Many groups on MyEC use Audioboo to embed sound files on MyEC. Audioboo recently made some changes. To embed on MyEC, you must do the following:
1. Record your audio. Click on Embed.
2. Choose "More Options".
3. From the More Options section, choose "Flash". Copy the code.
4. Click on the Media box and paste the embed code.
Here is the Audioboo video tutorial. Please note the change to embedding Audioboos.
Have fun!
As many of you know, we have a NEW Dictionary App on MyEC. We've experimented a bit over the past few weeks to find a good place for it. The best place seems to be where it is right now, on the bottom left.
When we first added this Dictionary it got in the way of the main chat room. Thank you for your feedback. When we removed the Dictionary, many of you were very unhappy! We're glad you liked it. We looked for a better solution.
The new placement does not get in the way of the main chat room, or the first private chat box. If you have more than one private chat open, however, it may get in the way. All you need to do is simply Pop Out and create a floating window. If you don't know how to pop out of the chat room, watch the demo. Please teach other chatters how to do this as well!
Thank you!
Related:
We all have certain words that send us to the dictionary over and over. Sometimes it's a spelling problem. For example, I have trouble spelling the word "definitely". Other times it's an irregular verb that causes the problem. No matter how many times you read the rules, you still have trouble remembering. Are there certain words that you avoid because you don't want to use them wrong? For me, it's "lay" and "lie". Let's get these words straight once and for all!
Your Task
1) Review EnglishClub.com's lesson "Lay or Lie?".
2) Take the Lay Lie quiz to check your understanding. Review it again! (I did.)
3) Create a new blog post. Use the title "Writing Challenge: I'm not lying."
4) Tell us a lie. Use your imagination. Make it a big lie! Include 1 thing that is true in your lie.
5) Use as many of the following 10 words as you can in your post.
*Advanced learners can also include phrasal verbs with "lay".
6) Double check to make sure you used each one correctly!
7) Come back to this post and share a link to your lie. We will visit your post and try to guess the one thing that is true.
My Example
I was once the manager of a clothing store. One day when I unlocked the store, one of the mannequins was lying on the ground. Somebody had stolen the bottom half of the body! I ran to the front of the shop and laid my keys on the counter. Then I searched around the store. Nothing else seemed out of place. The cash from the day before was right where the night staff had laid it in the safe. I called my boss and told her what had happened. My boss was not happy because she was on vacation. She laid into me for being unreliable, and she accused me of lying! I had a bad reputation for playing jokes on my fellow employees.
"When I come back I'm going to lay down the law!" she said. "No calling me unless it's an emergency. I'm tired of your practical jokes!"
When I got off the phone, my co-worker arrived for her shift. My co-worker's name was Tanya. She was a laid back person like me. She had been laid off over the winter, but she was hired back for spring. Tanya asked why I was crying. I showed her the broken mannequin and her face went red. "I did that," she said.
"Don't lie!" I said.
"I'm not lying," she told me. "I was trying to change its pants to blue jeans, but the pants ripped! I decided to bring the pants home and sew them up. I laid the top half of the mannequin on the ground before I went home for the evening."
"You should have left a note!" I told Tanya. "The night staff always lays notes on the front counter," I reminded her.
Tanya didn't say anything more. She pointed to the front desk where I had laid my keys. Her note was under the keys. It said: Don't panic about the mannequin. I'll put it back together when I come in. The other half of him is lying in the back room.
I sat down where the top of the mannequin had lain all night, and let out a big sigh. I lay against the wall and apologized. Tanya laid the mended clothing on the counter, and went to the back to get the bottom half. We worked together to reassemble and dress the model in blue jeans.
"I lied about one thing," Tanya said after we had put the mannequin back up in the store window."It wasn't pants I was trying to put on the mannequin last night. I was going to dress him in a skirt as a joke."
"The skirts don't fit on the male mannequins!" I told her.
"I know," Tanya said. "It's actually the skirt I had to bring home to mend, " she said. She reached for the clothing that lay on the counter to reveal her handiwork.
We laughed and opened the store for our first customer of the day.
-
Which line is true?
If you're on twitter, give this fun tool a try. I was sad to see my interestingness so low! Fortunately, @EnglishClub gets an "interestingness" rating of 100%. In other words, you should follow @EnglishClub.
I recently came across a wonderful blog post by English language teacher Chiew Pang. Chiew is a famous blogger in the international English language teaching community. He interviews teachers and shares lots of great resources. His recent post "Know your photos; know your camera" on the ELTPics blog was full of great tips and ideas for teachers. I asked him to rewrite it for English learners so that I could share it with all of you. I was so happy that he agreed! If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's this: It doesn't hurt to ask! I hope all of you will invite a guest blogger to your blog this month. (Check out: How to invite a guest blogger to your blog.)
How to Make the Most of Your Compact Camera by Chiew Pang
First of all, there's nothing wrong with a point-and-shoot. Try to learn its strengths and weaknesses and use your eyes and imagination. A great photographer can produce sensational shots with a basic camera, but the best camera money can buy won't guarantee you a sensational photo. Remember that it's the carpenter, not the tool.
The next thing you do is to take out the manual and have another read. Learn the names of the parts of your camera. Know its features. Apart from the physical parts of the camera, know what these following important words mean:
aperture(also known as f-stop): this controls the amount of light entering through the lens. Note that a small f-number means a bigger opening, allowing more light to enter. It usually has an 'f' displayed before a number, e.g. f2.8, f16. Generally, when you shoot in bright light, the lens will need less light, so the camera reduces the opening, for example f11, f16 or even f22. The opposite happens when there isn't enough light: the camera increases the aperture, for example, f2.8 (more light enters).
depth of field: this refers to the range between the nearest and the farthest object in sharp focus. Generally speaking, you'll want the greatest depth in a landscape shot, but the opposite on a portrait. The other important thing to remember is that the higher the f-number the more depth of detail you will get.
exposure (or shutter speed): this is the amount of time the aperture remains open. Although most cameras now have image stabilization features, using speeds of less than 1/60th of a second may produce blurry shots. In these cases, use a tripod if you have one; otherwise, support your camera on a steady surface. You can get a mini-tripod cheaply, and they're fabulous!
ISO: International Standards Organization. A low value means that the "film" is less sensitive to light (= needs more light) but it also gives the best quality, for example ISO 64. A higher value means the opposite.
JPG or JPEG: this is the file format most of you are familiar with, and, unfortunately, is the only type most point-and-shoot will allow you to save your photos in. Just remember that it is a lossy format, meaning it's compressed and each time you save the file, some detail will be lost. So, avoid editing edited pictures. Use the original wherever possible.
RAW is a lossless format.
Megapixels: This is the number of pixels a digital camera can record. 1 megapixel = 1 million pixels. Contrary to popular belief, greater does not always mean better.
Know your camera
So, how would knowing these terms help you shoot better photos with your little automatic camera? Well, first of all, even fully automatic cameras do give you a certain amount of control. You can probably control the ISO, you can compensate the exposure, and you can use the "scene" modes, where the camera adjusts the aperture/speed according to the scene you choose, for example, beach, candlelight, or portrait.
Don't shake!
Get into the habit of holding your camera with both hands (see photos below). Make sure your body is stable: stand with legs slightly apart, feet flat on the ground, not on tiptoes! If doing frog's eye (see below), lie down flat, supporting your hands on both elbows. You can also put the camera on the floor. If you want to be on a squatting level, go down on one knee, or sit down.
The right way
The wrong way
Distance from the subject
Your camera is likely to be equipped with both optical and digital zoom. Avoid digital zoom. If you can move closer physically, do it. When doing close-ups using macro mode, use a tripod, if possible, and learn to use the self timer. Pressing the shutter manually usually involves a little shake.
Angle and level
This is one aspect of photography a lot of casual photographers ignore. Most people snap their photos from a standing position. They use three angles: up, down and straight.
Apart from the angles, the level you shoot from can make a big difference to your photo. The three basic levels are bird's eye (overhead shot), eye-level (straight ahead) and frog's eye (low). Try taking a shot using all angles and levels of the same subject, and see the difference! Or walk around one day and shoot everything from one level, such as frog's eye.
Bird's Eye
Frog's Eye
Frog's eye, looking level
Focus
This isn't so simple with fully automatic cameras. If you're shooting portraits or close-ups, the idea is to have the subject in sharp focus, and the rest in soft focus. The following photo was taken at 1/320s with an f-stop of 2.8, ISO-80. Notice that the rose remains in focus while the background, in contrast, is a little softer. It's important to focus on the subject, and click on the shutter gently. If the subject isn't in the centre of your frame, you'd still need to focus on it, press gently, but without going all the way. The camera will register the optimum settings. Without letting your finger go, re-frame the shot the way you want, and now, click the shutter all the way.
Framing
Try to frame the photo in your mind before clicking. Are you interested in the background, or just the main subject? Or is there something even more interesting about the subject, such as the ring on her finger, or the tattoo on her neck? Move closer, or farther. Turn more to the left, or to the right. Angle upwards, or downwards. Which format suits better: portrait or landscape? Think about shapes and spaces. Look behind the subject: would he look like he had a tree growing from his head? Try to keep your photos "clean" and "tidy".
Lighting
Where's the light? Is the subject squinting? At the same time, remember that with the light behind your back, the subject's face will be clearer. If the light is behind the subject, it makes its form more noticeable.
Shooting subjects from behind can sometimes be very interesting. Observe shadows, play around with contrasts. If you want your main subject to appear darker, focus on a brighter area, press the shutter gently to get the settings before re-framing and clicking all the way (see Focus above).
The best time for day shoots are early morning and early evening, where the light is softer. The light offered by bright sunny days, contrary to popular belief, is just too harsh. Try stepping into shadows, or as I mentioned above, observe the contrasts.
I normally avoid using flash because the light is just too hard. If you wish to take photos in low-light conditions, use a tripod or rest the camera on a steady surface. Use the self timer.
In this image below, the camera was pointed to the sky first to get an exposure of 1/200s, f8.0; with these settings, the buildings and the tree appear as silhouettes against the brighter sky.
1/200s, f/8.0, ISO80
Try doing some black-and-whites for impact or nostalgia.
So, there you have it. You're now ready to be more adventurous and to take great shots with your point-and-clicks!
All the above photos were taken by myself using a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS62, and, no, I wouldn't mind a Nikon D7000, thank you very much :-)
For more samples of my photos, look in Flickr.
More from Chiew
IASKU (interviews with teachers who dare to be different)
Follow @aClilToClimb on Twitter
Note: Teachers, please see the original ELTpics post "know your photos; know your camera". You'll find some great ideas on using ELTpics in the language classroom.
A previous guest post on Tara's blog: Chippie Gets Busted
Learner challenge: Let's work together to create a glossary for this post. Choose one word in bold and write a definition (in your own words). You could also take a frog's eye or bird's eye photo and upload it to the MyEC photo gallery. Share a link to your picture in the comments below.
Here is a taste of some of the things we do on MyEC for those who have not yet joined this club. I grabbed a few examples from the past week! Imagine what we've done over the past few years...
Each month I post a writing challenge on my blog. In 2012, we're concentrating on common errors that I noticed writers making in 2011. This month we're practising using commas properly. Check out Robbie's model example! (The instructions for this month's challenge are here.) Writers are given a task and a model each month. They participate on their own blogs.
On Wednesdays some of us participate in Wordless Wednesday. A member posts a picture and friends have to write captions. The best caption is added to the photo the following Wednesday. I recently invited members to try ELTPics for images.
Our photo moderator, Nadiyah, is always posting fun Photo Challenges. This week she challenged members to create infographics as they practise using personality adjectives. She's sneaky about getting members to use English. She's an English learner herself, as all of our moderators are! I can't wait to see which tool she introduces next!
We're working on having moderated chats in the MyEC chat room. We started a new official Chat Group and have added a few tutorials for members who want to lead these chats. We showed them how to write a summary like teachers do for #ELTChat on twitter. This week Shika hosted a #hobbychat. I can't wait to hear how it went.
There was also a #musicchat this week. We're looking for the next MyEC DJ. Miley J has applied! Do you think she'd make a great DJ? I do! She is a star in Selma's popular Karaoke group.
Our members often review the new features on our site. We recently added a Dictionary feature. It's at the bottom right corner of the screen. Some members love it, and some don't. The feedback from our members helps us choose which features to keep and which to remove or change. Hardi reviewed the Dictionary app. He has been with us since the beginning, and is our resident comedian.
As you can see, MyEC is a great place to practise English. This is why almost 50, 000 people have joined! There are plenty of activities to try. The site is full of learners and teachers from around the world. Make friends as you learn English. It's your club!
Do you love music? Do you love discovering and sharing new music and bands with your friends? You could be our official MyEC DJ! March is Music in our Schools Month, and this reminded me how fun it is to learn English through music! We need one member of MyEC to help introduce English music to our members. Are you the one?
The MyEC DJ will:
1) Lead #musicchat in the MyEC Chat Room once a week/month. (The DJ will choose the day.)
2) Feature a Song of the Month in the MyEC Video Gallery. (Includes a description or comment about why this song was chosen.)
3) Write (or assign another member to write) a blog post about something music related once a month. (About a musician, an awards ceremony, a new band, etc.)
How to Apply:
Write a blog post (or record a video) about why you should be MyEC's official DJ. Use the blog title MyEC DJ. Use the tag #MyECDJ. Include the following:
1) Why you consider yourself a music lover.
2) The different types of music you love.
3) Your favourite song and band.
4) Why you want to be the MyEC DJ.
*English language learners and teachers are welcome to apply.
WINNER: MileyJ
As soon as MileyJ said she'd like to be the MyEC DJ, we knew she would be the one! One look at her page, and you'll see she is a huge music lover! Like every great DJ, Miley shares her love of music with anyone who will listen. Congratulations MileyJ!
I love infographics. An infographic is a visual representation of information. It is a great way to summarize research or a survey. It's kind of like an online poster. Here is a great infographic about blogging.
I'm currently working on a NEW Writing Guide for EnglishClub.com. (You've seen the NEW Reading Guide, right?) This infographic is a sneak preview of what it will be about.
Can you create your own infographic and post it on your blog? Try to choose a font that is easier to read than the one I used! Also, mine has a bit too much text! If you need images, try ELTpics. Be sure to credit your image source if necessary.
Note: This summary was created as an example for those interested in moderating a chat in the MyEC Chat Room. Please refer to the "How to Write a Chat Summary" for more details. If you are interested in moderating topic based chats, please join the NEW chat group and review all MyEC Topic Chat Pages.
SUMMARY
Chat Topic: Food Habits
Date:February 21, 2012
Hashtag used: #foodchat
Moderated by: Tara
Chatters: Lara, Nadira, Ibra, Naveed, Javier, JK, fdagato, truth
In order to show other chatters how to write a summary, I needed to moderate a chat. During the chat I took a few notes. We didn't have a topic in mind, but Naveed suggested we talk about food habits.
Before we began I asked chatters not to start private chats with me. This pops me out of the main chat and is distracting. It's best to stay in the main room during a moderated chat. We chose the hashtag #foodchat, and I reminded participants to add it in each chat message. We reviewed how to write to or respond to a chatter specifically by using the @ sign. (Example: @Nadira What did you have for breakfast? #foodchat)
We started out by discussing our poor eating habits. Some of us don't eat breakfast. Nadira mentioned that she snacks regularly because of digestion problems. I talked about how I had been eating too many leftover cupcakes from a birthday party I had hosted. Javier mentioned the importance of eating more when you are exercising. I talked about my Zumba class, and JK mentioned that he did yoga.
Later we got onto the topic of vegetarianism. JK is a vegetarian. He explained that vegans don't eat eggs. We debated whether or not a person who eats fish can be called a vegetarian or not.
Next we talked about food allergies. Nadira said she was allergic to prawns. These shellfish give her a rash.
Nadira was very helpful in keeping the conversation going. She asked what staples people from different countries have. Her staple food is rice. Mine is bread. Ibra said he didn't like bread. He mentioned couscous. I requested help for cooking couscous as I have some in my cupboard. Ibra shared a website for Moroccan food (I forgot to save the link, sorry).
Fdagato said the chat was making him hungry. That reminded me that I had to go and prepare dinner. I told everyone that I was preparing breakfast for dinner: eggs and bacon on cheese bagels.
It was a great #foodchat! Thanks to all who participated.
Here is a Word Search using some words from this chat.
Here's a related blog challenge:Write about your worst eating habit. What can you do to fix this problem? Share a link to your post.
Who will host the next chat?
What is the difference between a comma and a period? A comma is a pause. A period is a full stop.
In English, punctuation is important. If you care about your readers, learn how to use punctuation properly. We all make mistakes sometimes. In fact, I have to look up comma rules regularly. This is one of my favourite resources for advanced comma questions.
The most common punctuation error I see on MyEC is the comma splice. This is the use of a comma instead of a period between two independent clauses (when no conjunction is used). It's easy to spot this error when the sentences are short:
Error: My name is John Smith, I am a farmer.
Correction: My name is John Smith. I am a farmer. OR My name is John Smith, and I am a farmer.
Some English learners think long sentences are better. They think long sentences make their writing look more advanced. I disagree! As a teacher, I'd rather see short sentences written correctly than long sentences with many incorrectly placed commas. When in doubt, use two or three short sentences to get your idea across. After you learn how to use commas correctly, play around with sentence variety.
Your Task
1) Review EnglishClub.com's lesson on How to use a Comma. There are 12 types of commas mentioned in this lesson.
2) Start a new blog post. Call your post Writing Challenge: Correcting Commas.
3) Write 12 sentences about MyEC or its members. Your sentences will show that you know how to use each of the 12 different types of commas from EnglishClub.com's lesson. (see my examples)
*For #12, find a comma splice on a MyEC blog post. Copy the sentence and write the correction. (No need to mention where you found the error.).
4) Come back and share a link to your post in the comments! I will check your sentences.
My Example
Correcting Commas: 12 Example Sentences
1) In a list:
Robbie likes writing blogs, making videos, and drawing illustrations to go with his blog posts.
2) Between 3 or more adjectives or adverbs:
The MyEC photo gallery is an educational, colourful, moderated space for English practice.
3) With two adjectives:
The Learning English Video Project is an informative, entertaining documentary.
4) With numbers:
The 50,000th member of MyEC was Mogal Satish.
5) For addresses or dates:
Our 50,000th member arrived on December 30, 2011. He was from Maharashtra, India.
6) For direct speech:
JK said, "Just ignore that chatter. He's a troublemaker."
"Thank you," the new member said. "Can you show me how to use the ignore button?"
7) Before a coordinating conjunction:
Tara was away from the Audio Speaking Group for a while, but Ohnie and others filled in.
8) For parenthetical elements:
Josef, who is the founder of EnglishClub, posted a great photo from Vietnam.
9) After an introductory element:
After creating a new photo challenge, Nadiyah invited her friends to join.
10) With sentence adverbs:
Our 20,000th member, not surprisingly, was overwhelmed by our welcome messages.
11) With adverbial clauses:
a) If ESL Teacher Lisa Jo moderates a chat on MyEC, many chatters will participate.
b) Many MyEC chatters will participate if Lisa Jo moderates the chat. (no comma)
12) Run-on sentence correction:
Error found: It seems that you have good news about your work, you are clever, and you will succeed.
Correction: "It seems that you have good news about your work. You are clever, and you will succeed."
Tip for challenge participants: Copy and paste my list of 12 into your blog post. Delete my example sentences and write your own for each of the 12 types.
Note: There are always exceptions to language rules. You will find commas used in other ways. It's always best to learn the basic rules before you learn how to break them.
I've spent a bit of time in the chat room over the last few days. I know that MyEC is a great social network for English learners and teachers, but I also know that we can do a better job of keeping our chat room focused on English learning. Many chatters have requested moderated chats. A moderated chat works best when a specific topic is chosen. For example, every Wednesday English language teachers participate in a moderated chat on Twitter called #ELTchat. We have a different topic each week. This week we talked about teaching exams, such as TOEFL.
Who is the moderator in a moderated chat?
You don't have to be admin to be a moderator in a moderated chat. You just have to be a leader. Any mature person in the MyEC chat room can be a leader. If you want to host a weekly chat at a certain time, let me know! Teachers and learners are welcome to try.
What is the # for?
The # defines the topic. Yesterday we had a #musicchat a #foodchat and an #examchat. Today we had a #happychat. We talked about things that made us happy. When people start to get bored of the topic, the moderator can change it. For example, Katy wanted to change the subject to #sadchat. This worked well. Some topics, such as #religionchat may not be good for MyEC. These topics make people say mean things. It is better to talk about heated topics face to face. Annoying members will suggest annoying topics. Just ignore them!
What about people who don't want to participate?
The NEW MyEC chat has an IGNORE button. Simply ignore anyone who is not participating. (They won't even realize you did it. You don't have to feel bad about it.) Or, ignore anyone who is being rude. (Watch the video to see how well this works. Practise with a friend to make sure you know how to ignore annoying members.)
How do I address someone specifically in a moderated chat?
Use @ to respond to someone specifically.
For example: @Ario What's your favourite team? #sportschat
What about private chat?
Try to stay in the main room during a moderated chat. Don't bother the moderator or other chatters by starting private chats.
Let's collect a large list of chat topics that MyEC chatters can use when the main room needs to focus on something. In the comments, suggest a chat topic. I'll add the best ones to an official list.
1) #langchat
2) #foodchat
3) #travelchat
4) #musicchat
5) #newschat
6) #grammarchat
Do you all know about the NEW feature in the MyEC chat room? It's the "Ignore"button.
To find this button, make sure you have popped out of chat first.This will make the chat room window bigger.
After you pop out, you can see the names of the people you are chatting with in the main room and in private rooms. Click on a name to see the drop down menu. Choose Ignore.
Why would you need to "Ignore" chatters in the MyEC chat room?
*Please report serious issues using the Report a Member form. A serious issue is typically related to the safe operation of this club and the security of its members. If the "ignore" button does not resolve your issue with this member, then you can use the form. If you think the member should be banned, take a screenshot of the abuse and send it to my inbox. Admin can't ban bad chatters unless you include the link to the member's profile page. (The name is not enough. These people play games by changing their names or avatars.) From the drop down menu choose "View Profile". Copy and paste the URL of the chatter's profile page and provide it in the report.
Discussion question: As many of you know, we have a few bad apples on MyEC. These chatters are banned weekly (sometimes daily). They aren't here to learn or teach English. They have nothing better to do. Perhaps they have no job, school, or loved ones. It makes me sad. These "members" change their names, email addresses, and avatars over and over. What suggestions do you have for this problem? Should we ban IP addresses? If yes, what about people who use public computers? Should we simply "ignore" them? What would happen if we all "ignored" these chatters and focused on all of the good things on MyEC instead? Would they become disinterested and leave?
Please share your suggestions and ideas!
We finally announced the 2011 ESL Site of the Year winner! Congratulations to PhraseMix! Please take a moment to check out this great site and congratulate Aaron. You can find PhraseMix on twitter or Facebook. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in the poll. We truly believe this website deserved to win!
Each month EnglishClub looks through several websites and chooses a Site of the Month to review and feature. Check out this month's winner. If you have any suggestions for sites, let me know.
Another great site to check out is Wordsmith! This is the vocabulary site that came 1st in the Macmillan Dictionary Love English Awards. Wordsmith worked very hard to beat EnglishClub, and came out 271 votes ahead. With 7370 votes, EnglishClub was proud to receive the runner up award for Best Website 2011! A huge thank you to Macmillan and everyone who voted for us.
Finally, if you are a teacher, you may be interested in the recent award that was announced by EnglishClub.com's sister site, TEFL.net. Film English was the winner of TEFL.net's 2011 Site of the Year award. This site has great lessons that teachers can use with films. Check it out, and please take a moment to congratulate the winner. If you have any suggestions for sites that we should review for TEFL.net, please let us know. Be sure to visit monthly to see the latest winners.
Welcome to the first Writing Challenge of 2012! This year we will be focusing on some specific problems that I noticed in your writing in 2011. Each month I will challenge you to become an expert in a certain aspect of the English language.
This month we are going to work on uncountable nouns. Do you ever catch a friend using the word informations? What about the word advices? These are not English words. Information and advice are uncountable nouns. They don't have plural forms and we treat them as singular. Can you think of some others? Write them down! Then you will be ready to take this month's challenge.
Your Task
1. Review this lesson on uncountable nouns. Come up with at least five uncountable nouns that you want to use. (Ten would be great!)
2. Open up a blog post. Use the title Writing Challenge: Uncountable Nouns
3. Write a letter to a MyEC friend using your uncountable words. Highlight all of the words that are uncountable. Be careful. There are a few words that can be both countable or uncountable.
4. Share your letter with your friend, and challenge him or her to answer with uncountable nouns.
5. Share a link to your letter in the comments below.
My Example
Dear Karenina,
Welcome back to MyEC! We missed you so much. You are a member who is admired for your knowledge and beauty. When you were gone everyone wrote to me. They said, "Where's the lovely Karenina?". You are a MyEC celebrity because you treat people like royalty*. In fact, you are the K in this ABC's of EC video! You always give people great advice for living and learning. Sometimes I think I can hear your laughter in your comments.
Your friendship is very important to me. I wish we could get together for tea. Do you take milk and sugar? I prefer honey. Should we have an online tea party?
Well, I guess I should get going. I need to put the rice on. We're having a stir fry for dinner. I'm waiting for some furniture to arrive. My kids are getting new dressers. They are graduating from their plastic storage bins!
Bye for now,
Love Tara
PS-Karenina: Will you accept this month's writing challenge? Write back using 5-10 uncountable nouns. Post your response on your blog following the instructions above.
*royalty in this case is used collectively to refer to members of a royal family. When do we use the plural "royalties"?
Winning caption by @Amirhosein: "The world is full of red lights which want to stop you, or maybe yellow ones which pause you for a while. But the truth is, there is always the green one."
You can create a Wordless Wednesday challenge on your own blog post too. If you don't have a photo of your own to use, try ELTPics. Learn how to use ELTPics in your blog posts here.
Winning Caption by Nadiyah: Welcome to Baby Traders! You order, We deliver
Image by @CliveSir via ELTPics.
You can create a Wordless Wednesday challenge on your own blog post too. If you don't have a photo of your own to use, try ELTPics. Learn how to use ELTPics in your blog posts here.
Thank you to all of the MyEC members who have taken my Writing Challenges in 2011. I enjoy reading and correcting your writing. You inspire me! You should be very proud of what you have accomplished.
We are coming to the end of a year, and it's time to reflect on the past and prepare for the future. One word that helps us do this in English is the word "if". Do you know how to use this word properly?
Your Task
1. Review the structure of Conditionals on EnglishClub.com. Take the quiz to check your understanding.
2. Start a new blog post on MyEC. Use the Title: Writing Challenge #38: "If Only". Choose a theme (such as health, nutrition, education, work) to base your writing on. (Place it in brackets.)
3. Write one sentence for each type of conditional. Check your writing by reviewing the conditionals summary chart. (Optional for higher level learners: Write a brief paragraph after each sentence. See my example.)
4. Come back to this post and leave a link to your "If only" blog post in the comments below. (Alternatively, you could just write your sentences in the comments below as Expector has done.)
5. Read other #38 posts and leave a comment for your fellow writers.
My Example
IF ONLY (My Writing Life)
First Conditional: Real possibility (future)
If I read a lot in 2012, I will write a new novel.
I don't feel inspired to write fiction unless I am reading something good. Over the past few months I have experienced "reader's block". I have had a hard time finding a novel that I want to read. My mind has been distracted. This has blocked me from writing fiction of my own. I need to get back into reading before I can get back into writing!
Second Conditional: Unreal possibility (future)
If Oprah interviewed me, I could have more children!
My husband used to joke that we could have more kids if I got on the Oprah Show to talk about my novel, The Proper Order of Things. Books that Oprah talks about always become bestsellers (raising children is expensive!). The Oprah Show was canceled this year. I didn't get on the show. But you never know! Maybe I could Skype in for her new Life Class and talk about self-publishing (unreal possibility-like winning the lottery). If Oprah liked my book, I would be rich!
Third Conditional: No possibility (past)
If I had sold a million books in 2011, I would have found a publisher.
Many writers chose to self-publish in 2011. I was one of them. Some self-published writers sold many books. They received publishing deals from traditional publishers such as Random House. Their hard work paid off. I will have to work harder in 2012 to get my book into the hands of readers. It's hard work being a self-published novelist.
Zero Conditional: Certainty (any time)
I am happier if I am writing. (If I write, I am happy.)
Writing makes me happy. I always have a good day if I take time to write (longhand) in my notebook. If I am working on a specific project, I am happy. Blogging makes me happy too. In 2011 I spent a lot of time formatting, publishing, and promoting "The Proper Order of Things". This was necessary work, but not always fun. In 2012 I will make more time for reading and writing new material.
Note for Writing Challenge Members: #38 is the last Writing Challenge for 2011. In 2012 the Writing Challenges will no longer be numbered. We will practise specific lessons and problems that English learners have, such as this challenge about Conditionals. If you have any requests, please let me know!
Each month on EnglishClub we feature a new Site of the Month for English learners.
We know that it can take a lot of time and effort to find useful sites for learning English online. Our Site of the Month selections are used by learners and teachers all over the world.
At the end of the year we choose a Site of the Year. Please help us choose the best site for 2011! The EnglishClub team will take your votes into consideration when making the final decision.
Winning caption by Kezang Tshering: "Finally! The price of potatoes goes down."
Image by Victoria B via ELTPics.
Funny note:
This week I could not decide between this potato picture and this hilarious image recommended by @fionamau. (Would anyone else like to use it? Go ahead and create your own Wordless Wednesday post with an ELTpic. Just follow the rules for giving credit to the photographer.)
We all learn new things in a different way. Some people learn best one way more than another.
Personally, I need to read something in order to learn it well. I like to take notes and rewrite what I've learned. Wise quotes help me take in important information. I need to see a map or read directions if I want to go somewhere new. You could say I'm a visual learner. Visual learners need to see something in front of them, such as a diagram, a video, or a written explanation in order to learn it well.
Other types of learners need to hear something before they learn it well. They also like to discuss topics or present their findings after they've learned about it. These are called auditory learners. Podcasts and lessons with an audio component are useful for these types of learners. A GPS that talks to you is probably a good investment for an auditory learner.
Other people are kinesthetic learners. These people learn best through their own personal experience. They enjoy being active while they learn. The best way to learn English for a kinesthetic learner may be to visit a foreign country or to take part in an online chat. Kinesthetic learners are not afraid to take new routes to discover their way around.
How do YOU learn English most effectively?Will you learn English more quickly if you try an approach that suits you better? I hope you'll agree that EnglishClub.com offers learning solutions for all different types of learners!
Note: This topic was inspired by today's #edchat on twitter. If you are a teacher (always a learner), consider joining this educational chat each Tuesday!
Visual Learners
Auditory Learners
Kinesthetic Learners
Check out How to Make a Paper Snowflake. Why might this video appeal to all 3 types of learners?
