Archive for January, 2012
America’s National Parks Posted by Gabriele on Jan 23, 2012
The national parks system in the United States is both extensive* and impressive. In my opinion America’s national parks are one of my country’s best features. I love being out doors, hiking and camping and these parks are some of the best places to do these activities in the United States. I would like to…
Some Common American Hand Gestures Posted by Gabriele on Jan 22, 2012
Today I’m going to share with you some hand gestures that are often used by English speakers. I am sure if you think about it you will remember times you have seen Americans use these hand gestures either in movies, TV shows, or in person. These are all pretty commonly used. First though, I thought…
Differences Between the US and UK Computer Keyboard Posted by heather on Jan 21, 2012
Yesterday Erin took you through the signs and symbols that you will find on your computer keyboard. She even explained the name for each symbol. Another element she mentioned is that there are different keyboards for different countries. If you have ever sat down at a computer whilst in the United Kingdom and tried to…
Computer Keyboard Symbols and Punctuation Posted by Gabriele on Jan 20, 2012
Have you ever wondered what the names are for all those extra symbols on your keyboard? Many of these symbols are punctuation marks of one kind or another, while some are just symbols that are commonly used in writing. Below I’ve made a table that gives you the names of all of these symbols. The…
Tipping in Restaurants in the United States: Necessary or Voluntary? Posted by Gabriele on Jan 19, 2012
Many visitors to the United States do not fully understand our custom of tipping* waiters and waitresses in restaurants. To help clarify this custom I’ve put together a brief explanation of the importance of tipping and some general guidelines on tipping in restaurant in the United States. The first thing you should know about tipping…
Having Some Fun With Puns Posted by heather on Jan 18, 2012
Recently we have had a look at homophones and homographs. Now that we have done all the hard work, we can have a little bit of fun by using what we have learned and practised to make puns. Puns are jokes that rely on homophones and homographs for their humor. For example: My pony is…
Red Velvet Cake – An American Classic Posted by Gabriele on Jan 17, 2012
I was discussing what constitutes “American food” with a friend recently and we were trying to come up with some foods that are truly American. This is harder to do than you would think given that the United States is such a melting pot of culture and food. So many foods that we Americans think…