The symbiotic relationship between teacher and student
To learn the student needs a teacher and to teach the teacher needs the student. One cannot exist without the other. It is a symbiotic relationship.
2001, 2021
Category Archives: Reading
1301, 2021
2021 is the Year of the Cow in Japan
The Japanese zodiac calendar is an integral part of Japanese culture and is based on the interpretations derived from the 12 animals of the zodiac which include the rat, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, the pig, and the cow.
2112, 2020
Time is an Illusion
We are coming to the end of 2020 and what a year it has been! There have been so many changes in our lives that it is hard to recognise the “real us” anymore. Not only are our masks protecting us, but they are hiding us as well
2610, 2020
Crime Vocabulary can help you read or listen to News in English
Apart from the daily topic of Covid-19, a typical news story will start with a crime of some sort. It may be petty, stealing someone’s handbag or it may be more serious i.e. killing a person in a bar fight. Each crime carries a punishment which can be serious depending on the level of the crime.
2209, 2020
Job Satisfaction in the Workplace
Employees are as vital to any business as worker bees are for their queen, but people do not serve any employer or company with blind loyalty. They are more discerning than that. They are far more likely to consider the following factors to assess the level of job satisfaction they have achieved so far.
1308, 2020
How well does your company perform?
A company has key performance factors that it needs to achieve to remain viable. These are specific and measurable and can indicate the success or failure of a company. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be accountable for the following eight factors.
1208, 2020
How we add and contrast information in English
The word and is said to be the most common word in English to add information both for natives and non-natives alike. We see it in schools ´Read and Write´, we see it in car magazines ´Buy and Sell´, we see it in bars ´Gin and Tonic´, we see it in condiments ´Salt and Pepper.´ So how can we add information to avoid having to monopolise this little three little word and?
0207, 2020
Do you like being corrected?
Error correction is a well-worn topic and much has been written about it. In this blog, I don´t intend to reinvent the wheel but maybe throw some fresh light on it. In truth nobody likes to be corrected but unfortunately in language learning it is all part of the process. It is impossible to advance without learning from our mistakes.
0406, 2020
I need to get my hair cut!
There is no doubt that we can all identify with this need after so many weeks of confinement! Our hair has become unmanageable with blonde highlights turning dark and tints turning grey. Once Phase 1 came into operation, the hairdresser became the priority of the day!
0303, 2020
Words that go together like pepper and salt
The word ‘collocation’ sounds like a clumsy word and sometimes hard to pronounce for non-natives but unfortunately in English we cannot get away from them as they come up everywhere! Simply put, collocations are words that are found together.
0702, 2020
Communication through Language
Language is simply a means of communication. It is our way of conveying what it means to be human.
0601, 2020
The importance of mental health in the workplace.
World Mental Health Day started in 1992 and is observed on 10 October every year, with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health.
0811, 2019
The changing role of the English Language Teacher today
English teachers can be compared to Channel Managers whose job is to develop, service and grow relationships with their Channel partners. They are also responsible for training and developing their team.
0410, 2019
‘Why English spelling is so confusing,’
Let’s step back in history a moment. In 1066 the Normans invaded England and brought their French language with them. Since French is a Romance language descended from Latin, this gave Latin an indirect influence on the English language
1309, 2019
Using synonyms to build your vocabulary
We are all very modest when it comes to describing ourselves. We naturally like to deflect attention away from ourselves and focus on others. When describing other people, the words just fall off our tongue so easily. We think of a family member and immediately conjure up an image of their personality
2407, 2019
Are you a Traveller or Tourist?
Are you the tourist who normally goes on holiday for a short period of time to relax in holiday resorts with full board or half board included?
Or are you the traveller who goes for the experience and a longer stay avoiding tourist traps to discover new horizons?
0807, 2019
Neither/Either
Neither is used to show agreement with negative statements. It is similar to using either at the end of a sentence, although Neither is more commonly used, especially in spoken English.
1706, 2019
RATHER – RATHER THAN – WOULD RATHER
We find at Carole Brown Idiomas that It is often difficult for our learners of English to know when to use ‘rather’, ‘rather than’ or ‘would rather’. To help clarify, we have broken it down into three sections exemplifying its use in each.
2305, 2019
Using idioms in the Workplace
Using idioms can help you sound more fluent in English. As these fixed expressions are not literal, they can be quite difficult to understand. For example, it’s raining cats and dogs does not mean that dogs and cats are falling out of the sky but rather it is raining very heavily!
2504, 2019
Why do Spanish-Speaking Learners of English have pronunciation difficulties?
Most people would agree that a strong Spanish accent is usually easier to understand than a similarly strong French or Portuguese one. However, the pronunciation can cause considerable strain for the listener and seem somewhat harsh and flat. To get a clearer understanding of why Spanish speakers erroneously pronounce English, it is important to look at where these errors stem from.