Word games

It's been a while since I've posted anything here. I could lie and say that I've been busy putting the world to rights, making a change so that we all have a brighter tomorrow. But the sad truth is, I haven't done anything of the sort. No, the reality couldn't be any further from this. The fact is, I have an addiction, and I need to share it with you all.

Like many people nowadays, I've become hooked on the internet. Or more precisely, I've become addicted to a particular website. Once I power up my laptop, I retreat into my own little cyberworld and can spend hours, days even, on this site without eating anything or speaking to anyone. It drives my girlfriend mad! I am what you might call a cyber-junkie. The irony that I'm writing this blog is not wasted on me.

So what website has done this to me? What site has got so far under my skin as to make it almost impossible to do any work? I'd like to tell you, but I feel I must absolve myself of all potential blame and attach a health-warning before you click on any of the links below - THIS WEBSITE IS VERY ADDICTIVE AND WILL TAKE UP ALL OF YOUR FREE TIME IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL!!!

Phew! Got that out of the way. Okay, the website in question is www.sporcle.com. It's a great collection of "mentally stimulating diversions". Guessing games mostly. They cover a wide range of topics and there are, at the time of writing, over 2,000 games which have been played over 130,000,000 times! So I'm not alone with my addiction.

In terms of improving your english it's a fantastic website, especially the language section. See below for a few of my favourites. Good luck, and try not to become a Sporcle-junkie!

http://www.sporcle.com/games/common_english_words.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/usuk_words.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/common_english_adjectives.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/3letterbody.php

http://www.sporcle.com/games/corplogos.php

Image from www.freedigitalphotos.net

Glossary

putting the world to rights solving all the problems in the world

a brighter tomorrow a better future

to be hooked on to be addicted to

to power up to switch a machine, such as a computer, on

to retreat into your own little world to become so interested in something to the point where you ignore everyone else

to drive somebody mad to frustrate, irritate or annoy somebody

cyber related to computers and the internet

junkie informal expression for an addict

to get (so far) under your skin to be unable to stop thinking about or do anything else

to absolve yourself of all blame to make it public that you are not responsible for something

mentally stimulating diversions activities or games that require the use of your brain

Writing Emails in English

Writing in English is sometimes seen as easier than speaking because you usually have more time to think about what you are writing and can correct any mistakes. With spoken English you need to respond immediately and can often forget words and tenses which can be embarrassing. I’m going to look briefly at some formal and informal writing styles, including some useful phrases that will hopefully help you. All correspondence should have a purpose, so ask yourself ‘why am I writing?’ The subject should be clear to the reader immediately; if action is required by the reader then this should be stated in the subject line and then repeated in the first line of the email. The emails below are about the same subject, however the first is formal and the second informal.

To: Brad Pitt
From: Heather Daniell
Subject: Action required re Marketing meeting Nov 25th
cc: George Clooney

I am writing with regard to next week’s meeting on November 25th at 9.30 am. I have already received confirmation that Angelina, Tom, Clint and Keira will be attending and have had apologies from Elvis and Michael. I would be grateful if you could bring samples of the new posters and leaflets that you have produced. Clint has kindly offered to present the pricing strategy to us at 9.30 however, will have to leave at 10.00.

I would appreciate confirmation of your attendance by return email. If you have any questions regarding this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to seeing you next week.

Regards

Heather


Just a quick note about next week’s meeting on November 25th at 9.30 am. I’ve heard that that Angelina, Tom, Clint and Keira can make it and Elvis and Michael can’t. Please can you bring samples of the new posters and leaflets that you’ve produced. Clint will present the pricing strategy to us at 9.30 but, has to leave at 10.00.

Please let me know if you’re coming asap. Call or email if you need to know anything else.

See you next week.

Bw

Heather

Most emails are informal, however if you are writing to someone you’ve never met before or someone quite senior in a company then you may wish to ‘play safe’ and use more formal language. If you aren’t sure then you should copy the style of the incoming email. Good luck and happy emailing!

Football at LSE

On Wednesday afternoons at our Westcroft Square school some of the teachers and students play football.We play on an Astroturf pitch in Ravenscourt Park which is a 5 minute walk from the school. How many players we have, depends on the time of year and the British weather of course, but we usually have between 8 and 15 from the school, sometimes more. We often play if it's raining a little, but we sometimes call it off when it's pouring down. We play against native English people from the local college and if we have a lot of players we play on an 11 aside pitch. When there's less people however we play smaller games of 5 or 7 aside on a smaller pitch. We have players of all different nationalities and abilities and we've even had a few female players. Sometimes when the weather's nice, some students just come along to watch and cheer us on.
It's a great way to relax and unwind after class by letting out some energy, as well as, it being really good exercise. Most of the courses at Westcroft Square finish at 12.45pm on Wednesdays so we start playing at about 1.00pm. Everyone enjoys playing and it provides an excellent opportunity for students to interact with native speakers in a fun and informal situation. Not only do students get to interact with teachers, they also get the chance to meet native English people. It's a natural way to practise English because communication is one of the keys skills in football. If you don't know how to tell a teammate to pass, you won't receive the ball and your team could miss a good opportunity to score. There is also some fun competitive banter between the different nationalities at times which adds to the enjoyment. So, if you plan to study at our Westcroft Square school and you enjoy football, don't forget to bring your kit!


Glossary

• it's pouring down = it's raining heavily
• a pitch = where football is played
• Astroturf = false grass
• banter = light joking talk
• kit = the clothes and shoes you need to play football

The Beautiful Game

This Saturday was the first leg of the world cup play-offs, with two of Europe’s biggest teams still fighting for places. France played the Republic of Ireland (away) and Portugal faced Bosnia-Herzegovina (at home), both teams won by a single goal and need to put on more convincing performances in their next games on Wednesday 18th November. They should both beat their opponents and then take their rightful places in the World Cup. Greece and Ukraine were very disappointing and neither deserves a place in the world cup if they play like that, a very dull match with no goals. Russia beat Slovenia 2-1 and look sure to go to South Africa.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the fact that England qualified so early and that, for once, we were not part of these dreaded play-offs! I’m looking forward to the draw on December 4th and am feeling strangely confident about our chances next year. Capello, the 63-year old England coach, has brought hope to the English fans, he’s been in charge for 21 matches, and we’ve won 15, drawn 2 and only lost 4. The England team respect him and so do the fans. He stated:
"This is the final appointment of my career. It would be nice to finish on a high."
There could be no greater high than winning the World Cup, you may think that is a wish too far but I believe he can take us a long way in the tournament and who knows….dreams can come true, they did in 1966!!!

Glossary

Convincing - making you believe that something is true or right
Opponent - someone who you try to defeat in a competition or game
Rightful - according to what is correct or what should be done legally or morally
Thoroughly - completely
Dreaded - making you feel afraid or anxious
To be in charge - to be in control, to be the boss

Money & The Financial Crisis - 12 Phrasal Verbs

This blog post is about money and the economic crisis. It is full of useful financial vocabulary and expressions. Also, there are 12 phrasal verbs connected to money in the text. Can you find the 12 phrasal verbs? Definitions are provided below.

These days, many of us are living in tough times. The economic crisis is making life difficult for lots of people in this country. We're all having to economise and cut back on our spending. There is less credit available in the money markets at the moment and this is having a knock-on effect in our lives.

Unemployment is going up and house prices have gone down over the last few years. The Bank of England recently used tax payers' money to bail out many of the banks which were facing insolvency due to their poor investments in so-called 'toxic assets' (many of them originating in the American sub-prime real estate markets). The government lowered interest rates to help people pay off their bank loans and mortgages. VAT was lowered to 15% in order to encourage us to splash out in shops up and down the country, and inject more money into the economy.

Some people are not being affected so seriously; particularly the wise individuals who have saved up their money in secure savings accounts. When they need to, they can just dip into their savings in order to pay for an unexpected household repair or a much needed holiday. But for many of us, we just have to get by every month on our monthly salaries. It's not easy though, particularly in London when everything is so expensive. We try to pay off our loans and mortgages while trying to avoid taking too much cash out of the many cash machines which are available to us all over the city.

The energy companies in particular seem to be ripping everyone off with the price of oil and electricity. It's almost as though they're using global warming as an excuse for charging us extortionate amounts for our energy, even though wholesale market prices have dropped in recent months.

Big companies and banks seem to get protection from the state, while the average tax payer has to pick up the pieces by working harder, cutting back on our spending, moving into more modest accommodation, or accepting badly paid work because we have no choice. Perhaps it has to be that way - the big companies have to be protected in order to support the economy. It just seems a little unfair that's all, and I'm sure there are some CEOs and directors who are still doing very well while the rest of us struggle to get by.

Still, it's not all bad. The lower interest rates on bank loans and mortgages mean we don't have to pay back so much money each month, and there is now so much freely available entertainment on the internet that it's quite easy to have a good time without reaching too deep into our pockets. So, take advantage of free internet content like this, and use it to help you improve your English wherever you are in the world.

Did you find the phrasal verbs? Here they are:

1. to cut back on spending - this means to spend less than before. To try and reduce your spending. E.g. "I'm going to have to cut back on my spending in order to save up some money"
2. to go up - this means to increase
3. to go down - this means to decrease
4. to bail someone out - this means to save someone by giving them money. It's usually used when the government gives money to a company or bank in order to save them from insolvency. E.g. "The government bailed out the banks by giving them £5billion of tax payers' money"
5. to splash out - this means to spend quite a lot of money in a care-free way when you go shopping. E.g. "I was feeling a bit depressed, so I went to the shopping centre and just splashed out on some new clothes"
6. to save up - this means to save money. E.g. "I'm saving up for a holiday in Italy next year"
7. to dip into savings - this means to go into your savings account, and take a bit of money out. E.g. "I can't afford to pay my electricity and telephone bills this month. I'm going to have to dip into my savings"
8. to get by - this means to survive, usually on a small amount of money. E.g. "Students in London find it difficult to get by on money they earn from part-time work"
9. to pay something off - this means to completely pay a loan or debt. E.g. "YEAH!!! I've finally paid off my student loan!"
10. to take some cash out - this means to withdraw money from a bank or cash machine
11. to rip someone off - to charge too much money for something. To give a bad price. E.g. "You always get completely ripped off in Harrods. You can by the same stuff in other shops for much less money. The prices are just high because it's Harrods."
12. to pay something back - to give money back. When you have borrowed money, you have to pay it back each month

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How I spent Halloween

My Halloween was actually really good fun and one of the best that I’ve ever. Early Saturday evening I went down to my friend’s house in Kent dressed as a vampire and from there travelled down to a farm in the middle of the countryside for a ‘ghost walk’ that was organised by the Local Council. There were eight children ranging from 8 to 15 years old and six adults, all in fancy dress (witches, ghosts and devils). We split into 2 groups. Each group was given a gas lantern and told to follow a path marked with small florescent lights in the trees. I found myself holding hands with two eleven year-old girls who became more and more frightened as the walk continued. It was pitch black and we were walking through muddy woodlands. We heard rustling noises in the bushes and then various ghosts and monsters rushed out of the woods, I don’t know who screamed loudest, me or the girls!!! After a petrifying 45 minutes, we finally reached the safety of our cars and headed home.

The evening had only just begun. Back at my friend’s house we gathered around a fire and started playing games, bobbing for apples (the apples are floating in water) followed my finding sweets with your teeth in a bowl full of flour, of course the your face ends up covered in flour (made more amusing for the adults as the drinking had begun!) As my friend lives in a residential area, the kids decided to go trick or treating and many children came to the house too. There was a really friendly atmosphere. We partied until 3.00 in the morning (well the grown-ups did anyway!).

I now realise that Halloween is a much bigger festival than when I was a child and certainly a lot more fun. Roll on next year!

Glossary

Countryside land that is outside cities and towns
Fancy dress clothes that you wear that make you look like a famous person or character
Lantern a lamp that you can carry
Fluorescent colours that are very bright and easy to see, even in the dark
Pitch black completely black or dark:
Muddy covered with mud
Woodlands an area of land covered with trees

Rustling making a noise as they rub against each other

Bushes plants with many thin branches growing up from the ground
Petrifying extremely frightening
Gathered come together and form a group
Amusing funny and entertaining:
Residential a residential part of a town consists of private houses
Grown-up an adult
Roll on next year looking forward to next year

Andy's Mum Visits him in South Korea

Here is the final part of Andy's adventures in South Korea. Andy's going home to Scotland for Christmas next month but he'll be back in Daegu for more adventures in the new year.

'The following week my mum came to visit, and we had a great time seeing the sights, eating all the traditional meals, drinking together, etc! We spent the 2 weekends in Gyeongju, the old capital, where we went to the biggest and oldest Buddhist temple in Korea, and in Seoul, where we visited a magnificent, historical palace. We also browsed in an old district full of shops with antiques and other traditional Korean items (Insadong), bought a camera in the largest electronics complex imaginable (at an amazing price), and rounded it all off with a pint of Guinness in a British-style pub in Itaewon, a foreigner-packed district. My mum is full of the whole Korean experience now she is home - I think she wants to emigrate here!'

I'm going home after this contract for a couple of months, to spend Christmas with family and old friends, but I'll be back here in January to continue the adventure, as there is still so much to see and do.....

Glossary

seeing the sights – visiting/seeing the attractions

to round something off – to finish something

emigrate – move to another country to live