Dec 21, 2008
Nov 2, 2008
HISTORY AND CUSTOMS OF HALLOWEEN
On the 31st October many Argentineans celebrate Halloween. Some years ago, it was exclusive of those families whose children attended bilingual schools. However, Halloween has become more and more popular in our country.
One friend of mine will go to Downtown Matías with his son and have a wonderful time. They won't miss this celebration for anything in the world.
Why is it that customs from other cultures have invaded us?
Have you ever organized a Halloween party? or Have you ever been to any? Do leave your comments here for us to share.
Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual?
The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.
Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth.
The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.
The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.
The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates.
The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.
The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let him down the tree.
According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer.
The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.
So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it.
© 1995-2002 by Jerry Wilson
References: Charles Panati, Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, 1987; and Dr. Joseph Gahagan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Personal letter, 1997
One friend of mine will go to Downtown Matías with his son and have a wonderful time. They won't miss this celebration for anything in the world.
Why is it that customs from other cultures have invaded us?
Have you ever organized a Halloween party? or Have you ever been to any? Do leave your comments here for us to share.
Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? Is it, as some claim, a kind of demon worship? Or is it just a harmless vestige of some ancient pagan ritual?
The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31. The holiday was called Samhain (sow-en), the Celtic New year.
One story says that, on that day, the disembodied spirits of all those who had died throughout the preceding year would come back in search of living bodies to possess for the next year. It was believed to be their only hope for the afterlife. The Celts believed all laws of space and time were suspended during this time, allowing the spirit world to intermingle with the living.
Naturally, the still-living did not want to be possessed. So on the night of October 31, villagers would extinguish the fires in their homes, to make them cold and undesirable. They would then dress up in all manner of ghoulish costumes and noisily paraded around the neighborhood, being as destructive as possible in order to frighten away spirits looking for bodies to possess.
Probably a better explanation of why the Celts extinguished their fires was not to discourage spirit possession, but so that all the Celtic tribes could relight their fires from a common source, the Druidic fire that was kept burning in the Middle of Ireland, at Usinach.
Some accounts tell of how the Celts would burn someone at the stake who was thought to have already been possessed, as sort of a lesson to the spirits. Other accounts of Celtic history debunk these stories as myth.
The Romans adopted the Celtic practices as their own. But in the first century AD, Samhain was assimilated into celebrations of some of the other Roman traditions that took place in October, such as their day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple, which might explain the origin of our modern tradition of bobbing for apples on Halloween.
The thrust of the practices also changed over time to become more ritualized. As belief in spirit possession waned, the practice of dressing up like hobgoblins, ghosts, and witches took on a more ceremonial role.
The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840's by Irish immigrants fleeing their country's potato famine. At that time, the favorite pranks in New England included tipping over outhouses and unhinging fence gates.
The custom of trick-or-treating is thought to have originated not with the Irish Celts, but with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On November 2, All Souls Day, early Christians would walk from village to village begging for "soul cakes," made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors. At the time, it was believed that the dead remained in limbo for a time after death, and that prayer, even by strangers, could expedite a soul's passage to heaven.
The Jack-o-lantern custom probably comes from Irish folklore. As the tale is told, a man named Jack, who was notorious as a drunkard and trickster, tricked Satan into climbing a tree. Jack then carved an image of a cross in the tree's trunk, trapping the devil up the tree. Jack made a deal with the devil that, if he would never tempt him again, he would promise to let him down the tree.
According to the folk tale, after Jack died, he was denied entrance to Heaven because of his evil ways, but he was also denied access to Hell because he had tricked the devil. Instead, the devil gave him a single ember to light his way through the frigid darkness. The ember was placed inside a hollowed-out turnip to keep it glowing longer.
The Irish used turnips as their "Jack's lanterns" originally. But when the immigrants came to America, they found that pumpkins were far more plentiful than turnips. So the Jack-O-Lantern in America was a hollowed-out pumpkin, lit with an ember.
So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it.
© 1995-2002 by Jerry Wilson
References: Charles Panati, Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, 1987; and Dr. Joseph Gahagan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Personal letter, 1997
Sep 29, 2008
Practical Advice for CV Resumes and Covering Letters
WRITING A CV RESUME
If you are looking for a job, then it is very important to offer yourself in the best way to an employer.This is done by writing a good 'CV' (curriculum vitae - Latin for 'life story'), called in some countries a 'resume'.
Different countries may have different requirements and styles for CV resumes. So you must follow the correct practice for your culture and country. However, here are some important principles and advice.
WHAT IS A CV RESUME FOR?
A CV resume is quite simply an 'advert' to sell yourself to an employer. You should send a CV to an employer when they ask for one in a job advert, or when you are enquiring if any jobs are available. So the purpose of your CV is to make you attractive, interesting, worth considering to the company and so receive a job interview.
An employer may have several hundred enquiries about a single job. He or she will only choose a few people who appear suitable for interview. Therefore, your CV must be as good as you can make it.
GENERAL ADVICE
- Do not copy standard CV samples. Your CV should be your own, personal, easy to read, and a little bit different.
- Type it on a word-processor, use an attractive layout and print it on a good quality printer.
- Do use bold and/or underline print for headings. Do not use lots of different font types and sizes. You are not designing a magazine cover!
- Do use plenty of white space, and a good border round the page.
- Do use the spell-check on your computer!
- Use 'bullets' to start sub-sections or lists.
- Customise your CV, if necessary, for different employers.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
- Personal details
Name, home address, phone number, email address, date of birth, your own web homepage (if you have one) - Education
Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first. Include any special project, thesis, or dissertation work. Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, with grades. Subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest. Earlier courses, taken at say age 15-16, may not need much detail. - Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included. - Interests
They will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team. A one-person interest, such as stamp-collecting, may be of less interest to them, unless it connects with the work you wish to do. interested.) If you have published any articles, jointly or by yourself, give details. If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, do give details. - Skills
Ability in other languages, computing experience, or possession of a driving licence should be included. - References
Usually give two names - one from your place of study, and one from any work situation you have had. Or if this does not apply, then an older family friend who has known you for some time. Make sure that referees are willing to give you a reference. Give their day and evening phone numbers if possible.
Length
Maybe all you need to say will fit onto one sheet of A4. But do not crowd it - you will probably need two sheets. Do not normally go longer than this. Put page numbers at the bottom of the pages - a little detail that may impress.
Style
Chronological
Information is included under general headings - education, work experience, etc., with the most recent events first.
Skills based
You think through the necessary skills needed for the job you are applying for. Then you list all your personal details under these skill headings. This is called 'targeting your CV', and is becoming more common, at least in UK. But it is harder to do. So take advice on whether it is OK in your country and culture, and how to do it best.
Optional extras
It can be good to start with a Personal Profile/Objective statement. This is a two or three sentence overview of your skills, qualities, hopes, and plans. It should encourage the employer to read the rest.
You could add a photo of yourself - either scanned in by computer, or stuck on. But make sure it is a good one. The pictures that come out from automatic photo-machines do not show you at your best!
Presentation
You may vary the style according to the type of job, and what is accepted in your country and culture. So a big company would normally expect a formal CV on white paper. But, just perhaps, a CV applying for a television production job, or graphic designer, could be less formal - coloured paper, unusual design, etc!
Consider using a two column table to list your educational qualifications and courses taken.
Covering letter
If you want to make sure that the CV arrives on the desk of the correct person., write a covering letter. Take the trouble to telephone, and find the name of the person who will be dealing with applications or CVs, and address your letter, and envelope, to that person by name. (In a small company, it may be the managing director. In a medium size company, it may be the head of section/department. Only in a large company will there be a Personnel or Human Resource Department.)
To persuade the person to read your CV, it must be relevant to the company, interesting, and well produced. It should clearly state what job you are interested in. If you are sending in a 'speculative' CV hoping that they may have work for you, explain what sort of work you are interested in. Do not say, 'I would be interested in working for Widgets Ltd', but say 'I believe my skills equip me to work in the product development department/accounts office/whatever'.
Have you already written your CV in English?
Have you recently updated your CV in your native language?
What was the last time you took a look at it?
Have you compared your CV with somebody else's?
Or perhaps, are you the ones who think a CV must be written and/or updated when you are about to apply for a job?
Writing a CV today will save you time in the future.
Your CV should always be ready to hand in, don't you think?
Write down your comments and share your views with other students.
Sep 8, 2008
Sep 2, 2008
Identity
If somebody asked you who you are, how would you define yourself?
Do you identify most strongly with your job, your hometown, your family?
Do you use your real name when you chat on the Internet?
Do you use your real name when you chat on the Internet?
Do you have several digital identities?
How similar or different are your imaginary identities to your real self?
Dick Hardt seems to know much about identity. I've enjoyed his conference, I've learnt a couple of things about the topic, and I love the way he gave his speech.
Do enjoy it and send your comments by answering just a few of the questions above.
Comments will be moderated for appropriacy, if necessary.
Aug 13, 2008
Olympics 2008
Have you recently visited the BBC Learning English Site? If not, please do. There's plenty of information about the Olympic Games, ranging from history to the latests news.
Here's the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1253_olympics_2008/index.shtml
Do enjoy it and learn lots of facts, news, sports vocabulary, idioms and much more.
You can't miss it!
What is your favourite sport?
Here's the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1253_olympics_2008/index.shtml
Do enjoy it and learn lots of facts, news, sports vocabulary, idioms and much more.
You can't miss it!
What is your favourite sport?
How often do you practise it?
Who do you practise it with?
Are you good at it?
Leave your comments here. I am looking forward to reading them all.
Comments will be moderated for appropriacy.
Jul 29, 2008
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
Some of my students, the ones who saw this lecture, asked me who Randy is. In fact, Randy was.
Randy was above all, a wonderful father who wanted to give a lecture on how to live life to his three little kids. They will fully understand this lecture when they are older.
There's plenty of informatin about Randy on the Internet. But this lecture is worth listening. I never get tired of listening to it. It's about life, about dreams and about positive thinking.
Randy was above all, a wonderful father who wanted to give a lecture on how to live life to his three little kids. They will fully understand this lecture when they are older.
There's plenty of informatin about Randy on the Internet. But this lecture is worth listening. I never get tired of listening to it. It's about life, about dreams and about positive thinking.
If you were about to write a book for your grandchildren to read when they are older,
what advice would you give them?
What are the important things in life?
How can you achieve your dreams?
How should they live their lives?
Write down some lines to share with other members of this blog. Comments will be moderated for appropriacy, if necessary.
Jul 28, 2008
How to start using this educational tool
Some of the students who first get to this site wonder what sites to visit. They don't know exactly where to start and where to go next. So, here are some tips:
If you are a student at an advanced or intermediate level, just click on any of The Media links. You will find direct links to British and American Newspapers. Go to your favourite sections: international news, sports, health, entertainment, music ... You can also compare articles in different publications. How is the same piece of news presented on such and such newspaper? Discover the yellow press, the serious newspapers. Which looks like our Clarin, La Nación, La Prensa?
You can also navigate the BBC Learning English site which is just wonderful!! It has everything you may want to find: audio, video, transcripts; crosswords, puzzles, quizzes; soap operas;
phrasals, grammar, listenings; vocabulary in context: sports, science, technology, health, new words that you won't find in a dictionary yet. You will find whatever you may think of and much more!!!
And don't forget to visit Randall's Site. Click on Who's Randall first so that you get to know something about his background. Click also on FAQ and read how to make the best use of his site.
If you are a student at a pre-intermediate or beginner level, visit the following sites:
1. English File
a) Click on the book that corresponds to your level
b) Click on the folder that you want to use: pronunciation, audio, vocabulary, games, grammar
2. Randall's ESL Lab
a) General Listening Quizzes (for pre-intermediate students)
b) Basic Listening Quizzes (for beginners)
3. Simple English News (with audio)
There are lots of topics: sports, music, entertainment, business, world news, unusual news, etc
There are links to dictionaries for everybody to use. Accountants will find the Financial Dictionary very interesting; Advanced students will find the Dictionary of Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions very useful, and everybody will benefit from the Pronunciation Dictionary.
I expect these few tips clarify a little bit.
If you are a student at an advanced or intermediate level, just click on any of The Media links. You will find direct links to British and American Newspapers. Go to your favourite sections: international news, sports, health, entertainment, music ... You can also compare articles in different publications. How is the same piece of news presented on such and such newspaper? Discover the yellow press, the serious newspapers. Which looks like our Clarin, La Nación, La Prensa?
You can also navigate the BBC Learning English site which is just wonderful!! It has everything you may want to find: audio, video, transcripts; crosswords, puzzles, quizzes; soap operas;
phrasals, grammar, listenings; vocabulary in context: sports, science, technology, health, new words that you won't find in a dictionary yet. You will find whatever you may think of and much more!!!
And don't forget to visit Randall's Site. Click on Who's Randall first so that you get to know something about his background. Click also on FAQ and read how to make the best use of his site.
If you are a student at a pre-intermediate or beginner level, visit the following sites:
1. English File
a) Click on the book that corresponds to your level
b) Click on the folder that you want to use: pronunciation, audio, vocabulary, games, grammar
2. Randall's ESL Lab
a) General Listening Quizzes (for pre-intermediate students)
b) Basic Listening Quizzes (for beginners)
3. Simple English News (with audio)
There are lots of topics: sports, music, entertainment, business, world news, unusual news, etc
There are links to dictionaries for everybody to use. Accountants will find the Financial Dictionary very interesting; Advanced students will find the Dictionary of Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions very useful, and everybody will benefit from the Pronunciation Dictionary.
I expect these few tips clarify a little bit.
Jul 15, 2008
Six More Illustrated Idioms
I've just found a wonderful site with illustrated idioms. Here are a few to share with you:1) Keep your fingers crossed
An old superstition says that if you cross your fingers, it will bring good luck. So, you cross your fingers when you wish something to happen.
"Let's cross our fingers and hope for the best."
"Good luck on your test tomorrow. We'll be crossing our fingers for you!"
2) Great minds think alike
It means that great people think about things in similar ways.
It is fun to say "Great minds think alike" because you are making a connection with the other person by saying that the two of you, in thinking the same thing at the same time, both have great minds.
"This summer I've decided to take scuba diving lessons."
"Really? Me too. I have already paid for the course."
"Great minds think alike."
3) Everything but the kitchen sink
This means that you included almost everything you could think to include.
"Wow, your suitcase is huge. What do you have in there? Everything but the kitchen sink?" "Every time we go camping my wife packs everything but the kitchen sink."
"My dad's new luxury car is great. It has everything but the kitchen sink."
4) Rock the boat
People in a group as well as on a small boat need to work together. If one person moves suddenly, the boat could rock dangerously. If you rock the boat, you cause trouble for other people.
"We have to work together on this project. I don't want anyone rocking the boat."
"Everyone wants to go except for you. Why do you have to rock the boat?"
"I hate to rock the boat, but I do think we need to rewrite this report."
5) Out of the blue
When something happens out of the blue, it happens so suddenly and unexpected that you're not prepared. It is as if suddenly it started raining on a shinny day.
"Why did she do that?"
"I have no idea. It was completely out of the blue."
"Did you know they would move you to a different project?"
"Not at all. It was completely out of the blue."
6. Burning the candle at both ends:
You burn the candle at both ends when you work long hours without having a rest. It's not healthy, of course. Your energy burns down and you grow more and more tired.
A: Let's go to a party tonight.
B: I'm afraid I can't. I'm exhausted. I've been burning the candle at both ends all week.
Jul 14, 2008
Healthy Eating
Eating healthy seems to be wishful thinking. We rush all day long, we overwork, we travel back home and we wish days had at least thirty hours. But they have only twenty-four!
We rack our brains thinking what to cook tonight. We leave our jacket, our bag, our books at home. We wash our hands, we drink some soda, we feed the cat and the dog. We open the fridge and peep inside. What is left from the previous day? Not much. So we face the second part of the day. We go into the bakery, the butcher's, the grocer's, the Chinese supermarket and past the greengrocer's. We feel guilty and we walk back a few meters. We buy some green vegetables, some potatoes, some carrots, some tomatoes and we promise ourselves to eat healthy not only tonight but every single day. However, as soon as we get home, our children claim they're starving! So, what? Shall we go through the washing-peeling-boiling-cooking process? Yeah, why not? Healthy eating comes first!!!
Here's a quiz to know whether we're on the road to fitness or our bodies are crying for better treatment. I've got 75% of the score. Not bad, indeed but could be better. What about you?
http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/F/food_quiz/
We rack our brains thinking what to cook tonight. We leave our jacket, our bag, our books at home. We wash our hands, we drink some soda, we feed the cat and the dog. We open the fridge and peep inside. What is left from the previous day? Not much. So we face the second part of the day. We go into the bakery, the butcher's, the grocer's, the Chinese supermarket and past the greengrocer's. We feel guilty and we walk back a few meters. We buy some green vegetables, some potatoes, some carrots, some tomatoes and we promise ourselves to eat healthy not only tonight but every single day. However, as soon as we get home, our children claim they're starving! So, what? Shall we go through the washing-peeling-boiling-cooking process? Yeah, why not? Healthy eating comes first!!!
Here's a quiz to know whether we're on the road to fitness or our bodies are crying for better treatment. I've got 75% of the score. Not bad, indeed but could be better. What about you?
http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/F/food_quiz/
Jul 13, 2008
Text messaging
Text messaging maybe wonderful for some people and really bothering for others. Some love it, some hate it. We maybe unsure whether the message really got to destination or whether it got lost somewhere in cyberspace.
We sometimes save text messages as precious treasures. Other times we immediately erase them since it's not worth giving them a second thought.
There are many who believe that language is completed distorted so using text messaging should not be favoured. They maintain that text messaging contributes to miscommunication. They may be right. However, I do love
keeping in touch through text messaging.
Here are some useful abbreviations for those users of any type of electronic
communication:
Abbreviations
@ at
@ at
AFAIK as far as I know
ATB all the best
AFK away from the keyboard
ASL age, sex,location?
B be
BAK back at the keyboard
B4 before
BCNU be seeing you
BBL be back late(r)
BFN bye for now
BRB be right back
BTW by the way
C see
CU see you
CUL8R see you later
F2F face to face
F2T free to talk
FYI for your information
GR8 great
HAND have a nice day
H8 hate
HSIK how should I know?
HTH hope this helps
IMHO in my humble opinion
IOW in other words
JIC just in case
JK just kidding
KIT keep in touch
KWIM know what I mean
L8R later
LOL laughing out loud/lots of luck
MSG message
MYOB mind your own business
NOYB none of your business
NO1 no one
OTOH on the other hand
OIC oh I see
PCM please call me
PLS please
PPL people
R are
ROTF(L) rolling on the floor (laughing)
OIC oh I see
PCM please call me
PLS please
PPL people
R are
ROTF(L) rolling on the floor (laughing)
RUOK are you okay?
SIT stay in touch
SIT stay in touch
SOM1 someone
SPK speak
TTYL talk to you later
TX thanks
TTYL talk to you later
TX thanks
U you
WAN2 want to
W/ with
WKND weekend
WU what's up?
WKND weekend
WU what's up?
X kiss
XLNT excellent
XOXOX hugs and kisses
YR your
YR your
2 to, too
2 DAY today
2MORO tomorrow
2NITE tonight
4 for
2 DAY today
2MORO tomorrow
2NITE tonight
4 for
Well, U have LOL w/MSGs 'n JIC U R AFK SIT W/ MSGs. HAND.
Jul 12, 2008
The Olympic Flag
On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background.The flag reinforces the idea of the Olympic Movement's universality, as it brings together all the countries of the world.Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, explains the meaning of the flag:"The Olympic flag has a white background, with five interlaced rings in the centre: blue, yellow, black, green and red. This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time." (1931) Textes choisis II, p.470.Combined in this way, the six colours of the flag (including the white of the background) represent all nations.It is wrong, therefore, to believe that each of the colours corresponds to a certain continent!At the Olympic Games, the flag is brought into the stadium during the opening ceremony. Since the 1960 Games in Rome (Italy), it has been carried horizontally by a delegation of athletes or other people well known for their positive work in society.After its arrival, the flag is hoisted up the flagpole. It must fly in the stadium during the whole of the Games. When the flag is lowered at the closing ceremony, it signals the end of the Games.The mayor of the host city of the Games passes the Olympic flag to the mayor of the next host city of the Games.
Read more about the Olympic games in The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games: http://en.beijing2008.cn/
MORE ON IDIOMS
Idioms are fun and we can picture them in our mind.
Can you find the right picture for the following sentences/questions?
Can you find the right picture for the following sentences/questions?
- Life has always been a bed of roses for you, hasn't it?
- Is it good to bury your head in the sand now?
- There's so much she needs to learn. She's still wet behind the ears.
- My friend Sam is like a back seat driver. He's always giving me some advice.
- She's so lucky! He's only got eyes for her. She's the apple of his eyes.
- Exhausted after the long working day, I decided to hit the hay as soon as I arrived home.
Jul 11, 2008
Tongue Twisters
A tongue twister is a phrase, sentence or rhyme that presents difficulties when spoken because it contains similar sounds. The aim of a tongue twister is to try to repeat it several times, as quickly as possible, without stumbling or mispronouncing.
Tongue twisters have long been a popular form of wordplay, particularly for schoolchildren. However, in English-speaking countries they are also used by speech therapists in the treatment of some speech defects.
If you are a student of English, using tongue twisters can help you improve your pronounciation. So, let's give them a try:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
If a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
And chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would
If a woodchuck could chuck wood.
Click on the link below and listen to it:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
There are many more tongue twisters just a click away: http://thinks.com/words/tonguetwisters.htm
Please let me know if there are some that you'd particularly like me to upoload.
Good luck!
Jul 6, 2008
Careers
How ambitious are you? Where do you want to be in 10 year’s time? Where do I want to be in 10 year’s time?
Would you like a career change? Would you like to start your own business?
What practical advice could you give to somebody who wants to get ahead on their career?
Do the questions above ring a bell? For those at the pre-intermediate and intermediate level courses, those questions will certainly ring a bell unless they were just physically present in their classes last week and mentally six miles away!!
I’ve come across a free course on the Internet about How to Start you Own Business. I’ve already registered and started doing it. In order to register, you just need to enter an e-mail address. No other personal data is required.
Here's part of Session 1 of the course:
Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur
Guts:
Guts means you must have an entrepreneurial instinct, which is an overwhelming desire to have your own business. You must have the guts and dedication to be completely devoted to your goal. Incidentally, devotion to your goal is much more likely if you have a love for your intended business. Life is too short to start a business that doesn't give you satisfaction and joy. And, through good times and bad times, you will stick with something you love. As Solomon said, "There is nothing better for men (and women!) than they should be happy in their work-so let them enjoy it now."
Brains:
While appropriate educational credentials are important, entrepreneurial "brains" means more than scholastic achievements. To become a successful entrepreneur, you should have a working knowledge about the business you plan to start before you start it. Common sense, combined with appropriate experience, is the necessary brainpower. Prudence, follow through and attention to detail are very important.
Capital:
Every Business needs money of your own plus sufficient cash to maintain a positive cash flow for at least a year. In a future session operating entrepreneurs will learn how to forecast future cash requirements through cash flow control. Many businesses can be started on a very small scale with a small investment. Then, as the business grows and you gain experience, cash flow from your business can be used for growth. In some cases, you don't need starting capital to hire other people because you might start by doing everything yourself. The "do it yourself" start is a good way to learn everything about your business and also makes you better qualified to delegate work to others later on. You can control your risk by placing a limit on how much you invest in your business.
If you want to know more about it, just click here: http://www.myownbusiness.org/
Enjoy it!!
Would you like a career change? Would you like to start your own business?
What practical advice could you give to somebody who wants to get ahead on their career?
Do the questions above ring a bell? For those at the pre-intermediate and intermediate level courses, those questions will certainly ring a bell unless they were just physically present in their classes last week and mentally six miles away!!
I’ve come across a free course on the Internet about How to Start you Own Business. I’ve already registered and started doing it. In order to register, you just need to enter an e-mail address. No other personal data is required.
Here's part of Session 1 of the course:
Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur
Guts:
Guts means you must have an entrepreneurial instinct, which is an overwhelming desire to have your own business. You must have the guts and dedication to be completely devoted to your goal. Incidentally, devotion to your goal is much more likely if you have a love for your intended business. Life is too short to start a business that doesn't give you satisfaction and joy. And, through good times and bad times, you will stick with something you love. As Solomon said, "There is nothing better for men (and women!) than they should be happy in their work-so let them enjoy it now."
Brains:
While appropriate educational credentials are important, entrepreneurial "brains" means more than scholastic achievements. To become a successful entrepreneur, you should have a working knowledge about the business you plan to start before you start it. Common sense, combined with appropriate experience, is the necessary brainpower. Prudence, follow through and attention to detail are very important.
Capital:
Every Business needs money of your own plus sufficient cash to maintain a positive cash flow for at least a year. In a future session operating entrepreneurs will learn how to forecast future cash requirements through cash flow control. Many businesses can be started on a very small scale with a small investment. Then, as the business grows and you gain experience, cash flow from your business can be used for growth. In some cases, you don't need starting capital to hire other people because you might start by doing everything yourself. The "do it yourself" start is a good way to learn everything about your business and also makes you better qualified to delegate work to others later on. You can control your risk by placing a limit on how much you invest in your business.
If you want to know more about it, just click here: http://www.myownbusiness.org/
Enjoy it!!
Jun 28, 2008
Netiquette / The Core Rules of Netiquette
What is Netiquette?
"Netiquette" is network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace. In other words,Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly on line.
When you enter any new culture -- and cyberspace has its own culture -- you're liable to commit a few social blunders. You might offend people without meaning to. Or you might misunderstand what others say and take offense when it's not intended. To make matters worse, something about cyberspace makes it easy to forget that you're interacting with other real people -- not just ASCII characters on a screen, but live human characters.
So, partly as a result of forgetting that people online are still real, and partly because they don't know the conventions, well-meaning cybernauts, especially new ones, make all kinds of mistakes.
Learn Netiquette basics by reading the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea. Shea's "Core Rules"are the classic introduction to the subject and are widely cited in cyberspace.
Browse through the Complete Online Edition and have access to topics such as Business Netiquette, The Art of Flaming, Egregious Violations of Netiquette, and Love & Sex in Cyberspace.
The book Netiquette has a dual purpose: to help net newbies minimize their mistakes, and to help experienced cyberspace travelers help the newbies. The premise of the book is that most people would rather make friends than enemies, and that if you follow a few basic rules, you're less likely to make the kind of mistakes that will prevent you from making friends.
The list of core rules below are excerpted from the book. They are offered here as a set of general guidelines for cyberspace behavior. They won't answer all your Netiquette questions. But they should give you some basic principles to use in solving your own Netiquette dilemmas.
* Remember the Human
* Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life
* Know where you are in cyberspace
* Respect other people's time and bandwidth
* Make yourself look good online
* Share expert knowledge
* Help keep flame wars under control
* Respect other people's privacy
* Don't abuse your power
* Be forgiving of other people's mistakes
If you want to read the explanations for each rule , click here:
Jun 26, 2008
Idioms
What are Idioms?
An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a different meaning from the dictionary definitions of the individual words.
An idiom is a natural manner of speaking to a native speaker of a language.
Here you have a few idioms:
A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush:
Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.
A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted:
It's easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.
A Leopard Can't Change His Spots:
You cannot change who you are.
A Taste Of Your Own Medicine:
When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.
An Arm And A Leg:
Very expensive. A large amount of money.
Beating Around The Bush:
Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
Blood Is Thicker Than Water:
The family bond is closer than anything else.
Buy A Lemon:
To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it away.
Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth:
When someone gives you a gift, don't be ungrateful.
Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining:
Be optomistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
Hit The Books:
To study, especially for a test or exam.
Hold Your Horses:
Be patient.
It Takes Two To Tango:
A two person conflict where both people are at fault.
Kick The Bucket:
Die.
Let The Cat Out Of The Bag:
To share a secret that wasn't suppose to be shared.
Visit http://www.idiomsite.com/ and learn many more.
I look forward to reading your comments and your own examples with the idioms learnt today.
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