Hi, my name is Alex! I am a passionate English teacher whose main task is to motivate students to study English. For those who are only making their first foray into the world of English, I am going to teach you every X's and O's thing that you NEED to know before we are going to dive deeper. Bucke up!
середу, 5 червня 2019 р.
ЗВІТ ПРО ПРОХОДЖЕННЯ ПЕДАГОГІЧНОЇ ПРАКТИКИ
Навчальний предмет
Іноземна мова
Клас
10
Навчальна тема
Modern Art
Мета вивчення теми
Мета: розвивати у учнів критичне мислення, формувати мотивацію у тих учнів, які не є впевненими у власних лінгвістичних вміннях, розвивати особистість учнів
Теоретичний матеріал
1. Дізнаємося більше про історію сучасного мистецтва
Посилання на презентацію, відео або текстовий документ, що містить навчальний матеріал для актуалізації знань
The classic novels on this list are my (non-exhaustive) selection of ‘must-read’ books for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of English literature. What counts as English literature spans over a thousand years, but you’ll find most of the great classics that well-educated people are often expected to have read – what’s known as the ‘canon’ – were primarily written in the 19th century or a little after, so this list focuses on that time period. Whether you’re a native English speaker or just learning, add these books to your reading list and make it your mission to read them all before the year is out.
There are few things more enjoyable, or more rewarding, than getting stuck deep into a brilliant novel.
1. Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
This tumultuous tale of life in a bleak farmhouse on the Yorkshire moors is a popular set text for GCSE and A-level English study, but away from the demands of the classroom it’s easier to enjoy its drama and intensity. Populated largely by characters whose inability to control their own emotions leads to violence and revenge, it’s a tale that spans two generations and two families. At the heart of the story is the mysterious ‘gypsy’, Heathcliff, adopted as a ragamuffin child into the Earnshaw family to live at Wuthering Heights. As he grows up, he becomes close to his adopted sister Cathy, falling in love with her only to be met with crushing disappointment when she marries Edgar Linton, a kind and gentle man from neighbouring Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff disappears and returns a rich, educated man bent on revenge.
2. Middlemarch, by George Eliot
Middlemarch, subtitled “A Study of Provincial Life”, is the story of the inhabitants of a Midlands village in the 1830s. Masterfully weaving together several plotlines, the novel charts the fortunes of an interesting cast of characters, exploring their motivations, delusions and preoccupations. The remarkable thing about Middlemarch is the detail and realism with which George Eliot describes emotions. Feelings you thought were unique to you are described here in a way that could be describing your own thoughts. It’s one of the reasons why Middlemarch has been described the likes of Martin Amis and Julian Barnes as one of the greatest English novels ever written; read it and you’ll soon find yourself agreeing with them.
3. Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty-Four makes depressing but essential reading. Published in 1949, it’s the author’s vision of a dystopian future dominated by totalitarian state surveillance, mind control and perpetual war. At the centre of the novel is Winston, whose job is to rewrite old news stories so that they toe the party line, whom we follow in his quest for rebellion against the government he works for. Its memorable opening line sets the unsettling tone for the rest of this uncomfortable novel: “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” You probably already use phrases from this influential book without necessarily knowing it; “Big Brother” and “Room 101” are both references taken from this novel. As you read Nineteen Eighty-Four, ask yourself: how close do you think Orwell’s vision is to how society is today?
4. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
If you haven’t read the book, you’ll almost certainly have seen Peter Jackson’s epic three-part movie adaptation of it. Incredible though the films are, there’s inevitably a lot missing from them and it’s well worth persevering with the book’s slowish start to follow the journey of Frodo and friends more closely. If you’re not familiar with the story, The Lord of the Rings tells the story of a hobbit, Frodo, who must undertake a dangerous mission to the dark land of Mordor to destroy a powerful ring – a weapon that absolutely corrupts those who come under its power. As you’ll soon find out, that’s a highly simplified plot summary!
Reading the book, you’ll be hard-pressed not to gain a deep admiration for the detail and thought Tolkien put into creating his imaginary world; languages, detailed family trees, maps, rich histories and backstories – all add to the sense of realism one feels when absorbed in Tolkien’s work. You’ll also spot some of Tolkien’s influences, such as Nordic mythology and the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf (read this poem alongside Tolkien and you’ll notice where his inspiration for the Golden Hall came from). If you’re new to Tolkien, you might like to read The Hobbit beforehand; it’s a lighter read than The Lord of the Rings and it sets the backdrop for the events of the tome that follows it.
5. Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon Grossmith
If you’ve ever in need of a little gentle comic relief, you can’t do much better than the delightful Diary of a Nobody. It’s the (made-up) diary of a self-important Victorian lower-middle class gentleman, Charles Pooter, in which he details the day-to-day household quandaries and social embarrassments we can all relate to. It was serialised in Punch magazine in Victorian times, and it’s a charming insight into what the Victorians found funny – but in many places, it’s still laugh-out-loud funny to the modern reader.
6. His Dark Materials, trilogy by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is comprised of three novels: Northern Lights (known in the US as The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The story is set in a fantasy world that contains numerous parallel universes, some of which bear some resemblance to real-life Oxford. Lyra, the protagonist, inhabits the fictional Jordan College, Oxford, in a world in which human beings are accompanied by animal embodiments of their souls, called daemons. The initial similarities and intriguing differences between Lyra’s world and real life will draw you in right from the start, and you’re sure to be gripped as you accompany Lyra on a journey that sees her coming of age and discovering that space and time are not what she expected. If you want to do some background reading, try Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, of which Pullman’s trilogy is a partial reinvention.
7. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë
This novel by Emily Brontë’s elder sister Charlotte has inspired numerous film adaptations, and tells the tale of a young governess, Jane Eyre, who goes to live and work in a foreboding country house with an eccentric master, Edward Rochester, who hides a dark secret in a remote wing of his sprawling home. The story focuses on Jane’s transition to adulthood, told from her perspective in the first person. Throughout the novel we observe her sense of morality, which is tested by the situations she finds herself in – first during her abusive childhood and then in her response to the passionate feelings she experiences towards Mr. Rochester.
8. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
Here is another coming-of-age story, and arguably one of the greatest ever told. If you think Charles Dickens is boring, or you’ve been put off him by studying him at school, please give him another chance. Like all his novels, Great Expectations is full of humour and populated by an entertaining cast of brilliantly-named characters. It tells the tale of Pip, an orphan from a poor background who learns a valuable lesson in life after his acquisition of personal wealth proves an unsatisfying experience that changes him for the worse, driving him away from the only people who’ve ever loved him.
Along the way he meets the enigmatic Miss Havisham, an old lady jilted at the altar decades ago, who has frozen everything in her house at the moment at which her life was so tragically altered. The image of her wedding cake, still on the table but covered in cobwebs and mould, is one of many enduring and vivid scenes in this brilliant novel, which explores a number of moral themes including what it means to be a gentleman.
9. Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
Even if you’re not normally into the Gothic, Rebecca is sure to have you gripped. Its nameless narrator tells the chilling tale of her experiences at Manderley, the house at the centre of the story, after marrying Maxim de Winter, its owner. Manderley proves to be haunted by memories of Maxim’s previous wife, Rebecca, who drowned the previous year; and the creepy Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, is determined to show Maxim’s new wife that she is no replacement for her beloved Rebecca. We follow the second Mrs. de Winter as she struggles to fit in at Manderley and uncovers the truth behind who Rebecca really was and what really happened to her. Its opening lines will haunt you as they’ve haunted the millions of readers who’ve enjoyed Rebecca since its publication in 1938: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…”.
10. Any Jane Austen novel
It was impossible to choose just one Jane Austen novel for this list, as they’re all absolutely brilliant and packed full of interesting and sometimes amusing characters – and heroines you can’t fail to love. As well as being entertaining stories in themselves, Jane Austen’s novels are recognised for their historical importance thanks to their social commentary on the Georgian aristocracy. Austen herself was on the outskirts of the aristocracy, well-placed to write about the people and situations she undoubtedly met with in real life. Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey; take your pick, but if forced to choose, my personal favourite is Emma, the tale of a well-meaning but headstrong young woman who makes it her mission to act as matchmaker to local villagers – with disastrous consequences both to them and to her own chances of romance.
11. Far from the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy’s evocative novel Far from the Madding Crowd is set in ‘Wessex’, an early region of south-west England that no longer exists but is used to conjure up a sense of a place neither real nor made-up – an agricultural England that, during Hardy’s lifetime, was under threat from industrialisation. Rural life is a central theme in a story that follows the shepherd Gabriel Oak and his love for Bathsheba Everdene, a beautiful and independent newcomer to the local farm she’s just inherited.
Unfortunately, Oak isn’t the only one with his eye on the wilful Bathsheba, and two rivals appear on the scene in the shape of another farmer, Mr. Boldwood, and a dashing but rakish soldier, Sergeant Troy. Love and its sometimes dangerous and destructive power are explored among a number of other themes, including luck and tragedy.
12. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh’s portrayal of the trials and tribulations of an aristocratic family and their friend, the narrator Charles Ryder, has been an inspiration to plenty of Oxford applicants, who hope to recreate the evocative Oxfordian scenes described in the early parts of the book – complete with Sebastian’s famous teddy bear, Aloysius. But there’s a lot more to Brideshead Revisited than idyllic Oxford life and decadent scenes involving Champagne and quail eggs. At its heart is the tale of a young man’s struggle with Roman Catholicism and with his own family, but there are many other themes running through it, including the decline of the English stately home after the two World Wars and a longing for the bygone era of the English nobility.
Brideshead Revisited was adapted into a landmark television series with Jeremy Irons in the role of Charles Ryder; once you’ve read the book this makes wonderful viewing, sticking closely to the book. With Irons’ velvet tones vividly bringing to life Waugh’s words, this is one television adaptation that, in my opinion, will actually help you gain a deeper appreciation of the book.
These remarkable novels have all left their mark on popular culture and embedded themselves into the English psyche. Once you’ve read them all, you’ll have more of an idea of where your own literary tastes lie and you can make up your own list by taking from this one and adding your own. What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments section below!
There are over a million words in the English language: some with simple definitions, some with beautifully precise meanings, and some that just simply sound more beautiful when spoken. Words are so much more than a meager compilation of letters; they form sentences, paragraphs, books, and stories. Words are a powerful form of communication for someone who wants to share their message with another person. We put together what we consider the top 10 most beautiful words in the English language.
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10 Serendipity (n.)
The chance occurrence of events in a beneficial way. Example: We all have experienced the serendipity of important information arriving just when we were least expecting it.
9 Petrichor (n.)
The pleasant, earthy smell after rain. Example: Although I do love the pleasant, dewy petrichor of the post-rain afternoon, I still hope the weather stays sunny.
8 Supine (adj.)
Lying face upwards Example: She was lying supine on the beach chair looking at the sky.
7 Solitude (n.)
A state of seclusion or isolation. Example: We enjoyed the beauty and solitude of the quiet beach more than ever.
6 Aurora (n.)
The dawn in the early morning. Example: The aurora over the skyline was too beautiful not to photograph.
5 Idyllic (adj.)
Like an idyll; extremely happy, peaceful, or picturesque. Example: The blossom growing in the courtyard created such an idyllic setting.
4 Clinomania (n.)
Excessive desire to stay in bed. Example: I definitely have clinomania; I love sleeping, making mornings a struggle for me.
3 Pluviophile (n.)
A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days. Example: My sister is a real pluviophile; she really enjoys the weather in the rainy season.
2 Euphoria (n.)
A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness. Example: The euphoria of passing my final exam is a feeling I will never forget.
1 Sequoia (n.)
(A 7 letter word that has the letter Q and all 5 vowels) A redwood tree, especially the California redwood. Example: I love visiting forests where you can see a sequoia.
A version of this post originally appeared on Kaplan International English. Join the Kaplan family and benefit from immersive English language courses, choose from over 35 schools located around the world.
Source: grammarly.com
неділю, 12 травня 2019 р.
The 10 hardest English words to pronounce, according to Reddit
Reddit user by the name of JustATreeNut posed a question to the Internet: what’s the hardest English word to pronounce? The post garnered over 5,000 comments, many of which involved English town names and wine brands. After two weeks of polling, the results were in…and they were kind of confusing. When you hear “hard to pronounce words,” the first terms that come to mind are typically “affidavit” or “hierarchy,” not “penguin” or “squirrel” but some of them start to make sense once you dive into the full explanation.
Worcestershire
Pronunciation: Wuss-ter-sheer
This one is hotly debated. Most British people will tell you to just say “Woo-stah” and drop the “-shire” on the end, especially if you’re talking about the famous Worcestershire sauce. Don’t be fooled by the “ces” in the middle. It doesn’t really do anything, kind of like that mysterious light switch on your wall or your pet goldfish. If you can say “Worcester,” I have faith that you can figure out how to pronounce its English cousin.
Choir
Pronunciation: Kw-eye-er
How did we end up with a word that looks like “choir” but sounds like someone saying “crier” in a baby voice? I’m all for “blaming the French,” as one commenter offered, but they use the word “chorale” instead, so this one is on us. Why we have a “ch” that makes a hard “k” sound, I don’t know, but I agree with the user who suggested changing “choir” to “quire” so we don’t all go mad. (I’m also a fan of the rhyming mini-musical that this conversation sparked. Pinot noire, Roseanne Bar, Midsized Car, You don’t have to be popuLAR…)
Squirrel
Pronunciation: Sk-whirl
Many English speakers reading this list are probably starting to question the verbal skills of these Redditors. After all, most of us have grown up saying the word squirrel on a regular basis. (“I almost got attacked by a squirrel on campus yesterday! Are squirrels and chipmunks the same thing? How do you spell squirrel?”) But apparently for foreign students, especially German students, squirrel is quite the conundrum and causes most of them to accidentally start inventing new animals like the “sqvirvel” or “squi-wel.”
Anemone
Pronunciation: Uh-nem-uh-nee
What do Nemo and Redditors have in common? Neither can pronounce anemone properly, apparently. I mean, I can’t blame them. This wild flower species has too many vowels and “n”s and “m”s for my liking. They all get jumbled in my brain and I end up spewing my own version of “amnemonemomne.”
Isthmus
Pronunciation: Is-muss
The easiest way to master this word is to keep your tongue safely behind your front teeth. You may sound like you have a lisp but that’s what this word was built for.
Sixth
Pronunciation: Siks
At first, this almost looks like a joke. Sixth? Doesn’t everyone who passed kindergarten know how to pronounce this one? But the longer you look at the word, the more complicated it starts to look. Why is there an “x” next to a “th”? Did the creator want us to get tongue-tied? How do English people approach this word, or Irish, or German? Sixth is a menace.
Penguin
Pronunciation: Pen-gwen
This one actually is a joke. During an interview on the Graham Norton Show last year, Benedict Cumberbatch admitted that he repeatedly messed up the pronunciation of the word “penguin” in a documentary he had narrated. Norton shows a clip in which Benny can be heard calling the little flightless creatures “pengwengs.” Apparently, nobody on the documentary staff felt the need to correct the actor, leading to this curious Reddit pick. A more appropriate choice, in my opinion, would have been Cumberbatch’s name because I’m sure that I’ve said “Benny-dict Come-burr-BACH” one too many times.
Colonel
Pronunciation: Ker-nal
I’ve discussed this word before so I won’t linger on it too much, but the only thing you need to know about it is that it doesn’t make sense and it should probably be eliminated from the dictionary.
Otorhinolaryngologist
Pronunciation: Oto-rhino-laryng-ologist
An otorhinolaryngologist is an ear-nose-throat doctor. (Seems like an odd combination to me, but I also know nothing about medicine.) Their unnecessarily long title makes me wonder whether they wanted to get their PHD to help people or, alternatively, to watch people stammer over their name. “So you’re a otor-hine-oh-larry-nee-glo-gist-o? Did I say that right?” No. No you didn’t.
Rural
Pronunciation: Rurr-rol (the “rurr” syllable rhymes with “purr”)
If you never looked at this word on paper, you might think it was spelled “rrrral” because many people let the middle “u” fall to the wayside when they’re in a hurry. Pop culture knows how much we all struggle with this word: it even showed up on an episode of 30 Rock a few years ago.
You’re Not Alone! How to Overcome English Difficulties with Others
Have you thought that your classmates and other English-learning friends might also be frustrated with difficulties in learning in English?
They probably are!
They’re probably pulling their hair and drinking cups and cups of coffee because of the same stressful feelings you have.
But what better way to overcome these difficulties than as a group?
Studies have shown that studying in a group can boost your learning! Group studying makes learning more fun and reduces the stress you might feel about difficult English topics.
Group learning also doesn’t have to take place only in an educational setting. It can take place in a cafe, pub, classmate’s home, restaurant, park or even in public transportation.
Your group can make learning more effective by creating role-playing games where you act out real-world English situations. You can also try a drinking game or even a bet where a reward is involved—whatever you need to make it fun and motivating for everyone.
But what happens when your group isn’t really sure if you’re studying the right way?
Ask a native speaker to be part of the learning time, if possible. He or she can be the referee, keeping score for the games or listening for mistakes in your role-playing exercises.
How to Overcome 3 Major Difficulties in Learning English: The Life-saving Guide
English Difficulty 1: Vocabulary Words with Multiple Meanings
Have you ever seen an English word that you thought you knew—but used in a completely strange way?
English vocabulary is especially difficult because there are so many words that have multiple definitions, so it’s easy to misunderstand their meanings. It’s also difficult to memorize many different definitions for each word.
Take the word date, for example. This word can mean:
A specified day of the month
A time two people spend with each other romantically
The only possible way to understand which definition is being used is to pay attention to context clues. This means using the surrounding words and sentences to find out which definition for the word makes sense.
Even if you haven’t learned all the definitions for a difficult English word, context clues can help you figure out the right definition!
Can you figure out which definition for the word date makes sense in the two sentences below?
When’s the date for the first day of school again?
Would you like to go on a date with me?
In the first sentence, someone is asking for a specific day when school starts. This isn’t a romantic event that two people will spend together. The first definition applies here.
The second sentence is trickier, but you can tell that the person isn’t asking for a single, specified day. They’re asking to spend time with you. The second definition applies here.
Another trick is to pay attention to the part of speech (e.g. noun, adjective, etc.). Very often, the different definitions for an English word will have different parts of speech, so it’s easy to tell them apart.
Take the word point. This word can mean:
To gesture towards a place, direction, person or thing (verb)
The sharp end of an object (noun)
In the following sentences, look at the role of the word point to figure out which definition makes more sense.
Can you point to the exit? I can’t find it.
She tapped me with the point of her pencil.
In the first sentence, the word point is being used as a verb, so we can deduce that the first definition applies. In the second sentence, the word point functions as a noun, and we can tell that the second definition applies.
If you’re looking for more help in learning English vocabulary words that have more than one meaning, this video shows more examples and explanations!
English Difficulty 2: Words That Don’t Sound the Way They Look
Even native English speakers have trouble with this one!
In the English language, a large number of the words aren’t spelled phonetically. That means they sound very different from what you’d expect based on their spelling.
Look at these words, for example:
February: We don’t pronounce the “r” in this word at all. You might sound it out as feb-you-air-ee.
Choir: You might expect to pronounce the “ch” sound here, like in the word chair. But this word is actually pronounced like qui-or.
Knife: The “k” is completely silent!
So how can you overcome this difficulty in learning English?
There are two very useful tools for hearing the correct, native pronunciation of difficult English words:
Forvo: Forvo is an audio dictionary. You can type in any word and you’ll get recordings of native English speakers pronouncing the word!
Better yet, Forvo will even show you where the speaker is from, so you’ll know if you’re getting the pronunciation in American, British, Australian or some other type of English.
FluentU: FluentU is an incredible tool to learn English pronunciation (and many other skills) directly from native speakers.
It provides real English videos—like movie trailers, music videos, inspiring talks and more—that’ve been transformed into personalized English lessons.
There are many different types of videos, as you can see here:
FluentU makes it easy to watch and understand native English videos with interactive captions. Tap or click on any word to see what it means, learn how to use it, hear it pronounced and more.
For example, if you tap on the word “brought,” then you see this:
You can learn any video’s vocabulary with FluentU’s fun quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
The videos are organized by genre and level, so it’s super easy to find the ones that work for you. FluentU also keeps track of your learning, then suggests videos and examples perfect for you.
English Difficulty 3: Getting Real-life Speaking Practice
If you truly want to gain the full experience of speaking in English, you need to actually talk with native speakers. This is the only way to practice having real English conversations. But it can be really difficult for a couple of reasons.
For starters, if you don’t live near in an English-speaking region, you might not know where to find native speakers to practice with.
Second, English conversations can be scary! There’s a lot of pressure when someone is waiting for you to come up with an English sentence.
It’ll be tough in the beginning! But fear not.
There are other ways you can meet and talk with native speakers without feeling lots of pressure, no matter where you currently live.
Language Exchange Apps
A language exchange app is one of the best options to practice speaking and typing in the English language.
You have the comfort of messaging native speakers without leaving home! You can wear your most comfortable pajamas, sit in your favorite spot in the park or even use online apps in between classes while messaging native speakers.
You won’t feel too much pressure since everything is done by either your phone, tablet or computer. Some popular apps you can find to download for free are:
HelloTalk: A convenient language exchange app with audio and text chat. There are built-in tools for translation, correcting errors and more.
Tandem: Similar to HelloTalk with lots of great language learning features. However, this one also has the option to seek out a professional tutor.
If you enjoy meeting new people and would like to converse with native speakers in a comfortable setting, language cafes can be another great option for you! These are in-person events where you can meet native speakers as well as other language learners.
They’re relaxing events where people can teach, read, write or meet with friends, so it doesn’t feel like you’re studying but having loads of fun and drinking loads of coffee!
Language Voices is a great option to find a language cafe near you! Their language cafes cover lots of different topics, whether it be business English, grammar, listening skills and much more.
Their options are mainly Europe-based, with cafes from Finland to Turkey. You can use their app to find one near you, or organize your own! Source: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/english/difficulties-in-learning-english/
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