notes of a linguaphile

Eponyms

2011-01-26T11:39:00.006+03:30

Eponyms are words derived from proper names and are another of the many creative ways that the vocabulary of a language expands and extends.

I have found an electronic version of a good book on Eponyms, lately. The ebook, indubitably, is a must have ebook. You can download A New Dictionary of Eponyms by clicking here.

short stories for children

2010-12-21T11:14:00.007+03:30

Picture Books is a web site that provides children with fully-illustrated, free stories. Visitors should owe a big thanks to professional illustrator and writer Dandi Palmer.

Short Stories has been designed and developed for older, and not quite so old, children. Stories are also available as a free download onto ebook readers and mobile phones.

Wacky Web Tales are geared for grades 3 and above. Check back monthly for new tales!

By visiting Free Children Stories, one can have access to new and original stories submitted by children's authors. Cute images, incidentally, accompany written texts.

Lake Chaubunagungamaug

2010-11-19T17:44:00.010+03:30

I want to talk about a lake with a 45-letter Indian name that can be translated as, “You fish on your side, I fish on my side and nobody fishes in the middle.” It’s Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.

Oh, yeah! This is the full-length version of the name. Have difficulty pronouncing it? Well, there is a helpful song that can be of benefit to you.

I like to add that this name is the longest place name in the United States. The lake, also known as Webster Lake, is located near the Connecticut border and has a surface area of 1,442 acres (5.83 km²), based on Wikipedia.

Orwell Diaries

2010-10-26T08:55:00.005+03:30

Recently, I have come across a blog devoted to George Orwell who was a British author and journalist. The blog has provided readers and fans with George Orwell's diaries, images, documents complementing the diaries and a Google Map of Orwell's travels. If I were in your position, I wouldn't give Orwell Diaries a miss.

old shoes in old words

2010-10-04T10:43:00.006+03:30

If you are worn out, you are completely tired since you have been working hard.

Choose your pals wisely and carefully. There’s never an old boot, but there’s the shape of a foot in it. Your character will be shaped by the influence of your bosom pals.

That ill-mannered boy is as common as an old shoe. He seems entirely low class and uncouth.

That educational system cannot be changed and improved. Like old boots, past all hope of mending.

My room is cozy and snug. I do like my room very much. Indeed, it is as comfortable as an old shoe.

CALL

2010-09-11T18:20:00.005+04:30

Computer Assisted Language Learning is defined as the use of a computer in the teaching or learning of a second or foreign language. CALL, in fact, brings four major advantages in its train: motivation, authenticity, critical learning skills, and adapting learning to the student.

I have provided you here with some useful and resourceful CALL-related links. I hope you find them of great benefit and help.

APACALL Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning that claims the opportunity to use communication technologies in learning, teaching and research.

The History of CALL A PDF file of an introduction to the development of the Computer-Assisted Language Learning.

Computer Assisted Language Learning An international Journal.

ReCALL Journal of EUROCALL.

CALL: Its Scope and Limits A speech by Frank Berberich at the Toyohashi JALT chapter meeting.

Authoring in CALL Links to authoring systems for CALL.

CALL for Teachers Computer Assisted Language Learning for Teachers.

Multimedia English

2010-08-19T10:43:00.020+04:30

Learning English can be intensive, costly, and time-consuming. With the advent of educational technology-based resources (CD-ROMs, the Internet, Web pages, etc.), millions of language learners are getting interested in flexible and creative learning methodologies.

In multimedia systems several media of communication such as animation, music, text, and image combine in conjunction with computer technology and give the users as ‘interactive players’ the opportunity to control the flow and direction of the text by navigating through it.

The use of language-learning multimedia technologies must be supported because they are necessary for keeping English-learning relevant to the information age. Self-study English-learning multimedia resources, actually, have become more affordable and ubiquitous than before.

Considering all these things, I have put here the links to three web sites that are based on teaching English through different modes of communication. You can resort to such materials with the ease of the mind for both teaching and learning English, surely.

Multimedia English Classroom
Bell English Online
ESL Galaxy

Sip and See

2010-08-09T07:52:00.006+04:30

Without a shadow of a doubt, you are already familiar with "baby shower". I want to share a new expression with you.

Do you know what do Americans call a party that new parents throw to introduce their baby to the nearest and dearest? A sip and see party/shower. The guests in a sip and see party clearly sip beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and see the baby while enjoying the baby's babbling.

WiSe WoRdS from old books

2010-07-26T16:11:00.024+04:30

Remember, if you’re headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-turns! ~Allison Gappa Bottke

A day is Eternity's seed, and we are its Gardeners. ~Erika Harris

Decorate yourself from the inside out. ~Terri Guillemets

Your future depends on many things, but mostly on you. ~Frank Tyger

Be pleasant until ten o'clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself. ~Elbert Hubbard

To do nothing is sometimes a good remedy. ~Hippocrates

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. ~Chinese Proverb

Don't look where you fall, but where you slipped. ~African Proverb

Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are. ~Malcolm S. Forbes

P.S. This post is dedicated to Raheleh - my devoted friend. Raheleh lives in Mashhad and has majored in TEFL. She is a very kind and helpful friend.

Pirate Jargon

2010-07-18T16:15:00.011+04:30

AHOY my pals.

I do like watching movies related to sea adventures and pirates, you know. That is why I have decided to post something on pirate jargon. Pirates, naturally, have their own jargon. Let's learn something about their jargon.

Have you ever noticed pirates' hats? Their hats are called tricorn hats. Tri stands for three and corn for corner.

They usually have a treasure map. A map that leads to treasure. If you find a treasure map someday, do not forget to get a proper shovel.

A pirate whose map has an X is a very lucky guy. An X on a treasure map shows where the treasure is hidden.

Their flag with a skull and crossbones is called Jolly Roger. Whenever a pirate does something wrong he has to walk the plank. This means that he is forced to walk on a board that is extended out of the ship and over the sea. What does happen next?

Aye. You are right. He will meet Davy Jones, then. Or he will be in Davy's grip. To be in Davy's grip means to be close to death or frightened.

A pirate may say shiver me timbers in order to express his surprise when, for example, he sees a good target for his mates' plunder from his skyglass (telescope) while standing in the crow's nest. Crow's nest is simply a small platform at the top of the mast. A pirate climbs it up to have a better view of the sail of another ship.

Well, these are only a couple of terms from the dictionary of pirates. Did you enjoy you learning them? Have you ever thought that pirates may have their own dictionary? Waiting to read your comments.

Fair winds! (goodbye!, good luck!)

Blending/Portmanteau Words

2010-07-08T20:04:00.007+04:30

There are several and nearly fixed ways, which give new words a chance to live along with old ones in every language. One of these ways is "blending". In blending, two or more function words blend to form a new word. The new word, thus, is called a portmanteau.

I have chosen this topic intentionally because I want to share some new and somehow odd blending examples with you. If you try to memorize them, you can add some new pieces of information to your wordrobe. What does "wordrobe" mean? It means a person's vocabulary [blend of word and wardrobe].

My next example is "fantabulous" [Blend of fantastic and fabulous]. The idea of creating and developing podcats was fantabulous.

To me, "carjacking" is as dangerous as hijacking. "Carjacking" is a noun describing an incident by which a usually armed individual coerces the driver of an automobile to give up his vehicle or drive it and the assailant to some specified location.

I hate "baggravation". I do not want to feel it my life. Never ever. Baggravation [Blend of bag and aggravation] is a feeling of annoyance and anger one endures at the airport when his/her bags have not arrived at the baggage carousel but everyone else's bags have.

When something is extremely large, it is "ginormous". This word is the blend form of gigantic and enormous.

Remember when you hear an accident occur and later give a report on what you heard; you are an "earwitness" not an eyewitness.

Finally, I like to add that portmanteaux or portmanteaus are the plural forms of portmanteau.

Irish Slang Website

2010-06-29T09:48:00.011+04:30

Irishslang.info is the most comprehensive online dictionary of Irish Slang that has been developed "straight from the horse's mouth".

If you hear something "straight from the horse's mouth", you hear it from someone who definitely knows it is true and has direct knowledge of it.

my dear sibling & some idioms

2010-06-22T16:37:00.013+04:30

I dedicate this post to my helpful and intelligent brother. Alireza is a sophomore majoring in Civil Engineering.

Alireza! Hitch your wagon to a star for your limit is the azure sky.

I want to share with you some bee and bee-related expressions. Curious to know them? Well, keep reading the whole text.

a busy bee
-someone who enjoys being busy or active

be the bee's knees
-to be very good

hive of activity
- somewhere where things are very busy

make a beeline for (someone or something)
- to go straight toward someone or something

none of (someone's) beeswax
- none of someone's business

have a bee in one's bonnet
- to have a fixed idea that stays in one's mind

I got that picture from a really cool website. Idioms By Kids is a website with over 1000 kid drawings of the literal meaning of a number of English idioms. Start learning by clicking on the pictures. Use your noddle to guess the meaning of the idioms. Then, read the idioms and write down your own sentences using those idioms.

For sure, those illustrations can help you keep in mind for a long period of time what you are trying to grasp and grab. Have fun learning and thanks for your warm comments.

La-la Theory

2010-06-13T20:29:00.004+04:30

La-la theory (also called the sing-song theory) is the name of one of the speculative theories about the origins of language. This theory claims that speech originated in song, play, laughter, and other aspects of romantic side of life. It also argues some of our first words were long and musical rather than short grunts some theories suppose we started with.

Have you ever thought or read about the origins of speech? There are some other theories in addition to this theory. But, I like this one very much. It is a very neat and lovely theory, anyway.

All around Robin Hood's barn

2010-06-09T12:13:00.009+04:30

I am sure you do remember Robin Hood, a man who lived as an outlaw in Sherwood Forest in central England. He is famous in stories for robbing rich and giving to the needy.

His name is used to describe a situation in which money is taken from well-off people and given to those who are badly off.

Example: A new higher-rate tax that will have a "Robin Hood effect" on income distribution.

Clearly, Robin Hood's house was the Sherwood Forest. The roof of his house was leaves and branches. He did not have a barn and in fact did not need a barn. The phrase simply means a circuitous roundabout route all over a place.

Now, you no longer need to go all around Robin Hood's barn to discover the meaning of this phrase.

Cloud cuckoo land

2010-06-05T19:11:00.007+04:30

Cloud cuckoo land refers to an idealistically marvelous state in which every thing is immaculate and desirable. Hence, someone who lives in a cloud cuckoo land is optimistic in a disgusting way; s/he is unable to fully grasp the reality.

Example: Anyone who thinks Ben can buy that classy and pricey villa is living in a cloud cuckoo land.

dying words

2010-05-27T10:00:00.003+04:30

Death is the biggest mystery of life. Reading the last words spoken and words written by famous people shortly before they die or commit suicide can be of huge fun and experience. These words give clues with regard to the person's feelings, concerns, and thoughts.

You also can improve your English a long with your writing. Try to imagine the situation those guys had before meeting their Maker and write a short story that simply ends on those dying words or even goes further than that.

Best of luck with your English story writing practice.

people of Eastern Congo

2010-04-21T12:47:00.003+04:30

Violent conflict has plagued Eastern Congo for more than a decade. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the run, fleeing the violence in North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale provinces. People are frightened. Many are sick or wounded. Others have been harassed or raped, or have had everything they own stolen.

Click on the map to leave a message of support for them. Selected messages will be shared with people in Eastern Congo.

Here is my message:

Hello. We will not forget you. Peace will embrace you one day. Let's pray for that day together.

Zahra

The 1900 House

2010-04-17T11:39:00.019+04:30

Would you like to go back in time and live more than 100 years ago? Try to imagine how your life might have been different if you had lived in the Victorian Era. The 1900 House is an actual Victorian house in South-East London. At this site, you can tour each room in The 1900 House. Then, you will end up finding a lot of unbelievably astonishing information about people who lived more than a century ago. HEY PALS! ENJOY YOUR VIRTUAL TOUR!

more English podcasts

2010-03-28T18:44:00.003+04:30

ABC News Podcasts. Daily and weekly news, Video and audio Podcasts.

ESL Podcasts. New podcasts are added frequently by ESL podcasters.

Business English Podcasts. Learn Business English at your convenience with MP3 Business English Podcasts.

The Linguist Podcast. Listen to linguists discussing language learning.

Jokes in English. Charles Kelly's Jokes in English Podcast.

Be out to lunch

2010-03-10T19:43:00.003+03:30

Need your head examined: Say this when you think someone is crazy because they have done something that you do not approve of or agree with.

Be out to lunch/be out of your tree: Someone who is out to lunch or out of their tree behaves in a strange, confused way and does not seem to know what is happening around them.

Have a screw loose: Slightly crazy, often in an amusing way.

Be one sandwich short of a picnic/be a few clowns short of a circus: Strange and slightly crazy.

Be crackers/ be nuts: To be crazy.

Be insane/be out of your mind: You say someone is insane or out of their mind if they do something or intend to do something that is completely crazy.

Pimp your vocab quiz

2010-02-27T17:18:00.004+03:30

Take the Pimp Your Vocab quiz to find out how in touch you are with the word on the street.

It is highly amazing that teenagers have their own jargon that is difficult to demystify.

What is your favorite teenglish word? Mine is chilax (chill out + relax).

Language Podcasts

2010-02-23T11:43:00.006+03:30

A podcast is a series of audio or video files that are released episodically and downloaded through web. It is a portmanteau of the words "pod"—derived from iPod- and "broadcasting". The following links are links to some terrific language podcasts for those who have a strong fascination for learning languages.

ESL POD: Those learning English as a second language will enjoy these podcasts. They even list their top ten popular episodes including seeing a specialist and dining at a restaurant.

ONE MINUTE FRENCH: Got a love of language but only 60 seconds to devote to it? Then try this free series of mini-lessons in for English speakers who want to learn French.

A FLAVOR OF GERMAN: These podcasts are intended for intermediate to advanced speakers. They provides a fresh look at German idioms as native speaker Julia helps learn Mark improve his range of expression.

COFFEE BREAK SPANISH: Part of the Radio Lingua Network, this free series of podcasts is ideal for beginners through intermediate. There are 80 lessons averaging 15 to 20 minutes each and even a step by step guide.

ARABIC POD: With constantly updated episodes, this is a must visit for all lovers of the Arabic language. There is also a dictionary, forum, blog, and more.

A SPOONFUL OF RUSSIAN: Although the podcast has been discontinued, it is still free to view and take advantage of. There are also downloadable lessons, puzzles, and conversations.

LibriVox: free audiobooks

2010-01-29T10:20:00.005+03:30

LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. Their goal is to make all public domain books available as free audio books. In December 2009, it had a catalog of 3,000 unabridged books and shorter works available to download. Around nine-tenths of the collection is in English, although LibriVox recordings are available in 26 languages altogether.

Expand your vocabulary

2010-01-11T21:12:00.006+03:30

It’s well documented that people with better vocabularies are more intelligent. So, why not give yourself a chance to expand your vocabulary. Here are the links to some fantastic online places that can help you integrate more words into your English:

Dictionary.com: A leading online dictionary, this site gets top spots for not only its word, but the audio pronunciation, quotes, and more.

SAT Tutor’s Blog: Click on “Word of the Day” to get advanced words for SAT test takers. There are also a ton of other vocabulary and language tools.

Word of the Day Website: Get a word of the day with a more personal touch here. There are also quizzes, weekly review, and more.

Today’s WORD on Journalism: A journalist takes words from publications and analyzes them in his posts.

What Does It Mean?: Infoplease gives several definitions on their word of the day. There are also tons of other tools including dictionary, thesaurus, Fact Monster, and more.

free rice

2009-12-21T16:46:00.009+03:30

Give free rice to hungry people by playing a simple game that increases your knowledge.

You can even install the freerice toolbar and donate 5000 grains of rice every day while you simply surf the net.

English Flashcards

2009-12-08T10:15:00.013+03:30

ESL flashcards
eslHQ provides free ESL flashcards

ESL/EFL/TEFL Flashcards
Print and use free flashcard sets

Flashcard machine
Create, study, and share online flash cards

Free ESL flashcards
Download 100's of free flash cards

English Raven's flashcards
An impressive assortment of more than 1300 downloadable flashcards/game cards

Flashcard exchange
Create, study, print, share and download millions of flashcards

As easy as ABC

2009-12-04T07:33:00.008+03:30

Here are some expressions which I have collected over a few days. All of the are somehow related to the notion of easiness in the English language.Of course, finding these phrases was not a doddle.

---As easy as ABC
---Like a duck to water
---Like a knife through butter
---Be a pushover
---Be child's play
---Anyone can do it
---As easy as pie
---Be a breeze
---Can do something blindfolded
---Be like falling off a log
---Can do something with one's eyes shut
---It's a piece of cake

common writing mistakes

2009-11-06T18:18:00.008+03:30

My English writing is a good online place to learn from the mistakes of ESL/EFL writers.

Common mistakes is a free resource to better English. It provides a collection of some of the most frequently misspelled, commonly confused and easily misused words.

visual dictionaries

2009-10-22T17:26:00.006+03:30

Hi my pals. You know what, I am a true fond of learning via illustrations. I do love heavily-illustrated books. My studies mostly center around books and essays on visual analysis and image-based research.

To be frank with you, I am a visual learner. Visual learners learn effectively when they see the information in the written and pictorial forms. If you are a visual learner, click on the links below to three different sites on visual dictionaries. The third one is something quite interesting and fantabulous.You can even contribute your own visuals to that web site.

http://visual.merriam-webster.com

http://www.infovisual.info

http://thevisualdictionary.net

hear something on/through the grapevine

2009-09-20T11:42:00.007+04:30

If you hear some news or information on or through the grapevine, someone else tells it to you unofficially, often in conversation.

EXAMPLES:

"Who told you I was moving house?" "Oh, I just heard it on the grapevine."

Freddie was distressed when, through the grapevine, he heard of Liza's marriage.

I heard through the grapevine that she was pregnant, but I don't know anything more.

According to the high-school grapevine, Kelly wants me to ask her out on a date.

brother quotes

2009-08-11T18:59:00.005+04:30

I have a brother whose name is Alireza. He is helpful, intelligent, and goal-directed. He is a real friend of mine as well. This new post is just for him.

Alireza -- thanks for being a good brother and devoted pal for me.

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero. ~Marc Brown

A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams. ~Author Unknown

A brother is a friend given by Nature. ~Jean Baptiste Legouve

Never make a companion equal to a brother. ~Hesiod

some new links for YOU

2009-07-23T18:57:00.008+04:30

Language Acquisition News

Literature Classic Glossary

OneLook Reverse Dictionary

Translation and Interpreting Terminology

MONEY MATTERS

2009-07-09T10:46:00.005+04:30

The following expressions are three figurative expressions for "money":

to have deep pockets: For investors with deep pockets (= a lot of money), the Berlin property market is attractive.

to line one's own pocket: They are interested in lining their pockets first and serving the people second. You can't blame them for wanting to line their own pockets (= making money in greedy and dishonest way).

to cost a pretty penny: Mary's dress is real silk. It must have cost a pretty penny (= cost an arm and a leg = cost the earth = cost a lot of money).

TRUISM

2009-07-02T14:50:00.007+04:30

Hello my dear pals. Do you know the meaning of truism? Truism is a statement that is clearly true, so that there is no need to say it. Here are some of my favorite truisms. On the plus side, I like to hear about your favorite truisms. So share them with me.

--Forgive but do not forget.
--Good, high fences make good neighbors.
--Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
--There's no time like the present.
--You never learn anything from talking.
--When you don't know what to do -Don't do anything.
--Don't tell anyone your goals. None of their business.
--If you don't have something nice to say, keep quiet or change the subject.
--Don't discuss politics or religion - unless you want to lose friends.

AMBITION

2009-06-28T16:33:00.003+04:30

Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great. ~ Mark Twain

wowio

2009-06-24T22:16:00.003+04:30

WOWIO is for those of you who devour books.

Enjoy reading your favorite books there for free.

to write something carelessly and quickly

2009-06-10T21:45:00.005+04:30

JOT DOWN: to quickly write down ideas, notes, or facts.

Let me jot down the name of that restaurant.

SCRAWL: to write something carelessly and untidily.

Three students were excluded for scrawling graffiti on a school wall.

SCRIBBLE: to write something quickly and untidily.

Andrew scribbled a quick note and handed it to the chairman.

DASH OFF: to write a letter, note, story etc quickly and without thinking carefully about it.

The publishers wanted a summary that afternoon, so I dashed it off in an hour or so.

wordcount.org

2009-05-16T21:27:00.002+04:30

The owner of wordcount laid out the words in a straight line, from the most frequently used to the least frequently used. The only thing you have to do is to look for specific English words you have in your mind to see their rankings.

Interestingly, the line is an 88,000-word-long sentence. If you have time to kill, try to explore the site more and more. Look for obscure words and find their rankings. You may be touched by how fun it is to know the rankings of the words you are interested in.

However, do not expect to find the rankings of new words such as "blog", "webmaster" and "google" there (in this case, my effort had not results). This is the only part of that long unusual sentence that may disappoint you a little. I wish you good luck exploring wordcount.

confusing words

2009-04-30T11:08:00.003+04:30

Confusing Words is a collection of 3210 words that are troublesome to readers and writers. Words are grouped according to the way they are most often confused or misused.

book quotes

2009-04-21T12:56:00.005+04:30

Books are lighthouses erected in the great sea of time. ~E.P. Whipple

Books support us in our solitude and keep us from being a burden to ourselves. ~Jeremy Collier

Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life." ~Helen Exley

From my point of view, a book is a literary prescription put up for the benefit of someone who needs it. ~S.M. Crothers

Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house. ~Henry Ward Beecher

God be thanked for books! they are the voices of the distant and the dead, and make us heirs of the spiritual life of past ages. ~W.E. Channing

Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books - even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome. ~William Ewart Gladstone

Pass the Hat

2009-03-15T11:07:00.005+03:30

Pass the hat means to attempt to collect money for some project(usually said about money that is given to help pay for something or to reward someone).

--He is always passing the hat for something.
--Ann is passing the hat to collect money to buy a gift for Luke.
--My pal and I decided to pass the hat around to collect money for the janitor but no one gave us a heed in the dorm.

To Sleep Immediately Since You are Tired

2009-01-28T22:27:00.006+03:30

The Following three expressions all mean to go to sleep very deeply and quickly since you are very tired.

FLAKE OUT
I feel fine in the mornings, but in the afternoons I just flake out at my desk.

GO OUT LIKE A LIGHT
Anita was so tired that she went out like a light as soon as she went to bed.

AS SOON AS YOUR HEAD HITS THE PILLOW
As soon as Jack's head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

ESP

2009-01-28T22:08:00.007+03:30

Hello my pals. Please do accept my apology for updating my blog with delay. I was up to my head in my projects and books. Moreover, this blogger was danged difficult to sign in.

Here are some links to ESP (English for Specific Purposes) pages available online and for free on the net:

Science Daily
A place where you can read the latest science news.

Food Dictionary
Search the dictionary of more than 4,000 food terms.

English for Work
Very good free online English learning materials for nurses, police, tour guides, food staff, hotel staff, and airline staff.

English for Pharmacists
Exercises designed to improve pharmacists' English.

take/win/collect the wooden spoon

2008-09-20T12:48:00.009+04:30

Have you ever heard this expression before? It is an unusual expression, isn't it? I was looking for a wooden-something word in my dictionary till I came to this term. Taking/wining/collecting the wooden spoon. The expression means coming last in a competition.

There are not enough pages on the web talking about this phrase and its origin. Perhaps, it is an old phrase. My attempt to find a page on its possible origins was not vain, though. Here is the origin.

I hope none of us win the wooden spoon in our personal and academic life.

etymologic

2008-09-20T12:36:00.004+04:30

etymologic
the toughest word game on the web

ETYMOLOGIC is a web site that I have learned about recently. There, ten questions on word origin will be given to you randomly. You have to choose the right answer. It is called the toughest language game since it is totally difficult and mind-boggling to find the right answer as all the choices may seem plausible.

Grading the final examination

2008-09-14T13:15:00.004+04:30

Department of Statistics: All grades are plotted along the normal bell curve.

Department of Psychology: Students are asked to blot ink in their exam books, close them and turn them in. The professor opens the books and assigns the first grade that comes to mind.

Department of History: All students get the same grade they got last year.

Department of Religion: Grade is determined by God.

Department of Philosophy: What is a grade?

Law School: Students are asked to defend their position of why they should receive an A.

Department of Logic: If and only if the student is present for the final and the student has accumulated a passing grade then the student will receive an A, else the student will not receive an A.

Department of Computer Science: Random number generator determines grade.

Department of Physical Education: Everybody gets an A.

Applied Linguistics websites

2008-07-23T00:18:00.003+04:30

Here are some websites on Applied Linguistics. You may find valuable information or even articles on these websites. Just click on the links.

http://iteslj.org
http://www.baal.org.uk
http://devoted.to/corpora
http://www.aila.info
http://www.thelinguist.org
http://www.cal.org
http://www.aaal.org
http://www.tesol.org
http://www.lingforum.com/forum
http://www.iraal.ie
http://www.appliedlinguistics.org
http://www.linguistics-journal.com

distemper, dis-temper, or this temper

2008-07-09T15:02:00.005+04:30

I love translation, but I seldom immerse myself in it. But when I decide to translate an article, I translate it with vim and vigor.To be honest, our translation classes at university were awful. Let me tell you a real story about our oral translation class.

One day our instructor brought a tape with herself and asked us to transcribe and then translate it. I listened to the tape and put down everything on my notebook. Something was wrong with a line in that text. The line, which knocked me for a loop, was this:

Her cat had been given its distemper shot.

Unaware of the real meaning of "distemper" and being lazy enough to look the word up in a dictionary, my instructor and classmates translated the word incorrectly. They thought the word meant "behaving badly". Do you get what I mean?

No one in the class paid heed to this mistranslation. During listening to the tape again and reviewing my notes for the exam, a question came to my head. Was it distemper, dis-temper, or this temper? The first one, of course, seemed to be the answer. And my trusty dictionary approved that.

Distemper: a serious infectious disease that affects animals.

Oscar Wilde once said it is always a very dangerous thing to tell a story with a moral. I cannot give the moral of this story a miss, however. Some translators, no matter where they come from or what their native language is, do not take translation very seriously. They do not want to thrash the problems of translation out. Please add the number of some students of translation and their teachers to the list.

Regards,

Zahra

My American Accent!

2008-07-02T12:00:00.001+04:30

Some people believe that there is a region in the United States which is very unique. Its uniqueness is due to the fact that people from there speak English without any accent.

Do you believe this story? Me? I do not believe it. I cannot believe it. Not for all the gold in the world. It is totally understandable that everyone has his or her own accent. Generally, people's accent shows that which country or part of the country they come from. As a result, the story which has been spread by some rumormongers is an out-and-out gossip. To my mind, those guys must take some courses on linguistics to revise their knowledge.

Let me tell you something weird and somehow interesting. I took a small quiz to realize what American accent I have. Here is the result:

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
The Inland North
Philadelphia
Boston
The Midland
The South
North Central
The West
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

You, too, give it a try. The quiz and its result are indeed off the hinges.

Regards,

Zahra

Go Climb A Tree!

2008-03-29T23:14:00.002+04:30

Go climb a tree is an expression which means go away and stop annoying me. This expression has several synonyms in English. Read the following expressions:

-- Take a walk!
-- Go jump in the lake!
-- Go fry an egg!
-- Go fly a kite!
-- Take a hike!
-- Go chase yourself!
-- Go to grass and eat hay!

Notice that the last expression is an old one. Thus, all of them have the same meaning and connotation: Go away, leave me alone!

Sports Glossaries

2007-12-21T19:13:00.001+03:30

football glossary

soccer glossary

A glossary of ski terms

Badminton Glossary

Boomerang Glossary

Basketball Glossary

5 be yourself quotes

2007-09-17T14:10:00.001+03:30

If you cannot be a poet, be the poem. ~David Carradine

There is just one life for each of us: our own. ~Euripides

You were born an original. Don't die a copy. ~John Mason

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. ~Kurt Vonnegut

We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin. ~André Berthiaume, Contretemps

Some new links:

2007-08-15T22:27:00.001+03:30

Press Tv

creative writing prompts

read print

Cambridge dictionaries

Gold Expressions:

2007-07-19T12:20:00.002+03:30

Hello. Honestly, I planned to make this post the final post on this blog. But, for a couple of reasons I changed my mind. I hope you enjoy reading this new piece after not reading anything new for nearly a long time on my blog. I am waiting to read your comments.

Today, I want to talk about expressions that have a precious word in them. That word is GOLD. Read and memorize these golden expressions. Do not forget to make your own examples with them and use them in your daily conversations and the notes that you write down in English.

Have a heart of gold: It means to be very kind and helpful.
Jack's mom has a heart of gold. She will do anything for her children.

As good as gold: Authentic; genuine.
Mary's promise is as good as gold.

Dripping with gold: To be wearing a lot of gold.
She came to my friend's party dripping with gold.

Be like gold dust: Valuable and difficult to find.
I could not buy any tickets. The tickets of this football game are like gold dust.

A gold mine of information: Someone or sth full of information.
The newly published dictionary is a gold mine of information.

Black gold: Oil.
It was not gold we were trying to find but black gold or oil.

Worth your/its weight in gold: Extremely useful or valuable.
User-friendly software is worth its weight in gold.

Gold-rimmed: Having a gold edge.
Gold-rimmed glasses.

feathers

2007-06-13T14:36:00.001+03:30

Did you know that a small thing like "feather" is an important part of a few idioms in English? No? So read these useful idioms and do not forget to make your own sentences with them in order to learn them more effectively.

a feather in someone's cap
something very good that someone has done

be as light as a feather
if something is as light as a feather, it is very light

feather your own nest
to get money by unfair and dishonest methods

ruffle someone's feathers
it means to annoy or upset someone

birds of a feather
you use it to talk about guys who have similar interests, tastes, etc.

speak the same language

2007-06-04T20:18:00.002+03:30

If people speak the same language, they have similar ideas, tastes, etc.

Examples:

Liz and her sister are like friends. They mostly speak the same language about everything.

Ben and his father do not speak the same language when it comes to politics.

words about elections

2007-05-11T19:14:00.001+03:30

Here is a list of words about elections. I hope you enjoy reading and learning them. Just remember, you will lose those words if you don't use them.

words for expressing dark colors

2007-04-30T09:38:00.001+03:30

rich: dark and giving a pleasant feeling of comfort and warmth
example: I admired the warm, rich colors of her Persian rugs.

deep: deep colours are strong, dark, and attractive
example: She looked into his eyes. They were deep blue.

dark: dark colours are closer to black than to white
example: If you're going to have such dark walls I really think you should have a pale carpet.

some cat idioms

2007-03-16T13:18:00.001+03:30

when the cat's away (the mice will play):

used to say that people will not behave well when the person who has authority over them is not there

let the cat out of the bag:

to tell someone a secret, especially without intending to

put/set the cat among the pigeons:

to do or say something that causes arguments, trouble etc

look like something the cat dragged/brought in:

to look very dirty or untidy

like a cat on a hot tin roof:

so nervous or anxious that you cannot keep still or keep your attention on one thing

like the cat that ate the canary:

very proud or pleased because of something you have achieved or got

grit your teeth

2007-02-16T19:13:00.001+03:30

a) to use all your determination to continue in spite of difficulties:
Just grit your teeth and hang on - it'll be over soon.

b) to bite your teeth together, especially when you are in pain, angry, or under pressure:
'No, that's alright,' she said through gritted teeth.

Expressions: extremely determined to do something, even if it is wrong

2007-01-26T13:54:00.001+03:30

go to any lengths:
to be willing to do anything, even if it is cruel, dishonest, or illegal, in order to get what you want
Example: He's prepared to go to any lengths to find the men who killed his daughter.

be hellbent on:
informal to be extremely determined to do something, especially something dangerous or something that may have a bad result.
Example: Bob's hellbent on going through with the plan, even though it's sure to end in disaster.

come hell or high water:
use this to emphasize that you are determined to do something in spite of any problems or difficulties.
Example: I'll be there in time. Don't worry. Come hell or high water.

Expressions: To suddenly forget something

2007-01-04T22:08:00.001+03:30

it's on the tip of my tongue
Use this to say that you know a name or word, but you are having difficulty remembering it at that moment.

dry up
To forget what you were going to say or what you are supposed to say when speaking or acting, especially because you are nervous.

your mind goes blank
If your mind goes blank you are suddenly unable to remember something at a time when you need it.

Improving Reading Comprehension.

2006-12-09T08:38:00.001+03:30

Develop a broad background. Broaden your background knowledge by reading newspapers, magazines and books. Become interested in world events.

Create motivation and interest.Preview material, ask questions, discuss ideas with classmates. The stronger your interest, the greater your comprehension.

Pay attention to supporting cues.Study pictures, graphs and headings. Read the first and last paragraph in a chapter, or the first sentence in each section.

Highlight, summarize and review.Just reading a book once is not enough. To develop a deeper understanding, you have to highlight, summarize and review important ideas.

"icing on the cake"

2006-11-20T18:54:00.001+03:30

When one great thing happens, then another great thing happens on top of it, the second thing is the icing on the cake.

Example: "Today I was promoted to head of the department! And they decided to raise my pay!" Answer: "Wow! Icing on the cake!"

We all love to eat delicious cake, and sometimes the cake has an extra sweet layer of icing on the top; that is the icing on the cake.

reading signs

2006-10-31T12:00:00.000+03:30

Reading Signs in English

For when you are pushing up the daisies

2006-10-14T12:19:00.000+03:30

You can tell these sentences to yourself when you are pushing up the daisies. To put it another way, for when you are dead.

Well, at least I tried.

I guess that was it.

Next time better.

I did it my way.

Death is just a part of life... the last part.

It's a new life every day.

Death is a gateway that leads to new life.

You see? I told you I was sick!

ghost-related words and expressions

2006-10-04T00:08:00.001+03:30

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you like reading ghost stories? Me? Hmmm… I do like reading ghost stories. Are you familiar with words or expression in English, which are somehow related to ghosts or are about them? If not, let's learn something new today.

Spooky: A house, which is spooky, makes you feel strange.
You may think there are some ghosts there.

Haunted: A place that is haunted has ghosts in it.
I know some guys who believe in haunted houses and witches on broomsticks. What about you?

Ghostly: It means like a ghost. You may hear ghostly laughter in haunted houses.

Apparition: An image of a dead person that you see suddenly.
If you see an apparition on your way to home, for sure you will give up the ghost.

To give up the ghost means to die. It also means to stop trying.

Poltergeist: A type of ghosts that moves objects and often causes damage.
Do not get afraid. These kinds of ghosts do not really exist. You can find them just in literature.

A ghost of a chance: a poor chance, not likely to happen
Ben's new car does not have a ghost of a chance. It is too slow.

The ghost at the feast: something or someone that spoils your enjoyment by making you remember something unpleasant.

I am sure that my note was not the ghost at the feast. Since, today you did learn something. Have fun.

Hold Your Horses

2006-09-27T19:55:00.001+03:30

Sometimes we do something without thinking carefully and deeply about it and only after a few days, we see the unwanted results of what we had done. There is a Turkish proverb, which says that the devil takes a hand in what is done in haste. Here are some expressions that I have collected, which will easily remind us in the periods of difficulty that haste will make waste.

"Hold your horses" or "hold the horses" is an idiom, which has originated in the U.S.A in the 19th century. This idiom literally means to keep your horse or horses still. However, "hold your horses" is generally used to tell someone to stay calm, be patient, or not get very excited.

"Keep your shirt on" is another phrase with the same use and meaning. Unsurprisingly, people react to a fight differently. Some of them rip their shirts off to show that they are ready to fight. Instead, the other group of people avoids fighting and shows this by keeping their shirts on. Perhaps they are afraid of losing their shirts.

"Hold everything" can be a good advice for those who are in a hurry. It means hold it, stop, or wait. Remember, this phrase is usually used in imperative sentences. Like, "hold everything, we must give Ben a call before leaving the house."

"Cool your jets" apparently comes from aviation. People use it to say, "Calm down", "relax", and "step away from situations, which are likely to cause arguments".

on spelling

2006-09-20T22:01:00.000+03:30

Hello friends. In one of my previous posts, I talked about spelling mnemonics. These are some new hints, which for sure can help you improve your spelling. Just try to use them. Oh, one other little thing, from now on I will update my blog only once a week. I will visit it a few times during the week, however. Have a nice week.

1. Picture the word in your favorite color.

2. Put the letters on a familiar background like your favorite poster or your desk.

3. If still you have difficulty learning the word, make the unclear letter stand out. You can do it by painting that letter with a different color.

4. If the word is very long, write it with small-sized letters so that you can read the whole word only by one look or glimpse.

For when you are looking for truth

2006-09-13T21:15:00.000+03:30

Wisdom is not truth

There are lies, damned lies and statistics

Truth is nothing but a feeling that something is true

Who cares about reasoning anyway

Truth is relative

There is no comfort in the truth

The truth is just as meaningful as the lie

Lessons of life

2006-09-08T12:43:00.000+03:30

I read this short text somewhere on the net. As a result of finding it meaningful, I 've decided to post it here. Hope you like it.

In an exquisite packaging society, we admire others’ success
and rankle with our deficiency.

No one is perfect.
Everyone has a missing piece.
Someone seems to have loving relationship, earning million but unable to bear a child.
Someone seems to be talented and rich but never get a true love in life.
Someone seems to be a millionaire but do not have a filial posterity.
Someone seems to have a good life, but ……

In the past, I felt sad and hated myself of not being perfect,
but now I accept it.
And because we have a missing piece,
it reminded us to be humble and be sympathize.

If there is no suffering, we grow to be arrogant
If there is no vicissitude, we will not know how to sympathize with others
Since life is not perfect, we should enjoy every moment we have.

Once you are aware that everyone has a missing piece,
you will treasure what you have
you will learn not to compare with others

Therefore, it is important not to admire others
and to appreciate what you have.
You will discover you have more than what you think you have

Accepting your shortcoming, appreciating what you are
will make you a happy person.

e-

2006-09-05T21:06:00.000+03:30

e-: Prefix used to describe anything related to the Internet.

e-quip: To send or receive little jokes by e-mail
Example: I have e-quipped myself by reading my mail today. I am now properly e-quipped.

e-tard: Someone having no knowlege pertaining to computers or the internet.
Example: Don't be an e-tard, just click on the file menu.

e-maize: the complexity of the internet.
Example: I was bewildered by the web's e-maize!

e-hole: Someone who talks about nothing but the internet and has no concept of much else.
Example: The swarm of people who moved to that city over the past few years are mostly e-holes.

effective, effectual, efficacious, or efficient

2006-09-02T18:16:00.000+03:30

If something is effective it has an noticeable effect: The actor made a most effective entrance. If it is effectual it produces a particular effect, usually the one intended: We took effectual steps to redress the situation. If a thing is efficacious it has the power or potential to produce a particular effect: These tablets are efficacious against malaria. If a thing is efficient it works well: Josie did a very efficient job with the lawns.

Crime-Related Words

2006-08-29T12:18:00.001+03:30

Arson: Act of setting fire on something intentionally.

Manslaughter: The brutal or violent killing of a great number of people or animals.

Ransom: The freeing of a captive on payment.

Forgery: The alteration or false making of a writing

Burglary: to break into a house to steal.

Robbery: the taking of the property of another in his presence.

Homicide: the killing of a person by another person.

Murder: the killing of a person by another person.

Kidnapping: to steal a person in order to obtain a ransom.

Pickpocketing: Stealing money, wallet, etc, from someone's pocket.

Massacre: Cruel killing of a large number of people or occasionally of animals.

the difference between "adverse" and "averse"

2006-08-25T21:01:00.001+03:30

Both words may be used as adjectives. "Adverse" means unfavorable, acting against, or hostile to. "Averse" means disinclined, unwilling, reluctant, or opposed to. "Averse" does not carry the notion of threat or harm that "adverse" does.
"Adverse" comes from the Latin, "to turn (against)". "Averse" has the same etymology.

Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom

2006-08-22T21:05:00.000+03:30

http://www.efl.net/links.htm

For when you feel lonely

2006-08-19T21:07:00.000+03:30

It is my life.

We are all alone.

There are no words for emptiness.

At least I do not have to count with someone else

Everyone might hate me, but still I am alive.

With visions of redemption, I walk against the crowd.

If you can't enjoy your company, how could anyone else?

conversation starters

2006-08-18T11:23:00.000+03:30

Here are some sentences and questions, which help you to start a conversation more quickly and easily with your friend in order to improve your speaking skill.

Please tell me about your family.

Where do you live? Do you like it there?

What do you do in your spare time?

Please tell me about your favorite restaurant.

Please tell me about your best pal.

What kind of books do you like?

What kind of movies do you like?

Why are you learning English?

How important is religion in your life? Why?

What is the biggest mistake that you have ever made?

Please tell me about the happiest day in your life.

What was your childhood like?

What did you do yesterday?

In your opinion, what makes life worth living?

Do you like English? Why?

Instant Messaging is Surprisingly Formal

2006-08-17T09:16:00.000+03:30

http://www.livescience.com/technology/050301_internet_language.html

a web site full of English exercises

2006-08-15T09:19:00.001+03:30

http://www.agendaweb.org

Hobson's Choice

2006-08-11T16:22:00.001+03:30

In every minute of our life we have to make choices. Some of them are easy to make, while the rest seem very difficult and important. Our big choices are very, very vital for us. They may have great impacts on our future life and success. As a result, we must study every alternative before making our decision and do not rush to do it, too. In my book, after contemplating our options and making a wise or wrong choice, we must feel responsible for it. In any way, we should not allow ourselves to escape from the bad results, if it had any. By beating the brains out every one has the ability to turn the atrocious results into desired ones.

Have you ever noticed that there come occasions in your life when you feel devastated only because it is impossible to do something by choice or all the alternatives you have are unpleasant?

English, this sophisticated yet strange language has several expressions, which delineate these possible baffling situations.

The first one is “Hobson’s choice”. Mr. Hobson owned a stable of horses in Cambridge. He rented his horses to the students. But he did not really trust them to take care of his horses. So, he had a rule that prevented the students from riding his best horses. They could take the horse that was nearest the stable door or they could not take any horse at all. Thus, “Hobson’s choice” is a free choice that is in reality no choice at all. Today, people may use it to talk about two unwanted choices as well.

“No-win situation” is another commonly used phrase. You can use it when you have two choices and no one is good and desirable. Try to imagine that you took an exam on the humanities. Since you want to be a famous lawyer just for the prestige and money this job may bring to you. But unluckily due to stress on the exam day your score is not very high to major in law, but it is good enough to major in only two subjects: geology and geography. The problem is you hate both of them. This situation might be considered a no-win situation, pure and simple.

I do like politics so let me tell you another expression, which is nearly related to our topic. “Lesser of two evils principle” is the idea of two bad political options. In this case one of the options is less bad than the other and should be chosen over the one that is the greater evil. To make it more tangible for yourself, try to remember the electoral politics in the US. By the way,” lesser evil” is another form of it.

The fourth expression is “horns of a dilemma”. Dilemma means a problem offering two solutions, neither of which is acceptable. The alternatives are described as horns of a dilemma. When you are on the horns of a particular dilemma, no matter which option or horn you choose, something awful and hateful will happen.

Eventually, I like to say that there are a few other expressions like these ones. I wanted to make my note short and sweet. Consequently, I talked about the most interesting expressions related to this subject. Have a whale of a time.

Vocabulary Training Exercises Online

2006-08-06T08:52:00.001+03:30

http://www.vokabel.com

This is a good address to test your vocabulary via internet. English, German, French and Spanish is provided in each combination.

eye expressions

2006-08-04T11:40:00.001+03:30

there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Something that you say which means that all the people in a particular place were very sad about what they had seen or heard and many of them were crying.

the eye of the storm
the center of a disagreement.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of the eye of the storm (= the middle of a mass of severe weather)

a bird's eye view
a view from a very high place which allows you to see a large area.

a worm's eye view (British & Australian)
if you have a worm's eye view of something, you only know or understand a part of it, usually the worst or least important part.

give someone the evil eye
to look at someone in an angry or unpleasant way.

keep your eye on the ball
to give your attention to what you are doing all the time.

keep your eyes peeled/skinned (informal)
to watch very carefully for something. (often + for)

have eyes in the back of your head (informal)
to know everything that is happening around you.

dollar signs in someone's eyes
if someone has dollar signs in their eyes, they are thinking about the money they could get.

in your mind's eye
in your imagination or memory

cry your eyes out (informal)
to cry a lot and for a long time.

keep your eye in or get your eye in
to become very good at a sport or other activity by practising it.

not bat an eye
to not show any reaction.

turn a blind eye
to choose to ignore behaviour that you know is wrong (often + to)

English Spelling --- -IE or -EI

2006-08-01T18:33:00.000+03:30

Rule: Write I before E Except after C Or when it sounds like an A As in "neighbor" and "weigh"

Examples: -i before -e:
diesel
relief
believe
niece
chief
sieve
frieze
field
yield

Examples: -e before -i:
receive
deceive
ceiling
conceit
vein
sleigh
freight
eight

Exceptions:
seize
either
weird
height
foreign
leisure
conscience
counterfeit
forfeit
neither
science
species
sufficient

For when you are trying very hard and not having any success

2006-08-01T15:33:00.000+03:30

One step at a time.

You can't have it all.

When at first you don't succeed, try again.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.

Rome was not built in one day.

When you are not strong, you must be smart.

If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that suggests you are tried.

The road to success is always under construction.

If all else fails, manipulate the data.

If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.

Google calls in the 'language police'

2006-07-29T18:08:00.000+03:30

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3006486.stm

Language Learner And Anxiety

2006-07-24T13:32:00.000+03:30

It is not difficult to think of language learners who eventually stop attending their classes only because they have butterflies in their stomachs or think their hearts beat faster than usual. Even in some cases negative stress-producing sentences come to their heads from middle of the nowhere. Sentences like:" I will not survive". "What will happen if my classmates humiliate me?" "I cannot talk and communicate without mistakes". "I am making fool of myself by my bad pronunciation."

Clearly, anxiety will affect learners both physically and psychologically. However, there are ways to reduce stress and anxiety to some levels. If learners prevent anxiety to rear its ugly head, they will meet successful moments on their ways to speak with total fluency and accuracy.

Mentally punishing or molesting oneself just because of mistakes is indeed harmful. Native speakers make mistake too. Language students should never be too sensitive about errors and mistakes. When they are stumped for a phrase or a word, they must relax and do not focus on it at that moment. Instead, it is a perfect strategy to recall the problem later and prevent it from happening for the second time.

It is best to be on the safe side. Uneasiness will freeze learners out when they are not studying in a friendly atmosphere. Some teachers forget to treat their students without fear or favor, as well. Therefore, students must excuse themselves from these nerve-raking situations and teachers. The most helpful recommended help is spending time on picking and choosing the best class and teacher.

Giving a lecture and having a conversation in the target language is easy. Good preparation will hinder stress. Reading and practicing the notes in advance are resourceful in this case. Some might find picturing very advantageous by closing their eyes and thinking there are performing with confidence and accuracy. This method will have great irreplaceable effect on the motor part of the brain even when learners are asleep.

Those who keep self-esteem afloat are not fast learners. Thinking of oneself as a jabbering idiot, low level of self-confidence and underestimating abilities are good friends of anxiety. Trying to avoid them is the simplest prescription.

Relax. Stress and anxiety are not things one can completely get rid of. The strategies already mentioned are foolproof but they do need hard work. Perfect language learners do their very best to include the ugly unwanted face of anxiety out.

Doctor slang is a dying art

2006-07-22T15:34:00.000+03:30

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3159813.stm

A new cool link

2006-07-20T15:18:00.001+03:30

http://www.letslearnenglish.co.uk

spelling mnemonics

2006-07-19T19:03:00.000+03:30

Hello. I know that all of us as the English language learners sometimes face a bit difficulty remembering the correct spelling of the words we already know. This happens because, as I said before, the written forms of some English words are different from their pronunciations. On the top of it, there are some words in the English language which have the same pronunciation but different spelling.
I have a good advice for you. You should follow it in order to root out your confusion.
My advice is pure and simple; try to create mnemonics. Mnemonics are poems or sentences that people use to help them remember a rule, a name and lots of other things. Let's read these easy examples:

1.Is it "son" or"sun"?
A son is a boy and they both have an "o".

2.Is it "here" or "hear"?
You HEAR with your EAR.

Now, try to invent your own special mnemonics to help you spell correctly. Do not forget to share them with me and the other learners, too. Break a leg.

slang

2006-07-17T19:24:00.000+03:30

Definotly: Defin-ot-ly. Definitely not, with a passion.
Example: Q. Wanna go to the jazz club tonight?A. Definotly.

face-time: Washington DC expression used to indicate the amount of time a person merits in face-to-face conversation with a person in a position of authority.
Example: As an Assistant-Deputy Undersecretary she's not going to merit more than two minutes face-time a month with the Sec-Def.

linkful: Having or manifesting links. Inspiring the use of links. A web page is linkful if it contains many useful links.

typsual: Typical and usual.
Example: Most reactions to anything are typsual.

dyslex: Verb, back-formation of noun dyslexia. To switch the order of items accidentally.
Example: Sorry I'm late. I dyslexed your address and wrote down 12 West 14th Street instead of 14 West 12th Street.

djou: Did you. Occasionally do you?
Example: Djou already wash the car?

d'you: The cool way of saying do you.
Example: D'you think I'm cool?

death-: Prefix used before food item to imply that the item is spicy to the degree that you are unable to eat it.
Example: My roommate cooked me up a death-omelet and I thought it was a real waste of food.

dinfast: The meal eaten late at night that is a combination of a late dinner and an early breakfast.
Example: That was a delicious dinfast.

thank-yo: A form of thanks when recieving a completely innapropriate present from a younger relative.
Example: Thank-yo for my skateboard, I wonder if it will take the weight of my Zimmer frame?

TTYL: Talk To You Later
Example: Hey, I gotta go.... TTYL. yeah, ttyl

Pronunciation Tip (2)

2006-07-14T12:28:00.000+03:30

Do not confuse pronunciation of words with their spelling! For example, "threw" and "through", although spelled differently, are pronounced the same. Also, identical letters or letter clusters in words do not always produce the same sound. For example, the "ough" in "though" and "through" represents a different sound in each word. Learn to practise what you hear, not what you see.

one of my favourite jokes

2006-07-14T11:08:00.000+03:30

Hi. The joke you are going to read is one of my favourite jokes. I love linguistics so I am interested in jokes related to it and the English language. After reading the joke try to beam, smile, smirk and simper even if you did not get it. O.K.?

An English professor complained to the pet shop proprietor, "The parrot I purchased uses improper language."
"I'm surprised," said the owner. "I've never taught that bird to swear."
"Oh, it isn't that," explained the professor. "But yesterday I heard him split an infinitive."

Now, I am ello ell(lol).

Idioms & Numbers

2006-07-13T20:57:00.000+03:30

three R's
- the three basic skills from school - reading, (w)riting, (a)rithmetic
Many people believe that teaching the three R's is the most important role for schools.

all in one
- combined
I was able to use my car for traveling and sleeping all in one.

two wrongs don't make a right
- you can't justify a wrong action by saying that someone else did the same thing to you
Two wrongs don't make a right and if someone does something bad to you you should not try and hurt them as well.

seventh heaven
- in a situation of great happiness
She has been in seventh heaven since she moved to the new department.

put two and two together
- make a correct guess
We were able to put two and two together and discover who was sending the unwanted E-mail.

one's number is up
- something bad will happen to someone
I think that the manager's number is up and he will soon be fired from his job.

one of those days
- a bad day where nothing goes right
It was one of those days and right from early morning things went wrong.

one in a million
- a great or unique person
He is one of the finest coaches in the world and is definitely one in a million.

one of the boys
- an accepted member of a group
He always tries to act like one of the boys but in reality nobody really likes him.

on cloud nine
- very happy
My sister has been on cloud nine since she won the new car in the contest.

on all fours
- on one's hands and knees
The man was down on all fours in the store looking for the keys to his car.

nine times out of ten
- almost always
Nine times out of ten if you have a problem on the computer it is something small that can be easily fixed.

give three cheers for someone
- give praise or approval for someone who has done well
The crowd gave three cheers for the team after they won the final game.

forty winks
- a short sleep during the day
As soon as I arrived home I lay down and had forty winks.

at one with someone
- share the same view as someone
The other members of the committee are at one with me over my decision to fire the lazy worker.

there are no two ways about it
- there is no alternative
His boss told him that there are no two ways about it and he will have to change his habits or he will be fired.

For when life is hard

2006-07-11T10:05:00.000+03:30

It would not be fun when life is so easy.

It is a good experience, it makes me stronger.

I take the challenge.

Life is not hard, it only needs some positive thinking.

Life is unfair.

Life is a series of disappointments, followed by death.

I used to think I had it bad because I had no shoes, then I met a man with no feet.

Most of the mountains we have in life are ones we build ourselves.

When God gives you lemons, make lemonade.

~ON GOD~

2006-07-09T11:34:00.001+03:30

~*~When you love you should not say: 'God is in my heart, 'but rather,' I am in the heart of God.'

~*~The first thought of God was an angel. The first word of God was a man.

~*~Our God in His gracious thirst will drink us all, the dewdrop and the tear.

~*~Comfort you, my beloved weak ones, for there is a great Power behind and beyond this world of Matter, a Power that is all Justice, Mercy, Pity and Love.

~*~God does not work evil. He gives us Reason and Learning so that we may ever be on our guard against the pitfalls of Error and Destruction.

"Gibran Kahlil Gibran"

Miserable failure

2006-07-07T17:37:00.000+03:30

Hi. A visitor of my blog recommended me to read about the topic given above, and as I found it interesting, I put the link here for you to read. By the way thanks visitor!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miserable_failure

TOEFL Structure

2006-07-07T10:10:00.001+03:30

http://www.testmagic.com/Knowledge_Base/TOEFL/Structure/index.htm

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bltoefl8.htm

http://www.learn4good.com/languages/toefl/structure_underl_sntc1.htm

soccer/football quotes

2006-07-07T09:56:00.000+03:30

Concerning football playing, I protest to you it may rather be called a friendly kind of fighting, rather than recreation. ~Author Unknown

In Latin America the border between soccer and politics is vague. There is a long list of governments that have fallen or been overthrown after the defeat of the national team. ~Luis Suarez

If you're attacking, you don't get as tired as when you're chasing. ~Kyle Rote, Jr.

Football is all very well as a game for rough girls, but is hardly suitable for delicate boys. ~Oscar Wilde

I think football would become an even better game if someone could invent a ball that kicks back. ~Eric Morecambe

Soccer is a game in which everyone does a lot of running around. Twenty-one guys stand around and one guy does a tap dance with the ball. ~Jim Murray, 1967

Some people say soccer's a matter of life or death, but it isn't. It's much more important than that. ~Variation of a famous saying

I loathed the game, and since I could see no pleasure or usefulness in it, it was very difficult for me to show courage at it. Football, it seemed to me, is not really played for the pleasure of kicking a ball about, but is a species of fighting. ~George Orwell, Such, Such Were the Joys

Why is there only one ball for 22 players? If you gave a ball to each of them, they'd stop fighting for it. ~Author Unknown

Football is the opera of the people. ~Stafford Heginbotham, 1985