New series - Fred (Intro)

- Mum, I want to ask you something.

- What is the question?

- I want to get a tatoo.

- You can do what you want.

- OK.

- OK what?

- I'm going to get a tatoo.

- On one condition - that it says 'I love mum.'

- Are you crazy?

Hi, my name's Frederick. Friends call me Fred. I'm 15 and I almost have a girlfriend. I don't write about myself very often. This time I was asked to and I couldn't say no. I'm going to tell you about my everyday life, some stories and stuff. Hope you'll like it.

OK, there's not much to say today. It's been a hard day at school. I got a bad mark. I was standing hopelessly, looking blankly at the blackboard. Paralyzed, I was wondering what SHE was thinking about me at that moment. Was she looking at me? Of course she was. Everybody was. You moron. You should have learnt at least some capitals. Yesterday I felt like playing The Sims 3. So I did. I didn't bother to look for some Geography notes. Now I tried to focus. The capital of Ukraine. Sniffing rapidly, almost suffocating. I guessed wrong.

But one day I'll have my tattoo done. You won't guess what it'll say!

***

Fred jest nastolatkiem, który opowiada o sobie i swoich "przejściach." Ma 15 lat, do czego używa czasownika "be" a nie "have." Za to używa czasownika "have" - "mieć" kiedy mówi, że ma dziewczynę. Tak samo mógłby użyć tego czasownika, by powiedzieć, że ma psa (I have a dog) lub ma brązowe oczy (I have brown eyes). Nie często pisze o sobie (o czynnościach powtarzających się w teraźniejszości będzie powiedziane w oddzielnym poście). He was asked, czyli został zapytany to już strona bierna. To, że nie mógł powiedzieć "nie" to czas przeszły. Do tego potrzebna jest druga forma czasownika. Za to wiemy, że ma zamiar opowiedzieć nam o swoim życiu ("going to") jakoś w przyszłości, pewnie niedługo. Dalej mówi o dniu, który się jeszcze nie skończył, a więc mówi "It's been a hard day" zamiast "It was a hard day." Później jednak opowiada szczegóły pewnego zdarzenia i mówi "I tried" lub "I didn't bother" kiedy przeczy. Poza tym bije się w pierś mówiąc "I should have learnt," czyli powinienem był się uczyć. Za późno. Ale za to pewnego dnia będzie miał swój tatuaż. Ciekawe jak pewne to jest?

To był tylko mix gramatyczny. Postaram się w najbliższych postach przybliżyć poszczególne konstrukcje. Przy okazji warto zwrócić uwagę na słownictwo (blankly, paralyzed, to sniff, to suffocate, a nawet moron!).

Po co uczyć się gramatyki?

Niezależnie w jakim jesteś wieku proszę o komentarz w sprawie nauki języka obcego, a dokładnie gramatyki.

Wystarczy krótki komentarz. Może być anonimowy, choć Twój wiek może być dla mnie istotny.

Czy tradycyjny sposób nauki gramatyki jest konieczny jeśli chcemy dobrze opanować język obcy?

Tradycyjny? Myślę o tej najstarszej metodzie z regułkami, przykładami i tłumaczeniem zdań. W ten sposób kilka wieków temu uczono się łaciny, głównie po to, by czytać literaturę piękną oraz bezbłędnie pisać.

Nietradycyjny? Tu chodzi o metodę komunikatywną, nastawienie na mówienie w pierwszej kolejności. W końcu tak nauczyliśmy się języka ojczystego. To jest jak nauka jazdy na rowerze; siadamy od razu na rower, a nie uczymy się poszczególnych elementów roweru. Oczywiście nic się nie dzieje bez wkładu nauczyciela.

Z drugiej strony nie jesteśmy w stanie zrobić dużego postępu jeśli nie mamy tej podstawy. Znajomość reguł pozwala nam widzieć schematy, które pomagają nam w dalszej nauce i osiągnięciu wyższego poziomu.


Jeden z językoznawców o nazwisku Krashen skomentował raz, że nauka gramatyki to jest strata cennego czasu.

Jakie jest Twoje doświadczenie z nauką gramatyki języka obcego? Czy coś byś zmienił w sposobie jakim byłeś lub jesteś nauczany?

For and About Children!

 Playing tricks, that's what children do. How about revenge?


Little Johnny wasn't getting good marks in school. One day he surprised the teacher with an announcement. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, "I don't want to scare you, but my daddy says if I don't start getting better grades, somebody is going to get a spanking!"

 
The child comes home from his first day at school. Mother asks, "What did you learn today?"
The kid replies, "Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow."

Something different (it doesn't mean nicer) for a change?

To see the illusion, you need to stare intently at the small black dot in the centre of the image and move your head slowly toward then away from the screen...

Is it a moving image, or are your eyes playing tricks on you?

http://www.comedy-zone.net/jokes/laugh/kids/index.htm

Teachers Students they all need to put their feet up

I'm planning to start a series about a bloke who has a lot to say to you. I hope you'll see more of that than just plans or intentions and it'll be quite soon. Recently I've had loads of things to do and still my bedroom is in chaos. It seems it is not just you who need some rest... How about starting the countdown to holiday? Sounds good?

36 days...

No matter what, listen to your teacher!

E71 - God Bless America?

I AM An American (I AM Poem) by Amanda Jones

I am an American who loves America
I wonder why peolpe hate America
I hear the eagle call for freedom
I see the flag waving in the wind
I want the soldiers to come home safe
I am an American who loves America

I pretend to fly like an eagle
I feel the eagles feather run through my fingers
I touch the white star on the flag
I worry that America will fall
I cry when a soldier dies
I am an American who love America

I understand why we fight for America
I say God bless America
I dream that America stays strong
I try to be all I can be
I am an American who loves America

 What does America mean to you? Is it only fast food restaurants and jeans? I hope not. So why do you think people love America? Why were there so many immigrants in the 19th century and why are people still arriving?

Browse some info on Life in the USA or American culture and share with us what you've learnt.


For example, how much did you know about The American Dream and "from rags to riches" idea?

E51 - Pros and cons of technology

I believe that computers or mobile phones are one of the greatest inventions ever. Certainly, they make our life easier. For some people, particularly the young ones, they've been present in their life since they were born. It's obvious that they can't imagine having no possibility to surf on the Internet or send a text message to a friend. However, nowadays we're in a hurry and sometimes forget about simple pleasures. Are you really happy to be surrounded by those technology gadgets?

So are you enthusiastic about technology (computers and mobile phones)? Or are you against such inventions?
For or against? That's my question to you. Why? Please answer this one too and give some arguments.

You can also say how often you use the inventions.

E42 - Will we get fatter?

Have a look at the picture below. What can you see? What is happening in the picture? What title would you give it?

Now imagine that it is about our future. Having the picture predict what will happen to us and what our life will look like.

E32 - Our school

It's difficult to imagine life of a teenager without school. Young people spend most of their time there. They learn there, take tests, get stressed and also meet their peers. Students have a number of subjects a day, some of them they like, some of them they don't. They have to obey rules, but they have fun too. This is very general. We realize that a typical school day of a British teenager is different from the one of a Polish teenager.

Look through the information about British school on CLICK HERE and read about a day of a 13-year old British boy NOW SEE THIS ONE and write about school in Poland, something a British teenager would find interesting.

Subjects? Breaks? Eating at school? School clothes? You choose!

E22 - My favourite month

I love spring and I think my favourite month is May. In this month we can see a lot of changes, for example in weather, it is usually warm and sunny. The days are longer and I can go cycling or jogging or go for a walk with my friend! I can wear a skirt and sandals. People fall in love in spring too. Trees are green and birds sing beautifully. It's fantastic!

What about you?
What is your favourite month? Why?

What can you do or what do you do in this month?

Egzamin gimnazjalny 2010

All Lower-secondary (Gimnazjum) Students,

Check out this site Język angielski 
See how many points you would get on Egzamin gimnazjalny
Good luck!

Karaoke

Although I'm not good at singing, I completely fell in love with Karaoke site in which you can choose from a number of songs and sing them (or just listen to them if you're not a Karaoke fan).

All you need to do is enter KaraokeParty 
Next, click on a song you'd like to sing
Then, select background music (you don't need a microphone)
And finally, start singing!

If I may be of any advice, try a song "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera first since it's not that fast or difficult and you might recognize many grammatical issues from your English lessons.

What will you do if I go away?

Read, sing and listen to a very beautiful song by Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield. Why this one? As I said, it is beautiful. However, it also turns out to be very useful when learning English, particularly the First Conditional (If you stay, we'll sail the sun = If + Present Simple, will/won't + verb).

Watch the video!

"If You Go Away"

If you go away on this summer day,
Then you might as well take the sun away;
All the birds that flew in the summer sky,
When our love was new and our hearts were high;
When the day was young and the night was long,
And the moon stood still for the night bird's song.
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.
But if you stay, I'll make you a day
Like no day has been, or will be again;
We'll sail the sun, we'll ride on the rain,
We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind.
Then if you go, I'll understand,
Leave me just enough love to fill up my hand,
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.
If you go, as I know you will, you must tell the world to stop turning
Till you return again, if you ever do, for what good is love without loving you,
Can I tell you now, as you turn to go, I'll be dying slowly till the next hello,
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.
But if you stay, I'll make you a night
Like no night has been, or will be again.
I'll sail on your smile, I'll ride on your touch,
I'll talk to your eyes that I love so much.
But if you go, go, I won't cry,
Though the good is gone from the word goodbye,
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.
If you go away, as I know you must,
There'll be nothing left in the world to trust,
Just an empty room, full of empty space,
Like the empty look I see on your face.
I'd have been the shadow of your shadow
If I thought it might have kept me by your side.
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away

Happy Easter

 1) Please enjoy the picture and the poem

Easter Isn't, © by Easy Grandpa Tucker

I heard a funny bunny say,
"I just go nuts on Easter day.
I hide about a zillion eggs
And baskets tangle up my legs.

"I'm tired, my eyes are full of tears
And overflowing to my ears.
If I'm to work more Easter Days
At my age I should change my ways

"I know I must do something rash
So I'll start saving all my cash
Then next year, with a little luck
I'll deliver in my pick up truck."

2) Read about Easter holiday and click on Easter Traditions
 

3)Help the Easter Bunny find his way through the maze to find a new basket for delivering the Easter eggs

(source: http://www.printactivities.com/Mazes/Shape_Mazes/Easter_Egg_Maze.html)

 I wish you Happy Easter!

Creative writing (level pre-intermediate - advanced)

Hello,
just a quick message encouraging you to start writing for the sole pleasure of writing :-)
in order to start I recommend a web page that I found really exciting, a site that gives you hints on what to write about;
on this site you'll find numbers under which there are topics and ideas you should find inspiring;

if I can help you, start with this one:
ELECTRICITY IS A RECENT DISCOVERY. THINK OF 12 THINGS TO DO WHEN THERE'S NO POWER.

off you go!

good luck :-)