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Profile
Hi I'm James. I'm a guitar teacher and English teacher from Bristol in the UK. I also write a guitar and music theory blog called Know the Fretboard. Conversation Exchanges I'm learning Spanish and Korean at the moment, and will be very happy to exchange English for either. I am an English teacher so can help you with any questions or doubts that you have. I am available for conversation: Mon-Fri: Between 11:00am and 12:00 or Between 1:00pm and 3:00 (UK time) We could do 20 minutes Spanish and 20 minutes English. I'm a person that loves learning things, and then helping other people to understand them if I can! Please read some more of my interests below to see if you think we would get on. Send me a message if you're interested in an exchange. MUSIC I am particularly interested in music theory and understanding music. I write about what I'm doing on my blog knowthefretboard.com LANGUAGES I am learning Spanish now but I've also had a go at some Korean and intend to learn other languages in the future. I'm really interested in the best methods to learn things and I feel like I'm starting to make some good progress with my Spanish recently. SCIENCE I like reading any popular science books about evolution, linguistics, physics etc. SPORT I watch a lot of football and support Liverpool. I also like watching tennis. TRAVEL I love travelling and learning about other cultures. I want to learn languages mostly for this reason. The internet makes it much easier to speak to people from other cultures without having to leave home! Hope to see you on Skype.
Learning
Spanish
Korean
Language Skills
EnglishNative
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Teacher reviews
Alberto
Spanish
Jan 21, 2015
¡Gracias a ti, James! Excelente conversación. Hablamos la próxima semana ;)
Auri
Spanish
Nov 18, 2014
¡Gracias a ti! Has hecho un gran trabajo. Hablas muy bien y seguro que practicando más hablarás muy rápidamente (tanto como los españoles ;-)
Bárbara
Spanish
Dec 19, 2013
Una charla muy agradable y muy fluida. Gracias!!
Reyes
Spanish
Dec 18, 2013
Gracias a ti James. Ya sabes si tienes alguna duda sobre lo que sea, puedes contar conmigo. ¡Un saludo!
Activities
  • Posted
    Clause after 아/어 야 I came across this sentence in a listening exercise: 근데 이 옷은 좀 용기가 있어야 입을 수 있을 것 같아요 This translation given was: Still, it would take some courage for me to actually wear this. I can kind of see how it means that, but I haven't seen anything apart from 하다, 되다 or 겠다 following 아/어 야 before. I wonder if you could give me any more examples of how 야 works with a whole clause after it.
    December 12, 2016
    2
    0
  • Answered
    Clearly I meant 보 instead of 부!
    0 voted
    February 14, 2016
    0
  • Posted
    Meaning of 연습해 부시고요. At the end of some talktomeinkorean lessons I hear them say: A: 연습해 부세요. B: 내, 연습해 부시고요. I know that both mean 'try to practice', I'm just wondering how the ending -고요 affects the meaning. I know 고 usually adds the meaning 'and' but as it's the same sentence again, I can't work out what meaning it adds. Thanks if you can help!
    February 14, 2016
    4
    0
  • Posted
    What does mean 아닌 mean in this sentence? From a TalkToMeInKorean iyagi episode: 선현우 : 네. 서점에서는 책을 파는데 사실 책이 아닌 (네) 다른 물건들도 많이 팔잖아요? I think it is supposed to mean: 책이 아닌 물건들 = Things that aren't books and then he just changed it to 다른 instead of 아닌 책이 다른 물건들 = Different things than books Is that right?
    February 1, 2016
    2
    1
  • Corrected

    (1) seat is a noun eg. I sit on the seat

    (2) It's clear who you're talking about :)

    (3) If you start with As... you need a second clause to the sentence. Eg. As Vietnam is a popular tourist destination this practice can't continue. Also fine without as.


     

    "Dog meat in Vietnam" Please help me to make it easier for listeners to understand

     

    Good.... everyone. Today I’m going to tell you about one of the burning problems in Vietnam recently, eating dogs. ✓


    Dog meat is consumed more commonly in the northern part of Vietnam than in the south, and can be found in special restaurants serve this type of meat. Dog meat is believed to bring good fortune in Vietnam. It is seen as being comparable in consumption to chicken or pork.Groups of customers, usually male, (1) sit on the mats and spend their evenings sharing plates of dog meat and drinking alcohol. (2) They (I mean eaters) think dog meat is healthy/good for you/good for your health.

    However, there is no scientific evidence to support this idea. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of human health risks, which are linked to the dog meat industry. For example, research shows that consumption of dogs can cause cholera and rabies. I’m appalled and outraged at the current practice of slaughtering dogs in our country and the human consumption of these loving, innocent creatures. ✓

    These dogs are beaten and then slaughtered. It is unimaginable. ✓ (3) As Vietnam is a popular tourist destination and has developed rapidly over the years. Why would Vietnam want to tarnish their public image and loose tourists due to this cruel practice? Let’s take action to stop this cruelty. Thank you for your attention. ✓

    0 voted
    April 21, 2015
    2
  • Corrected

    Which book have you been reading recently?

    (or) Which book are you reading currently?

     

    I'm reading "The Red Prescription" written by Bi ShuMin. (1) It's about a pair of friends, they both working in the addiction treatment center. One of them is named Jane, who is the director of this special hospital. Another (2) character is her friend who's writing a book about drug addicts. So she begs Jane to help her to pretend to a patient that she knows more about the topic. After a series of negotiations she comes to the hospital, then the story takes many twists and turns. Jane (3) leaves a posthumous paper and then commits suicide because she has a serious addiction. (4) (the muder is turn out to be one of her patients, and it cause a painting this pantient present to her as a gift.) 
    That's a really (5) great book.


    And you? Which book are you reading?

     

    (1) A book about drug addiction, or a film/play/article about something....

    (2) Heroine is not a very common word, normally we just say character for male or female

    (3) You changed from present to past tense here, which makes it confusing. Stick with present or past.

    (4) I don't quite understand the end!

    (5) You use attractive to talk about people/art/buildings/views. An attractive book would mean that it is nice to look at!

     

    Nice writing! I'm reading Game Of Thrones. It's great!

    0 voted
    April 20, 2015
    2
  • Corrected

    Hi there! Very sophisticated writing on an emotional topic! Well done.

     

    (1) essential is an adjective so needs a noun like thing or element to describe

    (2) You two is used to <em>address</em> two people as in "You two! Come over here!"

    (3) I didn't totally understand this sentence, but think it can be summed up by the romance/passion has gone

    (4) Sorry don't understand this! Perhaps you mean something like, it is already too late to save the relationship?

    (5) Do you mean this physically? 


     

    Interpretation from the Fifty Exercises for Lover/陳雪

    The importance of getting along is to see each other, to be exposed to each other and to see oneself through the reflection of the other’s image. It is necessary to be detailed and slow in the process, in which the premise is being patient, the secret is tolerance and the (1) essential thing/element is letting your lover be free.


    You are still getting along with each other not because you are used to it or because of the trouble of moving out and a large house shared by two. If you find out that it is a test for advanced love through the everyday life, in which there are differences between (2) the two of you, and (3) the romance has gone, (4) (you have already gone into the real period of exposing oneself to the other from that of cosplay in games of love).

     

    If you are lucky enough, the experience during this time will provide you with deep affection that cannot be accumulated from (5) (attaching tenderly) to each other. It is possible that very soon you become aware of that “We are not suitable.” For example, one partner still wants to live a life with romantic dates and the other thinks love disappeared ever since he/she came to know the other’s life so well. 

    Let the love go, which is not a pity but an awakening from illusion.

    但相處的重要,就在於那互相看見,互相揭露,並從這照見對方的同時看見自己的過程,細緻而緩慢是必要的,耐性是前提,包容是秘訣,讓對方自由是要素.
    但你們還是相處著,不是因為已經成為習慣,不是為了搬家麻煩,也不是為了兩個人可以租比較大的房子,如果你們能從這些看似充滿差異,磨合困難,浪漫不再的日常生活裡,發現這些原來都是愛情的進階考驗,已經從「戀愛期的角色扮演」真正進入向對方展現自我的階段,這個時期幸運的話會很長,會讓你們累積出只有纏綿悱惻時無法累積的深厚情感,當然也可能很短就讓你們醒悟「我們不適合」,有人還是想要過著浪漫的約會生活,有人以為發現了對方生活裡的真實面貌突然愛就消失了.
    那種虛幻的愛,放他走,不可惜.

    0 voted
    April 20, 2015
    4
  • Answered
    From here: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=2095473 Meaning 1: I say: I think it's going to rain tonight. You say: How can it rain? There isn't a cloud in the sky. I say: You've got me there. [=Your argument is better than mine.] Meaning 2: I say: Mr Jones isn't at his desk You ask: Where is he? I say: You've got me there. [=I don't know the answer to that.]
    0 voted
    September 30, 2014
    0
  • Corrected

    This is a great movie that I really enjoyed. There could be two meanings of 'sick society'. It could mean ill/unwell which sounds sympathetic or it could mean distasteful/unpleasant which sounds more angry. From the context I'm not sure which meaning you mean!

     

    Into the Wild

    1. Information about the movie: Cast, Director, Year, Country, Social Context.

    It is a true story about Christopher McCandless' two-year travels to the Alaskan wilderness in 1990.

    I choose the movie Into the Wild, 2007, EUA. Written and Directed by Sean Penn

    The cast is formed by
    Emile Hirsch as Christopher McCandless / Alexander Supertramp - Leadman
    Marcia Gay Harden as Billie McCandless - The Mother
    William Hurt as Walt McCandless - The Father
    Jena Malone as Carine McCandless - The Sister
    These are the main characters

    The social context is about this materialist society, that forces you to study, to have a good job, to have a good car, to have a good house and to have family and children.

    2. Brief narration of the story.
    The movie “Into the Wild’ tells the story of a guy who was tired of this sick society, and wanted to run away from his materialist family who were hypocritical and full of lies. So he decided to leaves his parent's home for his journey to the Alaskan wilderness.

    3. Reporting the most significant scene.
    For me the more important scene, the part that summarizes the thoughts of Christopher, is when he writes on a board the following words:
    “Two years he walks the Earth, no phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An esthetic voyager whose home is the road ”

    4. Argumentation on why it’s your favorite movie.
    I think that we don’t need to be extremists like Christopher was, or go to remote places, you know, but we must think about this sick society: money, material excess, consumerism and superfluous things.


    In conclusion, I think that Christopher was totally wrong about happiness. He thought that happiness was to be alone. At the end of the movie he wrote in a book before he died that
    “happiness is only real when shared”.

    0 voted
    September 30, 2014
    0
  • Corrected

    This is an interesting story, with a very tragic ending! Where is the site of Malin Kundang now? The main things you need to work on are the passives, for example:

    - he was turned into stone

    - the goods were stolen

    and remembering to include the auxiliary verb be or have for continuous or perfect tenses, for example:

    - the mother and son were really hoping

    - his mother was always waiting

    - after Malin Kundang had grown up

     

    The legend of Malin Kundang, the man who was turned into stone by his mother.

    Once upon a time there lived a family in the coast of Sumatera, Indonesia. They had a son named Malin Kundang. The family were so poor that the father decided to traveling overseas (to find work).

    The mother and son were really hoping that the father would bring a lot of money to buy their daily needs when he came home. Unfortunately, after many months it turned out that the father was never coming back home.

    After Malin Kundang had grown up, he was thinking of travelling overseas for a better life. So Malin went to sail along with his compatriot merchant ship captain.

    He learnt many things with the experienced crew when he was sailing and after spending many years learning he became an expert in sailing.

    He had been visited many countries but one day his ship was hijacked and all the goods were stolen by pirates and some of the crew were killed. Malin survived because he was hiding when it happened.

    Malin's ship was adrift in the sea before finally the ship was stranded on a beach. With the rest of his energy he walked toward a nearby village. The village where Malin was stranded was so fertile. With tenacity and perseverance in work Malin finally became rich and bought many merchant ships with crews more than a hundred people. Then he got married to a local girl.

    After being married for several years, he and his wife went to sailing with their big ships with large crews. Malin didn't know that his mother was always waiting for him to return home. When she saw a beautiful ship entering into the harbor and she saw a man that looked like Malin, she tried to approach the ship. When she was got closer, she became convinced that he was Malin Kundang, her son.

    After the mother was convinced the man was Malin, she tried to hug him and said "Malin, where were you? I have been waiting for you for a long time. It's me son, your mother!! " but Malin rejected and pushed her and said "How dare you! You see that you are poor and dirty, don't you? How can a rich man like me have a mother like you! ", His wife asked to Malin "Is she your mother ?" Malin said "No, she is not" Malin was pretending. Malin's mother was angry when she heard Malin say that and prayed "God, if he is really my son, then turn him into a stone " Not long after the wind and the storm , tempest came to destroy Malin's ship and Malin's body slowly turned to stone.

    Pictures of malin kundang site :
    http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/52594929.jpg
    http://stat.ks.kidsklik.com/statics/files/2012/03/13307995521902470498.jpg

    0 voted
    September 30, 2014
    4