Putting On Some English

Art Museum Field Trip

2010-07-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Dr. Viki Thompson Wylder for providing the opportunity for us to directly experience some of the art works on display at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts last Friday. I was impressed by how well you were able to express your feelings and reactions. It's not easy to do so in one's own native language, let alone a new one. The experience of art is very much a personal one. Some works speak directly to us in a way we can't easily describe, while others make no impression at all. Art is also experienced in a social and historical context. Some artworks may be the product of hundreds of years of cultural tradition. Understanding the underlying culture and traditions, as well as knowing about the various movements within the history of art, enriches the appreciation of art, adding another dimension to one's direct experience with the piece. Art can appeal to the intellect as well as to the emotions and senses, so we appreciate art on many levels. The painting of an oak tree amidst whirlpools of swirly light reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh's iconic masterpiece Starry Night. What do you think?

English is a Stress-Timed Language

2010-06-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

As opposed to syllable-timed languages like French, Spanish, Italian or Hindi, syllables in an English sentence are stressed at approximately equal intervals. In sentence stress, the accent, or stress, is on certain types of words within the sentence, giving English its unique rythym. A sentence in spoken English is composed of two types of words: content words and structure words. Look at the examples below:

Content Words

Main Verbs: go, eat, sit, speak

Nouns: restaurant, sofa

Adjectives: big, Italian

Adverbs: softly

Negative AuxiliaryVerbs: can’t, don’t, aren’t

Demonstratives: this, that, those

Question Words: who, which, where, what, when, why, how

Structure Words

Pronouns: I, you, he, she, we, they

Prepositions: on, under, with, near, in

Articles: the, a, some

Conjunctions: for, but, and, so, yet, nor, or

Auxiliary Verbs: can, should, must

Verb "to be" : is, was, am

Here are some examples:

I'm going to eat at the Italian restaurant.

You’re sitting on the sofa, but you aren’t listening to me.

She’s speaking softly, so it’s difficult for me to hear her.

Notice how, in the first sentence, only the content words (verbs, adjective, noun) are stressed. The same is true for the other examples (verbs, noun, adverb, adjective). When you say the unstressed words in between, they sound like they're almost swallowed, don't they?

As the key words in a sentence, content words provide the meaning, while structure words provide the form, filling in structure. If you spoke just the content words aloud, you could still derive some meaning, even if the sentence is incompletely formed. Check out this graphic:

Although only the nouns are stressed, this is a nice illustration of an English stress pattern. Because English is a stress-timed language, there is a beat, or rythym, to spoken English. Think of the content words as beats and structure words as fillers between the beats. Unlike Chinese, English is a non-tonal language. In tone languages, pitch (in music, pitch is an absolute frequency asigned to a specific note) or the quality of sound is used to distinguish word meaning. A word's meaning can be altered according to the spoken word's pitch. In English, changes in pitch are used to emphasize or express emotion, not to impart meaning. (Thanks to Paul Shoebottom at the Frankfurt International School for that explanation).

Say this sentence out loud:

We're speaking English at CIES and watching the World Cup in the student lounge.

Listen to the music. Catch the rhythm. And try not to stress out.

Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T16:12:00.000-07:00

Did anybody notice that today is the first day of summer? It's been in the 80's and 90's for the past couple of months, so you're forgiven if it somehow didn't register. Today is the longest day of the year -- that is, we're seeing the most daylight today of any other day in the year. (The sun is at its zenith above the Tropic of Cnacer). I'm not sure how many hours of daylight that translates into here in Tallahassee. Four years ago on this date my wife and I were on a cruise in the Baltic Sea. The shipped docked at St. Petersburg (Russia) for the night, and the sun was visible until slightly after 11:00 pm --not quite far enough north to be a "midnight sun," but close. The word solstice , which has its root in the Latin sol (sun), has been celebrated all over the planet for thousands of years, from Stonehenge to Machu Pichu, and beyond. Check out these pictures of Summer Solstice 2010 at National Geographic.

The World Cup has gripped CIES for ten days now. Today a student dutifully informed me that he would be late tomorrow, or possibly even absent, due to a certain match that he would be watching. Hey, I get it! I'm a sports fan, too (see Sox, Red). But attendance at class should be your top priority. So here's my World Cup attendance policy: if you choose to watch a match instead of attending class, and you have a scheduled speaking assignment that day, or there is a quiz, you will not be alllowed to reschedule. Which means you'll receive a zero for that assignment or quiz. As long as you understand the possible consequences, you have my blessing. Go Team USA! And welcome to Summer II, 2010.

Taking Note of Note Taking

2010-06-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

This week during Listening, by way of practicing for the pratice TOEFL, we examined a note-taking technique that involves assigning a column for each speaker (or, in the case of a lecturer, using the entire page). However, as one student observed after today's practice test, there wasn't any time to look at the notes before answering the questions. So why bother taking notes? Because the act of note taking reinforces the knowledge you acquire while listening. That is why active listening requires taking notes. You see, it's not really about the notes. It's about the process. Taking notes is part of the active listening process. It's the process of active listening that we encourage you to master. Taking notes requires that you think about what you're writing, as you're writing it. That's where the reinforcement part comes in. Here's a PowerPoint presentation from Virgina Western Community College on effective note taking that includes a summary of the Cornell Method.

Presentations

2010-05-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Here is an excellent resource on how to give an effective presentation that completely covers every aspect of this very important skill, which you can master even if your vocabulary is limited. Having a large vocabulary is ideal, of course, but good pace, presence, and pronunciation are equally important. By pace, I mean the speed and rhythm -- words spoken not too fast, not too slow, with stressses in the right places. Presence means your personality and how you connect with your audience, and how they respond to you. And course clear pronunciation is critical if you want to be understood. Your grammar may be first-rate, but it's ultimately meaningless if there are pronunciation issues. Developing a large vocabulary is easy by comparison. The ability to deliver an effective presentation is a highly-prized skill, and speaking competently and confidently takes practice. But the results are well worth the effort. People with excellent public speaking skills are a valuable asset to any organization, whether in business, science, government, technology, or academia.

I'm Sorry For Bothering You, But Would You Mind Reading This Post?

2010-05-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

This week we've been focused on two important speech acts: apologies and requests. As with all other forms of social speech, how you apologize or request depends on several variables: social context, the relative status of the speaker and hearer, the closeness of the relationship, sex and age of both persons, and the seriousness of the situation. Whatever the language or culture, speakers modify their speech according to these factors.  As social animals we learn to develop an awareness of our environment, to size up the hearer, and to modify our speech accordingly. We learned that six steps are involved in making a proper apology:

1. An expression of regret (I'm sorry, I apologize, Forgive me, Excuse me)

2. An acknowledgement of responsibility (It was my fault, I'm so stupid!)

3. An explanation (I was careless, I wasn't paying attention, I missed the bus, The dog ate my homework)

4. An offer of repair (I'll pay for the drycleaning, I'll buy you another one)

5. A promise of non-recurrence (It will never happen again, I promise!)

The sixth step, asking for forgiveness, can effectively be combined with any of the other five steps. For example: I'm so sorry for forgetting to mail the check. I promise it won't happen again. Please forgive me for being so careless.

When you acknowledge responsibility for your action, you are also acknowledging the hurt that was caused to the other person. And by asking for forgiveness at the end of the apology and submitting yourself to the other person's mercy, you have demonstrated your remorse and sincerity. Now it's up to the other person to make the next move. The ball is in their court.

We also learned that applying an intensifier in front of sorry (I'm so sorry, really sorry, very sorry) is most appropriate when the speaker has a close or important relationship with the hearer. Thus friends, family, teachers, and employers should hear an intensifier. The seriousness of the situation will also dictate the need for an intensifier. For example, bumping into someone on a crowded train merits a simple "I'm sorry" or "Excuse me." However, if you bumped a stranger and caused him to spill his drink, an intensifier would be appropriate. Other intensifiers include terribly (I'm terribly sorry to bother you), which is more common to British English than to American, and frightfully, another Britishism. I'm frightfully sorry for dragging you to that awful faculty party last night.

A simple way of acknowledging responsibility for your careless or thoughtless behavior is to apologize by using the word for along with an explanation. I'm sorry for eating the last slice of pizza. I didn't realize you were saving it.  If it's a situation, or something for which you are not directly responsible, use about. For example: I'm sorry about last night. I was drunk. In this example, you are obliquely expressing regret for your bad behavior, which ruined the listener's evening. However, you aren't directly responsible for the entire evening. Therefore, you would use about. (You could also say, I'm sorry for being drunk last night.)

Making requests is another form of speech dictated by social context. Using the conditional tense (would, could) is more polite than using can. For example, Would you pass me the salt is more polite than Could you pass me the salt, which is more polite than Can you pass me the salt. Sometimes a request is preceded by the phrase Do you mind or Would you mind. For example, Do you mind is always followed by if, and the verb is always expressed in the present tense. Do you mind if I borrow your car? When Would you mind is followed by if, the verb is expressed in the past tense. Would you mind if I borrowed the car?  But when if is removed, the verb that follows Would you mind is always in the progressive form (-ing ending). Would you mind moving your chair? Of course, always add please to these requests. You can never go wrong saying please. To fail to say please when making a request is to risk being perceived as arrogant or uncouth. Politeness, after all, is the mark of a civilized person.  However, social discourse is also culturally-driven.  Here in the South, children are taught to say, "yes sir" and "no ma'am." Northerners, often in a hurry to get to the point, are often perceived as rude or brusque, while to a New Englander like me, some southerners can come across as phony, or insincere. Unfamilair with the code, outsiders often misinterpret culture-bound behavior. Fortunately, genuine expressions of courtesy and respect hardly ever need translation.

Twelve Angry Men

2010-05-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

In support of this week's unit on the American justice system, we watched and listened to Twelve Angry Men, the classic 1957 courtroom drama that mostly takes place inside a jury room. Having received their instructions from a bored, monotone-speaking judge, eleven men are ready to convict and send to his death a teenager charged with murdering his father, while one lone juror holds out for acquittal because he harbors a reasonable doubt about the youth's guilt. Tempers reach the boiling point as these jurors struggle with the facts and the evidence to reach a decision. I think you'll agree that the film makes a powerful statement that exposes the reality that juries are often biased. At the same time, the film is a paean to the ideals of democracy and fairness embedded in the Constitution. It also follows a common theme in American culture -- the righteous lone individual standing up against the System, or the State, or the Corporation, or against any number of other evils and badness. In this case, the jurors are neither good nor bad, but ordinary citizens guided by a complex set of emotions, values, and agendas. Juror #8 is an extraordinary individual who uses reason and logic to overcome emotion and prejudice. There was a comment in class today about the fact that we never learn the jurors' names, except at the end when the old man and #8 introduce each other. Otherwise, they remain nameless. In fact, the lack of names reinforces a notion of universality. The jurors are Everyman. Hence, the jury of 12 "angry men" is meant to be a microcosm of society at large. I enjoyed hearing your debate on the pros and cons of the death penalty, and your jury deliberations yesterday. I hope both activities helped you gain a better appreciation for the awesome responsibility of juries. In today's discussion of the film, I felt we barely scratched the surface before running out of time, and it left me hungry for answers: Can we ever really know the truth about something? Can we ever truly understand other people's motives? What kinds of pressure do jurors face to vote one way or another? Does a set of facts always point to the truth? In a world where nothing is simply black or white, but shades of gray, can we ever be certain about why people do the things they do, and say the things they say? One thing's for certain: prejudice obscures the truth, as this scene so powerfully shows.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

2010-05-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

I was intrigued by Steve Jobs' quotation from the Whole Earth Catalogue: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” (See previous post for the link to his Stanford University commencement speech). What did he mean?

Here's my take.

Stay Hungry means

Stay curious.
Stay motivated.
Stay adventurous.
Don’t be satisfied.
Don’t lose your appetite for new things.
Stay intellectually hungry – keep learning.
Stay hungry for experience.
Stay spiritually hungry. Seek truth.
Ask questions.
Stay hungry for knowledge.
Stay hungry for enlightenment.

Stay Foolish means

Take risks.
Be yourself.
Don’t worry about what other people think.
Be open to new ideas.
Be willing to fall on your face.
Accept failure, then overcome it.
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
Laugh, and make others laugh.
Don’t be self-conscious.

I wonder if The Most Interesting Man in the World and Dos Equis pitchman took a cue from this quote with his signature tagline, "Stay Thirsty, My Friends."

Ah, to be that guy......

Weeks 1-3 Recap

2010-05-18T07:52:00.000-07:00

Note: After a nearly one year hiatus, this blog is back. I will try to keep up with it as much as possible. We'll see.

The first half of the Summer I session is already over and I've barely had time to catch my breath. In fact, I was hoping to make daily (or at least weekly) entries on this blog, but I've allowed time to slip through my fingers. So here's my attempt to catch up on where we've been in Listening and Speaking so far.

In Week 1 we heard Bill Moyers' interview with Mark Johnson on his documentary, "Playing for Change." (Did you notice the pun, or play on words, on the word change? Street musicians often play for change -- that is, for coins or small amounts of money.) In Week 2 Richard St. John summarized his 8 Secrets of Success in a 3 1/2 minute talk at TED, followed by his sobering reminder that success is a continuous process of change, renewal, and adaptation. That same week we listened to Steve Jobs give his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University, where he told the newly-minted graduates to "Stay hungry. Stay foolish," a quote from the last page of the last Whole Earth Catalog (Jobs called this bible of alternative culture "Google in paperback form"). He talked about his close brush with death after receiving a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer that later proved curable. This life-changing experience led to an epiphany: "Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new." Although it made the Internet rounds, I had never heard of Jobs' speech until Ken Auletta mentioned it in his April 23, 2010 interview with Charlie Rose, which we listened to on April 30. As you recall, the interview was a fascinating analysis of the emerging ebook market, of which Amazon currently controls 80% with its Kindle reader. The publishing and bookstore business has been turned upside down as a result. Apple, led by Steve Jobs, recently launched the Ipad as an ebook reading device that not only stands on Kindle's shoulders, but goes further in advancing functionality. Along with competing ebook reading devices from Sony and others, Apple is going toe-to-toe with Amazon for a bigger share of the ebook market. In Week 2 we also listened to Wilma Mankiller, in an interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air, explain why she lost her fear of death after surviving a near-fatal automobile accident that killed a close friend. (Mankiller, the first woman elected Chief of the Cherokee Nation, died of cancer in early April at the age of 64.) In Week 3 we learned about how Kiva works in Uganda from the FrontlineWorld report, and got a lesson in microfinance from Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunis. The classic 1971 recording "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye was a window into the social and political upheaval of that year. "Picket signs and picket lines. Don't punish me with brutality. Come on talk to me. So you can see. What's going on." I think you'll agree that the three-minute video on how stock markets work was to-the-point. And now you know what a wiki is so you and your friends can create and maintain one. Yaaay!

To recap (that's journalese for recapitulate) our Speaking activities for Weeks 1-3: I've enjoyed listening to each of your short presentations on This Day in History and, from what some of you have told me, you are finding value in this exercise, as it allows you to practice a short talk in front of the class. Plus, you're learning some historical trivia. (This new information will come in handy if you ever become a contestant on a TV quiz show like Jeopardy!) There was the debate on social networking, the discussion on "success" and how you define it, the TED talks, and the timed TOEFL speaking. All of these activities contribute to our goal of giving you practice and feedback on your speaking and presentation skills. Speaking of feedback, I hope to finish our initial feedback sessions this week. To those with whom I've already met, I hope the feedback has been beneficial. Remember to bring a flash drive if you'd like an MP3 file of your recordings.

This week (Week 4) we are focusing on the American justice system as we watch and analyze the 1957 film "Twelve Angry Men." (More on this in the next post.)

Week 6 New Vocabulary for Quiz 4

2009-05-31T19:33:00.000-07:00

Each word is linked to its definition in www.thefreedictionary.com. Listen to the audio to get the correct pronunciation.

accident
kind
past
arrow
dangerous
avoid
forkful
harmful
pollution
toxic
banned
released
attach
particle
eventually
reproduce
sustainable

The Call of the Wild

2009-05-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to the original, full-length novel, which was first published in 1903 as a magazine serial; that is, it was published in weekly issues of the magazine over a two-month period. Many famous novels (notably several by Charles Dickens) first appeared in print in magazine serial format. This was a very popular way of getting an audience "hooked" on the story and to sell more magazines. If the story was good enough, readers were sure to buy the next issue to see what would happen next. I'm not sure that this was true in Jack London's case, but it's said that Dickens often did not know how his stories would end before they became serialized. Stephen King is the most recent practioner of this method of publishing fiction. His novel "The Green Mile" was printed in six parts, one month at a time.

This photograph of Jack London was taken three years before "The Call of the Wild" was published.

VOA Special English

2009-05-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

For your first homework assignment, you were asked to read an article from Voice of America Special English and comment on one aspect of it. By now, I hope you have come to realize that VOA is an unparalleled resource for improving your reading, listening, and pronunciation skills. Listening to what you read, as you read it, will accelerate your comprehension. Click here for a direct link. Check out the American History Series and deepen your understanding of how America became what it is today, with all of its complexities and contradictions.

Vocabulary for 5/14 Quiz

2009-05-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

abandon (v.)
accept (v.)
beyond (prep.)
blind (adj.)
brief (adj.)
capacity (n.)
command (n., v.)
decade (n.)
defeat (n., v.)
drop (n., v.)
empirical (adj.)
enough (adj.)
facilitate (v.)
familiar (adj.)
fan (n.)

Context and Culture

2009-05-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

The dictionary defines context as the verbal or written environment in which a word or group of words occurs, or as the circumstances (setting, situation) in which an event occurs. This environment (surrounding text) helps determine meaning.

We use context to guess (figure out) the meaning of an unknown word according to what we understand the surrounding text (words and sentences) to mean. However, contextual meaning has many different dimensions attached to it.

In the Ray Charles reading passage, there are many layers of meaning, depending on the reader's background knowledge of the following: Ray Charles; blues and gospel music; race relations in America in 1930, when Ray was born; the way blind people learn how to read with their fingers; the Grammy awards.

If you have zero background knowledge about any of these topics, it is almost impossible to appreciate what this article is about. Unless you have been steeped (see def. 2) in American history and popular culture, it is difficult to appreciate the meaning of the article, beyond the fact that it's about a guy who was orphaned and blind by the age of 15, who was credited with inventing a new type of music, and who won numerous awards.

Linguistic context draws its meaning from culture, and culture is the sum total of history, art, traditions, customs, religious beliefs, ways of speaking, kinds of food, and the shared experiences of a tribe, community, or nation whose members assign meaning to all of these things, and whose meaning is shared by all members. It is the thing that we indentify with. It is how we identify ourselves -- our way of thinking, talking, eating, and interacting with one another.

Language and culture are two interdependent strands, woven together and storing information like the double helix of a DNA molecule. The genetic code of language and culture, like DNA, is carried in these interwoven strands. (see the illustration above)

If I could convey one small piece of advice, it is this: immerse yourself in American culture for as long as you are here at CIES. I'm not saying to become an American and to lose your native cultural identity. I'm not saying that at all. I'm suggesting that you learn to think like an American and learn the cultural ways of Americans. As you absorb American culture, you will learn English much faster. I guarantee it. That means watching TV, reading American magazines and newspapers, and interacting and speaking with Americans as much as possible. Your experience here in Tallahassee and at CIES will be the richer for it. Don't sacrifice your cultural identity. But don't be afraid to wear a new one either, even temporarily. To understand another person (or culture, in this case) sometimes requires you to walk in their shoes.

Neither strand of language and culture exists in isolation. That is why an understanding and appreciation of American culture will accelerate your progress in learning English. To understand the environment in which the object exists is to understand the object itself.

Ray Charles

2009-05-11T05:50:00.001-07:00

On page 25 of Book A we read a short passage about the late Ray Charles, a giant of American music. Take a listen and watch him perform one of his signature songs, "Georgia On My Mind."

Here is another one of his classic hits, "Hit the Road, Jack."

Fact or Opinion?

2009-05-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

You can expect the last paragraph (the conclusion) of a typical academic text to include a summary of the main idea. Sometimes the author will also add his or her opinion to the conclusion. Learn to understand the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are supported by evidence. Facts have a basis in reality and are difficult to argue or dispute. On the other hand, an opinion is a belief or judgment not supported by proof (evidence). Learn to be skeptical of opinions. Which is not to say that you shouldn't respect them. Most of the time, opinions can be reliable, based on the author's experience. Depending on how much you trust the author, his or her opinion could make sense. Just be careful to keep an open mind when an opinion is offered. It could indeed be based on sound judgment based on experience and facts. Or it could simply be hot air. If you trust the source, you can generally trust the opinion. You decide.

If you take the TOEFL, you will be expected to understand the difference between fact and opinion. That's a fact. You should read in English for at least 20 minutes a day outside the classroom. That's my opinion.

Vocabulary for Friday's (5/8) Quiz

2009-05-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Make sure you know these words by Friday, May 8. Any one of them could be on the quiz. Make flash cards and follow the examples I gave you in class, and that are found on p. 11 of Book A.

preview (v.)
scan (v.)
predict (v.)
caption (n.)
boldface (adj.)
background (n.)
knowledge (n.)
farming (v.)
plow (v.)
jammed (adj.)
exchange (v.)
youngster (n.)
goods (n.)
wharf (n.)
warehouse (n.)
timid (adj.)
creative (adj.)
reminder (n.)
mansion (n.)
snapshot (n.)
wages (n.)
keg (n.)
rare (adj.)
unwritten (adj.)
creature (n.)

What's the Main Idea?

2009-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today we learned that a typical academic text is divided (like Gaul) into three parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. As you read these three parts, ask yourself: what is it about? What is the writer saying? In grammar you will learn the function of wh- words: who, what , where, why, when. Also how, which falls into the same category as wh- words -- words that help ask questions that address identity (who, what) events (what), location (where), motive or reason (why), time (when), and method (how).

Look at the article "Folk Tales and Fairy Tales" on p. 20 of Book A. Read the introduction. We know that the main idea (what the article is about) is found in the introduction. In this case the main idea is that every society (culture, nation, tribe, community) has an oral tradition in which folk tales (unwritten stories) are passed from one generation of people to the next.

The second and third paragaraphs, known as the body, contain ideas and information that support the main idea. They go into detail about stories and traditions, citing a Navajo Indian story as one example. In the body, a distinction is made between folk tales and fairy tales.

Since the fourth paragraph is also the last paragraph, it contains the conclusion, or final summation of the main idea. Here it repeats the main idea from the first paragraph, that folk tales are universally passed down by word of mouth (orally) from generation to generation, and cites two examples of types of oral (unwritten) literature -- folk tales and fairy tales.

Why is this important to know?

Remember I said that one of our goals is to teach you how to read faster? If you understand the structure of a typical academic text and you need to save time, it may not be necessary to read the entire text word for word, sentence by sentence, and paragrpah by paragraph. Instead, it may be enough to carefully read the introduction, skim or scan the body, and carefully read the conclusion. This way you will get the main idea and a quick summary of supporting details without having to read 100% of the entire text. Try this technique with the next article, beginning on p. 21. First preview, scan, and predict. Carefully read the introduction and conclusion (first and last paragraphs). Scan over the body again. You will pick up a few details -- not all of them -- but enough to get the main idea.

What's the main idea of this post? Learn to be efficient in your reading. Learn not to spend as much time reading everything word for word (unless you have time to spend). Depending on your future use of English (as a student or professional), you will be faced with more reading than you have time for. So be ready and learn how to deal with it.

Synonyms

2009-05-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Synonyms are an important part of the vocabulary-building process. They allow you to say the same thing using different words that mean the same. Synonyms add variety to your speech and writing, allowing nuance, or shades of meaning. Synonyms also help you figure out the meaning of a reading passage, should you run across an unknown word and you don't have time to look it up in the dictionary. Finally, learning the synonym for each new word added to your English vocabulary allows you to double the number of new words that you learn.

The root of synonym is syn, which comes from Greek, meaning the same or together. Other words in English that use the syn root are synchronize, syndrome, synthesize, and synopsis.

When keeping a word list or making flash cards, be sure to include the synonym. Looking up the word in any dictionary should yield a synonym or two. A better source, as I discussed in class today, is a thesauraus, which is available wherever dictionaries are sold. I strongly recommend that you have your own copy.

When making flash cards, follow the examples provided on page 11 of Book A. Write everything in English. Write a translation in your native language as well. Study your flash cards at any time you have a free moment. You'll be pleasantly surprised how rapidly your vocabulary will increase. Index cards can be purchased at any store that sells stationery (CVS, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Publix). Or simply cut a sheet of regular size paper into small units.

Vocabulary -- What is it Good For?

2009-04-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Absolutely everything.

(On a side note, check out this clip from the movie "Rush Hour" starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, in which they act out a scene with the classic 70's urban protest song "War" playing in the background. It's hilarious. And while you're on YouTube, take a look at the music video of the song from 1970 to understand the historical and cultural context.)

Let me repeat: unlike war, vocabulary is good for absolutely everything. Perhaps your most important task at CIES -- now -- is to build up your vocabulary. A limited vocabulary will hold you back and prevent you from understanding and communicating effectively in English (which is the whole point of you being here -- right?)

So you must memorize new words every day. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut. Although it's true that you will acquire new words just from hanging out with native English speakers, that will only take you so far. There is no getting around it -- in Group 1 you must continuously learn and memorize new words until you reach a level of fluency. Do this in addition to acquiring new vocabulary through interaction with native speakers. A combination of both activities in equal parts will accelerate your progress.

Did you click on the link just above, on the word accelerate? It linked to http://www.thefreedictionary.com/. I recommend that you bookmark this site. It's the best online English dictionary I have found. Not only does it provide excellent definitions, but it also allows you to hear how the word is pronounced. So vocabulary building using this dictionary will also help you in Speaking and Listening (Ryan, take note.)

Now I have two words for you when it comes to learning vocabulary: flash cards. There is no better method. Word lists are also good, but flash cards are better. Look at page 13 of Book A for some excellent advice on how to make your own flash cards. After you have made a flash card, start learning the word, and keep at it until you have learned it. When you have learned a word, put the flash card away because you won't need it anymore. Use the word in Laura's Compostion class -- she will be suitably impressed! Use the word in conversation whenever you can. Practice saying it out loud, either to others or to yourself. And if you forget the correct pronunciation, ask a native speaker or find the word on http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ and play the audio.

Technology -- you gotta love it. Wish I had the Internet when I was a student. But sometimes low-tech is the way to go. And you can't get more low tech than a 3'' x 5" index card and a number 2 pencil with a good eraser.

Pre-Reading

2009-04-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

By pre-reading we mean the activity that takes place before you begin to read a new passage. (The prefix pre means before.) Pre-reading includes previewing, scanning, and predicting. Your background knowledge will determine how much you already know about the subject of your reading. For example, if you already know about (have knowledge of) sports, you will be able to better understand what the reading passage on p. 11 of Book A ("Sports") is all about. Looking at the pictures and reading the photo captions and subtitles (all part of previewing) will give you an idea of what the article is about. Scanning or skimming over the paragraphs and focusing on the first few words of each paragraph is also very useful.

As we read together in class, please be sure to highlight words that you don't understand. Keep a list of all new words. Ask your instructor for the definition of any word that you don't know. You will be tested on all new vocabulary.

NEW VOCABULARY that might appear on next week's quiz:

preview (v.) to look at something in advance
scan (v.) to look over quickly
predict (v.) to offer an opinion on what might happen in the future
caption (n.) the title beneath a picture or photo in a text
boldface (v.) to highlight a word in a document by making it darker
background (n.) the environment or setting against which something is displayed
knowledge (n.) learning; understanding gained through study

ibTOEFL Prep Class

2009-04-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Kennell is conducting a TOEFL preparation class that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm, beginning May 5. On that date, he will cover study skills. The next three sessions (May 7, 12, and 14) will be devoted to preparation for the Reading section of the ibTOEFL.

This prep class is a valuable resource for anyone who is planning on taking the TOEFL. However, I recommend that you wait until at least reaching Group 2 before attempting this course, and that you focus, for now, on mastering the skills that are covered in the next two sessions -- not just Reading, but the other skills as well.

If you are concerned about passing the TOEFL, here's my advice: don't worry about it. If you devote the time necessary to perfecting your English language skills during your stay at CIES, the TOEFL should not be a problem. Nevertheless, there are strategies that can help you achieve better results on the TOEFL. When you're ready to take Dr. Kennell's prep course, then go for it. There is no extra fee, except for the cost of the textbook, and it's another resource that adds value to your CIES experience.

How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?

2009-04-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

A tourist stops a man on the street in New York City and asks, "Excuse me, sir. How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" The man's reply: "Practice, practice, practice."

This is a classic joke. Carnegie Hall is among the world's most famous concert venues; to perform there means that a musician is one of the best. In other words, performing at Carnegie Hall carries great prestige.

The joke, of course, is that the tourist is merely asking for directions. However, the man being asked the question interprets it differently. To him, the question "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" means "How do I get good enough to be able to perform at Carnegie Hall?" or "How do I develop the necessary skills?" The punchline (that is, the part of the joke that makes it funny) is "Practice, practice, practice" rather than "go two blocks south, turn right on 53rd St., walk two more blocks, and you're there."

So how do you "get to", or arrive at, becoming a better reader in English? Practice. Read for a minimum of 20 minutes a day in English. It doesn't matter what -- a newspaper, magazine, book, internet website, or the back of a breakfast cereal box. Get into the habit of reading in English. And don't worry if you don't understand what you're reading. Do it anyway. Your comprehension will gradually improve as your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary expands.

Reading is a skill. As with any learned skill, performance improves with time, practice, and repetition. So invest your time and read. The more you read, the better you will read. Over the next seven weeks you will learn strategies that will help you become a better reader.

The road to Carnegie Hall begins here.