What's my level?

Hi guys!

I found this little online test on the British Council Website to quickly evaluate your own level of English: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/content

You should try it to find out where you are and practice accordingly, on your own or in a school!

Good luck and have a great weekend!

British culture: how to be a general alien

Hi guys! How are you today?

After our last vocabulary activity, today I offer you a reading exercise. Now remember the advice shared last week: read the text to get a gist of it, and then check the vocabulary that you really need. 

I underlined the words that I found were interesting to look up in a good online dictionary. Don't forget to check the pronunciation too! Have fun discovering these strange facts about our friends the Brits! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Don't hesitate to comment, sharing your reactions with us! Have a great day!

1. How to be a General Alien: A warning to beginners (George Mikes, How to be an Alien, Penguin Books, 1966: pp 14-16)

In England*, everything is the other way round. On Sundays on the Continent even the poorest person puts on his best suit, tries to look respectable, and at the same time the life of the country becomes gay and cheerful; in England even the richest peer or motor-manufacturer dresses in some peculiar rags, does not shave, and the country becomes dull and dreary. On the Continent there is one topic which should be avoided - the weather; in England, if you do not repeat the phrase "Lovely day, isn't it?" at least two hundred times a day, you are considered a bit dull. On the Continent Sunday papers appear on Monday; in England - a country of exotic oddities - they appear on Sunday. On the Continent people use a fork as though a fork were a shovel; in England they turn it upside down and push everything - including peas - on top of it. 

On a continental bus approaching a request-stop the conductor rings the bell if he wants his bus to go on without stopping; in England you ring the bell if you want the bus to stop. In the Continent stray cats are judged individually on their merit - some are loved, some are only respected; in England they are universally worshipped as in ancient Egypt. On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table manners. 

On the Continent public orators try to learn to speak fluently and smoothly; in England they take a special course in Oxonian stuttering. On the Continent learned persons love to quote Aristotle, Horace, Montaigne and show off their knowledge; in England only uneducated people show off their knowledge, nobody quotes Latin and Greek authors in the course of a conversation, unless he has never read them. 

On the Continent almost every nation whether little or great has openly declared at one time or another that it is superior to all other nations; the English fight heroic wars to combat these dangerous ideas without ever mentioning which is really the superior race in the world. Continental people are sensitive and touchy; the English take everything with an exquisite sense of humour - they are only offended if you tell them that they have no sense of humour. On the Continent the population consists of a small percentage of honest people and the rest are a vague transition between the two; in England you find a small percentage of criminals and the rest are honest people. On the other hand, people on the Continent either tell you the truth or lie; in England they hardly ever lie, but they would not dream of telling you the truth. 

Many continental think life is a game; the English think cricket is a game.

*When people say England, they sometimes mean Great Britain, sometimes the United Kingdom, sometimes the British Isles - but never England.

Vocabulary session #1 - Intermediate

Let's start slowly with some vocabulary input. Here is a text of intermediate level, with some possibly new words in bold. What do you think they mean? Check your answers with a dictionary, and learn them! Make sure you don't forget to check their pronunciation too and try pronouncing them!

Tips for reading (Source: Oxford Word Skills - Intermediate, p.10) 

When you are reading in a foreign language, you should try to get the gist of the text. You will meet vocabulary you don't recognize, but you can often go through the text again. If so, try this:

1. Identify the new words and phrases which seem to be important. Try to guess the meaning from the context, and/or use a dictionary.

1. Keep a record of the words in a notebook, and, if possible, make a note of any special information. For example, is the word formal or informal? Is it used in a particular kind of construction, e.g. a verb that is often followed by a  preposition?

1. Write a translation if you think it helps; sometimes it isn't necessary.

By the way, the book where this extract comes from is an amazing tool for vocabulary. It exists for Basic, Intermediate and Advanced levels, as well as for Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. I really think it's rare to find engaging vocabulary books, and this series really is motivating!





Don't hesitate if you have any questions!

Jessica

Welcome

Hello English learners,

In the first article ever on this webpage, let me tell you who I am, what I do, what you will find here and how to use it.

I'm Jessica, I live in Brussels, Begium, where it's mostly rainy and where Trump believes all the world's terrorists are hiding. We also have French fries (or chips) but they are not French, waffles, beer and chocolate. Mostly to forget about the weather, but I must admit it works really well. We speak French, Dutch and German. Well... when I say we, I mean "people". I speak French, I understand Dutch. I don't know anything about German except that it seems a hard language to learn. I also speak English and Italian, and I'm currently learning Spanish and Vietnamese for fun. I'm not really good at it yet but I love learning, so improvement will come, I'm sure!

I have been an English teacher for 12 years now. I started when I was a student and never stopped. It's my passion, so that I don't really feel like I'm working when I teach. It can sometimes be a problem because I work too many hours but well... I'm having fun. I fell in love with English when I was a toddler (5 years old) and I was fascinated by English songs and people talking. I couldn't wait for the Belgian educational system to provide me with an English curriculum (at around 16 years old at the time) so I decided to teach it to myself when I was 12 years old. Now, it has been 21 years that I  have  dedicated my life to this language and I yearn to learn more, more and more.

I started blogging quite early on as well, and my first teaching blog was published in 2011. I have changed platforms several times since then and I have probably lost some followers in the process, but I'm here and I think I have something to bring you in your learning process.

Indeed, I would like to share with you my learning tips, the websites I use, the series I watch, the articles I read, the exercises and activities that I create for my real-life students so that you too, wherever you are in the world, can benefit from them.

I truly hope this place will be useful to you and I wish you the best in your learning process. Please never hesitate to leave comments, questions and so on in the comment section. You can also click on my profile picture and send me a personal e-mail if necessary. I will do my best to answer within short deadlines.

I am sure it will be a pleasure meeting you, but I hope it will be a pleasure for you reading me.

Now off for a brand new adventure in 3... 2... 1...

Peace and Light,
Jessica