Happy Twelfth Night!

January 6 is known as the Epiphany, a holiday that always reminds me of William Shakespeare´s comical play, Twelfth Night, which has nothing to do with the holiday and has an alternate name, What You Will. Shakespeare´s wit was endless!

The beginning lines set the light mood:

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.

That first line ranks #7 in Top Shakespeare lines.

Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England,  is arguable the most influential writer of the English language penning comedies, tragedies, histories, and sonnets. The play on words, puns, farce, androgyny, the play within a play as in Hamlet, mockery, and other literary devices were employed to entertain Elizabethan England at the Globe Theater.

MIT offers the whole of Shakespeare´s dramas on a special page. Using Shakespeare´s plays is an excellent way to teach English.

If you need to quickly brush up on your Twelfth Night, remember Spark Notes is there to help! Literature is an excellent way to teach English.
***
If you are in São Paulo and need English lessons, or Elite English Services including translations (Spanish/French/Portuguese to English), please call Professor Winn at 6214-1511 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation.

Buy your English-language texts today!

Do you speak these banned English words from 2009?

These banned words according to Lake Superio State University may be like so 2009, but the English language´s ability to adapt and mutate is fascinating for wordsmiths, professors, students, and speakers alike.

A brief analysis of the words reflects the times or zeitgeist - politics, economics, social media, and of course, romance.

The fledgling Obama Administration inspired many and a certain lexicon followed. For his stimulus plan to jump start the slow economy, we needed "shovel-ready" jobs. The term played off of FDR´s CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) which replanted many trees and created known by economists as "make-work" jobs.

Also, an unprecedented number of "policy czars" were appointed by Mr. Obama to handle a variety of portfolios since I guess the bureaucracy and cabinet postings were not adequate. Czar is a curious term and not very democratic tracing its lineage back to "emperor" under Caesar. Those familiar with Russian history are already familiar with Czarina Catherine the last czar, Nicholas II, who was upended by Lenin´s revolution.

On the economy, how many times did we hear about "toxic assets" and "too big to fail?" Given the astronomical debt explosion during Mr. Obama´s first year in office, one may wonder if the US is too big to fail? China, a creditor of the US, worries.

Have you friended Elite English Services on my Facebook yet? :) Web 2.0 Social Media continues to be the rage online and of course it gets its own lingo in English. It´s antonym, "unfriend" is the Oxford Word of the Year 2009! Read my earlier post for more information. Therefore, should the word-banishers rethink at least this selection?

Finally, here is a note about "sexting." This banned 2009 word hit the headlines during the fall from grace of the world's number one professional golfer, Tiger Woods. Headlines blazed about his numerous rumored infidelities like "Report: Tiger Woods sexting Jaimee Grubbs...." His deluge of alleged texting and suggestive sex landed "sexting" squarely in the bullseye of the word-banishers.

For more banished words on the 35th annual List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness, visit the website here.

p.s. Do you know of any so like 2009 words that were overused or misused? Please leave your comment. Thanks!
***
If you are in São Paulo and need English lessons, or Elite English Services including translations (Spanish/French/Portuguese to English), please call Professor Winn at 6214-1511 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation.

Buy your English-language texts today!

Happy New Year!!

6 Sure-fire Ways to Improve Your English

 READ IT

Read as many English books, newspapers and magazines as you can find.
We also recommend the English version of the monthly magazine READERS DIGEST. It has short stories and articles. We are offering copies in our competition on the visitor page.

You may want to consider reading USAToday, The Washington Post, Time, or US News and World Report.

LISTEN TO IT
Try some of these radio stations : BBC World Service or NPR (National Public Radio).

CONSULT  OTHER LEARNING MATERIAL ON THE WEB
Volterre in France, Leo Network in Germany, and the BBC in the UK are valuable sites. Do you need to improve your English writing? Visit OWL at Purdue University.

SPEAK IT
Talk to friends who are also learning English. Make a rule that perhaps for an hour, or when you go out together, you will only speak English to each other!

HIRE AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE NATIVE PROFESSOR
Set up a course plan to get the most out of your class. Is the professor college educated? How many years of experience does he or she have teaching English? Contact Professor Winn for classes online or in person if you are in São Paulo! - mrenglish101@gmail.com Skype: professorwinn

VISIT AN ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY - Immerse yourself in the language!

As I tell all of my student, the ultimate step in learning a foreign language is visiting the couintry where they speak it! You will never know how much you actually now until you are forced to ask how to get to the hotel, buy groceries to eat, or be surrounded by the language in bill boards, newspapers, street signs, etc.
***
If you are in São Paulo and need English lessons, or Elite English Services including translations (Spanish/French/Portuguese to English), please call Professor Winn at 6214-1511 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation.
Buy your English-language texts today!