I love the English obsession and pessimism about the weather.
It's what makes us such thrilling company.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Fri 22 May 2009, 18:33, archived)

teaching phrases like "pissing it down" "cats and dogs" and "turned out nice again"
keeps me in potatoes and poppyseed cake
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Fri 22 May 2009, 18:47, archived)

Is one of the first conversation topics they learn 'how was your weekend?'
'yeah not bad, yours?'
'alright I guess'
( glued eel /questions/questionsyoudliketoask/post1648081, Fri 22 May 2009, 18:50, archived)

That's pretty much it
we use Language Conditioning, which means the first thing they hear when they sit down at my desk is "what have you been up to?"

Once they've learned to say "oh, you know, not much, bit o' this, bit o' that, you know how it is" instead of "naaahfink", they get a Pass Certificate and a job at the British Council.
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Fri 22 May 2009, 18:52, archived)