tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post8907513234301747886..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On doing a jobDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-85017884938650979892014-10-29T03:00:09.547+00:002014-10-29T03:00:09.547+00:00On the other hand, Debrett's mentions that &qu...On the other hand, Debrett's mentions that "‘Where are you from?’, which is standard in America, or ‘What do you do?’ were traditionally seen as too direct in Britain, so it is best to be more circumspect."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341330140084823857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-14125782527223198252014-06-21T16:47:32.442+00:002014-06-21T16:47:32.442+00:00In answer to Alex Case...
In my teaching career, ...In answer to Alex Case...<br /><br />In my teaching career, I came round to the view that <i>What do you do?</i> was one of the very <b>first</b> thing to teach — to adults, that is.<br /><br />I would teach this <b>long</b> before <i>What are you doing?</i>. This is how we used to start fifty years ago. OK it's very easy to teach, supported by suitable actions. But it's not nearly as <b>socially useful</b>.<br /><br />It has been likened to an insurance policy. If you give up learning English when you've reached only <i>What are you doing?</i>, your study has a <b>low surrender value</b>. A course that equips you to identify yourself by name, nationality occupation etc even if you can say little else has a <b>high surrender value</b>.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-3873941198480898862014-06-15T17:44:20.956+00:002014-06-15T17:44:20.956+00:00If the context permits, I'd ideally prefer ...If the context permits, I'd ideally prefer 'Tell me about yourself' since it's open ended and doesn't sound as though I've made any assumptions. But if in a given context this sounds like the probings of a counsellor or psychotherapist, I'd always prefer 'What do you do?'Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05973149646855750074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-871052792918876902014-06-13T20:45:29.982+00:002014-06-13T20:45:29.982+00:00I always teach this to my students learning Englis...I always teach this to my students learning English, but they have rarely heard it before and misinterpret it as "What are you doing?" - so you can expect misunderstandings if you use it with even high level non-native speakers. Perhaps for that reason, some EFL language exams use the bizarre variation "Are you working or are you a student?"Alex Casehttp://tefltastic.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-31648584864001985672014-06-13T17:04:49.620+00:002014-06-13T17:04:49.620+00:00I like to ask people "What do you pursue?&quo...I like to ask people "What do you pursue?"<br /><br />In the 19C, <i>job</i> had the additional meaning of a position obtained by corrupt means. Gilbert and Sullivan fans will remember the Judge in <i>Trial By Jury</i> who sang that his "being made a nob / was managed by a job / and a good job too!" I also remember from some novel the line "You know there are no jobs in the civil service."John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-22824194629638828362014-06-12T07:26:04.145+00:002014-06-12T07:26:04.145+00:00At a reception at a prestigious think tank in Lond...At a reception at a prestigious think tank in London a few years ago I was asked by one of the guests 'What is your function?' I replied 'do you mean what do I do?" 'Same thing' said the man.Paul Wingrovenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-4242206088802868702014-06-11T13:09:52.362+00:002014-06-11T13:09:52.362+00:00It can also be more tactful not to refer to a job....It can also be more tactful not to refer to a job. The person you're asking may be a housewife — or indeed a house husband — a student, or someone who's disabled, unemployed, retired etc. He or she may be happy with that status, but there again they may not take kindly to a reminder that they don't have a job like 'normal people'.David Crosbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858358459416955921noreply@blogger.com