Friday 29 June 2012

"TH" sound


Some of the sounds in English pronounciation can be really troublesome for us - non-natives. 
I dare say that "TH" sound may be the most difficult one for us Poles to master. We very often confuse it with "d", "t", sometimes "s" , "z" or "f" sound. However, with a little bit of training we can all learn it and sound perfectly natural, trust me.
Have you known that there actually two "th" sounds:


Voiceless (when the vocal cords don't vibrate), often mixed up with "t", "s" or "f"




Examples:

think

thin

thank

three

thick

north

path



and Voiced (when the vocal cords vibrate), often mixed up with "d" or "z".




Examples:

there

this

than

clothes

breathe

mother

leather



Practice makes perfect, so watch the video, stick your tongue out and HAVE FUN !!! 






Now, are you ready for some tongue twisters? Here you are:
















OK, now you have every right to feel like this:






source: google images, video: youtube.


Wednesday 27 June 2012

Idioms - my pain in the....neck ;)

I'm sure that each of you, no matter how long you've been learning English, came across idioms and expressions that sound either completely ridiculous or at least weird.
On the other hand, I have to admit that this is one of the things in English language that I'm never bored with. The peculiar and very often illogical grammatical rules (or usually no rules at all) make the whole process of learning more interesting and exciting. This is what makes English so vivid and various. In my case it's a love-hate relationship and I'm constantly, repeatedly trying to face the challenge. How about you?




Today, let's get a closer look at a tiny part of expressions presenting four different emotions:


excitement, frustration, fear and surprise. 


EXCITEMENT




To be on the edge of one's seat

When something keeps you on the edge of your seat, it's very exciting and you want to know what is going to happen next.

E.g. The movie had me on the edge of my seat right from the beginning.

A nail biter
A nail-biting event makes you feel very nervous, usually because you are waiting for something important to happen. It the case of a movie, you really want to see what happens next.

E.g. That film was a real nail biter.
..or when there's absolutely no excitement whatsoever:

To be as exciting as watching paint dry
Something that is very, very boring can be described as about as exciting as watching paint dry.

E.g. Her performance was as exciting as watching paint dry.

Something is like watching grass grow
Just like the expression above, this is used to describe something that is very uninteresting.

E.g. Sitting there and listening to him was like watching grass grow.








FRUSTRATION



For crying out loud!

For goodness sake!

For heaven's sake!

To do a slow burn

(American & Australian informal)
to have a feeling of anger that gradually increases.
 E.g. As he heard more about the plan to develop the area for industrial use he started doing a slow burn.


To champ at the bit

To show impatience or frustration when delayed. 
E.g. The dogs were champing at the bit to begin the hunt.


There are some other starting with the letter 'F', but obviously we all know it quite well ;)






FEAR



To make someone’s hair stand on end

to cause someone to be very frightened. 

To make someone’s blood run cold

to shock or horrify someone.

To scare the pants off someone (slang)

to frighten someone very badly.

To scare someone out of their wits/ senses

to frighten someone badly, suddenly or both.

To frighten/ scare the hell out of someone 

to make someone feel very frightened.

To give someone the creeps

to make you feel frightened or nervous ; to cause someone to feel dislike or disgust.



SURPRISE



To give sb the fish eye

E.g. She turned around and gave me the fish eye, obviously surprised and not knowing why exactly I had said that.

To knock over with a feather

E.g. He was so surprised you could have knocked him over with a feather!

eyes on stalks

E.g. The child's eyes were on stalks as he watch the magician's performance.

jaw drops

E.g. When the prize was announced, the winner's jaw dropped.

knock your socks off

E.g. The magnitude of the project will knock the socks off everyone in the office.



And maaaany other expressions and idioms which I'm obviously unable to present here, so forvige me my random choice and if you like go here to read more about it :) Enjoy!



source: google images




Friday 22 June 2012

Midsummer Festival


A nice occasion for celebration ! :)
Summer Solstice, also called Midsummer refers to the period of time between June 21 and June 24 and it is almost in the middle of the growing season throughout most of EuropeThe word solstice derives from Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) and it's the longest day in the year. Probably each country has its own festival for the occasion and celebrates its own tradition. In Poland it's all about wreaths and bonfires.
One of the most famous among midsummer festivals is the one in Cork in Ireland.



It started yesterday, 21st June, with a major opening night show at Cork Opera House and it is planned to mark Bonfire Night on 23rd June. For the first time the 2012 event is hosting a major programme of gallery-based and site specific visual art. So, if you happen to be in Ireland in the following days - don't miss it ! ! ! and definitely go here to check the festival's programme.


So, if anyone feels like celebrating - sing along ;) 






And below the promised answers to the 'Waking Life' - listening part 1.

1. striving
2. frustration
3. connection with one another.
4. simple survival
5. system of symbols
6. intangible things
7. lack of love
8. inert
9. unspeakable
10. spiritual communion


source: google images


Monday 18 June 2012

Waking life - listening part 1








'Waking Life' directed by Richard Linklater and released over 10 years ago in 2001 is on my list of 'thought-provoking movies'. I think I first saw it about 9 years ago and I keep coming back to it every 3 years or so and each time different part of that film grips me.
Although it's quite dense with ideas on different topics (from lucid dreaming to existentialism), I've never found it over-ambitious or pretentious.
However, I wouldn't recommend it for parties or family gatherings. It's easier to take in individually and in parts ...or with a good friend by your side:)

I picked one monologue by Kim Krizan and prepared some listening exercise for you.
You have to go to 0:11:20 in the film, listen and fill in the gaps below. You will get the answers in my next post ;)


Kim Krizan: Creation seems to come out of imperfection. It seems to come out of a 1)……………….. and a 2)…………………..and this is where I think language came from. I mean, it came from our desire to transcend our isolation and have some sort of 3)………………………………. And it had to be easy when it was just 4)……………………….. Like you know, "water." We came up with a sound for that. Or saber tooth tiger right behind you. We came up with a sound for that. But when it gets really interesting I think is when we use that same 5)……………………to communicate all the abstract and 6)……………………..that we're experiencing. What is like... frustration? Or what is anger or love? When I say love, the sound comes out of my mouth and it hits the other person's ear, travels through this byzantine conduit in their brain through their memories of love or 7)………………………., and they register what I'm saying and they say yes, they understand. But how do I know they understand? Because words are 8)………….. They're just symbols. They're dead, you know? And so much of our experience is intangible. So much of what we perceive cannot be expressed. It's 9)……………………. And yet you know, when we communicate with one another and we feel that we have connected and we think that we're understood I think we have a feeling of almost 10)………………………………. And that feeling might be transient, but I think it's what we live for. 

Friday 15 June 2012

You will never win the Irish....

I'm not a football fan. It's definitely not my cup of tea but as probably most of you, I got sucked in by the atmosphere of the Euro Cup 2012. However, it's not the 'play' that makes me look forward to the next matches. It's the national anthems! I get goose skin every time I hear thousands of people singing together with their eyes filled with tears. No matter what nationality.
Have you ever paid attention to the lyrics? It can really say a lot about a nation.
Naturally, there are two which 'struck my ear':




God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:      

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us:

God save the Queen.



O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter thine enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all.

Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen.



and my favourite;)


Sinne Fianna Fáil,
atá faoi gheall ag Éirinn,

Buíon dár slua

thar toinn do ráinig chughainn,

Faoi mhóid bheith saor

Seantír ár sinsear feasta,
Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill.
Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil,
Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar,
Seo libh canaig amhrán na bhfiann


and the English version is:


Soldiers are we,
whose lives are pledged to Ireland,

Some have come

from a land beyond the wave,

Sworn to be free,

no more our ancient sireland,
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.

Tonight we man the "bearna baoil",
In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal,

’Mid cannon’s roar and rifles’ peal,

We’ll chant a soldier's song




After yesterday's match... well, I really wanted them to win:(
let THIS be my tribute to the Irish:





The lyrics to this song are here - found by one of my students - thank you :)

More national anthems will come together with the olympics:)




source: google images

Monday 11 June 2012

Welcome :)


Hi. Since this is my introductory post it needs some kind of......well, yes - introduction :)
Everything you will find here will be devoted to English language and culture and hopefully will get you closer to the language and make your learning process a bit more enjoyable.
So, to make a good start let's face some basic facts:

  • Over 400 million people use the English vocabulary as a mother tongue.
  • Over 700 million people, speak English, as a foreign language.
  • Three-quarters of the world's mail, telexes and cables are in English.
  • More than half of the world's technical and scientific periodicals are in English.
  • English is the medium for 80% of the information stored in the world's computers.
  • Five of the largest broadcasting companies in the world (CBS, NBC, ABC, BBC and CBC) transmit in English, reaching millions and millions of people all over the world.


I usually use the above info as a kind of 'motivation speech' (read: grumbling) to my Students. 
However, it doesn't always work :/ Sometimes even an intermediate-level Student can suprise you with the words: "I'm OK with Globish" - A KICK IN THE TEETH ! ! !
At that point I could think either: "well, I don't care" or.....make an attempt to share my passion in a different way:)
So here I am - an absolute opposite to computer and internet freaks - blogging! Those who know me would probably be equally surprised if I .....let's say ate meat (I'm a vegetarian;)

But let's get to the point...

Globish or English??? - and is the second 
worth the trouble?








For those of you who are not aware - Globish is a limited version of English. How limited?....to a list of 1500 words! Yes. No kidding. (Btw, 'kidding' is not even on that list - I've checked).
Imagine how simple your life would be with only 1500 words in your dictionary. So simple and...unbearable.
No place for - chocolate (also checked) or 
                    - alcohol ( I think you see my point;)

It's not that I'm totally against Globish. I treat it as a good start. However, you should definitely take the next step.....and another, so that you will never be lost in translation :


(to rip - is also not on the Globish list;)

If you want to research on the topic of Globish you can go here and here. Enjoy!