you know, being sure, explaining more about your situation.
So I think that would be fine to use in either situation.
So you really have to read it.
I think the important thing to also remember is that sometimes there may not be one exact rule.
There are always exceptions to rules in English.
Yeah.
So sometimes, you know, sometimes what may happen is if you ask – this was a very clear-cut situation.
But if it's a situation where you think you're right and then they say you're wrong, and you say you know, and you ask why a lot, it's great to understand it.
But sometimes there's just exceptions.
Yeah.
And, you know –
Sometimes we don't always want to just stick so much to the rules, right?
We learn in chunks.
We learn through experience.
I think the best way to ask is with examples.
Did this happen to you, Michelle, while you were teaching a few times in New York?
Did you ever have students really push you in this way?
Oh, of course.
I wouldn't say push, but like, I would just say, like you know, really sometimes I think now it's different.
But when I was first starting out, sometimes it was hard to get a question that kind of throws you off.
And you're like, well, but that's just the way it is, right?
But then I've adapted myself.
I've been teaching for longer.
So I
I have a better understanding of the language.
I have a better understanding of teaching and you know, so I think that that that it's different now.
But um Yeah, sometimes people really want to know the exact answer.
And sometimes it's not.
It's kind of though a chunk or something like that is different.
Okay, interesting.
Well, this has been a good question.
So what should we what should we come away with today?
Michelle, what is the what is what are we trying to say here to our listeners?
Okay.
Well, if your teacher says something is wrong, but you're sure you've heard it some way before or just don't see how it could be wrong, you're unsure, right?
Don't get frustrated.
I think there may be a misunderstanding.
So try giving some examples, explaining that you're just making sure that you understand.
But the key is if you're nice about it.
And you don't seem like, oh, you're really questioning.
You're a little less direct.
Right.
Or even, you know, just you can then that if you're nice about it, everything will be fine.
Or like we talk tight over there.
Yeah, I'm getting tongue tied.
Or if you, you know, take the time after class, that might be a really good time to have a deeper conversation about it.
All right.
Awesome.
Awesome.
And yeah, it's and we definitely are advocates of, you know, traditional learning for sure.
If you guys have the chance to learn in a classroom, that's great.
But don't just limit your learning to that.
Right, Michelle?
I mean, that is only a small piece of what you can learn and how you can learn the language, right?
You should be again, listen to the show.
You know, go out, find a native speaker, immerse yourself.
Who knows?
Come to the U.S. and volunteer.
We did an episode a few weeks ago about Massimo, who volunteered at Haley House in Boston, and his grammar, Michelle.
You remember Massimo, right?
Of course.
So the episode just came out like yesterday.
Well, a few days ago.
Today we're recording at the end of April, but now it's the end of May.
So it came out and he has really, really skyrocketed his grammar.
It's incredible.
It's incredible.
So what we can do when we get outside of the classroom is unbelievable if we really think about creative ways to immerse ourselves guys.
Great.
Okay, perfect.
Well, this was fun, Lindsay, and thanks to our listener for that question.
Okay.
All right, Michelle, I'll talk to you soon.
All right, bye.
All right, bye.
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