Everyone everywhere gets sick some time or another. Luckily, most of us get better too. Subsequently, every language has its own phrases for talking about sickness. I was wiped out by sickness all spring break, so I had the chance to think about how we speak of sickness and health in English. Hence, this week’s […]
Tag Archives: vocabulary
Spring Break Idioms
Spring Break that wonderful break in the middle of the Spring Semester – how I love and hate it both! Vacation is, of course, a wonderful thing! Nonetheless, Spring Break for me is less of a break and more of a grading marathon to get caught up for the second half of the semester. To […]
Success by Choice
It’s almost midterms at IVC, so everyone, instructors and students alike, is on edge. Over the past week, several of my colleagues have bemoaned their students’ lack of understanding of basic college concepts– not the classroom content, but the soft skills so needed for success in an American college. Here in the USA, it is […]
Mistake Idioms
Mistakes. Some are incidental while others, of course, can be substantial, but we all make them, usually on a daily basis. As a college instructor, my mistakes are so often very public and thus that much more embarrassing, frustrating, or even potentially harming than the errors of others less in the public eye. I try […]
Life Lessons from the Super Bowl
Football is the quintessential American entity with both simultaneous awful and awesome aspects. There little doubt that ticket prices are exorbitant, player salaries are not equitable, and injuries are potentially extreme; nevertheless, it provides some measure of unity across social, age, gender, and economic classes. The topic transcends the sport. When you have nothing to […]
Love Not Only for Lovers
Valentine’s day is coming up, offering a wonderful chance to express affection and appreciation for those in committed relationships. Idioms for romantic love will abound on the internet this week, so having one more from me seems superfluous. Moreover, love is not limited solely to lovers. Casual friends and even strangers in the street can […]
Language Lessons
Vocabulary, idioms, parts of speech, and more! Let’s Learn!
Right to Assemble
Today, I want to take a brief journey into one of the American freedoms we have based on the First Amendment – the right to assemble- and how that freedom has been and is continuing to be expressed in our country. Before we dive into the actuality of a protest, let’s look at and understand […]
Idioms, Demons, and Angels Oh My….
Music is a fantastic way to become fluent in the rhythm and flow of language, especially those songs with good grammar or interesting idiomatic usage of language. Which leads me to a new song on the radio by Julia Brennan called “Inner Demons.” It’s a song for today’s stress and difficulty in life and I […]
Spring Semester
School starts next week! I both love and hate the beginning of the new semester, how about you? On the one hand, I love the possibility of it all: the new students, the new curriculum, the new learning opportunities, the new relationships… it’s all so exciting! On the other hand, the first week is so […]