Research - Foreign Accent Hurts Your Credibility

 The University of Chicago recently published research linking foreign accents with a loss of credibility.

While the study qualifies what has been generally known, it is particularly salient for non-native speakers of English who outnumber native speakers.

Thus there is a rise in popularity of ''accent reduction'' classes.

If a non-native speaker of English is involved in a business deal, giving a presentation at a conference, or providing safety information, native speakers may question the credibility of the speaker and thus discount the message as well.

Fantastic PR guru website, ragan.com, has seven dynamite ways to bridge the truthfulness gap.

Meanwhile, if  you are attending an important event, seek out a native speaker to practice accent reduction and test the cultural-appropriateness of your pitch.

***If you are in São Paulo and need English lessons, or Elite English Services including translations (Spanish/French/Portuguese to English), please contact Professor Winn by sending an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation.Buy your English-language texts today!

Al Qaeda Embraces English in Propaganda Shift

credit:theatlantic.com

 Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) launched its online English-language  Inspire magazine this month to reach a wider pool of recruits writes its editor, according to an article by Katherine Zimmerman of AEI.

Setting aside grisly international terrorism, the language choice is logical given English's role as the lingua franca.

And it continues a trend ''to reach out to those who previously did not receive the al Qaeda message due to a language barrier,'' she writes.

AQAP recognizes that the first or second language of its potential followers in the worldwide Muslim community is English.

Thus, as Ms. Zimmerman notes, ''an English version of its message can reach a wider segment of the Muslim population that otherwise would not be exposed to its radical violent jihadi ideology.''

The move is consistent with Al Qaeda lieutenant Ayman Al-Zawahiri's statement in 2001:

“We must get our message across to the masses of the nation and break the media siege imposed on the jihad movement. This is an independent battle that we must launch side by side with the military battle.”

Adopting English-language media can be as innocent as selling a product to a larger consumer market or as macabre - pushing international terrorism - as evidenced by AQAP's plunge into online English publishing.

*** 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  by sending an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation. Buy your English-language texts today!

Why Spelling Still Matters

Yes, spelling is still important today! (see "60 Embarrassing Ways to Butcher the English Language: Isn't Spelling Important Anymore?")

While Ms. Steere correctly laments the lack of spelling today, she is off on the reason. 

We pointed out the reason in a recent post why spelling is so horrible today among many - the absence of phonics in the classroom.

*** 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!

Don´t Ever Pay an EFL Recruiter

I first laughed and second decided to write this post to warn  budding teachers of English as a foreign langauge (TEFL) to be aware.

A "recruiting and placement firm" for teaching English in Chile at TEFL.com wants US$50 application fee and US$1,295 "placement fee" later.

Save your money for the flight to Santiago, research English language schools in Google, and hit the pavement with resume in hand and enough cash for a month to survive until the first paycheck is in hand.

Speaking Spanish is a plus and very helpful for private teaching.

In over two years teaching English in Latin America, I cannot think of any reason to pay a recruiter to find a position in the field.

Never would I consider paying over US$2,000 to a recruiter and neither should you in my humble opinion.

*** 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!

Academic debate? American English is already widely adopted

London-based The Economist magazine hosted a debate online last week - Should the English-speaking world adopt American English?

Mr. Michael Agnes, editor in chief of Webster´s New World Dictionaries argued for the proposition and the author of Globish, Robert McCrum argued against.

In an overwhelming vote, 70% of participants opted for Mr. McCrum´s position in rejecting the proposition.

While the debate is amusing, the reality is that American English is more sought after by those seeking to learn English given the influence of US popular culture and economic power in the world.

It is the future of the language that concerns some, as Mr. Graddol examines in his seminal exploration of the issue.

The language is passing beyond the grasp of native speakers and it will be non-native speakers who control English's destiny.

Perhaps that will be a subject for meaningful debate in the near future.

*** 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 send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation. Buy your English-language texts today!

Shock! Many English Speakers Cannot Understand Basic Grammar

Basic grammar befuddles many native English speakers, according to a paper given by Dr. Ewa Dabrowska of Northumbria University.

Where is the surprise?

If grammar is de-emphasized or not taught at all, of course students who pass into the adult world are unable to string together intelligible sentences.

The so-called "War on Grammar" by progressive educators has been successfully waged - sadly, few native-speaking adults and school children can make sense of the English language whether in reading, writing, listening or speaking.

US corporations spend $3.1 billion annually on remedial skills for employees, according to a recent New York Times report.

Some observers mark the decline of grammar with the fad sparked by radical Professor Noam Chomsky in the 1960s - transformational generative grammar. 

While grammar was too controversial, so was the traditional method of teaching school children English pronunciation- phonics.

Phonics - associating sounds with English letters - was also deemed "controversial" and reading levels dropped off progressively. Spelling became a nightmare for many who were subjected to the disastrous "look-say" method.

The dire straits of abandoning phonics led to Rudolf Flesch publishing his blockbuster book, Why Johnny Can’t Read. He cannot because he was not taught to read!

Shock! The return to teaching phonics, after a bad experiment for too many years, has revived reading skills among children.

Another slight of hand was when English classes became Language Arts classes and grammar slipped from sight in many American schools.

Now we know more as many knew then there is nothing artful about the dumbing down of students.

Sadly generations of students who are now ill-equipped to manage their own native langauge must pay the price of misguided experiments in the classroom.

*** 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 6135-9024 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation. Buy your English-language texts today!

3 More World Cup Champ Lessons for Language Learners

While Spain still savors its World Cup Championship over The Holland Orange till the next meet in Brazil in 2014, there are three more lessons for language learners from the big game.


1. Teamwork - As the video clip of Iniesta´s winning goal demonstrates, team play is a winner in most endeavors. Language learners may often feel isolated in their quest to acquire a new language.

However, when the learner engages in a community of learners, easily by Internet chat, email, LiveMocha, video, and various social networks like Facebook and Twitter, the isolation fades. Like Iniesta´s teammates who set up his goal, students develop their own personal learning network which makes language learning fun and more enriching.

2. Ball Control - In its wins, Spain dominated control of the soccer ball and thus controlled the pace and tempo of the game. So language learners must do the same!

The student is in control of his or her language destiny. If a class level is not adequate (or an instructor), the student needs to ask for a change. Students can negotiate with his or her teacher the content of a private class, a bonus for both student and instructor. Teachers should encourage autonomous learning among students because the entire language learning process ideally centers around the pupil, not the school or instructor.


3. Discipline -The Spanish team was very disciplined and the breakdown by Holland resulted in an ousted player and resulted in a goal for Spain. So language learners must be disciplined in their studies. The time invested in their studies, classes, and homework will pay off in the long run!

In sum...
Sports can teach a lot about life. A triumph over obstacles is possible with a good game plan and the ability and skills to execute it. The same goes for language learners. Here´s to you scoring your language goals!
*** 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 6135-9024 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation. Buy your English-language texts today!

4 World Cup Champ Lessons for Language Learners

Spain´s soccer team, La Roja, (The Red), topped Holland 1-0 to win the 2010 World Cup yesterday.

La Roja exuded 4 key qualities langauge learners need to score their own goals.

1. Confidence - The Spaniards seemed to never doubt their ability to win. Language learners must be confident in their ability to use their chosen language. Study, practice, and hard work are required. While a teacher can help a student, the teacher will not be there when the learner needs to communicate to give a presentation, order a sumptuous meal, or simply find a restroom.

2. Patience - Spain´s team played patiently instead of going for a quick score. Competent language learners are not made overnight. Students must invest time in exploring the culture, people, language, and other non-linguistic aspects to fully understand their chosen language.

3. Consistency -World Cup Champ Spain faced each team with consistent formula for success. Successful language learners are consistent in their practices from reviewing on a daily basis their notes, doing exercises assigned by teachers, and participating actively in class.

4. Persistence - The Spanish team lost its first game against Switzerland. As often in life, it is not where you start, but where you finish. The team did not quit after a bad day. It pushed forward to the next games. Language learning is not a linear progression, either. Some days are better than others. However, winners always find a way to win. The one down day at the start is now a distant memory.

The Final Score
Languages are full of surprises for learners, but a concerted effort applying confidence and patience in a consistent and persistent manner is a winning combination as evidenced by the new world soccer champion, Spain.
 *** 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 11-6135-9024 or send an email to mrenglish101@gmail.com for a prompt evaluation. Buy your English-language texts today!

World´s largest English class in.....?

Spanish newswire EFE reports an attempt to break the Guiness world record for the largest English class by Mexico on August 29: México intentará batir récord Guiness con la mayor clase de idiomas del mundo (Mexico will attempt to break the Guiness world record for the largest langauge class.)

The class will be held in the stadium at the Ciudad Universitaria in DF (Distrito Federal - Mexico City) and held simultaneously in 25 other cities in public squares, all with the watchful eye of Guiness officials.

Mexico wants t break the record held by Germany in 2006 when 6,287 students gathered to learn languages.

The 45-minute class will cover basic English: salutations and greetings, the numbers or telling time.

In Mexico, though bordered to the north by the United States, only 10 percent of the population speaks English, and this event hopes to "impulsar la enseñanza del inglés" (promote English teaching) - and learning too!

What a great way to call attention to the importance of learning languages and especially inglés!

So mark your calendars and if you are in Mexico, attend a local lesson!
*** 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!

American English Is the Most Popular

In the video below, Professor David Chrystal makes a poignant point about the various types of English in the world today. And yes, English professors should make their students aware of the different pronunciations, vocabulary and structures.

While there are more non-native professor of English than native-speakers, and given the breadth and depth of English in global commuications, of course one cannot expect a monolithic language.

However, another point must also be made: there is a preference for American English among English learners.

This fact is particulary relevant given the "soft power" of the United States in global culture, a term popularized by Harvard Professor Joseph Nye.




*** 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!