It's been quite a while since I last was here. But I've been busy as always: a baby son, a Comenius project, an educational center...
Now, only about the project: it is worth seeing what students of six different countries managed to do (great work, great people): http://www.songs-love-videoclips.eu/
Now that it's finished, I can say I enjoyed being part of this European team!
Thank you all! We did a great job!
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Monday, 29 December 2008
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Hello Nicola!
I am happy to see Nicola as a contributor, without a contribution yet, but it is the first step. Please send me the photos you would like to display on our blog. And do not be shy, start posting articles! In Romania we have not started school yet, so I cannot tell you how the tricks we learned work withmy students, but be sure I'll share! I am in Bucharest now at a conference organised by Oxford University Press. Yesterday we attended a workshop held by Jeremy Harmer (does it ring any bells?). As soon as I get home I'll try to post materials and information we aquired here.
Hope to see your articles soon! Have patience with your students!
Love you all,
Oana
Hope to see your articles soon! Have patience with your students!
Love you all,
Oana
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Teaching Collocations
Well, I bought "English Collocations in Use"-Michael McCarthy & Felicity O'Dell (Cambridge University Pess) and I found the argument at the beginning of the book quite interesting.
The authors, answering the question "Why learn collocations?" provide us with the perfect answer for our students when asking the same:" They will help you to speak and write English in a more natural way".
What is this "natural way"? It makes the difference between using vocabulary in certain structural patterns and using vocabulary in a way that makes sense to any native English speaker.
For example, a common mistake my students make(when they want to say >looking at something quickly without looking at the details>)is the use of "He threw his eyes over the window"-which usually makes me see the poor guy plucking his eyes and throwing them over... when the correct way of saying this is "He cast/run his/an eye over..."
This particular mistake is caused mainly because my students translate word for word. And the examples are many...
But, if we keep explaining this to them and give them such examples, they will eventually understand the meaning of "natural English" and will try to look for collocations in the dictionaries (and they will give up the habit of picking up the first entry).
I recommend you to try this book because it has tips for using the dictionary, types of collocations, register information and collocation exercises grouped on topics.
The authors, answering the question "Why learn collocations?" provide us with the perfect answer for our students when asking the same:" They will help you to speak and write English in a more natural way".
What is this "natural way"? It makes the difference between using vocabulary in certain structural patterns and using vocabulary in a way that makes sense to any native English speaker.
For example, a common mistake my students make(when they want to say >looking at something quickly without looking at the details>)is the use of "He threw his eyes over the window"-which usually makes me see the poor guy plucking his eyes and throwing them over... when the correct way of saying this is "He cast/run his/an eye over..."
This particular mistake is caused mainly because my students translate word for word. And the examples are many...
But, if we keep explaining this to them and give them such examples, they will eventually understand the meaning of "natural English" and will try to look for collocations in the dictionaries (and they will give up the habit of picking up the first entry).
I recommend you to try this book because it has tips for using the dictionary, types of collocations, register information and collocation exercises grouped on topics.
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