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Pet Commands Posted by Gabriele on Jul 2, 2012
Sit. Stay. Good dog. In English dogs are often referred to as “man’s best friend.” It is very common for families in the United States (and Western culture in general) to have a pet dog. A pet is a domestic or tamed animal that lives with people. Pet dogs in the United States often live…
The Tooth Fairy Posted by Gabriele on Jul 1, 2012
In my last post, on Friday, I wrote a post about going to the dentist and some dental related vocabulary. One of the vocabulary words I introduced was “the tooth fairy.” Today I thought I would tell you a little more about this cultural figure. The tooth fairy is a fairy* who is believed to…
A Trip to the Dentist Posted by Gabriele on Jun 29, 2012
When was the last time you went to the dentist? Is it time for another visit? Here is some information about dentistry and important dentist related vocabulary you might need if you plan to visit a dentist in the English speaking world. First of all, dentistry is the branch of medicine that focuses on…
Foreign Words in English (Part V) Posted by Gabriele on Jun 28, 2012
In this post I am going to introduce you to 10 more words that have been borrowed from other languages and incorporated into English. In the process of borrowing a word from another language sometimes the meaning changes slightly from its meaning in the original language. This is the case with some of the words…
The Days of The Week – Part III Posted by Gabriele on Jun 26, 2012
This is the last post in my series looking at the days of the week in English. Today, we will be investigating what the days of the week mean culturally in modern America. Certain holidays, activities, and rituals are related to specific days of the week in different cultures. These aspects of culture may not…
The Days of The Week – Part II Posted by Gabriele on Jun 25, 2012
Yesterday I discussed the origin of the names of the days of the week in English. To continue on this theme, today I am going to introduce you to a popular child’s nursery rhyme about the days of the week. Young children in the United States are often taught to recite* the days of the…
The Days of The Week – Part I Posted by Gabriele on Jun 24, 2012
Happy Sunday everyone! I am sure you all know the names of the days of the week in English already as these are some of the most common words people learn in a new language, but there is a lot more to know about the days of the week in English than just their names! …