26 September 2008

Blog Big-up!

As I type these words late on the eve of my Web 2.0 for Dummies (and English teachers) workshop, your latest issue of Teaching Times should be winging its way towards you (if you're a TESOL France member, that is).

Or maybe you picked a copy up at last Saturday's successful Cambridge Day event, where it was snapped up by lots of people, along with plenty of copies of Teaching Times 50, my first attempt.

So thank you to all who showed an interest in the TESOL stand, and a big welcome to our new members from that event too. Why not leave a comment here to say 'Hi' and introduce yourselves?

I was able to get at least three or four new contributors to the next issue of the magazine, so I'm well satisfied with that outcome.

I'm now preparing myself mentally and informatically for my workshop tomorrow, which aims to offer some in-depth insights into some of the great websites out there which we can exploit immediately in our English classes and hopefully impress our students to boot.

The plan for the afternoon is flexible, but roughly as follows:

1.45 pm - Registration, mingle and joint prayer that the internet connection works
2.00 pm - Introduction and presentation of useful and innovative websites
2.45 pm - In-depth discussion on specific websites of particular interest to attendees
3.30 pm - Coffee break
3.45 pm - Creation of new activities and sharing of personal favourites in small groups
4.15 pm - Presentation of ideas and personal techniques to group and general questions
5.00 pm - Fond farewells

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow if you're coming, and any comments on the latest magazine and ideas for future articles (and potential contributors) would be welcome too.

Sab

24 September 2008

The Teaching Times Word Quiz - Issue 51



The Wicked Word Quiz: 6 of the Best!

Win one of these superb advanced learners dictionaries from our generous sponsors:

Cambridge University Press
Heinle ELT
Pearson Longman
Macmillan

Oxford University Press will be coming on board next issue too!

Simply do your best to answer the questions below and four of you will win one of these great books. Send your answers to quiz@hotchpotchenglish.com and tell us which dictionary you'd prefer (but we can't guarantee you'll get it!).

Tell your friends and colleagues too please - and good luck!

Question 1
Translate this traditional French verse into Ingleeshh:

Un petit d'un petit
S'étonne aux Halles;
Un petit d'un petit
Ah! Degrés falles.

Question 2
What's a boustropheden? This is... (but can you explain how it works?)

As
must so plough oxen the
this be read As a pinball
rink tilted its down runs
and away with your money
words few these wind so
Wrestler thrown across the
rope to rope from ring
Wool unravelling Coil
skeltering Helter unwinding
Staircase spiralling Tiring
furrowing Brow Boring
Field unzipping
ox old Poor

Question 3
What is found between a hanging post and a banging post?

Question 4
Do you know which animals these pleasingly arcane words refer to?

a) ursine b) equine c) asinine d) saurian e) murine f) simian g) hirudinal h) hircine i) soricine j) corvine k) lupine l) ovine m) aquiline n) leporine o) leonine

Question 5
Name the musical origins of these famous food references:

- cool cherry cream, a nice apple tart
- tangerine trees, marmalade skies
- semolina pilchard

Question 6
Name ten everyday parts of the body with three letters - no slang or vulgarity pleeezzz!

Special Bonus Question
What does the name of this quiz, 'Six of the Best', originally refer to? Clue: something we would never do today, I'm quite sure!

Don't forget: send your answers to quiz@hotchpotchenglish.com - Don't post them here!

I'll post the answers (and the winners) on this blog before the next issue of Teaching Times comes out in November.