Hello from Yala and Dad
Hi everyone! How are you? Fine I hope. Sorry to all of you who keep writing and telling me how cold you are. Just close your eyes and imagine you are in Sri Lanka with us; though I have to say that if it were a month or two earlier or later, you would not want to be in my shoes, as the humidity increases it becomes less of a pleasant place to be.
Right, first things first, I am afraid I have had a few technical hitches so I will not be able to bring to you the full visual feast I had hoped. I will take you on a full safari, Yala style in a couple of days’ time, when I manage to rectify my lead problem. (Don’t ask!)
In the mean time I thought I would comment on a few of your comments and then I will hand you over to Dad.
First of all, I’ll return to the post where I invited you all to tell me what you wanted from this blog. Here’s what you said:
Vocabulary
Dialogue
A good balance
Fun
Analysis of language
The photos
Information about hobbies, culture and countries around the world
Some of you like the challenges; others just want to read and not necessarily contribute but the main thing that came across was that you are all interested in people and learning about how other people live, work, eat and play. This struck a chord with me as I feel exactly the same way which is probably why I am in this profession and why I have lived in a number of different countries.
Now some answers to a couple of specific questions:
Ana Paula – You asked about ‘but and though’, we do not usually put but and though in the same sentence. However, if we use a semi colon to separate two facts/ideas from each other it is possible to use both in the same sentence but not in the same clause. For example: I like cornflakes but my daughter does not; though my son will eat cornflakes and porridge. A lot of language learners make the mistake of putting but and though/but and although in the same clause/sentence without any semi colon. I wonder whether it is a direct translation issue for you or not? In a lot of languages it is possible but not in English, basically because the two words serve the same function.
Sunny – you wanted to know the difference between until and before and until and by. Well, I’ll do my best. These three words are all used to refer to a particular point in time, be it past, present or future. The difference is in usage. Until is used to refer to a point in time by which we ended/wish to end/circumstances bring an end to something. For example:
I waited until 9 o’clock but he never showed so I went home. (up to that point in time)
I will be in Sri Lanka until at least August 2010.
I always wait until everyone’s finished eating before I start to clear the plates.
Before I go to bed I brush my teeth. This refers to a time shortly preceding my going to bed. It is not that I am brushing my teeth right up to the point of getting into bed. We use before to refer to something that took place/will take place at a point preceding another event/activity/time. It can go at the beginning of a sentence or in the middle or even at the end. For example:
I met him before I came to Sri Lanka.
Before I came to Sri Lanka I had never eaten jackfruit.
I will use lifts now which I never would have done before.
By the time you read this I hope to be tucked up in bed.
I will have left Yala by this time tomorrow. (At some point before 9 p.m. tomorrow)
If we try to replace by with until it does not work. If we try to replace before with until or vice versa it will also not work because they have slightly different meanings and notice the difference in use. I hope these example sentences have helped clarify for you. I often find that examples are the best way of showing the difference.
Sergio - you asked about classifying new vocabulary. Well, these are a few of the ways I recommend to my students and ways I have also used myself.
By topic – all words associated with weather/sport/hobbies etc
By collocation – words which appear together. You could use the concept of a word spot/word web like so:
The main word is take. I record take in my notebook with a lot of other words which I can use with take:
Take a bath
Take a break
Take time
Take a breath
Take away
Take over (v)
Takeover (n)
Overtake (v)
It is also useful to record the part of speech as I have shown above.
Antonyms (Opposites)/synonyms (words with similar meanings)
Formal/informal
Functions – language for directions/letter of application/meeting for the first time etc
I am sure there are many more as well. You just have to decide which works best for you. Of course, there’s always the traditional alphabetical way as well. The main thing I think is that the methods you choose are clearly labeled so you can find what you are looking for quickly when you need to recycle/use that language again. It’s a bit like tidying up. If you are too tidy, you might find you can’t remember where you have put something because you have hidden it so well!
Right, that’s it for me. I will leave you with a couple of pics and Dad.
I bid you all good night. See you on safari very soon. :)
Helen x
Here's the view of Tangalle bay from our lunch stop en route to Yala. 
Good evening everybody. You are in the hands of an amateur blogger!
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Roy. I live in the Lake District in northern England. I am Helen’s father and am spending a wonderful holiday with my family on the beautiful island of Sri Lanka. It is a complete contrast to having left England at -3 degrees, dropping into Sri Lanka the following day to a balmy 28 degrees in the shade!
We are staying in a resort called Yala Village. 
Facilities are really good. Here's a picture of my chalet. It's just opposite Helen's. 
As usual with holidays we seem to be staggering from one meal time to another. When we return to our home in Colombo I have made a resolution to shed a few pounds by walking along the nearby beach; but as we all know the road to hell is paved with good intentions!
On our arrival we were advised to have a guide to take us to our chalet as there are wild boar roaming the grounds! Rather off-putting but up to now we are all safe and sound.
Thank you for the privilege of speaking to you all. It has been a great pleasure. I am very impressed with your language skills and really amazed at the comments that come in from all over the world. Good luck with your studies and thank you for your patience with me.
Best Wishes,
Roy
Comments
Hello Helen, I just wanted to give a comment to your next-to-last blog. Our last journey went to Tanzania. We had never been before there and it was a great experience. With us travelled two friends of our. During the days we were on safari but in the evenings we were firmly ensconced in the lodges where we had time to talk about what we had experienced before. Maybe I should tell you when we arrived we got a pleasant surprise, our African guide spoke German. This boded really well because of my bad English.So I was sure to have hassle-free daily trips to the different National Parks. I knew I had the chance to get answers to all my questions also in Germany if necessary. First we were a bit worried because the rainy season was longer than normal and we thought we wouldn't see many wild animals near the water holes because there was water everywhere. Our guide promised to drive slowly and to look carefully. He said he'd know a special place with many elephants. But the way would take about 4 hours. And what do you think: all was true, exactly four hours after we had started we were bang on target. And of course there we cold observe a big elephant family with many babies at the water hole. We were moved watching all the wild animals in their natural surrounding. Now some words about the lodges where we stayed. They had a wide selection of wonderful African red wines. I love red wine! The buffet food was more than quite tasty, it was excellent! One day we headed to the Ngorongoro Crater, a kind of Arche Noah, an unforgottable place! (Please, I have a problem with head off to... you used in your blog. My Oxfort dictionary couldn't help me. Maybe you can explain why you used it . Thanks.) Felicitas
Hello Roy! It's been a pleasure reading your kind words, the convey sheer reliance. Here in my country we're going through a freezing weather and the temperature in many cities have dropped down to minus 10 degrees celsius, but luckily in the region where I live (South-East of Spain) the weather is being very mild "but only by the Mediterranean Sea" and the temperatures are over 5 degree celsius and in the middle of the day they have reached 13º celsius. I wish you a very enjoyable holidays with your daughter and her family. See you soon.
Hi Roy! It is great to have a chance to get acquaintance with you. it sounds that you have had a beautiful time with the family. I’ve once been to the Lake District. The view of the region was absolutely breathtaking although it was bitterly cold and winded. I’d love to go back there and see every different four seasons’ of sceneries if I can. Thank you for have shared your time with us and I wish you all the best.
Hello Helen and Roy! Roy is really a pleasure to hear from you. The pictures are very beautiful. Moreover, I hope you keep enjoying your holiday. Helen, thank you very much for answering my question. The but and though issue is not a matter of direct translation to me. Actually, while I was writing an email when this issue just came to my mind. I got a bit confuse and then I thought you´d be better to ask you. I´m looking forward to seeing your safari pictures. Good night, Ana Paula.
Hi Helen! I'm Mercè, a woman from Spain. A warm congratulation for your explanations about vocabulary. Really I'm impressed with your skills for being an excellent teacher. I read every day your entries and I want to say that I really enjoy your writing. You have a fantastic family and it seems you are an optimistic and happy woman. It has been a pleasure to read the words written by your father. I wish you all the best! Until next time! (I promise, apart of reading your entries, to write my comments more frequently) (Sorry if my English is not so good, but I try to do all my best ...) Bye, bye.. Mercè
Hi Helen, We are celebrating Pongal, one of the Hindu festivals right now. You must have celebrated this festival when you were in Delhi. We have Pongal holiday for three consecutive days. First day is Pogi. People will through away the old things. Some of them burnt waste materials and begin new life. Now a days police restrict them not to do these kinds of unnecessary things on streets. The next day is Pongal. It is a festival for the farmers. The will offer the products where they reaped from the field to the God. You must ask Pankaj more about this festival. Tell me about his views about Pongal. Exactly this time last year we the family members went Thekkadi, one of the hill stations and wild life sanctuary. It is situated in Kerala state. It is one of the southern states of India. If you take boat trip, if you are lucky enough, you can see plenty of elephants and other wild animals but not tiger. It is always nice to see the animals with the natural living place. The climate is also very nice for the tourists because you don’t have the climate of this in other parts of India. I think Mr. Roy is enjoying his trip with his grand daughter. All the best for his remaining trip.
Hello Mr. Roy! It's really a pleasure talking to you. Hope to see you again on this blog. Yala seems to be an interesting place. I have only seen chalet in films or in photos I imagine it would be calm and peaceful to stay in it. Bets wishes and have a whale of a time in Sri Lanka. Helen, thank you for getting your dad to write something for us all. Best wishes, Naheed
Hi Helen, Your pictures are beautiful. Thank you for teaching us how to classify the vocabulary. It has been a pleasure to know your father and to read his writing. I wish you all have a wonderful time in your holiday.
Hello Roy, nice to meet you, I am glad to read your message,and welcome to Taiwan.Best wishes,James.
hi Helen, it gives me great pleasure to write to an english teacher. it's unbelievable that BBC takes care of its listeners so much. i feel sorry to have come to know to English Blog-stuff lately. i have one suggestion and a question as well. suggestion: to have a podcast of whatever a teacher writes in a blog. don't u think it is more important to listen to someone while learning a language. question: when somebody says "how do you do", what am i supposed to reply. please justify thanking you
Hi Roy, how are you?. It's great to know you. Your pics of Isabel and you are so tender that your enormous tenderness arrives thousands miles away by the wires. Enjoy your journey and don't stop. Go on with your blogg, you have a catching style. Isabel is a lucky lady, surely she delights very, very much your company. See you, Toni
Hello Helen, How are you doing all? Thank for introducing you father Mr. Roy to us. It has been a great pleasure to meet him at this virtual place. Thank You Mr. Roy sharing your time with us. It is indeed that you will have a great and quality time with your lovely daughter and adorable grandaughter and his husband in Srilanka. Your yala pictures are beautiful. I love the picture of your dad with Isabel and their shadows at the beach. It was a good shot.
Hello Helen, How are you all doing?. Thank you for introducing your father to us. It has been a great pleasure meet him at this virtual place. Thanks Mr.Roy sharing your time with us. It is indeed that you will have great time with your lovely daughter, adorable grandaughter Isabel and Pankaj in Srilanka. The Yala pictures are beautiful. I love the picture of your dad with Isabel and their shadows at the beach. It was a good shot. Helen I learnt all the idioms in 'take'but 'takeover' was new to me. I learnt the meaning of that. Due to the economic crisis, most of the companies takeover employees to early retirement. I don't know this sentense fragment is right. Could please correct this. Thank you.
Hi Helen, first thing first a warmth welcome to Roy who says he's an amateur blogger but I say he can tech us a lot of thing. Thanks a lot for the tips on vocabulary (and other grammar explanation), I'm reorganizing it with some of your interesting ideas. I completly agree with student bloggers and you that it is very fascinating reading people's stories and try to imagine how they live. But unlike you I like travelling when I'm taking time off and after, come back home. I'm sorry you have had such technical hitches, I hope everything's going well because I´m looking forward to seeing your safari pictures. However, I envy you in such a lovely place. bye for now
Hello Hellen! Thanks for lots of post. I immediately felt being warm up by this good reading and clear explanations. Hello Roy! Welcomme in a big amateur bloggers family! You have send us a very precise description of feelings and situation. I had a good laugh. You know, once I was unbelievable twenty years younger, I had to run away spotting a boar with a family stepping in a looong black row befor me. Be sure I made my record succesfully, surviving exhaustion and feaaar. Safe stay to you and all the family!
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