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

Blogging Tips for Students

Most of the following instructions will apply to written blogs, but the principles apply to all formats.

• Adopt a conversational, chatty style. Avoid cliches, jargon, academic language, and acronyms.
• Put some serious work into your intro – is it intriguing, engaging, and different?
• Always use specific examples, perhaps based on personal experience. Don't generalize or waffle on about challenges and passion.
• Use common nouns as much as you can: "boots" and "apples" are much more evocative words than "footwear" and "produce".
• Try to find recent research or media coverage about your topic, and link to it in your blog.
• Check your facts. These pieces are going on the Guardian site, so they need to be factually accurate. There'

Steinbeck's Novel: Of Mice and Men

Author's Life and Novel Connections

Write a concise phrase relating each aspect of the author to a particular novel aspect, or conversely, each novel detail to a detail of the author’s life. (3 points each)

Be certain to stay on topic and not wander from the question.

1. Geographic setting: The setting is a ranch in Soledad, California. Steinbeck was born in California.
2. Particular names and observations of flora and fauna: Steinbeck lived in a small rural town. He spent his summers working on nearby ranches and later on sugar beet farms. His descriptions of flora and fauna are influenced by what he saw and experienced.

Regional Work Details (True/False)

(2 points each)

1. Most farm workers live in a room attached to the

Part Two: Ballads

A. History

Let's explore the history of English ballads using the following word bank:

• France
• Germany
• Italy
• 600's
• 800's
• 1000's
• historic/geographical/social
• language
• literary
• local-interest
• orally
• story details
• tempo (speed of melody)
• traditional

English ballads originated from France, gaining popularity in the 1000's when Geoffrey Chaucer established English as a language of literature and scholarship.

As ballads spread, their language could change entirely. Their tempo and story details might shift slightly, while their historic/geographical/social context often remained consistent. Traditional ballads are written compositions that imitate oral storytelling models.

The primary purpose of traditional ballads was to convey current, local-interest... Continue reading "Exploring Traditional English Ballads: History, Conventions, and Analysis" »

Understanding Key Literary Elements

Outcome

The ending of the story.

Plot

The central theme and sequence of events in a story.

Foreshadowing

The use of clues to hint at what is going to happen later in the story.

Setting

The time and place in which the action of a story takes place.

Imagery

The mental image that you create about certain things or actions described in a text.

Comparative Analysis: "Cat in the Rain" and "Thank You M'am"

Similarities in these stories lie in the context of acceptance and the need to feel valued. Both characters (the American woman and the child) project their feelings onto a subject: the woman onto the cat, and the child onto the shoes.

Literary Analysis of Specific Stories

"Cat in the Rain"

Setting

The setting of this story is... Continue reading "Literary Elements & Short Story Interpretations" »

Chapter 6

Helen's Discovery

When Helen came home from school, she could tell something unusual was happening. Gregory's class teacher and the headmistress were talking with her parents.

Gregory's Progress

Gregory's teacher was happy with his progress because he was learning quickly and had a good influence on the class.

School Improvements

If the school wanted to take more children with problems, they would have to adapt the building. This included installing ramps for wheelchairs, lifts, different toilets, and wider doors.

The Headmistress's Suggestion

The headmistress suggested that Helen and her friends organize a fundraising event to raise money. The winning team would win a trip to Paris.

Chapter 7

Fundraising Ideas

There were many different ideas... Continue reading "The Fundraising Challenge" »

LOMCE-Madrid Decree 89/2014 and English Language

Treatment of Content and Skills

The Primary curriculum emphasizes grammar within language systems over skills development.

EFL Unit Planning with Royal Decree 5958/2010

Royal Decree 5958/2010 helps with EFL unit planning by setting specific, realistic skills in language development classes.

Integrating Skills Work in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

In CLT, skills work is often integrated into language development classes (focused on language systems) through:

• Restricted Exposure: Aural or written texts introduce the target language in a rich context (e.g., Hi Five 5, lessons 1 and 2).
• Target Language Practice: Primarily fluency speaking, sometimes extended writing.

Breaking Down Macro Skills in

Mastering Advanced English Vocabulary

Acquisitive - greedy / Acquit - find not guilty / Adduce - bring as proof / Allegiance - loyalty / Allot - assign / Altercation - heated fight / Anathema - something loathed / Anterior - situated in front / Annex - to add / Apparition - ghostly object / Appellation - a name / Apprise - inform / Armistice - truce / Arraign - to accuse / Arrant - bad (arrant fool) / Arrears - state of being in debt / Articulate - pronounce clearly / Ascribe - determine with certainty / Aspersion - slandering remark / Assail - attack vigorously / Astringent - severe / Atone - make amends / Augur - to be an omen / Auspices - support / Aversion - dislike / Barrage - concentrated attack / Bauble - inexpensive ornament / Behest... Continue reading "Vocabulary Building: Mastering Advanced English Words" »

Participants in the Tourism Industry

• Visitors: Individuals with motivations for travel.
• The Destination: The host community.
• Government: Plays a crucial role in tourism development and promotion.
• Local People: View tourism as a factor for cultural exchange and employment.
• Travel Trade Intermediaries and Suppliers: Businesses providing tourist goods and services.
  • Travel Agents: Organize personal travel and accommodation for travelers. They offer services like hotels, cruise lines, railways, and package tour operators.
  • Wholesale Tour Operators: Develop and market package tours, often through travel agencies.
  • Tour Guides and Couriers: Travel with tourists and work to ensure travelers' needs are met.
  • Hotel Booking Agencies.
  • Destination Management Company

Jim Nolan's Journey in 'In Dubious Battle'

From Despair to Purpose

Jim Nolan, a young man disillusioned with life, finds a sense of purpose in joining the Communist Party. He believes that working for a cause greater than himself will re-energize him.

The Power of Purpose

Jim's decision to join the Party is a rejection of the purposeless existence he has witnessed among the working poor. He seeks a life of meaning and worth.

Loss of Identity

Jim's transformation into a Party man comes at a cost. He willingly surrenders his individuality to become one with the cause. This loss of identity is symbolized by his facial wound, which robs him of his most personal feature.

Beyond Humanity

By giving up his personal identity, Jim becomes something beyond human.... Continue reading "Jim Nolan's Transformation: From Despair to Purpose in 'In Dubious Battle'" »

Analysis of Blake's "Nurse's Song"

Structure and Versification

The poem comprises four quatrains with an ABCB rhyme scheme. The first two stanzas incorporate internal rhymes in the third line, enhancing the song's calm, rhythmic quality, further amplified by the rolling anapaestic meter. The third stanza, representing the children's voices, features internal rhymes in the first and third lines, perhaps mirroring the repetitive nature of pleading. They mimic the adult's syntax but:

• Counter the authoritative "Come, come" with "No, no."
• Substitute "leave" (stop) with "let" (allow).
• Transform "away" into "play."

In the fourth stanza, the internal rhyme shifts to the first line, as if the Nurse echoes the children, highlighting their symbiotic relationship.... Continue reading "Analysis of Blake's "Nurse's Song": Symbolism, Imagery, and Themes" »