4.30.2010

(Good) American food

Since food is such a part of anyone's culture, I guess it's natural that students are curious about food. They're especially curious when it comes to American and Canadian food, since they know that what they see in the movies probably isn't real.

I'm still trying to find a website that would provide information about "real", "authentic" food from Canada and New Zealand. I thought that this link would provide some interesting insights into cooking from the American south - which seems to have more tradition than other areas of the US (where "ethnic" cooking is really influenced by immigration.)

I don't know if I would actually try to make any of these, but they're fun to look at....

http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/04/when-the-stakes-are-high-eat-southern/39706/

Native or Not? - Over to You

Which kind of teacher do you prefer learning with - a Spanish teacher of English or a native teacher of English? Advantages? Disadvantages? Over to you....

Help for FCE, CAE and CPE

Here's a web page for those of you who are sitting one of the Cambridge Exams in June: http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/

If you haven't had the chance to look at this web page... do it now! It is one of the most comprehensive, helpful resources on the Internet for those of you who want extra practice before you write the First, the Advanced or the Proficiency Exam.

And, as always, if you have any questions or doubts, don't hesitate to ask me, too.

NYT ESL on your iPhone!

I just clicked on an interesting link on The New York Times' (www.nytimes.com) website:

http://www.nytmarketing.whsites.net/learningenglish/

I'm not sure that it's enough to make me want to get an iPhone. However, it could be interesting for students who like current affairs and history and would like to try something more challenging than an adapted text.

Oooops! of the Day

If you don't think that it's important to remember participle adjectives (bored, interesting, fried) or use them properly, you might want to take a look at this....

http://imgur.com/CzWS6

(via Megan McArdle at http://www.theatlantic.com/).

And THAT is THAT!

Arancha sent me a great question last night:

Cual de las siguiente frases es la correcta en inglés:
1ª/ I THINK THAT TO BUY IN THE SUPERMARKET........
2ª/ I THINK THAT BUYING IN THE SUPERMARKET.........
3ª/ I THINK THAT BUY IN THE SUPERMARKET.........

Do you know the answer? It's #2, and here's the reason why.

If you look at the way the verbs are organized, you would probably have a sentence like this:

PART ONE: >>I think that<<
PART TWO: >>buying beer in the supermarket is less expensive than buying beer in the corner store.<<

The sentence has TWO verbs -- THINK and IS. Both of them have different subjects: I think and buying in the supermarket is. What happens is that the information that comes after "that" has to be a noun - you always think of something that needs a verb, and that verb always needs another subject. Here are some more examples:

I think that McDonald's is delicious. (Me: "I think that McDonald's is delicious!")
He thinks that his mother is going crazy. (Jim: "I think that my mother is going crazy.")
We think that we will probably go to France this summer. (Alberto and I: "We will probably go to France this summer.")
They think that Barcelona is a very expensive city. (Jon and Ann: "Barcelona is a very expensive city!")

Why? In all of the examples, "I think that" almost works like reported speech (estilo indirecto):

º I think that McDonald's is delicious.
º He told his mother that McDonald's is delicious.
º The advertisements say that McDonald's is delicious.
º It has been reported in EL PAÍS that McDonald's is delicious.

In Spanish, you would need the infinitive, but in English, we treat it like a noun idea, so we use the gerund form of the verb (since it's usually the easiest noun form.)

This is one really excellent reason why an English-only dictionary is a much better idea than a translating dictionary: most of them will tell you when you use words like THAT to connect secondary ideas with verbs like say, think, know, expect, tell and explain.

4.26.2010

One for the Kids

Ann Bateson, the friendly and genial host of MADRID LIVE on Radio Círculo, just sent through a great link. If you have children who are studying English, and you'd like to take them to fun events that help them practice their English, click on this link:

http://www.es.kidsinmadrid.com/

4.25.2010

A small miracle

As a general rule, I try to discourage people from using translating dictionaries in my class. Translating dictionaries are useful for beginner students because they give you the most basic idea(s) of what a word means. But they can cause problems for other students, because most translating dictionaries don't adequately explain the differences between meanings, or explain how to use the word properly in a sentence.

A lot of students, however, don't like English-only dictionaries. They say that many of them are too heavy and bulky to carry; that the definitions are confusing; that they're expensive; and that they find them intimidating to use.

If you want to make the switch to an English-only dictionary, I've found a great solution. The Oxford Pocket Learner's Dictionary ( http://tinyurl.com/34yhwlz ) is a small (the size of my hand!), light (183 grams) dictionary that is suitable for intermediate and advanced learners. It doesn't contain all of the possible meanings that an English learner might need to use (for that, you may want to consult the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary... http://tinyurl.com/36g9plg ). The Pocket Learner's is affordable: it's about €17.50, or nearly two-thirds of the price of the Advanced Learners....and it's a LOT easier to carry around.

So now there's no excuse NOT to use an English-only dictionary!!


TODAY'S VOCABULARY
to discourage: to persuade someone not to do something.
adequately: enough; properly
bulky: large and difficult to move
intimidating: scary

4.20.2010

Don't waste your vocabulary!

What do you do with all of that vocabulary that you've learned in class?

If you're like most students, you probably have at least two or three notebooks full of words and notes that you may not have looked at since you finished that class. This is a shame because classes are the perfect place to observe and ask questions about how vocabulary works. But if you don't look at your notes or take the time to review what you've done, then it's all for nothing. It's as if you never went to class. And if you're planning on taking an exam like the First Certificate, it means that you may not be able to use a very important part of your vocabulary during the exam.

You have a better chance of remembering your vocabulary if you do the following things:

1. Record new words and expressions in the context you learned them. Let's say you're doing an FCE class on science. You know that the names of the fields (like biology and psychiatry) are almost the same as they are in Spanish. But you also learn new groups of words and expressions, like to conduct research/an experiment, to record and process data...

Take a piece of paper and draw a circle in the middle. In the middle of the circle, write the name of the context: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Then take your pen/pencil and divide the page into different sections: one section might be for the names of laboratory equipment (gauges, test tubes, Bunsen burners, computers), another for the names of people who work in science and technology (laboratory assistants, laboratory technicians, analysts, engineers) and the places where they work (to work in the field, to conduct research on-site....). Keep this sheet with you all the way through the year, and any time you read or hear a new word or expression that talks about science and technology, add it to the list. It seems like a lot of work, but it isn't. It only takes thirty seconds for each new piece of vocabulary. It's really a much more efficient way of practising new words and expressions.

2. What does it sound like? Most students don't have a problem remembering new vocabulary if it's only one syllable. Words that are longer than one syllable can sometimes be difficult, especially if the word isn't made up of words that you already know (copy·right, for example.)

To make sure you can remember how to say the word properly (and that you will understand the word the next time someone uses it in a conversation), make a note of what the word sounds like. Write the accented syllable in capital (CA-pi-tal) letters, and use shorter words that sound like words that you already know.

Here are some examples, using words that I did yesterday in a class in a law firm:

PIRACY: PIE-ra-see
RESTRUCTURE: re-STRUCK-sure
MERCHANDISE: mur-CHAN-d'eyes

You will find it easier to pronounce and hear the word if you understand how it's said in English.

3. Who does what? Verbs are the basis of language: Every language in the world has them. But can you remember which verbs are only for people and which ones are only for things, for example?

Let's take another example from yesterday's class: to counterfeit (COUNT-ur-fit). This is a word that can work as a noun, a verb and as an adjective, but it's very specific to copyright law and piracy. "Falsify", which is close to the word Spanish, won't work: it's too general.

So, to make the word easier to remember and use, let's give it context by using it in specific examples.

Verb: The Guardia Civil arrested a gang that counterfeited €50 bills.
Adjective: I saw a man selling counterfeit CDs in the Metro yesterday.
Noun: Is that a real Prada handbag? -- No, it's a counterfeit (=copy).

Observe the examples: In each case, the subject is a person, and the direct object - the information that you need to complete the idea of the verb - is a thing. It's always a think. You can't falsify or make copies of a person or an animal, and it would be difficult to do it to an idea or concept. This is important to remember, because it helps eliminate any possibilities that are not correct or may give a different meaning to the verb.

(I know, this is a really obvious example, but it becomes more important when you have to learn problem verbs like GET or phrasal verbs like MAKE OVER that may have more than one meaning, depending on whether the direct object is a person, a think or an idea.)

REMEMBER: Your teacher can give you all the new vocabulary that you want, but it's the responsibility of EACH STUDENT to find a way to remember and use the language!!!

4.19.2010

Some more thoughts on bilingualism...

Thanks to Tora A. for a great link (again, from EL PAÍS) about the benefits of speaking two languages before starting to learn English.....

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/mejor/espanol/bilingue/elpepisoc/20100326elpepisoc_1/Tes

Some interesting ideas in the article...what are your thoughts?

4.17.2010

Many tongues

So right now, it's 7:34 in the morning. I'm listening to BBC Five Live and packing to go to a race north of Bilbao, and I just thought of something. Again, this is an idea. I don't know if there's any scientific support for it.

I wonder if children who grow up in areas like the Basque Country or Catalonia, where they're expected to speak more than one language, have an advantage when it comes to learning English. I know a lot of people from those areas who have become quite fluent in English, and I wonder how much of it comes from already knowing more than one language. Not because there are connections between the languages, but because they develop the skills that help them deal with new information and new languages.

My friend Stuart, who's from Wales and lives in the middle of Guipúzcoa, says that the people in his town always joke about when they're going to get the first African Lehendekari - after all, he says, African people are so adept at learning languages, they're among the few immigrants (or residents of Euskadi!) who master speaking Euskera. And in Canada, French Canadians have always been far ahead of anglophone Canadians when it comes to being able to dominate both of Canada's official languages.

Thoughts?

4.16.2010

Open Debate: Who speaks AMAZING English?

Okay, everybody. It's YOUR turn to contribute...

In your opinion, which Spanish citizen has the best English you've ever heard or read?

I'll tell you my opinion, but I want to hear your thoughts first. Plus I think the Vuelta de Castilla y León's on now, so I'll write back once the stage is done.

THIS WEEKEND'S PRACTICE

Have you ever had a word (or more than one word) that you can't remember, no matter how hard you try? When I was learning Spanish, I swear it took me at least a year to remember the difference between suelo and techo. No kidding. (You can imagine how embarrassing that is when you're in a hotel.)

What do you do if there's a word you just can't remember?

1. Go to your desk and get a Post-It note and a big red pen.
2. Write down the word and its definition in English (NO TRANSLATIONS!!).
3. Put that Post-It note in a place where you have to look at it all the time. Put it on the screen of your laptop computer or on your phone. Stick it on your bathroom mirror or on the door of your refrigerator.
4. Every time you see the word, repeat it three times.
5. Do NOT remove the Post-It note until you are absolutely sure you know the word, what it means and how to pronounce it.

A typical person needs to see and use a word eight to ten times before he or she can remember what it means. The more times you see and use a word you have trouble remembering, the easier it is to use the word in the future.

Try it!

What's wrong with THAT ad?

All right, I know, it's not fair to criticize the Comunidad de Madrid's advertisement without analyzing it and explaining why it sounds stupid to an English speaker. I could try...but there's an article in EL PAÍS that explains it better than I could: http://tinyurl.com/y2m66jn.

And this gives me an idea for my next entry: the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. Yes, this IS important -- especially when you have to learn phrasal verbs.

In the meantime, if you'd like to file a complaint about the advertisement, you can contact the Media Planning Group's office in Madrid at (91) 456-9000, or send a fax to the Comunidad de Madrid's Consejeria de Educación at (91) 720-1302.

Get up! Stand up!
Stand up for your rights!!
(Bob Marley)

Your Weekend Joke

Reader Kinga D. has your laugh of the weekend:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Poland, 1942: In the middle of the Second World War, an old man is looking around for his glasses. He checks the kitchen; not there. He looks near the sofa: not there. He looks in the bathroom: not there. He touches the top of his head: not there.

He looks at his grandson, who's sitting on a chair in the kitchen.

Old Man: "Pavel! What's the name of that German idiot who's always stealing my glasses?"
Grandson: "Herr Alzheimer, Grandpa."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Kinga!

WELCOME TO STOP SPANGLISH

Hello, everyone!


Most of my students will tell you that I'm a patient person... most of the time. I don't typically yell. I try to remember to take a deep breath when I get frustrated. But the advertisement put me over the edge.... YES, WE WANT.

What?

There it was...or, better said, there they were: two advertisements in the Gregorio Marañón metro station. Two pictures of smiling children with their hands up, and the words: "YES WE WANT" in big letters, in the upper left-hand corner.

Oh, no. The Comunidad de Madrid just spent nearly two million Euros on an ad campaign that is extremely, surprisingly....INCORRECT.

Oh, no.

And that is how I got the idea to start this blog.

My name is Patricia. I'm Canadian, and have been working as an English teacher since 1999 (and I've been in Madrid since 2001.) I'm not a trained linguist. I work for myself; I'm not an academy or a company (well, not yet, anyway.) I don't have a university degree in Education. But I do teach English, I do hear the mistakes that students make.

Most of all, I see how students behave and I see the things they do, and I get really frustrated because I know that there are a lot of people who could be great English speakers, but who have problems. Maybe they use too much translation when they speak in English. Maybe they don't practice enough outside of class. That's a shame, because doing things like that prevents people from really being able to communicate effectively in English.

So that's the reason why I started this blog. I wanted to create a free, easy, comprehensive resources that students can use to imporve their English and their study skills. Every day, or as frequently as I can, I promise to....
  • include information that will help you understand why English and Spanish are different.
  • give you examples of Spanglish that I hear, and an explanation of why it's technically incorrect;
  • make a list of free resources and events where you can practice your English;
  • provide you with links to articles and online videos that are a fun way of practising English
  • help you with any questions you may have about exams like TOEFL, First Certficate and the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas.

Thanks for reading! And if you have any questions, doubts or comments, feel free to add a comment at the end of the blog.

Talk to you soon!!!

Patricia

TODAY'S VOCABULARY
to take a deep breath: to take a long inhalation, especially when you need a moment to think about something.

a shame: a fact or circumstance bringing disgrace or regret: The bankruptcy of the business was a shame. It was a shame you couldn't come with us.