We learn here!

2012-01-27T05:38:00.000-08:00

The Innovative Educator: 10 Ways Facebook Strengthens the Student - Teacher Connection

Free Dictionary

2012-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary

Word of the Day
Article of the Day
This Day in History
Today's Birthday
Quotation of the Day
In the News
Spelling Bee
Hangman Game
Match Up Game
What's Inside
For Surfers
For Webmasters
A - Z
My Word List
English Forum

Many GREAT English-learning activities

2012-01-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

BBC - Skillswise - Homepage

see how to use connectives

What to read next?

2012-01-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

Pop Culture Nerd: News, Opinions, Advance Reviews from Inside Hollywood

Automatic Garage Door Opener

2012-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

A new 'app' for your BMW motorbike:

Exams

2012-01-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

It’s exam season. 9.2 million students sit down to do the gaokao, the annual two-day exam in China. Achieve an A Grade and you’ll be fast-tracked through university to the civil service -- meaning you never have to work again.

If you get a D+ or below, you are executed with a single bullet, or so they say. This is, of course, an outrageous lie. You’re allowed as many bullets as you like. :-D

Phonetic Punctuation

2012-01-01T23:47:00.000-08:00

Don't do this during a Speaking Exam or a Job Interview

Michael Phelps

2011-12-31T03:43:00.000-08:00

Michael Phelps at British Council

Quiz: Subject-Verb Agreement

2011-12-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

Image by Brandon Christopher Warren via Flickr

Subject-Verb Agreement

Quiz: If or Unless

2011-12-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaIf or Unless

7 Clever Google Tricks Worth Knowing

2011-12-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

7 Clever Google Tricks Worth Knowing

A list of 7 clever Google tricks that everyone should be aware of. Together they represent the apex of the grand possibilities associated with Google search manipulation tricks and hacks. Enjoy yourself.

must-see

2011-12-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography - Language from Matthew Rogers on Vimeo.

So many useful sites, so little time . . .

2011-12-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

Most Useful Websites List -- in an electronic .pdf file

100 m hurdles

2011-11-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

Technology Poster

2011-11-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

Technology Poster: technology learning

book report forms.doc - Google Docs

2011-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

book report forms.doc - Google Docs

Favourite football team

2011-10-15T19:46:00.000-07:00

Why do you support your favourite team? Listen and watch some fans talking about why they support their teams.When you have watched the videos, make your own video. Send it to us and we will put it on the site.

Workplace Oral English Skills

2011-10-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Doing a presentation with the New School Syllabus?

This is a great way to prepare. How would you get ready for a job interview? You could use much of this as a list of things to check to be sure. Before you give any oral presentation or speech, what do you need to think about?

Maroon 5 - click on the poster to see or listen

2011-10-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

Project-based Learning: High Tech High

2011-10-03T01:56:00.001-07:00

National Geographic: Mystery Sharks

2011-09-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

About Environment Protest -- From the British Council

2011-09-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

Environmental Protest Groups

3 new Blogger sites for LaSalle students

2011-09-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

3 new blog sites for LaSalle Forms 2, 3, and 4:

Form 2

Form 3

Form 4

Photos of the LaSalle College Campus

2011-09-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

Nothing Compares

2011-09-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

English learning games

2011-08-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

The British Council has games for all tastes ... games to help you practise your English. Play, enjoy and learn!

Most recent:

Pic-your-wits: What's the picture? Is it a rug or a cooker? You have 20 seconds to beat the clock. The faster you guess the more you score. A really fun way to learn vocabulary!

Wordshake: How many points can you get in 3 minutes? Longer words score more points!

Seafaring: Speedboat, galleon, lifebouy, life raft... do you know what these are? Match these words connected to boats, ships and the sea to the pictures

Venomous animals: Jelly fish, rattlesnake, black widow spider... do you know what these are? Match these venomous animals to the pictures.

Recycling: We can recycle glass, paper, plastic and metal. We can also put left over food into our compost to use in a garden. Can you put the rubbish in the correct recycle bin?

Magic Gopher: Think of a number with two digits. For example 43. Follow the Magic Gopher's instructions and he will amaze you by telling you what number you chose.

Politics: Here are some more words related to politics. Can you put the words in the right spaces to complete the definitions?

Most popular:

Spelloween You have 45 seconds to select as many correct words as you can. See how many points you can score.

Beat the Keeper Are you a football fan? Try this game to see how many football words you know in English. Can you beat the goal keeper? Good luck!

Word wrangling Word Wangling is a collection of fun word games to help you look for patterns, shapes and relationships between letters and words.

Related articles:

Fun English

2011-08-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

-Interesting Things for ESL/EFL Students (Fun English Study)

Quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, anagrams, a random-sentence generator and other computer assisted language learning activities. This site is non-commercial and has no advertising.

Summer trip to Uganda -- Mr. Jam's commentary

2011-07-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

The Hero's Journey

2011-07-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter. Frodo. Luke Skywalker.

These popular characters from novels and films share a common root: the ancient myth of the hero's journey. This online tool will give you the background information you need to take a closer look at a favorite epic hero (such as Simba or Batman) or to create a hero of your own.

Click here to go to a site that will help you to think about the book you are reading.

English pronunciation . . . so easy!

2011-07-16T20:46:00.001-07:00

Workplace Communication for SBA: Sales and Promotion

2011-07-08T06:17:00.001-07:00

Business Memos

2011-07-06T09:08:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Memos

Memos are normally short, concise messages written by company staff for company staff. Consequently, the tone should be different from very formal letters as you normally know the people you are writing to. Memos can be written for the following reasons:

Ÿ Requesting action or information

Ÿ Giving information
Ÿ    Making suggestions and recommendations
Ÿ    Sorting out problems
Ÿ   Warning

The reader(s) could be one person or all employees. The organisation of a memo is normally the same. Look at the following memos:

1.
To: John
From: Anne
Date: 24 May 20XX
Subject: Exhibition

Message: As you’re going to the exhibition next Saturday, can you tell me which MTR stop is the nearest?

Thanks
------
2.
To: All staff
From: Director
Time and date: 2 pm, Friday, 30 Jan 20XX
Subject: Unpleasant behaviour

Message: It has come to my attention that one of our members of staff was rude to one of the security officers in the car park this morning. Could I ask you all to please be polite to these employees?

Regards
----------
3.
To: All new staff
From: Human Resources Manager
Date: 10 Sept 20XX
Subject: Lunch invitation

Message: I would like to invite you to a special lunch on Wednesday (14 Sept) to welcome you to the company. If you can make it, please get back to me ASAP so that I can book a table. Thanks
-----------

As you can see from the above, the tone of your memo may change depending on the reason for writing and the identity of your reader(s). Which memo is the least formal? What kind of tone does memo 2 have? What does ASAP in memo 3 stand for?

Useful websites for workplace communication - from Education Bureau

2011-07-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Building knowledge and vocabulary of different trades and businesses

http://jobprofiles.monster.com/

Writing emails

http://owl.english.purldue.edu/handouts/pw/p_emailett.htm

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/email/default.htm
Writing cover letters and curriculum vitaes

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/resumes/

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/549/01/

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/letters/

Learning concepts relating to organisations

http://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/hr/f_orgchts.htm

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/index.html

Handling business telephone calls

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/telephoning/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness

Handling complaints

http://www.pdptoolkit.co.uk/Files/wellclosetraining/wellcloseconsult/training/consult/diffic.htm
http://esl.about.com/od/businessspeakingskills/a/customer_ser.htm

Giving presentations

http://www.mmu.ac.uk/academic/studserv/learningsupport/docs/Presentations.pdf

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/presentation/

Writing memos

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/01/

Writing business letters
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/business_writing/business_intro/

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_basicbusletter.html

Producing sales / promotional materials

http://graphicdesign.about.com/od/?once=true&

Role-playing job interviews

http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa113097.htm?once=true&

http://ec.hku.hk/epc/interviews/

http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/Job-Seeking/index.htm

Setting up and holding meetings

http://cycnet.com/englishcorner/practical/business/meeting.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness
and the Education Department's own Resource Package on Workplace Communication:
http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/eng/030210EDB_Workplace/EDB_Workplace.html

2011-06-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Limerick Poems have 5 LINES with a set rhythm and rhyme pattern:

LINE 1: 3 stresses, rhyme A (setting up the “story” conflict)
LINE 2: 3 stresses, rhyme A (more information about the people)
LINE 3: 2 stresses, rhyme B (here we read/hear the solution)
LINE 4: 2 stresses, rhyme B (how is this conflict/problem solved?)
LINE 5: 3 stresses, rhyme A (back to the beginning again)

Take a look at these limerick poems on the right. Read the Example 1 aloud and then solve the puzzles in Example 2.

AP Exams Limerick

2011-06-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a limerick written by a student about EXAMINATIONS !!! (fear and trembling):

AP exam, Advanced Placement

When I took a few AP exams, 3 stressed syllables and rhyme A

I studied old history scams; 3 stresses and A

No tutor could I afford, 2 stresses and B

But in physics I scored! 2 stresses and B

College credit for knowing 'bout grams! 3 stresses and A again

Image via Wikipedia

Advanced Placement exams are taken by high school students (mostly in the US and Canada) to get college credit for high-level classes. Popular subjects include calculus, physics, biology, and various areas of literature and history.

112 Free Limerick Poems from Project Gutenberg <-- click here

To help you write your own, RHYME ME in the "widgets" column on the right can help you look up words that rhyme. Write a good one and send it to the blog as a COMMENT, and, if you like, we can publish it here on the welearnhere blog.

Why Can't I Be More Chinese Cantopop

2011-06-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

Showing with words can be better than just telling

2011-06-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaA good story must show with words (better than just tell) what happens, and why, using significant details including how the character(s) felt.

Examples:

telling: Jackie Chan jumped from one tall building to the other to escape from the Black Hand Society gang members after him, shooting their guns at him.

showing: Jackie looked down 40 floors and saw the people on the street, like tiny ants far below. There was no time. Bullets buzzed just past his ears. Hands and legs shaking, he closed his eyes and breathed to clear away the terror. He ran back three steps, then leapt forward into the sky, soaring high over the busy street far below. Grabbing a clothesline on the other building, he struggled to pull his shaking body up into the window. Ahhh, safe at last! But for a few heartbeats only. The men chasing him were still right behind him. What to do now?

What are three differences between these two short parts of a story?

Exam Cheat

2011-05-30T05:05:00.000-07:00

Learn Glogster in 90 Seconds

2011-05-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

Glogster Glogs

2011-05-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

so MANY new cool tools!

2011-04-21T06:50:00.001-07:00

Correct Word Order

2011-03-29T20:13:00.000-07:00

Correct Word Order Quiz

Words That Sound the Same But Different Spellings, Meanings

2011-03-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

English Skills pages

Parts of the Basic Sentence -- Exercise

2011-03-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mystudiyo.com/act136464/mini/go/19.1_the_basic_sentence"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;19.1_the_basic_sentence&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Upset? Computer tech getting you down? It's OK!

2011-03-14T03:37:00.000-07:00

Check out these Other Blog Sites:

The Hole Digger's Blog Site

Hong Kong Traveler's Scene Student Travel Blog Site

Related articles:

The film 'Holes'

2011-03-13T20:00:00.001-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

the film 'Holes' plot summary <--click here, and Trailer <-- click here

D-Tent Boys
Dig It (Disney Version) Lyrics

You've got to go dig those holes,
with broken hands and whithered soles,
emancipated from all you know,
you've got to go dig those holes
so that's what were doing were singin

[All]
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.

two suits, two tokens in hand,
I got no respect cuz I'm the new man,
got my shovel,
shoes full of sand,
check out the tag, my name's Caveman

[All]Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.

Take a bad boy and make him dig 5 feet,
the dirt and these shovels will give us a beat,
ok, you've gotta find somethin' never found before,
if not, we'll just have to dig somemore

(All) na na na na na na na na.
na na na na na na na na.
na na na na na na na na.
na na na na, oh.

Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.

Your muscles, they sore.

You wanna break,
Knock on the Warden's door.
UH-HUH, UH-HUH

ALL
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.

Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.

A-R-M-P-I to the T.What is that you smell dog?That's me.
I don't take showers I don't brush my teeth.
That's all I do is dig holes, eat and sleep.

X-RAY: There is no lake,
There is no shade,
There is no place to hide,
So, just sit and wait to fry.

ZIGZAG: You got to go dig those holes.

ALL
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Dig it.
Dig it, uh, oh, oh, Oh.

Take a bad boy,
Make him dig 5 feet,

CAVEMAN: Got my shovel,
Shoes full of sand,

The dirt in these shovels will give us a beat,

Check out the tag,
The name is; 'Caveman'

Wake up in the mornin'
Before the sun.
Keep diggin' them holes,
'Till the day is done.
Wake up in the mornin'
Before the sun.
Keep diggin' them holes,
'Till the day is done

YOU GOT TO GO DIG THOSE HOLES

Speed Words

2011-01-24T21:09:00.001-08:00

Speed Words

Prefixes

2011-01-24T21:06:00.000-08:00

Prefix game

Jig Words

2011-01-24T21:04:00.001-08:00

Jig Words

Speed Word

2011-01-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

Speed Word

How to Use Verbs Slideshow

2011-01-21T06:48:00.001-08:00

Verbs game

2011-01-11T17:33:00.000-08:00

Verbs game

Nouns Game

2011-01-10T21:54:00.000-08:00

English nouns game

Fun Crossword Game

2011-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

Past tense puzzle

Questions about Smoking

2010-12-13T00:28:00.001-08:00

Stop Smoking or Die

Langston Hughes "Waiting on Roosevelt"

2010-12-09T19:21:00.001-08:00

Danny Glover reads Langston Hughes, "Ballad of Roosevelt" (1934) from Voices of a People's History on Vimeo.

Crossword

2010-12-06T05:03:00.000-08:00

Crossword Puzzle

Special English Verbs

2010-12-06T05:01:00.000-08:00

Special English Verbs

Adjective - Adverb

2010-12-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

Adjective, Adverb

Nouns Matching

2010-12-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

Nouns Quiz

Some Easy Questions to Answer

2010-11-29T04:07:00.000-08:00

34 Easy Questions to answer

Learning to communicate well is more than just learning English grammar

2010-11-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia adapted from Etiquette Moms: Six Communication Skills Everyone Should Know
Teaching how to communicate politely and effectively is one of a parent’s most important tasks. Assuming that students will learn proper communication skills without guidance is a big mistake. People should begin learning basic communication skills at birth and continue. Communicating well with others is a basic tenet of a mature society.
On page 195 of her book, Emily Post’s Etiquette, Peggy Post lists six basics of communication. First, she advises, make eye contact. It is important to establish eye contact with the person with whom one is speaking. Looking directly at the other person in the conversation shows interest and gives respect. some students need to be taught that looking away is a sign of disinterest and is not good manners.
Second, speak clearly and correctly. Using good pronunciation, not rushing speech and using good grammar are all aspects of communication that teachers should model for children. Teachers should pay attention to how their students are speaking and gently correct without embarrassing. There is no need to correct mistakes in front of others since doing so may cause children to feel self-conscious, inhibiting their speech in public.
Third, take turns and don’t interrupt. Students usually must be trained not to jump into a conversation just because they feel like talking. It is important that teachers curb this behavior and teach students self-control. When a students interrupt, the teacher should stop the conversation, firmly tell interrupting students to wait their turn, and then pick-up the conversation where they left off.
Fourth, pay attention and respond appropriately. Modeling good listening skills is the best way to teach good listening. When conversing with students, teachers should listen attentively and repeat key phrases back to the student so that the student feels heard. Ask appropriate questions and allow the student to respond. Show interest in what the student has to say. The best conversationalists are those who listen well.
Fifth, enter conversations politely. There is a correct way to join a conversation that uses good manners. If teachers consistently demonstrate how to politely enter a conversation, overtime, students will learn the practice. Teachers should show students how to approach the group quietly, smile to those in conversation, listen to what people are saying and wait until they are spoken to before speaking.
It is also important for teachers to teach students how to behave politely when someone joins an active conversation. Those in the group should smile and nod to recognize the person joining them, and when the speaker finishes, the group can greet the newcomer and make introductions.
Finally, Post notes that one should end conversations pleasantly. Walking away from a conversation with good manners is a crucial skill to possess and one that teachers should work hard at teaching. Teachers should encourage children to leave a conversation saying some pleasantry such as, “I promised my cousin that I would throw the ball with him and so I need to go now, but it was really nice talking to you.”
Other important skills that teachers should focus on when teaching basic communicational skills are controlling volume, not using “toilet talk” and keeping private matters private.
Teachers should also help students to understand nonverbal communication and cues. Rude facial expressions like eye rolling and grimaces, as well as yawning at a speaker, hair twisting, turning one’s back to the speaker, finger nail picking and checking one’s watch, are all bad manners. Children need to learn that their nonverbal actions and behaviors can make people feel uncomfortable. Learning to read other people’s nonverbal cues is an important lesson too. And with time, students begin to understand when to end conversations, finish a story or change a subject.
Being an adept communicator is a necessary skill in today’s world. Students need guidance to learn how to communicate effectively and politely. Good listening skills, self-control and sensitivity are all skills that are learned.

Pooping for MONEY

2010-10-12T02:32:00.000-07:00

"Earn money pooping":

SMART OFFICIALS IN India are paying people to go to the toilet. The cash-for-deposits scheme in Tamil Nadu creates a useful supply of fresh fertilizer while gently training residents to stop pooping in unsuitable places, ie, your neighbor’s patio, the queue at McDonald’s, the hospital lobby, etc. But don’t quit your job and fly to India yet. The pay is the equivalent of 12 US cents (HK$1) a month, a salary which is on the low side. “Even by YOUR standards,” I said to a teacher friend of mine who is always complaining about his income.

A Taiwanese guy said his country went to an extreme. At a chain of restaurants called Modern Toilet, diners sit at full-size toilets and eat out of smaller ones (pic above). They wipe their mouths with toilet paper hanging over the table. But you don't have to go to Taiwan to 'taste' these culinary delights. Take Exit F from the Causeway Bay MTR and then walk into the Watsons Superstore that is in front of you and go up to the 4/F where you'll find a toilet themed restaurant."

What's the Correct Form of the Adjective?

2010-10-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

English Study Quiz - What's the Correct Form of the Adjective?

This web site is for people studying English as a Second Language . There are quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, anagrams, a random-sentence generator and other computer-assisted language learning activities.

Do 3 of the quizzes / activities here at ManyThings.org. Then write your scores in a comment below.

Playfish Social Games

2010-09-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

Playfish: Play Social games with your friends

English-learning games

2010-09-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Click HERE for fun English-learning games

Word Games for Learning English

2010-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Word Games for English

Do NOT try THIS in P.E.

2010-07-15T06:03:00.001-07:00

2010-07-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

News hound in pursuit YP.SCMP.com - the online edition of South China Morning Post Young Post

Wong Tin-yau has a passion to tell the truth through videos, even if it means brushes with the authorities

By YP intern Jocelyn wong

   'Illegally trespassing borders'. These were the words that 16-year-old Wong Tin-yau saw before he was freed from a Shenzhen police station last December. He had been detained for trespassing in Lo Wu while filming people demanding the release of a jailed mainland human rights activist, Liu Xiaobo. Tin-yau says he was strangled by a public security officer and his camera taken away. Also, the compromising footage was deleted.
   The teenager is an avid follower of news and politics, and frequently turns up at major events with his video camera. He keeps a close eye on Facebook and news websites so he knows what should be covered.
   'When I read about the news of a building collapse at Ma Tau Wai Road [in To Kwa Wan], I wanted to go to shoot it so badly, I wished I had a stomachache so I could be excused from class early,' he says.

Ma Tau Wai Road, closed after building collapsed

   'I waited impatiently until school ended and rushed to the scene. I went up to the rooftops of several buildings to try to find the best angle to capture the collapse. It was three in the morning when I headed home.'
   Most of the events Tin-yau chooses to capture involve an element of danger. As well as being arrested in Shenzhen and balancing precariously on rooftops, he has been roughed up by police officers.
   That happened in November, when he was among a crowd of passionate advocates gathered at Government House in Central campaigning for the resignation of Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.
   Tin-yau says police blockaded the road and were violent towards protesters. Although many media workers were present, the violence was not shown on television, he says.
   'I understand the media is able to broadcast only, say, 20 seconds of footage from a 30-minute event, but how can they leave out the heart of the event like that? I believe the media did not capture the true essence of the event because of pressure from the government.'
   This is why Tin-yau is determined to show up at such activities. He hopes that through his actions, many will see another side to what the media offers.
   As expected, his videos have made quite an impact among internet users. One of his latest clips, which shows a member of the Federation of Trade Unions handing out money to demonstrators during a protest, has attracted more than 20,000 hits.
   Exposing such candid moments is what propels Tin-yau to pursue his passion, despite the risks involved.

Bookworm Language-learning Game

2010-07-14T07:03:00.000-07:00

Bookworm on Games.com

Student Standard

2010-07-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Student Standard

Tennis Star Returns to Hong Kong

2010-07-01T02:57:00.000-07:00

Martial Arts in School

2010-06-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

PARENTS in Beijing are taking no chances over the safety of their children after a series of attacks on schoolchildren frightened and angered China.

A growing number of parents have turned to selfdefence classes for children more used to wielding electronic games than their fists. Six times since March, angry and apparently deranged men have attacked Chinese schoolchildren with knives and, in one case, a hammer, killing 27 people and injuring more than 80. Officials have vowed to “strike hard” against the problem and schools have added security guards, but many parents think that’s not enough. Admissions to kung fu schools in Beijing have risen by at least 20 percent since April, China state media reported.

At the Changzhen Kongfu school near Beijing’s university district, more than a dozen 7- to 12-year-old children were learning martial arts techniques meant to help them escape potential danger. “There have been many changes recently. Before, only one to two students would come to consult, but since last week, we have received about 30 inquiries,” said Zhang Xiaohang, the chief kung fu instructor at the school. “A lot of parents register their children for the selfdefence class as soon as they arrive, without hesitation. Parents are putting much more emphasis on children’s safety.”

Zhang now teaches about 10 classes per week and instructs more than 60 kids. For pudgy 12-year-old Deng Zhiheng, the lessons serve two purposes. “I am a little bit fat so I want to lose some weight,” he said. “Second of all, there have been many school attacks recently and I want to know how to prevent such attacks. So it is best if I learn these skills.” The class mainly focuses on teaching children how to respond to threats calmly and react quickly. Self-defence techniques emphasise avoiding confrontation and escaping to safety, Zhang said.

Karate Kid

2010-06-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Jackie Chan Wishes His 'Karate Kid' Co-Star Jaden Smith A Happy Birthday In Today's Daily TwitPic (moviesblog.mtv.com)

Jackie Chan's Twitter site <-- click here

Sliding down a building

"Undivided Attention" @ The Bowery Poetry Club

2010-06-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

How to teach!

2010-06-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

YP.SCMP.com - online edition of South China Morning Post Young Post

So Many Internet Problems

2010-06-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

SCMPost Video: 'Hong Kong wastes food'

2010-06-15T02:59:00.000-07:00

2010-06-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

Read and Listen to a Story or Poem: British Council - Online

Other Reading Websites:

1. Resources
http://www.merlynspen.org/ (a site with stories written by students)
www.rong-chang.com/qa2/ (contains 100 free one-page English stories for ESL learners)
http://www.short-funny-stories.com/ (for one interested in humorous stories)
http://www.short-stories.co.uk/ (a wide range of stories of different types and lengths)
http://www.shortstoryradio.com/ (a site where one can listen to short stories)
www.storiesmania.net/community/ (contains a wide range of stories and offers good examples of readers’ comments and responses to stories)
www.ugo.com/channels/comics/heroMachine/classic.asp (a site where students can make their own comic strips)
www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/ (a site where students can make their super hero)
www.squidoo.com/famousdiaryandjournalwriters (contains information on real and fictional journal writers)
www.baddteddy.com/stories/index.htm (contains stories involving heroes or feats of heroism)
http://www.inspirationalstories.com/ (a good collection of inspirational and motivational stories)
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/
www.eurekalert.org/kidsnews
http://www.sciencenews.org/ (for science news targeting younger people)

2. Classic short stories:
www.bnl.com/shorts/
www.literaturepage.com/category/stories.html
www.readbookonline.net/
www.storynory.com/category/fairy-tales/ (a large collection of classic fairy tales)
www.faerymists.tripod.com/fytales/chinese.htm (a selection of Chinese fairy tales)

Annoying Orange: Pain-apple -- Listen to the play with word sounds!

2010-06-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Some websites for story reading and writing

2010-04-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

1. Resources

http://www.merlynspen.org/ (a site with stories written by students)
www.rong-chang.com/qa2/ (contains 100 free one-page English stories for ESL learners)
http://www.short-funny-stories.com/ (for one interested in humorous stories)
http://www.short-stories.co.uk/ (a wide range of stories of different types and lengths)
http://www.shortstoryradio.com/ (a site where one can listen to short stories)
www.storiesmania.net/community/ (contains a wide range of stories and offers good examples of readers’ comments and responses to stories)
www.ugo.com/channels/comics/heroMachine/classic.asp (a site where students can make their own comic strips)
www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/ (a site where students can make their super hero)
www.squidoo.com/famousdiaryandjournalwriters (contains information on real and fictionaljournal writers)www.baddteddy.com/stories/index.htm (contains stories involving heroes or feats of heroism)
http://www.inspirationalstories.com/ (a good collection of inspirational and motivational stories)
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/
www.eurekalert.org/kidsnews
http://www.sciencenews.org/ (for science news targeting younger people)

2. Classic short stories:

www.bnl.com/shorts/
www.literaturepage.com/category/stories.html
www.readbookonline.net/
www.storynory.com/category/fairy-tales/ (a large collection of classic fairy tales)www.faerymists.tripod.com/fytales/chinese.htm (a selection of Chinese fairy tales)

Story-telling: Narrative Writing

2010-04-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

(from: Reading, Writing and Rhetoric for the 21st Century, New Perspective Graduate Series. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2007)

Narration means telling of an incident or a series of incidents. It can be purely imaginative, such as short stories or novels, or on the other hand, it can be a record of actual facts, such as, histories, biographies, or news stories. The scope of narration can range from a relatively insignificant incident such as “I saw a horror movie on TV last night” to a great and philosophically illuminating novel such as Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.

Man is born with a need for narrative; cavemen gathered round small fires and exchanged tales of magic and hunting. Modern men are no different; we all know how soap operas and best sellers form an important part of our lives. Besides entertainment, narration is important both in the classroom and in the workplace. You may be required to narrate the causes of food shortage in history class, or you may be asked to tell why China has emerged as one of the world's leading powers in just fifteen years. And in chemistry class, you record steps of an experiment. At work, a police officer may record events leading to an arrest, a nurse may report on a patient’s changing attitudes toward surgery, and a department manager may prepare a report of his subordinates; all this involves narrative writing.

Let us first look at the main features of narrative writing, and then we shall go on to the examination of a model essay illustrating the main characteristics of narrative writing.

⑴ Organization
A narrative essay is like a story; it has a beginning, a middle and an end. It should be complete. Most narrative essays emphasize the middle of the story.

The rest of this chapter on story-writing can be read at Google Documents by clicking here: Narrative Writing

New Zealand Adventure

2010-03-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

Image via WikipediaListen and Learn about New Zealand

Todd: So, Monica, you are from New Zealand.
Monica: Yes, that's right.
Todd: So, for people going to New Zealand, what would you recommend? What are three or four places that you must see in New Zealand?
Monica: Oh, OK, three or four places you must see. Well, it depends what you're looking for really. I think a lot of people that come to New Zealand enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, so there's lots of outdoor activities and places you can go to to enjoy in New Zealand. Personally, I find theSouth Island of New Zealand very scenic in comparison to the North Island, so for me, a must-do is the West Coast of the South Island. It's very pretty.
Todd: The West Coast.
Monica: Yeah. In particular, there's two glaciers. Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers, which are very stunning to look at, and you can either have a look at them by foot, or you can pay for a helicopter ride that takes you up and shows you an ariel view of them.
Todd: Now, do people ever walk across the glaciers?
Monica: There are guides that can walk you across. Yeah, I haven't done it personally, but it is possible.
Todd: So what else would you recommend for New Zealand? What other places should people see?
Monica: I think if you want to see ... let me think ... rural New Zealand. It's quite a nice idea to drive the length of the country and then you can see the interesting farming that is taking place, in particular in the South Island. The lower part of the South Island, and a lot of the North Island as well. There's a lot of sheep in New Zealand and there's a lot of cattle as well, so I think it's interesting to go for a drive to see that firsthand.
Todd: So, you just start up in Auckland in the north and drive all the way down south?

Monica: Yeah, well, there's many ways you can do it, but I recommend one way of doing it is too arrive in Auckland and to have an experience of a big city, well a big city for New Zealand, and then drive down the center of the North Island and maybe have a farming experience somewhere. There's a lot of farm stay opportunities available for tourists who come to New Zealand, so depending on how you do it. You might want to stay two or three days with a family and experience a farming lifestyle. So that's, yeah, one thing I'd recommend. And another is to maybe go to a city like Rotorua which is really in the center of the North Island, and experience Maori culture.

English Listening Online

2010-03-02T23:52:00.000-08:00

elllo English Listening Library Online -- excellent listening materials on a wide variety of topics

Cartoon SuperHero Machine

2010-01-30T19:27:00.000-08:00

Create your own comic strip hero at this website:

or, make a Super Hero here at this other site

Hong Kong Action Cinema

2010-01-29T07:44:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong action cinema - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

English Discussion Forums at Dave's ESL Cafe

2010-01-28T02:18:00.000-08:00

Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

Online English discussion by students, for students -- topics:

Computers: Computer talk Current News: Talk on what's currently going on in the world

Culture: Discussion on the world's cultures

English Schools: Discussion on where to study English

Family: Talk about your family

Film and Cinema: Talk about past and present movies

Food: Hungry? This is the forum for you!

Health and Fitness: The forum for those who love a healthy life style

Help Center: At the ESL Help Center, you can receive help from ESL/EFL teachers from around the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Hobbies: What's your hobby? Here is a forum for you!

Holidays: Discussion on the world's many holidays and celebrations

Learning English: Talk about your ideas on how to learn English

Literature: A forum for book lovers

Making Friends: Great place to make a new keypal

Music: A forum to discuss your musical tastes

Opinions: A place to express your opinion

Pets: A forum for animal lovers

Science: Science talk for Science lovers

Sports: Do you like sports? Here is the perfect forum for you!

The Strange and Mysterious: A place to talk about the world's mysteries

TOEFL and Other English Exams: TOEFL and exam talk

Teacher Travel: Forum for travel lovers

Welcome to English blogging! Student Essays

2010-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

Student essays about travel: Two views of how much Auntie and Uncle enjoyed their best trip of all to Hong Kong, flying in then visiting Ocean Park. A few other excellent travel adventures -- students' trips:

Kelvin yuen writes: In New Zealand I had a lot of precious experiences and sweet memories. The English learning environment was really great and I knew more about New Zealand. New Zealand was quite different from Hong Kong and I learnt the different culture and customs in these seventeen days. I think I was lucky that I could have this trip.

Before the trip I was worried about that I could not communicate with foreigners well because I was not confident of my English standard. Later I found that communicating with foreigners was not that difficult. I met my home stay family on the first day in New Zealand. John and his wife of the host family were very nice. They took very good care of me and my roommate Ken. Their child Zac also helped me a lot.

I met my school buddy Dylan on the first day of school. Dylan was with me at school for two weeks. He learnt with me and played with me. He was my best friend there. After each lesson we had to move to another classroom for the next lesson and this is quite different from what we do in Hong Kong schools. The school days in New Zealand were fun and interesting. I also made many new friends at school.

In the trip we visited a real volcano called Mt. Eden. I thought it was very strange because around the volcano, it was full of glass. We also had a Maori culture lesson before visiting a Maori village. In this lesson I learnt two songs. One was for the visit and the other one was for the farewell party. In the visit we learnt more about Maori culture and it was interesting. We visited the sky tower, which is the landmark of Auckland, the zoo, museums and Western spring too. These places are famous in Auckland. Also we had a trip to Rotorua and stayed there for two days. Rotorua is a Maori word which means the number two lake. We had a sky ride and enjoyed the spa there. Time flew. Two weeks were just like two days. I will never forget all the things I saw and learnt in this trip. The memories will never fade too.

Andy had fun in New Zealand, traveling there with the Seagull Project:

My Kiwi Experience

4E Lam Chun Andy
Before the summer holiday, my schoolmates and I applied for the NZ study tour which lasted for 17 days. My mum had disapproved it because of the money issue but luckily I was sponsored by the Seagull Project and I only needed to pay half of the fees. My mum then let me go.
After arriving in NZ, I first visited St. Peter’s College and our host families picked us up there. My roommate Ryan and I met our homestay parent and we were so excited. They are 4 members in the homestay family and they are Victoria, Ricky, Holly and Stephy. They were very nice to us and helped us solve problems. They told me a lot of NZ cultures and customs and we had much fun.
St Peter’s college was the school I went to. There were about 1,200 boys and there was an international centre for Asian students and the staff there provided assistance to international students and students like us from a study tour.
At school, I had to go to my buddy’s class and learned with local students. When I came across with difficult vocabulary and did not understand the lesson well, my buddy would help me. Before leaving NZ, my buddy gave me souvenirs. He was so thoughtful. During the stay in NZ, my group leader Mr. Wai led our group to visit many places such as Auckland museums, Moari Villages, Auckland Zoo, St. Mark’s Shopping Mall and Rotorua. Rotorua was far from Auckland and we needed to spend 3-4 hours on the bus to get there. We had buffet lunch once we arrived there. It was fun to ride the luge after lunch and we enjoyed the spa very much in the evening.
The NZ study tour was great and it was a wonderful experience. I would remember the people, the food, the school and the places I visited. They will always be parts of my sweet memories too.

Take a look at Adventure Video of New Zealand:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please leave an edifying Comment (see the icon at the end of the Posts) or two or three or . . .. I wrote something about travel last summer, but let your inspiration run wild. And of course, be sure to always check out what's happening at http://www.ats.edu.hk/

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