Students in primary school and high school suffer from speaking English as a second language. Those living in Papua New Guinea will probably have Tok Pisin as their first language.
The use of prepositions is simplified in Tok Pisin as there are very few and the key preposition is “long”. It has many purposes.
Em i go long taun.
He went to town.
Em i kam bek long taun.
He came back from town.
Meri i go antap long maunden
The woman went to the top of the mountain.
Em i stap klostu long haus.
He is near to the house.
Then the problem comes when the students learn English and find there are myriads of prepositions. How do students learn the many different usages?
The only way is to use patterns until the appropriate preposition becomes second nature.
It may be that students in primary and high school should have access to the same list of 500 or more usages of prepositions. Year by year they learn the couplets as they would learn poetry.
First language English speakers know the prepositions that are all in their souls – interested in, aware of, disgusted by, accompanied by, punished for, decorated with and many more. How could we possibly get these wrong?
Let us say interested of, aware in, disgusted for, attacked to, tolerated with and suffer into. Do you feel a little pain in the brain?
There are two major connectors in the English language and PNG students have to practise these in class and read in books. They need to know these as if in poetry.
But the modern teachers do not believe in chanting. This is old fashioned and low level teaching. Fools!! The rhythm and modulation memory of language is best developed by sing song repetition.
Get a language laboratory. It only costs K100,000. Sadly many teachers can have a group awareness of a flock of sheep.
The best language laboratory is a class of children chanting multiplication tables - two threes are six, three twos are six, two into six goes three, three into six goes two, two fours are eight, four twos are eight, two into eight goes four.....and so on daily.
The rhythm and modulation of language is best developed by reciting of poetry as a class. Horrors. That is child abuse. No it is not you foolish teacher. It is developing the memory in modulation and rhythm.
Tok Pisin classes at the RAAF School of Languages rang at times to chanting of Tok Pisin patterns, much to the contempt of other language classes.
But how do we teach the rhythm of language with its weak-strong-weak-strong stresses? - yumi go, yumi go, yumi go long taun, yumi go long taun, yumi go insait long haus, yumi go insait long haus and so on for hundreds of patterns.
The English prepositions below are all weak stress.
It only takes two days for the rhythm to be implanted on the consciousness of Tok Pisin students. Ah yes, but modern adult education does not allow chanting by adults. Sez who?
But the modern teachers do not believe in chanting. This is old fashioned and low level teaching. Fools!! The rhythm and modulation memory of language is best developed by sing song repetition.
Get a language laboratory. It only costs K100,000. Sadly many teachers can have a group awareness of a flock of sheep.
The best language laboratory is a class of children chanting multiplication tables - two threes are six, three twos are six, two into six goes three, three into six goes two, two fours are eight, four twos are eight, two into eight goes four.....and so on daily.
The rhythm and modulation of language is best developed by reciting of poetry as a class. Horrors. That is child abuse. No it is not you foolish teacher. It is developing the memory in modulation and rhythm.
Tok Pisin classes at the RAAF School of Languages rang at times to chanting of Tok Pisin patterns, much to the contempt of other language classes.
But how do we teach the rhythm of language with its weak-strong-weak-strong stresses? - yumi go, yumi go, yumi go long taun, yumi go long taun, yumi go insait long haus, yumi go insait long haus and so on for hundreds of patterns.
The English prepositions below are all weak stress.
It only takes two days for the rhythm to be implanted on the consciousness of Tok Pisin students. Ah yes, but modern adult education does not allow chanting by adults. Sez who?
There are the connectors of sentences.
The cane toad is a pest.
It infests the continent of Australia,
It arrived over a century ago.
It was part of the effort of farmers.
They wanted to stop insects.
These insects destroyed cane fields.
They reduced the yield of cane.
They caused economic hardship for families.
The cane toad is a pest that infests the continent of Australia, arriving over a century ago as part of the effort of farmers to stop insects that destroyed cane fields and reduced the yield of cane, causing economic hardship for families.
Then there are connectors of phrases.
Are you interested…in…the work?
Are you prepared ……to…..work hard?
She suffered…from…diabetes.
The meal was prepared…by…the students.
The play was performed…by….the students.
They donated money….on…behalf….of…the parents.
*************
PREPOSITIONS
Are you interested…in…the work?
Are you prepared ……to…..work hard?
She suffered…from…diabetes.
The meal was prepared…by…the students.
The play was performed…by….the students.
They donated money….on…behalf….of…the parents.
The weapon was taken…from……him….by….the police.
Violence should not be tolerated…by….the community.
They were challenged ……by…..the effort needed.
She was fascinated ……by……the new method.
He was born…of…..Chinese parents.
They were inspired…by…..his sacrifice.
They wrote…of….his sacrifice.
He was to be hanged…by…the neck until dead.
They were executed…..by…firing squad.
The picture hung….on…the wall.
The bag hung…..from….the ceiling.
They argued…..against…..the decision.
They gave support….to…..the plan.
Support…for…the work was given….by….the group.
There was improvement….in…the work.
He said he was defamed ….by…..the report.
Are you aware …..of…..what has happened?
She was horrified ……by…..the violence.
She was determined……to…return to the village.
He was told not……to….stay in town after dark.
We were not prepared……for……..what had happened.
He was not recognized ……by…….the security guard.
They tried…to...stop him……from…entering the building.
He was advised……to……leave immediately.
She was determined……to………..pass the exam.
He was arrested………by……..the police.
He was charged………with………….stealing money.
He was found guilty ……of…the crime.
He was sentenced ……to..…six months in gaol.
He was prevented …from…….leaving the country.
She was told to refrain…from… smoking.
I was quite pleased……with………..the result.
He was rewarded…with…a scholarship.
The award was…from….the Government.
He was rewarded… by…. the council.
She was pleased ……with………..what had happened.
I am afraid ……of…..what would happened.
He had great pity….for……the sick old man.
She was praised …by….the chairman ..for… her work.
The money was stolen…..from…the manager.
The group was opposed ……by…….the council.
They had an opposite opinion…..to….the teacher.
Do the work… in…. accordance…with….the rules.
The car was repaired …by…the mechanic.
They gave money…..to……the school.
The money was….for…..upkeep….of….the library.
He was disciplined…by…the court…for….his crime.
More to come
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