Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker, of The Whittaker Group, and
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Resources for Idioms
1. American English Idiomatic Expressions in 52 Weeks - John Holleman
2. Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts - Richard A. Spears
3. Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms - Marvin Terban (a favorite)
4. Slangman Guides - David Burke (audio available)
5. Essential Idioms in English - Phrasal Verbs and Collocations-Robert Dixson
More to come next time! |
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Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Sometimes it is the little things. As the first crocuses of the season emerge from the soggy ground, we can feel joy and relief that after this long, hard winter, a warmer and brighter spring is just around the corner. We hope you are all feeling renewed energy as the seasons change.
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The International TESOL 2010 Conference is just around the corner. For those of you who will be attending the Boston Conference from March 24-27, remember it is "Restaurant Week." That means great venues will be offering special menus, but it also means that you should not wait until the last minute to make your dinner reservations!
ESL RULES will be showcasing our products at Booth #444. We will also be presenting "English for Medical Professionals - Assessments and Activities," on Thursday (Room 162B) and Friday (Room 158) from 11:00 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
We hope to see you. Please stop by and take advantage of our convention discounts and specials.
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Figuratively Speaking
"Spring is just around the corner."
Many of our clients who have made great strides in their pronunciation and intonation are still searching for ways to sound more "native." Although many of our clients and students have been speaking English for many years and understand a lot of the figurative language used by their peers and colleagues, they are reticent to use idiomatic expressions themselves. They express concern about what is appropriate in certain contexts, and worry that, if they omit or confuse a preposition, the entire meaning will be lost. Of course, these are very legitimate concerns, but, we feel it is still important for nonnative speakers to try to interject some idiomatic language into their daily communication. Here are some quick ways to do that:
1. Record a 3-5 minute informal conversation with your client/student. Transcribe it, and then discuss one or two idioms, figurative expressions, or colloquial expressions that could be inserted to clarify a statement, or give a message a little more "punch." After giving a few options, ask your students to write down the expression that they might feel comfortable using. Encourage them to start their own "figurative language journals," including the exact expression, whether it is formal/informal, its meaning, and any other relevant information. They can even record when, where, and with whom they tried the expression and if the outcome was positive or negative.
2. Just as we encourage students who want to increase their vocabulary to try to use a new word a day, encourage them to select a new expression each day. They should try to find as many opportunities as possible to insert the expressions into their spoken and even written language.
3. There are many resources available for learning idioms, including reference books, idiom dictionaries, workbooks, and online free resources. Encourage students and clients to access these resources. Please check our list for some of our favorites. We will add to this list with each newsletter.
4. If your students/clients hear a friend or colleague using an unfamiliar expression, encourage them to ask about it. " We have a similar expression in my native language, but I don't think the meaning is exactly the same. Can you explain it to me?" Encourage open dialogues and questions. | |
We hope to see you in Boston!
With best regards,
Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker Lynda Katz Wilner
ESL RULES, LLC
410.356.5666 | |
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