Flag Day Posted by Gabriele on Jun 14, 2012
Today is Flag Day in the United States and so I thought I would introduce you to some flag related vocabulary and briefly explain this holiday and the American flag to you. The American flag has two common nick names by which it is sometimes known; these names are “The Stars and Stripes” and…
Alcatraz Island and The Great Escape Posted by Gabriele on Jun 13, 2012
Have you ever heard of Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock”? This is a famous rocky island off the western coast of the United States that was once the home of some of the worst criminals in this country. Now this island is a national historic landmark that is taken care of and…
Different words for “money” Posted by Gabriele on Jun 12, 2012
Money. This is something most people want more of and at the same time it is something people are always taking out of their wallet and giving away…to buy things of course! In the United States there are six denominations* of paper money: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $100. The $2 bill is not…
“Use” versus “Usage” Posted by Gabriele on Jun 11, 2012
The words “use” and “usage” are often used in the same way by many English speakers (both native speakers and ESL learners). The meanings of these two words do overlap sometimes, but they are not true synonyms. The word “use” has many more meanings and applications than the word “usage.” Some people use the word…
Positive and Negative Responses to Yes/No Questions Posted by Gabriele on Jun 10, 2012
Here is a short video about different ways to respond positively and negatively to yes/no questions in English. Enjoy!
How To Be Perfect Posted by Gabriele on Jun 8, 2012
Today we are going to look at the lines of an English poem and discuss ‘perfection.’ The lines of this poem come from the poet Ron Padgett. Mr. Padgett is a modern American poet born in the state of Oklahoma in 1942. He has been publishing volumes of poetry since the 1960’s and has published…
Tips For Job Seekers Posted by Gabriele on Jun 7, 2012
If you are applying for a job in the United States it is important for you to know a little about what customarily happens at a job interview as well as some of the cultural norms related to job interviews in the United States. First of all, before you even go to a job interview…