Tara Benwell's Posts

Audio Challenge #2: Fotobabble

Posted by Tara Benwell on November 18, 2010

Have you heard of Fotobabble? This is a really fun way to bring your pictures to life! Fotobabble is free and very easy to use if your computer has a built in microphone. Do you know what "babble" means? It means to talk on and on (often about nothing important).I was very excited to learn that you could embed your photo story in a MyEC blog. You can also share a link to your Fotobabbles via your status update. Try it out! Then come back and share a link to your Fotobabble in the comments below.

Here is the true story that goes with this photo.RelatedAudio Challenge #1

Writing Challenge #25: 7 Secrets

Posted by Tara Benwell on November 4, 2010

I receive this question every day! What is the secret to learning English? English learners would love to have a magic recipe. They want a fast track to fluency! If only there was an English pill they could take, all of their dreams would come true.Well, we all know there is no English potion or pill. Learning a new skill takes persistance. It involves hard work AND lots of time to play. Of course, there are some tips that can make language learning easier. Have you all subscribed to Josef's 7 Secrets for ESL Learners? I only subscribed recently. It's fantastic! You get a new secret in your inbox each day for one week. After that you get a weekly tip. If anyone knows of a 7 Secrets for Learning French...please send it my way!Do you have any secrets to language learning? What works for you may also work for a friend. This month we are going to write a post called 7 Secrets. Your post can be 7 Secrets to Learning English (like mine) OR 7 Secrets to ...(any other topic that you are skilled at, such as knitting or buying a car or finding a roommate or learning German).Your Task1. Choose a topic (7 Secrets to ...)2. Open a new blog post. Use the title "Writing Challenge #25: 7 Secrets to ..."3. Write your post in list form, with a short description after each secret. (Use hyperlinks to improve the quality of your post.)4. NEW STEP: Create a social marketing plan! You will get more readers if you actively share your blog post. Think of 3 ways to market (share) your blog post! Leave a note at the bottom of your post telling us HOW you plan to market your 7 secrets.5. Publish your blog post and come back and leave a comment with a link.

My Example:Title: 7 Secrets to Learning English1. Stick to a Blog ScheduleChoose one day each week to write a blog post. You can blog on other days too, but whatever you do, don't miss your blog day. On my personal blog, I am now blogging on Sundays. I made a promise to myself and I'm sticking to it! (I thank Karenne Sylvester for this reminder.) When is your blog day?2. Follow the EnglishClub FeedThe sidebar of MyEC shows What's New on EnglishClub.com. You will find articles, questions, Site of the Month, This Week in History, News, and other activities and challenges. You will find listening and reading exercises. Read each article AND add a comment. Don't forget to leave a comment. The comment section is a great way to meet friends and find secrets from other learners and teachers!3. Watch 1 English movie every weekWho doesn't like watching movies? Even if you have to watch it on YouTube or on MyEC videos, you'll pick up a lot of English as you watch. Pick a movie night (or morning) and stick to it. Why not start a movie club on MyEC? Who will be the first to create this group? After you watch it you can chat, blog, or have a group discussion about it.4. Track your ProgressI've said this before! No matter how small of a step you take, it's a good idea to track your progress. This will make you want to stay on schedule. You can do this in a notebook, in an email to yourself or a learning partner or in this group. Self-study learners MUST give themselves gold stars!5. Get Back on the WagonLife gets in the way sometimes. If you don't log in to EnglishClub.com for a while, you can always come back. Don't feel guilty. Just jump back on the wagon and start thinking in English again. Here are some more tips for making English learning a habit.6. Pair your Passion with EnglishWhat are you passionate about? Writing is my passion. I write for fun and I write for work. What about you? Are you passionate about cars or animal rights or smart phones? Find a group that is associated with your interests. Read books or magazines related to your dreams. Watch movies that interest you. Create a MyEC group related to your passion! Chances are you will find other English learners who share your passion! You won't even realize you are practising English.7. Figure out how you learn bestAre you a visual learner? If yes, why not use the MyEC Photo gallery to practise English. Join in Wordless Wednesday and Picture it. Create Wordles. Build a picture dictionary! Watch videos. Do you learn best by listening? Find podcasts for English learners! Listen to the news and the radio. Record your own voice. Record your blog posts! Listen to books on tape. Do you learn best by reading? I do! If you tell me how to get somewhere I will NEVER find you. I need to see it on a map. (I hate listening to the GPS in our car.) I need to see the street names. My husband learns best by "doing". He has a hard time sitting in a classroom and can't sit and read for long periods of time. We all learn differently. Don't feel bad about how you learn best. Figure out which type of learner you are and work with it!My 3 step marketing plan:1. Share with all of the active writing challenge participants (I will invite them via their wall. I will not send a mass email to all friends. Some view this as spam. Instead I will share it with all of those who took part in #23 and #24.)2. Share a link on twitter (other English learners or teachers may find it that way) using the tag #twinglish and #learnenglish.3. Share on EnglishClub.com's Facebook page (this will reach almost 14, 000 friends).

Let's Play "Jeopardy"

Posted by Tara Benwell on October 29, 2010

PLEASE NOTE THAT DEUCE HAS TRACKED ALL OF THE WORDS AND GUESSES.Here is a fun word game we can play together. Do you all know the American game show "Jeopardy"? In the game show, the contestants see the definitions of words or phrases based on a specific category. ExampleCategory: MoviesSample Answer : "A film about droids in space."The contestants see the answer and have to guess the question. They hit their buzzers when they think they know the word or phrase that is being described. Their answers are stated in the form of a question.Buzz: What is Star Wars?This is the kind of game we play on EnglishClub.com's Facebook page. Now that we have almost 13, 500 friends, these games are a little more difficult because people answer simultaneously. You can lose your turn or get all mixed up pretty quickly. I thought we'd try this game here on MyEC. You can leave your guess (or your definition if it's your turn) in the comments.For categories, let's use word forms! Start with a definition and guess the word. I'll write the first one.Let's Play...My Quiz QuestionCategory: Nouns*Definition: "The process of having original ideas that are of value."What's the word? Buzz in if you know! Be sure to leave your answer in the form of a question.In the comments you can guess mine and add your own. To respond to someone else's quiz, use @Tara or @Nadiyah or @whoeverelsehasaquizquestion. Please come back often to let people know if they answered correctly. Please try to write a definition in your own words rather than copying from a dictionary.*This is Sir Ken Robinson's definition of the word I am thinking of. I just watched a video that inspired this post. I'll share it after you answer correctly.

Your Home Deserves a Whiteboard

Posted by Tara Benwell on October 26, 2010

An amazing English teacher named Jason recently invited English teachers to share examples of how they use the whiteboard in class. Teachers use whiteboards and blackboards for all kinds of reasons, and the best teachers also share their whiteboards with students! It is hard to imagine a classroom without one. Interactive whiteboards are cool too. I recently read about a school where the whole wall was a whiteboard. Okay, so we all agree that a whiteboard is an essential classroom tool, but what about a household necessity?I'd like to take this a step further and suggest that every home should have a whiteboard, especially a home where there are English learners (or teachers) living. My daughter is six and is determined to be a teacher. She recently begged me to put a whiteboard up in the house. Well, guess what folks? It could be the best 30 dollars I've ever spent. We use the whiteboard for all kinds of things, most importantly, encouraging my four year old anti-learner that learning is fun! (Pst don't tell him that he learned something today.)One of the most important rules about teaching is that you need to understand what your learners are interested in! My little one currently has a fascination with monsters (though he is petrified of his own Halloween scarecrow costume). He loves monsters (even Mommy as a zombie doesn't scare him), but he IS A MONSTER when it comes to learning his letters and sounds. He runs away, screams, and tears apart the house if he thinks you're going to teach him something. You have to be creative when it comes to four year olds...This is what we did on our whiteboard today:First I wrote words at the top that he recognizes. This week he's learned my name, his name, and his blanket's name. We're also working on the word "monster". (He recognizes capital letters better right now, but we do practise both.)

We each created a dot-to-dot monster. Then we completed each other's monster.

I asked him what the monsters said and wrote the sounds in speech bubbles.

Once I knew he was into it, I threw in some letters. Which letters did the monster steal? He doesn't like to circle. (He has caught on that this is "learning". He does love to scribble or erase! I told him which letters to scribble.)

He has a bit of trouble with the letters C and K. He calls them both "key". I made a "C" monster and he made an "O" monster. (We also adapted Cookie Monster's song and sing it to the Sesame Street tune: "C is for cookie. There is no letter called "key" (repeat 3 times)...Oh a "key" is what you put inside a door...")

Have you ever thought about putting up a whiteboard in your home?Some Ideas for your Home WhiteboardWrite a word of the dayWrite an idiom of the dayWrite a quote of the day (I have a blackboard in my garden for this purpose.)Translate your dinner recipeWrite love notes to your better halfWrite daily chores or reminders for your family membersWrite your weekly progress or goalsReasons to have an English Whiteboard in your HomeEncourage others who live with you to practise EnglishImprove your handwriting skillsSee English every dayShare your experiencesRemember new vocabularyDoodle in English (match your images to words and remember them more easily)Try out your English lessons at home! Teach your friends and family members.

Writing Challenge #24: Blog Action Day

Posted by Tara Benwell on October 15, 2010

October 15th is Blog Action Day! What does this mean? This means bloggers around the world are writing about the same topic. The goal of Blog Action Day is to bring about a global change. This year's Blog Action Topic is "water". I am excited that the MyEC bloggers can join this global blogging challenge this year! Please write your post and tell your friends.Your Task:1. Start a new blog. Call it "Writing Challenge #24: Blog Action Day"2. Write a "Did you Know?" paragraph about water in your country. Tell us something interesting that we may not know. Imagine your paragraph as a sidebar: a "fun fact" that would appear in a magazine.Here are some ideas for topics:a. How your country conserves waterb. How clean (or unclean) the water in your country isc. Where the drinking water in your region comes fromd. Cultural or religious uses for watere. Changes that need to be made related to water use in your country3. Publish your post. Congratulate yourself for joining the global blogging challenge.4. Come back to this post and share a link to your Writing Challenge #24 blog post.5. Visit other Writing Challenge #24 posts and leave comments for the writers. This step is equally important to step 2!My Example:Did you Know?In Canada, water conservation is most important in the summertime. Some regions have water restrictions in the summertime. You can only water your garden on certain days of the week. People who live on the opposite side of the street have a different watering day. The fines for using water on the wrong day can be steep. If a summer is hotter than usual, a water restriction may be more strict. In 2010, many residents of Ontario were not allowed to water their lawns or gardens at all! There was a full on watering ban. Some people get around this by filling children's pools with water. They dump the water on their flower beds after the kids have enjoyed a dip. In some regions, water use in the home is also monitored. Those who run dishwashers and washing machines at peak times (before and after work hours) get charged more for water usage than those who run their machines through the night.Thanks to BrainPOP for informing teachers about Blog Action Day. Here is a great video about blogging. Check it out! If you are a teacher, show it to your students. What better day to start blogging than on Blog Action Day?

How to Pronounce My Name

Posted by Tara Benwell on October 6, 2010

Listen to File 1 in the music player below. Then go and create your own recording. Share the proper pronunciation of your name. Add a link to your recording in the comments below. If you have any questions, let me know! You can also share the proper pronunciation of your nickname. (Feel free to share the history of your name too.)If you don't know how to add an audio file to your MyEC music player, visit this tutorial.

This post was inspired by Uygur. I'm still not sure how to pronounce your name! I look forward to your recording.

How to Get Corrections on Your Blog

Posted by Tara Benwell on October 4, 2010

Do you wish teachers on MyEC would correct your English? Do you wonder why we don't fix ALL of your mistakes? Not all English learners on our club want teachers to suggest corrections. Some English learners come here to practise English in a safe place. On MyEC, we don't want you to feel judged for your written (or spoken) English. You are not getting a mark! You have enough tests, quizzes, and projects that get graded. We all come here from different backgrounds. We all have different skill levels. This is the beauty of MyEC. Also, if I correct ALL of your mistakes you won't learn anything. If I help you correct one problem, you may learn something important.

Do you take part in my monthly writing challenges? Do you wish I would offer more corrections? Instead of correcting your English, I may challenge you (or your blog readers) to correct one sentence or usage error. I won't point out all of your mistakes. I might point out one or two sentences that can be improved. It is up to you to try to make improvements. I might share a link to a grammar or writing lesson on EC. Please check it out. The most important thing is that you are practising English. The more you write, the better your writing will get. This is true for native English speakers as well.

If you want me to suggest corrections, just ask! I'll challenge you. I might use the word English Tip or Bonus Challenge in my comment. Please come back to my writing challenge to tell me if you have tried to make a correction. I might not find your response if you don't. Is your correction in a comment on your own blog? Great! Don't forget to share a link to your correction so that I can see it. You can also send me a direct message.

NEW TAG
Some learners write "Please correct my English" at the end of their blogs or messages. This is great. Let's use a new tag called "corrections". If you want teachers to suggest corrections (or to challenge you) in your blog posts, please use this tag. We will do our best to help you improve.

Check out 3 Tips for Tidying up your English

Are you a teacher? How do you deal with the subject of error correction in class?

Writing Challenge #23: My PLN

Posted by Tara Benwell on September 21, 2010

PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. These days, English teachers use sites such as twitter and Facebook to create a PLN. We also visit each other's blogs. These sites act as an online staffroom that is open to the whole world. We interact with each other online and share ideas and links.English learners can form a PLN too. You don't want to learn English alone, do you? MyEC is a great space to create your PLN. You can chat, write on each other's walls, comment on blogs, and practise English in a variety of other ways. You'll have so much fun that you'll forget you are learning English.Your online PLN consists of the people who you interact with most online. You learn from them and they learn from you. You have a special connection online even though you may not have met all of these people face-to-face. Like in real life, your PLN will change from month to month and year to year.One important thing about creating a PLN is sharing it with others. New members of MyEC look for hints about who to befriend. Who are the most active users? Who wants to use Skype? Who likes chatting about set topics in the chat room? This month we are going to describe our PLN. This will be good writing practice. It will also be helpful for new MyEC members who are looking for learning partners. Your PLN can include people from within MyEC as well as people outside of MyEC.Your Task:1. Open a new blog post. Create a list of people who you learn from online (about 3-10 people). Find a link to each person's website (MyPage profile), twitter account, or blog.2. Describe what you learn from each person and why you consider this person an important member of your PLN. Use the tag PLN. This will make it easy for us to point new MyEC members to some friend suggestion lists.3. Share a link to your PLN post in the comments below.Example:My PLNHere is a short version of my PLN. I interact with these people online as I try to learn more about teaching, writing, and being a happy and creative person.Josef Essberger: Josef is the founder of English Club and a good friend from afar. He has a great sense of humour. He knows a lot about the English language and has a knack for explaining things in a simple way. I admire his writing style and his organizational skills.Karenne Sylvester: Karenne is an English teacher who has very creative ideas. She taught me a lot about social media networking. I really enjoy reading her blog as well as the comments in her blog. She always pairs her writing with the perfect photo. She has a page on MyEC if you want to check it out. She specializes in Business English.Jason Renshaw: Jason has excellent materials for English learners. You may know him as The English Raven. He is always experimenting with different techniques, which he discusses in his fantastic blog. We are both parents of young children, so we have a few things in common. I enjoy how everything in his life can be related to teaching English.Ben Buckwold: Ben is an intelligent and hard working Canadian. He has a very big heart and always looks out for his friends. If you are a creative person, he will find a project that you will want to work on. Ben knows a lot about mobile learning. He recently converted me from PC to Mac; my life has become more enjoyable because of this. (He also cracks me up on a daily basis.)Shelly Terrell: Shelly teaches young learners English. She uses her blog and twitter account to teach her peers a lot about technology. She has so many ideas it is hard to believe there is only one of her. I hope to meet her in real life one day.Ana: I recently reconnected with my old high school locker partner on twitter. She started a craft blog called imadeitso. I love looking at her photos and hearing her funny stories. She inspired me to start Wordless Wednesday on English Club.Alex Case: Alex is a unique English teacher with fantastic ideas for lessons. He knows what works and what doesn't work with English learners. He shares his stories in his excellent blog, TEFLtastic. I've been reading it and enjoying it for many years.Larry Ferlazzo: I love lists, and Larry creates some of the best ones. His blog Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day, is like a search engine for teachers. He responds very quickly if you ever have a question or suggestion.Jennifer Louden: Jennifer is also known as The Comfort Queen. She has great ideas about living your best life. She always pushes herself to practise what she preaches. I enjoy listening to the sound of her voice. I hope to go to one of her writing retreats one day.

NEW: Wordle Wednesday

Posted by Tara Benwell on September 15, 2010

Did you read that title twice? Don't worry. That is not a spelling mistake. ESL Magazine has started a new Wednesday challenge. Instead of Wordless Wednesday we are going to try Wordle Wednesday. What's a Wordle? A Wordle is a colourful tag cloud that YOU design on Wordle.net. Check out this easy guide: How to Use Wordle.The theme for Wordle Wednesday #1 is September. Follow the guidelines to create a September Wordle. Share your Wordle in 1 of 3 ways (or choose ALL three).1. Save it to the Wordle Public Gallery using the title "September" and the username "EnglishClub1"2. Take a screenshot of your Wordle and share it in the MyEC photo gallery (or a blog post titled "Wordle Wednesday #1")3. Share a link to your Wordle here or on ESL Magazine.Here are a few of EnglishClub.com's Wordles.Just because we're moving on to Wordles, doesn't mean you have to stop Wordless Wednesday. Please continue to post your Wordless Wednesday photos on MyEC!

Chat Room for English Learners

Posted by Tara Benwell on September 8, 2010

When the chat room went down for a short time this week, some of you were very upset! It was interesting to see how important the chat room is to many of you. Thanks for your patience during the technical glitch. It was fun reading your thoughts about chat on Nadira's blog.I'd also like to thank all of the members who were chatting in the MyEC chat room with me last night. Your thoughts and feedback about the chat room were very helpful. Here are my observations about the MyEC chat room, along with some tips and suggestions.5 Types of Chatters1) People who observe. They don't join in the discussion because they are shy, low-level, or feel they have nothing to say. (It's okay to start this way!)2) People who say "hi" but can't keep a conversation going. (After you say hi, please ask a question or join a discussion. If no discussion is going on, start one!)3) People who are childish and do not care about learning or teaching English (Please leave or go to a private room. MyEC is for learning English. There are plenty of other chat rooms online.)4) People who want to help others learn English. (Thank you! You are doing an amazing service.)5) People who want to discuss topics and practise English. (Thank you! Your English will improve quickly.)Q. Which type of chatter are you? Leave a comment below.5 Concerns of Chatters1) There is no topic. (Make one up or choose one and try to keep it going. See below for more details.)2) New people interrupt a chat about a certain topic. (Say hello. Share the topic and move on or start a new topic. Ignore anyone who is not involved in your discussion.)3) Abuse in the mains. (Take a screenshot or copy and paste the text. Click on the member's name. Copy and paste the URL to their page. Report the Member!)4) Abuse in private. (Use the same action as #3)5) There's nobody to talk to. (Ask your friends when they will be online. Plan to meet regularly, such as once a week at a certain time. Write a blog post to introduce the topic.)Q. Do you have any other concerns? Leave a comment below.5 Steps for Chatting on a TopicDid you know that teachers chat on twitter? Every Tuesday hundreds of teachers chat at the same time. How? We use a tag called #edchat. A tag is a keyword or subject identification. You can use tags in the chat room as well. It will help you start a real conversation. It will also help you keep the conversation going. Here are 5 steps to keep a conversation going in a chat room.1) Choose a topic. Example: #pizza.2) Suggest the topic. Let's talk about #pizza. (Always use the pizza tag when you add a new line.)3) Anyone who wants to talk about pizza uses this tag. Continue until the conversation dies out. If a new member joins, say hello and tell them what you are talking about. Example: Hi Expector. We're talking about #pizza.4) When nobody has anything more to say about #pizza, change the topic.Example: Let's discuss #traditional holidays now.5) Ignore anyone who is not talking about the #tag. They will get bored being childish or blabbing about nothing. They will either leave or they will start private chats with other people who are interested in blabbing about nothing.Q: Are you willing to try this in the chat room? Leave a comment if you try it.5 Places to find Topics for the Chat Room1) Talking Point Discussion Forum2) Monthly News Digest (Discussion Topics)3) This Week in History4. English Reference (Practise Idiom of the day, slang, quotes, etc)5. ESL MagazineQ. Do you know a source for finding topics? Leave your idea in the comments.Related:Why Should I Chat?Chat abbreviations Chat Faces Chat Rules Chat room Etiquette Chat Rooms for Students and Teachers

Writing Challenge #22: Wallwisher

Posted by Tara Benwell on August 26, 2010

We've been busy this month with an audio challenge, a reading challenge and a few photo challenges, but I haven't forgotten about this month's writing challenge. Since you've been working so hard to learn English this month, your task for #22 is short and simple. We're going to make a poster together. It is called a Wallwisher. As usual, I've chosen a topic that is close to my heart: The Earth!Your task:1. Follow this link.2. Double click on the wall. Post a tip about taking care of the earth. (Use your first name only.)3. Come back and leave a comment on this post. All you have to write is "I posted my environmental tip!"4. If you think of another tip, leave another note on the wall.5. If you like another member's tip, leave a note for your friend on his or her MyEC wall.Why participate in Writing Challenge #22?1. To show you care about the earth.2. To learn English vocabulary and usage.3. To make new friends.4. To learn new ideas about what you can do for the earth.5. To learn how to use Wallwisher. (great for birthday cards, brainstorming, group projects)RelatedThe Environment: Online reading lessons for English LearnersTEFL Earth: Ideas for Keeping it Green in the Classroom 5 Fantastic Ways to use Wallwisher in the Classroom

Read in English with Tara

Posted by Tara Benwell on August 17, 2010

I love reading! One of my favourite stories as a child was Anne of Green Gables. This book was written for both children and adults to enjoy. In my opinion, these classics are the best types of books for adult English learners.

Anne of Green Gables is set in Canada (my country). Have you heard of Anne? She is a dramatic red-haired orphan who moves to a farm in Prince Edward Island. P.E.I. is a tiny province on the east coast of Canada.The classic itself is a bit difficult to read. It was first published in 1908. Did you know you can read English classics in easy English? Stepping Stones (Random House) offers an easier version of Anne of Green Gables. It is important to read at an appropriate level. If the text is too difficult, you won't enjoy the book. Many publishers have graded readers. These can help you improve your reading level.Would you be interested in reading an easy version of Anne of Green Gables with me? You can find a good deal online. There are other versions as well. Leave a message in the comments if you are interested in reading Anne of Green Gables with me.Here are some things we can do together:1. Practise reading aloud2. Practise using vocabulary3. Share favourite passages4. Discuss characters5. Watch the film, or try a more difficult versionTo listen to this post scroll up to the first recording in the music player.

Wordless Wednesday #8

Posted by Tara Benwell on August 12, 2010

"We are working hard to become long jump champions in a few years time."The winning caption was submitted by Monika. Thanks to all for participating! Don't forget to post your own photos next Wednesday.

An Audio Challenge

Posted by Tara Benwell on August 2, 2010

Most of you use your music player to share music. Did you know that it is also useful for recording your voice? If you record your voice, others can help you with your pronunciation! Last month I was so pleased that some of our writers took the bonus challenge for Writing Challenge #21. Meissa recorded her blog post! Reiziuh did too.Long ago, I invited you to record an audio introduction of yourself. Today I'm going to ask you to try something new! Let's record a poetry collection together. My favourite book of poetry for children is available in the public domain. This means that you are free to read it and share it online. The copyright for this author has run out. I have recorded one of his poems, and I invite you to record one too. Together we can build a collection.Your Task1. Click on this link to the entire book of A Child's Garden of Verses: by Robert Louis Stevenson2. Choose a poem that you like.3. Type the poem into a blog post. Give the credit to the poet. (use the tag audiochallenge)4. Record your voice on your computer. If you have a microphone there are plenty of free recorders online. Try Freecorder. Or go to download.com and type "free MP3 recorder" into the search field.5. Upload your MP3 file to your MyEC player.6. Embed your MyEC Player into your blog post. To get the embed code, click on the upside down triangle (far right) on your music player. Copy and paste the code into your blog post.

(The latest track (your poem) will show up at the top.) 7. Come back to this page and share a link to your poem. Try to choose a poem that has not been done by another member.A note about the collection:This collection has some content that is very "old-fashioned". If you don't understand the usage, please ask!My ExampleMy Shadow By Robert Louis Stevenson (1885)I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India-rubber ball,And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!One morning, very early, before the sun was up,I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.Usage notenursie: In those days children often had live-in nurses who took care of them (like a nanny)

Find more music like this on My English Club

Choose your Own English Adventure

Posted by Tara Benwell on July 27, 2010

This post was Inspired by Reiziuh.

So, you want to learn English today. Where should you start? Why not watch a film about learning English. You could watch Thoughts from Brazil or Insights from China. Which did you choose? If you chose the Brazil film, you could take this online quiz. If you chose the China film, you could go behind the scenes. Now what would you like to do? Are you feeling social? If yes, why not go to a Chat room? You could go to the MyEC Chat room and say hello, or you could go to Chat room 2 on EnglishClub. You could even go to the Voice Room on EnglishClub.com's Facebook page.What's that? You don't know what to talk about? Maybe you should learn some greetings first, or perhaps a little small talk. You could also tell your new friends what happenedThis Week in History!Not interested in history? What are you interested in? ESL Magazine covers lots of random topics. Survival English covers more practical topics. You could also learn about Health or the Environment. You could even join a special interest group or start one of your own. You don't like doing things on your own? Why not find a learning partner? You can study grammar together or check each other's punctuation. You do use proper capitalization, don't you? Why not challenge your learning partner to a dictation or an English quiz?When your adventure is over, don't forget to sign the Guestbook or leave a comment at Joe's Cafe. Maybe next time you'll want to check out some of the other English language learning sites out there. Your English will improve so much you may even become an English teacher. Then we'll see you over at TEFL.net!Create your own English adventure on your blog! Use links from EC, MyEC, and other learning English sites you like. Tag your post EnglishAdventure. Don't forget to thank our friend Reiziuh for the idea and share the link to your post on his group. He's starting a blog series in August and I hope you'll join.

Writing Challenge #21: Fashion Show

Posted by Tara Benwell on July 13, 2010

It's time for a new writing challenge! We had so much fun combining pictures and writing last month that I thought we'd do something similar this month. Let's have a MyEC Fashion Show!

Your Task:1) Choose a photo of yourself or a friend or family member. (Make sure you have permission to use the photo)2) Picture this person walking down the runway at our MyEC Fashion Show.3) Write the transcript that the announcer would say as your model walks down the runway. Be sure to include:a) the name of the model (this can be fictional)b) a general description of the "collection" (see categories).c) a specific description of each detail of clothing (including accessories; see examples)4) Use the tag #fashionshow5) Come back to this blog and share a link to your model.6) Leave comments for all of the fashion show contestants. Who deserves to win?Optional: Record the audio of your transcript and upload it to your MyEC player.*Use one model per blog post. You can add as many blogs as you want under the tag fashionshow!Useful Language for Writing Challenge #21:Verbsto sportto wearto be decked out into show offto have onto donto modelNounsjewelryfootwearclothingaccessoriesouterwear (coats, gloves)hatsClothing MaterialcottonpolyestersilkcorduroydenimCategoriesevening wearseasonal (summer wear, winter wear…)business wearcasual weardance wearsleep wearAdjectivesdesignertightlooseglamourousmodernchicvintageflowingoriginalone-of-a-kindOther details to includecolours and shadesbrand namesdesignersfitpriceIllustrated clothes Illustrated accessoriesMy Example

Here comes the tooth fairy, sporting a new item from the Fairies 2010 Spring Workwear Collection. The fairy's fuchsia bodysuit is covered with a long flowy chiffon skirt in purple, indigo and gold. The skirt is accessorized with a cheerful gold butterfly at the centre of the waistline. Our famous fairy is sporting a plastic halo of artificial daisies and lilies. Her pink designer tights are slightly worn, but durable. The outfit is finished off with a pair of leather Bloche ballet slippers, perfect for tiptoeing in and out of children's rooms in the middle of the night. The entire outfit is available in size petite only and can be purchased at your local fairy boutique for approximately $100 Canadian dollars.Listen to the first track below.

Wordless Wednesday

Posted by Tara Benwell on June 23, 2010

[Editor's note: We are no longer doing Wordless Wednesday on ESL Magazine. We are now doing it right here on MyEC. Skip #1 and simply create a Wordless Wednesday post on your MyEC blog.]

Over at ESL Magazine we are doing something new and fun! It's called Wordless Wednesday. I was inspired by a friend who was doing this on her blog. It turns out Wordless Wednesday is a popular thing for bloggers to do. Will you join in the fun?
Here are 3 ways to participate:

1. Go to ESL Magazine on Wednesdays and write a caption for the photo. The best caption will be placed on the photo on Tuesdays. Will your caption win? (How to Write an Interesting Caption for Wordless Wednesday.)

2. Create your own Wordless Wednesday post on MyEC. It's simple! Write "Wordless Wednesday" in your Blog title (on a Wednesday) and add a photo. (NO WORDS). Invite your visitors to write a caption or comment about your photo.

3. Go to the Official Wordless Wednesday homepage. Add a link to your Wordless Wednesday post. Add a comment too. Or, look at all of the other Wordless Wednesday posts and leave comments for the photographers. Yes, you will learn English this way!

A Note for Teachers:
Participating in Wordless Wednesday as a class can be great fun! Your students can submit captions to ESL Magazine's Wordless Wednesday. You can also share the link to the Official Wordless Wednesday homepage and have students practise leaving comments (or writing captions) for all sorts of creative bloggers. Don't forget that photos can inspire great stories! If you have other ideas for using Wordless Wednesday in the classroom, please leave a comment.

A Note for MyEC Participants
If you create your own Wordless Wednesday post this week (or any Wednesday in the future) please share a link here. Only use your own photos please! DO NOT copy photos from the Internet.

Do you have a photo that ESL Magazine could use for Wordless Wednesday? Send a message to my inbox with a link to your photo (it must be in the MyEC gallery).

World Cup Stuff for English Learners

Posted by Tara Benwell on June 10, 2010

Do you have a bad case of World Cup fever? Good! I need your help. In my house we made a wee mistake. We scheduled our TV service to be cut off on June 11th so that we could enjoy our summer without distraction. Oops we forgot about the World Cup.

Without TV I'm going to be counting on the Internet to keep me in the World Cup loop! For the most part, I'm going to count on all of you. Please use the comments below to share thoughts and news about anything and everything World Cup related. You can write about favourite players and teams, upcoming games, injuries, and bad calls. You can write your predictions, add your rants and raves, and share new words that you learn as you watch.In return for your updates, I'll create a resource list for you. If you have a good link to anything related to the World Cup (especially for English learners or people without TV) please share it and I will add it to this list. If you write a blog about the World Cup, I will add it to the list too.World Cup Stuff for English Learners (and people without TV)Football Vocabulary and Quizzes Football Crazy (Grammarman)Pele Shares Life Lessons from Football (Facebook)Is your English good enough to play for a Premier League Team (British Council)32 2010 FIFA Lessons (Listen a Minute)2010 World Cup Printable Bingo CardsTalk about or Describe The Big Picture of The World Cup World Cup Theme Song Gap Fill (esolcourses)World Cup ideas for Class (ESLimaginarium)World Cup Teaching ideas via Alex CaseShould Vuvuzela horns be banned from the World Cup? Take the Poll or discuss in class.Or, you could just go to Larry Ferlazzo's website. He always has the best list! This one about World Cup resources is for teachers AND students.

We have a huge representation of the world's people here at EnglishClub.com. It will be fun to follow the World Cup through your eyes and ears. Don't leave me hanging! Please do your part to keep me in the loop from your own corner of the world. Thank you in advance! May the best team win...

Writing Challenge #20: Picture Stories

Posted by Tara Benwell on June 9, 2010

This month's writing challenge is inspired by all of the great photos that members uploaded for the Photo Contest. For challenge #20 we are going to use the photo entries to inspire short stories!Every story should have:1) a main character2) a setting3) a conflict4) a resolutionYour Task:1) Choose 3 images from the contest entries. Your photos must include a person or animal (or two), a place (setting for your story), and a thing (an object from one of the pictures). *Choose all 3 before you start writing!2) Write a story using these 3 images for inspiration. Your story should have:a. a beginningb. a middle (with conflict)c. an end (most readers like happy endings!)3) Try to include a few lines of dialogue in your story. Format your dialogue like this:"I want to go home," said the cat."Not until the sun goes down," said John."But I'm hungry," said the cat."I'm afraid you'll have to wait!"4) Give the story a Title: "Writing Challenge #20: YOUR TITLE"5) Share the images and credit the photographers with a link to their page. (You should also contact the photographers to say that you used their photos in a story.)My Example: "Writing Challenge #20: Mookie Needs a Book"Once there was a dog named Mookie that loved to read. Mookie read books all day long. He liked picture books and novels and fashion magazines. His favourite book was "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett.One day Mookie ran out of books to read. The dog library wasn't open yet, so he pretended to be in his own secret garden. Mookie jumped around happily from plant to plant, trying to pass the time. Just when the clock struck 9, Mookie's snout got caught in a cabbage leaf.

"Help," Mookie shouted, but Mookie did not have any dog friends. All of the other dogs in the neighbourhood called him a bookworm. They didn't know how to play games like Quidditch and they had never heard of places like Neverland.Mookie sat down and thought for a minute. Who will help me? he wondered. Then he remembered the person who always answered his questions! "The librarian, will help me," Mookie shouted to the flowers in the garden.Mookie ran to the library, but when he got there he was not allowed in."No plants allowed," said the dog guard at the Dog Library door."But I'm a dog," said Mookie.The dog guard did not believe him. He shook his head and closed the door.Mookie wondered how he would ever get any new books. He couldn't imagine a life without Ramona Quinby, or Winnie the Pooh, or Harry Potter.The sad dog started for home without any books. He couldn't stop crying. He howled so hard that a garbage man on the street told him to put a sock in it. That just made Mookie cry harder. It also made the garbage man angrier. "I can't hear my music!" said the garbage man. Instead of helping Mookie remove the leaf from his face, the garbage man pulled a dirty sock from the back of the truck and stuck it over the dog's nose. "That will keep you quiet!" he laughed.

But the dirty sock didn't keep Mookie quiet. Mookie howled louder than ever as he tried to find his way home in his strange disguise."Shh!" Mookie heard a small voice say as he crossed the road near his house. "The children are reading.""Did you say reading?" Mookie said from inside his sock. He looked up and saw a large red truck full of books. Mookie thought he must be in doggie heaven.

Just then a kind child put her book down and came over to Mookie. "Would you like to borrow a book from the mobile library?" she asked. "Everyone is welcome. Even monsters and aliens and unicorns and..""Dogs?" Mookie asked."Dogs! Of course! The mobile library doesn't turn anyone away!" said one of the other children. "A garbage man just came here and borrowed a poetry book. He said he was too smelly for the real library."The children helped Mookie out of his sock and cabbage leaf and he offered to read them a story. Do you have "The Secret Garden?" Mookie asked. "It's my favourite."Image Credits:Mookie: by Natali Sock by Ben Nixon Mobile Library by Nadiyah

Writing Challenge #19: Tribute to a Friend

Posted by Tara Benwell on May 10, 2010

"Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves." Lindsay GreenDo you have a friend who is more like family than your own true blood? I do. My extended family is very close, but my relationship with my truest friend is even closer. This month we are going to write a Tribute to a Friend on our blogs. Open a new blog post on your page and get writing. Name your post "Writing Challenge #19: Tribute to (friend's name)".1. QuoteShare a quote about friendship that describes your relationship with your friend2. Name your friendInclude the first name of your friend (or create a "pretend" name or "nickname" if you want to remain anonymous)3. How we became friendsShare some history.4. Why we stayed friendsShare some history.5. Best qualitiesChoose 5 perfect adjectives to describe your friend's best qualities.6. Why is your friend like family?Write a sentence about how your friend is like part of your family.7. Friendship highlightShare a moment in your friendship that you will never forget.8. Complete the sentenceThe last time I saw my friend we...9. Thank you noteAdd a short thank you note written directly to your friend. When you are done, email your page to your friend. (Please come back and share a link to your page in the comments below too.)10. PhotoInclude a photo of you and your friend if you have permission. If not, describe what the photo would look like.My example of a tribute is below. Use the 10 points above to create your own tribute (or think of your own way to write a tribute).Tribute to a Friend

"A true friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked. " Author Unknown
My Friend: Auntie AndyHow we became friends: We grew up on the same street.Why we stayed friends: We went to the same school, had a shared group of friends, and continued to enjoy each other's company into adulthood. Distance could not come between our friendship.My friend's best qualities: cheerful, energetic, supportive, funny, thoughtfulWhy my friend is like family: My children call her "auntie" and think of her as their closest relative. She is there for me for all life's up and downs. People think we're sisters. She's the first one I call when I have news to share, whether it's good or bad.Friendship Highlight: Eating peanut butter sandwiches in a canoe while paddling around Lake Louise during our cross country trip across Canada.The last time I saw my friend we...went to an Olympic hockey game together!My note:Dear Auntie Andy,Thank you for being the best friend a girl could ask for. When I have a bad day, you cheer me. When I have a busy week, you forgive me for not keeping in touch. When I'm having the time of my life, you are usually with me. Even though we live far away from each other right now, we are closer than ever. I can't wait for our next visit! Thank you for being a true friend.Love TaraPS Why does our hair look the same colour in this picture? Weird.