Hello again
Well I have a link I wanted to share with you about some of the 'problems' between US and UK English. It is widely recognised that US is easier for most foreigners to understand, but maybe because of that it is better to learn British English, then you can easily adapt to American, whereas the opposite would be more complicated!
I think the island factor has something to do with it, the UK is after all quite a small island. If you compare the Catalan of Mallora/Menorca with Catalan here or the Portuguese from the Azores to that of mainland Portugal, the small islands are always different, maybe it's a question of water. The more water that surrounds your land directly, the more difficult you are to understand...? Of course English in this case is not exactly the same because it started on the island and went to the States. I think it's a big question of exposure really. Brits are much more exposed to US English through films and TV series and music than Americans are to British English.
From a linguistic point of view, it is known that American English is usually spoken in a slower, clearer fashion and that the vowel are usually longer. I find that the American accents of the East coast are much more similar to British, they have the American lilt but it's not unpleasant to my ears!
Well, this is the website, I hope you enjoy and laugh, and maybe you will see a word that you made a mistake with in the past and the funny looks you got will all suddenly make sense!
Double Meaning http://www.mansioningles.com/vocabulario65.htm
I look forward to reading all your entries this week!
Oh, and I forgot to say yesterday (sorry!), next week's class (2nd April) will be in room 28 because our class in the library will be full of French students! It is on the top floor, I'm not entirely sure which one, but there are not that many to choose from!
All my love!
Felicity
viernes, 27 de marzo de 2009
lunes, 16 de marzo de 2009
Birdsong
Hello!
I have been trying to think of a story to tell about birds and after reading Carla's story about the birds in her garden I have decided to tell the story of my father!
My parents live in England, in Devon to be more precise and on the Cornish border, more or less. My father was born in London and grew up mainly in cities and first visited the countryside when he was about ten. Of course, he loved it, and he has been living in the same house in the middle of nowhere for over forty years now. This has advantages and disadvantages. Of course it is very beautiful and the air is clean and the food is good etc etc etc but it is 20 minutes drive to the nearest town and 1 hr to the nearest city, which is not ideal for a teenager. Once I got my driving licence I started to love it again!
In my family we refer to my father as a tree, as he spends most of his time outside, in almost any weather, he's not very talkative and to be a bit more insulting, perhaps because his skin is now similar to that of a tree!! It's OK, he doesn't use the internet so he will never see this! But the main reason I think he is referred to as a tree is because of his relationship with birds (here I mean feathered birds, not the English slang referring to women!). Whenever he is outside working on something (he is now retired so this is now mainly to tend the vegetable plants, but he used to breed roses), or whenever he leaves the house, the birds seem to greet him with a song, and he knows all the different songs and responds in a human 'whistle'. It is quite fascinating to listen to his 'conversations' with the birds. He can't know what he is saying, but the conversation always sounds friendly! Now I know that some neighbouring farmers have witnessed this and might think he is insane, but I think it is a great talent. I have also noticed that all the birds go over to him to talk to him and they always stay near him if he is outside. He tells me that this is because they are safe if they are near him as he will scare their predators. They must think I am a predator because they never stay around too long if I go out there, even if he is there to 'protect' them!
So that is the story of my father and the birds of Devon!
See you on Thursday.
Felicity
I have been trying to think of a story to tell about birds and after reading Carla's story about the birds in her garden I have decided to tell the story of my father!
My parents live in England, in Devon to be more precise and on the Cornish border, more or less. My father was born in London and grew up mainly in cities and first visited the countryside when he was about ten. Of course, he loved it, and he has been living in the same house in the middle of nowhere for over forty years now. This has advantages and disadvantages. Of course it is very beautiful and the air is clean and the food is good etc etc etc but it is 20 minutes drive to the nearest town and 1 hr to the nearest city, which is not ideal for a teenager. Once I got my driving licence I started to love it again!
In my family we refer to my father as a tree, as he spends most of his time outside, in almost any weather, he's not very talkative and to be a bit more insulting, perhaps because his skin is now similar to that of a tree!! It's OK, he doesn't use the internet so he will never see this! But the main reason I think he is referred to as a tree is because of his relationship with birds (here I mean feathered birds, not the English slang referring to women!). Whenever he is outside working on something (he is now retired so this is now mainly to tend the vegetable plants, but he used to breed roses), or whenever he leaves the house, the birds seem to greet him with a song, and he knows all the different songs and responds in a human 'whistle'. It is quite fascinating to listen to his 'conversations' with the birds. He can't know what he is saying, but the conversation always sounds friendly! Now I know that some neighbouring farmers have witnessed this and might think he is insane, but I think it is a great talent. I have also noticed that all the birds go over to him to talk to him and they always stay near him if he is outside. He tells me that this is because they are safe if they are near him as he will scare their predators. They must think I am a predator because they never stay around too long if I go out there, even if he is there to 'protect' them!
So that is the story of my father and the birds of Devon!
See you on Thursday.
Felicity
viernes, 13 de marzo de 2009
Spring has Sprung!
Hello all!
I hope you are all as happy as me to see that Winter may finally be coming to an end! Temperatures in the 20s, that's what I like to hear, and see, and feel!
Anyway, I just saw this article, it is an interesting column and the articles are often good, so I thought I would share it.
The link is
http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=Accents
I particularly love the part where it says
"George Bernard Shaw probably got it right when he said “As soon as an Englishman opens his mouth, he makes another Englishman despise him”.
I have been thinking about my story but I have not finalised the details yet...
See you next week
keep in touch!
Felicity
I hope you are all as happy as me to see that Winter may finally be coming to an end! Temperatures in the 20s, that's what I like to hear, and see, and feel!
Anyway, I just saw this article, it is an interesting column and the articles are often good, so I thought I would share it.
The link is
http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/?article=Accents
I particularly love the part where it says
"George Bernard Shaw probably got it right when he said “As soon as an Englishman opens his mouth, he makes another Englishman despise him”.
I have been thinking about my story but I have not finalised the details yet...
See you next week
keep in touch!
Felicity
lunes, 2 de marzo de 2009
British humour and comedy
Hello again,
Following our session about humour, which I enjoyed even though we didn't see all the materials I prepared, too much talking again! I hope you have had a chance to read the man's account of his Summer holiday (which incidentally he spent near my home, and yes, it did rain that much last summer!).
I agree with some of the comments that humour/humor can be international depending on the individuals and the understandings between them but I also feel that, after living abroad, the typical British humour is rather eccentric at times and possibly difficult to follow.
Anyway, I'm not going to propose any more reading, as I think we do enough, but I would recommend watching some comedy in English, either the bits the BBC and others provide on youtube.com or buying/renting dvds.
Series I recommend are (in no order of which is best!):Following our session about humour, which I enjoyed even though we didn't see all the materials I prepared, too much talking again! I hope you have had a chance to read the man's account of his Summer holiday (which incidentally he spent near my home, and yes, it did rain that much last summer!).
I agree with some of the comments that humour/humor can be international depending on the individuals and the understandings between them but I also feel that, after living abroad, the typical British humour is rather eccentric at times and possibly difficult to follow.
Anyway, I'm not going to propose any more reading, as I think we do enough, but I would recommend watching some comedy in English, either the bits the BBC and others provide on youtube.com or buying/renting dvds.
Comedy classics:
Keeping up appearances
Yes, Minister
Fawlty Towers
Satirical/pop quiz
Never Mind the Buzzcocks (especially the one with Amy Winehouse!)
Have I got News for You
Recent comedy
The Office
The Catherine Tate Show
Little Britain
Peep Show
If you know any others, please add them, and please, have a good laugh! It's healthy!
All the best,
Felicity
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