My Blog by nad1a | English, baby! Blogs

FCE Writing Guide

nad1a — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:36:15 GMT

FCE Writing Guide

I have just started a blog dedicated to Paper 2 of the exam for the First Certificate of English, Writing. I'll be posting sample tasks and instructions on how to approach them, along with a stock of useful phrases for each type.

And here's the first one - Transactional Letter 1

Drop by every now and then for a new task. I'll try to post one task per day.

Listening Exercise - Song Lyrics - "Shackles (Praise You)"

nad1a — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:09:15 GMT

Listening Exercise - Song Lyrics - "Shackles (Praise You)"

Hey guys! I have just made this gap-filling exercise with this great song called "Shackles" performed by Mary Mary. If just like me, you happen to be coming out of a difficult period of your life, and find this song as inspirational as I do, go ahead, hear it and do the exercise with it.

Keeping Your Job in Tough Financial Times

nad1a — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:02:00 GMT

Keeping Your Job in Tough Financial Times

In today's difficult financial times, the threat of a layoff is looming over our heads and more and more people are getting concerned about losing their jobs.
But before you start considering a possible career shift, watch this interview with a career coach on how to keep your current job.

Listen carefully and focus on the main points they mention. What words and expressions do they use to describe the following:

1. You should do more than you are expected. What are some of the suggested ways to do that?
2. How do you show that you're consistently adding value? Why is that important?
3. Why do you have to consider the possibility of your manager losing their job?
4. How is making more money for the company or saving money for the company related to keeping your job?
5. Working under the constant threat of a layoff, it's hard to keep your spirit up. Why is your attitude to your work important in order to keep your job?

Watch the video and take a look at the key vocabulary.

Cultural Differences Explained

nad1a — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:39:44 GMT

Cultural Differences Explained

The Brits, the Aussies, the American and the Canadians are all different

***

Aussies: Dislike being mistaken for Pommies (Brits) when abroad.
Canadians: Are rather indignant about being mistaken for Americans when abroad.
Americans: Encourage being mistaken for Canadians when abroad.
Brits: Can't possibly be mistaken for anyone else when abroad.

Aussies: Believe you should look out for your mates.
Brits: Believe that you should look out for those people who belong to your club.
Americans: Believe that people should look out for & take care of themselves.
Canadians: Believe that that's the government's job.

Aussies: Are extremely patriotic to their beer.
Americans: Are flag-waving, anthem-singing, and obsessively patriotic to the point of blindness.
Canadians: Can't agree on the words to their anthem, when they can be bothered to sing them.
Brits: Do not sing at all but prefer a large brass band to perform the anthem.

I don't understand!

nad1a — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:49:42 GMT

I don't understand!

I was getting short of ideas for lessons, so I decided to have people vote for the type of lessons they would prefer. The poll I started last month, was supposed to serve as a clue but now that it's closed, I'm even more disoriented by the final outcome.

The majority, 22%, voted for a Listening lesson. Then how come similar lessons, targeting listening skills, have turned out to be the least popular, among lessons I've posted so far - "Hush" (song lyrics, a gap-filling exercise) and "How to Talk to Girls" (a cute and amusing interview with a little boy who wrote a book about girls).

Somebody, please explain this to me because I'm totally confused! What exactly is your idea of a listening lesson?

Thank you English, baby! staff and members!

nad1a — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:41:35 GMT

Thank you English, baby! staff and members!

I want to thank English, baby! for the e-mail interview and the fea tured article that followed. It feels great to have the attention of such an amazing staff, dedicated to helping people from all over the globe learn English for free.

Having a passion for teaching and helping others, I started posting lessons on English, baby! last October. However, I hadn't really realized anyone was even paying attention to what I was posting, before Jason contacted me and e-mailed me his interview questions.

Even though, popularity and recognition was not what I was after, it feels fulfilling to see that so many people benefit from my lessons and show their appreciation on a daily basis. Only today, I've received about 50 thank-you e-mails and this is, probably, the best reward a teacher can get.

Thank you, English,baby! and thank you, English, baby! members!

Thank You Graphic Comments

Background Notes on American and British English

nad1a — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:00:32 GMT

Background Notes on American and British English

***

The three original American dialects — New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southern — all had their origins in different areas of England and reproduce many of the characteristics of those areas. The varieties of Southern English, as well as the Midwestern twang, evolved in consequence of these dialects' rubbing together.
Non-English dialects have had relatively little influence, except in semantics and several structures which are clearly marked as non-English in origin (for example, Yiddish influence in the New York area; Black English influence). Languages in contact (as opposed to dialects in contact) rarely interact except in extremes and never in phonology. Rather there may be borrowings, which are eventually integrated into the target language (corduroy, diapers, etc.), or else one language obliterates the other, as in Latin taking over Gaulish, or English taking over Irish. However, the latter case is special, since traces of Irish remain in phonology, familiar syntax, and vocabulary. A standard form evolves when a group speaks such a mixture of dialects that no particular one can be distinguished.

The principles are the same for any language which `emigrates,' as with English, French, Spanish and Portuguese into North America. First the emigrant languages start to evolve from a specific homeland dialect. Then they evolve differently from the homeland because of lack of contact. The less contact, the more different the evolution, because the home dialect also continues to evolve.

The U.S. kept less of a `British' accent because it threw off British dominance at a rather early stage, which Australia and New Zealand did not. The educational system in those countries continued to import teachers and administrators from "home," as the British linguistic model was considered `superior'. Canada is an odd case: it is also British-dominated, but the Maritimes, which were the center of Canada for a significant while (from 1755 until around 1830), were heavily populated with Celtic groups, both Irish and Scots, who emigrated to get away from the British, or were expelled from Britain, and did not particularly want to follow a `superior' linguistic model.

A large group of American Loyalists went to Canada after the Revolution and settled en masse in southern Quebec and southern Ontario, bringing the already-evolved U.S. linguistic model. This model continued to be powerful because of the constant contacts between Canada and the U.S., as opposed to either country's contacts with Britain. Upper-class speech in Canada sounded vaguely British (to U.S. ears, not to British ones) until around the 1950's, when it aligned itself with the American model, keeping only certain particularities in pronunciation (individual words, not phonemes), structure (lack of articles, as in "she's at university") and vocabulary. It is practically impossible to distinguish a Western Canadian from a Northwestern American, because both groups moved west around the same time, with a resultant mix of dialects.

All emigrant languages tend to be linguistically nostalgic, preserving archaic forms of pronunciation: the `hillbillies' really did preserve forms of English which date back to Shakespeare, although what they do with those forms is another question.

***

Many of the "distinctive" phonetic features of American English are in fact from the British Isles. The feature that most Americans (and some Canadians) recognize as distinctively English is the nearly silent final 'r', making "water" sound like "watuh". This pattern is characteristic of a dialect triangle formed by Cambridge, Oxford and London, and of areas to the east of that triangle. The same pattern is found in areas of the U.S. and Canada which were settled by emigrants from eastern England, such as Boston and Plymouth.

The final 'r' that we associate with American English is quite distinct as a kind of growl produced near the back of the mouth. This sound is standard in the west of England (Shakespeare would have growled his final 'r' sounds), in the north (Wordsworth and the Brontes) and in Ireland. Most of the British settlement in North America in the nineteenth century came from the north and west of England and from Ireland (especially the six northern counties of Ulster). This emigration provided the dominant settlement and the dominant dialect features of Ontario and of the mid-western U.S.

As for the German component, German settlement in western Ontario and both the eastern and mid-western U.S. was heavy enough that German was the second language in these areas. Much of the religious, social and economic fabric of these areas is German in origin. The German sociologist Max Weber studied the Germanization of the growing American cities, especially in the mid-west, in "The Protestant Sects and the Spirit of Capitalism." The American novelist Sinclair Lewis studied similar features in his novels without specifically tracing them back to German roots.

Linguistically, the German influence probably reinforced the clearly articulated final 'r', added some lexemes to the vocabulary, and added a lot of German family names. German last names seem to be as common in positions of power in the United States as Scottish names are in Canada. At one time President Nixon's advisors seemed to be nearly all German by name.

***

source: http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/bgnotes.html

Chinese New Year

nad1a — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:03:48 GMT

Chinese New Year

Being a great fan of Chinese cuisine and culture, I especially enjoyed this article I came across on CBS about delicious Chinese New Year traditional dishes and the way people celebreate that holiday.

What I liked most about it, is that each ingredient used in the meal, bears a special meaning. Noodles for example, represent longevity and the longer the noodle, the longer you will live. Whereas the Chinese for "shrimps" and "smile" happens to be the same word and that's why shrimps symbolize happiness.

Video and story on CBS.

I just loved it. And it's a great listening practice too.

PLUS: 2009 is the year of the Ox and President Obama was born in the year of the Ox too.

And this is what the Chinese Zodiac says about the Year of the Ox:

"The Ox, or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under the influence of the Ox or Buffalo are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with strong character. Not many people could equal the resolution and fearlessness that the Ox exhibits when deciding to accomplish a task. Ox people work hard without complaints at work or at home. They know that they will succeed through hard work and sustained efforts, and do not believe in get-rich-quick schemes."

So we can expect a prosperous and fulfilling year ahead!

13 Places To Watch TV Online for Free

nad1a — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:37:58 GMT

13 Places To Watch TV Online for Free

Hey guys

Watching Tv is a great way to improve your English and thanks to the Internet you can have access to hundreds of free Tv channels online . Here, I just bumped into this great site listing 13 links to watch tv online for free. I've tried some of them and they're just awesome.

You can choose from numerous tv channels: news, movies, cartoon, tv shows, educational documentaries, music, lifestyle etc etc , find anything that suits your interests and there you go, you got free English classes and accent training.

13 Places To Watch TV Online for Free

Enjoy!

New Year's Resolutions

nad1a — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 09:02:20 GMT

New Year's Resolutions

How to Celebrate Christmas

nad1a — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:00:39 GMT

How to Celebrate Christmas

Christmas has become a very commercial holiday. Rushing around to buy presents, people tend to forget the true meaning of Chistmas. Aside from big dinners and expensive gifts,there are other ways to celebrate that reflect the true meaning of the holiday, and give the gifts to the One whose birthday it is! And even if you aren't a Christian, you can still celebrate the season in your own way.

A Religious Celebration

Reflect on the reason for Christmas by doing some research. In the Bible, you can find the Christmas story in the book of Luke, Chapters 1 and 2. Consider reading these chapters aloud as part of your family's holiday.
Choose some activities that you and your friends or family will enjoy which fit with the meaning of Christmas and are also socially enjoyable. Consider preparing some special foods for the poor and needy, as well as giving gifts to people you know.
Learn some of the non-commercialized Christmas songs. There are some beautiful carols that you can sing together - maybe someone in your family or circle of friends can play the piano or guitar - if so, encourage them to play, and have a sing-along. Consider carols like "O Come All Ye Faithful," "Joy to the World," and "The First Noel." You can find the lyrics online if you don't know them.
Spend time with others to celebrate. Gather together at the homes of friends and family, and spend some time in fellowship with others who believe as you do during this special time.
Wish others a Merry Christmas. You don't have to worry that you will offend them. If they want to wish you a Happy Hanukkah, in response, thank them and wish them the same. Wishing others a Merry Christmas helps spread the cheer.
Give to others. Whether to your family and friends, or to others less fortunate, spend some time this Christmas in giving. We give in remembrance of the gifts of the Magi to the Savior, but at the very heart of it all, recall that we are to give because He first gave to us.
Spend time quietly being thankful for the gift of Jesus to the world that we celebrate on Christmas. This is the day that Christians have set aside to celebrate the beginning of the greatest gift mankind has ever received. Coming into the Christmas season with a grateful heart is essential if you really want to make the extension from Jesus's giving of His amazing gift to your giving and receiving.
Invite God to come and celebrate the day with you. Some people choose to do this by attending a Christmas Eve service. Some do it by sitting before the Christmas tree and silently inviting God to just be with them. However you decide to do it, for the Christian, making God a part of your day is vital.

Secular Celebration

Spread Cheer. When you hear Christmas songs, instead of being grumpy and resenting all of the commercialism, smile and whistle along. Being cheerful during the Christmas season really will help in spreading Christmas spirit to those around you, plus it helps you enjoy it more in the bargain.
Join up with friends and family. Even if you aren't a Christian, lots of people celebrate the day just because it's a national holiday and most folks get a day off work. Take advantage of this time to reconnect with friends and family, and enjoy the fellowship.
Create your own traditions. You don't have to engage in religious demonstrations in order to have fun Christmas traditions. Decorating a tree with Star Trek or superhero themed ornaments, or with little trains, or with Disney characters can be a part of it. Or have a movie night during which you invite friends over and serve hot apple cider and popcorn or cocoa and cookies. Show "A Christmas Story" or "The Family Stone," or any number of other non-religious themed seasonal movies.
Have a Sing-Along. Either have it at your home, go door to door, or go to an old folks' home and do it. Learn some Christmas or seasonal songs, and sing! It's fun, and even if your voice isn't great, hopefully, you won't be singing alone - you'll get some cover from your more talented friends! Try songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," "Holly Jolly Christmas," or "Silver Bells."
Do a Generous Work. This is in the spirit of spreading joy, kindness and beauty during the Christmas season. Maybe you can volunteer at a homeless shelter, or maybe you could help with a local toy drive or food drive for those who have less than you do.
Invite your friends or family over for dinner. You don't have to spend big bucks on gifts - small tokens are fine. Or just have everyone over for a nice dinner. Make it a potluck if you want to keep expenses (and workload) manageable. The important thing is just to get together with people you love and make the winter a little warmer by sharing the warmth of caring with them.
Avoid people who say you cannot celebrate the holiday if you are not Christian. Mention that Christmas is a national holiday in most countries (including the United States) and that that implies that everyone can celebrate. Also talk about the cheer, camaraderie, and general goodwill that goes around during this season.

Funny Facts

nad1a — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:51:59 GMT

Funny Facts

· Tipping in Iceland is considered an insult.

· People swallow about a pound of insects per year! There are even tiny pieces of insects in food!!

· The average life of a taste bud is 10 days.

· Ketchup was originally sold as a medicine in the 1830's.

· Butterflies taste with their feet.

· A duck's quack does not echo, and no one knows why.

· Average lifespan of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.

· American's eat an average of 18 acres of pizza a day.

· A crocodile always grows its teeth back to replace the old ones.

· American Airlines saved $40,000 by removing one olive from every salad in 1987.

· An ant will always fall on its right side when intoxicated. (did someone pay money for this study?)

· The Chico, CA city council enacted a ban on nuclear weapons, setting a $500 fine for anyone who detonates one in city limits.

· Starfish don't have brains.

· The bible is the world's most shoplifted book. (sad but true)

· The Main library at Indiana, University sinks 1 inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

· Odds of hitting jackpot on a slot machine are 889 to 1.

· The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as blood plasma.

· Giant tortoises live between 150-200 years. (no wonder they are so slow!)

· If the entire population of China were to walk in front of you in a single file line, it would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

· A 'jiffy' actually means 1/100th of a second.

· Canada is an Indian word meaning 'big village'.

· In America, you're more likely to be hurt by a vending machine than a bear.

· The deer is the most dangerous animal in America.

On The English Language

nad1a — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

On The English Language

The bandage was wound around the wound.

The farm was used to produce produce.

The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

He could lead if he would get the lead out.

The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

I did not object to the object.

There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

They were too close to the door to close it.

The buck does funny things when the does are present.

A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

After a number of injections my jaw got number.

Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England nor French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 mees e? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend, that you comb through annals of history but not a single annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people , not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which, of course, isn't a race at all). That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible? And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it? English is a silly language - it doesn't know if it is coming or going.

JUST WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND FELT LIKE LISTENING TO ALICIA KEY'S 'A WOMAN'S WORTH'

nad1a — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 11:05:03 GMT

JUST WOKE UP THIS MORNING AND FELT LIKE LISTENING TO ALICIA KEY'S 'A WOMAN'S WORTH'

A Woman's Worth

by Alicia Keys

You could buy me diamonds, you could buy me pearls
Take me on a cruise around the world
Baby you know I'm worth it
Dinner lit by candles, run my bubble bath
Make love tenderly to last and last
Baby you know I'm worth it
Wanna please wanna keep wanna treat your woman right
Not just told but to show that you know she is worth your time
You will lose if you choose to refuse to put her first
She will if she can't find a man who knows her worth, mhmn

Cuz a real man knows a real woman when he sees her
And a real woman knows a real man ain't afraid to please her
And a real woman knows a real man always comes first
And a real man just can't deny a woman's worth

If you treat me fairly I'll give you all my goods
Treat you like a real woman should
Baby I know you're worth it
If you never play me, promise not to bluff
I'll hold you down when shit gets rough
Baby I know you're worth it
She rolls the mile makes you smile all the while being true
Don't take for granted the passion that she has for you
You will lose if you choose to refuse to put her first
She will if she can't find a man who knows her worth, oh

Cuz a real man knows a real woman when he sees her
And a real woman knows a real man ain't afraid to please her
And a real woman knows a real man always comes first
And a real man just can't deny a woman's worth

No need to read between the lines, spell it out for you
Just hear this song cuz you can't go wrong when you value
A woman, woman, woman, a woman's worth

Cuz a real man knows a real woman when he sees her
And a real woman knows a real man ain't afraid to please her
And a real woman knows a real man always comes first
And a real man just can't deny a woman's worth

Cuz a real man knows a real woman when he sees her
And a real woman knows a real man ain't afraid to please her
And a real woman knows a real man always comes first
And a real man just can't deny a woman's worth