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madbirdgirl
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14 Nov 2010, 5:56 pm

I was talking to my neighbor, who is a professor, about chemical peels and laser treatments because her friend had a chemical peel and in a sentence she was struggling to pronounce "esthetician", so I just said it for her. Then I started going on about scientific stuff and chemicals. She seemed annoyed, and when I said goodbye she sounded like she wanted me to get out as quickly as possible. When I said "have a good day" she said "thaanks..." in a tone I thought sounded very disdainful.
Was that inappropriate? If you're talking to a "superior" are you not supposed to help them find words and out-talk them about information regarding the topic?



conundrum
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14 Nov 2010, 6:26 pm

madbirdgirl wrote:
If you're talking to a "superior" are you not supposed to help them find words and out-talk them about information regarding the topic?


I think that anyone who feels like that needs their ego deflated.

Nobody knows "everything," and being a professor makes you an expert in one field, not all fields. What is she a professor of?


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momsparky
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14 Nov 2010, 7:33 pm

Having been raised by professors, their social skills are not always on par with everyone else - so don't take it too personally - from your description, sounds like the professor was being rude.

Generally, however, it is considered impolite to offer words or correct pronunciation unless someone asks you directly for help. Another issue that I'm guessing just from your description - when you talked about chemicals, did you allow for back-and-forth conversation? Sometimes people are put off by a one-sided conversation, even if you have a lot of good information to offer.

Regardless, I do think that people should take responsibility when they are frustrated with someone else's communication style. Leaving you to feel uncomfortable and not know why is rude.



luvmyaspie
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15 Nov 2010, 7:00 am

Well she should have very well thanked you for helping her out... and then she should have been impressed with your knowledge and she could have told you so... instead of feeling threatened by you and becoming insulting as she very well did. :roll:


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Tory_canuck
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17 Nov 2010, 6:10 am

I help my friend pronounce words and he responds by just saying the word in the same way he did originally. His accent does not help much either.

For "it is dark out" he would say "Is dark out"

I'd correct him to help him out, but he would say it the same way he first did. He says he is trying to improve his english but at times it doesn't seem like it.


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leejosepho
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17 Nov 2010, 9:06 am

madbirdgirl wrote:
... she was struggling to pronounce "esthetician", so I just said it for her.

No problem there -- that was helpful.

madbirdgirl wrote:
Then I started going on about scientific stuff and chemicals. She seemed annoyed ...

... just as you or I would have been.


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17 Nov 2010, 9:11 am

If it IS inappropriate, I must be incredibally rude, because during my lectures I often stop my teachers to correct pronbounciation, even if it's just
"It's not said Hypo-thesis, it's said Hypothe-sis"


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