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Choices – a moving experience?

‘When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life’ so said Dr Johnson, the creator of the first English Dictionary in the 18th century.  I’ve been thinking about his observation quite a lot recently.
Why? I recently bought a house in the country. So, I’m leaving the dirt and the grime behind me and trading it in for some clean living and a rural idyll.

Posted on June 10 2009 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [6]

Choices - Little food for thought

For most families with young children its reasonably simple to feed them; nothing too complicated or sophisticated. Children have to be introduced to food or it’s far too easy for them to say ‘I don’t like that’ without even tasting it. Often our childhood prejudices we carry with us long into adulthood – mine is asparagus!
So, what shall we feed the children? Well, for many it seems a diet of junk food is the answer.

Posted on May 27 2009 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [2]

iPass Press Release May 2009

iPass is currently running a competition for all IELTS candidates who have taken the test in 2009. Competition entrants must score a minimum of 7.5 in each module of the test; writing, speaking, listening, reading and state how IELTS will make a difference to their lives. The deserving winner will receive €250.

iPass is an online self-study website aimed at students preparing for Academic IELTS (International English Language Testing System), the world’s leading English test.

People from all over the world take IELTS for a number of reasons; immigration purposes, higher education and professional training and registration.

Posted on May 19 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in iPass News | Read More | Comments [0]

Choices – Barack: could he have done better?

Recently it was Barack Obama’s 100th day in office. Certainly a milestone for him, and also for us. We all waited for him to be elected and then to see what kind of President he would be. The verdict? Well, various pundits have rated him and in most areas he was found to have performed well.
Could he have done better? Did he have any other choices? Of course, a lot depends on your political persuasion, but was it really necessary to spend all that money bailing out the banks and the motor industry or should they have been allowed to go to the wall?

Posted on May 07 2009 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [5]

Choices – a chance to have your say

In our everyday lives we have choices – we make daily decisions from the simplest to the possibly life changing. For some people its easy, others tussle with the simplest notion of change and what impact it will have on them.
Love, jobs, houses, children - life is the sum of all your choices as Albert Camus said. These are some of the themes that we’ll be looking at in this blog in the future.
I hope you’ll join us and add your viewpoints. The choice is yours.

Posted on May 04 2009 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [3]

Translation Teasers

From time to time throughout my teaching career, which has now spanned 13 years across 7 different countries, I have come across words in English which do not seem to have a suitable translation. Despite my earnest attempts to fully describe the meaning of the word, often resorting to childlike sketches on the board and ‘give us a clue’ style mime antics, my students have been left scratching their heads because the word apparently is non-existent in their native language.

Posted on April 27 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in English Language | Read More | Comments [8]

iPass Speaking Video

Cynthia’s IELTS Practice Speaking Test - Part 1


Click on ‘Read More’ to see complete interview.

Posted on April 19 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in | Read More | Comments [0]

The internet and learner independence

One of the plus sides of IT and the internet is that it enormously assists the independent learner of anything, and this of course includes the language learner, the English learner and the IELTS candidate.

Posted on April 13 2009 by Nigel Haines in Education | Read More | Comments [0]

The Reader

After twice going to the wrong cinema in an attempt to watch Kate Winslet’s Oscar-winning performance in The Reader – the first time it wasn’t showing in original version and the second time it was a sell-out – with added anticipation, I finally got round to seeing it last Wednesday.

And I wasn’t disappointed….

Posted on March 22 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Film | Read More | Comments [0]

Twittering about Twitter

Twitter Logo

Twitter – isn’t that something old ladies used to do over the garden fence or at the bus stop? Inconsequential chatter about the neighbour’s dog or the infrequency of buses running on time? Not any more apparently!

Posted on March 16 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in English Language | Read More | Comments [4]

The writing is (still) on the wall

I’m fascinated by history and its continuing effect and influence on modern life and recently I bought a book about life in Pompeii by Mary Beard, which looks at the way Romans lived their lives all those centuries ago.

Posted on March 08 2009 by Nigel Haines in Society | Read More | Comments [5]

Mumpreneurs in Barcelona

Read about 5 entrepreneurial mothers in Barcelona who have started up their own businesses as an alternative way of earning their own income and achieving a desirable work-life balance.

Posted on March 04 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Education | Read More | Comments [1]

Who’s responsible for teaching your child to read?

book

Remembering that I was able to read pretty competently before I was five (I have a clear memory of having to do a reading test, aged 4 and a half, in order to attend the local Catholic School when my parents moved towns) I figured that when my son turned 4 a couple of months ago it was time to start introducing him to the joy of reading for himself. As a child who has always loved books and having stories read to him, especially at bedtime, I imagined he would be eager to learn.

 

 

Posted on March 01 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Education | Read More | Comments [1]

Dear Dawn French

I have just finished reading your autobiography Dear Fatty and would like to say what a truly pleasurable and heartfelt read it was. Any book that can make me laugh out loud and shed a tear at the same time, well not actually at the same time but you know what I mean, has to be one of genuine emotion that is written from the core.

 

Posted on February 28 2009 by Jenny Bedwell in Literature | Read More | Comments [2]

A Reason to Read

Some classroom activities for primary EFL teachers to initiate motivation!

Posted on February 25 2009 by Nigel Haines in English Language | Read More | Comments [1]

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