Language of the Day: The Gist
The Language of the Day Blog is a weekly blog post by our instructor, Jordan. Each week will introduce a useful phrase in English and tell a story about life in Vancouver. Tune in every Tuesday for another Language of the Day post!
"Gist" is a noun that refers to the essential meaning of speech or text. It is a common phrase
Examples:
“Did you understand everything the teacher said?”
”I got the gist of it.”
“The poster was enough to get the gist.”
“He doesn't have to write exactly what it says in the dictionary, just the general gist.”
When I first moved to Vancouver, a friend of mine suggested that I take boxing lessons with her. I thought, why not? Could be fun. But I was struggling: Vancouver culture wasn’t something I understood. Finally, one day, the coach, tired of my inconsistency, asked me what was up. Wearily, I replied, “I just moved back to Canada.”
He paused, “Oh,” he said, “Where were you?”
“A year in Turkey and two years in Indonesia.”
“Oh wow, ok,” another quick pause, “Well, Vancouver’s a weird city. You’ll figure it out.”
I hung onto those words for a long time, now almost eight years later, I’m still not sure I’ve “figured it out,” but I’ve learned some things about Vancouver that make it a little easier to understand..
Vancouver is a weird city, so hopefully you haven’t been too overwhelmed by your transition! It is also a great city, full of friendly people, outdoor activities and cultural opportunities, such as new adventures, multiculturalism, language learning, etc. But enough of the Vancouver sales pitch — you’re already here!
You might be wondering what exactly MOSAIC Engage is all about. Aren’t there like, a thousand places in Vancouver to learn English? Can’t I do this by myself? I mean, yes. There are. A thousand places to learn English in Vancouver, but what exactly are you looking for? Rote skills in reading and writing with a little grammar sprinkled on top? It’s not a bad system. You get to talk about things like technology or the fine arts. You know, the stuff you never talk about in your own language. As for doing it by yourself- I’ve tried that myself a hundred times with what seems like a hundred languages, although in actuality, it’s been only three. Ok five. It’s true, I lose track sometimes.
That approach is good to a point, but that point ends at the same time your comfort zone does — and it’s at the edge of the comfort zone where the true learning occurs. At MOSAIC engage, you’ll learn what makes Vancouver English its own. Something worth learning that will help make this your home. Give you something to do, some people to talk to. It works great for me, so perhaps it’s worth finding out if the same is for you.
Anyways, you get the gist ;)
P.S. We even have a free conversation class on Wednesday night. Check it out before you commit to the whole thing if you like!