Flags of the World

Try this quiz and test yourself on the flags of the world. Think you can get all of them?

www.flashbynight.com/flags

Fourwards

Here's a fun little word game. It looks easy, but it can be quite challenging!

www.flashbynight.com/fourwards

The purpose is to find all four words in the grid of 16 letters.

Word Stress

Road To Grammar's word stress activity has been reformatted to work on mobile devices. It has also been redone with simpler words so that it is easier for lower level learners to use it. There is also a feature to only look at two-syllable words (instead of 2-4 syllables).

You can try is here:

http://roadtogrammar.com/wordstress/

Quickie vocab quiz: musical instruments

Quickie vocab quiz: musical instruments
http://roadtogrammar.com/vocabgym/?11 

#eslvocab
#learningenglish

Quickie vocab quiz
http://roadtogrammar.com/vocabgym/?10 

#eslvocab
#learningenglish

Mind the Gap

Visitors to London are likely to hear the announcement, "Mind the gap" when they ride a tube train, or perhaps the longer version, "Mind the gap between the platform and the train."

This safety message has become a London icon. You can even buy "Mind the Gap" t-shirts and mugs. But what does it mean and why is it special?

"Mind", in this context, is a verb that simply means to be careful or be aware of something. A gap is a small space. It is a short and direct way of putting across the safety message.

However, "mind" used in this way sounds very old-fashioned to Americans. It is not used very much anymore in American English. Hence, to American visitors, the tube announcement sounds "cute" and very British!

In Britain, on the other hand, it is quite normal to say things like, "Mind the step" or "Mind your head" (when passing through a low doorway).

It is not only the British who use "mind the gap". You can find it in train stations across the world, from Germany to Singapore. Sometimes, the translation may be a little bit wrong, as in this ferry sign from China!

Symbolism in English: Up

In English, when something is symbolised as 'up', 'high' or 'tall', it's seen as positive.

For example, we say that life has its ups and downs – the ups are the good parts and the downs are the bad parts.

When someone feels high, it means they are feeling good. To improve your position at work is to 'move up'. A better position is a higher position.

To dress in nice clothes is to dress up. Someone who is wealthy and cultured is seen as 'high class'. An expensive product is a high-end product.

Of course, 'up' is not always used in a symbolic way. For example, when we say 'look something up in the dictionary', up has no symbolic meaning.

High Class