What Word Is The Same In Every Language

Teaching idioms and slang is quite a subjective topic. I believe that it is an integral part of teaching EFL. I agree with the school of thought that says that slang and idioms are an every day part of our language and it is important that foreign students are aware of the most common forms they are likely to encounter, the appropriate use of these language forms and what is considered to be taboo in polite society. An important matter to consider is that although students can find endless reference books on almost every other form of the English Language, slang and idioms are not considered part of the syllabus and paid no or very little attention. If we do not teach idioms how is a student ever going to cope with phrases such as - To bury the hatchet, to be in...  [Read more]

Teaching idioms and slang is quite a subjective topic. I believe that it is an integral part of teaching EFL. I agree with the school of thought that says that slang and idioms are an every day part of our language and it is important that foreign students are aware of the most common forms they are likely to encounter, the appropriate use of these language forms and what is considered to be taboo in polite society. An important matter to consider is that although students can find endless reference books on almost every other form of the English Language, slang and idioms are not considered part of the syllabus and paid no or very little attention.If we do not teach idioms how is a student ever going to cope with phrases such as - To bury the hatchet, to be in the same boat...  [Read more]

  Hello. This presentation is going to cover this section on lesson planning and what we're going to do is to have a look as to why we go about planning a lesson, what do we actually put in it? We'll create an empty lesson plan pro-forma and then having done that what we'll do is to fill in that lesson plan for a particular teaching point. So, our starting position is going to be: "Why do we plan lessons at all?" There are a number of reasons why we need to plan a lesson. The first and foremost perhaps is that it's going to create a logical sequence for our lessons. If we didn't have a lesson plan, it is quite possible that we could go all over the place and it would become confusing for the students. By having this plan, what we've created is a structure that we can work from. So,...  [Read more]

  This presentation is going to focus on the section of classroom management. We could start with a definition of classroom management as being the skill of organizing the class individual students within that class and what takes place within the class. Perhaps one of the most important resources for achieving these things is you and in terms of you there are a number of things that you can use to help with the classroom management and they include though they're not limited to the use of your eyes the use of your voice and the use of gesture. So let's take each of these in turn and see how they can be used to help with their management of the classroom. So starting with our eyes. First of all the eyes can be used in a number of ways and they can certainly be used to hold...  [Read more]

Language and culture are inextricable extensions of each other. As globalization increasingly homogenizes mainstream culture worldwide, it follows, too, that a single language would complementarily spread across the globe. That language is English, which, although it does not have the largest number of speakers (that would be Mandarin Chinese), it is the most widely spoken language throughout the world (Wallraff, 2000). While many are familiar with the fact that English is spoken around the world, not as many are aware of the intense debate revolving around what the language?s future direction should be. Some wish to spread English to every corner of the globe, believing that if everyone could communicate in the same language, then we could essentially achieve world...  [Read more]

Language and culture are inextricable extensions of each other. As globalization increasingly homogenizes mainstream culture worldwide, it follows, too, that a single language would complementarily spread across the globe. That language is English, which, although it does not have the largest number of speakers (that would be Mandarin Chinese), it is the most widely spoken language throughout the world (Wallraff, 2000).While many are familiar with the fact that English is spoken around the world, not as many are aware of the intense debate revolving around what the language's future direction should be. Some wish to spread English to every corner of the globe, believing that if everyone could communicate in the same language, then we could essentially achieve world peace and...  [Read more]

  Connected speech is also an important element of phonology and it's involved in joining words together in an effect to make our speech more efficient. Some might say it's a product of being lazy but nonetheless it's what we all do and we want all of our non-native speakers to speak as naturally as possible, so we have to be aware of these things. Here are a few of the more common examples. We have linking, dropping, changing and extra lettering. An example of each would be with linking, we link our words together so that they almost in effect become one word. Instead of saying ?What do you want to do,? we typically will say ?Whatdoyou want to do?? Then, we can also have dropping. Rather than pronouncing each and every consonant, we can sometimes, especially in certain accents,...  [Read more]

Mexico is one of the leading travel destinations in the world. What makes Mexico so appealing for travel? The food, the people, the culture, the natural beauty and so much more. Mexico offers its visitors a taste of every possible landscape that you can imagine, from sandy dune deserts to snow pine forests or buzzing cities to majestic beaches… you name it and Mexico’s got it. If sightseeing is your thing when you explore then take your pick; Mexico has Mayan and Aztec pyramids like Templo Mayor or Calakmul, colonial jewels like Museo de Bellas Artes and Castillo de Chapultepec. Mexico’s past is not all that glorious, but its future is brighter than ever. Impressive urban developments throughout the country place it as one of the most important economies in the world. Puerto Vallarta...  [Read more]

What is slang' A simple online definition is, "The nonstandard vocabulary of a given culture or subculture, typicaly consisting of transitory coinages and figures of speech." (Catchword) What is an idiom' From another online source, "Idiom refers to a grammatical construction unique to a certain people, region, or class that cannot be translated literally into another language." (Pearson Canada) When learning any language, these two concepts are an important part of complete understanding. The first hurdle a language student must overcome is grammar. After getting a basic understanding of how to string a language´s words together to form something understandable to an average native speaker, the next step is vocabulary. While grammar and vocabulary are definately an...  [Read more]

Humans speak with each other by creating sounds. That is how we communicate with each other. Over the centuries the different languages have created systems of grammar to explain how the words in their languages work. Sometime after that, they began to create systems to explain how the sounds, or phonemes, of the different words work. Two disciplines arose out of this: phonetics and phonology. Phonetics is the study of the sounds themselves. In the world there are a limited number of possible sounds which the human vocal tract can produce. Of these sounds, the distinctive pronunciations of the different languages are produced. But how are theses sounds produced and represented? The answer to this question is the area of study of Phonetics. Generally, Phonetics is ...  [Read more]

Humans speak with each other by creating sounds. That is how we communicate with each other. Over the centuries the different languages have created systems of grammar to explain how the words in their languages work. Sometime after that, they began to create systems to explain how the sounds, or phonemes, of the different words work. Two disciplines arose out of this: phonetics and phonology.Phonetics is the study of the sounds themselves. In the world there are a limited number of possible sounds which the human vocal tract can produce. Of these sounds, the distinctive pronunciations of the different languages are produced. But how are theses sounds produced and represented' The answer to this question is the area of study of Phonetics. Generally, Phonetics is subdivided into...  [Read more]

Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, in which he defines 7 different ways that people are intelligent, has become a driving force in educational theory in the English Speaking world. Personal experience in a Master's Degree in Elementary Education program with the University of Phoenix revealed that virtually every class which contained a lesson planning element required that the various intelligences be addressed in lessons. A Google search on 'ESL and Multiple Intelligences' conducted on June 8, 2006 returned approximately 450,000 internet articles on Multiple Intelligences in teaching English as a Foreign Language alone. The theory is certainly popular, and is used in training teachers and parents alike in educating their children.But does the idea that there are...  [Read more]

China has been proclaimed to be the largest market for English learners. In the last twenty years, progress in teaching and learning of English has exploded. Arriving in China August 1993 was not my first time there. Though it was my first time in the Northeast. I was to spend the next twelve years of my life in the city of Shenyang. An industrial city of 7 million people. My first impression was that it was like being in a 1950´s black and white movie with no sub-titles.. I was to teach at Shenyang Institute of Technology. My first year, I had 800 students. All except one of the classes, were freshmen. One was a class of 25 graduate students. Shenyang was my home until October 2005. There were tremendous changes in China during those years affecting...  [Read more]

China has been proclaimed to be the largest market for English learners. In the last twenty years, progress in teaching and learning of English has exploded. Arriving in China August 1993 was not my first time there. Though it was my first time in the Northeast. I was to spend the next twelve years of my life in the city of Shenyang. An industrial city of 7 million people. My first impression was that it was like being in a 1950´s black and white movie with no sub-titles..I was to teach at Shenyang Institute of Technology. My first year, I had 800 students. All except one of the classes, were freshmen. One was a class of 25 graduate students. Shenyang was my home until October 2005. There were tremendous changes in China during those years affecting all aspects of life....  [Read more]

'Practice makes perfect' is a proverb that most of us will know but which I find incomplete. Take for example a father that wants to teach one of his children to ride a bicycle. If he decides to take one day a year to practice, the kid will probably never learn. What about twice a year or once every month' How fast will the child learn to keep equilibrium, steer the handle and brake when needed if the father decides to take one hour every day for the coming month' Only by repeating the same exercise over and over again will the child become accustomed to the skills needed to ride a bicycle. Who knows, in the future he might even use the phrase, 'it's like riding a bicycle, you never forget'.The same theory applies to learning a language, and I believe that the lesson planning...  [Read more]

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English to students for whom it is not their mother tongue. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student´s own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)Taking a TEFL course as a non-native English speaker was a great experience, with a wild awakening. Life has a way of bringing surprises, not bad or good, they become what you make them to be, and the outcome depends on how you embrace...  [Read more]

How many of the students learning English as a foreign language have had the chance of having native teachers' I don’t believe they are that many. The reasons are various: not many of them (students as well as native teachers) are willing to travel; costs are usually much higher; the students are afraid that their English level is not strong enough to have a teacher that can only communicate in English, etc. This last reason is one of the most common because learners are so used to having a teacher that speaks their mother tongue and explains in their own language different expressions, words, grammar issues, etc. They do not know that even if the teacher does speak their native language, it is much better if he doesn’t use it at all. Any other method of explaining...  [Read more]

TEFL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language refers to teaching English to students for whom it is not their mother tongue. TEFL can take place in English-speaking regions, for example in language schools or summer camps or before the start of a university degree, but usually occurs in the student´s own country. There, TEFL can be either within the state school system, or private, either in an after-hours language school or with a one-on-one tutor. The teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Taking a TEFL course as a non-native English speaker was a great experience, with a wild awakening. Life has a way of bringing surprises, not bad or good, they become what you make them to be, and the outcome...  [Read more]

Learning another language is a difficult process. The use of games in the classroom can make the process enjoyable and less difficult. Games motivate students to participate in classroom activities. Playing games is good practice of using the English language and should be done every so often. Students get a chance to relax from studying and figure out cooperatively how to win the game. They do not think that they are learning from the game but they are. At the same time the students are being challenged mentally. ?Games can lower anxiety, thus making the acquisition of input more likely?(Richard Amato 1988:147). Shy students who do not participate on a regular basis have the opportunity and usually capitalize on it when playing games. When learning English...  [Read more]

These days, nearly every economic, political and social development is defined by its association with the broad-based phenomenon commonly identified as globalization. Understandably, economic integration favors standardization, and historical circumstance has led to the adoption of English as the primary language of international commerce. Consequently, the differences between British and American English should be of interest, if only for the historic role that these two nations have played in the unprecedented proliferation of a single language. Due to the limitations of this essay, three distinct elements of language will be discussed: vocabulary; grammar; and pronunciation.Perhaps the most understandable distinctions between British and American English are the...  [Read more]

Acronyms are an essential tool used in all professions and technical writing. They are powerful tools to reduce word content. However without knowing what the acronym stands for, they can form a barrier to understanding. In the ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching world there is certainly no shortage of acronyms. Here we look at a few and one in particular, TEFL. Some useful teaching acronyms are: ELT: English Language Teaching. This is a general term for teaching English and applies to the teaching of English to both native and non-native English speakers. ELL: English Language Learner. This is a general term for anyone learning English and applies to learners of English who are native or non-native English speakers. ESL: English as a Second Language: This relates to the...  [Read more]

Lesson planning is one of the most important but controversial aspects of teaching. Some teachers and educationist are of the opinion that it is very important to make a detail plan of what they are teaching. They spend hours and hours making a daily or weekly plan. Others are of the opinion that it is simply a method devised by the administration to keep the teachers in lengthy but useless paperwork. I personally think that a good plan is like a good movie or a piece of music. If a good movie or music is made keeping in mind all the important aspects like rhythm , tempo, beat etc it will always hold the attention of the viewer or the listener. In the same way a good, well organized lesson plan will keep the students interested in what they are doing. An ill prepared...  [Read more]

As a parent and an educator I have learned much about child development and am learning more everyday. When I was pregnant with my first child I discovered child development begins in the womb. My husband and I read to our child everyday and played music through a large set of head phones. As the months passed the baby began to respond through movement or rest. It also depended on what we were doing. If we played music, the baby was active with up beat children?s songs, but calm and relaxed with soft or classical music. I remember singing in the church choir oh my! The baby was bouncing all over the place. When we brought our son home from the hospital for the first time after he was born we played the music that we played while he was in the womb. He...  [Read more]

Lesson planning is one of the most important but controversial aspects of teaching. Some teachers and educationist are of the opinion that it is very important to make a detail plan of what they are teaching. They spend hours and hours making a daily or weekly plan. Others are of the opinion that it is simply a method devised by the administration to keep the teachers in lengthy but useless paperwork.I personally think that a good plan is like a good movie or a piece of music. If a good movie or music is made keeping in mind all the important aspects like rhythm , tempo, beat etc it will always hold the attention of the viewer or the listener. In the same way a good, well organized lesson plan will keep the students interested in what they are doing. An ill prepared lesson plan...  [Read more]

As a parent and an educator I have learned much about child development and am learning more everyday. When I was pregnant with my first child I discovered child development begins in the womb. My husband and I read to our child everyday and played music through a large set of head phones. As the months passed the baby began to respond through movement or rest. It also depended on what we were doing. If we played music, the baby was active with up beat children’s songs, but calm and relaxed with soft or classical music. I remember singing in the church choir oh my! The baby was bouncing all over the place. When we brought our son home from the hospital for the first time after he was born we played the music that we played while he was in the womb. He responded by...  [Read more]

Many thousands of people every year, of all nationalities and from all walks of life, make the decision to take a TEFL certification course for a wide variety of different reasons. For some it offers the chance to earn a bit of spending money while traveling in far-flung corners of the world, while for others it is a great way to make fundamental changes to their career and life plans. If you are one of the many thousands of others who have thought about studying TEFL, but are yet to act, here are some of the main reasons why we think you should take the leap. Most people have periods in their life when the job they are doing becomes dull, mundane, and all too repetitive. So what better way to shake things up and make a change to the same old same old than by taking a training course that...  [Read more]

Of the tens of thousands of people who head overseas every year to teach English abroad, the vast majority will have some level of anxiety about meeting new people and making new friends. The good news is that most teachers soon forget these concerns once they are immersed in their new environment. The chances are high that you will not be the only foreign teacher in your new school, apartment building, or neighborhood. As well as other teachers, you can also expect to meet friendly and welcoming people from the local community who will be more than happy to help you settle into your new home. One obvious source of friendship in your new life overseas will be your place of work. The majority of teachers will find there are other foreign teachers working in the same school, many of whom...  [Read more]

IntroductionWhen I decided I wanted to compare of course materials used for adult students here in Germany I contacted a teacher that has been working in Munich for over 15 years and asked here if she could help me. I did lend several books from here but in the end I chose to use two books. My chose depended on that these books where suitable for a comparative study because they aimed for the same level of students. The first book is called 'Network' and is a stage 1 book printed in 2001. The other book I chose to use is also a stage 1 book and is called 'First choice'. The reason for me choosing this book is that it is the newest book I managed to get a hold of and it is printed. My aim was to see how these books matched what I have been taught during the TEFL course and how...  [Read more]

Teaching students in groups is very common in most classrooms. If the group is fifteen or forty they still have the same needs and problems that all students have. Teaching groups is a very large topic so this essay will concentrate on a few certain topics that will be based on research and the experiences that I have encountered while teaching English to large groups. I will concentrate on three areas the first is using choral repetition as to encourage students to use English. The second will be concentrating on using group work to help all students to contribute to the class and the last is limiting the use of the native tongue while doing group work. Some students do not have the confidence to participate in class, due to many reasons, so Choral repetition helps to...  [Read more]

Teaching students in groups is very common in most classrooms. If the group is fifteen or forty they still have the same needs and problems that all students have. Teaching groups is a very large topic so this essay will concentrate on a few certain topics that will be based on research and the experiences that I have encountered while teaching English to large groups. I will concentrate on three areas the first is using choral repetition as to encourage students to use English. The second will be concentrating on using group work to help all students to contribute to the class and the last is limiting the use of the native tongue while doing group work.Some students do not have the confidence to participate in class, due to many reasons, so Choral repetition helps to produce...  [Read more]