Introducing a new activity on RoadToGrammar: Ultimate Reading Practice:
Click here to try it
Ultimate Reading practice is a web app that has 50 short reading activities for upper-intermediate and advanced learners.
The passages are 100-200 words each and each one has four or five questions, mainly multiple choice. Each one has a word count and the difficulty level shown according to the CEFR levels.
These should provide great practice for any learner who will be taking the IELTS or TOEFL tests, or similar.
The web app can be viewed on tablets and phones, including the iPad.
A guide to answering these types of questions will be available next week on the site.
Screenshots:
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Friday, August 02, 2013
Words have lives, too
Just like us, words have lives. They are born, they struggle for survival and eventually they die.
Words have to come from somewhere. They are born when a new word is coined.
Words might need to compete with other words for survival. For example, you could say 'maybe' or you could say 'perhaps'. I think you would agree that the word 'maybe' is more popular. Everyone seems to say 'maybe', but only a few people use 'perhaps'. As a word becomes less popular, it could begin to sound old-fashioned and it's decline is hastened. Eventually, nobody uses it anymore and the word is 'dead'.
The Darwinian-style life struggle of a word is influenced by coevolutionary social, technological, and political factors (see this link for empirical research).
A word most often lives longer than we do. A word can live for a few hundred years or more. Many Latin words have even outlived the death of their own language and live on in other host languages to this day, in phrases like alma mater.
I'm trying to think of some words which are currently in their death throes and what comes to mind are the words used to describe groups of animals. After all, when was the last time you heard someone talking about a clowder of cats?
Words have to come from somewhere. They are born when a new word is coined.
Words might need to compete with other words for survival. For example, you could say 'maybe' or you could say 'perhaps'. I think you would agree that the word 'maybe' is more popular. Everyone seems to say 'maybe', but only a few people use 'perhaps'. As a word becomes less popular, it could begin to sound old-fashioned and it's decline is hastened. Eventually, nobody uses it anymore and the word is 'dead'.
The Darwinian-style life struggle of a word is influenced by coevolutionary social, technological, and political factors (see this link for empirical research).
A word most often lives longer than we do. A word can live for a few hundred years or more. Many Latin words have even outlived the death of their own language and live on in other host languages to this day, in phrases like alma mater.
I'm trying to think of some words which are currently in their death throes and what comes to mind are the words used to describe groups of animals. After all, when was the last time you heard someone talking about a clowder of cats?
Monday, July 01, 2013
Language of Truth and Lies: Performatives
I found a fascinating video description of 'performatives'... and how they are used to tell lies that are technically true!
Friday, May 10, 2013
Describing Products
Introducing a new vocabulary activity: Describing Products and Services.
This activity is suitable for adults studying Business English who wish to expand or test their range of vocabulary. It can also be used for General English learners. This activity is recommended for Intermediate Level and up.
Try it here (mobile friendly): http://roadtogrammar.com/describingproducts/
Download it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/140577053/ESL-Vocabulary-Worksheet-Describing-Products-and-Services
Sample screenshot:
This activity is suitable for adults studying Business English who wish to expand or test their range of vocabulary. It can also be used for General English learners. This activity is recommended for Intermediate Level and up.
Try it here (mobile friendly): http://roadtogrammar.com/describingproducts/
Download it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/140577053/ESL-Vocabulary-Worksheet-Describing-Products-and-Services
Sample screenshot:
Friday, May 03, 2013
Updates
A couple of updates to Road To Grammar:
1 Quiz #327: They're, There or Their has been expanded to 20 questions. I found that this is a very good topic for elementary level students, especially those who learn by listening and find it hard to distinguish between the three.
The quiz is at: www.roadtogrammar.com/?327
The notes are here: http://www.roadtogrammar.com/notes/?REF=230
2 There was a problem with the direct linking system, which I have fixed. Now you can go directly to a quiz by adding a question mark and the quiz number to the roadtogrammar.com url.
For example, to go to quiz 50:
www.roadtogrammar.com?50
1 Quiz #327: They're, There or Their has been expanded to 20 questions. I found that this is a very good topic for elementary level students, especially those who learn by listening and find it hard to distinguish between the three.
The quiz is at: www.roadtogrammar.com/?327
The notes are here: http://www.roadtogrammar.com/notes/?REF=230
2 There was a problem with the direct linking system, which I have fixed. Now you can go directly to a quiz by adding a question mark and the quiz number to the roadtogrammar.com url.
For example, to go to quiz 50:
www.roadtogrammar.com?50
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Monday, March 04, 2013
Emphatic Adjectives
There is a new activity on RoadToGrammar today for English learners to practise the topic of Emphatic Adjectives.
The activity can be found here: www.roadtogrammar.com/emphaticadjectives
The pdf worksheet can be downloaded here: http://t.co/ZExkyG3vot
Screenshot on desktop:
Screenshot on mobile:
You may notice that this activity can be done on any device - PC, tablet or phone. Over the coming months, all content on RoadToGrammar.com will be reformatted to be accessible on any device.
The activity can be found here: www.roadtogrammar.com/emphaticadjectives
The pdf worksheet can be downloaded here: http://t.co/ZExkyG3vot
Screenshot on desktop:
Screenshot on mobile:
You may notice that this activity can be done on any device - PC, tablet or phone. Over the coming months, all content on RoadToGrammar.com will be reformatted to be accessible on any device.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
New Notes Pages
All the grammar notes pages on RoadToGrammar.com have been reformatted to be readable on any device - desktop, laptop, tablet or phone.
See here for an example: http://www.roadtogrammar.com/notes/
This is the beginning of a project to make ALL the content on RoadToGrammar readable and usable on any device.
See here for an example: http://www.roadtogrammar.com/notes/
This is the beginning of a project to make ALL the content on RoadToGrammar readable and usable on any device.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Mobile Grammar Glossary
The Grammar Glossary is now updated so that it views smoothly on mobile devices.
The Grammar Glossary can be found at: www.roadtogrammar.com/glossary
The Grammar Glossary can be found at: www.roadtogrammar.com/glossary
Friday, November 23, 2012
The Wisdom of Kindergarten
I just wanted to share one of my old favourites: a poem about the wisdom of kindergarten!
Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day.
Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup ~ they all die. So do we.
And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation, ecology and politics and sane living.
Think of what a better world it would be if we all ~the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and clean up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
By Robert FulghamMost of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
These are the things I learned: Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work some every day.
Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup ~ they all die. So do we.
And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation, ecology and politics and sane living.
Think of what a better world it would be if we all ~the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and clean up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
If you like it, here's a nicely formatted version on the RoadToGrammar site: www.roadtogrammar.com/kindergarten
Please go ahead and share it!
Please go ahead and share it!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The Grammar Glossary
Introducing a new feature on RoadToGrammar.com: The Grammar Glossary
The grammar glossary features over a hundred grammar terms defined for anyone interested in TEFL.
Check it out here: www.roadtogrammar.com/glossary/
Screenshots:
The grammar glossary features over a hundred grammar terms defined for anyone interested in TEFL.
Check it out here: www.roadtogrammar.com/glossary/
Screenshots:
Friday, October 12, 2012
A word game
Here is a fun word game which could be great for ESL learners to practise idioms:
www.flashbynight.com/codebreaker
www.flashbynight.com/codebreaker
Saturday, September 01, 2012
New quiz: Household items
There's a new quiz on Road To Grammar.
This time, it is a vocabulary quiz to help beginners learn the names of household items. The quiz has 28 household items to learn, with accompanying pictures.
You can try the quiz at: www.roadtogrammar.com/householditems
Screenshots:
This time, it is a vocabulary quiz to help beginners learn the names of household items. The quiz has 28 household items to learn, with accompanying pictures.
You can try the quiz at: www.roadtogrammar.com/householditems
Screenshots:
Friday, August 31, 2012
Infographic: Technology in Education
Here is a great infographic that someone shared with me. Click on it to see the full image.
Provided by: http://www.learnstuff.com/
Provided by: http://www.learnstuff.com/
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Non-English Speakers in the US
Ever wondered how many people don’t speak English at home in
the US ?
I did, so I pulled some stats from www.census.gov
and came up with my own infographic.
Big language
communities
Languages spoken by over one million people at home in the US (2007):
Spanish: 34.5
million
Chinese:
2.46
million
French: 1.98
million (includes Patois,
Cajun, Creole)
Tagalog: 1.48
million
Vietnamese: 1.2
million
German: 1.1
million
Korean: 1.06
million
Integration the into
English-speaking world
Languages spoken by fewer people in the US in 2007, compared to 1980:
Italian
German
Yiddish
Greek
Polish
See the raw data here: http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/language/data/acs/Table1.xls
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