Blog 6: Every Day Idioms

The article I chose this week deals with the proper use of idioms in English that are popular in America. It talks about how some people coming from other countries, where their native language isn't English, hear am idiomic statement and may take it in the literal meaning of the phrase. Some examples could be "taking a bull by the horns", "a fish out of water", and "sounding like a broken record". The article talks about ways to learn how to recognize and understand idioms. The most effective way is to listen carefully to the world around you. Soon enough, with enough pracitce,idioms will become apart of daily speech.

http://abcspro.vbatech.com/PublishedArticles.htm

Blog 5: English Language Learners

So, as a prospective teacher I am obligated to take some classes that help me prepare for a mulitcultural classroom. In  that classroom, there may be student that are still learning how to speak English. I chose this article to aid me in some techinques that run side-by-side with my ELL class.

This article is telling me to approach each child individually, because different children will be at different levels of English Language Learning. I know from my ELL class there are 5 stages to language acquisition. Pre-preproduction, early production, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and fluency. Each of these has a time frame of an average ELL student. It could take 5-7 years to become fluent. That really is a long time.

Within this article it talks about the basic construction of a classroom. This can affect the way ELL students learn. I, personally, like the cooperative learning, or group learning, scenarios. The article also talks about 4 skill areas: Function, form, fluency, and vocabulary. Functions are the purposes of communication. Form refers to the structure of the English language, like grammar and sentence stucture. Fluency is the ease in speaking the language. The development of a wide and varied vocabulary is essential. Research shows that English language learners should be taught key vocabulary, or brick words, prior to a lesson in order to assist them in their language development.

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http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/strategies-teaching-english-language-learners

Blog 4: Translation of English to French and back to English



So, I am a total Disney FREAK, for real! I am totally in love with most of the stories and movies! SO I was recalling the movie I saw in fouth grade that got me interested in French. We watched Beauty and the Beast all in French. SO it sparked my intrest to a little comparison on how they translated our English version over to French and then their French Version over to English. This is what I found....

This is the English version. As you may see, this is pretty standard for what we saw as children. Now the French version is a little different. There are translation differences, mainly because some of our English words do not transfer over well into French and they have to substitute.

If you notice there are pretty big changes with the words from French to English! However, if you read the translation it is similar to the actual words in English!!

 

Au revoir!







Blog 3: Nonverbal Communication

My article this week is on nonverbal communication. Not only is this important with deaf people, but all the people you speak to and even pass by cause perceive what you are saying or displaying based on your demeanor. We are constantly giving off nonverbal symbols, gestures, how loud or fast we speak, or the way we stand. Nonverbal communication usually accommodates what we are saying. This can help gain trust. When our nonverbal gestures do not match up, this can cause suspicion and distrust.
The human face is very expressive and able to portray emotion without even speaking.

As shown above, the face can convey a vast number of different emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, excitement, worry, doubt, etc.
The average human is also sized up by how they present their body. There are a multitude of different movements and postures one can express.

Gesturing is part of our daily life. Do you talk with your hands? Have you ever pointed out something using your hands? What about having an argument? We speak and use our hands to animate what we are talking about. However, there are some American gestures that mean different things in other languages. So be careful when using gestures around strangers :) 

A lot of how we communicate has to do with touch. Think about when you shook hands with a stranger. Was their handshake firm and sturdy or timid and weak? When you leave your grandma after a lunch date do you give her a quick one shoulder hug with a pat on the back or do you give her a warm bear hug? This is all forms of nonverbal communication

Finally, your tone of voice tells stories that your words may lack. People read into how you say things not just what you say. With your tone you can indicate sarcasm, anger, excitement, affection, or confidence.

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm

Blog 2: Interpreting the Language of Bees

This video is about how a female bee tells the collector bees where the pollen is. She performs a "wiggle dance". This tells the other bees how far away the pollen is. With each shake she tells them how many turn and how far away the site of the pollen is! It is very fascinating.

I learned that bee populations are made up of mostly female bees. I also learned that the Queen bee lays about 2 million eggs in her life time. This isn't connected to language, but it was rather interesting.

I think this is interesting and pertinent to us because most people  probably assume that the bees buzz is actually how they communicate, when in fact it is with their dances!

Blog 1: Feline Communication

     I chose an article on cat communication. There are so many different ways that our feline friends let us know what is on their mind. They use different body language to convey to us different emotions and needs that they have.

     Just by tail movement we can learn so much about what are cats are feelings. Cats can swish their tail from side to side, which normally means your cat is curious about his/her surroundings. Cats can lash their tail, which is like swishing but far more aggressive. This is a tell-tell sign that your cat is mad. Cats can also walk around with their tail straight up in the air. This means that your cat is happy and full of confidence. If you notice that your cat has her tail beneath her legs. She is either sad, scared, or sick. Other body language associated with a tail between their legs is flattened ears and low laying body.

     Cat ears also tell us about what our cats are feeling and needing. When your cats ears are standing up they are alert and curious. Most cats keep their ears like this even while sleeping. This shows that they are aware of what is going on, even when they are fast asleep! If your cat’s ears are slightly flat, he/she feels very happy. This happens most often when they are being pet. When your cat’s ears are twitching and straight up, he/she is telling you that he/she is anxious of nervous about something. When your cat’s ears are flattened and turned back, this means that your cat is angry, annoyed, or scared.

     Cat’s eyes are less noticeable. There are only two kinds of looks for them, either happy and narrow or wide and big. The narrow eyes show that your cat is happy and unconcerned with everything. When they are big and wide they are playful, spooked, paying close attention, or ready to attack.

     Your cat’s body also does several things that help us to understand what he/she wants. When your cat kneads, this is a sign of affection and comfort. When your cat rubs up against you, this is a sign of affection and also could mean that he/she wants something. When your cat rolls on his/her back, he/she is showing their trust in you. They seemed to have left out an angry cat’s body language. Most of the time a cat’s back will hunch and its tail will puff up. This is also accompanied with hissing.

     I picked this article because I love cats! Cats are in some of our daily lives and some people may have a hard time interpreting what they are trying to tell their owners.

The thing I found most interesting was about their eyes. Unlike us, they don’t really use their eyes in their body language. I agreed with this article because I have seen the same body language in my cats. I do want to learn more about animal communication in general; it does not have to be focused on felines. I think this topic could help other cat owners understand their cats and give them a little insight on what exactly their cat is saying to them.

http://www.mustlovecats.net/Cat-Communication.html

Introduction to Moi!

Hey y'all, I am Amanda. I am 27 years old, yes old. I am married to my male doppleganger and we have 2 fabulous children, Holly and Aria. I am from the dirty south, or rather, just Georgia :) Some hobbies of mine are singing, writing poetry and songs, reading, playing video games, doing arts and crafts, and watching movies. I am interested in a variety of things, such as: all my hobbies, children and learning, teaching, the environment, animals, DIY, Do It Yourself, projects, and literature. I speak English fluently, French partially, and Spanish partially. I took French in high school and have used it only in class and on trip to parts of Canada. I learned Spanish while living in El Paso. I was working at a Subway very close to the US/Mexico border. There were buses that would stop right outside my store with people from Mexico. I had to learn to communicate with them rather quickly. I learned how to make a sub and some other phrases to get me through living so close to Mexico. I am taking this class because it is required for me to transfer to Grand Canyon University! I hope to gain a greater insight into different language and uses.