#teaching English

[rollsoffthetongue]

ON THE LAM

Idiomatic Meaning: To be on the run or trying to escape, or go into hiding, usually from law enforcement.

Literal Meaning: “Lam” and “lamb” are homophones. Thus, if one only hears the word without seeing the spelling, one could conclude that what is being said refers to something or someone being on a baby sheep.

Usage: Informal, spoken general American and British English. Though not as popular as in the early part of the last century, it's still in use today, often in a humorous or dramatic context, evoking images of old gangster movies or crime novels.

Origin: Late 19thCentury – American English. The exact origins of the expression are a bit murky, but it's believed to have originated in American criminal slang in the late 19th century. The word "lam" itself might come from the Scandinavian and British word "lam," meaning to hit or to beat (as in "I'll lam you one"), which evolved to mean "to beat it" or "to run away." The earlier derivation was “lame” in the sense of beating someone until they were lame. The phrase started appearing in print around the late 19th to early 20th centuries. One of the earliest known uses is in a 1904 issue of the "Boston Globe."

Why is this funny?  In the photo we see a policeman questioning a sheep farmer asking if he’d seen the big bad wolf anywhere. The farmer replies that he’d seen the wolf in his barn among the newborn sheep but had since run off. The wolf had possible been on a lamb, but then got scared away and went “on the lamb”

Sample sentence:  The staff of the cable news channel, MSNBC, might all have to go “on the lam” when the new “justice” department goes after them for their political views.

[languageboutique]

[amaliathereader]

Our job as EDUCATORS is not limited to the teaching of a language. Our first duty is to place a tiny portion of influence on how they view the world as they develop their own personality. To become confident, to stand up for what they believe, to respond to bullies, to resist when others try to intimidate them, to broaden their horizons through books. To BE THERE for them.

And guys, we just HAVE TO learn those participles, okay?

[sharp-n-flat]

Here are some things that I’ve learned while teaching:

1. Background matters. Not because it’s not possible to learn for some people. I actually believe the opposite, that everyone can learn. But some people start their learning journey believing what the world has told them, that it’s impossible for them, and that is a huge obstacle, it’s important to bring that barrier down to help them open up and let the learning process begin.

2. Poor Vocabulary is the Great Wall! If you don’t enrich your vocabulary by reading, watching movies or series or paying attention to music lyrics, you just won’t be able to communicate things that matter; you’ll get stuck with the script you learned from your teacher but won’t be able to go further, and probably would not be able to understand a native speaker either, because colloquial speech is not how you learn it on any book.

3. Use of Native Language. It’s important to learn phrases and the different uses and meaning of the words, so learning about the culture and the dialect of the place you’re dreaming to visit or to move to is a must! Like I said before, perfect grammar is not the whole language.

4. Outdated Core Curriculum is a No! I think as teachers is important to have a list of topics that the students most learn, but we need to get creative on how we teach it, and be flexible with our ways, not every group will respond the same way to the material and not every person has the same learning style, so we have to observe how they respond to it and try to improve our plan in ways we know will work for them.

5. Lack of Speaking Skills is the pebble in the shoe. One dear teacher of mine used to say that being able to put something into words was what could materialize things, or even change our reality. And I think it has some true to it. If we can put it into words, then we are putting it into our minds, we start making it our own, and that’s how you learn. So I always try to make my students speak: to me, to their peers, to them selves, to their microwave if necessary! But it’s so very important for them to talk!

6. Lack of Confidence can be your worst enemy. So it’s important for us to celebrate even the smallest of things! Every step is a challenge that’s been conquered! So if you were able to read until this point 🔵 congratulations 👏🏻

[lieutenant-teach]

‘You are the best teacher I’ve ever had, I even attended all your classes’, ‘I want to be a kind of a teacher like you’, ‘Can we take a picture with you?’, ‘May I hug you, please?’, ‘We’ll miss you’, ‘We’ll write you’, ‘We wrote a small book in English with all active vocabulary about ‘adventures of the hamster’ running gag of our classes’ and want to present it to you’ – these moments are worth time spent on making lesson plans, creating pretty presentations, looking for interesting and educational videos, checking tests and holding exams. A very pleasant feeling that you made a difference to somebody who learned more, got invested in some topics they’d never do without you and who valued your input and made input themselves.

[ramblinggaijin]

Staff transfers here have been amazing so far! Mainly cuz at my JHS an awesome JTE I worked with at another school came in. And at my ES it’s mostly folks from the smaller ES that closed and a few folks that I had worked with or met prior!

Just a shame this is happening a few months before I finish JET. Gonna enjoy it while I can.

[tefllemon-blog]

1. 'Looking for love' (Karen Ramirez)

2. 'Don't you want me, baby?' (Human League)

3. 'Champagne Supernova' (Oasis)

4. 'Closer' (The Chainsmokers)

5. 'Wide Awake' (Katy Perry)

The 180-Hour Higher Certificate in TESOL has 20 modules, two of which focus on how to teach grammar and how to teach tenses.

After taking our accredited online TESOL program, you'll hit English teaching out the park!

Use the coupon code: 'BIG20' to get 20% OFF the cost of our course.

[fanartandfanfiction]

Not fandom related, but I just remembered this story and thought you all would get a laugh.

I used to teach English as a second language online and my kids always cracked me up. I asked a little boy what his favorite food was and he said “rice and penis!” Naturally, I was confused and asked him to repeat himself. “Rice and penis!” I asked him to describe it to me and it was “rice and beans” but he was pronouncing it “bean-es” 🤦‍♀️

[tatis9]

Speaking a second language

Speaking a second language is worrying/apologizing for any minimal gramatical mistake, the total opposite from a native speaker. 

Speaking a second language is having favorite words in each language (because they are more complete/precise or for an emotional connection).

Speaking a second language is having a mind switch when you're talking, your attitude change and even your voice (and I swear is not faking, just happens naturally).

Speaking a second language is getting so excited when you have the chance to talk in the language you don't use frequently (your target language or your mother tongue).

Speaking a second language is understanding more than others the beauty and grace of your own language.

[lowreyglobalconsultants]

Dragon Stew Teaching

When I was younger I really thought the story of Dragon Stew was quite clever, and the solution to the problem was so simple that it was genius!

If you don't know the story (and I may get a fact or two wrong as it has been years), the basic idea is that a King declared that he wanted to eat Dragon Stew and he tasked his people with catching a dragon. The dragon was caught and was getting prepped to be cooked in the stew. When it came down to the crucial moment, the dragon was desperate for his life and he talked the king into allowing him to cook a meal for him. He asked the king what he liked and he listened carefully and he used the information he had learned to make an absolutely delicious meal. The dragon managed to secure the job as the king's personal chef and he did so by listening every day and making exactly what the king wanted. Win/win. The dragon lived and the king got his 'dragon stew', though in the end that meant it was a stew made by a dragon. Apologies if I have mixed up some details of the story (let me know in the comments!).

Subconsciously, this has bled through into my philosophy as a teacher. There are, of course, non-negotiable staples that need to be in the classes I teach but beyond that, we need to know how we are going to please our students. How are we going to make our lesson time productive and useful for them? The answer is in their words, in their mannerisms in their consistent mistakes. Pay attention, take note and adapt your curriculum to those needs. Put aside your ego or the sense of entitlement your years of teaching affords you. We should always be developing and growing as teachers, this is how we keep our job and our lessons fresh.

On top of that, you can avoid being eaten. :-)

[642stories]

Story #61 "What is a good teacher?"

Originally written as a CELTA admission essay.

What is a good teacher? What qualities one should possess to be considered a poster child for teaching? And who is to tell a good teacher from the bad one, and make the final decision? They say “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Perhaps, to an extent, it’s fair for a good vs. bad teacher as well.

When I did my TESOL course a year ago, I was asked to write an essay on my teaching philosophy, and at some point, I started contemplating what a good teacher was in my opinion, and whether I, myself, met those standards. I might repeat myself here with what I wrote in the past, but thinking back now, I stand by my words. 

I’m firmly convinced that a good teacher is a teacher who knows how to convey the information they prepared for the lesson and is able to present the material in a practicable and entertaining way, as well as be capable of engaging students in different communicative activities to provide them with vocabulary and grammar sufficient for successful communication. That kind of teacher knows the ultimate goal of any exercise they give and sets short-term and long-term aims for themselves and their students.

A good teacher knows how to encourage a student to use actively the learning strategies such as asking questions, making notes, and not being afraid of making mistakes. They can explain that experimenting with the language is impossible without mistakes, and get sure students feel confident enough in a classroom. As a rule, a good teacher sticks to the 80/20 strategy and knows how to reduce teacher talking time and increase student talking time.

They want to pass on not only their knowledge but their passion for languages and sow the seeds of the idea that any learning indeed is an exciting process a student can benefit from. A good teacher strives to show their students that there is no extrinsic motivation they need to study as they can find it within themselves. As a teacher, I try to be that source of motivation and enthusiasm for my students.

[rollsoffthetongue]

BUSTING CHOPS

Idiomatic Meaning:   Hassle, criticize, or give someone a hard time. It can also mean to put pressure on someone to get an outcome. 

Literal Meaning: There are multiple levels of meaning in both “bust” as well as “chops”. “Bust” can mean to hit or to break, and in slang it means to arrest. “Chops” can refer to the mouth or jaws of a person, it can have the slang meaning of playing skills on a musical instrument, or it can refer to a cut of meat of a cow, pig or lamb. All of these could be made into multiple combinations. Take your pick.

Usage: Formal andInformal spoken or written general American English. Can be used in both a serious as well as a teasing or playful sense, depending on the circumstances.

Origin:  Mid-20th Century – American English – This expression is of relatively recent origin, first appearing in print only in the 1950’s. “Chops” in this case probably harks back to its original 16th century slang meaning of “mouth” or “lips,” a “bust in the chops” being the equivalent of a punch in the mouth. Similar phrases are “busting one’s hump” and “busting one’s balls”.

Why is this funny?  In the photo we see a policeman telling a young butcher that both he and his meat, or his chops, are under arrest. The butcher, who is clearly unhappy about the situation, complains that the cop is not allowed to do that. But the cop tells him not to worry because he is only “messing with” or teasing, him. The cop is “busting his chops” by threatening to bust his chops!

Sample Sentence: C’mon mom, stop “busting my chops!” I’ll do the dishes after this movie is over.

[languageboutique]

[satoksa]

It has come to my attention that many people do not know about the Superman Rule in English and I need to rectify that.

When using pronouns in sentences you sometimes add an s to the verb and you sometimes don't. That s is Superman and the reasoning is fairly simple.

She/He/It are too scared to do anything alone. They need Superman to help them out. She eats food with Superman. He goes running with Superman. It exists only when Superman is around.

We/They are always doing things in groups and don't need Superman to protect us/them.

I am not scared of anything, and You are strong enough to protect yourself, so neither of us need Superman.

There you go. Now you know the Superman rule. Share it with the world.

[instrill]

#english

[lieutenant-teach]

Final state exams for graduates. Yaaay, word confusion and never registering what mistakes you’ve made!

Someone wanted to say ‘hospitable’ – ‘hospitalized’.

‘Extinction’ turned into ‘extended’.

‘Birches’ became ‘breeches’.

Instead of ‘malnutrition’ students who didn’t know the right word – ‘less eating’ and ‘under-eating’.

Should’ve been ‘department’ – but we hear ‘departure’.

‘Cosmopolitan’ – ‘many-nations’ (city).

My favourite for that exam – poor ‘double-decker’ that became ‘two-upstairs bus’.