The list of phrases not to use: - ‘I’m such an idiot’
So, last summer during the Pre-sessional English Summer Course, when trying to explain something-or-other (registering with the police or procedure for opening a bank account – one of the many hoops international students have to jump through) to one of the newly arrived students, I realized that my explanation had been rubbish and I’d clearly made the whole thing more complicated that it needed to be. In order to start my explanation again I said “Sorry, I’m such an idiot, that’s not correct” and then began my explanation again. So intent was I on my explanation that I hadn’t noticed the shock which must have passed across the student’s face. I carried on with my explanation, the student left and I thought no more about it……until, the next day when I received a phone call from the International Office informing me there’d been a complaint made against me by a student. Horrified, I went off to the International Office to find out what I’d done; - turns out a student had complained that I’d insulted him and called him an idiot. Clearly the incident from the day before. I have now added the phrase “I’m such an idiot” to my list of phrases not to use.
