Yesterday was a 'face-to-face' day for my MA. TSH drove me there as I no longer do motorways (I can drive but I can't cope with other drivers driving too close at speed). I wore my long blue and green tunic over black trousers with a casual black jacket. Accessorised with a geen scarf and a long string of beads. I thought it looked OK but I wish I'd had my hair cut.
Everyone - staff and students - seemed friendly and I chatted to more people than I normally do in a whole week. The students are mostly female and there are a few who look as if they are in my age group, so I am not the oldest.
We went through a lot of admin and were shown how to use the course computer systems - no problem with any of that, as I worked in IT for all of my working life.
Then we started the phonics and phonetics for the 'Spoken English' module. It was so difficult, as I am only vaguely familiar with the International Phonetic Alphabet and I think he was assuming much more detailed familiarity. We were supposed to know the difference between the 'p' in 'pit' and the 'p' in 'spit'. I really struggled and the only consolation is that I don't think I was the only one. I really wondered if I had made a dreadful mistake and it is all totally beyond me.
I need to understand the difference between phonics and phonetics.
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