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READ THE ARTICLES ON SPEAK LEARN ENGLISH AND CLICK ON 'COMMENT' BELOW EACH ARTICLE AND TELL US YOUR OPINION!

A Spot Of Grammar

Giving your opinion
I think that . . .
I don't think that . . .
In my opinion . . .
Asking for support or details
Why do you think that?
Could you elaborate?
Could you give (me) an example?
Can you illustrate that?
What evidence do you have?
Could you explain it in more detail?
Could you provide some details?
Supporting your opinions
Let me illustrate,
For example,
For instance,
To give you an example,
Let me give you an example,
To elaborate,
First, (second), etc.

(These phrases can be followed by details, examples, elaboration, or a summary of your main points.)

WEALTH Education

"Hope is not a strategy!" Planning and due diligence are key to financial success.

Definition: dil⋅i⋅gence

1. constant and earnest effort to accomplish what is undertaken; persistent exertion of body or mind.
2. Law. the degree of care and caution required by the circumstances of a person.
3. Obsolete. care; caution.

diligence in a sentence
The best strategy in life is diligence.

due diligence definition - finance
The amount of reasonable investigation that must be made by a prudent person to determine whether an investment or business arrangement makes sense and to determine whether it is likely that the information he or she has contains omissions or misstatements. Due diligence involves looking through public documents related to a company and talking with people in the industry who have knowledge of the company’s performance.

To sum up, due diligence is doing a thorough investigation of all avenues and all possibilities, in order that you may be then be equipped with sufficient knowledge to make an educated decision on whether a financial matter you are considering is viable, profitable or beneficial for you to undertake.

Education is key to EVERYTHING!

Seen This FLICK?

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

Bend It Like Beckham is a British film released in 2002 in the UK and released in the United States in March 2003. The film was directed by Gurinder Chadha and was based on the screenplay she wrote with Paul Berges and Guljit Bindra.

The film was a box office success and has achieved a cult-like status. It tells the tale of two young London women from different backgrounds who share an aptitude for football (soccer) and pressure from their families to conform. One is a British Indian Sikh girl who struggles against her family's orthodox mindset to fulfill her dream of playing professional football; the other is a white girl who has to combat her mother's stereotypes about athletic prowess and lesbianism.

The film's title is a reference to the English footballer David Beckham and his skill at scoring from free-kicks by "bending" (curving) the ball (making it swerve as it flies through the air). The movie was filmed in West London, specifically Hounslow (where the main characters live) and Southall, and central London, including Soho for the football store and pub, and Piccadilly Circus. Scenes were also shot in Hamburg, Germany.

The film is a coming-of-age tale about 18-year-old Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a Sikh girl living in the western suburbs of London, not far from Heathrow Airport. Her first-generation Punjabi immigrant parents push her hard to study to get into university and become a solicitor, and wish to arrange a marriage for her in due course. Jess instead dreams of football, inspired by one of England's most famous players, David Beckham. She displays unusual talent for the game in park matches with the local boys, running them ragged with her evasive skills.

This extract is part of an article copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. Although the vast majority of the Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

I Love PHOTOGRAPHY

David and Victoria Beckham

Courtesy: Doll Fashionistas

Figure of SPEECH

Figure of Speech

The use of special effects in language, intended to make the text memorable, pleasing or surprising. Language that is rich in figures of speech is called 'figurative language.'

eg. 1. Fully fit, David Beckham could be the scourge of summer.

*The repetition of the letters f (fully, fit) and s (scourge, summer) make the text vivid.

eg. 2. Ronaldo remains a constant butcher of international soccer.

*To call a soccer player a 'butcher' makes the reader sit up and take notice.

I D I O M - Mania

No sweat!(informal)
Something that you say which means that you can do something easily.
eg. Joe: 'Do you think you'll be able to move all those things out of the garage yourself?' Jerry: 'Yeah, no sweat!'

Sweat at (informal) To work hard at something. eg. I have been sweating at my assignment all night.

Sweat on (informal) To feel worried or impatient about something. eg. I was sweating on losing my job because I was late for work again.

Dictionary term:
Sweat
1. (verb)
To give out a salty liquid through the skin when you are too hot.
eg. Working in the hot sun makes you sweat.

2. (noun)
The liquid produced when you sweat.
eg. The sweat on the man's forehead rolled down his face.

My WORD!

DEFAULT

(n, uncount)
1. Neglect or failure to act or do something you should do.
2. Computer term - a course which a program automatically follows when there are no other specific instructions.
eg. If you do not select a function, the computer will automatically choose a default function which is built into the system already.
3. (v) to fail in doing something you should have done.
4. (phrase) by default - because no other options are available.
eg. The Bears won the football match by default because The Tigers did not show up for the game.

WEALTH Education

The only two four-letter words you need: 1. Plan 2. Save.

CURIOUS Tabitha

Here is a brain teaser from Curious Tabitha.

A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, jumper, gloves and balaclava. He is walking down a black street with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with its lights off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

. . . * * * * * *

. . .

(A: It was daytime!)

Do you know any brain teasers? If so, please send us one for our blog, and we will post it for you!

QUOTE me on that

The secret of success in life is to be ready for the opportunity when it comes.

Benjamin Disraeli

(Some people describe this as 'luck.' So, do you create your own luck?? Mmmm..... something to think about!)

Don't Forget the LYRICS

GREEN DAY

21 GUNS

Do you know what's worth fighting for,

When it's not worth dying for?

Does it take your breath away

And you feel yourself suffocating?

Does the pain weigh out the pride?

And you look for a place to hide?

Did someone break your heart inside?

You're in ruins.

Chorus:

One, 21 guns

Lay down your arms

Give up the fight

One, 21 guns

Throw up your arms into the sky,

You and I

When you're at the end of the road

And you lost all sense of control

And your thoughts have taken their toll

When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul

Your faith walks on broken glass

And the hangover doesn't pass

Nothing's ever built to last

You're in ruins.

(Go to Chorus)

Did you try to live on your own

When you burned down the house and home?

Did you stand too close to the fire?

Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone

When it's time to live and let die

And you can't get another try

Something inside this heart has died

You're in ruins.

(Go to Chorus)

_____
This Green Day song can be found on:

http://www.songlyrics.com/green-day/21-guns-lyrics/

Here is a comment from an anonymous blogger from the songlyrics blog:

The "One, 21 Guns" is referring to the one twenty-one gun "Salute" soldiers of an honor guard deliver to the fallen soldiers of war. It's quite heart-wrenching to hear this song although I love it. It means (Well, to me anyway) a lot, especially after losing so many friends and family to this war in the military, and being a Marine myself, it's nice to have a group like Green Day (my fave band since I was about 4) devote a song like this to the soldiers and such during a time such as this... Thank you, Green Day.

SPELLING Fairy

ACCEPTABLE

The two suffixes that often get confused are -ible and -able. To help you remember how to spell Acceptable, just remember this little 'verse' - "Accept any TABLE offered to you in a restaurant." (ACCEPT - ABLE)

*Spelling Fairy's Tip for remembering the correct spelling of words: make up a small verse or 'story' to go with the word. This method is called memory by association, i.e. you make something up to connect it to whatever it is you want to recall (eg. 'Kagi' in Japanese means, 'key.' To remember this word, I associate/connect it with something similar in English, 'car key').

My classmates and I made up funny verses to help us learn to write Hiragana and Katakana in Japanese by describing what the characters looked like! It's great fun making up silly things to help us remember! Why not try it - it works!

Student Task - if you do not know this word, look it up! http://www.dictionary.com/

An ORANGE A Day

WITHIN YOU IS THE DEVINE CAPACITY TO MANIFEST AND ATTRACT

ALL THAT YOU NEED AND DESIRE

In the NEWS

Girl Praised for Saving Mum's Life
Sep 13 2009 ninemsn news

A young north Queensland girl is being praised for saving her mother's life.
Four-year-old Alex Wood called triple-zero when her mum Rebecca Stanley collapsed on the floor of their Kirwan, Townsville, home with severe abdominal pain.
With only her twin brother and one-year-old sister by her side, Alex called the emergency line and spoke calmly to Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) emergency medical dispatcher Leonie Richards for nearly 10 minutes until paramedics arrived to treat her mum.
"Alex was able to tell us her address, that her mother had collapsed and that she needed an ambulance right away," Ms Richards said in a statement.
"She listened carefully and was able to answer all of my questions. She really did a fantastic job."
Ms Stanley said she was extremely proud of her daughter and how she handled the August 31 emergency.
"I would hate to think what may have happened had Alex not learnt triple-zero. She is my little hero and I'm just so proud of her," she said.
"My husband and I have been teaching our children about triple-zero and I am so glad that all that repetitive learning paid off in this instance," she said.
QAS northern region assistant commissioner Rodney Walz said Alex was one of the youngest Queenslanders to call triple-zero.
"It is unusual that we have such a young caller through the triple-zero service and this really highlights the importance of teaching the emergency number to your children as early as they can understand it because you never know when they may need to use it," he said in a statement.

*Triple-zero = 000 (the national emergency number in Australia)

STUDENT TASK

1. Look up the following words in the dictionary (http://www.dictionary.com/)

praise

collapse

severe

abdominal

dispatcher

handle

repetitive

highlight

statement

Tip 1: Any time you are studying vocabulary, be sure to write sample sentences and mark also what part of speech it is, e.g. verb/adjective/noun/adverb. You may copy the way the words are used where you found them (i.e. you can copy the sentences from the above article. Do not feel that this is cheating, because you are merely learning the use of these words for the first time. But later, you need to repeat these words when you are speaking or writing English so that it becomes part of your English memory bank!)

Tip 2: Another way of really cementing into your memory bank new vocabulary, is to make sentences in different tenses, question forms and negative forms.

Here is a sample of the way to complete the student task.

(to) praise (v) - to say that you admire or approve of someone or something.

e.g.

1. original: A young north Queensland girl is being praised for saving her mother's life.

2. negative: The girl is not being praised.

3. question: Is the girl being praised?

4. past tense: The girl was praised.

5. future tense: The girl will be praised.

Tip 3: You may continue in this manner using other grammar forms so you can become more familiar with their usage. This way, you can, "kill two birds with one stone," because not only are hou learning new vocabulary, you are at the same time learning and practising grammar!

Tip 4: Take note of what the mother said in the above article about how she and her husband taught their young children to remember the emergency number and procedures: REPETITIVE LEARNING! "Practise makes perfect?" There is no shortcut!

EXPRESS Yourself

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

This means that you can have whatever it is that you want in this world. You have the world at your fingertips. It is often said to young people who are about to go on a journey into adulthood, such as after they graduate from school.

BOOK Worm

WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING

Here are 12 Secrets to Dealing with People:

1. The only way to get the best out of an arguement is to avoid it.

2. Show respect for the other person's opinion. Never say, "You're wrong."

3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

4. Begin in a friendly way.

5. Get the other person saying, "yes, yes" immediately.

6. Let the other person do a great deal of thinking.

7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.

8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.

9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.

10. Appeal to the nobler motives.

11. Dramatise your ideas.

12. Throw down a challenge.

To read more, grab the book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" By Dale Carnegie. It is such a famous book! I do not know many people who have not read it! This book is all about building relationships. With good relationships, personal and business success are easy! It is a must for anyone who wants to learn how to deal with people effectively, both personally and professionally. This great book is also very easy to read for students of English as a second language. This book should be at the top of your 'must read' list!

LOL

Knock, Knock...

(This is how a Knock, Knock joke works: Person One says, "Knock, knock...," Person Two says, "Who's there?" Person One says something. Person Two repeats what Person One just said and adds '...who?' Person One ends the joke with the pun or punchline. The punchline is usually a play on words; ie. the way the word sounds, not the actual meaning.)

Here are some 'knock, knock' jokes.

1. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Don.

Don who?

Don worry, be happy!

2. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Carrie.

Carrie who?

Carrie this shopping in for me! It's too heavy!

3. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Harry.

Harry who?

Harry up and open the door! It's just starting to rain!

4. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Iona.

Iona who?

Iona house just like this one!

5. Knock, knock...

Who's there?

Annie.

Annie who?

Annie chance you'll open this door?

Student Task:

Do you know any "Knock, knock" jokes? Why not write one in the comments for us? You can even ask your friends these jokes! Try them out!

IDIOM - mania

A OK

This means, if things are A OK, they are absolutely fine.

eg. "Hey Jason, how are your studies going?" Jason: "Fine. Everything is A OK! Thanks!"

WEALTH Education

CASH IS KING! If you want to buy something, try to pay cash!

When you are considering using credit to buy something or take out a loan, remember there's a big price penalty to pay for debt financing. Not only that, you can often bargain better if you pay cash. Always ask if it is cheaper if you pay cash. Remember this when shopping, "If I can't pay cash for it NOW, I can't afford it." Or, "If I can't pay for it now, I don't need it!" It will very swiftly help you to decide if you really need the item or not! Another thing I also keep in mind when I go out shopping, is not to use credit for every day consumables such as food and clothing, because you end up paying double or triple for them if you don't pay off your credit card soon! A $20 meal could end up costing you $60 in the end! Ouch!

A Spot of GRAMMAR

PHRASAL VERBS

What is a Phrasal Verb?
A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and preposition, a verb and an adverb, or a verb with both an adverb and a preposition.
A phrasal verb has a meaning which is different from the original verb. That's what makes them fun, but confusing. The adverb or preposition that follows the verb is sometimes called a particle. The particle changes the meaning of the phrasal verb in idiomatic ways.
Phrasal verbs are usually used informally in everyday speech. E.G. “to get together” , “to put off”, or “to get out.”
NB - Sometimes phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs are considered to be separate, while at other times they are considered to be the same.

Literal usage:
Many verbs in English can be combined with an adverb or a preposition, a phrasal verb used in a literal sense with a preposition is easy to understand.
"Paul walked across the bridge."
Verb and adverb constructions are also easy to understand when used literally.
"Sally cut the string and looked inside the bag."
"When he heard the strange noise above his head, he looked up."
An adverb in a literal phrasal verb modifies the verb it is attached to, and a preposition links the subject to the verb.

Idiomatic usage:
It is, however, the figurative or idiomatic application in everyday speech which makes phrasal verbs so important:
"We hope you will get over the loss of your dog quickly."
The literal meaning of “to get over”, in the sense of “to climb over something to get to the other side”, is not relevant here. Here "get over" means "recover from" or "feel better".

Transitive and intransitive phrasal verbs:
Phrasal verbs also differ in their transitivity or intransitivity in the same way as normal verbs do. A transitive verb always has an object.
For example:-
“The hikers walked across the bridge.”
"Across" in this sentence is the preposition to "the bridge".
An intransitive verb does not have an object.
For example:-
“As Alison began to cry he looked up.”
"Up" here is an adverb, and does not have an object.

Separable or inseparable phrasal verbs:
A further way of considering phrasal verbs is whether they are separable or inseparable. In inseparable verbs, the object comes after the particle.
For example:-
"As she got on the bus she dropped her bag."
"Every weekend, dad looks after the horses for his neighbours."
Separable verbs have several ways of separating verb, particle and object. Usually, the object comes between verb and particle.
For example:-
"Jason looked up the word on the laptop."
"Jason looked it up on the laptop."
However, with some separable verbs, the object can come before or after the particle.
For example:-
"Switch the computer off."
"Switch off the computer."
"Switch it off."
NB - There is usually no way of telling whether they are separable, inseparable, transitive or intransitive. In most cases you have to be familiar with them to be able to recognise them.

Seen This FLICK?

THE INSIDER

M15+

Starring Al Pacino and Russell Crowe

Nominated for seven Adademy Awards including Best Picture

Based on a true story.

Gripping and powerful, The Insider keeps you on the edge of your seat as it recounts the chain of events that pitted an ordinary man against big business (the Tobacco Industry), and ultimately dragged people into the fight of their lives. The movie is based on a true story about a former scientist who worked for the Tobacco Industry, and was threatened with death for being a whistle blower on thier (the Tobacco Industry) stance that "niccotine is not addictive." Pacino and Crowe star as two men crusading together for a public health issue charged with emotion. And it's not too long before they both find out just how badly the corporate giants want to save their big profits. This absorbing thriller also stars Chistopher Plummer and Gina Gershon. The Insider will thrill you with its unbelievable twists and turns.

*Check out this cool website: http://www.themovieinsider.com/ for all the latest info on movies! Everything you need to know, it's all here! There is a search browser so you can even key in any actor or movie and you can find all the details there!

My WORD!

CONDONE (V)

To pardon, or excuse or allow (something wrong) to continue.

eg. 1. I can understand why he hit the boy for pushing his sister, but I still can't condone it.

2. One should never condone dishonest behaviour.

3. Condoning under age smoking and drinking by parents only encourages youngsters to do it.

CONDEMN (V) formal

1. To express strong disapproval of. eg. He condemned the child's bad behaviour.

2. To judge someone to be guilty or sentence them to punishment.

eg. 1. The murderer was condemned to death. 2. The thief was condemned to jail.

3. To decide something is no longer fit for use. eg. The old building was condemned by council.

I D I O M - mania

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

"A breath of fresh air" means, let's say, if you are stuck in a situation that you find unpleasant, and something changes to improve the situation, this welcome change can be compared to breathing in some fresh, clean air, because one always feels better after breathing in good, clean air.

e.g. After spending a boring weekend with my uncle, my brother showing up to take me out to lunch was like a breath of fresh air!

Or, for example, there have been no changes to a situation for a long time and then one day something positive, interesting or different happens, this is like a breath of fresh air.

e.g. Being allowed to go home one hour early from school/work on Fridays is like a breath of fresh air!

QUOTE Me On That

1. A child miseducated is a child lost.

2. Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life.
JOHN F. KENNEDY

A quote is the exact repeat of something original which a person was the first to have said, and therefore belongs to that person. We may repeat the quote, but under the condition that we give credit to the person who originally came up with it. Therefore, we must write his/her name below the quote.

STUDENT TASK: Who is John F. Kennedy? To find out, Google his name in the Wikipedia, the online Encyclopedia. http://www.wikipedia.com/
Or you can check out all of JFK's quotes on this site:http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_f_kennedy.html

LOL

BRAIN TEASER
A 'brain teaser' is a tricky joke or question that requires you to really think hard at the answer, because the answer is not obvious. Here is a brain teaser:
What goes up a drainpipe down, but can't come down a drainpipe up?

Do you know the answer? Why not ask your friends? When you have found the answer, please write it in Comments (click on the envelope icon below this post)! (Hint: the picture holds a clue).

Let's Learn CHINESE!

STINKY TOFU

Stinky Tofu is both a very popular snack and sometimes infamous dish that can be found at night markets and restaurants. Although it is delicious, many people cannot stand the smell of this fermented soy bean curd dish. Hence the name, Stinky Tofu! Try it sometime if you dare!

Chinese Name: 小吃臭豆腐 xiaochī chòu dòufu

Article supplied by Chinese Jerry http://jerris888.blogspot.com/

WEALTH Education

Believe You Are RICH!
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have it all, and others not? Why is that? What makes the 'have alls' so different from the 'have nots' ?? Belief is absolutely the key. Without belief there can be no change and no amazing life. Without belief there can be no progress in life and no freedom. Believe you are RICH, and you will BE!
Believe you are POOR, and you will BE! So be careful what you believe or wish for!

My WORD!

BODY LANGUAGE

(n) Communication with others through movements of your body and through your facial expressions rather than with words.

eg. Although she said we could borrow her CD, her body language told us she did not really want to lend it to us.

Student Task:

1. What is the difference between 'borrow' and 'lend'? How do you use these words? Which word best suits these sentences:

a) May I __________ your phone?

b) Can you __________ me your phone?

(hint - remember: The person who wants to use something is the borrower. The person who allows the person to use something that belongs to her/him is the lender!)

** Google http://www.dictionary.com/ to look up the words. Good luck!

In The NEWS

NEW SPECIES FOUND IN THE HIMALAYAS

Wed Aug 12 2009
By ninemsn Staff

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glance/849112/new-species-under-threat-in-himalayas

The world's smallest deer, a flying frog and catfish that stick to rocks — as well as more than 350 other species — have been discovered over the past decade in the Himalayas.

New images of the creatures have been released by the World Wildlife Foundation in a bid to attract support for a conservation plan in the biologically rich region.

The group is calling on the Himalayan countries to give local communities more authority to manage the forests, grasslands and wetlands.

STUDENT TASKS:

1. Visit - http://www.panda.org/ for more information relating to the above article. This site is the World Wildlife Foundation site. The images are absolutely breathtaking! You will totally enjoy browsing in this website!

2. While you are on this site, you can also click on the tabs titled:

3. HOME/WHO WE ARE/WHAT WE DO/ABOUT OUR EARTH/TAKE ACTION!/NEWS/FAQ to learn more about the WWF. Below is the extract from the What We Do tab.

4. Don't forget, while you are studying, always have a dictionary and notebook handy. You may also GOOGLE www.dictionary.com for 'English to English' explanations.

5. Take an interest in the world outside your doorstep! Widen your horizons! Get involved! The planet is YOUR backyard too!! YOU are part of it, so be aware of what kind of footprint you are leaving on this, our precious planet! Make a positive impact on the world! Be part of the solution, not part of the problem! Read on and become more educated about world conservation.

WHAT DOES WWF DO?
WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of our planet's natural environment, and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

To achieve this, we are working with our many partners to:

1. Save biodiversity, and
2. Reduce humanity’s impact on natural habitats.

We are strategically focusing on conserving critical places and critical species that are particularly important for their habitat or for people.

We are also working to reduce humanity's ecological footprint – the amount of land and natural resources needed to supply our food, water, fibre and timber, and to absorb our CO₂ emissions.

It's not about keeping people out of nature.

Or turning back the clock.

Or preventing countries or communities from developing.

It is about finding practical solutions for a healthy planet.

A planet where people and nature can thrive together,
in a stable environment, now, and for generations to come.

A Spot of GRAMMAR

1. THIRD PERSON RULE
2. SOMETIMES

Can you spot the mistakes in the following sentence (there are two): "Sometime the bad guy make the best good guy."

The mistakes in the above sentence are: sometime and make
This is the correct sentence: "Sometimes the bad guy makes the best good guy."

Explanation:
Don't forget your 's'!!
1. Sometimes is ALWAYS with an 's'. Sometimes is an Adverb of Frequency.
2. 'Makes' needs an 's' because this is the "Third Person Rule" of Grammar. i.e. He/She/It/Name = + 's'. e.g. a) She likes to eat cake. b) She doesn't like to eat cake. c) Does she like to eat cake?

HINT Tweet

To truly master the art of speaking Natural English, you must learn English in ALL of the following ways: 1. Textbook English, 2. Slang, 3. Idioms, 4. Expressions, 5. English used in mass media, such as magazines, newspapers and TV, 6. Conversing with others in English as often as possible, 7. Join Speak Learn English for the best help and advice!

You are welcome to Join and Follow the Speak Learn English BLOG. To join, scroll down to the bottom left side of this page and click "Follow." It's that simple! Pass it 'round to your friends. And join up together! Use it as a home blog hang out! Meet people worldwide! Visit this site regularly to learn and improve your English.

When reading the blog posts, don't forget to click 'Older Posts' on the bottom right of the page for more useful and valuable articles posted earlier. Be pleasantly surprised!

An ORANGE A Day

Chinese Proverb:
Water is the softest element on earth, and yet it has the ability to erode a rock.

Mmm... something to think about! So... how would you interpret this? As for myself, this is my interpretation; going hard and attacking something is not always the most effective approach. Sometimes, the softly, softly, subtle approach can achieve the desired result with the littlest effort. So long as you keep at it - and NEVER EVER GIVE UP!

SLANG Dunk

SLANG

Slang is colloquial, or street language. Native English speakers, especially young people, speak this way. It is quite important to learn slang, because you will be able to communicate with certain people (eg. your peers) better if you can speak and understand some slang. As many of you have already discovered, the English you learn in a textbook is NOT often what you hear on the streets!

However, one thing to keep in mind is that slang is not always appropriate to use just anywhere. It is only appropriate in a very casual environment such as a social setting with your friends.

I have heard some students use slang at the wrong times, such as when meeting important people - and it sounds terrible!! They sound as though they are gangsters from a movie set on the streets of LA! Or hip hop artists!!

So please, take my advice: only use slang in certain circles, ie. on the streets with your own age group. DO NOT make it your only speaking style!! You ain't gonna get a good job jivin' like a gangsta, yo!! Not even at McDonald's!

SLANG Dunk

FLICK

"Flick" is slang for 'movie'. A common expression you will hear is "Chick Flick", which means a 'girlie' movie (a movie that is popular with females), such as a romantic movie or a romantic comedy. A "Hit Flick" is a movie that is a very popular or top grossing movie (meaning it has made alot of money at the Box Office, i.e. Cinema Viewing).

You may hear someone ask, "Wanna go see a flick?" or "Wanna catch a flick?", which both mean, "Would you like to/Do you want to go see/watch a movie?"

Seen This FLICK?

Movie: THE HIDDEN KINGDOM

This is a martial arts epic, adventure film starring Jacky Chan and Jet Li. They play Chinese warriors who must train and mentor a 21st century American teenager who's been summoned back to ancient China to fight a centuries-old battle to free the imprisoned Monkey King. It features spectacular action choreography by Woo-ping Yuen (The Matrix). It is rated PG and is an exciting fantasy adventure. Take it out or download it! If you like Chinese Kung Fu or Chinese legends, you will really enjoy this movie as I did!

Just one thing: Make sure it is in English so you can study English while watching it- for those of you who speak Chinese - no Chinese subtitles, OK!! Cover the bottom of your screen so you can't read them!!

Watching movies is a very effective way to learn a language. Have a pen and notebook handy so you can jot down any new words and expressions, and make them part of your English usage.

Express Yourself

Expression 1: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," is a saying that means, when you visit another country do what the people of that country do.
Expression 2: "Food for thought," means something for you to think about.

(read the post below to see how these expressions can be used)

Tip OFF

When in Rome...

When learning a foreign language, you are inevitably going to learn about the culture, people and anything else associated with that particular language. So if you want to capture the essence of that language and become as good as a 'native' speaker, you must embrace all aspects of that language. Some people say, only when you start dreaming in that language, will you know you have really mastered it. In other words, there is more to learning a foreign language that merely speaking it! Food for thought!

(See above post to learn meanings of expressions used here)

LOL

HERE ARE SOME JOKES ABOUT WORDS. This kind of joke is referred to as, "A play on words." That means the word is used as a double meaning (not the real meaning) just to make people laugh. To really understand these jokes, you need to know the original meanings of the words. I advise you to get out your dictionary and first look up the words you don't know.

Address - something a woman wears!
Adorn - the start of the day when the sun comes up!
Airliner - the person who paints the lines down the sides of airplanes!
Allocate - say hello to Cate!
Antelope - when two ants run off to get married! (* look up the word 'elope')
Antifreeze - when your mum's sister goes out without a coat in winter!
Arrest - what a burglar gets when he goes to bed!
Automate - a robot for a best pal! (*In Australian slang 'mate' means 'friend' or 'pal')

*Hope you got the jokes! LOL! (Do you know what 'LOL' means? It means 'Laugh Out Loud'!)

Don't Forget The LYRICS

Can you guess the name of this song and the singer/songwriter?

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big family
And the truth - you know love is all we need
( CHORUS )
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
so let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day
Just you and me
Well, send 'em your heart
So they know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free
As God has shown us
By turning stone to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand
( REPEAT CHORUS )
When you're down and out
There seems no hope at all
But if you just believe
There's no way we can fall
Well, well, well, let's realize
That one change can only come
When we stand together as one
( REPEAT CHORUS AND FADE )
------------------------------------------------------------

We are The World, by Michael Jackson

Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie

Why not find this song and listen to it - it is very beautiful; you will love it! Find it here: http://www.songlyrics.com/

Let's Learn CHINESE!

posted by CJ at Chinese Jerry (彩你姿 傑瑞)

Wait for me (a moment)

When you ask a friend to wait for you;

you can say:等我一下 : "Deng wo yi xia. "
or you can say: 等我一會兒 : "Deng wo yi hui er."

I D I O M - mania

Hang On

This is an idiom that means: "Wait."
e.g. Wait / Wait a minute / Wait a moment / Wait a second (or sec) / Wait a tick
So you can say: Hang on / Hang on a minute / Hang on a moment / Hang on a second (or sec) / Hang on a tick
e.g. Your friend says to you, "Come here. I want to show you something."
You say, "Hang on a minute. I just have to finish sending this text message."

In The NEWS

'EVIL MEDIA'

12.00 AEST Thu Jul 30 2009
By Matt Bachl, ninemsn (Australia)

Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has blamed the "evil" media for twisting his response to a 14-year-old girl who admitted she was a rape victim during an on-air lie detector quiz yesterday. The 2DayFM presenter asked the teenage girl — who was strapped to a lie detector machine while her mother asked questions about her sex life — if the rape was "her only sexual experience".

Sandilands and co-host Jackie O this morning hit back at media reports calling for them to be sacked over their handling of the interview.

"I've been going through the newspaper, TV reports and to be involved in one of these stories ... is one thing ... but to watch some of the newspapers skew this in an evil way — some people are saying we are no better than a child predator — it has gone a little bit crazy," Sandilands said.

"I watched other news services pick up on this and twist the story, the mum is being blamed, we are being blamed, and it is just one of these things, unfortunately rape happens in society."

READING AND COMPREHENSION / VOCABULARY SEARCH

Use your dictionary to look up words in the above article. Here are a few explanations to get you started.

1. lie detector - a machine used to find out if people are telling the truth or not
(to detect means to find)
2. hit back - to respond very strongly to an accusation
3. skew - misconstrue - or change the story, change the truth, twist the truth
(related terms: something is askew / something is amiss - when someone is suspicious that something is not quite right)
4. incident - something that happened
5. pick up on - to take some (information) and use it (for themselves). In this case, the media picked up on the incident about the girl at the radio station and reported on it
6. twist the truth - to change an incident that really happened and turn it into a lie
7. strapped in/ to - to tie or attach something to an object eg. to strap the baby into the baby car seat. eg. strap yourself into the seat for the roller coaster ride.
(both noun and verb) eg. use a strap to strap the horse to the post.
8. shock jock - a disc jockey who does shocking or controversial things to get attention in order to increase ratings on his/her show.

DISCUSSION / YOUR OPINION : What do you think about the incident?

These are some of my opinions.

- the topic is inappropriate for the public domain such as TV or Radio
- the media and the parents are irresponsible
- the media has certain responsibilities and obligations to be sensitive to social issues
- and so do people in the public eye, such as famous people
- otherwise all the sacred things in life become like a reality TV show, as the above article shows

**Share your views!..leave a comment...

An ORANGE A Day

Healthy mind, body and spirit.
One cannot exist without the other. To be a well balanced and centred person, one must take care of each part equally. Sometimes we eat too much and we get fat. Sometimes we use our mind too much, and our body and spirit suffer. Sometimes we do selfish things and our spirit is empty. All of these things must be taken care of equally. Everything must be done in moderation.

Some students spend too much time indoors studying and never go out to just chill out and do fun things or exercise. They over-use their mind and neglect everything else, hence becoming unbalanced. So they become sick in mind, body and spirit. Ultimately their studies suffer also.

If your mind is happy, your body and spirit are happy. If your body is happy, your mind and spirit are happy. If your spirit is happy, your mind and body are happy. You cannot separate them; you cannot divide yourself into three parts! They are all of you and one of you!!
Remember this - Healthy mind, body and spirit! Take care!

My WORD!

ABANDON

1. (to) abandon (v) - to give something up, to stop an activity before it is finished.
e.g. a)The tennis match was abandoned due to rain.
b)The student abandoned his studies to return home to his ailing mother.

2. abandon (n) - freedom from worry or care.
e.g. After the graduation the students danced with abandon.

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Sharpen your listening skills and your speaking skills will follow.