http://www.englishforums.com/search/pro.htm?q=user%3aNovalee&o=DateDescendingSearch results for 'user:Novalee'en-USXMOD (Build: 3616.28671)http://www.englishforums.com/English/YoureWelcomeHasASynonym/cdrhg/post.htm#182314Thu, 12 Jan 2006 23:31:04 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:182314novaleeCould it be "not at all"? I learnt that as a way to respond to "thanks". I don't know if people use it, though.http://www.englishforums.com/English/GlottalStops/bmddq/post.htm#144485Tue, 04 Oct 2005 14:07:36 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:144485novaleeYou recall perfectly. The IPA symbol for a glottal stop is a question mark ? but without the dot at the bottom.http://www.englishforums.com/English/MisbehaviourClassroom/bmvnx/post.htm#144299Mon, 03 Oct 2005 23:14:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:144299novaleeHi Magg, It's funny but it turns out I also work in a "Language School" (Academia de Idiomas) in Spain! Ha ha. Believe me, I do understand what you are saying. I agree with you in everything you said above. Perhaps the only difference is that, in our school, if a student doesn't behave properly he or she is "invited" to go away. Actually, that has only happened a couple of times and many years ago. It is required that parents are involved in the development of the child, who is reported to his/her parents if the behaviour is not proper. We care a lot about our students and they KNOW that their parents will be called if they misbehave. Obviously, when you say that these classes are not compulsory and that you must measure what you say in...http://www.englishforums.com/English/MisbehaviourClassroom/bmvnx/post.htm#143996Sun, 02 Oct 2005 21:51:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:143996novalee13 year old students are the most difficult to manage, at least for me. They are so full of hormones, ha ha. Ok, this is what I do and it doesn't go bad: <ul class="anf_list"> <li>From the first day I try to be very clear and serious about how a class should be. </li><li>Respect for the rest of people: no interrupting when others are talking, no fights in class, no insulting, no laughing at other's English, etc. </li><li>Of course, mobile phones should be turned off or in silent mode, as mine is. </li><li>I assign each one a seat and they are not allowed to change unless I say so. </li><li>Reading and Listening time are silence time. </li><li>The more they...http://www.englishforums.com/English/CourseBooksFrom12YrsOn/blqzz/post.htm#143268Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:33:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:143268novaleeHi Magg. I usually work with Longman books, but I've had a chance to look at some of the Oxford ones and I think they're pretty good, especially the Headway or New Headway line. I don't like that much English File, but that's just my personal opinion. You can have a look on their websites or send them an email. Perhaps they can send you a sample. Hope this helps.http://www.englishforums.com/English/NewVersion/2/bgcqq/Post.htm#142657Wed, 28 Sep 2005 15:26:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:142657novaleeHi all, I also haven't visited the forums for quite a long time, but I think the improvement is great! I'm amazed with the new "face"! Great job, people!http://www.englishforums.com/English/LearningByHeart/qmwd/post.htm#85556Fri, 01 Apr 2005 01:12:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:85556novaleeHi all I do think the same as you: repetition brings no real learning or developing of any skill needed to learn a language. However, I find drilling very useful in some specific occasions. For example, with little children when they are learning some vocabulary, the alphabet or pronunciation, be it in songs, chants or even a contest! In any other different occasion I find it boring for the children... and for me! What do you think?http://www.englishforums.com/English/PhoneticDifferencesBetweenEnglish-Spanish/pkxd/post.htm#77290Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:25:29 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:77290novaleeHello Edward, There are tons of different sounds in English and in Spanish. For one thing in Spanish we only have five vowel sounds (a, e, i, o and u). But in English there is a difference between long and short vowel sounds. On the other hand, there are some consonant sounds in English that we don't have in Spanish, such as the two possible sounds occurring when (a) is written, or the aspirated (h) which in Spanish is silent. There are many more examples of this, so if you are interested, I can give you some links to webpages about phonology and its symbols, or recommend some useful books. If you have any specific question about sounds in English or Spanish, feel free to ask. Hope this helpshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/HarryPotter/pljj/post.htm#77288Mon, 28 Feb 2005 16:05:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:77288novaleeHi pieanne. I also absolutely love the Harry Potter books. JK Rowling has already announced that the sixth book will be released on 16th July this year. There are tons of good websites where you can browse some information about the new book. I especially recommend you rowling's own website, which is also wonderfully done, in www.jkrowling.com or fansites such as www.mugglenet.com and for news on anything about the Potter world, check www.the-leaky-cauldron.org Looking forward to the new Harry Potter book. Hope this helps.http://www.englishforums.com/English/TopRomanticLinesEnglishLanguage-Students/xmxj/post.htm#73427Fri, 11 Feb 2005 16:28:58 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:73427novaleeVery funny It reminds me of some mistakes my students make in their compositions. I usually write this kind of mistakes on the board and we have a laugh togetherhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/CheesedCheeses/3/jmqk/Post.htm#72892Tue, 08 Feb 2005 16:40:47 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:72892novaleeHi all, One thing that really cheeses me off is when I try to open a bottle or a carton of milk, the kind that are called "Easy opening". Well, it's not easy at all, because when you carefully rip it open, the milk spills everywhere, all over the kitchen counter and floor. This really irks me, so I always have to use scissors to open it, when, supposingly, they're not necessary. Similar to those CD wrappers, grrrrrrrrr.http://www.englishforums.com/English/HereOriginHistoryEnglish-Language/mhkb/post.htm#61904Fri, 17 Dec 2004 01:13:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:61904novaleewow, it was an excellent summary of the history of the English language, guest. You've summed up almost one year of what I studied at university, but you've explained it better that some of my teachers I can only add one of my favourite major changes in pronunciation during the modern English period: it's called the Great Vowel Shift and it consists in a lengthning and closing of the vowels. From having a very simple vocalic system, English became a language with more long vowels and dipthongs. (f)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SpanishGermanStudentJapaneseStudent/kmdh/post.htm#55515Mon, 15 Nov 2004 23:23:58 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:55515novaleeHa ha, yes it's very funny. I've just remembered something that happened to a friend of mine when living in London. She run out of batteries for her walkman and she went to a shop to buy some. But she didn't know the word in English for this. We, Spanish people, think that everyone can understand us, no matter if they speak Spanish or not. So, she asked the shop assistant for some "piles" which is very similar to our word for batteries ("pilas"). I can picture her saying: "Please, I need piles, you know, for my walkman". I can also picture in my mind the assistant's puzzled face. Ha, ha I know so many people living now in England, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, etc, that I have some very funny stories about misunderstandings in another...http://www.englishforums.com/English/MeaningOfStructures/kxgp/post.htm#53783Fri, 05 Nov 2004 15:54:47 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:53783novaleeHi again I'm having my car repaired Structure: "Have/Get something done" This is used when someone else is doing something for you, for example, you don't really repair your car, but a mechanic does this. You don't really cut your hair, but a hairdresser or barber does: "I'm having/getting my hair cut". You don't really paint your house, but a painter does, as in "I'm getting/having my house painted". Do you see what I mean? You can either use the verb "have" or "get" + noun + past participle, as you said. You can use the present continuous tense as in "I'm having my car repaired", but here it could have a future arrangement meaning. F. ex. : "I'm visiting my aunt tomorrow" --> this means that you have already arranged to see...http://www.englishforums.com/English/MeaningOfStructures/kxgp/post.htm#53606Thu, 04 Nov 2004 14:57:32 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:53606novaleeHello arabella, You are right about the first sentence. BEEN TO indicates that you went to a place but you aren't there anymore. Your second sentence is a conditional type III: this type is often called "Impossible" or "Hypothetical" because it expresses an impossible condition in the past. You can't go back in time and retake that exam and, given that condition, you could or couldn't have gone to Cancun again. The usual tenses used in this type are "past perfect" in the conditional sentence and "perfect conditional" in the main sentence. Hope that helps. PS: I think this post should be in the General Grammar section, shouldn't it?http://www.englishforums.com/English/TeachingGrammar/kxgb/post.htm#53602Thu, 04 Nov 2004 14:48:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:53602novaleeHello vip, I agree that grammar is one of the hardest and, sometimes, boring aspects that teachers and students face. I don't know if there is a good way to teach it, but I do think that "practice makes perfect" as the proverb says. Explaining theory and giving clear examples followed by practice is what I usually do. Sometimes, a bit of humour is necessary (in the examples given or in the exercises) but I don't really know what else could we do to make grammar more interesting to some students. I'm eager to read what other teachers do when explaining grammar. Bye for nowhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/SpanishGermanStudentJapaneseStudent/kmdh/post.htm#53247Tue, 02 Nov 2004 15:45:04 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:53247novaleeHello meg2589 and all, I almost exclusively teach Spanish students, with the exception of some American students who are learning Spanish but this is a different story. I can tell you the most common mistakes and difficulties that we, Spanish people, find when studying English. The first problem that you mention is the 'false cognates' which we call 'false friends': they are similarly written words or expressions that have different meanings in both languages. The funniest example I can give is 'to be constipated', which I'm sure you know the meaning. Well, in Spanish we have 'constipado' which means to have a cold: not at all the same meaning The overuse of articles is also a problem. But students learn the rules of when to use it...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TeachingVocabulary/kbkg/post.htm#52027Mon, 25 Oct 2004 22:36:51 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:52027novaleeI agree with Reme: it's more useful if you give them the definition of the word and an example to clarify the meaning, only when the students' level is high enough to understand what you are trying to explain to them. Of course, this is not useful for children or beginners levels, where I found that they can be frustrated when they don't understand a word of the definition. But, little by little, with easy or specific words in a context they start to understand your definitions. This is my opinionhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/FindingPupilEnglishLevel/kjpq/post.htm#52024Mon, 25 Oct 2004 22:22:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:52024novaleeHello Reme, I think that the best way to find out your students' level is by means of a quiz. According to the results you can have an idea of how much they know and what they are bad at. A little conversation afterwards is not a bad idea either. I usually make them write questions to ask about me, so that we can get to know each other. I answer these questions and make note of their mistakes and pronunciation. For small children, I usually ask them to write and say different types of vocabulary such as colours, numbers, actions, etc, and so, I can tell if they know or not certain vocabulary I'm interested in. Hope that helps!http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatsACatch24Thing/jnck/post.htm#48027Wed, 29 Sep 2004 14:27:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:48027novaleeHello Guest, It's "Catch 22" and it comes from the title of a novel by Joseph Heller (1961) about the madness of war. You can also find this expression in the phrase "It's a Catch-22 situation" According to Merriam-Webster, it's a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule It gives these aditional meanings: an illogical, unreasonable, or senseless situation a measure or policy whose effect is the opposite of what was intended a situation presenting two equally undesirable alternatives Here you can find more information on the novel and its relation to the meaning.http://www.englishforums.com/English/AdviceConversationalEnglish-Lessons/jwlq/post.htm#46763Wed, 22 Sep 2004 14:29:23 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:46763novaleeHi Guest! I'm also a teacher in a private school and I see your point when you talk about the lack of confidence in students. From what I have seen, this seems to be their main problem when practising speaking skills. What I usually do is pair work and competitions. Teenagers seem motivated when they can be winners... or losers I use different tools and approaches to achieve this: videos, discussions, definitions games, students' dictations, picture descriptions, etc. It depends on their age and the English they know. It is useful to encourage and praise them when they speak the foreign language. It makes them confident to speak more next time. I agree with your point "practice makes perfect", but the bad side is when their other...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Phonic/jvrg/post.htm#45423Mon, 13 Sep 2004 14:39:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:45423novaleeI guess these are examples of short e /e/ sounds ending in a dental /t/ or /d/ as well as final /l/ and /n/: Fell, Tell, Sell, Read (past tense), Led, Bled, Said, Then, When (strong forms) Bet, Let, Debt (/b/ is silent), Met, I can't think of more... Do you need just monosyllabic words?http://www.englishforums.com/English/TheMostHilariousFilm/hjvm/post.htm#44914Thu, 09 Sep 2004 14:55:11 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:44914novaleeHello gleo Happiness is one of the funniest movie I've ever seen, but you're right, it's a bit darker and not everyone thinks this is a comic movie, but I couldn't help laughing when I saw it. I haven't seen Planes, Trains & Automobiles so I'll check it out next time I want to see a comic film. (f)http://www.englishforums.com/English/FavouriteFilms/wpqr/post.htm#44666Tue, 07 Sep 2004 22:27:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:44666novaleeOk, here it goes: 1) Cube 2) Fight Club 3) North by Northwest (classic Hitchcock film) 4) Matrix (just the first one) 5) Trainspotting 6) The Beach 7) Meet the Parents 8) The Great Lebowski 9) The Shawshank Redemption 10) Muriel's wedding There's this great website www.filmaffinity.com where you can vote for different films and get your film soul mates. You can see recommended films lists from people around the world with similar tastes.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SpokenEnglish/wnzl/post.htm#44664Tue, 07 Sep 2004 21:51:17 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:44664novaleeI think the guest may be referring to the aspirated pronunciation of an initial p as opposed to that found in the middle of a word, which is not aspirated. I was taught a little trick to learn the correct pronunciation of an aspirated /p/: take the word 'pottery', for example. Hold a piece of paper in front of your mouth while pronouncing this word. The paper must move slightly as you pronounce this /p/, so this means that a little air escapes from your mouth. You can also use a lighter Of course I'm talking about RP (Received Pronunciation), that is, Standard British English, and you could argue that this is not a variety that you find nowadays, at least not so easily. I'd agree with that.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Blue/jbhp/post.htm#44660Tue, 07 Sep 2004 21:35:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:44660novaleeHello hyfather, The standard pronunciation of blue is /blu:/ - /u:/ this phonetic symbol represents a long u sound. I've never heard anyone pronouncing it /bleu/. (Can this be the French pronunciation?) (f)http://www.englishforums.com/English/SentenceBrotherAndSister/wqkn/post.htm#44121Wed, 01 Sep 2004 14:52:18 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:44121novaleeHi esc, I would use the word "sibling" (a person's brother or sister): Jill and John are siblings Hope this helpshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/EenyMeenyMineyMo/wlcw/post.htm#42601Tue, 17 Aug 2004 14:57:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42601novaleeThanks Mr Micawber. I also googled the rhyme and I came across the racially offensive one, the one you mention in excerpt 2. I was interested in the original nursery rhyme lyrics and I found about the "piggy" one. I didn't know about the "tiger" which I think can be the original one. I suppose you can replace the animal and it doesn't make a difference. I appreciate your help, thanks a million! (f)http://www.englishforums.com/English/WeFeelThatItItTime/wjpc/post.htm#42527Tue, 17 Aug 2004 00:55:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42527novaleeJobb, I don't know if this is what you are looking for, but I guess that your question is about intonation and sentence stress. If this is what you mean I might give you my opinion. I would read the sentence with a little pause after "feel", and I would stress the most important words of the sentence. If you say that it fails to communicate, this can be due to intonation. It sometimes happens when we read aloud a piece. We do not realize that our audience can get bored with a monotonous intonation and they can lose all interest in what we are saying. Thus, it fails to communicate. This is the way I would say this sentence: We feel | that it is time to put in place the policies and practices The words in bold are the stressed...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Friend/2/wvzw/Post.htm#42526Tue, 17 Aug 2004 00:32:29 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42526novaleeOhhh, Molly, I had forgotten about that, but now you've refreshed my memory. I think I'm going to take my book again and have a look at it! I was studying about the forming of Old English at the time I studied Dutch, so I could make some comparisons between the two languages (on a vocabulary basis). One day I came across the word "bergen" in Dutch, and I knew that it meant "mountains" because this was the meaning a similar word had in Old English. It's fantastic how languages interact, at least for me I have a question though. Do people in Fryslân speak any other language? I've met some Dutch people and they seem to have a good command of English. I was wondering if you speak English as a second language there or just study it at...http://www.englishforums.com/English/EenyMeenyMineyMo/wlcw/post.htmTue, 17 Aug 2004 00:06:58 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42525novaleeI've read and listened to several different versions of this nursery rhyme and I'm not sure how it really goes anymore. Is this the real one? Eeny meeny miney mo Catch a piggy by the toe if it hollers let it go Eeny meeny miney mo I think it's used when you are not sure what to choose, so you just sort it out pointing at the different options and saying this rhyme aloud. Am I right? Are there any other alternative lines for this rhyme? Thankshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/Friend/wvzw/post.htm#42095Fri, 13 Aug 2004 18:03:37 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42095novaleeWell, Molly, to tell you the truth, I loved learning Dutch, the little bit I learnt at least. I'm proud to tell you that I was the second best student in the class, according to the teacher. Unfortunatly, that semester was my last one at University, so I couldn't go on studying it. When you say Fryslân, do you mean Frisian? I studied that Old Frisian had some influence in the forming of Old English, but I thought it wasn't much spoken nowadays :s I especially remember "hoe laat is het?" ("What time is it?") because I spent one very long evening learning how to say the time in Dutch. It was very complicated for me. But now I've forgotten almost everything I learnt, which is a pity, :( Ohhh! I wish I could spend a holiday in Fryslân,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/Friend/wvzw/post.htm#41428Mon, 09 Aug 2004 15:53:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:41428novaleeHello Catbird, welcome to the forums. You can tell us about you and have fun here! Molly, I've always wanted to visit The Netherlands. I even studied a short course of Dutch language. Our teacher was from Belgium, though, and she said that the language varies slightly from one place to the other, is that true? (f)http://www.englishforums.com/English/AreThereAnyRulesForAdverb/wzlh/post.htm#40965Thu, 05 Aug 2004 15:32:35 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:40965novaleeHello Guest, If by the usage of adverbs, you mean the position of frequency adverbs, then there are a couple of rules. Frequency adverbs, such as "always", "sometimes", "often", "usually", "hardly ever" or "never", usually take two different positions: -Before the main verb: I always eat fruit after a meal -After the verb "to be": He is always late for work The adverb "sometimes" is more flexible regarding its position. It can be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence. Sometimes, I have a drink after work I sometimes have a drink after work I have a drink after work sometimes These are the main rules for the position of these adverbs. In informal speech though, its position can be more flexible, as that of...http://www.englishforums.com/English/JackInTheBoxToy/wvrn/post.htm#40601Tue, 03 Aug 2004 14:07:01 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:40601novaleeAnd the etimology of this word, according to etymonline.com: Jack-in-the-box - 1570, originally a name for a sharp or cheat, "who deceived tradesmen by substituting empty boxes for others full of money" . As a type of toy, it is attested from 1702 I think this clears all up about the real origin. So, as a toy, it comes from the 18th century, but it was used for a person who cheated others. humm, interesting, isn't it?http://www.englishforums.com/English/JackInTheBoxToy/wvrn/post.htm#40599Tue, 03 Aug 2004 13:52:13 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:40599novaleeThis is an interesting topic for me (origin of words) so I researched a little about "Jack-in-the-box". According to Wikipedia A jack-in-the-box is a children's toy. It consists of a box with a crank. The crank is turned, playing out a melody (often Pop Goes the Weasel). At the end of the tune, the lid pops open and a figure of some sort, usually a clown, pops out of the box. The toy gave its name to the fast food restaurant chain Jack in the Box, which features a mascot named "Jack" who resembles a toy clown from a jack-in-the-box. here you can see some information about this fast food restaurant. Hope this helpshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatDidntTime/wdlh/post.htm#40458Mon, 02 Aug 2004 17:24:39 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:40458novaleeAs for me, it would depend on our past relationship. If it was a good one, I would say "hi" and something like "What´ve you been doing?". It has happened recently - I met a girl I used to go to school to and we were good friends. But I hadn't see her for ten years or more. So, we started talking and now we have "become" friends again. But if our relationship was not very good or inexistent, I wouldn't bother saying anything, aside from the fact that, as Lana said, I may remember him/her but it's possible that this person doesn't remember me.http://www.englishforums.com/English/SubjunctiveClause/wcjz/post.htm#40042Fri, 30 Jul 2004 12:12:26 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:40042novaleeAll of them are right except for (2). We can consider a context in which a person wasn't in a place yesterday so he/she wasn't able to meet "him". As it is a condition in the past (yesterday) we can use a conditional clause type III. If you had been here yesterday, you would have met him Be careful with tenses here. In the conditional clause we see a past perfect tense and in the main clause we use a perfect conditional tense (in this type III conditional clause). (1) and (4) are considered type II and (3) is considered type I conditional clause. Hope this helpshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/CanYouMakeItProfessional/wchx/post.htm#40041Fri, 30 Jul 2004 12:04:10 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:40041novaleeHow about this?? "You can/may download the/our demo from the/our website and test it. Then you can purchase it from our site, so it's not necessary to go to the escrow system" Second sentence also: "It can only be purchased from our site..." Avoid repetitions such as "can" or "site" and be careful with punctuation and capital letters. Hope these suggestions help you.http://www.englishforums.com/English/CorrectResume/hpdq/post.htm#39263Sun, 25 Jul 2004 22:02:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:39263novaleeMeg, I have some suggestions for your resume. "achieve my goal of creating their interest in English" --> I'd rather write "increasing their interest" instead of "creating". Or "encouraging them to use/learn English" I've always been taught that you must not use "etc" when writing formally. I suggest you to use "Buddhism or Feng-Shui make a good base...". It appears that the use of "etc" is vague.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DoRememberFirstExperienceTeacher/hnjk/post.htm#39262Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:50:31 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:39262novaleeLana, my first experience as a teacher was very similar to yours. I felt very nervous the day before, but this nervousness disappeared the moment I was in the classroom. Nevertheless, I think my students were more nervous than I was, because I was going to be their teacher for the rest of the year. I remember best the first year rather than the first class. I made some mistakes but I also learnt from them. Now I know what I MUSTN'T do David, I've also learnt that motivation is very important to get your students working. If there isn't any motivation for, at least, some of them they won't do their exercises properly or learn anything useful. I mostly do this by means of competition or contests. And they love it! It's a good way of...http://www.englishforums.com/English/SerialCommasDependentClauses/hnnc/post.htm#38390Tue, 20 Jul 2004 20:40:53 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38390novaleeIn your first example the comma is not necessary. It's better to say: He loved peaches, apples and oranges Your second example is correct. You don't need a comma after the last but one item on a list, whether it's a list of words or actions. Hope this helpshttp://www.englishforums.com/English/InterestingUntoldHistory-English/hlml/post.htm#38344Tue, 20 Jul 2004 17:56:08 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38344novaleeDavid, I also do find this subject fascinating. I'll post some more: Kick the bucket -- die. In the Middle Ages a person might have tried to commit suicide by standing on a bucket then tying a noose around their neck with the end of a rope attached to the ceiling above. When they kicked the bucket away they hanged themselves. Not worth your salt -- no good. In Roman times salt was a rare and precious mineral - like gold. So it was often used to pay the soldiers. If you weren't worth your salt then you didn't get your salt - your pay! Salt comes from a Latin word and people today are still paid a salary - a word really meaning salt. I'm going to look for more.http://www.englishforums.com/English/Punctuation/hnkd/post.htm#38342Tue, 20 Jul 2004 17:40:25 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38342novaleeWho was it who said, "I only retret that I have but one life to give for my country?" The punctuation here is correct, as far as I know. Why does the telephone alwasy ring just as soon as I sit down to work? she asked. I would place quotation marks at the beginning and end of the question, like this: "Why does the telephone always ring just as soon as I sit down to work?" she asked Where should the question makr be placed in a quoted sentence," Yolanda inquired. The opening quotation mark and the question mark are missing. "Where should the question mark be placed in a quoted sentence?" Yolanda inquired. Answering this question, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks. Well...http://www.englishforums.com/English/DoRememberFirstExperienceTeacher/hnjk/post.htmTue, 20 Jul 2004 15:06:57 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38311novaleeDo you remember your first experience as a teacher? How was it? Good? Bad? Horrible? One teacher told me that the first time he gave a class, he was so nervous that he forgot the alphabet! Has something like this ever happened to you?http://www.englishforums.com/English/TeachersCopeBehaviour/hlcm/post.htm#38308Tue, 20 Jul 2004 15:02:46 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38308novaleeNo, maj, you didn't get carried away. You are quite right when you say that "they will have to come to terms with frustation sooner or later". I get very sad when I see a frustrated child but, as French people say, c'est la vie , and they'll have to learn that life is not easy. But I also make sure that they know that there's always someone to help them in these situations. It's certainly rewarding when you see a child that is enjoying so much learning English. I always feel proud when I come accross this type of student, but it's not always the case. Well, now I guess it was me who got carried away from the topic. Any ideas to cope with bad behaviour in class? It usually happens that, when I have no other choice that to make the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhyPronunciationStrongSoundsTaught-Isolation/hnvj/post.htm#38306Tue, 20 Jul 2004 14:40:38 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38306novaleeRicefarmer, as miriam said, both strong and weak forms are taught on a need-to-know basis. I think any teacher should teach both forms because they are used in everyday speech. I usually teach these forms whenever a word appears. For example, can . As well as teaching the proper use in grammar, I also teach the two different pronunciations this verb has, depending on the situation in which it is used, by means of examples. Is this what you wanted to know?http://www.englishforums.com/English/InterestingUntoldHistory-English/hlml/post.htm#38297Tue, 20 Jul 2004 13:49:02 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38297novaleeMmmmm, very interesting post, santa. I knew about where f**k came from. But I didn't know about the origin of "Goodnight, sleep tight", which is a very funny expression for me. How about these? To be in another person's shoes -- to take someone's place. In the Viking age, when a man adopted a son, the boy accepted by putting on the man's shoes. Done in cold blood -- done with no feeling. People believed your temper was ruled by the temperature of your blood. A hot-blooded person had a fierce temper, a cold-blooded person had no temper. So, if a cold-blooded person harmed you they did it in a calm, cruel and calculating manner. Making both ends meet --having enough money to survive. This was a spelling mistake. In the 19th...http://www.englishforums.com/English/TeachersCopeBehaviour/hlcm/post.htm#38181Tue, 20 Jul 2004 01:50:21 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38181novaleeWell, what an interesting thread! (At least for me). I quite agree with both of you, Miriam and Hoca. I'll answer Miriam first. The discipline problems we have in the Spanish classes are much the same you mentioned. It varies from children to teenagers. A children can as much as have a tantrum because he can't accept a NO for an answer. But I think that kind of behaviour comes from their homes. More and more parents are becoming sort of permissive with their children. Some of them spoil their child by making him or her get used to have everything they want or ask for. But I can deal with that: I usually try to make him or her see that this behaviour is not fair for the rest of the children. Children are usually fond of fairness and...http://www.englishforums.com/English/GetMadWithOthers/hmpg/post.htm#38173Tue, 20 Jul 2004 00:37:36 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:38173novaleeHi runner, I think the most acceptable sentence is (3) because number (2) seems to be too formal for oral English. I'm not sure about (1) but I think it's not a proper construction in English.