Do you speak in Plain English?

It's an interesting topic to consider.  When you are taking an English lesson, do you speak in plain English or do you use technical language?  When you are talking with colleagues do you first think in the technical language of your job then translate into plain English to speak with a colleague from a different department for them to translate from plain English into the technical language for their department?  Are you learning plain English or technical English?  Can you speak the techncial English of your job or profession but not plain English?  Do you do the same in your native language?

It's not what you teach but what you learn Sometimes teaching is as much about learning as it is about teaching. Every lesson I learn something new as I teach my students, today an example was learning about the amazing phenomena of the 2 rivers - Solimoes River and the Rio Negro River - merging at Manuas, Brazil to form the Amazon River. It is not amazing for two rivers to merge but it is amazing to see the two rivers side by side before they have merged because of the difference between them in terms of colour. You can see this in the photograph. I found this particularly fascinating as during the lesson we discussed comparisons between architecture and human behaviour on different continents which have merged culturally. Can you think of an example from your country where you can draw such an analogy or a comparison between a natural phenomena and manmade objects or human cultural attitudes or behaviour?

Inspirational Poems

My two favourite poems for giving me the encouragement to reach for my goals

 

If, by Rudyard Kipling

IF.....

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, ' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch, if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

from <a href="http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm">http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm</a>

 

Keep A Goin by Frank L. Statton

Ef you strike a thorn or rose, Keep a-goin'! Ef it hails, or ef it snows, Keep a-goin! 'Taint no use to sit an' whine, When the fish ain't on yer line; Bait yer hook an' keep a-tryin'— Keep a-goin'!
When the weather kills yer crop, Keep a-goin'! When you tumble from the top, Keep a-goin'! S'pose you're out of every dime, Bein' so ain't any crime; Tell the world you're feelin' prime— Keep a-goin'!
When it looks like all is up, Keep a-goin'! Drain the sweetness from the cup, Keep a-goin'! See the wild birds on the wing, Hear the bells that sweetly ring, When you feel like sighin' sing— Keep a-goin'!

 

Do you have a favourite that inspires you?

Who or what inspires you?

I was reminded today of the person who inspired me to teach.  Marva Collins is a famous teacher from the United States who believed that teachers should revert to teaching the old fashioned way and instill the belief in all children that they can learn and they will achieve.  Perhaps she was the inspiration for that famous "Yes we can" that Mr. Obama used in his election campaign?  Do you have someone or something who has inspired you?  Share your inspiration!

 

To learn more about Marva Collins you might like to watch a clip about her story 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMjotCrGAOY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMjotCrGAOY</a>

 

 

Comparing cities Today I had an interesting discussion with a student who told me about his city Brasilia. He shared photographs and, when I looked at photographs of my city, I felt that we had some comparisons. Does your city provide comparisons you can make with somewhere in another country?

Share your city

Today, I was very fortunate to learn about the city of Brasilia in Brazil.  It was interesting to note that the modern buildings and structures that I was looking at in the photographs of Brasilia reminded me of the current plans and waterfront development happening my own city.  Never was there a clearer example of my student's great phrase, "nothing is really ever invented, it is copied".  Do you have examples of this idea from your city as it has changed or developed?  Let's share our cities, towns and villages with each other!  How much do we have in common?

Сегодня Сегодня я провел прекрасный день на местном катке, катании с моим старым школьным другом. Мы провели почти 2 часа катания и оба переживали, когда мы сели. Затем мы посетили дэ соседнем ресторане и наслаждались вкусной индийской едой. Я с нетерпением жду нашей следующей встречи и надеемся, что наш третий друг сможет присоединиться к нам.

Faire du ski. J'aime beaucoup faire du ski. Pour moi les trois vallees sont plus bonnes. J'ai allee a Courchevel avec mes amis deux fois et j'espere ce que je puis retourner l'annee prochaine. Ou allez-vous pour faire du ski?

Stonehaven Fireballs, Scotland Inspired by Sarah's post about the Fire Festival in Iran here is one from Scotland. Do you have a similar type of festival in your country? Stonehaven Fireballs, Scotland Arrive in good time to see the fire poi. Picture courtesy of deepriver.images. The fireball-festival takes place on Hogmanay, the 31st of December. Moments before the old Town House bell chimes midnight, welcoming in January 1st, the music of a small pipe band is heard, fireballs are lit and swingers emerge from the street leading to the harbour, helping to speed the Old Year on its way and to herald in the New in ancient style with a highly dexterous pWhat was the original significance of such a fire festival? Fireball swinging - who needs a reason? Although the Stonehaven fireball-festival is now nothing but a spontaneous tourist attraction, two very different explanations of the origin of similar pagan fire customs have been given: 1. On the one hand it is supposed that they were sun-charms or magical ceremonies intended to ensure the necessary supply of sunshine for men, animals and plants by parading fires which mimic on earth the source of light and heat in the sky. This may be called the solar theory. 2. On the other hand it is maintained that ceremonial fires were simply purificatory in intention, designed to destroy all harmful influences, whether personal like witches, demons and monsters or impersonal as a kind of pervading taint or corruption of the air. This may be called the purification theory. To find out more about the festival have a look at their history and photographs http://www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/