‘Verbal Energy’ column quirky, insightful, fun
Christian Science Monitor’s Ruth Walker spotlights English as a fascinating language Photo Source: Christian Science Monitor”There is no such thing as “the Queen’s English.’ The property has gone into the hands of a joint stock company, and we own the bulk of the stock.” Mark Twain (1835-1910), American writer and humorist Facing a language that chooses...
Read MoreIt’s a Breeze in Easy English Times
Idiom lessons by IAB in EET “These lessons will help you use more colorful English in your life. Idiom by idiom, you will find speaking English less difficult and more fun. You might even find speaking English ‘a breeze.’” -It’s a Breeze book description Idioms certainly have acquired a notorious reputation among English language learners. Even for native speakers, few English expressions seem...
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?”...
Read More‘English is Stupid’ spotlights new teaching, learning approach
Source: Busy Teacher Judy Thompson discusses how to overcome English as a crazy language “English is a funny language that explains why we park our car on the driveway and drive our car on the parkway.” ―American saying ESL teacher and pronunciation maven Judy Thompson’s new book boasts a surprising title: English is Stupid. Yet as her introduction and examples unfold, she does make a compelling...
Read MoreProceed with Caution: Gender-Neutral and Plural Pronouns
How to approach pronouns in English class “The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it.” ―Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005) American journalist How unfortunate it is that English has no gender-neutral pronoun, one to use when saying “he or she” is either too tedious or ambiguous. John McWhorter of the New Republic argues in this article that in fact...
Read MoreHomophones Can Confuse: A Minor Mistake in Miner Valley
Why it is so important for English learners to tackle homophones in the classroom “For me the greatest beauty always lies in the greatest clarity.” ―Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781), German writer English remains an often confusing and difficult language to learn (and teach!) for many reasons. For instance, the gap between a word’s spelling and its pronunciation often presents a...
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