Am I making myself clear?

The other day, I came across a poster online and it got me thinking about several things.

http://www.facebook.com/HealingwithArt

From a teacher and linguist point of view, I started thinking about ambiguous sentences.

So I had a look around for sites with ambiguous sentences and came across several.

On the Fun with Words site, there is an amusing collection of ambiguous headlines, for example:

2 SISTERS REUNITED AFTER 18 YEARS AT CHECKOUT COUNTER

INCLUDE YOUR CHILDREN WHEN BAKING COOKIES

HOSPITALS ARE SUED BY 7 FOOT DOCTORS

RED TAPE HOLDS UP NEW BRIDGE

http://www.fun-with-words.com/ambiguities.html

And I came across this sentence on Paul Butler's blog:

The complex houses married and single students and their families.

Most learners of English might know the word 'complex' as an adjective, but not a noun.  This is what English Profile reports about this word:

complex

 /ˈkɒm.pleks/Outline view

Word family:

Nouns: complexity

Adjectives: complex

▶ ADJECTIVE

B2 involving a lot of different but connected parts in a way that is difficult to understand

Dictionary examples:

a complex network of roads

a complex procedure

The film's plot was so complex that I couldn't follow it.

 Learner example:

It took us two weeks to modify the results in a very complex operation.

First Certificate in English; B2; Spanish

▶ NOUN

BUILDINGS

C1 a group of buildings or rooms that are used for a particular purpose

Dictionary example:

a sports/housing complex

 Learner example:

A visit to any local shopping complex suggest[s] people between 14 to 35 years of age are the [most] frequent shoppers.

International English Language Testing System; C1; Malay

MENTAL

C2 a mental problem which makes someone anxious or frightened about something

Dictionary example:

an inferiority complex

 Learner example:

He began to feel like that character in "Psycho", afraid that the hotel manager would turn out to be some kind of maniac with an Oedipus complex.

Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Catalan

And of course, the word 'house' is known to learners very early on, whereas the verb 'house' meaning 'to give a person or an animal a place to live' is not reported as being used by students in the Cambridge ESOL exams till C2 level.

While looking around, I learnt that such ambiguous sentences are known as garden path sentences.  Didn't know that till now!

It's like those pictures you were shown at school and asked what you saw in them, like this one:

http://brainstorm-services.com/wcu-lit/ambiguity.html

Well, I hope my post today was clear and unambiguous!!!!

Teaching is like ....

Been a bit of a busy week, so I was catching up on a few emails that have come in and came across this blog challenge by Brad Patterson.


1) Challenge one: what is your “teaching is like____ ” metaphor?

2) Challenge two: what experience, activity, or lesson that is completely non-teaching related has brought more to your classroom than anything else?

Brad himself answered these two questions:

1) Teaching is like surfing. It requires patience and often more observation than action. Knowing how to push up, stand and guide your board is useless if you’re not in tune with the ocean, its movement and timing.  Each wave is unique and never again will you enjoy the one you’re on now, so carpe diem and enjoy class!

2) I think my experiences with yoga and being a massage therapist have brought more to the classroom than I can easily express in logical terms.  They’ve brought me an awareness and sensitivity that would have otherwise been hard to learn through a training course, or “tough”to pick up while on-the-job.

Being able to observe reactions to our efforts and attuning oneself to learners is a balancing act, just as noticing how students’ energy is throughout the day, knowing when to wait, when to be firm, smile or just move on… these are things that I feel I cultivated in these more physical-mental-spirtual arts and they have served me well in the classroom.

I then read a few of the answers to the challenges and particularly liked Cecilia Lemos' replies (maybe it's because I have a weakness for shoes and also do pilates!!!)

Cecilia Coehlo

PilatesClasses .ie

So what are my answers to this challenge?????

For me, teaching is like gardening.  

In a garden, there are lots of different kinds of plants.  

Some need sunshine, 

some need shade.  

Some need a lot of water, others need less.  

They will flower and shine out at different times.  

Some are obvious, whereas you notice others when you get closer to them or really take time to look.

Together, they can form a beautiful garden and they all have a right to be there and to get the attention they need!!

I'll give you my answer to the second challenge question in another post!

And think about and share your answers too!  

Speaking tests

As I said in a recent post, we Cambridge ESOL Speaking Examiners are very busy at the moment.

For some examples of Cambridge ESOL speaking tests, you can visit the Research website.

And for some useful tips for the exam day, candidates can visit the Cambridge ESOL website here.

Good luck to all candidates and their teachers!!!

The Burning Questionnaire

In a recent post, I mentioned my guest post on take a picture and ....

Fiona Mauchline emailed me a couple of days ago to tell me that the questionnaire I'd completed was now up on the Burning Questionnaire blog.

I was also asked to choose some pictures from eltpics.

In this one, you can see my shadow reflected in the grass (third from the right - my parents are the ones to the right of me!)

While I was writing this post, I popped back to eltpics again.  It's impressive how it's growing!  Well done to Fiona and Sandy and everyone else!

Busy times

Today, I have finally returned to this blog - at least for long enough to sit down and write this post.

Busy times!!

http://forum.belmont.edu/eleader/2012/04/05/message-from-the-associate-dean-busy-times-a-month-in-the-life/

Right now, my roles of Speaking Examiner for Cambridge ESOL and Supervisor and Coordinator for the YLE Tests in my area for centre ES027 are taking up most of my waking hours!

Yesterday, during the Advanced Speaking Tests, candidates gave lots of different reasons for why they are studying English:  students in their last year of high school who will be heading off to university want and need a qualification to help them along their path towards a career; engineers and businessmen and women for their current or future work; more than one candidate who had lost their job recently and need to prove that they have an advanced level of English on their CV.  I hope they find a job soon.  I have never come across so many people in one examining session who had lost their job at this point in their lives.

Lets hope the situation here in Spain (and other countries) picks up soon.

A week ago, I travelled along the north coast again to San Sebastian, but this time, not for work, but to watch Bruce Springsteen in concert.  Fantastic experience!  Best concert I've ever been to I think.

Bruce sang lots of songs from his latest album, including Jack of All Trades, which he dedicated to all the people in Spain who are affected by the current economic situation:  http://youtu.be/_uoAd36koX8?t=30s


You can listen to a better recording of the song here:

Jack of all trades is a term that we could apply to us teachers.  I could add more roles to this poster, and I'm sure you could too!

Well, that's my post written for today - now I'll turn to something else on my 'to do list'! ................