Between life and death: Zombie nouns privilege pretentious vocabulary at the expense of simple clarity
The nominalization of nouns creates abstract, dry and often misleading language “Simplicity is the glory of expression.” -Walt Whitman (1819-1892) American poet Sometimes, it’s fun to play with the English language and transform its adjectives, adverbs and nouns into more complex-sounding words. Playing with word forms can both emphasize a key concept and add an academic tone. Like many other...
Read MoreBiscuit: mobile app to recall, learn, explore vocabulary words
Innovative technology allows students to absorb new vocabulary “The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” -Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) Austrian-British philosopher Have you ever found a word you don’t know, jumped to your dictionary, tried to remember the spelling, typed it in, gotten the definition and promptly forgotten it? For avid language lovers and learners alike, this...
Read MoreEnglish language learners should beware of saying ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’
Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a popular indie band, but “Yeah, yeah, yeah” is a problematic response to job interview questions. “In common use almost every word has many shades of meaning, and therefore needs to be interpreted by the context.” -Alfred Marshall (1842-1924), British economist Television personalities, celebrities, and basketball players often respond to questions...
Read MoreEasy English Times newspaper remains a great resource
Source: Easy English Times ESL students can read news, stories and Compelling Conversations “Newspapers always excite curiosity. No one ever puts one down without the feeling of disappointment.” ―Charles Lamb (1775-1834) English writer There’s no denying the value of an engaging newspaper: it keeps us connected to important events and people’s stories, with additional room for various graphics...
Read MoreJames T. Keating’s “Writing Modern English” tackles the idiomatic, confusing and wrong
Source: Japanese Amazon Japanese English Learners and many English teachers can greatly benefit from this logical guide to clear, modern writing “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” –Mark Twain (1835-1910) American author and humorist How do you know if you’re doing “well” or if you’re doing “good?”...
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