Christmas Vocabulary

Christmas Quiz 

Find the Christmas Present - word game

Vocabulary

Intermediate level work sheet about British food. 

Do You Know This Vocabulary?

chestnuts

lax-a-daisy

dam

mashed potatoes

bland

one step at a time

envious

expectation

blouse

sit coms

soap opera

entitlement

high heels

clench

annoying

This week we'll be talking about Christmas. How do you celebrate Christmas? What do you think about Christmas?

Family - Beginners level and Revisions

Preposition: In

Specifically on 'In'

English Cinema in Granollers - Post Two

Tonight there's an English film playing at the Cine Club. They have films from around the world. Bookmark the link and keep an eye on when there's an English film on.

The Japanese Method of Learning English

Which or That?

The information below was taken from 'That verses Which' on the Kent Law website.


1.  Use "that" with restrictive clauses. A restrictive clause is one that limits -- or restricts --the identity of the subject in some way. When writing a restrictive clause, introduce it with the word "that" and no comma. (However, if the subject is or was a human being, use "who" to introduce the clause.)
Correct Restrictive Use:

The painting that was hanging in the foyer was stolen.

Explanation: The use of "that" in this sentence is correct if the reader intends to single out the one painting that was in the foyer as the stolen painting. However, if there were several paintings hanging in the foyer, this use would be incorrect, since it would mislead the reader into believing that there had been only one painting in the foyer. The restriction here tells us that the one painting that had been hanging in the foyer was stolen -- not the painting in the living room, or the one in the drawing room, or any of those in the parlor.
 
2.  Use "which" with nonrestrictive clauses. A nonrestrictive clause may tell us something interesting or incidental about a subject, but it does not define that subject. When writing a nonrestrictive clause, introduce it with "which" and insert commas around the clause. (However, if the subject is or was a human being, use "who" to introduce the clause and insert commas around the clause.)
Correct Nonrestrictive Use:

The painting, which was hanging in the foyer, was stolen.

Explanation: While this nonrestrictive use tells us that the painting was hanging in the foyer, it does not tell us which of the several paintings in the foyer was the stolen painting. It would be incorrect to use this nonrestrictive clause if there had been only one painting in the foyer, as the sentence leaves open the possibility that there were others. 

See also: 
Grammar Girl
World Wide Words

Aussie Accents

We have a few different accents in Australia. I've included a few videos of some different voices.

Reading Catalan News in English?

Here is a link to the Catalan News Agency. Try it out!

Greetings in English

From a Facebook conversation:

Tiffany: Native English Speakers, When you greet someone on a day to day basis, what words do you say? And what is the typical answer? Be honest, variety helps!

Laurie: Hello or Hi.......then i tell them that my Nan thinks i'm wonderful ;) hehehe

Angus: Howdy!

Tiffany: Laurie, you never use ''g'day"?

Laurie: maybe only sometimes.......Grandpa Bill says it & i also know a few others that use it all the time too :) another one I & other people i know say is "Hey"......Mum says Hello too....Oh & Nan says "G'day" too :)

Sevika: Hey, how's it going? Or simply the very South African, howzit!

Vance: For telephones I always use "Ahoy", as Alexander Graham Bell would have wanted. In real life, theres no telling what you'll get when you see me. Any thing from me pretending to tie my shoes to avoid talking to you, to a loud and disingenuous "HEY, HOW YOU DOIN' BUDDY!"

Joe: If I saw you this morning I would say "Hey Tiffany"

Sarah: hey, how are you/how was your day?
reply: good/quite good/ok/busy/the usual

Sarah: @Vance: what do you do if you bend down to tie your shoes, and you realise you have no laces, or velcro?

Vance:
I've many tactics for avoiding talking to insipid fools. shoelaces are just one.

Alicia: We always say "good morning" and reply "good morning" at work - everyone.

Barb: I say hiya which is very british

Lisa: If it is someone I know well, I usually say "Hey" or "Hey there!". If it is more an acquaintance (that I'd see on a day-to-day basis), I us "Hi" or "Hello". The reply is usually a repeat of the greeting I used. (Beyond this is the very typical but meaningless "How are you doing?" to which the reply is a very non-committal "Fine", "Good" or a plea-for-connection-through-shared-misery, "Tired", "Exhausted".)

Let's try to use these every day expressions the next time we meet.

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New English File

This is a link to many activities for English students of all levels. New English File, part of Oxford University Press.

Write Your Shopping List in English!

We're always looking for new ways to integrate English into our life and make it more 'natural'. Try writing your shopping list in English. Try writing in your diary in English.

Have you turned your mobile to 'English' yet?

Photo: Albert Vila (India, 2008)

Cambridge School Blog

Hello everyone,

I came across the Cambridge School Blog and it has some interesting pieces. Take a look when you have time.

Photo: Tiffany Jones (Sumatra, 2009)

September Theme: Self Introductions

This month we'll be concentrating on giving brief self-introductions. What is appropriate information, and what isn't?  If I am the listener, what questions can I ask?

Write up a self-introduction including your name, country of birth, some family details, your work and your hobbies. You can also add more personal information, for example,  if you own a pet, or your favourite books/movies and how you spend your leisure time.

Take a look at the the two videos below. The first one is short and to the point. The second one may take some more time to understand.

Power English

Hi everyone,

I just stumbled across this Ted Power website with some great information for English learners. Take a look!

Remember, for all the links and information that one accumulates, it all means nothing if you don't apply it. Simply spoken: study for results!

Photo: Tiffany Jones (Lake Toba, Sumatra)

Typical Problems for Spanish Learners

This was an excellent PDF for Vocabulary Problems for Spanish Learners.   From what I can tell, it costs money to down load it.  Intermediate or Advanced.

Body Parts

See if you can name all of the parts of the face.

See if you can name all of the parts of the body. Write them down. 

Here is a Spanish/English word game. Click on the 'new game' for news to appear. 

The following is a rather slow video, but you can use it for pronunciation practice.  Good luck!

Prepositions

Prepositions are locators in time and place. 


Read the following:


You can sit before the desk (or in front of the desk). The professor can sit on the desk (when he's being informal) or behind the desk, and then his feet are under the desk or beneath the desk. He can stand beside the desk (meaning next to the desk), before the desk, between the desk and you, or even on the desk (if he's really strange). If he's clumsy, he can bump into the desk or try to walk through the desk (and stuff would fall off the desk). Passing his hands over the desk or resting his elbows upon the desk, he often looks across the desk and speaks of the desk or concerning the desk as if there were nothing else like the desk. Because he thinks of nothing except the desk, sometimes you wonder about the desk, what's in the desk, what he paid for the desk, and if he could live without the desk. You can walk toward the desk, to the desk, around the desk, by the desk, and even past the desk while he sits at the desk or leans against the desk.


For more information, visit Grammar.


The following is a very simple and quite boring video I found on Youtube. However, it is simple and clear and not too long. 

Some Common Errors in Direct Translation

We watch 'the news', or we read 'the news' in newspapers. They are not called notices.

(Do not question why, just use your remember button.)

We have parents. My mother and my father are my parents. They are not 'my fathers'. If I said 'My fathers' I would be referring to two or more men that filled the role of male parent.

In a similar vein, we have children. My son and my daughter are my children. They are not my 'sons'. If I said 'my sons', then I would be referring to my male children.

Catalan English - 'She doesn't wake up trust in me.'

English - 'She doesn't inspire trust in me.'

In general, even if you have been speaking English for several years, you need to make more effort in distinguishing between he/she and him/her.  He is not she, and she is not he. Its quite a typical mistake and needs your attention if you want to improve.

Note book for new vocabulary

Go out and buy yourself a little notebook to write down new words in. Then, make sure you take time out, five minutes or so, to memorize the new words. You can keep the notepad with you, so you can have quick study moments any time of the day you suddenly have five minutes spare.

If you don't know one word, then write it down, and learn it. Its very simple.

Photo: Albert Vila

Different English Accents

April - Directions

This month, we'll be dedicating time to being able to give and follow directions.


For example:



Do you know what these words mean?

• STAND UP. 
• RAISE YOUR HANDS. 
• STRETCH. 
• BEND OVER. 
• TOUCH YOUR KNEES. 
• STRAIGHTEN UP. 
• TOUCH THE FLOOR. 
• TURN AROUND. 
• BEND BACKWARDS. 
• TURN AROUND.
• JOG. 
• SLOW DOWN. 
• FAST AGAIN. 
• STOP. 
• PUT YOUR ARMS IN FRONT OF YOU. 
• BEND YOUR KNEES FIVE TIMES AND COUNT ALOUD. 
• EXTEND YOUR ARMS SIDEWARD. 
• FORWARD. 
• BACKWARD. 
• UPWARD. 
• DROP THEM. 
• SIT DOWN.

From lessons

Asking for Directions - from 'Business English'

Excuse me . . . (This is always the most polite way to begin your request for directions)

• Would/Could you tell me how to get to . . . Anderson Construction?
• How do I find . . . suite 305?
• What is the best way to get to . . . business office?
• Would/Could you direct me to . . . Ms. Sumidata's office?
• Which way do I go to get to . . . the Nobunaga Building?

Giving Directions

• Go straight,  Make a U turn,  Turn left,  Turn right
• Continue on (keep going),  Follow this hall . . . road . . . path
• Take the elevator,  It's about 150 meters
• It's next to . . . across from . . . opposite . . . beside . . . between (two things)
• Cross the . . . street . . . road . . . park . . . lobby . . . intersection . . .
• Go past the . . .
• It's on . . . the left . . . the right . . . the third floor . . . the corner

Prepositions to use with Directions

• Go straight, Go to right left
• Cross On your right,  On your left,  beside
• Next to, Behind,  Across from,  In front of
• On the corner of

(Remember  to say "Thank you" after someone has given you assistance.)

When Giving Directions in English

Giving directions usually consists of to sets of instructions.

In the first set: Say "Go to" and tell the listener what street, building, office number, etc - or - how far they need to go.

In the second set: Say "Then" and tell the listener what to do when they get there. (turn left, turn right, it's on the left, etc.)

Giving even very complicated directions is just a repetition of these two steps.



Practice with this activity from 'Business English'


Have a look at this excellent link for exercises to help with directions

Topic for March 2010 – Appearances (part two)

Warm Weather Vocabulary - chart taken from English Zone 

SWIMSUITS and SWIMWEAR	bikini or two-piece	tank suit or one-piece	swim trunks or swim shorts
	swim goggles	swim mask	snorkel
	flippers or swim fins	wetsuit	life jacket
CLOTHING	Hawaiian shirt	shorts	cut offs
	tank top	T-shirt	shirt
	mini skirts	denim skirt	tube top
SHOES	thongs/sandals	thongs/sandals	sandals

For diagrams and extra vocab:  Clothes Vocabulary from Learn English

This is a short quiz about clothing. Clothes and things we wear

On this site you can listen to an American say the vocabulary for you: if you place the cursor over the article you're interested in, the tag will come up, and the computer will speak to you. Language Guide

How Late is Too Late?

First of all, I know I live in Spain. Time is more flexible here than where I am used to, and outside of English class, I will not complain. However, in an English class, we are not only learning the English language, we're learning English customs.

I added this to my facebook status:

Native English Speakers: How do you personally feel about lateness? If you say 12, what is 'acceptable' lateness and what is not. (Would love as many opinions from as many countries as possible please)

This is what some of my friends had to say in response:

John C.: If it's a pre-arranged appointment with a friend for a coffee or something at a place that's familiar to you both I'd say 15 minutes is the maximum, but really I think if you're going to be more than 5 minutes late it's polite to call ahead and say.

If it's an informal function where there's going to be lots of people I'd say anything up to half an hour is acceptable (if not fashionable =O)"

Barb W.: I am with John and on the Isle of Man the time lines would be longer in Winter to allow for snow etc but in Summer 10 - 15 mins is ok

Sarah St.: Here is my North American perspective! If the appointment is for professional reasons (interview, meeting etc.) then being late is unacceptable, you should arrive at least 15 minutes early. As for pre-arranged/ informal function, I agree with John.

Joe O. Yes, exactly what Sarah said!

It's funny because in my wife's Buddhist group we have the honor of have a Lama from Tibet visit the group sometimes. When he is in town, we talk about American time and Tibet time. (because he always starts late) Tibeten culture is different :-)

Perry F. United States here ... and most of my professional friends follow the axim "If you're early, you're on time ... if you're on time, you're late ... and if you're late, don't bother showing up". Of course these days I work in Emergency Medical Services, so being on time is a tiny bit more crucial than when I was in Real Estate.

Sayed Z.: i think lateness is totally unacceptable.... u may come 15-20min earlier but dont even 5 min later.....

Sabrina S: Hmm...I have to think like my parents because my perspective has been "contaminated". For my parents, being on time means at least 5 minutes early (they usually arrive before then). Being late starts one minute after the arranged time. I think if five minutes have gone by, phone calls would start to be made but maybe not until 10 minutes....polite but annoyed phone calls.

Virginia L: 5 mins, or you better have a limb missing

Kim Beros: I suppose it depends on where you are going. If it is a formal or business appointment it is not really acceptable to be more than a few minutes late. If my students are more than ten minutes late for class, they are considered absent. However I personally think up to fifteen minutes for casual meetings is o.k. Anything after that warrants a call and an apology. People differ greatly in relation to what they deem is time appropriate. Because I am a 'super anal organised, personality type A' I am obsessively 'on the dot', but have a lot of friends who are never on time for anything and I make allowances for that. After all, it is our obsession with 'being on time' for everything that places so much stress on half the world.

Andrew: Occasionally with good excuse is unavoidable. Habitual lateness rhymes with bitchual; how's that 4 english? America bitches!

Little Wolf: and I am not late for professional engagements, but I used to work in international projects and would constantly be frustrated by "africa time" and most of the projects in the middle east would always be over schedule-vendors wouldn't feel a sense of urgency, construction crews would take days off...and we had to be careful not to offend our "partners" in country

Andrew: yeah, black time is the worst. I went to a thing on martin luther king day, and I didn't get to the free fried chicken afterwards until about four hours behind schedule, because everything just got dragged on and on, it was like a nightmare!

Mette M: I'm not native English speaker, but here is my opinion: My limit is MAX 15 min. before I leave (unless the person lets me know he/she is late). Later than that is not acceptable. If the person lets me know (before the 15 min limit) it can be longer depending on the situation.( Waiting on a street corner the limit is 5 min.) Am I strict?

Alicia K: Personally, I am a 15-min girl. Earlier than 15 mins is just rude (because they aren't ready for you), later than 15 minutes, you need to reschedule. Also, I call ahead if I'm going to be more than 5 minutes late and give them an ETA.

However, when I worked with a bunch of people from Latin countries, they operated on very different rules. You were supposed to tell them 10 AM if you meant 12 PM, and it was just "understood".

Susan N: Up to 15 minutes = fashionably late. More than 15 minutes without call / good excuse = rude

David B: It's a sliding double scale, depending on the situation, and my lack of ability to really define reasonable or acceptable. For instance, if I feel I've waited too long, it doesn't really matter if it's been fifteen minutes or an hour; I feel slighted and the ego is hurt. But depending on my internal excuse, I will feel fine being at least that late for someone else. :/

Laurie: Depends on where & what it is.....if your goin out somewhere say to dinner/movie 15-20min but if it's a bbq/party or something an hour is fine. Plus im worth it :D

Sevika S: Back home when you are told 11am, don't arrive before 11.30 as they are not ready for you, unless of course it is a meeting at a restaurant or the like...then 15 min max if they have not called to let you know they will be late.
I practice the 15 min rule, I hate people who waste my time. Though I must say I have not sat around waiting for anyone ever....maybe what you ought to be discussing is 'why don't people call to let you know they will be late for an appointment?'

Beáta S: I agree with Sevika! I'm not an English Native Speaker either but I think the rules of not being late and notifying others if late apply to most of the European countries (well, at least the Northern countries I happened to live in).
I think I could 'forgive' any kind of lateness, as long as I would be notified of it... there is no room in my life for people who cannot respect me... simple as that :))

Sevika S: And just to add, 'lateness' seems so much nicer than 'tardiness'...! On such a disagreeable issue I propose 'tardiness'! :-)

Little Wolf: I am late all the time-unless a friend absolutely needs to be somewhere on time. The army beat it out of me for a time, but it didn't last long. Romantic interests have said it's a matter of respect (lack of respect actually) so at least I give notice these days-although disrespect is never my intention. it's just that bizarre things always come up no matter how many contingency plans I have, and it-timeliness-is not one of my priorities just for the sake of meeting the clock. However-I do move with a sense or urgency when extreme situations call for it, and a delay could result in injury or death.

Little Wolf: oh and if I get tired of waiting I am not bitter, I just find something else to do and figure they got tied up.had a good reason...I almost never feel blown off, or ignored *shrugs* I'm very good at entertaining myself, and very rarely doubt anyone's expressed intentions, unless I have a pattern to go on. 

When coming to English class, I expect you to be on time. If you are more than ten minutes late, you will need to call or send an sms and let me know. If you do happen to be late, you must always begins with an apology. 'I'm sorry I'm late. I was caught in traffic.'


Photo: Tiffany Jones

The Difference Between Wondering and Wandering.

Taken from Seth's Blog 

  Seth says: 

I stumbled on a great typo last night. "Staff in the lobby were wondering around..."

Wandering around is an aimless waste of time.

Wondering around, though, that sounds useful.

Wondering why this product is the way it is, wondering how you can make the lobby more welcoming, wondering if your best customers are happily sharing your ideas with others... So many things worth wondering about, so few people actually taking the time to do it.

Wondering around is the act of inquiring with generous spirit.

Photo taken from Martha Beck

Topic for March 2010 – Appearances (part one)

Phrases and Vocabulary for Appearances:

Clothing and Accessories

I am wearing: 

a sweater with black, purple and grey stripes

a long sleeved black shirt

black jeans

a black belt with a silver buckle

black shoes (loafers)

black socks

reading glasses

two gold rings

My watch is silver and has a black band. It's face is black and white. 

I am wearing a silver necklace.

I am wearing:

a black blouse with ribbons tied into a bow at the sleeves

an Indian cotton blouse

a blouse with embroidery along the neck line

blue denim jeans

a brown belt with a brass buckle

grey wool socks

long dangling earrings.

Hair

My hair is short, black and curly. 

I have straight, black shoulder length hair.  

I am wearing it in a pony tail. 

I have a fringe.

My hair is shoulder length.

I wear my hair short at the back and sides.

I shave my hair.

Additional Phrases and Vocabulary

Its fashionable to wear skinny jeans, but mine are baggy.

• shoe laces
• boots
• sneakers
• suede boots
• piggy tails
• piercings
• zip
• button
• press studs
• wool
• cotton
• leather
• rubber
• brass
• ribbon
• singlet
• long sleeved t-shirt
• embroidery on the neck line
• cuffs 
• friendship band 

What are the teenagers wearing? 

What am I wearing? How is my hair?

Grammar Girl!!! Affect or Effect

From Grammar Girl: Affect or Effect 


Affect
Affect with an a means "to influence," as in, "The arrows affected Ardvark," or "The rain affected Amy's hairdo." Affect can also mean, roughly, "to act in a way that you don't feel," as in, "She affected an air of superiority."

Effect
Effect with an e has a lot of subtle meanings as a noun, but to me the meaning "a result" seems to be at the core of all the definitions. For example, you can say, "The effect was eye-popping," or "The sound effects were amazing," or "The rain had no effect on Amy's hairdo."

Take a look at her page! Its fun and helpful.

British Accents

Common Errors in Translating Catalan to English

Instead of ‘more or less’, try ‘about’.

For example, ‘Cook the pie for about 20 minutes.’

Instead of ‘she showed me’ or ‘she explained me’, try ‘she told me’ or ‘she said’.

For example, ‘My father told me about men like you.’

Instead of ‘Explain to me..’ try ‘Tell me about…’

For example, ‘Could you tell me a bit more about Australia?’

Instead of ‘an ex boyfriend of me’, try ‘an ex boyfriend of mine’

For example, ‘He was an ex boyfriend of mine.’

Instead of ‘we stayed in a hotel during two nights’ try ‘we stayed in a hotel for two nights’.

For example, ‘When we travelled to Egypt, we stayed in a hostel for ten days.’ 


Photo: Tiffany Jones

The Final Consonant

In Catalan you often drop the last consonant when pronouncing a word, such as 'molt'. However, in English we need to hear at least a hint of the last consonant and improved pronunciation of the accompanying  vowels. 


Take 'I didn't do it' for example. Catalan speakers can have a problem with the 'n' sound and then if I don't hear the final 't' as well, I'm really not sure if you did do it, or you didn't. 


Mary, from Canada, wrote the following about pronouncing the final consonant:

It is normal in spoken English for final consonants to be weakened in a stream of speech. Trying to pronounce each word as an isolated unit would lead to very strange and unnatural sounding speech.

For example: I walked to the store.

The /t/ in walked is not aspirated (the tongue moves to the /t/ position, but there is not puff of air to make the typical /t/ sound.) If you tried to say both /t/ sounds in that sentence, it would be very cumbersome.

It's important to note though, that because you don't hear a sound doesn't mean it isn't being pronounced.

Of course, when you are speaking a language, the goal is to be understood, and speaking clearly is important. Part of speaking clearly and understanding spoken English is being able to hear the changes that happen when words are used in combination. The changes are not random, and not simply the result of "lazy" speaking. They are phonological processes that have an impact on the success of communication.

There are some decent listening texts for intermediate + level learners that focus on these type of changes. I'm not familiar with the most recent, but Judy Gilbert is one author that springs to mind. If you check on Amazon, you'll find her books and tapes, which approach the matter fairly systematically...



Here is a link to a podcast to help with pronunciation from Improve English Pronunciation.

Follow this link for typical pronunciation errors for Spanish speakers.

The following is a link for teachers to help Spanish speakers with their English. Home Instruction PDF

For further reading, try Speech Assessment of Spanish-English Bilinguals 

BBC News - In Paris, the customer is not always right

Cultural differences come from different cultural back grounds.

'I'm not your slave'

The fact is Parisians employed in any service industry simply do not buy into the Anglo Saxon maxim, "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

In France your waiter expects to be addressed formally as Monsieur, in exactly the same way he will address you

The revolution of 1789 has burned the notion of equality deep into the French psyche and a proud Parisian finds it abhorrently degrading to act subserviently.

This Sunday, a Parisian friend of mine waited in line at the fruit and vegetable stall of his local market.

When it was his turn to be served, he asked the seller for a kilo of leeks.

"They're at the other end of the stall," snapped the vendor waspishly. "Take a bit of exercise and get them yourself."

There is no mistaking the undertone, "I'm not your slave."

Exert taken from - 

BBC News - In Paris, the customer is not always right