Tuesday 20 August 2013

School's out for summer!!

Well I've been a bit tardy in my posting of late I'll admit. My excuses? I was examining!!! I've been working on all my other jobs and projects. (If you want to know more take a peek at my profile.) And then there is that long and glorious summer holiday!

Oh yes! Teachers, just like students, love that long seemingly endless time of few academic obligations. We recharge our batteries. Forget that school exists so that in the autumn we can return to duty with open hearts and enthusiasm - something that gets drained more easily than you might imagine.

I like to lose myself in a book or a good movie. As promised to my Proficiency class, I've come up with a list of movies that show regional accents, not all these movies are recommended for younger classes so check the trailer first.

If you're really into developing an accent check out www.learntheaccent.com. It's got lots movie suggestions and some short video lessons which are so simple!

As for books well I won't make any recommendations there. If you have never read a book, which to me is a real shame, find one in the same genre as the movies you like to watch and see if it grips you! Go to the library for stuff in your native language (it's free!) or look up a story on www.wattpad.com, for stuff in English. Some of it's pretty trashy and there seems to be a lot of teen fantasies about One Direction, but there's something for every taste and it's also free! If you are confident, you can even add your own story!

Before I get on to my list of movies, I'm often asked what accent I have. Well after having been away from home for many years or donkey's years as they say in the West Country, my accent has rather mutated but just so you know what it used to be like I thought I'd show you a clip from "Hot Fuzz". Yes, I can understand this without the 'translation'!


MOVIES FOR ACCENTS!
Harry Potter (A variety of British accents; Hagrid is from the West Country)
A Fish Called Wanda (A good standard 'Queen's English' with John Cleese as a lawyer.)
Notting Hill (Mostly English but the character Spike is Welsh, and Julia Roberts is American of course!)
Billy Elliot (North-East English)
Waking Ned Devine (Irish)
Braveheart (Scottish)



ANSWER!!!

ghoti is pronounced 'fish'!

How the Henry? You ask yourselves, let me explain...

gh as in cough or laugh
o as in women
ti as in nation or salvation

Thanks to CB for that one. I liked it!

Finally CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who passed the May exams! I shall miss those of you who are officially proficient in English! To the rest of you I'm looking forward to seeing you in September!

Keep soaking up the sun!

Miss!