July 2005 Archives

A cliché is a group of words that have a special meaning, which paints a picture or conveys an idea. Some tend to think that they are overused, trite and irritating to say the least but I hardly think so. I grew up with them. My friends use them. They are used in commercials, songs and movies. I use them on occasion. My favourites include: Go figure, Live and let live, That's the way the cookie crumbles, What goes around comes around, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So, what's the big deal? Perhaps, it's just a matter of opinion.

I'd like to thank UsingEnglish.com - Learning English as a Second Language for the opportunity to share with its membership the EFL Teacher Postcard Project, a collaborative project between myself and Takayuki Nakahara, a webmaster.

A while back I introduced a fairytale play in my classroom. It is called "The Magic Sieve" and is based on a Japanese folktale. It came from the book Just a minute: Ten Short Plays & Activities For Your Classroom by Irene N. Watts.

Having taught English as a second language for several years in Asia, I have come to see and understand more clearly the learning style prevalent in this part of the world and its implications for learning EFL.

Something I did when I was working as an Assistant Language Teacher at a junior high school in Japan was to make a serious attempt to create an English atmosphere outside the classroom. My objectives were to expose my students to Canadian culture, to build relationships with them, and to create opportunities for interaction.