#35 Spot Afandi and his donkey: Afandi on a grey winter day in Zurich, Switzerland

❓ Can you spot Afandi and his donkey in this picture?

❗️If you can, follow the instructions in #1 (see pinned message) and win 5,000 Paynet-soums!

👉@afandi_english👈 #spot_afandi

#15 It’s a strange world: Whataboutism

❓Do you also get annoyed when you talk about a problem and someone tells you but what about this and what about that?

❗️This is the logical fallacy (=false belief) called “Whataboutism”. It appears in big issues but also when couples argue. Here are two easy examples:

Husband: Hey wife, the soup is too salty again!
Wife: What about yourself? You can’t even cook!

Or…

Biden: Mr Trump, you have harmed the American people!
Trump: Look at North Korea. Their president is much worse than me!

Both cases show how the accused (=person who is blamed) is trying to escape the criticism by pointing at someone else’s even bigger problem. But actually it doesn’t make their problem go away. Watch out for whataboutism in discussions and debates!

⛓https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism

▶️ Here’s an explainer from the BBC on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WqI16Ppte0

👉@afandi_english👈 #strange_world #psychology

#19 Afandi Quiz: Which country?

▶️Here is a market somewhere in this world.

👉@afandi_english👈 #picture_quiz

Well done!

👍 India is the correct answer. The picture was taken in Delhi where it gets quite chilly (=cold) during winter. Perhaps you figured (=guessed) it from “IndusInd Bank” in the background or the gentleman on the right wearing a red turban (=long cloth around sb’s head). Turbans are characteristic of Sikh men, pronounced [si:k], a religious group in Northern India (Punjab) that are neither Hindus nor Buddhists. They are not allowed to cut their hair and so they cover it under the turban. For the same reason Sikh men also grow big bushy (=thick) beards.

👎 Malaysia is not correct. Although the country is home to a large Indian community it never gets so cold there that people would wrap themselves up like this or consider buying ear warmers (check out the “MEOW” design).

👎 Turkey is wrong as well. You wouldn’t find English-only signs there and some of the people in the picture are also a little bit too dark to be Turks.

👎 United States is wrong. Outdoor markets there are rarely so crammed (=full of stuff) and it would be illegal to sell cheap Nike or Adidas knock-offs (=fake brands) there.

#5 IELTS DOs & DON’Ts: Last Minute Preparation

▶️ Your test date is drawing nearer and you’re getting nervous? Here’s some advice:

1) Mental state ❌ Don’t get stupidly nervous, so nervous that you can’t think straight. The test is important but it’s only a test of your English, not your value as a human. ✅ Do keep calm and be closer with the people who support you, not those who judge you. Be realistic about the score you can get.

2) Attitude ❌ Don’t look for a quick fix. Students lose precious learning opportunities by looking for shortcuts to a high score that may or may not work. ✅ Do think about topics deeply and practice self-expression. Start having opinions. That’s an attitude, not a trick.

3) Around you ❌ Don’t let your English stay in your books. It must go into your head! ✅ Do immerse yourself (=get into) fully in English. Listen to English, speak in English, think in English, dream in English. Find a study partner who is equally crazy.

👉@afandi_english👈 #ielts

#55 Our favourite mistakes: Vocabulary

▶️ Please translate the following sentence:
Afandining do’koni har kuni ishlaydi.

❌ Perhaps you think it is:
Afandi’s shop works every day.

✅ Well, it should be:
Afandi’s shop is open every day.

❓Why?

❗️ In English, the verb work is mostly used in two different ways: either people work, referring to a job (“She works as a teacher”), or machines work, i.e. function (“My phone doesn’t work”). A shop is neither a person nor a machine, so we cannot use work here.

👉@afandi_english👈 #mistakes #vocabulary

#5 Self-study: A blind world traveller from England

▶️ Today’s video and handout are about an English world traveller who is not only blind but also severely deaf. How does he manage? See for yourself!

❗️If you think this is good material for your self-study, please follow the instructions in #1 👆 and the instructions on the handout below 👇.

👉@afandi_english👈 #self_study