Tag Archives: American culture
Let’s Play Horseshoes! Posted by Gary Locke on May 24, 2018
One of the great American traditions for the summer is gathering friends and family for some backyard games. Every family has its favorites, and there’s no better way to spend a warm afternoon than to share some laughs and get a little exercise at the same time. We might play ball games such as bocce…
Informal English Contractions Posted by Gary Locke on May 17, 2018
Native English speakers can be very lazy with our own language. We create contractions based on the way we actually say things. In time, these contractions work their way into everyday speech. However, if you are learning our language and you hear one of these contractions, you can’t be faulted for wondering just what is…
America’s Maestro, Leonard Bernstein Posted by Gary Locke on May 10, 2018
“I can’t live one day without hearing music, playing it, studying it, or thinking about it.” Leonard Bernstein A centenary is a celebration to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a significant event, and we are having one right now in the world of music. Leonard Bernstein was born on August 25, 1918. All over the…
Garden Center English Vocabulary Posted by Gary Locke on May 3, 2018
To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. It was a long winter. For much longer than usual the cold refused to yield to the spring sunshine, and buds and blossoms resisted our pleas to grace us with their presence. But there was one place where spring could be found – the greenhouses of…
Before Wikipedia: The Encyclopaedia Britannica Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 26, 2018
Before there was Google and Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge for English speakers was the vast, multi-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica. Many homes had shelves devoted to it, teachers and scholars depended on it, and its prestigious reputation among such publications has remained unsurpassed for over three centuries, though much of that reputation may have depended…
Two Friends from Cleveland, Ohio Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 18, 2018
It is now hard to imagine that there was a time without superheroes. Popular culture worldwide has lately been saturated with colorful, often caped, muscular women and men with fantastic powers and abilities. From comic books to television to movie screens, these action heroes are everywhere, and the public has made them more popular now…
20 Great American Cities (Part Two) Posted by sasha on Feb 19, 2018
There are plenty of great cities in the USA. We’re visiting many of them through posts and videos to give you a tour of the States and help you practice your English at the same time. In Part One, we took a look at some cities on the East Coast, in the Midwest, and in…