Monthly Archives: February 2010

No more James Dean /james dean/

Phonetics

The problem with English names is that you can never be sure how to pronounce them unless you have heard them before.
The thing is that I always find myself under great pressure when I have to figure out how to pronounce an English name. People assume that just because you have some knowledge of English you are supposed to know how to pronounce every single name they come across. What they don’t seem to know is that ,in English,there are no pronunciation rules  you can rely on and that there are lots of English personal and place names whose pronunciation is counter-intuitive to their spelling.

How are you supposed to guess that a name such as Happisburgh, is pronounced /heizbr∂/, for God’s sake! I would have never guessed it!
I remember some years ago I took a course in a place called Hastings (like the battle) in South West England . Before leaving for England I carefully checked how to pronounce the name /heistinz/ but when I took a taxi to take me to this vilage, to my dismay , the taxi driver pronounced the name as /hi:stinz/ and then after some time in the village I realised that the name could be pronounced in several different ways.
Anyway, here is a list of film stars whose names are frequently mispronounced: no more James Dean /james dean/, if avoidable.

 

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Fred Astaire
Richard Attenborough
Dan Aykroyd
Lauren Bacall
Sean Bean
Warren Beatty
Kenneth Branagh
Richard Burton

 

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Sean Connery
Russell Crowe
Tom Cruise
Jamie Lee Curtis
Tonny Curtis
Matt Damon
Bette Davis
Daniel Day-Lewis
Johnny Depp

 

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Kirk Douglas
Faye Dunnaway
Kirsten Dunst
Mia Farrow
Ralph Fiennes
Lawrence Fishburn
Clark Gable
Ava Gardner
Richard Gere

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James Mason
Walter Matthau
Victor Mature
Ian Mckellen

Marilyn Monroe
Eddie Murphy
Bill Murray
Clive Owen
Gwyneth Paltrow

Adapted from Think magazine 

 

 

 

 

 

One-minute world news

Audio, Listening, Resources, , ,

This site from the BBC is great if you don’t have much time and want to know what’s happening in the world.
You only need one minute and it will certainly help you improve your listening skills. Go to this website http://news.bbc.co.uk/ and then click on the small text which says Watch ONE-MINUTE WORLD NEWS, as shown in the image.

Hope you like it!!

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Podcards

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Fancy a listening comprehension??

Let’s go Shopping

Lesson Plan: Pre-Intermediate, Listening, Word of the Day, , , , , , , ,

I never say “no” when one of my friends phones me to suggest going shopping. I love it!!!

Although I like going shopping a lot I don’t see myself as a shopaholic: I am definitely not a compulsive shopper although I am one of those who sort of view going shopping as a hobby. It helps me relax but I certainly do not spend money I do not have and I am not drowning in debt because of my purchases. Well, this is what I tell my mother every single time she tells me off for wearing new clothes.

Anyway, this is a video from the film Pretty Woman, which I’m sure all of you have seen.

You can do three things:
♦ Just watch and enjoy it

For students in the elementary level
♦ Watch the video and do some exercises 
♦ Do a whole lesson plan on going shopping  Here

And now that we are on the subject what about learning some expressions containing the word shop?

→ talk shop
if people who work together talk shop, they talk about their work when they are not at work
Even when they go out in the evening, they just talk shop all the time.

→go window-shopping
to go about looking at goods in store windows without actually buying anything.
Joan said she was just going window-shopping, but she bought a new coat.

→shop around (for something)
 to shop at different stores to find what you want at the best price.
You can find a bargain, but you’ll have to shop around.

→be like a bull in a china shop
to often drop or break things because you move awkwardly or roughly.

Rob’s like a bull in a china shop – don’t let him near those plants.

Spicing Up my Lesson : Photopeach

Create your own stuff, freeware, Resources, Slides, , ,

I might be wrong but I think that adding some sort of digital content to my classes somehow spices them up. I have tried different slideshows services and so far this is the one I like best .  http://www.photopeach.com

♥ It is easy to use

♥ You can add music

♥ You can add a quiz or a caption

My students at pre-intermediate level have been working in the field of “Clothes and Going shopping ” and this is what I have created for them. It is very easy to do.

♥ Upload your photos

♥ Add music

♥ Click on Edit- Edit Caption & Photos

♥ Choose Quiz

♥ Click OK

Done!!  I’ve just loved it!! ♥

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