Steven Pinker: 10 'grammar rules' it's OK to break (sometimes)
Among the many challenges of writing is dealing with rules of correct usage: whether to worry about split infinitives, fused participles, and the meanings of words such as "fortuitous", "decimate" and "comprise". Supposedly a writer has to choose between two radically different approaches to these rules. Prescriptivists prescribe how language ought to be used.
10 Illustrated English Idioms That Will Make Your Life Easier
For many people learning English for the first time it can be daunting and complex language to master. Lots of silent letters, complex spellings and odd expressions which often go over the heads of most non-English speakers. To make learning English a little easier, Irish illustrator Roisin Hahessy has created some wonderfully simple yet funny pictures to help make things a little clearer. She's also a part-time English teacher in Brazil so she uses the series to aid her students as well. Now whenever you hear any of these English idioms, thanks to Hahessy at least now you'll have a better idea of where the conversation is heading! Via Roisin Hahessy
Visualizing the Global Network of Languages
In the world of complex data graphics, interactive nodal network diagrams can offer some of the richest data exploration opportunities. This week, the Macro Connections Group at MIT Media Lab released Global Language Network, an interactive visualization of the world’s many languages and their relationships to each other. This colorful web of information represents an ideal use of the nodal diagram as a means of visual communication. Before you even glance down to see the legend or hover over the circles to view the associated data, a primary message emerges effortlessly: English stands at the center among the most popular languages, and shows that it has the most abundant and strongest connections with other languages. Meanwhile, circle colors suggest categories of related tongues, providing some intuitive context for the connection patterns. Perhaps the most fascinating part of this visualization is the range of data sources involved.
How to use Viralelt
All Viralelt posts consist of three parts: an embedded viral video, 10 conversation questions (Question time) and a listening activity (Sitting comfortably?). Show your students the video a few times and ask them for their reactions. Although most videos are less than 2 minutes long, and are often without dialogue, they should be sufficiently engaging to provoke quite lengthy open-class discussions.
The superhero speed dating game: Using role-playing to spark authentic communication
Writer(s): Sean H. Toland, Ritsumeikan University
10 Best Grammar Resources for Students - Grammarly Blog
Something great happened on March 4, 2008. Martha Brockenbrough, through The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, established National Grammar Day in the United States. It’s a day to celebrate all that grammar does. Would you like to wish your friends a Happy Grammar Day? Make sure you don’t have any errors in your messages!
English Vocabulary Quizzes Using Images
a4esl.org English Vocabulary Quizzes Using Images Quizzes to Help You Learn and Review Vocabulary This is a part of The Internet TESL Journal's Activities for ESL Students <HR NOSHADE SIZE=99><h1>Warning</h2><B>These quizzes require a JavaScript-enabled browser</b><BR><TT>You have JavaScript disabled or a browser that doesn't support JavaScript.<BR><TT>You need either Netscape 3 or newer OR Explorer 4.0 or newer.<P>Try <a href=" Quizzes for ESL Students</a> instead.
What The British Say (And What They Really Mean)
Should you ever find yourself in conversation with a British person and they’re saying things which seem polite on the surface, with perhaps a little undercurrent of scorn, you might want to have this infographic ready to consult. It claims to be a translation of British for people in the European Union, but these themes are universal. Have a look, it’s not bad. Note: I’m not entirely sure where this originally comes from or who made it. The earliest sighting was on this blog by Oxfam. Fraser McAlpine
25 Reading Strategies That Work In Every Content Area
25 Reading Strategies That Work In Every Content Area Reading is reading. By understanding that letters make sounds, we can blend those sounds together to make whole sounds that symbolize meaning we can all exchange with one another. Without getting too Platonic about it all, reading doesn’t change simply because you’re reading a text from another content area.
Skype in the Classroom: Experiments with NASA
We kicked off the New Year with a very special Skype in the Classroom lesson, “Exploring Earth and Space Science with NASA,” connecting Mr. Ruiz’s 4th grade classroom in Texas with University of New Mexico’s Dr. Deborah Roberts-Harris and NASA Goddard’s Ginger Butcher. Students shared their ideas on why we can see colors in the sky and what happens as light travels from the Sun to the Earth. To bring their ideas to life, Ginger used the littleBits Space Kit to create an energy meter and conducted an experiment to measure energy from light waves as they are scattered.
