Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Language

Quality in Stories

How Do We Assess a Story's Value?

If a story captivates children, it can be a powerful language teaching tool. While enjoyment is key, not all good stories align with teaching objectives.

Choosing a New Story

• Values and Attitudes: Ensure appropriateness for students.
• Structure: Prototypical story structures enhance understanding.
• Dialogue/Narrative: Narratives offer grammar patterns; dialogue aids conversational skills.
• Language Use: Vocabulary repetition is beneficial. Use stories with familiar or new vocabulary.

New Language Considerations

• Previously learned language for recycling.
• New language for active processing.
• Optional new language based on interest.

Reading Tips

• Select stories based on quality and children's interest.
• Pre-teach

Problema con cliente En facturacion: A large group of pax was about to check in. The parents Were unable to control children and started quarrelling about passport. Their Baggage on the floor and the other pax got annoid. Dalal was asked to open and Finish the check in procedure.At first i refused to allow a passenger onto the flight as Check-in had closed previously. However, his wife was in labour and the captain To agree. Justyna was on duty and a passenger became abusive and Vident. Tadzio, who was on the next counter, defended her and hit face. As a Result, he was fait for two weeks. Although he recived from the passenger, he was Black listed and will not fly.///

Passenger security Regulations:

-Each passenger is Restricted to one item

Common Travel Actions

Going

English: Move from one place to another.

Spanish: Ir

Waiting Around

English: To remain in a place and not do anything until something expected happens.

Spanish: Esperar

Leaving

English: To go out of or away from, as a place.

Spanish: Partir

Coming

English: To approach or move toward someone or something.

Spanish: Venir

Unpacking

English: To remove over a length of time as in a place.

Spanish: Desempacar

Staying

English: To remain over a length of time as in a place or situation.

Spanish: Quedarse

Suffering From

English: To feel pain or great distress.

Spanish: Sufrir

Taking

English: To get into one's possession one's action.

Spanish: Agarrar

Creating

English: Make something from the beginning.

Spanish: Crear

Booking

English: To make a reservation... Continue reading "Essential Travel Vocabulary: English-Spanish Glossary" »

The Narrator's Voice in The Canterbury Tales

The pilgrim narrator in The Canterbury Tales, as in other narrative works (written in verse), speaks of what he has dreamed, read, or seen in a manner which the reader soon learns to recognize as characteristic—the author's own voice. The Chaucer of all these poems is a retiring, bookish man, with little first-hand experience of life, least of all in the great matter of love. He can therefore do no better than report faithfully what he dreams, reads, or observes of the world and its ways.

Often he is puzzled by what he finds, and at times he even apologizes for what he is forced (for some reason) to report. Since the "matter" of his stories is not of his own making, it cannot always be to his taste.... Continue reading "Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: Narrator, Context, and Enduring Legacy" »

I used to own a standard headset, but a few months ago, I got wireless headphones. Of the two earphones, I like the wireless headphones better for a couple of reasons.

Comfort and Portability

The wireless headphones are very comfortable and portable. They go with you everywhere, making them practical for daily use.

Affordability and Durability

While the wireless headphones are closer to $200, the standard earphones cost $40, making them more affordable. However, the wireless headphones need to be charged, unlike the standard earphones. Additionally, the standard earphones are manageable but not as durable as they claim to be.

Conclusion

Considering the comfort, portability, affordability, and durability, I believe that the wireless headphones are... Continue reading "Why Wireless Headphones are Better: A Comparison" »

Ursula K. Le Guin's Notable Work

• The Earthsea Quartet, first published in 1967.

J.K. Rowling's Impact on Fantasy Literature

• J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in 1997. Rowling and Philip Pullman ushered in a new era, often called the "Second Golden Age," due to the resurgence and success of their fantasy sagas: Harry Potter and His Dark Materials.

Defining Literature

• Literature is an art form that conveys a message, engaging both the senses and emotions.

Features of Children's Literature

• Generally shorter in length.
• Emphasis on dialogue and action.
• Child-oriented language.

Literary Analytical Tools

• Setting: The time and place where the action occurs.
• Characters: These can be flat, round, heroes, villains, etc.
• Narrator: Can be 1st

Criseyde Criseyde’s Description: She is described both directly and indirectly. Directly: The author provides a written description of her physical appearance and personality. Indirectly: Criseyde's character is revealed through her actions. Psychologically, Criseyde is constantly developing throughout the work.

Goddess

She appears as a miracle, as if Troilus had seen her miraculously, which may relate Criseyde to something akin to a goddess, so close to perfection. Then, she is humanized, as she seems to suffer the inner mutations that are ceaselessly present in every human being.

Honor

Criseyde is encouraged to remain single to preserve her family's honor, which leads her to keep her relationship with Troilus a secret for three years. This... Continue reading "Understanding Criseyde: A Complex Character Analysis" »

Option A: Tobacco, State Control & Liberty

1. Tobacco Purchase License Proposal

A health expert from Australia suggests the creation of an obligatory license to buy tobacco, which would be issued by the government. Since it would have to be renewed periodically, cost money, and perhaps limit the number of cigarettes a person could buy, it might deter people from smoking.

2. Vocabulary Focus

• a) Extreme
• b) High-cost
• c) Inconvenience
• d) Entice

3. Comprehension: Tobacco License Impact

• a) The text asks if a government-issued license could be the best solution to reduce smoking.
• b) If an establishment sells cigarettes to anyone without a license, it will be severely punished.
• c) Shops would not be able to sell tobacco products to anyone without a license.

Modern Descriptive Grammar

Descriptive grammar describes language as it is, not as it should be. It is based on a massive corpus of real English, both spoken and written, and it considers many structures that traditional grammar either ignored completely (e.g., determiners and verb complementation) or discussed only briefly (e.g., aspect and adverbial clauses). The first generation of descriptive grammars may be said to be the work of 'armchair grammarians', while only the current generation is corpus-based. Descriptive grammar, like other kinds of grammar, relies on structural analysis. It looks at syntax on many levels: morpheme, word, phrase, clause, sentence, and text.

Generative Grammar

Chomsky (1965) views language as an innate ability that... Continue reading "Descriptive, Generative, and Systemic Functional Grammar" »

Reality and Symbolism in The House of Bernarda Alba

It appears that The House of Bernarda Alba was inspired by real events. The Alba family existed, and the author observed them in 1935.

The house's furnishings suggest a typical Andalusian space: jute curtains with tassels and frills, cattail chairs, thick walls, and arched doorways. The house is characterized by its whiteness, which symbolically fades as the play progresses (the white room in the second act appears slightly bluish-white, and in the third act, it has a bluish tint).

Alongside the white, there is the black of mourning, equally real and symbolic: black dresses, black fans, etc. The contrast between white and black is accentuated in Act III, when Bernarda and Martirio appear in petticoats... Continue reading "Reality and Symbolism in The House of Bernarda Alba" »