Rob's English Blog

2012-02-08T14:30:00.006+01:00

I am no longer updating this blog as I am taking a break from English teaching. However, I will add new resources and links every now and then.

If you are living in The Hague region and looking for English language courses, including Cambridge exam preparation, you might like to visit Darren Hain's ABC English.

Rob

About Me

2010-11-08T09:39:00.019+01:00

I recently had heart valve surgery and will take some time in recovery. I received excellent care at the Hagaziekenhuis in The Hague. Thanks to everyone who has sent me messages wishing me well in the operation and after.

Rob

Reading Tips

2010-09-28T06:31:00.004+02:00

The Secrets of Changing the World

BBC journalist Stephen Sackur contributes to a series of articles on innovation . What are the factors that make for great leaders and innovators?

Good site on writing skills

I have found a really useful little site run by Bristol University with lots of exercises on grammar and writing skills, including some helpful and clear guidance on punctuation. Nice one, worth a visit.

The Simpsons in The Hague...

2010-09-28T06:15:00.003+02:00

If you get a chance to see the latest edition of the Simpsons, watch closely because they are in the Hague!

Bart and Homer come to the city of international justice in support of Crusty the Clown, who is indicted for 'Crimes against Clowndom' at the International Court of Justice (formerly 'the House of Pancakes'). Not sure the research has been done that well - the security guards all speak with a French accent (it seems) and have Euro-shaped handcuffs!

Seach on YouTube or TvShack.

Reading Tips

2010-09-05T19:03:00.005+02:00

See interesting reading from recent weeks on language, technology, and the brain:

1. On the Phone and In the Gym....
How are our brains coping with all the digital devices that we interact with everyday? Not too well, according to this article in the New York Times. Do our brains, like our bodies, need downtime? Alternative copy here.

2. New York, New York....
One of the world's great cities is also one of its linguistic treasures. But what is a New York accent? See this BBC article about one woman's quest to record the variety of voices in the Big Apple. And hear some New Yorkers on the video.

3. Listening...
Listening is one of the most important skills in learning any language. A teacher called Randall Davis has set up a very useful web site full of listening quizzes based on everyday situations in English. If you need to practise your listening skills at different levels, try Randall's Cyber Listening Lab.

4. Changing Language...
English, like all languages, is changing enormously because of the internet. The web has given us literally thousands of neologisms, or new words. See here for more.
And add your own......

New Courses Coming Up......

2010-07-25T23:41:00.010+02:00

Lots of training courses coming up for the new term in September.

The next Advanced English course at ICTY will run from 14 September to 7 December. The course is open to ICTY staff members and partners as well as interns and fellows. Please contact me if you are interested.

I will also be running courses at ICTY on CV/PHP writing, interview skills, report writing, written communication, and presentation skills in the period September - December 2010.

In addition, I will have courses at ICC on presentation skills and written communication, and at OPCW on report writing, written communication, and career transition skills.

I will be running intensive UNLPE preparation courses in September at both ICC and ICTY. From January 2011, I will be running a preparation course for the Cambridge Proficiency in English exam at the ICTY.

For links to my other course blogs, please see under 'My Other Courses'.

UN LPE Dates

2010-07-25T23:33:00.004+02:00

The date for the United Nations Language Proficiency Exams has now been announced (at last!).

The written exam will take place on Tuesday 19 October. The oral exam will be about two weeks before this - my guess is the week 4 - 8 October.

For information about the LPE please see here. I will be running a short English LPE preparation course at the ICTY in September. Please contact me if you are interested.

Reading Tip.....

2010-06-11T00:40:00.003+02:00

'Africa is the cradle of civilisation. So Welcome Home!'
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Soweto, 10 June 2010

All eyes are on South Africa for the FIFA World Cup.

For an interesting article about what football and the World Cup means for South Africa - and for Africa generally - see this article in Time Magazine.

Reading Tips

2010-06-01T09:33:00.004+02:00

How easy is it to switch off?
If you find yourself checking your email or Facebook or sending tweets on Twitter many times a day you might be living in the distraction society. Taken from a new book by Damon Young, see this article on the effect of internet technology on our lives.

From Our Own Correspondent....
One of the best ways to improve your listening as well as reading skills is to follow BBC radio's 'From Our Own Correspondent' series. BBC journalists around the world give personal accounts of events behind the news, such as this piece by Sue Lloyd Thomas on North Korea. You can listen to the podcast as well as read the text.

English Language Exam Dates 2010

2010-05-24T12:40:00.003+02:00

UN Exams Latest....
The United Nations Language Proficiency Exams are 'tentatively scheduled' to take place in the first week of October 2010. No fixed dates are given yet on the LPE web site. Registration will probably be in June. Bear in mind that the speaking exam is usually a few weeks before the written exam.

Cambridge Exams
Dates for the Cambridge main suite exams (CPE, CAE and FCE) for December 2010 are available. All three exams can be taken in the Hague, Amsterdam or Rotterdam. See here for dates in The Hague. Registration must take place before 15 October.

For general information on all three exams see the Cambridge exams site and to sample the tests see the excellent Flo-Joe site.

IELTS
This exam is useful for emigration and university entry and can be taken in Amsterdam at the British Language Teaching Centre. Exams take place twice every month. For information about the exam dates and the IELTS exam itself, see here.

TOEFL
This is the biggest American English exam qualification and can be taken on a regular basis at a few sites in the Netherlands. For information about the test and registration centres see here.

I plan to run both FCE and CPE preparation courses at ICTY from September so if you have any interest in these exams please let me know.

UK Election 2010

2010-04-22T09:29:00.004+02:00

Britain is preparing for a General Election on 6 May.

For background information (Q and A) on the election see this page. For information on the main parties standing in the election and what they believe, see this guide.

For the first time this year the three main party leaders are taking part in live televised debates. You can see the first debate at YouTube.

On TV debates and what works and doesn't work, see here. And here for a look back at other debates around the world.

Reading Tip

2010-04-22T09:24:00.002+02:00

Is the climate change debate dead?

No, it's just beginning, says author Anthony Giddens in this article in the New Statesman.

Reading Tip

2010-04-22T09:18:00.002+02:00

Homo Culinaris?

New research suggests that the big breakthrough in our development as humans was not language, but our ability to cook.

Did cooking make us human? See this article and video from the BBC Horizon programme.

Reading Tip

2010-04-22T09:07:00.003+02:00

What would life be like without air travel?

The cloud of volcanic ash over Europe has given us some idea of what plane-free skies would be like. I live near Schiphol and for five days there were no planes flying over my house. Good for some peace and quiet; but not good for the thousands of people who are stranded around the world.

Could we live without flights? See this BBC Magazine article.

Current Courses

2010-04-22T08:45:00.011+02:00

Welcome - or welcome back - to my English blog for the summer term 2010.

The new Advanced English course at the ICTY begins on 27 April. I am also doing courses in the next few months on CV writing, interview skills, written communication and presentation skills. If you are an ICTY staff member, please see the Staff Training pages on the intranet for information about these courses.

Welcome also to staff members at OPCW where I am doing courses on English and report writing. And to those who are currently preparing Cambridge exam courses with me (and whose exams are coming up in June).

Future Courses

I plan to run a preparation course for the Cambridge Proficiency in English at ICTY from September 2010. I also plan to run a mini course on the United Nations LPE in June and July. If you are planning to take the CPE or the LPE please contact me.

I hope everyone has a good time improving and enjoying their English this summer.

I will post on this blog regular reading tips and links to useful language resources. If you come across any good web sites on learning English - or any interesting articles or news stories which you would like to share - please let me know!

Rob Oliver

Name Five Favourite Dishes in Five Minutes?

2009-10-28T20:31:00.004+01:00

Can you name five favourite food dishes in five minutes, and explain why they are favourites?

See British TV chef Nigella Lawson in a bizarre interview challenge - and then try it yourself....

Reading Tip

2009-10-28T20:22:00.002+01:00

The Death of Languages...

Did you know: there are about 7,000 languages in the world, but 6% of the world's languages are spoken by 94% of the world's population?

What happens when a language dies? See this BBC Today Programme article and listen to the radio broadcast.

Check your pronuciation

2009-10-28T20:11:00.002+01:00

If you want to check how to say a word in English, why not visit www.howjsay.com/? This is a free online dictionary - and it talks! (Note - if you use Firefox you can also get an add-on which allows you to access howjsay.com from your keyboard).

Another approach is to double click on any word on this blog. You should get a box with the word's definition and pronunciation.

For more tips on English pronunciation, including the main sounds in English, see BBC Learning English.

Reading and English Tips this week....

2009-09-26T11:33:00.005+02:00

Here are some suggestions for reading this week. Two of them are on books:

1. What does your bookshelf say about you?
Ever visited a person's house and found yourself studying their books - and their bookshelves?
What do our bookshelves (including the ones from IKEA.....) say about us? (I have books in almost every room of my house, for example, and at the moment even have books in my garden shed!).

See this BBC magazine article for an entertaining read and short video.

2. Google: the World's Library?
Should Google be allowed to become the library of the world? No, says technology commentator Bill Thompson. We all use Google - but is it getting too powerful for its own good?

3. Be My Interviewer
If you are preparing to go on a job interview - and even if you are not - you might like to spend some time at Be My Interviewer. On this site you can hear some top UK recruiters describe their favourite interview questions - and hear what they think would be a good answer.

Reading and English Tips

2009-09-15T09:45:00.004+02:00

Some reading tips for this week:

1. Will doing exercise make you lose weight?
See this entertaining article at Time Magazine by John Cloud who asks: do we need to exercise so much, or do we need to eat better?

2. Checking out of Hotel America
The BBC's 'From Our Own Correspondent' is always a good place to find interesting reading - and always good for getting new vocabulary. It is also a radio programme and on the site here you can download the podcasts.

For eight years Justin Webb was the BBC's correspondent in America. In this article he reflects on his time there, and concludes: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave…"

Tenses
To review your tenses in English I recommend the exercises at EnglishPage.com.

New Courses: Autumn 2009

2009-07-18T15:17:00.008+02:00

What's happening?
I will be running an Advanced English class at ICTY from 15 September to 26 November.

I am running a CPE course for examination in December. If you are planning to prepare any of the Cambridge exams (FCE, CAE) please let me know and I may be able to help. You can find links to Cambridge and exam preparation web sites under 'Exam Resources' on the left of this page.

Congratulations to those who passed the CPE exam in the summer - well done! And well done to everyone who took the UN LPE exam recently. You now have a long wait for the results - hopefully for good news in 2010.

I am currently developing a course on interview skills which has recently begun at the ICTY. In the Autumn I will be running workshops on CV writing and interview skills at the ICTY and writing courses at ICC and OPCW.

Looking ahead:
I plan to run a CAE course, and maybe also an FCE course, from January - June 2010 for the Cambridge exams in summer 2010. I will make an announcement about these courses later but contact me if you are interested or would like to book a place in advance.

20 Years On: The Year That Changed the World

2009-06-24T13:28:00.002+02:00

Where were you in 1989?

Tianenmen Square, revolution in Russia, the fall of the Berlin Wall, change in Iran, the advent of the World Wide Web: just some of the historic events of 1989 which continue to shape the world we live in today.

For some interesting articles and memorable images of 1989 - 'the year that changed the world' - see Time Magazine's Annual Journey 1989.

Bujumbura, Burundi

2009-06-24T12:49:00.002+02:00

The ICTY's Nicolas Clemesac has written a fine and beautiful piece about the city of Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, where he worked for an NGO.

You can read Nicolas' descriptive essay at the ictyEnglish Writing site. While you are there, why not take a look at the other pieces written by former ICTY English students?

New Site on Words

2009-06-23T11:25:00.006+02:00

Think 'YouTube' and then 'Dictionary'. What you get may look something like wordia.com.

This new site is a visual dictionary with a difference. Anyone can upload short videos with definitions of favourite words. For example, during the recent Refugee Week 2009 a number of people uploaded their own videos giving different definitions of the word 'community'. The result is a dictionary with an ongoing discussion about the meaning of words.

This is my favourite web site of 2009. What do you think?

New Course on Interview Skills

2009-06-23T11:09:00.003+02:00

I have recently run for the first time a short course on interview skills.

I will be putting the resources and web links for this course on a free blog called 'Prepare for Interview' which you can find here.

This is a 'work in progress' and should grow in the next few months. If you come across any good resources for interview preparation (or for interview skills generally) please let me know.

Reading Tips

2009-05-19T09:14:00.006+02:00

Some interesting articles in the news this week:

1. Equal Pay?
Despite the introduction of laws in most countries to ensure equal pay for men and women, the average salary for female managers is considerably less than that of their male counterparts.
See this BBC magazine article for more on the continuing gender pay gap.

2. English and French: False Friends/Faux Amis
Lots of words in English and French are the same - or nearly the same - which is great for people learning or using both languages. But it can also be a language trap: many words look the same but have very different meanings in practice. They are called 'false friends' (or faux amis).

I have a found a great list of English/French false friends - see here.

3. On the Fiddle?
The British media at the moment is full of stories about expenses claimed by Members of Parliament. Some people are saying it is leading to a 'constitutional crisis'.

To get the background to the story - which was started some years ago by an American journalist, Heather Brooke - see here - and read some of the allegations of expense claims in the Daily Telegraph.

New Web Site

2009-05-04T23:31:00.003+02:00

Regular readers of this blog might like to know that I am putting all my resources and links on improving written communication in English on a single web site, which you can find in progress here.

If you have a question about writing you might find the answer at this site. I have also added downloads to many of the exercises on my written communication course.

Don't forget also that I have a site to support my training course on writing CVs and cover letters. So if you are in the job market at the moment, you might find some inspiration here.

All feedback and interesting web links welcome!

Reading Tips

2009-05-04T22:59:00.010+02:00

Here goes with some reading tips from various web sites in the last few weeks:

1. Don't Touch the Queen? Yes, Touch the Queen....
After Michelle Obama gave the Queen a little hug during the Obamas' visit to London last month, there has been a gentle discussion in the British media about the protocol of touching Her Majesty the Queen.

'Never touch the Queen!' the saying goes. But, in fact, this 'rule' is not written down anywhere and it seems that Michelle Obama had other ideas. Was this a breach of protocol - or a revolution in style?

Read more at this article in Time Magazine.

2. Don't Press Send!
Have you ever sent an angry email and then regretted it, wishing you had not pressed 'send'?

If the answer is yes, you are not alone. Some email companies are experimenting with 'Moodwatch' - a programme which picks up angry language in email messages and asks if you really want to press send:

"WARNING: THIS APPEARS TO BE AN UNCIVIL EMAIL. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO SEND IT?"

'Moodwatch' is an example of what is being called 'Civility Check'. Read more about it at this blog called 'Nudge'. And for my tips on how to be tactful in emails, see my written communication course here.

3. Office Space
What would your ideal office space be like?
What is your office like now?

For some fascinating glimpses into the personal geography of office spaces, see this photo essay.....and compare with your own.

4. "Shall we have a drink?"
Is this the most beautiful question in the English language?

For some summer thoughts on drinking and how to do it, see this article by Victoria Moore at the UK Guardian.

Cheers!

Reading Tips: the Maldives

2009-03-17T23:00:00.004+01:00

Paradise on Earth?

Perhaps nowhere in the world is as vulnerable to rising sea levels as the Indian Ocean country of the Maldives. With the whole country lying under less than two metres above sea level, what happens in the Maldives could be a sign of what may happen in many other low-lying countries.

Here are two recent articles about the Maldives to suggest two radical solutions to global warming: moving to a 'carbon neutral' economy; and moving a whole country.

1. (BBC)Carbon Neutral Goal for Maldives. And for an interview with the charismatic new President of the Maldives see, here.

2. (CNN)Sinking island's nationals seek new home.

Reading Tips: Symbols

2009-03-15T15:39:00.004+01:00

Both my reading tips this week are about symbols in everyday life.

1. Money, Money, Money
We quickly recognise financial symbols - $, £, € - in our daily lives. But where do these symbols actually come from - and what happens when a currency, such as the Indian Rupee, needs a symbol?

See here for an interesting article about the symbols of money.

2. The Green Man Says Cross...
...but how people cross the road differs culturally from Cairo to Chicago. See this article for more.

60 Seconds to Change the World?

2009-03-15T15:25:00.003+01:00

If you had 60 seconds to present a single idea which could make the world a better place, what would you say?

Guests every week on the BBC World Service radio programme The Forum get 60 seconds to present their Big Idea. You can listen to this week's 60 seconds on the site and explore the archive.

For example, 'Everyone should spend a week living with strangers'. That was the idea proposed by anthropologist Daniel Everett.

What would be your Big Idea in 60 Seconds?

Word Roots and Prefixes

2009-03-15T14:47:00.004+01:00

Why not spend some time in the roots of English?

Word roots are the prefixes, suffixes and other useful bits on which a written language is based.

For example, in English the root abs- is used in words like absent and absolve, and suffixes like -ness are used in words like kindness and happiness.

Knowing word roots is a great way to expand your vocabulary - and often to make links with your own language.

For a big reference chart on word roots see PrefixSuffix.com. For a chart of Prefixes only see here.

Negative Prefixes
A tricky part of English are the negative prefixes like im-, in- and il- in words like:
* impractical, impatient, impossible (not unpractical etc)
* inefficient, inactive, instability (not unefficient etc)
* illegal, illiterate, illogical (not unlegal etc)

For practice in this tricky area, see exercises here and here. There are some rules, but practice in this area makes perfect.

You can also download my own quiz on negative prefixes (with answers) at my Dropbox.

Reading Tip: Darwin

2009-03-15T14:31:00.007+01:00

This year sees the 150th anniversary of the publication of one of the books that truly changed the world (or the way we see the world) - Charles Darwin's On The Origins of Species.

But what does Darwin mean to us today? For an article about Darwin, the theory of evolution, and why his work still matters in the 21st Century, see this article in Time Magazine by Carl Zimmer. This article has some great vocabulary.

Also at Time Magazine, some interesting photographs about Darwin.

The picture on the right shows Darwin's notebook where he first came up with the idea of a 'tree of life'. At the top he wrote: 'I think....'
[click to enlarge]

Advanced Level Reading Tip

2009-03-02T22:59:00.002+01:00

How Long Can the News Be Free?

If you are anything like me, you are now one of the millions of people who get their daily news free online rather than from a traditional newspaper.

But for how long can news continue to be free, especially in the world economic crisis? Should we not, somehow, pay for it?

For a thought-provoking opinion on this issue, see the article by American journalist Walter Isaacson in Time Magazine called 'How to Save a Newspaper'.

Learning English Site

2009-03-02T22:42:00.003+01:00

The BBC's celebrated Learning English site has been redesigned. This site is excellent for improving your reading and listening skills and for learning new vocabulary.

The 'Words in the News' section is updated several times a week. You can read a news article, listen to it and sometimes also watch a video as well.

An example: Learn English With Obama...
President Obama's speeches have become a teaching aid for English students in Japan. Read and listen to the story and check the vocabulary here, and then watch the video here.

And what do you think of the teaching technique used by the Japanese English teacher in the video?

Visual Thesaurus

2009-02-09T22:54:00.005+01:00

I have already mentioned the the Visual Thesaurus on the blog before. If you have not seen this amazing new concept for learning and exploring words - try it! You can also sign up for an email 'word a day'.

Left: this is the visual thesaurus result for the word 'mind'. Click to enlarge. You can see the different groups of meanings connected to the word.

Reading Tips this Week

2009-02-09T22:21:00.004+01:00

Some ideas for reading and viewing in English this week:

1. Too many people?
Is the p-word, 'Population', the key word in understanding some environmental issues? See this article by environmental writer John Feeney.
Note: The article is called 'The Elephant in the Room'. This refers to any subject that is obvious to everyone, but which nobody wants to talk about.
2. How much is a trillion?
President Obama's economic stimulus package involves a trillion dollars (at least). So what is a trillion? See this CNN video for an answer.

3. The Chocolate King
If you are a chocoholic (that's someone who loves chocolate) or a choco-connoisseur (that's someone who appreciates fine chocolate), you may like to read the story of Claudio Corallo, the Chocolate King of Sao Tome. See this article at the New Statesman.

Good Grammar Web Site

2009-01-27T22:54:00.003+01:00

A good and easy to use web site for testing and improving your knowledge of English grammar is English Grammar Secrets by Caroline and Pearson Brown.

The exercises are fun, interactive - and completely free!

Reading and Listening Tips

2009-01-25T16:49:00.008+01:00

Here are some reading and listening tips for this week:

1. Returning to Work
The French Justice Minister Rachida Dati recently decided to return to work five days after having a baby. Her decision has started a debate in France and in many other countries. What do you think?
Listen to this BBC radio programme, which you can also download as a podcast. For the background to the story, see here.

2. Obama
The Time magazine photographer Callie Shell followed the Obama inauguration behind the scenes. See this slide show for the unusual images, like the one below.

3. The Wait to Lose Weight...
Why do some people never seem to put on weight and so never have the problem of having to lose it? See the BBC News Magazine here.

4. Happy New Year!
The Chinese New Year - the Year of the Ox - begins today. For more, see here (Chinese site in English).

Burns Night...

2009-01-25T16:35:00.002+01:00

Today is the 25oth anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who wrote in the Scottish dialect but has become one of the world's best known poets. See here for an introduction.

And for one of Burns's most well known poems (with a translation) see here. You will probably recognise it!

Change in America.....

2009-01-21T00:38:00.004+01:00

For the full text and video of President Obama's inauguration speech, see here (BBC) or here (New York Times).

Dream Job?

2009-01-20T21:26:00.002+01:00

What would be your dream job?

See this BBC magazine article and video about a job on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and how to get it...

Inauguration Day

2009-01-19T22:25:00.006+01:00

The New York Times has a number of excellent interactive features on tomorrow's Inauguration Day in Washington.

*See an interactive map of the Inauguration Parade area.

*What will be the keywords in Obama's inaugural speech? See this interactive chart of Presidential words beginning with the first inaugural speech - George Washington's in 1789.

* What do American's hope for from the Obama Presidency? See this interactive survey of voices in America. An amazing graphic!

Thinking Beyond Race...

2009-01-19T22:09:00.004+01:00

The Little Rock Nine were a group of black students who were among the first in America to attend the same high schools as white students. They had to be protected by National Guard soldiers to finally break racial segregation.

In this beautiful video one of the Little Rock Nine, Dr Terence Roberts, recalls the struggle for equality, and explains the need to think 'beyond race'. The video also includes interviews with his daughter and grandson.

Reading Tip (Advanced Level)

2009-01-18T21:39:00.004+01:00

Are you an optimist? Is the glass always half full? What makes very optimistic people keep smiling?

Read Laurence Shorter's article on optimism in the UK Times Online here.

Word of the Week

2009-01-18T19:02:00.009+01:00

Inauguration (noun)

This word refers to a formal ceremony to mark the start of an official period or institution such as a President's term of office. Next Tuesday 20 January we will see the inauguration of President Obama.

The word can also be used to describe the beginning of an institution or a system, for example the inauguration of a new school.

Watch out for other words to describe formal beginnings:
* the reign of a King or Queen begins with a coronation
* many religious offices begin with an investiture
* a new project, product or book begins with a launch
(Double click these words for more)

Reading Tips this Week

2009-01-18T18:34:00.005+01:00

Some suggestions for interesting reading in the news this week:

1. The Cost of Google
We all search the internet every day and I have a Google search box on my blog. But does our searching have a cost for the environment? See here for more on the possible environmental impact of Google. Makes you think....

2. Motown at 5o
One of the world's most familiar sounds, Motown music, is 50. Can you guess the top ten Motown records of all time? See here for more including a video on the Hitsville museum in Detroit.

3. Notes to Obama
What would you say to President Elect Obama on the eve of his inauguration?
The BBC is showing a series of videos called 'Notes to Obama'. Irish writer Joseph O'Neill gives his views here.
Follow the links to other 'Notes to Obama', including jazz musician Wynton Marsalis and fourth grade students from Washington D.C.

The presiding spirit of Obama's inauguration will be Abraham Lincoln, says Ben McIntyre in this article and video.

4. EU Art?
What do you think of the art installation by Czech artist David Černý as the Czech Republic takes on the Presidency of the European Union? The huge installation in Prague shows each of the EU countries (except the UK, which is absent.....) as a stereotypical image. So Italy is a field of footballers, and France is "on strike". See for yourself here at Times Online.

The End of an Era

2009-01-18T18:13:00.003+01:00

Very soon, it will be goodbye to eight years of George Bush.

So what will be the key words of the Bush era? See this BBC article for the words that sum up Bush's America.

New Book

2009-01-18T18:01:00.004+01:00

'in the darkness, the indomitable spirit of the child'

An interesting new book just published is Thomas Buergenthal's A Lucky Child, a Memoir of Surviving Auschwitz as a Young Child.

Thomas Buergenthal is a judge at the International Court of Justice and a leading Human Right Lawyer. He survived the Holocaust despite spending part of his childhood in Auschwitz. This book is about his experiences as 'a child of the camps'. For a review of the book by Genevieve Fox in the UK Daily Telegraph, see here.

Film Festival

2009-01-18T17:50:00.002+01:00

The 38th Rotterdam International Film Festival takes place from 21 January to 1 February.

New this year is the opportunity to see trailers of the films on the web site. All films in the festival are screened with English subtitles.

New on the English Blog for 2009

2009-01-18T17:25:00.012+01:00

Words on the Blog
Double click any word on this blog for a dictionary (with sound) and other information related to the word. A great way to instantly check and expand your vocabulary without leaving the page.

Apture
If you see a small symbol next to a word on this blog, hover your mouse over it to see a picture, map or reference link. No need to click.

Search the Blog
I have also added a Google search box (top, left) which searches this blog.

2008-12-29T18:37:00.004+01:00

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for 2009 to everyone who reads the English Blog!

New English courses at ICTY begin on Tuesday 20 January. The CPE preparation course is scheduled to begin on Wednesday 4 February.

Human Rights Day

2008-12-10T21:28:00.002+01:00

Today, December 10, is Human Rights Day, and the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

For lots of interesting links, videos and articles connected to the Declaration, see here.

My reading tip this week comes from the UK Guardian, an article by writer Aryeh Neier on 60 years of human rights.

Reading Tip This Week...

2008-11-11T10:34:00.004+01:00

Today is the 90th anniversary of the Armistice which marked the end of the First World War.

Read about the echoes of the conflict today in this piece by Robert Hall.

For the story behind the Poppy, the red flower which grew in the trenches of Flanders and became a symbol of remembrance, see here. Interestingly, the Poppy is one of the most widespread flowers in the world, found in almost every country.

Recent Class Presentations

2008-11-08T20:28:00.004+01:00

We have heard some interesting presentations recently in the ICTY English class on beautiful places to visit, this time in Europe.

Macu spoke to us about the magical city of Cordoba, Spain, and showed us some amazing photographs. You can download Macu's article here and see the photograph slideshow at this link.

Aida spoke to us about the 'Bosnian Dubai', otherwise known as Tuzla. See here for more about Tuzla. Maurice also spoke to us about the delights of Geneva and his own days there as a graduate student.

Reading Tip: Behind Obama....

2008-11-06T12:03:00.002+01:00

Read about one of the figures behind Obama's election victory - his speechwriter, Jon Favreau, in this article from January 2008 in The New York Times.

Obama

2008-11-06T00:35:00.010+01:00

After last night's historic events in the US, you might like to read and listen to Obama's speech again. You can find the full text and video on one page at the BBC news site here.

See also this video about 106-year-old Ann Nixon Cooper, who Obama referred to at the end of his speech.

And here's the word cloud for Obama's speech (click to enlarge):

Word Cloud

2008-11-06T00:27:00.004+01:00

Word Clouds are a great new way to explore a language - and learn new vocabulary!

A Word Cloud is just that - a cloud of words. Made with Java, word clouds arrange words in a way which shows how often they are used in a particular text. And you can keep changing the design of the cloud.

See Wordle.net to make your own word clouds. And see here for the English Blog's own word cloud.

United Nations Ten Stories

2008-11-03T00:31:00.003+01:00

The United Nations Department of Public Information publishes a list of 'Ten Stories the World Should Hear More About' in an attempt to focus public attention on issues which are not so well covered by the international media.

For a list of the 10 stories for 2007 with links and details of the UN response, see Ten Stories.

Reading and Listening Tips This Week

2008-11-02T23:42:00.011+01:00

1. Thomas Jefferson
As the US election enters its final days, take a look at this article about one of America's great former Presidents, Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. America may have its first Black President next week on November 4. But not so well known is the fact that Jefferson was the father of six children with a black girl, Sally Hemings. Read the fascinating research behind this story, and download the radio programme by Alan Little.
(Icty Advanced Class reading)

2. US Election
It's been quite an election, whatever happens. For two journalists' views of the campaigns see articles in The New York Times and on the BBC. Also, see a very powerful account by Gavin Hewitt here.
For an excellent video overview of the 2008 Election see here.
(Tip: when reading any New York Times article, double click on any word or phrase to see a reference window with dictionary and other information - ideal for learning new vocabulary without leaving the page! Try it!)

3. Black, Beautiful, Barely Seen?
Read this thought provoking article in The UK Observer about catwalks, beauty and race. Great vocabulary in this article by Louise France (Advanced Level).

Improving Listening and Speaking

2008-11-02T23:26:00.004+01:00

The BBC Learning English web site (for several years now my favourite web site for English) has launched two new podcast services which could help your listening and speaking skills.

The How to.... podcasts have lots of words and phrases you can use in typical situations such as ordering a drink (very useful!), making a suggestion, and giving instructions. Very clear and practical tips, easy to listen to, suitable for Intermediate level.

The BBC World Service Six Minute English podcasts are also designed to improve your everyday English in different situations. Ideal for downloading to your iPod or playing in the car. Suitable for Advanced Level.

Aida's Blog

2008-10-19T22:18:00.002+02:00

We have a fine photographer in our Advanced class at the ICTY!

Aida Beslagic has been taking photos in her travels in the last few years and has started her own blog which you can see here. It's in BCS - but the photographs are universal. Look out for some pictures of our class soon....

Thanks to Aida for her fine presentation on Tuzla last week, and to Macu for an equally memorable presentation on the beautiful city of Cordoba. We look forward to more details on this blog soon....

Reading Tip

2008-10-19T21:55:00.007+02:00

“What gives me hope? Music-making. Because, before a Beethoven symphony, Mozart's Don Giovanni or Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, all human beings are equal."

Israeli pianist and peace activist Daniel Barenboim reflects - on his sixtieth birthday - on peace, art and the Middle East. Barenboim is a unique figure. Born in Argentina, he has both Israeli and Palestinian citizenship.

Read his essay at his web site or, for a printable copy, download from my Dropbox here. It's quite long, but well worth the time and effort, and written in a beautiful style.

Recent Presentations

2008-10-14T22:35:00.003+02:00

Mike in the ICTY Advanced group recently gave a presentation about his experience of the tough GR20 hiking trail on the island of Corsica.

For more on this fascinating and demanding walk (certainly not a walk in the local park...) see here. Scroll down for some pictures.

We also heard a fine talk by Lejla about Iceland, a beautiful country she dreams of but has never visited.

For more on Iceland, see this article and pictures here.

Crossing Border Festival

2008-10-13T00:12:00.003+02:00

The Crossing Border festival takes place in The Hague from November 18-22. This is one of the biggest annual festivals of music, literature and art in The Netherlands and usually worth a visit.

For the programme, see Crossing Border.

Tips for Writing

2008-10-12T16:40:00.004+02:00

Students taking the Cambridge FCE and CAE exams:

For tips and useful phrases on writing letters and other texts for Paper 2, please see my Dropbox resources here.

For recommended phrases for opening and closing letters and memos, please see here.

These resources will be updated - you can also find them in the sidebar (left) under 'Dropbox Resources'.

Reading and Viewing Tips: US Election

2008-10-09T22:57:00.007+02:00

Before our course finishes in December there will be a new President of the United States.

My reading and viewing tips this week are all related to the US election and come from the BBC Election site.

The US election has its own special vocabulary: race, running mate, battleground, red state, blue state, swing state, bail-out, earmark, and so on. For a useful guide to the language of the US election, see here.

1. For a summary of the election in questions and answers, see here.

2. For an overview of both candidates' views and policies, see here.

3. For an article about the challenges of America's future (including energy and natural resources), see here. Also see the video in this article with Simon Schama, a historian whose TV programme 'The American Future: a History' begins on Friday on BBC2 at 22:00.

4. But is the election going to be free and fair? See this film by journalist Greg Palast on voter registration in the US.

Fewer or Less?

2008-09-04T10:21:00.003+02:00

When do we use 'fewer than' and when do we use 'less than'?

Both words are comparatives. But they are - usually - used in different situations.

'Fewer' means 'not as many' and refers to things that can be counted and where a plural is possible (eg apples, people):

Fewer than ten apples remained after the meal.

'Less' means 'not as much' and refers to things that are uncountable and do not usually have a plural (eg sugar, time, money);

The organisers had less money and less time than last year.

However, this can be a tricky area when it comes to quantity. For example, with 'ago' we say 'less than' when referring to a single period of time:

I started working here less than six weeks ago. (= one period of time)

For an excellent exercise, see here.

For an interesting discussion about these two little words - 'fewer' and 'less' - see here.

New English Courses at ICTY

2008-09-03T00:12:00.002+02:00

The Autumn Term English classes at the ICTY begin soon on 16 September. There will be classes at Advanced and Intermediate level.

Welcome to all new students, including those from the ICJ, and welcome back to continuing and returning students. Before the class begins, please explore this blog, which includes a lot of new links and resources.

I hope everyone has a good term!

New Courses Autumn 2008

2008-08-25T23:42:00.008+02:00

Welcome to all students on the Cambridge FCE/CAE and CPE courses which begin this week and next week in the ICTY. Good luck to everyone in the coming months.

If you are doing CPE, please visit my Prepare For CPE web site.

Don't forget also to visit these sites to help you prepare for the Cambridge exams:
* Flo-Joe
* Splendid Speaking
* Exam English (free tests)
* Claudia Ceraso's FCE Blog

...and check out the resources on this blog too!

Reading and Viewing Tips

2008-08-13T03:10:00.005+02:00

It's the Olympic Games and here are my reading tips for this week:

1. It's not just the Olympics that has changed the city of Beijing. For the last five years the city has also been learning English. See this article.

2. Also in the Guardian, some short films narrated by a Beijing taxi driver, Get By in Chinese. Learn some Chinese, with English sub-titles.

3. And for a funny look at English in China - or 'Chinglish' - (before the Olympics...) see here.

Reading and Listening

2008-08-13T02:45:00.003+02:00

One of the best ways to improve your English is to read and listen at the same time.

Here are some sites where you can read articles in English and listen to them at the same time - or record them as podcasts to play on your Mp3 player.

1. BBC From Our Own Correspondent. Short stories from around the world. Nice listening length designed for radio.

2. BBC News English. Up-to-date news stories with vocabulary highlighted. Ideal for 10-15 minute break.

3. British Council Podcasts. Different levels from beginners to advanced. Podcasts on different themes, professional English, science, stories and poems. Lots of options.

Let me know if you find more good audio and text resources online!

Reading Tips

2008-07-27T20:37:00.005+02:00

Karadzic, Mladic and the Bosnian War Recalled

The news in the last week has been full of the arrest in Serbia of Radovan Karadzic and his likely transfer to the ICTY next week, as well as speculation about the whereabouts of Ratko Mladic.

I have chosen as reading tips three recent articles by journalists about meetings with figures from the Bosnian war: two who met Karadzic and Mladic, and one who met a famous victim of the war.

1. Marcus Tanner in The Independent on meeting Radovan Karadzic.

2. Paul Martin in the BBC's From Our Own Correspondent on meeting Ratko Mladic (also podcast available).

3. Ed Vulliamy in The Guardian on meeting Fikret Alic, imprisoned by the Serbs during the war.

Reading and Listening/Viewing Tip

2008-07-27T20:21:00.003+02:00

"I'm attempting to put myself in a bottle that will one day wash up on the beach for my children"
Randy Pausch

The American college professor Randy Pausch, who died a few days ago from pancreatic cancer, recorded a 'last lecture' at his university, Carnegie Mellon, when he know he had only a few months to live.

His lecture - called 'The Last Lecture' - is a celebration of life and childhood dreams. You can see the lecture on You Tube here and read more about the author here.

Recommended Web Site

2008-07-27T20:13:00.002+02:00

For a great web site to help you improve your English - at all levels - see the Learn English site run by the British Council.

One site with many options - professional English, podcasts, grammar, English for kids. Sign up also for the weekly Learn English newsletter.

It's all here. Try it!

Recommended Web Site

2008-06-25T19:52:00.003+02:00

If you need to practise your English grammar, try the web site Grammar Quizzes run by teacher Julie Sevastopoulos in California.

This clear, easy-to-use site has lots of exercises on all parts of English grammar with good explanations and answers given.

Check it out!

Good Reading Tip....

2008-06-25T19:24:00.004+02:00

Is it only the Spanish who enjoy a siesta?

Today is Siesta Awareness Day in the UK. The day is designed to encourage everyone to take a refreshing sleep at work in the afternoon, called a 'power nap', or in Spanish a siesta.

Sounds like a good idea? Read here for more about the benefits of taking a 10-20 minute nap in the afternoon every day.

Good Reading Tip......

2008-06-20T12:31:00.007+02:00

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

Read and watch a beautiful and inspiring speech by author J.K. Rowling given at Harvard University.

Thanks to Christine Bosman for this tip.

Vocabulary: a 'fringe benefit' is a non-cash benefit received by someone in addition to a salary or wage.

Learning Phrasal Verbs

2008-06-18T17:09:00.003+02:00

As you have probably realised by now, English has a lot of phrasal verbs. That is, verbs which take a preposition (or an adverb) to create a new verb - a phrasal verb.

For example:

put + forward = He put forward a useful proposal for change. (= proposed)
look + into = They agreed to look into all complaints. (= investigate)
work + out = Can you work out the total for me? (= calculate)

Notice that there is usually another, more 'latinate' word available. But phrasal verbs are used a lot in conversation.

How do you learn phrasal verbs?
The best way to learn phrasal verbs is the same as with all other vocabulary: see them, note them, and use them as much as possible.

With phrasal verbs, it also helps to study the contexts in which they are used. For example, a lot of phrasal verbs are used in connection with telephones:

call up, put through, cut off, hang up, speak up

Or driving:

pull over, pull out, turn on, turn round, back up, fill up

Or daily routines:

wake up, get up, wash up, put on, take off, switch on

When you read and listen to English, look out for phrasal verbs because they are everywhere in English, especially in everyday situations.

Resources
For an excellent summary of phrasal verbs, and the four different types of verbs, see this excellent page by Peter Hall.

For another overview of phrasal verbs with examples, see here.

For practice in using both phrasal verbs and more 'latinate' verbs, see the exercises here by Ted Power (advanced level).

For more exercises and a dictionary of phrasal verbs, see here.

English Next Term

2008-06-08T23:54:00.003+02:00

ICTY English
The Autumn 2008 term will begin on 16 September. There will be classes at Advanced and Intermediate level. If you are a continuing student, please note that you need to apply again.

Cambridge Exam Preparation Courses
In the Autumn I will be running exam preparation courses for Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE), Cambridge Advanced English (CAE) and First Certificate in English (FCE). If you are interested in taking these courses, please ask for more details or download here.

Courses will begin on 25 August and run until 5 December. Exams will take place in The Hague on the following dates:
* FCE: 9 December
* CAE: 10 December
* CPE: 11 December
For more information about the exams see here.

Advanced English Class

2008-06-08T23:44:00.003+02:00

After Gery's class presentation on the Naples rubbish crisis, you can now read his paper on the ictyEnglish Writing site. Thanks to Gery for sharing his experience and knowledge on this issue.

**************
On noun/verb agreement, you might find this page and this page in the archives useful.

For more grammar tips, see the Quick Links to blog archives in the sidebar on the left of this page.

Good Reading Tips...

2008-06-07T09:01:00.006+02:00

Some interesting news stories from recent weeks...

1. Uncontacted Tribe in Brazil

Story from Survival International about a remote tribe in the Amazon jungle, threatened by the activity of illegal loggers, who were photographed for the first time.

See also this video narrated by Julie Christie about surviving peoples. It is thought that up to 100 uncontacted tribes may exist in the world.

2. Obama/Clinton

For interesting views on the last week in US politics, see the BBC articles here about Obama's victory, and here about Clinton and women voters.
Note: The second article uses the phrase 'the glass ceiling'. This is a phrase used to indicate the limitations placed on women who try to reach positions of power in business or politics.

Obama's victory speech is a study in political speech-making. See the full text here.

3. The Longing for English?

Last week in the Advanced class we discussed the tongue operations performed in China and Korea to 'improve' people's English pronunciation. See this 2002 article for more on this.

Good Luck!

2008-06-03T12:55:00.003+02:00

Good luck to all students doing exams in the next week in FCE, CAE and CPE!

Good Reading Tips....

2008-06-03T09:13:00.004+02:00

1. The World Economy

Interesting - but gloomy - BBC article about the world economy in an interview with George Soros here. Very good for vocabulary about finance and the economy.

2. Yves St Laurent

Short piece - with vocabulary support - here about the French fashion legend who recently died - and who lives on.

2. In Time or On Time?

Is being on time always a good idea? See this From Our Own Correspondent article about punctuality in Switzerland.

3. And for something completely different....

See this video about Las Cholitas, the women wrestlers of Bolivia.

Recent Presentations

2008-05-16T11:38:00.002+02:00

In the Advanced Class at the ICTY we have heard some excellent presentations recently on current affairs.

Lejla spoke to us about the Serbian elections which took place last Sunday. See here for more.

Gery gave us a fascinating insight into the Naples rubbish crisis. See here for an overview from the BBC, though we also look foward to reading Gery's paper soon on the blog.

See also this blog by Beppe Grillo and this article in the UK 'Independent' for more on the book 'Gomorra' by Roberto Saviano which Gery mentioned in his presentation and which is about to appear at Cannes as a new film.

Good Reading Tip

2008-05-10T14:23:00.005+02:00

Life after Fidel in Cuba

In some parts of the world having your own blog is far from easy.

For over a year the Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez has been writing a blog about life in Cuba called Generation Y with a huge worldwide audience. Her blog was recently shut down by the Cuban government after she won a literary prize in Spain.

Read about this courageous woman and blogging in this article from the International Herald Tribune.

Good Reading Tips....

2008-05-07T12:15:00.005+02:00

1. The Euro at 10.

The Euro is ten years old this week. How is it doing? Which countries use the Euro and which are likely to have it in the coming years? Is Britain better or worse off without the Euro?

See this BBC article for discussion on the Euro.

2. Can We Learn New Habits?

It is said that we are 'creatures of habit'. But are our habits fixed or can we change them and learn new ones?

See this this New York Times article about thinking and innovation.

Good Reading Tip

2008-05-02T15:17:00.003+02:00

The Price of Rice

In the Advanced Class yesterday we heard an interesting presentation by Lihong Yang about the rising world price of rice and its consequences, particularly for Asia.

For more, see this article from the New York Times. Thanks to Lihong for this tip.

Also, see here for an article about the threat to rice and the current crisis in Burma (with audio and vocabulary help).

Good Reading Tips.....

2008-04-29T15:57:00.007+02:00

1. Is it possible to police what people wear?

For an interesting perspective on the country of Iran, see this BBC article about fashion in Tehran. See also the comments afterwards by readers.

2. The History of the World in Bananas...

Did you know how powerful the yellow fruit has been in world history?

See this fascinating article at Salon.com. (*Advanced Level*).

3. It is Queen's Day tomorrow and a huge party takes place in Amsterdam, which unfortunately I can't go to this year :-( .

Read here what all the fuss is about in a sea of orange....

United Nations Editorial Manual

2008-04-29T15:45:00.003+02:00

Everyone working in the UN system should be aware of the United Nations Editorial Manual. This resource gives guidance on the drafting and editing of documents in English in the United Nations.

For the first time, this resource is now available online.

Based on practices which have developed at HQ in New York, this is the first point of reference for writing in English in the United Nations (together, of course, with my training course on Effective Written Communication...;-)

As well as the United Nations Manual, you might like to be aware also of the European Commission Style Guide (pdf) which is widely used for writing within EU institutions.

Good Reading Tips

2008-04-16T11:48:00.004+02:00

Here are two reading suggestion for this week.

1. 'Why Don't Girls Play Guitar?'
See this article about children and their choices of musical instruments.

2. 'Really Fast Food'
See

this article and video about a German restaurant with no waiters and very fast food!

You won't forget it in a hurry....

Summer Term 2008

2008-04-16T11:39:00.003+02:00

Welcome to the English Advanced and Intermediate Level Summer Term classes at the ICTY (Yes, believe it or not this is the Summer Term!).

A particular welcome to all new students.

I hope you have an enjoyable and useful term. Keep an eye on this blog and please make suggestions for good reading, interesting films and nice places to visit this summer.

Rob

Good Reading Tip

2008-04-06T11:17:00.002+02:00

'I'm on the Plane!'

Can you bear the thought of people using their mobile phones on planes? See a lovely piece by writer Clive James at the BBC Magazine. Some great vocabulary in this article - take a look!

Spring 2008 Presentations

2008-04-06T01:20:00.004+02:00

The term has finished with some very interesting presentations by students in the Advanced English Class at the ICTY.

We heard about: Pilates, Bikram Yoga, Cinnamon, the Argentina/Holland Foundation, Samoan Tattoos, and the west African country of Guinea. I will put some information about these topics on the blog in the coming weeks.

Inmaculada gave an inspirational presentation on the Pilates exercise method invented by Joseph Pilates. For more, see Inmaculada's article at the ICTY English Writing site.

Good Reading Tip

2008-03-23T12:58:00.002+01:00

How does the US presidential system work?

See this BBC 'From Our Own Correspondent' article for an insight into the power of persuasion in US politics.

Good Reading Tip

2008-03-13T22:07:00.003+01:00

What kind of office would you like to work in?

If you work for Google at its new Zurich office you may find yourself in an office that seems to be more about play than work - slides between floors, free food and drink, relaxation spaces to chill out, an aquarium, and meetings in igloos.

A sign of the future? Read more here and watch the video.

Expanding Your Vocabulary

2008-03-08T11:14:00.008+01:00

Several people have asked me recently about good sites for expanding vocabulary in English.

My top tip is the BBC Learning English site, especially the News English section. Here you will find articles every day with vocabulary highlighted. You can also listen to each story. Ideal for a coffee break or lunchtime!

Look out also for 'Words in the News' - and explore the rest of this excellent site for learning English.

Also, see here for a big list of ideas for expanding your vocabulary.

International Women's Day

2008-03-08T10:39:00.002+01:00

Today is International Women's Day.

For my good reading (and viewing) tips this week, try:

1. Why International Women's Day Matters - three short films at The Guardian web site about issues affecting women in developing countries.

2. The history of International Women's Day at the official IWD site. See also the webcasts on this site.

Rob's English Blog

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Name Five Favourite Dishes in Five Minutes?

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20 Years On: The Year That Changed the World

Bujumbura, Burundi

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Learning Phrasal Verbs