Archive for the ‘English’ Category
Perceptions are Reality. Or Are They? An Immigrant’s Journey
Wednesday, November 30th, 2011Russian immigrant Ekaterina Walter serves in a global role for one of the most recognized brands in the world. She will share her transformative 13-year journey in her adopted country – the United States. And how her experiences have left all changed in unexpected ways.
True American Words: Our Hosts Test Their Knowledge
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Words. (Flickr user: Darwin Bell)
Ben Zimmer, Executive Producer of the Visual Thesaurus and Vocablulary.com is putting John and Celeste to the test by asking them to identify the real definition of words with truly American origins. Could you identify absquatulate, callithump and copacetic? If so, you might do well on producer Kristen Meinzer’s quiz.
Here are the words with which Ben Zimmer tried to stump the hosts: absquatulate, callithump, copacetic, hornswoggle, lagniappe, rumbustious. Do you know what they mean?
How Noah Webster Shaped American Language
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
205 years ago, a lawyer-turned-textbook writer-turned-newspaper-editor published the first American English dictionary. It was 1806, and the title was “A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language.” That man’s name was Noah Webster. And today, his name is synonymous with the word “dictionary” in the U.S. Joshua Kendall is the author of a new biography on Webster called: “The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture.” Joshua joins us from our partner, the WGBH, in Boston.
During his lifetime his best known book was his speller, which came out in 1783, and that taught five generations of Americans how to read. That unified Americans with American English because our language was really up for grabs in the 1780s.— Joshua Kendall
The TOEFL Test : Your Passport to Study in the U.S.
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011In order to study in the United States, students take standardized tests such as the TOEFL, SAT I, SAT II Subject Tests, ACT, GRE, GMAT, and others.
Most short-term programs will require some proof of English language proficiency. Students may be asked to obtain written verification of English language skills from teachers or advisers, or to submit scores from an internationally recognized English language assessment test, usually the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The TOEFL test measures the ability of nonnative speakers to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings.
For more information, visit TOEFL
Where Did the English Language Come From?
Friday, January 7th, 2011Today VOA Special English program EXPLORATIONS presents the first of two programs about the history of the English Language.
More people are trying to learn English than any other language in the world. English is the language of political negotiations and international business. It has become the international language of science and medicine. International treaties say passenger airplane pilots must speak English.
English is the major foreign language taught in most schools in South America and Europe. School children in the Philippines and Japan begin learning English at an early age. English is the official language of more than seventy-five countries including Britain, Canada, the United States, Australia, and South Africa.
In countries where many different languages are spoken, English is often used as an official language to help people communicate. India is good example. English is the common language in this country where at least twenty-four languages are spoken by more than one million people. Continue reading at VOA News Special English here
Listen to the story here
Bilingualism good for the brain
Monday, October 18th, 2010Bilingual education is controversial in the United States, but a growing body of research shows that regularly speaking two languages comes with certain types of improved mental performance. The longer a person has spoken two or more languages, the greater the cognitive effects.
Speaking two or more languages appears to enhance executive function — the ability to focus on the information needed to complete a task. Bilinguals with Alzheimer’s disease retained brain function longer than those who spoke only one language.
Read the Full story at Discovery News.
The Classroom – Learning English
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010Hello,
We hope you are doing well.
One of our favorite English Learning portals, VOA Learning English, just released a great resource called The Classroom.
The Classroom is completely interactive and designed to teach English vocabulary, grammar, spelling and parts of speech.
The Classroom has English Learning programs an interactive wordbook and an interactive American idiom dictionary. The Classroom also has the EFL Teaching community. VOA will offer a new English lesson to teachers all over the world every week! This area will also have interactive activities as well as videos and lesson plans you can download. Discover the site here
Let us know what you think.
The English Language In 24 Accents
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010Want to have an idea about some regional English accents?
Pause for 8 minutes and watch the video below.
This kid reveals himself to be an inadvertent dialect savant in this remarkable video. Within eight minutes, he masters two dozen accents used by English speakers.
He says that the video is “mostly for his friends,” but it’s no surprise that such an impressive mimic has received so much attention on YouTube.
Source: The Huffington Post
Which English accent do you prefer the most? Why?
Making life simplified for International and Exchange Students in the USA
Monday, September 27th, 2010Hello,
I hope you are enjoying your week and off to a great start.
Some month ago, I had the pleasure to be interviewed by France 5, a French National TV Network.
They were filming one of their most famous documentaries called “Echappées Belles” in California. The documentary consists of several French people who spoke about their American dreams and their experiences in California.
In the video below, I talk about my American Dream. I explained that I left my corporate job at HP France to move to Los Angeles as an international student. I wanted to improve my English language skills, learn about the American way of doing business and eventually start my own. More importantly, I was in search of making meaningful changes in my life in order to add value to my own existence while possibly making a positive difference in the lives of others.
I also mentionned the company that I founded, “U in the USA”, which simplifies international students’ and foreign exchange visitors’ lives, helps them interact more effectively with Americans, and assists them in achieving their goals. We encourage our students to take advantage of our services to create connections and even make lifelong friends.
I thank you for allowing me to enhance your American experience.
Enjoy the video.
Jean-Marc Dedeyne
What do you think about my French accent?
How to understand the differences between British and American English
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010Trousers or pants? Can you tell the difference between British and American English?
Here is an enlightening video on the differences between American and British English.
Test your knowledge here
More resources:
- Differences between American and British English here
- Find the American English equivalent of these British Expressions here
- Spelling differences between British and American English here
- American and British English differences here