But dominant impression means much more. It can refer to the organizing theme of your life, and no, this is not another New Year's resolution piece.
I simply suggest that you define, in one sentence, what you hope to accomplish in 2012...and beyond.
Sounds simple, but most people just can't do this. Focusing on one defining statement might mean they're accountable, when most of us want the freedom (or is it inertia?) of no deadlines or obligations. After all, isn't that the definition of an grown-up? To make one's own decisions and directions?
The problem is, most people cannot function when they have no limitations or structure. How do they know when to do something? When is it due, or late, or how do I know how, when or if it is accomplished? Others make lists, timelines and notes on calendars. And that's as far as they get.
I suggest that you pick one phrase or statement that represents and sums up who you are and where you want to go in 2012.Then center your energy and choices around it.
Focus every decision on the question "Is this taking me toward - or away from - where I want to go?"
I tell my students that every story, film or book - and life - has an introduction, details and a conclusion. And it is all summed up in the dominant impression.
Use your time carefully. Use every step to go the direction you want to go. This could easily be a year of unexpected opportunity. It is, after all, the year of the dragon.
As always, send us any words or phrases that make you crazy and be sure to let us know what it is about English and language learning that you find confounding, infuriating or endlessly intriguing.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle).
It is very strange when you think about it. Most people in the Western world say they are firm believers in capitalism, but when it comes to reading matter, or perhaps creativity in general, suddenly the "invisible hand" of the marketplace does not seem so reliable after all.
I can understand limiting or even restricting access to dangerous or obscene material, but some banned books just make the whole idea seem ridiculous.
For example consider some of these banned books:
A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
I have read, or seen film versions (or both) of all of these, and not only do I not consider them dangerous, I highly recommend them to readers of any age.
If you wonder, as I do, why certain books have been banned, take a look here for some details on the history of recent book banning - http://ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned.
Here is a list of 100 books that have been banned since 1990. Can you even imagine if censoring these books had been effective? Imagine these books banned forever -- and banned from every classroom, library, and home in every country across the globe.
How many of these challenged or banned books have you read?
1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses by James Joyce
7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9. 1984 by George Orwell
10. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
11. Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
13. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
14. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
15. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
21. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
22. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
23. Their Eyes are Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
31. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
32. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
33. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
34. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
35. Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
36. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
37. The World According to Garp by John Irving
38. All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
39. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
40. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
41. Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
42. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
43. The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
44. Finnegans Wake by James Joyce
45. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
46. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
47. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
48. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
51. My Antonia by Willa Cather
52. Howards End by E. M. Forster
53. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
54. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
55. The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
56. Jazz by Toni Morrison
57. Sophie's Choice by William Styron
58. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
59. A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
60. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
61. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
62. Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
63. Orlando by Virginia Woolf
64. Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
65. Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
66. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
68. Light in August by William Faulkner
69. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James
70. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
71. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
72. A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
73. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence
76. Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
77. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway
78. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein
79. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
80. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
81. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
82. White Noise by Don DeLillo
83. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
84. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
85. The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
86. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
87. The Bostonians by Henry James
88. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
89. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
90. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
91. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
92. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
93. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
94. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
95. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
96. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
97. Rabbit, Run by John Updike
98. Where Angels Fear to Tread by E. M. Forster
99. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
100. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing, constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
]]>
Some words are just plain useful, but other words can become "filler" to take up space when we either can't think of anything or are just lazy. Sometimes we use these "filler" words to give us a few more seconds to come up with a better comment.
President Nixon used one of these evasive statements frequently - he used to say "Let me say this about that". This statement is a masterpiece of circular logic of content-less verbiage.
Politicians basically speak for a living and their public (and sometimes private) statements tell us as much about the times or underlying themes as they do about them as individuals. But sometimes you can sense the history of the linguistic avoidance - you can almost picture the scared little kid in trouble as he (it's usually a "he") tries to think of a good excuse or way out of his trouble.
There are many elections and political movements in motion this year, and like it or not, the American electoral process gets a massive amount of media coverage around the world.
How political candidates frame and define issues - or even which issues they emphasize - tells us a lot about who they are and what they value - but not necessarily what they will do while in office.
Here's a profile of words used by the major current American presidential candidates - http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/24/us/politics/0124-words.html.
There are many apps to monitor frequently used words. I invite you to check out my writing. Let me know what you find!
Have any words you love - or love to hate? Let us know your favorites. I also welcome you to send us any relevant links or other resources that you think any teachers, students or even just regular people might find interesting or useful.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, USA and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA). And, as much as Morf loves writing this blog, he is always open to other opportunities either blogging or teaching. You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
And yes, that means that I have found yet another website rich in possibilities.
At freedictionary.com (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/) you can explore a constantly changing array of games, articles and links including an English language forum (for any linguistic related questions you might have) a continuous spelling bee, a word of the day, news links and much more.
Here's one example of how useful this website can be. One of the things that is extraordinarily difficult to keep track of in English (even for native speakers) is acronyms. You know, those pesky abbreviations you see in emails or in print somewhere. Some are familiar - like LOL, FBI or SNAFU. But how to you keep track of them or find out what they mean - or even more importantly, how do you make sure you use them correctly?
Check out this URL - http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/ for an updated listing. You can also search the listing alphabetically.
On the left side of the home page you can see essentially the same site in a variety of languages; Polish, Greek, Arabic or Norwegian just to name a few.
I confess to being a news and resource nerd, and I love the many possibilities and resources available on the Web that allow learners of every level to explore and encounter a language as flexible and fluid as English.
Send us any websites you find particularly useful - especially those related to words or phrases that make you crazy and be sure to let us know what it is about English and language learning that you find confounding, infuriating or endlessly intriguing.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle). Morf is currently a radio host (http://www.tacoma.fm/) and a newspaper columnist http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/columnists/morf_morford/ and would love to do either one of those somewhere else in the world
]]>Here are some of my (least) favorites;
1. Avoid all adverbs
2 .Don’t use the passive voice.
3. Never end a sentence with a preposition
4. Avoid sentence fragments
Can you imagine how odd our language would be if we actually followed these rules?
How would we ever ask anyone where they are from? (violation of number 3, which itself is a violation of number 4)
Or how about a sentence like this one - without the adverbs?
Mary was usually quite punctual, but she had been too drunk to remember to set her alarm, and arrived late, cursing vehemently as she angrily climbed the stairs to work. (adverbs are in bold lettering)
Taking the adverbs out would make the sentence boring - if not incoherent.
In my writing, I use sentence fragments fairly often. They can be useful, and anything else might be too wordy or clunky. You may have noticed a few. Or not.
Passive writing can be very useful - especially if you want to be vague or evasive (and yes, there are legitimate situations where being vague or evasive can help someone save face in difficult circumstances). Consider how useful this statement might be; "Mistakes were made".
Instead of assigning blame, the focus could be on the problem, not on the person or persons responsible.
As always, send us any words or phrases that make you crazy and be sure to let us know what it is about English and language learning that you find confounding, infuriating or endlessly intriguing.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle).
]]>2011 had all kinds of crazy and unexpected events, from tsunamis, political upheaval and wacky weather.
Of course we are in another year, and in a few weeks, we enter the year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar (technically January 23, 2012 to February 9, 2013. Previous Dragon years were 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964 & 1952).
Anyone remember the craziness wrapped around 1999 and Y2K? That was the introduction to the Dragon year of 2000. 2000 was such a crazy year for me personally that I barely remember any memorable world events.
So, with the residue of 2011, strange prophecies and the always variable dynamics of a Dragon year, 2012 should be an action-packed experience.*
And wherever you are in the world, be sure to participate in a Chinese New Year's celebration nearby. There seem to Chinese communities everywhere.
If you think you have a sense of where you think 2012 might look like, check out this quiz of what might (not) happen in 2012 -http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/01/the-2012-news-quiz-before-it-happens.presidential-race-shock.htm.
No matter what happens, I'm sure we'll make it through, and I hope we all appreciate what an unforgettable year we'll be sharing.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, USA and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA). And, as much as Morf loves writing this blog, he is always open to other opportunities either blogging or teaching. You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
*Those born in the Dragon year are generally considered the most eccentric and creative. In images the dragon usually clutches a pearl which represents its super-natural powers. In drawings, it it usually accompanied by thunder and rain because dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds - - all powerful yet totally unpredictable. One website emphasized that, of all the Chinese zodiac characters, the Dragon is the only creature that is not real. And yes, I am a Dragon.
I don't know about you, I usually feel pretty worn out after the holidays. The New Year's celebrations are usually the end of the season of one of my least favorite things...
]]> ...cliche's.There are all kinds of cliche's. There are cliche'd phrases as well as cliche's in books, music and film.
A cliche' is a term that is used so much that it becomes tiresome - to use or to hear.
A cliche' is basically used when you can't think of anything of your own to say and you repeat something you (and probably everyone around you has heard hundreds of times already. Or it could be something done hundreds of times before.
As you read, watch TV, see films or have conversations, stay tuned for the cliche's you hear or see.
Since several nations around the world have elections or other political changes coming in 2012, take a look here for some cringe-worthy commonplace comments related to victory, loss, competition and, of course, scandal - http://www.sportscliche.com/politics/index.html.
To test your ability to catch political hackneyed phrases, take this quiz of political cliche's - http://www.sportscliche.com/politics/quiz.html.
And, what would life be without the dreadfully predictable sports cliche'. You can see a collection of them here - http://www.sportscliche.com/.
And how many times have you seen a current movie and as you walk out of the theater, you think to yourself, "I've already seen that movie five times!" That's because the film makers used another film as the basis of their story line. And it is the story that makes the film. If you to see a compilation of predictable film cliche's look here - http://www.moviecliches.com/.
In the music world, there are cliches of lyrics, styles and appearance. Here's a website that warns musical artists to avoid the easy (meaning lazy) way and do the work of being original - http://www.spinner.com/2009/11/03/top-10-music-cliches/.
No matter how much you love a band, and no matter what they sound like, DO NOT compare them to The Beatles. And do not imitate a Beatles album cover.
No one likes stale food, and no one likes stale ideas. Use the new year as your excuse to truly get rid of the old and create the new.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, USA and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA). And, as much as Morf loves writing this blog, he is always open to other opportunities either blogging or teaching. You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
And, since the apocalyptic prophets and films have been wrong 100% of the time so far, chances are pretty good that we’ll find ourselves in the same position a year from now.
Here are my thoughts for this – or any new year; whatever you intend to do – or stop doing – in the new year, do it deliberately, with the intention of becoming more fully the person only you can be.
My wife and I, for many years now, have developed our goals for each year. Our organizing question is – “where do we want to be by this time next year?”
We have also developed longer, multi-year goals.
With each new year, I have goals, decisions or resolutions I have attempted or considered, but they could all be summed up in one concept – I want the new year to be one lived intentionally.
I hate the idea of days just sliding by; I want to decide where I am going and how I will do things. My current work schedule isn’t very flexible, but that doesn’t I can’t be.
2011 has been a difficult year for almost everyone I know; what other year has held crazy weather, earthquakes in unusual places, tsunamis and an economy (and job market) that seems to get worse every month?
The numbered years are, of course, a human and cultural invention, but even so, it feels good to leave this crazy year behind.
No one knows what 2012 holds, but it is part of human nature to hope that something better than the year just ending waits for us.
You have probably seen cartoons of an aged and haggard Father Time handing over the new year to the baby who will take over - and grow old with - the new year.
Even though the years seem to fly by, I am always caught off guard when they come to a close. And some seem to leave us all as worn and depleted as Father Time in the cartoons.
I'm sure you've seen all the articles and news pieces about the "Best of" and "Worst of" 2011. Each year seems summed up in the deaths and films and pop stars of the year. By any measure, 2011 was a strange one, and I must admit that I am glad it's over.
Here's to a better year for all of us!
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, USA and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA). And, as much as Morf loves writing this blog, he is always open to other opportunities either blogging or teaching. You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
A panel of editors, lexicographers and others at Dictionary.com have chosen their word of the year for 2011. The word they think sums up our time is "Tergiversate".
It is pronounced "ter-JIV-er-sate", and means “to change repeatedly one's attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.”
That certainly seems to sum up at least one aspect of our times, don't you think?
Another way to measure a word's impact is to keep track of how many times it has been looked up. "Pragmatic", for example, is 2011's most looked-up word on Merriam Webster site (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).
Few people would need to look up "Occupy" even though it might have more cultural and historical impact.
"Tergiversate", no matter how useful, is just not a word I expect to ever use - or even hear - in a normal conversation; in fact before this article, I had never even heard of that word before.
This is my bias I know, but I believe the word of the year should be a word that actually get used. Somehow I don't think, however useful it might be, "Tergiversate" will ever catch on.
Got any thoughts about what you think should be the word of the year? Send us any relevant links or other resources that you think any teachers, students or even just regular people might find interesting or useful.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, USA and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA). And, as much as Morf loves writing this blog, he is always open to other opportunities either blogging or teaching. You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
So here are a few more features of a truly memorable teacher - no matter what the technology.
1. Community involvement
I encourage my students to know what is going on in their communities. I urge them to read a local paper - and I tell them that I write for my local daily newspaper. Sometimes I give them an assignment to write a letter to the editor on an issue that matters to them. It's fun for them and they learn a lot about themselves, the issue and other people's responses to their statements.
2. Organization
One-on-one tutoring is easy compared to leading a classroom of students in a single direction. Teachers must be able to inspire, encourage and sometimes just connect with students who may be very different from themselves. Good organization can save you from all kinds of disasters. Always have a plan B. As much as I love technology, it tends to fail when I need it most.
3. Vision
Teaching encompasses far more than passing information from teachers to students. I always feel that each class is on a journey, with its own unique personality and identity. A large number of my students acquire nicknames in my classes (that they keep). We as teachers need to have a clear vision, not only of where we are and what we need now, but where we are going and to what ends.
4. Context
Every subject has a context, and teachers are responsible for providing it to their students. Every student, and every teacher, brings their life experience with them as they enter the classroom. And every one of us will go to a different place after every class session. And who knows where we would all be a year or two or five, from now?
We share a context for now, but the larger context is made by each one of us.
5. Mission
In some of my classes, we have a session or two on writing a mission statement. I call it a resume' in one sentence. There are many mission statement websites out there with details on what a mission statement should look like. Keep it short, and easy to memorize.
6. Enthusiasm
Excellent teachers never lose enthusiasm for their profession. Students feel and respond to this energy, and teachers who project it are much more successful than those who do not.
If the teacher gives off the vibe that he or she does not want to be there, the students will pick up and probably amplify it.
I've taught in all kinds of different settings, and faced all kinds of unlikely situations. I'd love to do some short term master teacher sessions. Let me know if your school could use some stories and encouragement from us.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a BA from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle). You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
]]>In my previous blogs I looked at some aspects of a good teacher, here are some more that I have picked up from my own experience and noticed in others.
A. Awareness: Teachers, especially in elementary and secondary schools, must have eyes in the backs of their heads. They need to be aware of everything that happens in and around their classrooms. Teachers need to be able to read body language and the energy of a group and be able to stop trouble before it starts and keep students on track.
It seems that every possible emotions, personal dynamic or news item flows through my classroom. From person crisis (like a death in the family) to a major world event, like civil upheaval, war or earthquake, my students always seem to have some kind of personal impact - and story.
B. Mentorship: Many of my adult students come from backgrounds full of need, trouble and crisis. They need a stable and caring hand to step in - or even just be available. This takes commitment and (it might seem) too much time. But it is well worth it.
I find that my students need to be reminded of their ultimate goals as they get stuck and distracted by the demands of everyday life and obligations.
C. Maturity:This is a crucial characteristic of any teacher. Students experience emotional ups and downs, and insightful teachers are able to sense the changes and respond to them appropriately. Teachers must be steady, reliable and consistent, they must also be unselfish and must not show favoritism. They must also consistently encourage students to grow as human beings and to develop academically.
I've taught in all kinds of different settings, and faced all kinds of unlikely situations. I'd love to do some short term master teacher sessions. Let me know if your school could use some stories and encouragement from us.
I'll have a few more thoughts on what makes a good teacher in my next post, but feel free to send in your observations. A good teacher is always learning.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a BA from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle). You can contact him at mmorf@mail.com.
]]>A. Confidence
Good teachers are confident in their content knowledge and their ability to sense where students are in the learning process. Every student is different and every day has its own context and energy. Some days students may have low energy or a personal problem. It is our job as teachers to step up, whether we are in the mood or not, and energize and motivate our students.
No matter how I feel before class, once I step to the front of the room, I feel that I am "on". And I am "on" as long as I need to be and then I need a short break before I can do it again.
An important aspect of confidence is to be willing to admit that you don't know everything - and that you, like your students - are still learning.
B. Compassion
Many of my students are in some stages of dislocation or even crisis. Many are living far from home, and several are from a country and culture many thousands of miles away. And many, of course, are learning in a language that is new to them. Good teachers are able to work with students with varying levels of motivation, maturity and knowledge.
C. Achievement
Good teachers have clear expectations regarding what their students should know at the end of the term, and they understand what they must do along the way in order to reach those goals. Clear benchmarks of progress are essential.
D. Planning
Teachers must have plans and a clear schedule - and stick to them. I give my students a syllabus with a weekly schedule so they know which chapters, topics and assignments they can prepare for. And if they miss a session, they can have a general sense of what the class wlil be covering.
I'll have more thoughts on what makes a good teacher in my next post, but feel free to send in your observations. We are all always learning.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle).
It's hard to define, but those who hire teachers need to know what they are looking for - and I'm sure we all know or have experienced...
]]> ...bad teachers.Bad teachers, at least the ones I have had, seem to hate their students, their jobs and their supervisors.
Good teachers, on the other hand, make that memorable special connection with almost every student.
Here are some other characteristics of a good teacher. I urge you to use these as your reference points.
1. Knowledge of the subject matter. You have to be comfortable with whatever you are teaching. In ESL, for example, the assumption that you "know" English just because you are a native speaker will lead you to catastrophe - for you and your students - and maybe even your school.
2. Patience. There are few certainties in teaching, but frustration is one of them. Students, peers and supervisors and possibly parents (especially if they are paying high tuition) can make you crazy. And don't forget local authorities, customs officials and landlords and......well, you get the picture. The better you can roll with the unpredictable and generally unreliable people around you, the better off everyone will be. And you just might start to see some academic progress the last place you thought you'd see it.
3. Intellectual curiosity. I love to learn along with, or even from my students. They inhabit a different world than I do, and I always marvel at, and sometimes mourn, and sometimes even laugh at their situations.
And their questions, sometimes earnest and sometimes silly, make me do the extra work that will make me a better teacher.
I'll have more thoughts on what makes a good teacher in my next post, but feel free to send in your observations. We are all always learning.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle).
You can usually tell how a word's meaning has changed by how it is used in a sentence.
Here's one example, the word "disgust," in its earliest usage, was used to express distaste for rotten food or filth.
Today it means a far more generalized dislike or contempt for someone or something. But it originally came into English in 1601 from the Old French "desgouster" meaning distaste, loathe or dislike, in the sense of giving a bad taste to one's mouth.
In other words, the original meaning had a more visceral, almost sensual aspect to it. Over time it has taken on a tone more moral than sensory.
Currently when one is offended by something, this word might emerge.
The Oxford English Dictionary gives us this definition: "Disgusted n. Brit. (usually humorous or depreciative). Originally as a self-designation: a member of the public who writes anonymously to a newspaper expressing outrage about a particular issue. Hence more widely: a person who is vocal and indignant in his or her opposition to something."
As I mention in my closing, I write for a major daily newspaper in my area. I also encourage my students to do this.
I tell them that if they cannot come up with a topic, they should read a newspaper or magazine. I guarantee them that they will find something that will infuriate - or disgust - them.
This is a great writing exercise, one that forces us all to me more clear and focused in taking a position on a topic that matters to us.
Putting our ideas together - especially in a public form - is wonderful practice - and it reminds us all of how much we have yet to learn.
Send us any words or phrases that make you crazy and be sure to let us know what it is about English and language learning that you find confounding, infuriating or endlessly intriguing.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle). Morf is currently a radio host (http://www.tacoma.fm/) and a newspaper columnist http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/columnists/morf_morford/ and would love to do either one of those somewhere else in the world.
]]>As much as I love English, these words seem to be the hardest to learn - and certainly...
]]> ...the hardest to teach.A simple object name as a noun, a chair, a hat, a dog is relatively simple; you point to an object, or even a picture of an object and learn the word for it. But to learn a word like "anything" you have to know a full range of related - or even unrelated words. After all, a word like "anything" could mean literally, anything.
These are called indefinite pronouns because they are, ahem "indefinite," meaning not defined. These are the words you use when you are not (or cannot be) specific.
Here are some observations based on experience on how to use some of these crazy words.
Use somebody, something, someone or somewhere when you don’t say exactly who, what or where. (Somebody is calling me on my phone; something odd just happened; somewhere in the world a child is being born.)
Use anything, anybody, anywhere in questions or with a negative verb (Is anybody home? I didn’t do anything wrong).
Use nobody, nothing, nowhere in short, one word sentence, negative answers or in a sentence with a positive verb. (Who is the King of France? Nobody.)
If you are interested in the whole idea of "nothing" take a look here - http://www.nothing.net/deult.html.
And, as always, some unspecified person put together a poem which clarifies, or parodies this whole set of words.
A Poem About Everybody, Somebody and Nobody
Once upon a time, there were four people...
Their names were Everybody, Somebody, Nobody and Anybody.
Whenever there was an important job to be done,
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
When Nobody did it, Everybody got angry because...
it was Everybody's job!
Everybody thought that Somebody would do it,
but Nobody realized that Nobody would do it.
So, consequently, Everybody blamed Somebody...
when Nobody did what Anybody could have done in the first place!
- Anonymous
As always, send us any words or phrases that make you crazy and be sure to let us know what it is about English and language learning that you find confounding, infuriating or endlessly intriguing.
Listen, read and speak. Make your new language your own.
My best to you as you make your way through this intriguing , constantly shifting linguistic landscape.
Morf
About the author of this entry:
Morf has a B.A.from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington and an MAT (Master's in Teaching English) from the University of Washington (Seattle).
]]>