My Question:
I have noticed that in some films or cartoons, there is always a fresh apple on the front desk where the teacher stands. (and mostly the students are children)
Does this APPLE have any specific meaning related to the cultural background?
Answer:
Yes. The apple is significant. Giving the teacher an apple in order to gain favour, and hopefully improve your marks, is an old tradition.
I am not sure of its origins and these days teachers tend to be given a wide variety of things other than apples.
My Comments:
Compared other’s questions related to grammar, mine is about the cultural background. I have googled it before I posted the discussion; unfortunately, there are no similar questions or answers. I appreciate BBC’s quick response, and of course their simple and clear answer. And what I surprise the most is that, if they are not sure about it, they will tell you straightly.(eg: I am not sure of its origins). Besides, BBC’s response also gives me another example in modern days. In my opinion, when we are studying a foreign language, we will face the problem not only the grammars, but also their traditions or cultures which we might be curious about. BBC’s message board provides professionals for people all around the world to raise any questions without any limitations. In a word, BBC message board is a great learning aid for people to get a quick and simple answer about language learning.
