...almost nobody under the age of 60, in Canada, says, "There are (plural noun)." It's very surprising to hear almost everybody say "There's people who..."
It just goes to show that speaking like a native speaker and speaking correctly aren't always the same thing.
11.29.2012
Practice, not study: Mar's ideas
(This is another post that dates back to 2011, which I apologize for not publishing earlier...)
Mar and I were having class yesterday in the Parque del Oeste, and the topic came up about study versus practice. Here's what she does when she wants to work on her English, but doesn't have time to get study in....
Mar and I were having class yesterday in the Parque del Oeste, and the topic came up about study versus practice. Here's what she does when she wants to work on her English, but doesn't have time to get study in....
- Washing dishes: What are these things called? What adjectives can you use to describe utensils, pots and pans?
- Cleaning around the house: What prepositions and adverbs do you need to describe location and movement? What are the machines called? How do you spell the names of the machines?
- Grocery shopping: What are the English words that describe the groceries that you usually buy every week? Which ones are countable, and which ones are uncountable?
Remember: Study is fine as long as you're disciplined enough to do it. Most of us benefit from regular practice. It's better to do a little bit every day than a whole lot at one time...especially if you don't like those big, long study sessions.
Are you doing the TOEFL next month? Read this.
This is a post that dates back from 2010, but I thought it was timely because it deals with one of the main issues on the TOEFL (which many of you will be doing next month.)
Oddly enough, it's also the page with the most page views on this blog. I'm not entirely sure why.
Oddly enough, it's also the page with the most page views on this blog. I'm not entirely sure why.
11.28.2012
Want to learn more about English?
And, by that, I don't mean learning more about English grammar and English vocabulary...I mean learning more about who speaks English, why we do the things we do when we speak English and how people -- both native- and non-native speakers -- use the language.
Last summer, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had a great program called BABEL, which ran for ten programs. It had ten programs in total and focused on how we use English as a tool for communication, not just on the bits that make up language. The host, Mariel Borelli, has a voice that's easy to understand, and for those of you who'd like to learn more about ideas behind language, this program is excellent listening practice.
Click here for more information and to listen to the program online.
Last summer, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had a great program called BABEL, which ran for ten programs. It had ten programs in total and focused on how we use English as a tool for communication, not just on the bits that make up language. The host, Mariel Borelli, has a voice that's easy to understand, and for those of you who'd like to learn more about ideas behind language, this program is excellent listening practice.
Click here for more information and to listen to the program online.
11.27.2012
Just a reminder....
(I had to make new cards for my online classes anyway. I left the old ones in Madrid.)
Mobile phones in the classroom? The answer is yes!
(NOTE: I'm just going through some of my old blog posts, and I realized I had this one stored in the DRAFTS folder. Since I went through this debate with some students last year, I thought it might be interesting to bring this one back.)
Once upon a time, I hated it when students brought their cellphones to class. Ten years ago, if students brought their phones to class, it was only for two reasons: a) because they were scared of their manager and had a difficult job where they needed to be available all the time, whether they wanted to be or not; or, more likely b) because they really believed that a call from Mamá, saying, "Buy bread!" was more important than class time was.
Once upon a time, I hated it when students brought their cellphones to class. Ten years ago, if students brought their phones to class, it was only for two reasons: a) because they were scared of their manager and had a difficult job where they needed to be available all the time, whether they wanted to be or not; or, more likely b) because they really believed that a call from Mamá, saying, "Buy bread!" was more important than class time was.
Things have changed. First of all, not many companies are offering free classes to their students anymore. People who didn't behave themselves in classes have not been given more classes. (There's an economic crisis, after all.) The best reason, though, is because phones can do so much more than they could in 2001. As a result, I want to learn some new things, too, especially how to welcome phones into the classroom, and the truth is that I see more advantages than disadvantages.
Here are three reasons to keep that phone on while you're learning.
Here are three reasons to keep that phone on while you're learning.
Don't write it down - take a photo! Even the cheapest mobile phone now has a decent camera on it. If you find it hard to take notes AND take part in the class at the same time, use the camera on your phone to record what's being written on the board.
I do this a lot when we have a class with a lot of grammar, and there's something I want to remember, or if I explained something in a different way and I want to remember how I did it.
It's also a good method if you're one of those people who likes to take lots of notes - and then you never look at them again. Be honest - what do you look at more, your notes from English class, or your phone? If you're like 99% of people, it'll be the latter.
I do this a lot when we have a class with a lot of grammar, and there's something I want to remember, or if I explained something in a different way and I want to remember how I did it.
It's also a good method if you're one of those people who likes to take lots of notes - and then you never look at them again. Be honest - what do you look at more, your notes from English class, or your phone? If you're like 99% of people, it'll be the latter.
Keep track of your homework assignments and exam dates with a notes application. I use Evernote because I can link it in with GMail (which, in turn, can connect class notes in Google Drive), and I can also open the pictures in Penultimate to write notes on the photos.
Use an online dictionary like Dictionary.com, instead of a paper dictionary. Or, even better, try to find your favourite dictionaries online. For example, did you know that the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary - the big one that sells for €45 - is now available totally free, online (although with reduced features)?
Use an app to organize your notes. In yesterday's post, I mentioned three apps that we've used in classes, but for every app I mentioned, there are probably fifteen or twenty that I don't know about that are just as good.
Use an app to organize your notes. In yesterday's post, I mentioned three apps that we've used in classes, but for every app I mentioned, there are probably fifteen or twenty that I don't know about that are just as good.
A small note about vocabulary...
Hello, everyone... Just a quick note about usage:
Don't say "on the other hand" if you haven't used "on the one hand..." first. You need the two parts together to make the thing complete:
You use "on the one hand/on the other hand" to compare and contrast two things that are logically connected:
Don't say "on the other hand" if you haven't used "on the one hand..." first. You need the two parts together to make the thing complete:
She's crazy. On the other hand, she's a good worker.
You use "on the one hand/on the other hand" to compare and contrast two things that are logically connected:
- On the one hand, she's a good worker. On the other hand, her work is often late because her time management skills aren't very good.
11.26.2012
Three Great Apps for Exam Candidates
So I've had my iPad for about a year, now - it was one of my birthday presents to myself last year. It's interesting to see how more and more people are investing in tablet computers - and the good news is that if you're learning English and you have a tablet computer, there are lots of great apps (short for applications) that you can use.
The best apps, however, aren't always the ones that are only about English. Here are three apps that we've used in class and which we really like. All of these are free and it won't take you any time at all to learn how to use them.
EVERNOTE is an online system that allows you to organize images, class notes, lists and voice files so that you can use them again in the future. Do you always lose the words you want to practice most? Do you need a better way to organize your notes? It's free to use (though you can get more advanced features for US$45 a year) and once you have an account, you can open, edit and re-organize notes through the app or through the website (your account will work on both platforms.) Evernote is available for BlackBerry, Apple and Android devices.
FLASHCARD MACHINE is perfect for those of you who need to practice and memorize a lot of vocabulary, or a specific grammar point, like irregular verbs. After you set up your account on the website, you can access the sets of cards that other users have published (you also have the option of not making them public), or create your own.
The website is free to use, and if you have an iPhone (or one that uses Android - sorry, Blackberry users), you can download the app for free to get 100 card turns, or pay a one-time fee of €3.99 for an unlimited number of card turns. This app is great if there is something you need to review a lot, like phrasal verbs or irregular past simple.
(Would you like to try Flashcard machine? Click here for a set of cards that helps you with MAKE/DO combinations.)
PENULTIMATE was recently purchased by the Evernote people, and where Evernote works with typed text, Penultimate (which is only available as an app, not via a website) allows you to use your tablet as you would a notebook. The app allows you to create an unlimited number of notebooks (so you could use one for exam vocabulary, another for questions you want to ask your teacher) and you can organize your ideas by colours and topics - this is a great tool for those of you who like to use word maps. Evernote is completely free - but I will say, from experience, that it helps to have a stylus (the pen-like item that draws lines) because those of us with normal-sized fingers will tend to draw big, thick lines, even if we don't want to.
What about you? What apps have you found to be useful? Do you use your apps on a tablet or a smartphone? What apps would you like to see in the future?
The best apps, however, aren't always the ones that are only about English. Here are three apps that we've used in class and which we really like. All of these are free and it won't take you any time at all to learn how to use them.
EVERNOTE is an online system that allows you to organize images, class notes, lists and voice files so that you can use them again in the future. Do you always lose the words you want to practice most? Do you need a better way to organize your notes? It's free to use (though you can get more advanced features for US$45 a year) and once you have an account, you can open, edit and re-organize notes through the app or through the website (your account will work on both platforms.) Evernote is available for BlackBerry, Apple and Android devices.
FLASHCARD MACHINE is perfect for those of you who need to practice and memorize a lot of vocabulary, or a specific grammar point, like irregular verbs. After you set up your account on the website, you can access the sets of cards that other users have published (you also have the option of not making them public), or create your own.
The website is free to use, and if you have an iPhone (or one that uses Android - sorry, Blackberry users), you can download the app for free to get 100 card turns, or pay a one-time fee of €3.99 for an unlimited number of card turns. This app is great if there is something you need to review a lot, like phrasal verbs or irregular past simple.
(Would you like to try Flashcard machine? Click here for a set of cards that helps you with MAKE/DO combinations.)
PENULTIMATE was recently purchased by the Evernote people, and where Evernote works with typed text, Penultimate (which is only available as an app, not via a website) allows you to use your tablet as you would a notebook. The app allows you to create an unlimited number of notebooks (so you could use one for exam vocabulary, another for questions you want to ask your teacher) and you can organize your ideas by colours and topics - this is a great tool for those of you who like to use word maps. Evernote is completely free - but I will say, from experience, that it helps to have a stylus (the pen-like item that draws lines) because those of us with normal-sized fingers will tend to draw big, thick lines, even if we don't want to.
What about you? What apps have you found to be useful? Do you use your apps on a tablet or a smartphone? What apps would you like to see in the future?
11.25.2012
Whoops (x2)!
I think the only thing that might be more embarrassing than saying "Whoops!" is having to say "Whoops!" twice about the same thing.
So...an update: As many people know, I made the decision to leave Spain and move back to Ottawa, Canada, where I'm from. There are a number of reasons for this decision (most of them are too long and involved to get into here, and not all of them have to do with the economic situations over there.) But let me just say that, if you're going to try to move halfway around the world (and do it with three weeks of preparation), it's a good idea a) to drink lots of water; b) not to panic; and, c) write all your blog posts before you leave.
This is not to forget that, if you DO move halfway around the world, it's a good idea to give yourself more than three weeks to do it. But that's another blog post entirely.
Anyway...it's good to be back in Canada. It's good to be back in an English-speaking environment - I think that I'll probably speak much better English than I did before.
The most interesting thing to witness is that even though Canada is, officially, a bilingual country, there are a lot of immigrants here who are not having a good time with learning English. (I don't know much about the situation learning French, but I suspect that there may be a lot of similar issues happening.) To give you an example: My mother now has a cleaning lady who comes in, twice a month. Our cleaning lady is from Peru, and she and her family have been in Canada for thirteen years: they came to Canada at about the time I went to Prague to teach English.
After thirteen years here, however, our cleaning lady doesn't feel confident enough with her English to be able to get a job besides being a cleaning lady. This surprises me, because, in Canada, there's a program called Language Instruction for New Canadians (LINC) which (I understood) was meant to give immigrants enough English instruction to avoid that problem. I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk to her about her individual circumstances, but...I wonder. I wonder about a lot of things like this. I wonder about communication skills; I wonder how much language you need to feel integrated into your new homeland. I wonder what it means to be a good communicator, as opposed to speaking good English (because the two don't mean the same thing.)
At any rate...it's good to be back. More soon.
So...an update: As many people know, I made the decision to leave Spain and move back to Ottawa, Canada, where I'm from. There are a number of reasons for this decision (most of them are too long and involved to get into here, and not all of them have to do with the economic situations over there.) But let me just say that, if you're going to try to move halfway around the world (and do it with three weeks of preparation), it's a good idea a) to drink lots of water; b) not to panic; and, c) write all your blog posts before you leave.
This is not to forget that, if you DO move halfway around the world, it's a good idea to give yourself more than three weeks to do it. But that's another blog post entirely.
Anyway...it's good to be back in Canada. It's good to be back in an English-speaking environment - I think that I'll probably speak much better English than I did before.
The most interesting thing to witness is that even though Canada is, officially, a bilingual country, there are a lot of immigrants here who are not having a good time with learning English. (I don't know much about the situation learning French, but I suspect that there may be a lot of similar issues happening.) To give you an example: My mother now has a cleaning lady who comes in, twice a month. Our cleaning lady is from Peru, and she and her family have been in Canada for thirteen years: they came to Canada at about the time I went to Prague to teach English.
After thirteen years here, however, our cleaning lady doesn't feel confident enough with her English to be able to get a job besides being a cleaning lady. This surprises me, because, in Canada, there's a program called Language Instruction for New Canadians (LINC) which (I understood) was meant to give immigrants enough English instruction to avoid that problem. I haven't had a chance to sit down and talk to her about her individual circumstances, but...I wonder. I wonder about a lot of things like this. I wonder about communication skills; I wonder how much language you need to feel integrated into your new homeland. I wonder what it means to be a good communicator, as opposed to speaking good English (because the two don't mean the same thing.)
At any rate...it's good to be back. More soon.
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