Articles tagged ‘Vocabulary’
Funny False Friends
By Katie | August 26th, 2007 |
2 Comments »
Even if you don’t speak any Slavic language, you’d probably recognize kompjuter, interesantan and kalendar…but sometimes words that sound similar actually have meanings different than what you would expect, hence the term “false friends”.
There’s the great one that a direct translation “I am full” in French – “Je suis pleine” – means I [...]
The Subtitle / Dubbing Dilemma
By Katie | August 22nd, 2007 | 4 Comments »
Teaching abroad gives me a great opportunity to weigh in on the subtitle / dubbing debate. When I started, it was news to me that many countries around the world do show international tv and movies, but not all are dubbed; instead there are subtitles in the local language for most everything except movies [...]
Exam Prep First-Hand
By Katie | June 22nd, 2007 | Add a Comment »
A few months ago I had the pleasure of revising some GRE prep materials and I have to say it’s interesting to be in the position of being a student again, if – for now at least – only for the short term task of “revising”.
I found it funny but realized why traditional methods are [...]
Interview With Sean Banville Of Breaking News English
By Katie | June 16th, 2007 | Add a Comment »
Breaking News English creator Sean Banville was kind enough to share some background info on himself and his lessons as well as some practical advice in a TEFL Logue email interview. I’m personally pretty selective about what online material I use in classes, but I can’t speak highly enough about Breaking News English: visit [...]
Differences Between British And American English
By Katie | June 7th, 2007 | 2 Comments »
I’ve recently made my point that the differences between British and American (and generally among all variants of English) matter little; here is a rundown of some of the basic grammar/vocab differences I’ve found, which contribute to my opinion that they are relatively insignificant As British and American English are the most common terms [...]
British Or American English: Does It Matter?
By Katie | June 7th, 2007 | Add a Comment »
And don’t think I’m saying these are the only two: what about Canadian, Australia, New Zealand (does everyone agree on Kiwi?), South African, Irish and other Englishes?
I have to laugh a little when teachers maintain that one variant is favored over another when selecting candidates for the average job, or give any real credence to [...]
“Bad Language” In Class
By Katie | April 28th, 2007 | Add a Comment »
When did you last give a lesson on cursing? No, I’m not writing about a certain blogger’s recent lament on the lack of foul language on TEFL blogs, but about an article in the TEFL section of the Guardian. Author Sara Young makes the point that not getting the low-down on “bad” language [...]
Class Revision Activities
By Katie | March 12th, 2007 | Add a Comment »
Revision. Of vocabulary, grammar, and functional language. Students need it and often want it. Teachers are told to do it but are also often told to avoid written exercises and focus on speaking. How can you put all these restrictions together to revise successfully?
With a group:
Students work in pairs and each [...]
TEFL Guessing Games
By Katie | March 6th, 2007 | Add a Comment »
Guessing games are intrinsically motivating across the board: show someone a postcard and say, where is this place? Give a few facts about a famous person and ask, who is this person? Share some clues about a crime and say, who did this?
People like figuring things out and most also usually enjoy competing [...]
TEFL Word Game: Fun With Famous Quotes
By Katie | February 28th, 2007 | Add a Comment »
1. The powers of a man’s ____ are directly proportional to the amount of ____ he drinks.
- Sir James Mackintosh, Philosopher
2. ____ is balm to the ____ and spirit.
-Giuseppe Verdi, Composer
3. The secret of ____ is to make ____ believe they are the cause of it.
- Abraham Lincoln
4. An ____ [...]
