Common Errors by English Learners

1. Articles

           Indefinite and definite articles, “or” “a,” “an” and “the” as they are more commonly known, are difficult for even native English learners to keep straight. “The” is only used when you’re talking about something that is known to both the writer and the reader, while “a” or “an” can be referring to anything. Confusing indeed. Additionally, “an” is only used before a vowel.

2. Mass nouns

              These are nouns that act “singular” but refer to more than one thing. A family or group is made up of more than one person, but functions like a single unit in sentences. Other often confused mass nouns advice, news, garbage and water.

3. Adverbs vs. Adjectives

         Confused by many native English speakers as well, English learners often mix up adverbs and adjectives. Well is an adverb, good is an adjective. So technically you ran well but your run was good and the test was good but went well.

4. Prepositions

            These are difficult in every language because every language uses them a bit differently. In English, “IN” is used both for closed spaces and periods of time, “AT” is used for a specific time or place and “ON” is used to describe the surface something is on or a day.

5. SVO Word Order

           That is, Subject-Verb-Object word order. In English, unlike many other languages, the subject is ALWAYS necessary.

6. Pronouns

            Mixing up “he” and “she” is another common mistake made by English learners. Some languages, like Japanese don’t distinguish in every occurrence of these articles.

7. 3^rd Person “S”

             When using 3^rd person singular (he, she, it), always add an –s to the end of the verb. The “s” is often omitted by English learners!

8. Don’t

               The use of “don’t” in negative sentences gives English learners, especially Spanish speakers a bit of trouble. In English you must add “do” and “not” to convey a negative meaning.

9. Apostrophes

          Apostrophes are used in contractions or to show possession. However, they are not used with possessive pronouns like his, her or their.

10. Capitalization

          What to capitalize is different in every language and often hard to keep straight. In English, we capitalize:

• “I” as a subject.
• First letter of a sentence.
• Proper names, national nouns and adjectives.
• Days of the week, months.

11. Finally, remember...

 

HOW TO MAKE A HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN

1. Cut a Hole in the Pumpkin

The first step is hollowing out the pumpkin. Use a keyhole saw to cut the hole. If you'll be using a candle for illumination, you can cut the hole in the pumpkin's top (always put the candle in a high-sided glass, and never leave unattended). For electric lights, make the hole in the bottom or side so you can hide the cord.

2. Scoop Out the Flesh

Scoop out flesh, pulp, and seeds with a plaster scraper or spoon. 

3. Transfer Your Design

Now it's time to transfer your selected designs. Affix it to the pumpkin, and trace the design by poking holes with a sharp awl.

4. Carve the Features

Remove the template and carve along the pattern with a knife or cutter.

5. How to Light a Pumpkin

To illuminate a carved pumpkin, string lights are preferable to candles for most designs: Wrap a strand of 20 lights around a glass jar, and secure wires with tape. Cut a hole in the hollowed-out pumpkin for the cord, and place jar inside. Unplug lights before leaving the house or going to sleep. If using a candle, place it in a glass or votive holder, and cut a hole in the back of the pumpkin for ventilation (or leave the top off). 

8 INTELLIGENCES BY HOWARD GARDNER

"I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do... Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves. The performance of understanding that try matters are the ones we carry out as human beings in an imperfect world which we can affect for good or for ill."  (Howard Gardner 1999)

My best teacher…    

       I have had a lot of teachers since I was young but I can´t remember all of them. I only remember the teachers I most liked. Now I´m a teacher and I would like to take their best features.

      In my opinion, my best teacher is a person who is always in a good mood and motivates his/her learners because that makes them work better. This teacher is an intelligent person and has a great knowledge about general culture to solve any academic or personal problem. Finally, he/she considers specific characteristics of each student because in all groups of learners there are different levels and some of them need more help than others.

      On balance, these are the main characteristics of my best teacher and I strive to be like this hypothetical person every day.