First Steps
Hello everyone. How are you? I wasn’t going to blog until tomorrow but there is too much that has happened today in world history for me to wait. First and foremost – no, it’s not the first black president of the USA – Isabel took her first steps this morning. She has been on the verge for a while now but this morning was the time she chose to bowl me over and I welled up and started blubbering, which confused her slightly! I felt a fool but I was so emotional I couldn’t help myself. Then, when I went into the office and everyone’s phones were beeping ten to the dozen and the colour of the USA map was changing from red to blue at a fantastic rate, it all became too much for me. Will he make a difference? We can only hope…
Well, enough of US politics and baby talk, time to get down to brass tacks, Olfa, it has to be said that your English is pretty good and your vocabulary can be very precise. Take for example, your use of the word catastrophic to describe the distressing situation you found yourself in on the eve of your first student blog experience, I can well imagine what you must have been going through, as I’m sure the other readers could too. Likewise, your use of to top it all was absolutely spot on in that sentence and context. It sounded very natural and added spice to your sentence. By spice I mean colour, flavour, it enriched your sentence and helped to paint a picture for us. Well done!
Now I have a question for you Olfa, and maybe one for all the other bloggers to consider too. How often do you write/speak by using direct translation? The reason I ask is that because your mother tongue is French, the temptation is probably greater than with languages not as close in root to English. You have the advantage (or disadvantage depending on which way you look at it) of having a huge passive knowledge of English words which are very similar – to look at - to the French equivalent. For example, fantastic, formidable, catastrophic etc. However, there is a risk that you can end up using the wrong word in the wrong place through translating.
An example in your first blog of this is reunified. 'Well, in short, it seems that everything is reunified to make this day a particularly sad and desperate one'. Try to rephrase this sentence keeping what I have said in mind. Maybe the other bloggers can help out too. OK, that’s vocabulary; now let’s look at some grammar. Your sentence construction is good and your sentences hang together well. You might want to pay some attention to your use of tenses and verb forms. Again, maybe the other bloggers can help out. Find the mistake in the following sentences and rewrite.
1. I wish I've could have sent this first letter yesterday, but it was completely impossible.
2. Just think for a person who is used to be connected many hours a day, the situation was just catastrophic.
3. I'm trying during this month to share with you some special time and make French culture and habits more understandable for everyone.
4. To everyone, I will really enjoy to answer to any of your question.
OK Olfa, tell us now more about where you live and work and whether you can get me a job in Paris! I have to say, I love that city and wouldn’t mind living there some day.
P.S. for fans of British culture and traditions, take a look at the blog on 5th November 2007 – Rachel Hunt does a pretty thorough job of describing events that led to us celebrating Guy Fawkes’ downfall.
Answers to last blog's challenge:
Are over – have come to stay with us/are here/came to visit us - there are actually many ways we can rephrase this and we can use different tenses to express the same thing. I chose to use the present simple aspect to bring you closer to the event, and make it sound closer to now.
Curiously - strangely
Draw a blank – fail to recall something/fail
Came up trumps – complete something well or successfully, especially when not expected
Befitting - suitable
Oughtn’t to – should not – the use of oughtn’t to in the blog was meant to be humourous. It was not used to advise but to mock anyone who might think of leaving such a paradise
Serenity – peace/absence of stress or anxiety
Proximity to – closeness to
Palm her off – get rid of her (sounds really awful but it is said in jest and we only did this temporarily!
Alliteration – repetition of consonant sound at the beginning of each syllable
Cohesive – sticks together well
For today’s vocabulary, try matching the word/phrase from the blog with the correct definition. Good night all.
Engage with the basic facts or realities
hang together
Exactly right/accurate
bowl me over
Connect
spot on
Overwhelm/impress or delight
get down to brass tacks
Got tears in my eyes
blubbering
Crying and snuffling/weeping
welled up
Comments
Hi,to all ,You have the whole rite to be thrilled with your doughter`s first step.Congratulation .I will try to rewrite the certain centences you montiond :1- 1. I wish I could have sent this first letter yesterday, but it was completely impossible. 2. Just think of a person used to be connected many hours a day, the situation was just catastrophic. 3. I'm trying this month to share with you some special time and make French culture and habits more understandable for everyone. 4. To everyone, I will really enjoy to answer any of your question.
Hello Helen! Well, very interesting the issue of similarities of words in booth languages of you and Olfa. It sounds a little tricky in my opinion and I think because of this many foreigns who use to speaking in another language use to add some words amongst the sentences. I was not so good student in relation of portuguese language so imagine that it doesn´t help me so much to know anything about the root of the languages but off course I know that it´s a Lating language with lots of words those came from greek and latin language. I suppose. Am I right? Please correct me if I am wrong. What´s the roots of english language? Is there some language which a english spoken could learn easier? When you´ve explained the meaning of GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS, it just remembered me Stephen´s blog when he said: It brought tears in my eyes. Good refreshment for my mind once all the time anything brought tears in my eyes and off course I try to hide these moments. lol Huges from Brazil.
Hi Helen! What a wonderful news! So, Isabel gave her first steps, didn´t she? How cute :-). I have an one year old baby cousin called Beatriz. Well, Bia gave her first steps a couple of weeks ago and we are all delightful to see her wandering around with small and lurched steps :-). Anyway, I´ll have a go at the homework: 1. I wish I could have sent this first letter yesterday, but it was completely impossible. 2. Just think of a person who is used to be connected many hours a day, the situation was just catastrophic. 3. I'm trying during this month to share with you some special time and make French culture and habits more understandable to everyone. 4. To everyone, I will really enjoy answering to any of your question. Hang together: Connect; Bowl me over: overwhelm/impress or delight; Spot on: Exactly right/accurate; Get down to brass tacks: Engage with the basic facts or realities; Blubbering: crying and snuffing/weeping; Welled up: got tears in my eyes. Good night and have good dreams, Ana Paula.
Hi! I`ve enjoyed every word of your blog. You are a wonderful teacher, knowing several languages surely gives you a good adventage. Besides, you must love what you do, I can tell by the way you take time to explain everything. I think you have a wonderful family and a lovely girl.Congratulations!! I'll try to correct some of Olfa's mistakes in order to improve my own English.I think she should have said " I wish I could have sent this letter yesterday..."; "Just think of a person who is used to being connected for a lot of hours a day"; "During this month I'll try to share some special time with you and make.."; "I'll really enjoy answering all of your questions." get down to brass tacks: engage with the basic facts or realities hang together:connect blubbering: crying and snuffering/weeping spot on: exactly right/accurate bowl me over:overwhelm/impress or delight welled up: got tears in my eyes Look forward to your next blog, see you
Hi, Helen Wow, how unforgettable and memorable day will be for you and your husband. I have no doubt that the triumph of little Isabel’s walking upright gave you the most precious surprise and made you the proudest mum in the world. I am so happy for you and I’ll drink my tea to your princess and you. Cheers! May I move onto your homework? 1. I wish I could have sent this first letter yesterday… 2.Just think of a person who is connected with Internet for many hours a day, 3.I’ll be trying to share some special time with you and make French’s culture and habits more understandable for everyone. 4.i will really enjoy answering any of your questions for anyone. Hang together-connect Bowl me over-overwhelm/impress or delight Spot on-exactly right/accurate Get down to brass tacks-engage with the basic facts or realities Blubbering-crying and snuffling /weeping Welled up-got tears in your eyes. In my view the credit crunch has badly hit grass roots because it was much quieter last night. Compared to last years’ bonfire night in my local. Before signing up I must thank you for giving me your explanation of my question. Have a good day!xx
Hi Helen, It’s always exciting to see the progress and development of the children when they grow one stage to another. It was no exception for you to see it with thrilling yesterday. But it will be difficult for you to control Isabel for next few months as she will be moving around to explore new adventurous things. Good luck for both of you. Even in the tea shop here, there were talks about Oboma today. Will the magic word Change prove him to be a successful President of the USA? Wait and see.
Hi Helen, When ever I write something in English I use to show to some of my friends who are good in English for correction. I have doubt about my language. certainly they made some correction. I feel guilty that I couldn’t write without error. Most of the time they advised me not to translate directly from my mother tongue, that is Tamil. Could you give me tips to improve on that? Not only words I make sentence structure like that. 1. I wish I could have sent this first letter yesterday, but it could be impossible. 2. just think for a person who are used to be connected many hours a day, the situation was just catastrophic. 3. I try during this month to share with you some special time and make French culture and habits more understandable for everyone. 4. To everyone, I really enjoy to answer to any of your question.
Hi Helen! Well, the scene when my nephew, Peter, got up on his feet gripping fast a holder of a big trunk, is sticking in my mind lively. Then, almost each day went breaking events in my country which long have faded out even, I rekon, only historiographer could remember them precisely. Peter, now twenty, takes his studies at an university but this surprising and memorable picture is always worth to remember when the family is together. Until I was to rewrite the sentences many answers have yet appeared so I will wait for your correction. All the best and cheers!
Hi Hellen I can imagine your feelings, I never had this feelings because my son is disabled. I´ll try to do the homework. hang together - connect bowl me over - overwhelm/impress or delight spot on - exactly right/accurat get down to brass tacks - engage with the basic facts or realities blubbering - crying and snuffing / weeping welled up - got tears in my eyes. Have a nice time wih your daugher and enjoy the further steps.
Hi dear teacher Hlen, great to meet you.First of all let me congratulate you for your happy tidings about the first steps of your cute Isabel, the event that you were looking forward it. I understand your feeling at the moment, and also can incarnate your happiness along with your tears of joy in my mind. Then, I have a word about the second event that you mentioned: US new president.I just want to say, this is the beauty of democracy which allows anyone to be elected as a president apart from his thought, colour, etc, just because of his personal abilities. Best wishes. Karou
Dear Helen, How are you and your family. It is great to hear that, this month teacher blogger teach us from my country srilanka. It is an awesome feeling for me like the black president was elected in usa.This is possible only in usa because, the most of the young generation are very libral and they like change. I think that president obama will make big different in economy,healthcare,education and etc. But it won't happen in overnight. we have to wait and see. Your daughter Isabel is adorable who look like my second daughter when she was in Isabel age. It is exiting when we see the developement and progress our children in each stage. They are lovely and memorable moments. kind regards.
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