November 2006Fast reading and Dickens!Hi there
Alex, when I was a child, David Copperfield was one of my favourite novels too! I can still remember finding this very old set of Charles Dickens novels on the windowsill of my primary school classroom. The books were tiny with very small print and very thin paper that was gold rimmed. They looked like prayer books. Because they were so small I could read them under my desk when I was bored! Come to think of it, this kind of reading probably contributed to my short sightedness which was diagnosed a few years later. I was only about nine or ten when I began to read Charles Dickens and I think that there were a lot of words that I didn't understand but I was drawn into the rich descriptive passages and of course the really strong characterisationand plot of his novels.
I read a lot of classic novels from that windowsill and lots of them I only partially understood but I learnt to read on without worrying too much about all the words that I didn't understand. Of course the more I read the more I developed my vocabulary through just guessing. I can't remember ever looking up words or even asking anybody about meaning. I just liked reading fast and I still do!
You mention articles and phrasal verbs as being very difficult to get right. I think most learners would agree with you there. I'm afraid that I don't have any special technique that I can suggest except to read more and notice more. Sounds simple but it isn't, I know. Both of these parts of language are very high frequency and in a way insiduous. You have probably been taught lots of rules about their use but actually find it difficult to apply them. Read more and identify any uses of articles that stick out to you for any reason. It's true that phrasal verbs are much more prevalent in speech. I just had a quick check of what I had written but couldn't find many here.I've highlighted some patterns with articles and a few phrasal verbs today and will try and do this in the future too.
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
on the widowsill
come to think of it
to be drawn into something
the rich descrptive passages
the really strong characterisation
to learn to read on
insiduous posted on Wednesday, 01 November 2006 | comment on this postKeep on readingHi there
Alex I was really interested in your description of your job. You have managed to change my preconceptionsof what software designers actually do! You have really given me a feeling of the creativity and excitement involved.
Thanks for picking up on my reading faster suggestion. I've always read fast because I'm compelled by the story and of course I can read fast because my brain actually predicts a lot of the words. If you have been reading Harry Potter for about 6 months then you are not really getting into the story. I think that the essence of reading is the story not the words. You will build a bigger vocabulary if you read more and to read more you have to read faster. So try to keep on reading without looking up words until you really can't understand!
In my company we celebrate 15 public holidays a year which are a real mixture of significant and usually religious holidays of the main ethnic and religious groups in Malaysia. This includes Christmas Day but not Easter and definately not Halloween! We don't really celebrate Halloween very much in UK, it's much more of an American tradition. Interestingly public holidays in UK are still called Bank Holidays presumably because banks used to be shut only on these days. Of course nowadays whether a bank is physically open or not is unimportant due to the advent of internet banking and "holes in the wall" i.e ATM machines. I don't think that I've actually been into my bank for a couple of years! This is a great development, I think. How about you, do you actually have to queue up in the bank still?
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
a preconception of something
to be compelled by something
the essence of something
a Bank Holiday
the advent of something
a hole in the wall
posted on Thursday, 02 November 2006 | comment on this postTelling jokesHi there
Alex I liked your joke very much and got it but maybe we can slightly improve it? As I think jokes are often a play on words it is very important to be accurate.
"There are 10 types of people. Those who's aware of binary counting and those who's not." Have you got it?
Try
There are ten types of people; those who are aware of binary counting and those who aren't! Get it?
I also admired your use of the word unveil as in;
I'm not supposed to unveil details of my job
You could also say;
I'm not supposed to divulge details of my job
But back to jokes. I think the world is divided into those who can tell jokes and those who can't. What do you think? I'm certainly one of the latter. I get quite nervous when telling a joke and then I risk forgetting the punchline, which is really mortifying!
I also think that men are much more likely to tell jokes. Am I being biased?
If I find it difficult to tell a joke in my first language, how much more difficult can it be in a second language. What's your experience?
Don't get me wrong I love jokes and am particularly fond of puns or plays on words but I just like to be the recipient or the audience. I suppose that I'm most drawn to verbal comedy and don't really enjoy physical comedy or slapstick routines. Not suprising that I'm drawn to language, is it?
Reza, thak you for your comments. I'm having a think about how best to respond to your suggestion about giving more support to the meaning of the highlighted patterns and lexis. One of the things that I'm trying to do as much as is natural is to give a paraphrase of language that I think maybe challenging within the text.
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
a play on words
a pun
to divulge details of something
the punchline
mortifying
to be the recipient of something
slapstick routines posted on Friday, 03 November 2006 | comment on this postThe winner takes all!Hi there
Hope you all had a great weekend! I spent most of mine doing mum duties, i.e supporting my son Danial who was taking part in a competition. This was a competition that is called F1 in schools. His team reached the finals and achieved a fine result of 4th place. However for the boys in the team it was a devastating loss. They'd really worked hard for the last 4 months and had hoped to get first place! Heart-breaking as a parent to see the disappointment in their faces as the results were announced. Although we tried to cheer them up through positive comments and praise it didn't work. Ah, I have such divided feelings about competition. I realise that they wouldn't have been so motivated to achieve what they did without the competition but of course the winner takes all and in this case a place in the International Finals to be held in Australia.
I was actually pleased to see that the winners were an all girl group. Great to see young women taking on traditionally male areas of engineering. So if my son's team couldn't be the overall winner, I was pleased to support the girls.
Alex, many thanks for the pictures, I have a much better idea of your hometown now. My goodness, even without the snow it looks cold!
As you have discussed your problems with articles previously here are some suggestions from your blog;
at the junction of the rivers Volga and Oka
to defend the young russian state
the lucky position of crossing several trade tracks, our town formed to a big trade center
during the Soviet period
During World War Two the town helped a lot in the struggle with fascism providing the Soviet Army with a significant amount of weapon.
It's great to see you using the word, vivid, Alex and you are exploring when it can or can't be used.
Nevertheless the arhitecture of the town is getting pretty more vivid.
Unfortunately Alex, vivid doesn't collocate with or go with the word architecture. In this case try using strikingas in;
Neverthess the architecture of the town is getting more striking
Collocation or which words go together, is I think a very difficult element of using English. In this case vivid and striking have very close meanings but are used with different subjects somtimes but can also be used in the same context as a colour can be both vivid and striking. Confusing I think?
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today's blog;
a devastating loss
heartbreaking as a (parent) to see the something
to have divided feelings about something
the winner takes all
to collocate with something
striking
Collocation posted on Monday, 06 November 2006 | comment on this postShop until you dropHi there
It's interesting to see your description of the new shopping centre Alex and for you a very innovative concept. These kinds of centres are very convenient with everything under one roof and protection from the weather too. Sometimes they can seem just too big and generally they offer a generic range of high street shops. They are often criticised as they may lead to the demise of traditional shops who are unable to compete with the prices that large volume stores can offer.
I'm sitting on the fence on this one as I appreciate the convenience that these large centres offer but also I'm worried that small specialist shops will be lost. I imagine that alot of people share my views. One thing is for sure these large centres are here to stay.
In Kuala Lumpur there are quite a number of upscale shopping centres and they are very very popular. With very good airconditioning they do make shopping a lot easier in this very hot climate. They are in themselves a kind of leisure activity for families!
Alex, I laughed out aloud at your opening description of the public holiday situation. You are a witty writer! I'm always pleased to start my day with a laugh, it's good for me!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
to shop until you drop
an innovative concept
with everything under one roof
a generic range of something
high street shops
to lead to the demise of something
to sit on the fence
specialist shops
upscale shopping centres
a witty writer posted on Tuesday, 07 November 2006 | comment on this postWith sympathyHi there
What a horrible experience Alex! I’m so sorry, you and your family must feel very frustrated. It is a distressing experience, made more so I guess by the fact that this is not the first time. I think that you are amazing to be able to keep going with your blog too given the circumstances.
I feel a bit odd or insensitive highlighting some language from your blog today but maybe out of adversity comes wisdom or you could say that I’m trying to find something positive out of your description of your difficulties. So I hope that you are not offended by this Alex!
Instead of ‘rubbish people' try down-and-outs which is a little bit softer. If you want a stronger term you could try vagrants.
"They ramble here and there instantly drunk, dirty and stinking. There is little job in the countryside and all they intents are to steal something, sell it and get drunk again."
I’ve reformulated this;
"They ramble here and there constantly drunk, dirty and stinking. There are very few jobs in the countryside and there only aim is to steal something, sell it and get drunk again."
One thing is for sure Alex, once you have recovered from your shock and upset, we would love to hear about the positive side of your house in the country.
Thank you for all your comments – it’s great to hear from you. A while ago Pary asked for the meaning of insidious a word that I’d highlighted in a blog. It is a negative word that means spreading quietly and harmfully. I used it in a playful way to describe the use of articles in English!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
given the circumstances ( in this situation)
a distressing experience ( an upsetting experience)
out of adversity comes wisdom ( you can learn from a difficult situation)
to be offended by something ( to be made upset or angry by something)
a down-and-out ( someone who has no job, no opportunities)
a vagrant ( someone who is poor with no job and no home)
to reformulate something (to improve) posted on Wednesday, 08 November 2006 | comment on this postSome of my favourite thingsHi there
A glass of vodka and a great movie sounds like my idea of recovery actually, although I’d probably prefer a glass of wine. I love movies too Alex but probably we have very different tastes. I admired the style of The Matrix but found the storyline impossible to understand. I like movies that have a great narrative drive or storyline and also the quality of the dialogue is very important to me. My husband Mustapha, on the other hand really likes action movies and in particular Kung Fu movies, so you can see that we have problems in selecting what to watch together. I suspect that is true for most families?
I’m interested too in the way it is possible to make independent movies very cheaply and easily using digital technology. Hannah my daughter who is very into the Arts like me is working with a young Indie film-maker at the moment. They are planning a movie and I think they have very little money but it is a kind of democratic activity with everyone donating their services and what they can in order to be part of the creative process. I think that is absolutely wonderful.
I’ve heard good things about the TV series you mentioned but haven’t managed to catch it myself yet. Another one for the list of things to see! I must say that I’m an avid follower of certain TV series and I really like being able to get the whole series and watch it at my leisure. I hate having to wait a week for an episode, I’m greedy I suppose? An all-time favourite is the West Wing (I still have the final series to look forward to) and more recently Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve also seen the complete set of Six Feet Under which was beautifully written and acted.
These are some of my favourite things to quote a famous song. Tell me about yours.
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
a great narrative drive (a strong storyline)
the quality of the dialogue (the quality of the speech)
to be into something (to be very interested in something)
an Indie film maker (an Independent film maker)
to catch it ( to see it)
to be an avid follower of something (to be really interested in something)
an all-time favourite (a classic favourite) posted on Thursday, 09 November 2006 | comment on this postMy pipe dreamHi there
Great pictures Alex, we’ll have to start calling you Captain as you really do look like an astronaut! Your house looks lovely, a real place that allows you to get away from the stress of the working week and town life. Your boys must love the opportunities for freedom.
Alex I found the following a bit difficult to work out?
"As soon as quantity of doings is overwhelming we don't treat them seriously and try to do only those things that are not too boring."
Did you mean;
"As soon as we find the number of chores overwhelming, we don’t take them too seriously and only do those that we find not too boring."
I’ve always longed for a house by the sea, a cottage would be perfect. I have a dream of spending my retirement in such a place but it’s probably a ‘pipe dream’ I love where I live now as it is on the outskirts of the city and backs onto semi - jungle. The downside is that we have problems with monkeys. Sadly the monkeys are pests and raid our rubbish bins and get into the house if we leave windows open when we are out. On several occasions we’ve come home and found monkeys walking down the stairs! It’s a surreal situation as they look so human and you can imagine that they are going to speak!
We have quite a lot of other wildlife around too, lots of birds; I don’t know their names but have promised myself that I’m going to learn them when I have time. I’ve got the books and the binoculars. We also have little squirrels that come into our living room sometimes and of course lots of small lizards or geckos. I really like the geckos as apart from being charming to watch they actually do a great job of eating insects etc. We’ve also got pets; two cats Lulu and Blackie and an aquarium of small fish which don’t have names!
Tricia
Lexis and phrases from today;
a chore (boring or routine jobs in and around the house)
to long for something ( to want something very much)
a pipe dream ( an impossible dream)
on the outskirts of something ( an area on the edge of a town or city)
to back onto something ( the back of the building faces something)
the downside is... (the disadvantage is)
a pest ( a small animal which is harmful or destroys things)
a surreal situation ( a strange or unreal situation)
a gecko (small lizard)
charming ( pleasant and attractive) posted on Friday, 10 November 2006 | comment on this postI survived a teenage party!Hello there
I survived a teenage party!
Danial had a 16th birthday party yesterday which I think he really enjoyed and was for me quite low key in preparation. I used to dread arranging parties for the children when they were small. Although I very much wanted them to have a party, the thought of organising and preparing for it on top of everything else I had to do was daunting! As a working mum I had to take some short cuts, bought cakes rather than baked them myself, sometimes had the parties at restaurants but always felt a bit guilty. However the guilt is just part of being a working mum, in my experience.
This time around I had to do very little apart from fund it. Danial sent the invitations by SMS. We ordered in pizza and I ordered a birthday cake from a shop. Apart from buying some soft drinks and snacks there was little to do. Danial organised the rooms, lighting and music himself. Hannah and I went out for dinner and then came back and hid in our rooms, so that we didn’t get in the way!
By midnight it was all over except for the small group who were sleeping over! Brilliant, nothing seems to be broken and the mess is not too bad. I came to work this morning, leaving the boys sleeping amid pizza boxes and so on. I'm one happy mum!
Alex, as always I enjoyed your witty blog. Here's a small suggestion;
"In my youth I used to ramble in a forest picking up mushrums, berries or without a purpose"
Try
"In my youth, I used to ramble in the forest sometimes picking berries and mushrooms and sometimes aimlessly."
Alex you mentioned in passing, the one-time popularity of Brazilian soaps in Russia. It's funny, but this morning I was discussing a similiar subject with Hannah. There are lots of foreign soaps that are shown on TV here and in general they are very popular. The most popular seem to be those from South America and we were discussing the reasons for this. It seems odd as the lifestyles and culture portrayed in these soaps are so different from the local culture but we decided that that must be the reason itself. What do you think?
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
to be low-key ( something is quiet and not too demanding)
to dread doing something ( to be very anxious about something that is going to happen)
something is daunting ( to be slightly worried about your ability to do something)
to fund something ( to provide the money to apay for something)
aimlessly (without any clear purpose)
to mention something in passing ( it is said while talking about something else, it isn't the main subject of the conversation)
the one-time popularity of something ( something was popular at one specific time)
to portray something ( to represent it) posted on Monday, 13 November 2006 | comment on this postI married the same man three times!Hi there,
Congratulations Alex, I loved your story of how you got married, you are a romantic, right? The evidence is that lovely story of spending all your hard earned money on a wedding bouquet for your bride.
From romantic to teacher mode:
"The period of lack, lack of everything"
Try;
"This was a period of paucity, a lack of everything"
My wedding anniversary is also coming up, well two of them are. I'm going to explain my title today which sounds like it comes from a gossip magazine!
Yes, I married the same man three times, twice in Malaysia and once in UK. Is this a record do you think? The last of the weddings took place in London and by the time the Registrar asked, “Have you been married before?” We didn’t know what to say? The three weddings stretched over 3 months and we have now forgotten the date of the first one, sometime in October, possibly the 14th?
Anyway, here’s the story; the first wedding was a religious one in KL, the second about 6 weeks later on November 25th was I suppose a cultural one and also took place in KL. The third and final one took place in London on 22nd December. We usually celebrate the December event probably because I can remember the date and my family remembers it too and send cards and so on. Culturally the celebration of wedding anniversaries seems to be not really so important in Malaysia. But anyway my role in my family is to remember all celebrations! I’m the keeper of the diary!
Why did we get married so many times? Well, we wanted to include all of our diverse families and to start by making sure that everybody in our family was happy. We enjoyed all of the occassions, but the final party in London was the best. A lot of my mum's relations from Ireland came over for the wedding and they sung and played traditional music and danced and really made it special!
So for us it is 23 years of marriage to celebrate sometime this year. Mustapha came home from a trip yesterday and I was very pleased to see him. I’d definitely missed him; that in itself is testimony to 23 years of by and large happy married life! I'm too much of a realist to want to suggest that marriage is always a bed of roses!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today:
A wedding bouquet (flowers carried by the bride)
a paucity of something (a lack of something)
to be coming up ( is happening soon)
the Registrar ( the name of the official who conducts civil marriages)
the keeper of something ( the person who takes charge of something)
to be testimony to something ( clear evidence of something)
by and large ( when everything about a situation is considered together)
a bed of roses ( an easy or happy situation)
posted on Tuesday, 14 November 2006 | comment on this postReading poetryHi there
I’m impressed Alex that you have shared your poetry with us and amazed that even quite early on in your English learning that you began to write poems in English. You obviously have a strong creative urge. Do you read and write poetry in Russian?
I agree with you when you say that it’s difficult to read poetry and learn from it and also sometimes to understand it. Poets play with language and consciously break the “rules” to create style. Of course some poetry is actually beautiful in its simplicity, for example one of my favourite poems; "This Is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams is very accessible and much of its beauty lies in this simplicity. I’m not sure about the copyright so I’m afraid I can’t quote it for you here.
I don’t write poetry myself and have to say although I like it very much, I don’t read it as much as I did when I was younger. This is largely due to laziness as often I go for the easier route of reading fiction or biography. I think that reading poetry for me does take a bit more mental discipline as I have to think a lot more! The thinking is actually enjoyable and creative once I start the process!
Tricia
Patterns and Lexis from today;
A strong creative urge ( a desire to express original and imaginative ideas)
To consciously break the rules ( to play with language rules to create a poetic effect)
To be accessible (easy to understand)
Mental discipline ( to make yourself think)
the copyright ( the legal right to reproduce the poem) posted on Wednesday, 15 November 2006 | comment on this postCultural differences or where do you keep your shoes?Hi there
I’m interested in your comments on the poem that I referred to yesterday Alex. I think it is a style of poetry that is modern and American and as you say, very different to the European tradition of poetry. William Carlos Williams was part of a school of poetry in the early 20th Century that was radically experimental for its time. The poem may be simple but its not simplistic. I love its emotional intensity but quiet restraint created by the clear and sensory description. Now I’m into my literature teacher mode! I like teaching literature but sadly don’t often get the opportunity to do it these days.
I’ve had some questions about culture clashes and my experience. Well it’s difficult to talk about in some ways because of the sensitivity of the issues involved. What I will say is that the longer we are married and the longer that I live here, the more I realise how deep cultural differences are. I think initially you notice the superficial differences in behaviour, for example I remember that not long after we were married we had a really big row about where you should keep shoes. I thought that they should be kept out of sight, in a wardrobe in the bedroom . Mustapha on the other hand was horrified by this idea which he thought was filthy. He wanted to keep the shoes on a rack just outside our front door. I thought that was horrible too as this would be the first image that visitors saw when they came to the house. Eventually we found a compromise and now keep our shoes in a store room!
Alex you questioned my tongue -in -cheek title ( I married the same man three times). I just enjoy funny titles that might grab a reader's attention! I agree with you that in many situations it’s the norm to have more than one wedding ceremony and that this is just a cultural practice. It’s just that in my own cultural background it is considered odd to have more than one ceremony.
Thanks for all your comments. Pary you are right to quote the saying that in English there are three things that you can’t talk about; a woman’s age, income and religion. Actually this is more related to UK culture than to the language. We are just very uncomfortable discussing these subjects!
Alex I can confirm that there really is a variety of English called International English or Global English. It's interesting that you feel it is easier to understand and communicate with other non- native speakers of English. Research into the future of English actually confirms your feelings and describes this communication as English as a Lingua Franca.
Tricia
Patterns and Lexis from today;
a school of poetry ( a way of thinking or working that is shared by a group of people)
radically experimental for its time ( extremely experimental at that time)
it's simple but not simplistic (treating difficult subjects in a way that isn't too simple)
emotional intensity (creating very strong emotions)
quiet restraint ( calm and controlled behaviour)
sensory description ( relating to the senses)
a tongue-in cheek-title ( a joke title)
the norm ( the usual situation)
a superficial difference ( on the surface or not important difference)
to have a really big row ( a really big arguement)
filthy ( very dirty) posted on Thursday, 16 November 2006 | comment on this postI wish I had green fingers!Hi there
I’m impressed at your commitment to developing your English Alex, you do really take every opportunity to get input. I’m interested in the how you download pod casts and listen to these when you travel, an excellent strategy! I’ve only just started to listen to pod casts myself and do see the great potential of the medium.
I understood everything you said with the exception of this sentence;
"So I had to sneak under my cloaks which are several due to the cold weather and manipulate the volume level."
Did you mean?
So I had to burrow under my clothes which were numerous due to the cold weather and adjust the volume.
I’ve used the verb to burrow here to suggest that it was difficult and like digging, due to the number of clothes you were wearing.
How was your weekend? Mine was busy and energetic. We had an extended water cut on Friday and Saturday which made life difficult. We were shuttling around to friends’ homes that had water, for showers and using every pot in the house to collect water when it was delivered from a tanker. By Sunday morning we had a supply again and started to get on with our household chores which were a bit more elaborate than usual as we are expecting my parents to arrive for a two month stay next weekend and we want to get everything just right for them. As they are elderly and my mum is disabled this means that we are really trying to sort out safety issues. So we are trying to ensure that the bathrooms and stairs are as safe as we can make them.
I also did some gardening, something I haven’t got around to for a long time. I like gardens and the idea of gardening more than the physical effort involved. Sadly I’m not blessed with green fingers or particular gardening skills! But my Dad is a great gardener and I don’t want to be embarrassed in front of him and as you probably know gardening is a big part of UK culture! So I needed to do a lot of tidying up. In fact I had to prune everything fairly radically and had to dispose of some dead plants. I need to make a quick trip to the Gardening Centre to buy some plants to fill in the gaps! It’s looking a lot neater after we got the lawn cut too. We have someone who drops by to mow the lawn. His visits are erratic and we don’t have any way of contacting him, so it was luck that he turned up on Sunday morning!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
to burrow under something ( to search for something as if by digging)
to adjust the volume (to change the volume)
to shuttle around ( to travel regularly between the same two places)
a bit more elaborate than usual ( more detailed than usual)
to be blessed with something ( to be lucky in having something)
to have green fingers ( the ability to make plants grow)
to prune something (to cut off parts of a plant or tree to help it grow more successfully)
to dispose of something ( to get rid of something)
to drop by (to visit someone)
to mow the lawn (to cut the grass)
erratic ( not regular) posted on Monday, 20 November 2006 | comment on this postPlaying or watching table tennisHi there
We were also playing table tennis this weekend in Kuala Lumpur. As our children are starting their long school and university holidays, we’ve been getting out more of the equipment for games. Yesterday we put up a darts board outside the house and in the same small space we now have a full size basketball hoop, a table tennis table and now a darts board. Mustapha is very sporty and competitive so he enjoys getting all this stuff out and playing either with the kids or his friends. I’m a spectator only I’m afraid!
I blame my lack of interest and enjoyment of sports on my experiences at school. I think I was quite a gawky girl and although I could run quite well, I wasn’t blessed with good hand-to-eye coordination. So I didn’t excel in many sports and I didn’t get much encouragement from our PE teacher. She was one of those teachers who was really only interested in the stars in the class and didn’t have the patience to encourage those of us who weren’t very successful. So I started to avoid sports, convinced that I’d never be any good. A sad story! Well as a parent it made me want to encourage my children to try out lots of sports and enjoy them. I get a lot of pleasure watching them now.
Congratulations on your DIY efforts Alex, you are a man of many skills. You refer to making and installing plinths in your flat. Did you mean shelves? A plinth is a stone block on which a statue stands and somehow I can’t imagine that you were making these? Building shelves on the other hand is a common DIY job.
Some suggestions for reformulations from you last blog, Alex;
"Elder people are much sensible with distant relocation due to their organism is more subjected by climate and time variations."
Did you mean?
Older people are much more affected by long distance travel as they are more sensitive to climate and time changes.
I mentioned yesterday that gardening was a national hobby in UK. Another British passion is for DIY. We love our homes and seem to be in a continual process of improving and decorating them. There are endless TV programmes that are devoted to the subject too, not to mention magazines and shops. It's a bit puzzling to me sometimes as I can't imagine wanting to spend so much of my leisure time on such difficult jobs. But then as I've said before, I'm lazy!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today:
a spectator (a person who watches sport)
a gawky girl ( tall and awkward)
to excel in something ( to be very good at something)
hand-to eye coordination (the ability to make your hand and eye work together)
PE teacher ( a physical education teacher)
a plinth ( a piece of stone on which you put a statue)
DIY ( Do it yourself)
endless ( never seeming to stop)
posted on Tuesday, 21 November 2006 | comment on this postLooking up wordsHi there
Alex it’s interesting that you mentioned that it is difficult and frustrating sometimes to find the words you want. As a teacher I can normally work out when a student has translated a word using a dictionary. Obviously I don’t always get it right but often the clue is that the word chosen has a semantic link to the context but is too formal for the context.
I’d love to hear about the strategies that you use when trying to find a word in a bilingual dictionary. It’s much easier obviously to look up the meaning of a word, although that can be fraught with problems when it has multiple meanings. As Alex explained when he used plinth instead of skirting board.
Minor disasters continue at home. Yesterday we had to make a very sad decision to have one of our cats put to sleep or euthanized. Lulu the cat has been ill for sometime and at the Vet’s clinic for over a week now. Yesterday the Vet told us that her chances of recovery were very slim and that given she was suffering we should consider putting her out of her misery. So after a family consultation a decision was made. I’m much less attached to the cats than Mustapha and the children so I had to go out and make the arrangements! Danial wanted to immediately adopt another kitten but I didn’t think it was a wise idea. However I expect in time we will have another addition to our menagerie.
Tricia
Patterns and Lexis from today:
a semantic link (a meaning link)
to be fraught with problems (full of problems)
to put something to sleep ( to kill an animal because it's suffering)
to euthenize ( to kill an animal because it is suffering)
her chances of recovery were very slim ( a very small chance of getting better)
to put something out of its misery ( to kill an animal so that it doesn't have to suffer anymore)
a menagerie ( a collection of animals kept privately)
posted on Wednesday, 22 November 2006 | comment on this postSwimming with the tide or against itHi there
I"ve been thinking about the dichotomy that you set on Wednesday Alex and one possible expression could be;
There are two types of people; those that like to swim with the tide and those who like to swim against it.
Another possibility is;
Thre are two groups of people; those that are prepared to stand up and be counted and those that are not.
You certainly put a lot of passion and conviction into your writing and that stimulates your development as a writer. Readers have rightfully complimented you on your skills and asked for your advice on how to improve as a writer. They've also asked me and my suggestion is very simple. You have to keep writing to improve and it helps to have a reader and something to say too.
Yesterday you introduced another dichotomy by talking about the new Bond; do you love him or hate him? I haven't seen the movie yet so can't say anything. Danial has seen the film and liked it very much. He said that this Bond made you believe that he could actually fight! At work the general consensus seems to be positive too but everyone remarks on how different it is!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
a dichotomy ( a difference between two completely different ideas)
to swim with the tide ( to follow what everyone is doing)
to swim against the tide (not to follow what everyone is doing)
to stand up and be counted ( to make your opinions known even if it may cause you difficulty)
the general consensus ( the general agreement)
to remark on something ( to notice something and make a remark about it) posted on Friday, 24 November 2006 | comment on this postRemembering Miss Cory-WrightHi there
Thank you Alex for describing your own English learning path, it was really interesting. I totally agree with your point of having a clear goal, even if that goal is a very personal one. I hadn’t realized that you were aiming at taking the IELTS exam. Actually I’m an IELTS Examiner so I agree with you about the value of this particular form of assessment. It really is as you say a test of what you can do rather than knowledge. One thing I can also assure you about is that this is a very secure test, there are a lot of restrictions on confidentiality for Examiners and also a lot of tests of Examiners. I recently had to go through a kind of testing procedure myself in order to keep my status as an examiner up to date. It’s quite a challenging process for examiners and I can tell you I was really relieved to find that I‘d passed!
But back to studying tips; Alex you mentioned the difficulty of sorting out sentences when they contain unknown words and asked for advice. One idea that might help is to really focus on the grammar of the words and notice if the word has a suffix. This can often give us a clue to the type of word involved, for example if it is a noun or verb or adjective or adverb. This then should help you work out the grammar of the sentance.
I noticed that you used the grammatical terms, subject and predicate. I’m not sure if these terms were taught to you at school or more recently? It’s interesting but I first learnt these terms myself when I started to study Latin at school. In fact I learnt how to describe grammar in English by learning Latin. For a very long period in English education there was very little direct teaching of grammar. I’m not sure why that happened but I have always been grateful that I went to a school that taught Latin and Ancient Greek. I loved both subjects, partly because I had the most wonderful and devoted teacher, Miss Cory-Wright, who had a great passion for teaching and made the subjects to me irresistible. In her spare time she used to translate children’s books into Latin. The most memorable were some of the Beatrix Potter books.
Miss Cory -Wright also taught me English literature when I first went to secondary school. One of her favourite poets was Gerald Manley- Hopkins and she used to make us learn a poem by heart every week. I remember lots and lots about her lessons and she taught me for five years. The fact that I can remember so much, so many years later is really testimony to her great skills as a teacher. She wasn’t afraid to depart from the syllabus, nor did she worry about preparing us for exams, she simply used her professional judgement to teach us what she felt we needed when we needed it. On one memorable occasion, whilst teaching us Ancient Greek she made an allusion to the origins of the First World War. She was startled to find out that at 14 years of age we knew nothing about the World Wars that had dominated the history of the Twentieth Century. She then stopped teaching Ancient Greek for a term and took us through the history of the Twentieth Century.
Perhaps Miss Cory-Wright was my inspiration to be a teacher? If I have had the same kind of influence that she had on me, with any of my students, I would be honoured. Miss Cory-Wright, I salute you!
I hope that we all have had the opportunity to be taught by inspired and inspiring teachers. Please tell us about your experience.
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
a form of assessment ( a type of judgement about ability)
a suffix ( the ending of a word)
predicate (the part of the sentance that gives information about the subject)
irresistable ( very attractive, so impossible to refuse)
to make an allusion to something ( a brief reference to something)
to be startled by something (to be suprised by something)
an inspiration to be something ( leading you to be something)
to salute someone ( to express admiration publicly)
inspired ( giving a good example)
inspiring (making you eager to learn something) posted on Monday, 27 November 2006 | comment on this postSafe arrivalsHi there
My parents arrived safely last night, and look well and seem in very good health, despite the long journey. I remembered when I first started this blog, I wrote about my feelings for home and family. Having my parents with me reminds me of that! It’s lovely to feel a daughter again and to get back in contact with the family ties. It’s great for my children too! They are bathing in their grandparent's love and admiration.
My parents are big talkers and communicators and I think this of course has had an influence on my personality. Since they arrived we have been talking non-stop. They are bringing me up to date on family news and their daily life. They are also eager to taste Malaysian food again and sit in the sun. We’ve managed to fulfill their craving for spicy food already, but unfortunately it’s the rainy season and there hasn’t been much chance to sunbathe yet!
Alex you asked for some advice on taking the exam. The first thing that comes to mind is to think carefully about when you take the exam. Try to avoid committing to a date that is too early for you. Also remember that to be able to assess your proficiency fairly, the examiner needs to be able to get enough data. So in the speaking test, speak even if the topic seems uninspiring or irrelevant to you. It’s better to describe those thoughts than not to speak. Likewise with the written papers, make sure you use the word limit effectively and follow the advice about the timing of each. Here is a suggestion from yesterday’s blog;
“Despite I'm not a good player yet myself, I teach my kids whilst inspire them with the 'Hikaru no Go' anime.”
Although I’m not yet a good player myself, I teach my kids whilst inspiring them with the ‘Hikaru no Go’ anime.
Please feel free to ask me for other advice and I’ll try to help. In the meantime I’m off to cook for my parents!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
to bathe in love admiration
to bring someone up to date on something
to fulfill a craving for something
the first thing that comes to mind is... (the first thought)
likewise with ( similiarly with)
posted on Tuesday, 28 November 2006 | comment on this postBooksHi there
Alex, generally it is better to get involved in speaking and writing and the struggle to communicate rather than worrying about mistakes. If you worry too much about how correct you are, then that may impede your focus on communicating. However an exam isn’t like real-life and you are trying to demonstrate the best of your ability and therefore you are more likely to think more about how you are speaking or writing as well as what you want to say. It’s about balance as most things are!
I’m astonished at the range of real hobbies you have Alex! By real hobbies I mean hands-on activities. I can’t compete. I think that I have interests rather than hobbies and most of these interests really only apply to my reading. So really I just have lots of different things I like reading about! Here are some of them; Nineteenth and Twentieth century history, historical travel writing, psychology, crime novels, cookbooks, Africa, politics, culture, Malaysia, interior design, biography. Really I’m just listing some of the shelves that I usually visit in a bookshop. Of course I visit bookshops on line too but that’s only usually to track down a book that I can’t find and have become obsessed by.
I’ve been on holiday for the last couple of days and visited a bookshop each day. Honestly it feels like something shameful, a kind of addiction! Luckily all my family are very patient and let me indulge!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
to inpede something ( to slow down or get in the way of something)
hands-on activities (practical activities)
to indulge (to allow somebody to have as much as they want of something they enjoy even if it's bad for them)
something shameful ( feeling ashamed of something) posted on Wednesday, 29 November 2006 | comment on this postFavourite wordsHi there
I’m conscious that this is my penultimate blog now and that this amazing experience is coming to an end. I remember that in a previous blog, there was a discussion about favourite words in English. Actually one of mine is penultimate. In this case I think I like it because of the sound. Normally words appeal to me because of their association. I remember that Dennis Potter a British playwright famously said that “elbow” was his favourite word as he liked the way it looked on the page! I can understand that too as sometimes the attraction is just in the spelling or orthography.
Sometimes favourite words are connected to childhood memories; for example as a child I had a lot of problems saying 'equator' as I always put the stress on the wrong syllable. I also liked the mystery of what seemed to me in UK a mythical and far off place. Interesting that I ended up living so close to it!
Of course I’m thinking a lot about childhood because my parents are with us and they are talking about memories and reminding me of lots of childhood episodes. This is an endless delight to my children as they love to hear that I too had mad ideas! For example Danial has recently redecorated his bedroom and painted part of the room black. My parents remembered that I’d done something similar at the same age. Odd that I’d forgotten all of this!
Tricia
Lexis and patterns from today;
Penultimate ( second from last)
Orthography ( the correct way of writing or spelling something)
A mythical and far off place ( existing only in stories and a distant place) posted on Thursday, 30 November 2006 | comment on this post | |
