Borrow and Take

The problem with explaining the difference between "Borrow" and "Lend" occurs when it has to be done in an EFL class full of Ecuadorian students. For some odd reason Ecuadorians, and in particular, Guayaquileans make no difference between Dar en préstamo (Lend) and Tomar prestado (Borrow); so instead of saying Dar prestado and Tomar prestado we only say Prestar which is confusing but old habits die hard.
The easy way out for a EFL teacher is to translate also explaining the difference between one and the other. Still if you are determined to teach by using English only, it's better if you model the situation. For that have a student to help you. Tell "your assistant" you´re going to ask him/her  to give you something with the question "Can you lend me your pencil please?". When that happens say "Lend". 
Have the same student pretend he doesn't know you need something of him/her, in this case an eraser. 
Approach the student, and ask him/her if you can take his/her eraser. He will say YES, you take the eraser and say "Borrow".
In other words, Borrow is Take and Lend is Give. Explain and offer examples and that will be that.

Comments

Einsen said…
well, i had my own problems with this when i was younger, it just would not fit in my head !
July 26, 2012 at 8:46 PM
Luis Bermudes said…
I understand. It's not easy for everyone.
September 25, 2012 at 6:48 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How do you say MIRADOR in English?

Image
"Hmm, why do I have this nagging feeling that someone is watching me watching?" In Spanish, a MIRADOR is any place that allows a privileged view of the surroundings. In English, a MIRADOR is a VIEWPOINT or a LOOKOUT. Another possible translation is VANTAGE POINT, though in a tourist context this term is a bit less common.
Read more

The Maps of Ship-Trap Island

Image
Once I had my high school students read The Most Dangerous Game, a short story by Richard Connell. Rainsford, the main character, is a professional hunter traveling by ship to his next hunting area, accidentally ends up in an island called Ship- Trap island. When he goes into the island he finds there are two men living in a palace in the island. One of them is a Cossack general and the other, his brutish servant.  The Cossack is called general Zaroff who is also  a game hunter but has become bored of hunting regular game and now uses the island's unique position to capture sailors from shipwrecks. He lets them go first and next after some time he hunts them down. Rainford's arrival who is worldwide famous presents Zaroff with a rare opportunity to find excitement in hunting again by hunting another hunter. Little does Zaroff know that Rainsford is The Most Dangerous Game in the World and hunting him will not be easy at all. My students enjoyed themselves at reading...
Read more

How do you say EXAMEN SUPLETORIO in English?

Image
Darn! I wonder if there's a Make Up exam for this Make up exam! I remember that long ago I asked my distinguished and knowledgeable colleagues of that time to enlighten me and tell me the right English word for what we know in Ecuador as EXAMEN SUPLETORIO or EXAMEN DE RECUPERACION.  After hearing Recovery exam or Supplemenary test and even Supletory exam, I was not convinced so I decided to go to a higher authority and looked up one of those encyclopedic dictionaries from Oxford or Cambridge university (these were the pre-browser times) and found the right expression is MAKE UP EXAM which is taken when an exam has been missed or when a student needs to change one score with a more favorable one. The British say RECUPERATION EXAM which is perhaps more practical since to some people the term Make Up is confusing. Make-up is the word for the wearing of cosmetics. There are Make-up tests which are oriented to future Make-up artists.
Read more