EnglishClub's Facebook page received its 100,000th like yesterday! This is a huge milestone. EnglishClub has been on Facebook since 8 July 2009. You can look through our Timeline to see some other fun Milestones, such as the date EC was born.

Some of EC's members love Facebook. Others hate it. Others liked it in the past, but now prefer other social media sites, such as Google +,  twitter, or even MyEC! Some of our members are denied access to Facebook due to government restrictions. We are happy they can use MyEC to connect. 

Are you looking for something to blog about this week? Here are some Facebook-related topics for you. Feel free to use the image in this post on your own blog about Facebook to help celebrate this milestone. After you've written your Facebook post, share a link to it in the comments below. We may even share your blog post on our Facebook page! (Just imagine how big your audience will be.)

Blog Topics 

Do you love or hate Facebook? Explain your reasons.

What do you typically use Facebook for? 

How is Facebook different from other social media sites?

Has Facebook changed the world? 

Will Facebook stand the test of time? 

A root word is the basic form of a word without a prefix or suffix. Every word has or is a root word. Compound words have two roots. The root word provides the basic meaning of a word. In English, root words have origins from a variety of languages, such as Latin or French. Prefixes (parts of a word that come at the beginning) and suffixes (parts of the word that come at the end) are added to a root to change the meaning and word form. It  useful to learn the meanings of common roots in English as well as the meanings of common prefixes and suffixes.

For this month's writing challenge, we're going to work together to learn and teach each other lots of English words through root words.

Your Task

1. Choose an English root word. Find lists of common root words here, here, and here. After you choose a root, discover at least five different words that have this root. You can search online for "words that have insert your root word". 

2. Open a new blog post. Use the title "Writing Challenge: Root Words".

3. Identify your chosen root word and give a definition of it. 

4. Write a paragraph using as many different words with this root as you can. The topic of your paragraph is your choice. Use bold font to highlight all of the words in your paragraph that have this root. 

5. Publish your post and add a link to it in the comments below. Be sure to comment on other Root Word posts that you see in the MyEC Blog Feed.

My Example

Root word ~  spec: see or look at  

"Be Nice, Clear Your Ice" 

There is one aspect of winter that drives me crazy! Those of you who know that I live in Canada might suspect that it's the cold that bothers me. That is true in some respects. However, with the cold comes the snow. Snow can be spectacular if you are a child or a ski enthusiast. From a parent's perspective, it can be dangerous! My children have to walk to and from school on the icy sidewalks every day. Many people do not bother to clear the snow and ice outside of their homes. I suspect these people are too lazy or too busy. While I respect the fact that some homeowners may be too old or ill to clear the snow and ice, they should pay someone in the community to do this service for them if they want to remain homeowners. The city bylaw clearly specifies that all sidewalks must be cleared by homeowners within 12 hours of a snowstorm. Upon speculation, the next time I see a mother struggling to push a stroller past a driveway that hasn't been cleared, I will call the city and report the disrespectful homeowner.

Are you new to a country that celebrates Halloween? Here are some questions you may have. 

When is Halloween?
October 31st. 

What is going to happen on Halloween night in my neighbourhood?
When it gets dark outside, kids will dress up in costumes and knock on doors. They will ask for candy. If you don't want to hand out candy, turn your lights off on Halloween night. Don't answer the door.

How much candy do I need? 
It depends on your neighbourhood. Ask your neighbours how many kids they usually get at the door. Say, "How many kids do you usually get for Halloween?". 

What kind of candy should I buy? 
Choose candy that is wrapped, such as chocolate bars. You can also buy boxes of mini bags of potato chips. Avoid loose candy. Most parents will throw it out. Your local grocery store will have lots to choose from. 

How much candy do I give each child? 
You can just put one item in each child's bag or bucket. If you have lots of candy near the end of the night, give out a few pieces to each child.

What do I do if I run out of candy? 
Turn your light off. Most kids won't come to a house if there are no lights on. 

I live in an apartment. Will I still get trick-or-treaters at my door? 
Yes! If children live in your complex, you may get trick-or-treaters. Be prepared!

What should I say to trick-or-treaters? 
Comment on their costume: Very scary! Such a pretty princess! I love your costume! Show some interest in the kids: What are you supposed to be?

How do I decorate for Halloween? 
You can put a jack-o-lantern outside. You can also put out pictures or figurines of creepy characters to make your house look haunted.

I bought a pumpkin. Now what? 
Carve it into a jack-o-lantern and put it outside on Halloween night. Follow these easy steps.

Do costumes have to be scary? 
No! Children dress up as all sorts of things on Halloween. These include superheroes, pop stars, and cartoon characters. The most creative (handmade) costumes are the best. 

Is dressing up only for kids? 
No! Many adults dress up for Halloween. Some go to costume parties or dress up at work. Others dress up to take their kids trick-or-treating.

What time do I take my child out trick-or-treating?
Don't start until it's almost dark. Young children are usually the earliest to start. Older children wait until it's pitch dark out. 

What does my child say when he/she knocks on a neighbour's door? 
"Trick or treat!" 

What is the "trick" for in trick-or-treat? 
This was an old part of the tradition. These days most people just hand out candy.

How can I hand out candy if I'm out trick-or-treating with my child?
Ask a friend or family member to hand out candy at your place. If you don't have someone to ask, turn your light off until you get back. 

Can I trust the candy my child receives? 
This is up to you. Look through the candy carefully to make sure it's wrapped. Throw away any fruit or unwrapped treats.

We don't celebrate Halloween, but my child's school is having a party. What should I do?
Your child probably won't be the only one not celebrating. Explain to your child and his/her teacher that Halloween is not part of your family's tradition, and that you choose not to send your child in a costume.

Why did a child come to my door and ask me to smell his feet?
Some trick-or-treaters sing a rhyme that goes like this: "Trick or treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat. Not too big. Not too small. Just the size of Montreal."

If you have any more questions, leave them in the comments! Happy Halloween.

October 20th is a special day for writers! Writers around the world, including English teachers and students, will be sharing how they use writing to connect with others.

I would like to invite all MyEC bloggers to join this month's writing challenge. Let's show the world how we write to connect with other learners and teachers from around the world.  

Your Task

1. Create a new blog post. Use the title: Writing Challenge: Write 2 Connect

2. Write a few paragraphs to answer this question: How does writing on MyEC help you to  connect with people? You could also use the topic: Why I Write

3. Share a link to a piece of writing that you are very proud of! (Your own writing on MyEC.)

4. Share a link to a piece of writing that helped you connect with others. (Another member's writing on MyEC.)

5. Leave a comment on this post with a link to your post. 

6. (Optional) If you are on twitter, share your post by using the hashtag #write2connect. (If you're not on twitter, consider joining and tweeting in English! You can use the hashtag #twinglish to practise English.) I will be tweeting all of the posts that are submitted. If you don't want your post shared, please let me know.

My Example

I have always used writing as a way to connect with people. When I was a little girl, I loved to write to my grandparents. Receiving a letter in the mail was the best feeling in the world. My grandfather only went to grade six, and he needed to practise his writing. I was one of the only people he ever wrote to. This made me feel very special.

As I got older, I enjoyed writing journal entries at school. My grade three teacher always took the time to leave a comment and start a conversation with me (in writing). Her interest in my writing left a lasting impression on me. My grade six teacher also taught me a lot about writing. She encouraged us to keep a writing portfolio of all of our best writing. 

When I became an English teacher, my love of writing was put to good use. I taught a writing course and started a school newspaper with my students. Whenever my students did a writing exercise, I did it too. I firmly believe that we are all students, and we never stop learning. On my teaching breaks, I learned everything I could about writing. I practised creative writing, and eventually wrote a novel and some children's stories. 

Over the years, I have found that blogging is one of the most effective ways to connect with others through writing. I may never know if someone has read my novel or children's stories, but it's easy to tell if people are reading my blog posts. I can see page views, likes, tweets, and comments about my writing. It means so much to me when people take the time to comment on or share my writing. Writers write because they want to make a connection with readers. 

On MyEC, I can connect with English learners and teachers from all over the world. I use my blog to encourage learners to practise English through writing challenges. I also encourage teachers to come up with creative ways to teach English. It makes me so happy to see English learners bravely blogging in a community like ours. They write stories, poems, and articles. They also share questions and answers, and respond to writing prompts and challenges. In our community, bloggers have a special bonus. This club comes with a ready-made readership. I can't think of a better way for English learners and teachers to connect with each other than through blogging.  

My Links

A post I am proud of: How to get the most out of EC's Community

A post that helped me connect with someone: I have a dream by Modaway (Actually, all of the responses to this writing challenge helped us make great connections. See comments for links.) 

Here's a fun Halloween activity that we can do online. Grab a partner and some colouring utensils. Let's draw!

1) Draw a monster. Use as much detail as you can! 

2) Pick an online partner from MyEC.

3) Record (or write) instructions about how to draw your monster/alien, and send it to your partner. Don't show your picture to your partner (yet!). You can also give instructions via the chat room or Skype/Facetime. Describe your picture to your partner. Be specific!

4) Take a photograph of your picture and upload the image of your original monster to the MyEC Photo Gallery. (Call it "My Monster".)

5) Invite your partner to upload his/her version to the MyEC Photo Gallery. (They should name the image after the original artist: eg. "Y.N.'s Monster")

6) Compare and contrast the original image to the "knockoff" by commenting on each other’s images.

*Add a link to the knockoff image so that all members can see both!

Who wants to be my partner?

If you're a teacher, and you want to try this activity in the classroom, check out the instructions for this Draw and Describe activity here. You'll find useful vocabulary and expressions for students to use.

Hi everyone! This month I am going to ask a big favour of all of you! In a few weeks, I am going to be doing a presentation about EnglishClub's Listen To News resource. I am going to show teachers how their learners can use this resource to practise listening, reading, writing, and speaking. During my presentation, I will show some examples of how MyEC members use this resource. We have some very creative learners and teachers, and I can't wait to show off your work! Teachers from around the world will be at the Reform Symposium conference.

Your Task

1) Visit the Listen to News page.

2) Choose a story from this year, or from the archives. You can choose a report from as far back as 2006!

3) After you listen to and read the news report, focus on the Discussion Question. 

4) Start a new blog post. Use the title: Writing Challenge–From the News Archives. Write the name and date of the report you have chosen. Include a link to it. Copy the Discussion Question text only. Then write a written response (a paragraph or a short essay) expressing your opinion about the question. Use the tag #corrections if you want teachers to offer corrections.   

5) Leave a link to your post in the comments below. (And be sure to comment on other members' posts.) 

6) Optional: Record the report you chose and upload it to your blog using Audioboo. (In the presentation, I will be playing student voice samples, too!)

Useful Expressions for Stating Opinions 

• I believe/think/consider/feel ...
• In my opinion, ...
• If you ask me, ...
• From my point of view, ...
• It goes without saying that,... (This is obvious, and everyone should agree...)
• Personally, ...
• In my experience,...

My Example

Writing Challenge–From the News Archives

Subsidized Food Plan Proposed In India: 13 August 2013

Discussion Question: Malnutrition in India is exceptionally high. Should tackling hunger be a nation’s top priority?

I agree with the government of India that all humans should have access to adequate food. It is very difficult to thrive when you don't have enough to eat. Those who are hungry cannot properly look after their families, get educated, or work. How can a person with an empty belly be expected to teach a class, drive a bus, or run a store? In my opinion, a subsidized food plan sounds like a viable idea. It's shocking how many people in India are going hungry.

Personally, I think food should be a top priority for India and other nations who have such a large population of undernourished people. Unfortunately, things like politics and religion seem to take centre stage when new policies and programs are needed. It goes without saying that many people are more interested in fighting about whose religion is better than making sure their own people have enough to eat. 

In Canada, we are fortunate to have food banks and meal programs for people who cannot afford to feed themselves. Some people still go hungry because they are embarrassed to use these services. Others can't get enough food for their families even with help from the government. As a mother, I think not being able to provide enough food for my kids would be the worst feeling in the world. 

Tip: For more examples, visit  Well-Wisher's page! Well-wisher responds to EC's Discussion Question every week! 

Request: I will also be looking for videos and audio recordings to show in my presentation! Please take Robbie's video challenge or go to the Audio Speaking Group and share your recording of the most recent news report.

MyEC is getting close to 100,000 members. How should we celebrate this milestone? How many of you were here when we celebrated our 20,000th member? Some of us waited up through the night to find out who it would be! 

If you have any ideas for celebrating our 100,000th member, please leave a comment! We will need some members to help organize and plan the celebration! When do you think it will happen? Take a guess in the comments below, and share your ideas.

My good friend Shelly Terrell shared this useful Infographic today. A lot of these points are useful for MyEC members. Is there anything you disagree with? What did you learn from this infographic? Are you a good digital citizen?

Knowthenet presents Manners Matter the online Netiquette Do's and Don'ts infographic.

This week marked the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. MLK delivered his speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC 50 years ago. 

I visited the exact location where MLK delivered his famous speech just a few weeks ago with my family. Taking the kids to the site where MLK delivered his speech was a very memorable experience for me. I took short video clips of my children telling me their own dreams for the future. Thanks to people like MLK who came before us, the dreams of my Canadian kids are pretty simple. My daughter said: "I have a dream to be a singer." My son said: "I have a dream to be a car maker."

Last night, on the 50th anniversary, I showed my kids a few parts of MLK's "I have a dream" speech. They could not believe how many people had gathered around the steps where we sat to do our video. My son was shocked to learn that kids could be denied a ride on a merry-go-round because of the colour of their skin.  

MLK had a big dream. What's your dream? Let's find out! 

Writing Task

1. Open a new blog post. Use the title: Writing Challenge: I Have a Dream

2. Think back to when you were a child (before the age of 10). What was your dream (hope/goal) for the future? Describe it in a few sentences. (Paragraph 1)

3. Think about your greatest goal or dream right now. What is your current dream? (Paragraph 2)

4. Describe how your dream has changed since you were a child. (Paragraph 3)

5. Describe three things you will do to make your current dream come true. (Paragraph 4)

My Example

I Have A Dream

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher or a librarian. I have always loved little kids. One reason I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher is because I love stories. Kindergarten classes are always full of books. Another reason is that I love interacting with young children. My favourite age is between 1-4. Kids are little sponges at this age. 

My dream right now is to make a living from writing books. The publishing business is not easy to break into. One day I would like to live in a house on a hill and write books for a living. It's a big dream, too!

Some people say that the dream you have as a kindergartener is often your true purpose in life. My dreams haven't changed that much over the years. Instead of teaching young children in a classroom, I teach English learners through my writing and materials. I volunteer in kindergarten classes and on school trips, and my house is always full of neighbourhood kids. I also write fiction for kids.

In order to make a living in the publishing world, I will need to dedicate more time to my personal writing. I need to spend more time alone with my journal, which will be easier as my kids get older (or so I hope!). I should get back to writing my personal blog as well. Finally, I need to spend more time reading. To become a successful writer you have to immerse yourself in books.

“By believing passionately in something that still doesn’t exist, we create it. The non-existant is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.” ~Nikos Kazantzakis

Quotes about dreams

This week I came across an interesting section on the Scholastic website about celebrity Bookprints. Scholastic defines a "Bookprint" as "a list of five books that leave an indelible mark on our lives, shaping who we are and who we become". 

Do you agree with Scholastic that "You are what you read"? I do. I also believe that books sometimes choose their readers. 

This month I want to know which books have helped shaped you. We don't have to be celebrities for our bookprints to be interesting! Let's get to know each other a little better. 

Your Task

1. Choose 5 books that have left a lasting mark on your life somehow. This means you will never forget reading this book. This book changed or shaped you somehow. Your books do not have to be in English. 

2. Read a few of Scholastic's Celebrity Bookprints for inspiration. 

3. Write five short descriptions of these books and how they have changed or inspired you. 

4. Ask a MyEC friend to write a short bio about you. Include the bio beneath your Bookprint. Provide a name and link to your biographer's page. We don't have to be famous to have bios! Every person in the world leads an interesting life! 

5. (Optional) Create a photo collage with your book covers. Include yourself in the collage if you like. I used fotor.com to make mine. 

My Bookprint 

Corduroy by Don Freeman was one of my first favourite books. I took it out of the library every time I saw it on the shelf. Eventually I got my own copy. My mom sewed a pair of green overalls for one of my teddy bears so that it would look like my favourite storybook character. Corduroy is a curious bear who loves the comforts of home (like me). Corduroy taught me how easy it is to fall in love with books (and bears).  

I've always loved Anne of Green Gables – the books and the movies. I'll never forget going to PEI to see the replica house. I also went to a live version of the play when I was in grade school. Lucy Maud Montgomery is one of a handful of Canadian writers known worldwide. Her characters are loveable and full of drama. Her books make me proud to be a Canadian writer.

The book Kingfisher Days by Susan Coyne was life changing for me. When I finished this book, I knew I wanted to be a mother. I couldn't wait to share my love of story with a daughter. Because of this book, my daughter taught all of her friends how to write to fairies. These little girls are always delighted when they get letters in return.

When I read Gene Hayden's The Follow-Through Factor (non-fiction) I decided to take the plunge and publish my first novel. I am a person who has a lot of ideas, but I sometimes need a special push to follow through with them. Hayden's book also taught me that sometimes a book falls into your lap at just the right time. (This happened to me last night at the bookstore, too.)

Erin Morgenstein's The Night Circus is my latest favourite book. I enjoyed introducing this novel to my bookclub friends this year. Despite my love for this book, many of my friends couldn't get into it. This was hard for me to accept at first, but it has been a good learning experience for me as a writer. No matter what you write, you can't please everyone! This is even true for bestsellers.

Tara's Bio:  Written by MyEC member Nafis on 24 July 2013 (You can listen to Nafis read this bio.)

[Thank you, Nafis! You are a very generous biographer!]

If it wasn’t because of her courage, dedication, persistence and perseverance, learning and teaching English would not be possible on Englishclub. Tara Benwell is a highly creative administrator of MyEnglishClub, and has been providing English language learning materials for both students and teachers since 2003. Her English Language learning materials, audio recordings, podcasts and videos have assisted hundreds of thousands of English learners and teachers around the world. As she always mentions: “Creating a dream is like raising a child. You have to support it”, she has supported MyEC like her child. By her creative ideas, writing challenges and dedication, MyEC has more than ninety two thousands members right now. As an editor, her enthusiasm for promoting English language brought her an award for editing of EnglishClub and Telfnet. Teflnet is EnglishClub’s sister site and provides English resources for teachers.

Tara Benwell is Canadian and has two children, one daughter and a son. Despite being a mother, motherhood did not stop her from pursuing her passion.  In an interview with Wren Emerson, she mentions: “I’ve learned to write with kids' movies on in the background, with a husband practising his golf swing in the sunroom, and with a noise of the modern conveniences of a dishwasher, a dryer and the next door neighbour’s central vac.”[1] The result of such perseverance and discipline is a fictional book, “The Proper Order of Things”, for adults.  The book was published two years ago and was praised by a publisher. The publisher wrote:”...What a great book! Crazy family, really fine writing, good narrative. I loved every minute of reading it....Please tell Tara how impressed I am with the novel and her writing, and congratulate her. And, please do keep me in mind for any of her future projects.”[2] The novel is inspired by a true story of circus fire in Connecticut in 1944 and a music icon, Neil Diamond.  Caroline, the main character, lives with her mentally sick mother. The mother has decided to adopt neighbour’s son whose parents left him. In addition to writing novels, Tara is interested in writing children’s books. “Happy Campers” books tell eco-friendly stories for children. These stories are accessible on the iPad and will be coming out in July or August 2013.

Tara is not only an approachable and compassionate teacher, but also a very intelligent and attractive friend. When I was hopeless, Tara advised me:” Ask, believe, visualize and receive.”   Because of her dedication, persistence and encouragement, English learners around the globe are able to learn English in a friendly environment, and of course, the world is certainly beautiful with her presence.

Welcome to this month's writing challenge! Anyone can join. You don't even have to be a member of MyEC. You just need a blog! 

This month we are going to review the importance of paragraphs. A paragraph is a single block of text. It typically focuses on one main idea. A good paragraph size for the web is 3-5 lines.  

Paragraphs are important to readers. They help readers follow a piece of text more easily. It is difficult to read a large amount of text that doesn't contain paragraphs. If your readers are English learners, they will be very thankful for your paragraphs.

Paragraphs aren't just for essays. You should use paragraphs when writing letters (e.g. email), stories,  and blog posts. Blog posts don't have to be long. They can be written in one or two paragraphs. Paragraphs (and even subtitles) are even more important in longer blog posts. You want your reader to read to the end, don't you? 

You don't have to indent your paragraph, but you should add a space after a paragraph. Spaces help readers stay focused. Poems and song lyrics have unit breaks called stanzas or verses. 

Now that we've reviewed some important things about paragraphs, let's get writing!

Your Task

1) Start a new blog post. Use the title: Writing Challenge: Pretty Paragraphs

2) Choose something in this world that you think is "pretty". The choice is entirely yours!

3) Write a blog post about this pretty thing (or person). Use 3-5 paragraphs. Your post doesn't have to be in an essay format with an introduction and conclusion. The important thing is readability. 

4) Share a link to your "pretty post" in the comments below. Be sure to check out other members' posts, too. 

My Example

Pretty Petunias

This year I planted petunias in my garden. I noticed last year that petunias are quite hardy. They bloom for most of the spring and summer, and they seem to grow in sun or shade. According to the Internet, petunias need about five hours of sun every day. I don't think my petunias get that much sun. 

The petunias I chose this year were white and purple. I have a white and yellow flower theme in my front yard, and a white and purple theme in my backyard. The white petunia in my window box planter has a single pink flower on it! I have no idea how that happened. 

My garden is prettier than usual because we had so much rain this spring. The petunias always look a little soggy after a rainstorm, but they bounce back quickly. The ones that are in hanging baskets are the happiest. 

There was a creature in my garden that was trying to kill my petunias last week. I never saw what it was. I sprinkled some hot chili flakes in with my petunias and haven't had a problem since. 

I think petunias are pretty, but I don't like their name. The word "petunia" reminds me of a pig. I think there was a pig named Petunia in the Looney Tunes cartoons. My mom used to make up names for flowers. She called bleeding hearts "droopin' lovers". Maybe I should think of a new name for my petunias. 

Learning from each other's mistakes is very useful. There are many common errors that people make when they are learning a language. Learners who share a native language often make similar mistakes. This is because they are bringing the rules of their own language to their new language.  

Members often send me private messages with questions about the English language. I usually ask them to put their questions on my wall instead. Sometimes I ask them to pose their question at the Grammar Help Desk or in the Help Each Other With English forum. This is because I know many other members probably have the same question, and other members will benefit from the answer if it is out in public view. 

This month I'd like you to share an English mistake that you used to make. This can be any kind of mistake, including a speaking, spelling, pronunciation, punctuation, or grammar error. However, it must be a mistake that you no longer make. You have learned the rules, and you no longer make this mistake. 

Your Task

1) Think of an English mistake that you used to make. This might be a mistake that you see or hear others making.

2) Start a new blog post. Use the title: Writing Challenge: A Mistake I Used To Make

3) Write an opening statement naming the error that you used to make. Be sure to use "used to" in your statement. 

4) Note what kind of mistake this was (spelling, pronunciation, grammar etc.).

5) Explain any tricks you learned for remembering NOT to make this mistake. You can also tell us how you learned the correction. Did a teacher help you? Did you learn from a book, website, or friend? 

6) Come back to this post and share a link to your blog post. 

My Example

A Mistake I Used To Make

I used to write the word "definitely" incorrectly. This is a common spelling mistake. I've never been a strong speller, and I often found myself looking up this word. One day I noticed a spelling tip online. It said that the word definitely has the word "finite" in it. The word "finite" means having limited bounds. Now, whenever I go to write the word "definitely" I remember that it has to have the word "finite" in it. That prevents me from accidentally putting an "a" after the "n". This is also how I learned to spell the word "friend" when I was a young child. I used to reverse the "ie" in some words.  Someone taught me that a "friend" is a friend to the "end". It has the word "end" at the end. I used to be embarrassed about my poor spelling. Now I know that my brain just needs to be taught how to remember the spelling of difficult words in memorable ways. I will definitely keep learning new spelling tricks. 

My father and his wife are doing some traveling this month. Their cruise ship made a stop in Belgium this week, and my stepmom shared an excerpt from her travel diary that I thought you might be interested in. The poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae is one that most Canadian children learn in school, and it is interesting to learn more of the history behind it. My stepmom gave me permission to share her excerpt with you. I hope you find this post as interesting as I did. Maybe it will inspire you to invite a guest to your blog! May 18th is "International Museum Day". Why not ask a friend or family member to write about a museum? 

In Flanders Fields

We were already docked in Zeebrugge when we went for breakfast at the buffet.  Then we went to the Celebrity Theatre to meet up with our tour to Flanders Fields.  The tour guide was excellent and although it was a 7 hour tour, we were so glad we took it.  

First, we travelled about an hour from the port to Ypres and the Tyne Cot Cemetery.  This cemetery is the largest of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in the world with over 12,000 tombstones and then a large wall with names of the missing.  We were stunned to discover that more than ¾ of the tombstones simply read “Known to God”.  The battles were so ferocious that the majority of the dead could not be identified.

The next stop was Ypres and the In Flanders Field Museum.  We arrived about noon and had until 2:30 before we needed to meet the guide.  The museum was amazing and we could have spent the whole day there.  But we left after 1 ½ hours and had lunch in a nearby restaurant on the main square.  The weather was chilly but the sidewalk area was closed in enough to make it pleasant to sit outside.  Ypres is a beautiful town.  It was completely destroyed in WWI with only 5 buildings left and rebuilt as part of the German war reparations.

At 2:30 we met the guide and walked to the Menin Gate.  It is a memorial dedicated to 54,896 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown.  They ran out of space to list all the missing and inscribed another 34,984 missing on the walls at Tyne Cot!  Every evening they still play the Last Post at the Menin Gate.  The only time they didn’t do it was during WWII.  We were stunned to discover that more than half a million Allied troops died in Belgium during WWI and there are 137 CWGC cemeteries in Belgium.

Our last stop was the Essex Farm Cemetery where John McCrae wrote his famous poem and where he was a field doctor and treated wounded and gassed victims.  It was a small cemetery and one of the most touching sights was the grave of 15 year old Valentine Joe Strudwick who was a rifleman. His grave was decorated with poppies and even a teddy bear.

Probably the best ship excursion we've ever taken!

From the travel diary of Mrs. C. Benwell 

P.S The poppies were not blooming in Flanders Fields.  Apparently we just missed them and they will bloom in a couple of weeks.

My older brother built a stage in our basement for my kids last week! We painted the wall behind the stage with chalkboard paint. This way, the kids and their friends can draw whatever scene or message they want for their plays and performances. 

The chalkboard paint has a special warning on it:

Wait three days before drawing on chalkboard surface. 

You can imagine how hard it is for my kids to wait! They are eager to draw their first scene and perform their first show. In the meantime, I can't help wonder what other uses we might find for this chalkboard wall. 

Can you come up with some suggestions for my family?

Share your ideas in the comments below. (Write your comment, or record your comment using video or audio.)

Review this reference page on "Should" to make sure you know how to make suggestions and give advice. Here are some starters for you: 

• You should...
• Your daughter should...
• Your son should...
• Your husband could...
• The kids and their friends could...
• You ought to...
• Why don't you...?
• I recommend + ing (Eg. I recommend writing inspirational quotes on your chalkboard.)
• Why not + base verb...? (Eg. Why not write your grocery list on the board?)
• If I were you, I would ...

a blank slate: someone or something that is in its original state

*This image is of the chalkboard in my front hall. I change the quotes on it regularly. I also have a chalkboard in my garden. 

I just returned from an excellent TESOL convention in Dallas, Texas. The annual convention provides professional development for English language teachers from all over the world. I always enjoy listening to the ideas of teachers, administrators, publishers, and writers. Like every year, I always come home feeling inspired. 

This year, I attended an excellent session on materials writing. In the English language teaching (ELT) industry, a materials writer is someone who writes materials (tests, lesson plans, teaching guides, etc.) for books or educational websites. These are used by English learners and teachers. The speakers in this session included writers, teachers, researchers, publishers, a marketing manager, and an agent. These speakers talked about the trends in ELT publishing, and what writers need to do to create materials that are engaging and effective. Nick Robinson, an agent for writers, asked us to think about this question when writing lesson plans:

"Would students skip lunch to do this lesson?" 

I loved that question, and I will think about it whenever I'm writing materials for English learners from now on.

I was surprised when a marketing specialist suggested in the same session that the net generation isn't using social media networks (and often technology) for "real learning". He suggested that teachers need to find ways to convert online spaces into educational spaces where real learning can take place. I think we should introduce this speaker to MyEC, don't you? Would you help me? 

A few months ago, I wrote a post called The Things We Do on MyEC. My goal was to introduce new members to some of the things teachers and learners do on this site. Today, I would like to extend this challenge to you. There have been so many great blog posts, videos, and challenges this month. These have been created by teachers and learners. Let's show people what YOU do on MyEC to learn and practise English. 

Your Task

1. Create a new blog post. Use the title: "Practising English Online". (If you use MyEC to teach English, you can change the title to Teaching English Online.)

2. In your blog post, write a list of ways that you use EnglishClub and MyEC to learn and practise English (or teach English). Write a short paragraph beside each item. 

3. Share at least one link to a MyEC blog post, challenge, forum discussion, group, or EC web page that you have used to practise and learn English. This may include learning new words, practising writing, practising pronunciation, etc. 

4. Share a link to your post in the comments below. 

This month I will not write an example to go with the challenge, because I want to see your ideas! Have fun! 

BTW - Would you skip lunch to hang out on MyEC with your English friends? Just wondering....

How do you want to be remembered? Write one sentence in the past tense about how you want people to remember you.

For example: "She was a generous neighbour who was always there to lend a hand."

This challenge may change the way you live your life!

Share your sentence with us in one of the following ways:

3 Options For Joining the MyEC One Sentence Challenge

• Take a video of yourself holding up a sign with your sentence. Read the sentence out loud. (just a few seconds please)
• Take a picture of yourself holding your sentence.
• Take a picture/screenshot of your sentence. (If you don't want people to see your picture.)

Upload your video or photo to the MyEC Video or Photo Gallery. Use the title: One Sentence. Use the tag "one sentence" (with quotation marks). If we get enough submissions I will collect them all together and make a video.
Here is an example of the video we can make.

Don't forget to use the tag "one sentence".

This challenge was inspired by David Pink and Larry Ferlazzo.

Hi writers! We've had a few serious months of writing, so now it's time to have a little fun. You'll need a partner for this month's writing challenge! 

Your Task

1) Ask a MyEC friend to write an incomplete sentence that could be the start of a story. 

2) Start a new blog post. Use your friend's sentence to write the beginning of a short story. Use the title: Writing Challenge: Finish my sentence [Be sure to give credit to your friend for the example sentence.] Write for a few minutes until your mind goes blank. End your story mid-sentence. 

3)  Share the beginning of your story with another friend. Ask your friend to continue the sentence  in the comments area of your blog. This friend can end the story or pass it on to someone else.

4) Share the link to your unfinished story in the comments below. Other friends can continue your story until you think it has ended. When the story comes to an end, edit your blog and copy the text into it to create a full story. Remember to give credit to the other writer(s). 

--SAMPLE

My Unfinished Story  

This unfinished sentence was suggested in the MyEC chat room by Ryszard.

Rule #16, never ask a ....... what's on ....... mind.

      Rule #16, never ask a baby what's on her mind. We had been living peacefully as a new family for four days. The baby slept and ate like all good babies do. On the fifth day, she woke up from a nap and looked at me. In that moment, she seemed to know that I was in charge. She let out a wail and looked away. 

     "What's on your mind?" I asked the baby. She wailed harder. I passed the baby to her dad, but she continued to cry.

     "What's wrong with her?" he asked me. 

     "Don't ask me. Ask her," I told him.

     "What's wrong with you?" he asked his daughter. He tried rocking her, walking with her, and even singing her a lullaby. Nothing worked! She continued to cry. He passed her back to me.

    We didn't sleep a wink all night. The baby kept crying and we continued to pass her back and forth. Suddenly at 3:00 am... 

[I am passing this story on to Noaslpls. I hope she will continue it!]

Here are some other examples the MyEC chatters suggested. If you can't find a friend to write an unfinished sentence, you can choose one of these:

• The bright morning seemed to promise...
• If I had wishes, I would wish for
• He needed to work harder to ...
• Suzy was cooking spaghetti, but she forgot to add...
• Having come late home, Tom tried to tip-toe into the house....
• The dog was running and barking at the........

I want to share a quick tip about tagging! A tag is a keyword. You can add tags to the blogs, photos, and videos you post on MyEC. This makes it easier for members to search for specific content. It also helps English learners learn new words! Use a space after each tag. 

If you want to use a phrase or expression with more than one word in your tag, you have to add quotation marks around the words. For example: "Why did the pope quit?". If you don't use quotations, the tag will look like this when you post your content:

Members often ask how to get corrections on their blog posts. The best way is to use the tag "corrections". A teacher or advanced learner might see this tag. They may offer you some tips in the comments of your post. I often offer writing tips when I see that tag. If I don't see your tag, let me know. If someone takes the time to offer a tip, please take the time to edit your content and correct your error. Some members like to show their edits by using the strikeout feature. This helps others learn.Highlight the word or phrase you are changing and choose the S  feature. When you are done, click on the  S  again to disable strikeout. If you are going to help with corrections on blog posts, stick to one or two tips per blog post. Don't correct every error. Nobody learns that way. Instead of making the corrections, you may want to offer suggestions and challenge members to make their own corrections.

Happy tagging! 

Sweety had a great post about some gifts she received in January. She challenged members to share a photo of a gift they had received recently. Sahar shared a beautiful post with a collection of gifts. This inspired me to collect a few gifts that my family received recently. I have a little story to tell you about each gift in this collection. Please use the comments to take a guess about one of the gifts you see. Guess who it was for, who it was from, or why it was important to me or my family members (husband, daughter, or son).  I'll tell you the real answer after you take a guess. 

For example:

I think Tara received one of her favourite books from a neighbour. I bet she enjoyed this book as a child. 

PS-One of the sweetest gifts I received this season couldn't be photographed. It was a special announcement about my book. The publishing team I work with designed it as a gift for me for Christmas and sent it out to thousands of teachers around the world. I was very touched. Have you ever received a touching gift that wasn't a "thing"?

How were your holidays? Did you all enjoy yourselves? I enjoyed myself. My children enjoyed themselves too! They got a new karaoke machine for Christmas. My daughter always sings to herself in the shower, so my husband thought it would be a fun idea to buy her some microphones and a singing machine. Now he is kicking himself. I myself thought it was a good idea for a gift. I never thought about how loud it might be to have a karaoke machine in the basement. We have no one to blame but ourselves. 

Did you notice a pattern in the paragraph above? I used a series of "reflexive pronouns". Reflexive pronouns can be tricky. There are some common errors you need to avoid. I sometimes see MyEC bloggers using reflexive pronouns incorrectly. Please join this month's Writing Challenge. We're going to practise using reflexive pronouns.

Your Task

1) Review EnglishClub's lesson plage on Reflexive Pronouns. Higher level learners can keep reading about Intensive Pronouns on the same page.  Keep in mind a few common errors that English learners make: 

• George and myself I are going for a jog. (If you take "George" out of the sentence, it doesn't make sense. You wouldn't say, "Myself is going for a jog." This is a good way to check whether I, me, or myself is the right word choice.)
• The workers paid for the tickets theirselves  themselves. (Theirselves is not a word. The word you need is "themselves".)   

2) Create a new blog post. Use the title: Writing Challenge - Reflexive Pronouns

3) Write a paragraph about your family and/or friends in 2012 like I did above. You could also write your paragraph about MyEC members, and your experience on MyEC. Try to use at least 5 reflexive pronouns in your paragraph. Use as many as you can (singular and plural). You might want to add a few sentences about your plans for 2013.

4) (Optional) Do you understand how to use intensive pronouns? Try adding a few intensive pronouns. Check your work by removing the pronoun. Does it still make sense? Remember that intensive pronouns are only used for emphasis. They are not a necessary part of the sentence. Use red font to show the intensive pronoun(s) in your paragraph. 

Example: I took that picture myself. = I took that picture. 

5) Leave a comment here with a link to your post! I'll check it and let you know if you need to make some corrections. 

*Please don't skip the step of learning how to use Reflexive Pronouns properly. This page is very useful! 

Here are some useful example sentences: 

• I treated myself to a cup of tea at the mall. 
• I frowned at myself in the mirror. 
• It's good that he can laugh at himself.
• We questioned ourselves about the decision.
• The cat licked itself clean. 
• She taught herself how to handwrite. 
• The father himself was the thief. 
• Did you hurt yourself?
• I dressed quickly and went to work. [Note: We don't use "dressed myself" because it's obvious. You can use a reflexive pronoun with the word "dress" if it's about a child: The toddler dressed herself today! In English, the verbs "shave" and "wash" also don't require a reflexive pronoun.]