Tag Archives: American culture
Want Fun with English? Says You! Posted by Gary Locke on Dec 2, 2016
One of the great pleasures of any language is getting to play with it. Word games, brainteasers, puzzles and quizzes – they all have ways to both challenge and educate us. For over two decades, a radio show in the U.S. has delighted and confounded its listeners by having fun with the English language. Please…
Thanksgiving History and Customs Posted by sasha on Nov 24, 2016
Today is an important, traditional holiday in the United States – Thanksgiving. This national holiday is celebrated every year on the 4th Thursday in November. Let’s learn a bit about the history and customs of this special day. History Back in the 1600s, European settlers were traveling to and settling in America. One group of…
A Corny Thanksgiving Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 23, 2016
Corn. The history of the United States is uniquely tied to this one crop. So, too, is our language. When the first English settlers arrived in what became Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 the colonists, unused to the rigors of agriculture, faced years of near starvation. They attempted to trade with the local natives for their…
Get to Know Your Orchestra Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 17, 2016
As the holidays approach, symphonies around the U.S. get a little less serious. One of the great treasures of any community is its musicians. In the United States you will find bands, orchestras, philharmonics, symphonies, and ensembles of all sizes playing every weekend. Most towns have some form of a brass or jazz band in…
U.S. Election Vocabulary Posted by Gary Locke on Nov 4, 2016
We’ve talked about the U.S. presidential election, but you may still find yourself hearing certain terms which you don’t fully understand. Here’s a handy vocabulary guide to words and phrases which take on greater significance in the United States every four years. Absentee ballot: A ballot which is filled out and usually mailed in by…
Weird and Wonderful: The Edgar Allan Poe Films of Roger Corman Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 27, 2016
Boo! Halloween is upon us, which means that a scary movie or two is almost required viewing in every American household. It’s also a time when lovers of literature tend to take out their volumes of Edgar Allan Poe to dip into the macabre stories and poems of one of America’s first full-time professional writers…
Bob Dylan and the English Language Posted by Gary Locke on Oct 13, 2016
Bob Dylan is the 2016 recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. His work was specifically cited “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”. The honor seems to directly expand the Nobel committee’s definition of literature, since many of Dylan’s lyrics rely on musical accompaniment and his unique voice to…