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Q: Sister's friend doubts that I know English well just because I do not have TEM8 certificate.
When I said I do not have TEM8 certificate,she asked me if I have knowledge of English. I was laughing lot. How dara she said it?
She even could not make conversation in English then questioned if I have ability to use English when she knew I have been doing the English related job for couple of years and I had been dating Americans.
This is the Chinese mentality for you. She thinks that you need a piece of paper/certificate to prove you can do something.
Anyway....why should you care what she thinks?
Hotwater:
She's the ignorant one so don't worry. Next time start talking to her in English & see how she responds.
Strawberry66:
I did it. She said she could not understand but they funny thing is she is still doubting my English ability. what an ignorant peasant?
This is the Chinese mentality for you. She thinks that you need a piece of paper/certificate to prove you can do something.
Anyway....why should you care what she thinks?
Hotwater:
She's the ignorant one so don't worry. Next time start talking to her in English & see how she responds.
Strawberry66:
I did it. She said she could not understand but they funny thing is she is still doubting my English ability. what an ignorant peasant?
My sister's friend doubts that I know English well just because I do not have CET-8.
{still a bit of an awkward sentence}
Strawberry, typically we do not put two negatives together that way in a sentence. (exp. 'doubt' followed by 'do not') We have a term for that- double negative. The problem with double negatives is that they contradict each other and basically cancel each other out.
Perhaps another reader can explain the Double Negative better than I.
Be happy though, your written English is improving all the time.
Strawberry66:
Thanks,I did make grammar mistakes. I edited the post.
laowaigentleman:
@strawberry.
When learning verbs, you should go over a chart to remember that third person singular needs to be conjugated.
I teach the kids at school this way:
I eat
you eat
he eats
she eats
and then jump to yesterday ate.
Your sister's friend is third person singular because she's a she.
Just be grateful you don't have to learn French, German or Spanish.
Strawberry66:
@laowaigentleman,I have no problem of using those verbs correctly. I made typing mistakes only when I was trying to type fast. I knew I had made typing mistakes sometimes,but just felt lazy to edit them again as I knew you guys could still understand them well.
Shining_brow:
That's not a double-negative. And the sentence (you wrote) was fine. TEM)
She is explaining the 'doubt' (which is not really a 'negative') with the 'because' then followed by the real 'not'. The use of the 'because' breaks the sentence, and thus no double-negatives involved.
"I don't have not good English" would be a double-negative.
(Vicky's still has other problems - she didn't write 'My'. An article ('a' or 'the') would also be advised before
diverdude1:
I was referring to her first effort, not to the corrected version in place now.
I agree that the word doubt is not a negative, but I still believe that in the overall sentence construction and context, it came across as a double-negative whether it was in a strict grammatical sense or not.
I also think it would have been better placing the definite article 'the' before CET-8. However, I am not convinced that in the strictest grammatical analysis it was absolutely required.
@strawberry.... yes, it should be TEM-8.
Shining_brow:
@Diver -oh, ok... I didn't see the original post.... :)
diverdude1:
yeah, u think admin would tag it as revised. I've seen this happen several times on here, people discussing a post, but they had each seen different versions of it. 
cet tests do not have a speaking part unless the test has changed, so cet students still cant make a conversation with a native speaker, but i suppose a paper that says you know something is all that matters in china.
there is however a CET-SET "set meaning spoken english test", not sure how credible it is but the cet 4,6,8, whatever do not have a spoken portion.
Strawberry66:
I have always been judged by the people who even can not speak English. It's just so hilarious.
ambivalentmace:
can not even speak english, your writing is getting better.
Strawberry66:
The thing is I have never been judged by the native English speakers. The only people who doubts my English are Chinese who can not speak English.Is it ironic?
Strawberry66:
I used to get refused by Chinese company simply because I have no TEM8 certificate. But I got English and American wanted to hire me.
There is no CET 8,it's TEM 8...(test of English majoring)
Shining_brow:
Was the OP edited?? It now has TEM8.
There is, however, CET 4 and 6, and TEM 6 & 8.
English majors do TEM (Test for English Majors*), non-English majors do CET.
Not sure which one OP actually means...
(*Although, Test for English Majoring would make more sense, given just how bad the education system is here)
Strawberry66:
After all,I do not think any kind of paper can decide a person's English level.
Sorry, I can't understand your question because you don't have the correct certification. hehe. Why do you care what this woman thinks. I don't know why you waste time with your family anyway. They seem like jerks.
Strawberry66:
My sister's friend was very rude when she questioned about my English ability at my home.My family are very strange. if I gave some money to my parents, they would not take it. My mum would often tell me to not gift her. But if I do not gift her,she will call me bad daughter when she is not in a good mood. I guess it is just a bit insane,I hate playing the childish game. Another thing I hate is they keep asking me to go buy my sister's child snacks. The funny thing is what I got for the child and my family to eat are much more expensive and usually have better quality than my sisters bought even though I did not buy lots as my sisters do.
I stay with them simply because they are my only family and I know they love me. But I just hate all those drama and craps.
Honestly Vicky, why would you even care what some bumpkin says?
I come across people with various certifications all the time through work. In general, few can communicate well orally and their writing is at best questionable.
While we are being honest here, and I can only judge you from your writing having never spoken with you, although you are not perfect (and who is?), you do manage to get your point across reasonably well.
My advice is to stop looking around for a f@ck to give. There is no cure for stupidity and people who critisize you are simply ignorant peasants.
Strawberry66:
I agree with you. But still it does bother me a bit even I know they are ignorant peasants.
I don't even have CET4.... :(
My English must REALLY suck!
OTOH, I was QQing with an English language/teaching post-grad, and her basic grammar SUCKED arse! Coherence was shot to hell, and I despaired of the Chinese education system which would allow her to become an English teacher... and this was in writing - not speaking!
laowaigentleman:
Maybe you've heard me tell this story, but I edited a thesis for a master's degree in linguistics in the university down in Hunan. Rather prestigious, so I am told. Anyhow, the Chinglish was almost indecipherable.
The writer of the thesis was the head teacher of the English department in one of the top schools in a town just outside of Changsha.
When she was examined by the panel members, she was asked one question: "what's the difference between and empirical method of research and an experimental one?"
Might as well have just put the degrees into cereal boxes.
Most 16 year old native speakers would fail the written component of the CET8.
Strawberry66:
Hahaha... I met lots of English teachers who suck at English too. I could easily make fun of those people. The guy in my company has CET6,I was just laughing inside of heart when he spoke English with clients everytime.
The hilarous part is he told people that his teachers backed to university are native English speakers. Is he trying to tell that he is too stupid to learn proper English from native speakers?Shining_brow:
"Is he trying to tell that he is too stupid to learn proper English from native speakers?"
You mean, like most of my students? Or the big reputation schools, that refuse to hire native English speakers for the speaking tests they're getting the kids to spend a fortune on? Like XDF, Global, Shinyway, etc??
Most Chinese don't want to know English - they want a piece of paper telling them they do. (I'm surprised there's not a lot more money involved in buying fake CET's and TEM's... or even IELTS/TOEFL papers).
Believe it or not I have sympathy for you with this one
Chinese do not like to see people have something that is beyond their own reach.
we call it Tall Poppy syndrome
maybe invite some native english speakers and her out one night
and see who goes home without face.
Revenge is sweet
good luck
Strawberry66:
Hahaha...she can not speak English. But she will still think people who has TEM8 certificate have better English than me even if I humiliated her by taking her out with native English speakers.
the lunacy of this society.my brother-in-law(35 then) was single and lonely in 2012. Marketing Manager for Toyota in Guangzhou .. a good job, an educated man. His 3 sisters had done well in their marriages, me being the last, so now he was desparate. "Even my divorced sister has a man."
so he bought a house, I can guarantee you with extreme help from his sister in Hong Kong.
2 months later he was getting married.....cute young girl (24-25), that I now think is useless as a "wife" ...she works, her money still goes to her family......teaches English... 6 ... anybody know what that means? she cannot and will not talk to me...I know English a little........ even my brother-in-law knows more than her (6 years of english?)
brother just wanted an heir and it has now been well over 2 years and the young lady hasn't produced the required son ..... now 37/38 ... tied to a bank and a non-child bearing "child" .小子小子... Xiǎozi xiǎozi .. glad I ain't him. extreme sa jiao
he is a good hard working guy..smart guy, panicked and fucked up....
internet wife
BHGAL:
the silly guy should have asked.... I can get him a doctor or a lawyer or a dentist in a matter of minutes
Strawberry66:
Haha...it's hilarous. She obviously feel humiliated to speak with you in English. I speak better English than all of my colleagues.
philbravery:
@ vicky
Tell me at your company do they get many complaints from customers because the staff cant get the order correct ?
just curious
A few weeks ago I was indirectly told that my accent was 'wrong'. I'm a native speaker from one of the five countries you need to be from to get a z visa and RP.
A mother pushed her daughter, who had supposedly studied English for about five years with the very very famous, Number 1 OK Oxford Harvard prestigious English School (I don't remember the real name but it was obviously a crap local training center with a stupid name) , to come and talk to me.
She didn't even understand when I asked her a few basic questions in English, but was able to parrot off the standard rote learned English phrases when I asked in Chinese.
"My English name is _____.
I'm fine thank you and you?
Her mother eagerly asked her if she understood me when she obviously didn't and that's when the girl told her mother that my accent was wrong and wasn't what they studied with her Chinese teachers. Oh, obviously my English was lacking and hers was perfect because, well... because!!
I bet she has a lot of certificates to show how great her English is too, and no matter how many times the daughter tries some basic English conversation and fails badly her and her mother will probably still think she's almost fluent because she has the meaningless certificates they bought at great expense, and anyone who doesn't understand just can't speak 'proper' Chinese English.
Some people will just never accept that buying, or cheating on your test to get a piece of paper doesn't actually give you the ability you supposedly now have.
diverdude1:
yeah, I've had people play the 'pronunciation card' on me too. Well, it's a cheap and easy way out. I am pretty sure my pronunciation is pretty darn standard American, with a bit of South Texas thrown in. 
