Gustavo Del Pilar's Blog

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Halloween Vocabulary Picture: 10 phrases and words

halloween vocabulary picture

Image source

1. Dress up:
wear a costume for a special occasion

2. Scare / frighten somebody:
make somebody feel scared or frightened

3. Give somebody the creeps:
make somebody feel fear or revulsion

4. Go trick or treating:
tradition of kids going to neighbours’ homes to scare them and ask for sweets or treats

5. A costume:
a set of clothes worn in order to look like somebody else

6. A fancy dress party:
a party where people dress up in costumes

7. Spooky (adjective):
strange and frightening

8. Haunted (adjective):
inhabited by ghosts ( a haunted house)

9. Creepy (adjective):
causing people to feel nervous and afraid

10. A nightmare:
a bad dream

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The post Halloween Vocabulary Picture: 10 phrases and words appeared first on MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog.

from MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog http://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/halloween-vocabulary-picture/

Friday, October 28, 2016

Boy Wakes Up And Can’t Speak A Lick Of English

Reuben is a gifted soccer player and fearless goalie. He was playing for an elite youth soccer team in Atlanta, Georgia when the unfortunate accident happened. He was kicked in the head by an opponent and went into shock. He stopped breathing multiple times and came in and out of consciousness on the soccer field. His coach said, “I thought I might lose him…”

Reuben was airlifted to a hospital where he fell into a coma for several days. Reuben’s mother is a high school teacher originally from Nigeria. When Reuben finally woke up, he said to her, ‘I’m hungry’ in Spanish. Reuben’s mother ran out of the room to get help. “A nurse asked me what language does he speak. I said, ‘I speak English. He speaks English. We’re not Spanish-based people’”

Suddenly Reuben couldn’t speak a lick of English. Instead Spanish effortlessly flowed out of his mouth. Reuben says he could only speak a few words of Spanish before the accident. He thinks he must have subconsciously picked up the language from his brother who studied abroad in Spain, and some of his teammates who are fluent Spanish speakers.

Reuben described speaking Spanish as weird, but enjoyable. However, trying to speak his native English made him have a seizure. After a few days, Reuben’s English returned. He can still speak Spanish, but it is beginning to fade.

Reuben is not the only person to have ever woken up with a mysterious language condition. In 2013, an American man woke up in a motel in California speaking Swedish. Unlike Reuben, this was a not a new language for him, but he had completely forgotten his native English and all memory of his past life. Equally as baffling is foreign accent syndrome where people develop a new accent usually after some head trauma. The first case of this dates back to 1941 when a Norwegian woman, who was injured during a bombing, suddenly began speaking in a German accent. Over the years, there have been 62 cases of this condition.

Reuben is back at home now, but he still is getting medical tests and having seizures. A gofundme.com page has been created to help his parents pay for his medical expenses. Reuben hopes to become a professional soccer player one day and can’t wait to get back on the field. His coach says when he comes back he’ll need to wear a helmet.

The post Boy Wakes Up And Can’t Speak A Lick Of English appeared first on Deep English.

from Blog – Deep English http://deepenglish.com/2016/10/boy-wakes-cant-speak-lick-english/

THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM meaning with image 🐤

The early bird catches the worm:
if you are early or first to do something to take action then you have a good chance of being successful

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The post THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM meaning with image appeared first on MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog.

from MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog http://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/the-early-bird-catches-the-worm-meaning/

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Hike vs. Wander

running, racing, speeding, jogging, pacing, galloping, cantering, trotting, scuttling

Hike
Wander

Hike and wander are both common words when talking about walking, but they are very different in their meaning. For example, you wouldn’t usually hike the through a shopping mall for hours at a time. Neither would you wander up Mount Everest? Let’s first look at each word separately and then compare the two.

Hike (noun or verb)

Synonym: trek, raise.

The most common use of the word “hike” is for when describing a long distance walk, usually through nature.

For example:

let’s go hiking in the forest.
they hiked Great Bear Mountain last weekend.

Hiking is also associated with some kind of incline (movement upwards), this is why it’s commonly used for walks taken in the mountains. It’s both used as a verb to explain the action of hiking, or as a noun to talk about the activity of hiking, e.g.,

We went on a hike.

An example of hike:

John: What did you do this weekend, Tom?
Tom: My friends and I hiked ^(v) through the mountains. We go every week.

John: That sounds like fun. Could I come with you on a hike ⁽ⁿ⁾ someday?
Tom: Of course. You can come with us this Saturday if you like.

Another common meaning of the word “hike” is an increase in something, most frequently in regards to a quick and significant movement upwards. This definition is often used when talking about the stock market and prices for products.

If for example, shoppers have seen a hike in the price of eggs in 2016.

More so for older people than the younger generation of today, hike is additionally used when talking about lifting or pulling up clothing.

For example, if it had rained a man might “hike up his jeans” to keep them dry, meaning that he would lift up his jeans.

Now let’s look at the word wander, and what makes it so different.

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Wander (verb)

Synonyms: stroll, roam, stray

Wander isn’t usually used as a noun unless you say that you will “go for a wander,” which is synonymous with going for a stroll. Wander basically means to walk or move around without having a set destination or goal.

Whereas hiking is often done for exercise and excitement, wandering is casual, often entertaining, and done without much effort. Someone can “wander around” a museum for hours, looking at the artwork, for example. Or if you were to visit Paris, you may wander around the city, enjoying all the new things to see and do.

An example of wander:

Sarah: Tom and I had a lovely weekend holiday in Paris.
Yvonne: Oh really? What did you like the most about it?
Sarah: I loved just wandering around the old narrow streets, looking at all the shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Another use of wander is when talking about something leaving or not sticking with a particular or previously held path. This is both true for real physical experiences, but also for our thinking.

For example:

The ship wandered off course because of the captain’s mistake.

(Which means that the ship started going in a direction that wasn’t part of the plan, because of an error in direction made by the captain)

As I sat in the classroom, my mind wandered, dreaming of everything I would do when I got home. (This means that instead of paying attention in class, they had started thinking about other things, similar to daydreaming.)
While in the beautiful museum, my eyes wandered around, taking in all the beautiful sights. (This means that the person didn’t have a single point they were looking. Instead, they casually looked all around them to enjoy seeing the different items)

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A simple tip when deciding whether to use Hike vs. Wander.

Not sure which one you would like to use? Here’s a quick summary to help you. If you want to talk about an exciting or adventurous walk or a long journey on foot that takes effort, use hike.

But, if you want to speak of a casual walk or movement without a particular destination or goal then wander is the better choice of word.

The post Hike vs. Wander appeared first on MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog.

from MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog http://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/hike-vs-wander/

Friday, October 21, 2016

Pro Football Player Called Un-American

U.S. professional football player, Colin Kaepernick, has recently caused a controversy by refusing to stand for the American national anthem. Kaepernick is an African-American. He is protesting racial oppression in the U.S., especially the many killings of young black men by white policeman in recent years.

At the beginning of each game, he kneels on one knee during the singing of the anthem. Public reaction has been heated. Some call him un-American. They say he is being disrespectful to members of the military who have given their lives to defend America’s freedom. These people believe that patriotism means showing heartfelt respect for the U.S. anthem and flag.

On the other hand, Kaepernick has been praised by supporters. They believe it’s important to start an open discussion about racial prejudice in the U.S. These voices say that Kaepernick, like all Americans, has freedom of speech. Those who support Kaepernick do not agree that having a black president makes racial prejudice a thing of the past. They say that black Americans are still second-class citizens.

This issue of how people should express patriotism is not limited to America. One courageous individual in Japan has made a similar protest for decades. Kimiko Nezu, a retired school teacher, refused to stand each morning when Japan’s national anthem was played at her school. She felt the words of the song expressed support for Japanese militarism, which was responsible for the loss of many lives during WWII. Nezu believes it is her responsibility as a teacher to educate the young not to make the same mistakes again.

In a society where citizens are expected to follow the group, Ms. Nezu paid dearly for her protest. She was shunned by her colleagues and friends, her pay was reduced many times, and she faced many suspensions. Despite these problems, she says she loves her country and is proud to be Japanese. However, she believes that forcing children and teachers to sing the Japanese national anthem is a misguided form of patriotism.

The refusals of Colin Kaepernick and Kimiko Nezu to show respect for their national anthems has raised many questions. Are symbols such as flags and anthems sacred? Is showing respect for these symbols more important than protesting social injustice?

The post Pro Football Player Called Un-American appeared first on Deep English.

from Blog – Deep English http://deepenglish.com/2016/10/pro-football-player-called-un-american/