To a meticulous teacher
Undeniably, you are a great teacher. You pay utmost attention to intricate meanings of words, complexity of modal verbs, subtle differences between tenses, silent consonants, and numerous other language points. Speaking of silence and ellipsis, don’t you think they are indispensable when it comes to saying obvious but awkward things like ‘Thank you’ or ‘Good bye’?
So before your course ends and your students and colleagues disperse on holiday to get some scorching Mediterranean, or pale British sun, make sure your pedantic acts are complete. Don’t overlook the importance of silence. In a way, it’s a form of understatement, which makes English such a great language, and goes beyond language. Teach them how to say embarrassing words without actually saying them — ‘Thank you, up yours!’, ‘Good bye, bugger off!’.