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вызвать к доске

English translation: call to the front of the classroom

01:04 Jul 20, 2015
Russian to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Other
Russian term or phrase: вызвать к доске
Back before the age of standardized tests and all that feel-good nonsense, you were called to the blackboard, in front of the entire class, to recite your lesson, or write stuff on that blackboard, and that's how you earned your grades. Well, at least some of them. I googled "call to the blackboard," and was quite amazed to see that the phrase actually rings a bell. So, the question I have is primarily to the natives who went to school back at that glorious time: does the phrase ring a bell? Would it be clear enough without additional explanations what being called to the blackboard is? I would also like to ask the same question of those of you who are younger than me and went to school in the US or the UK in more recent time: how alien is the concept? I asked my son who is a year away from graduating high school and he said they didn't even have blackboards anymore. They have whiteboards or smart boards. He kind of figured what I meant though.

Many thanks for your input. Any other suggestions, comments or trips down memory lanes are most welcome.
The Misha
Local time: 08:53
English translation:call to the front of the classroom
Explanation:
It was often called this even when there were blackboards. (I well remember 4th grade, when my eyesight was deteriorating and I didn't want to admit it. I looked forward to being called up front, and if it didn't happen I would go up an sharpen my pencil in the sharpener at the edge of the blackboard. Either way, I could take the opportunity to read and memorize what the teacher had written on the board, which I could not make out from my desk.)

Evidently it still is.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="called to the front of...
Selected response from:

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 08:53
Grading comment
Thanks, Rachel. I'll go with the front of the classroom then.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5ask to come to the front(of the classroom) and answer the quesition
LilianNekipelov
4call to the front of the classroom
Rachel Douglas
3to be called up to the board
Sofia Gutkin


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
call to the front of the classroom


Explanation:
It was often called this even when there were blackboards. (I well remember 4th grade, when my eyesight was deteriorating and I didn't want to admit it. I looked forward to being called up front, and if it didn't happen I would go up an sharpen my pencil in the sharpener at the edge of the blackboard. Either way, I could take the opportunity to read and memorize what the teacher had written on the board, which I could not make out from my desk.)

Evidently it still is.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q="called to the front of...

Rachel Douglas
United States
Local time: 08:53
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 212
Grading comment
Thanks, Rachel. I'll go with the front of the classroom then.
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Rachel. This rings a bell too, only with me it's the ears. I am deaf as a doorknob and always have been.

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7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
ask to come to the front(of the classroom) and answer the quesition


Explanation:
come to the front, come up here and answer the question. There were blackboards in my times, except they were green, at least in the US. Black in England. To answer the question is essential, I think in this context.

LilianNekipelov
United States
Local time: 08:53
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PolishPolish
PRO pts in category: 33
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
to be called up to the board


Explanation:
I'd drop the 'black' part and then it can include whiteboards and smartboards too!

Sofia Gutkin
Australia
Local time: 22:53
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in category: 16
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