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/
4.30.2010
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.
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.
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/).
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.
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/
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
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!!!
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?
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/mejor/espanol/bilingue/elpepisoc/20100326elpepisoc_1/Tes
Some interesting ideas in the article...what are your thoughts?
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