tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52119633334830560202024-03-06T03:12:19.587-03:00Marcello MarcelinoMarcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-15657639797071976382013-11-08T14:22:00.001-02:002013-11-08T14:24:13.261-02:00Different Languages, different personalities?I was a little bit reluctant to start a post with a title like this. However, this is a topic that people ARE usually interested in. After the whole dated Sapir-Whorf discussion as to how (and if) language shapes thought, here's an interesting way to look at the issue: maybe the syntax of the languages involved gives you the impression that the person is more assertive, more elusive, less tactful, etc. It is definitely worth reading it. <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2013/11/multilingualism?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/bl/differentpersonalitieslanguage" target="_blank">Do different languages confer different personalities?</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-61168040994016245902013-05-27T21:30:00.001-03:002013-05-27T21:30:13.832-03:00Neurosciência e Aprendizagem: menos crendices e mais sinapsesEssa matéria sobre neurociência traz muita luz à concepção de aprendizagem (até recentemente quase baseada em 'pensamento positivo' e programação neurolinguística - esta última, a meu ver, uma versão "chique" de lavagem cerebral que usurpa o nome da real NEUROlinguística). Não acredito em aprendizagem como uma entidade metafísica, divina, mágica, com cara de autoajuda. Aprendizagem é uma questão de sinapses. Graças à neurociência, hoje podemos desmistificar tantas inverdades e incorreções ditas há décadas por estudiosos da área de aprendizagem, que hoje estão indiscutivelmente ultrapassados, mas que ainda continuam a assombrar as teorias de aprendizagem, por conta de seus seguidores extremistas e desinformados. Sim, já fui chamado de positivista, e isso não me incomoda. Positivista ou não, há questões reais tratadas e abordadas pela ciência, e que deixam o subjetivismo em segundo plano. Essa matéria sem dúvida é uma porta de entrada para o assunto, ao tratar de questões de memória, sinapses, desenvolvimento e até mesmo a "subjetiva" noção de confiança. Recomendo. <a href="http://g1.globo.com/globo-news/ciencia-e-tecnologia/videos/t/todos-os-videos/v/ciencia-e-tecnologia-apresenta-os-segredos-do-cerebro-humano/2518895/" target="_blank">Neurociência e aprendizagem</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-69129385377430095332013-02-24T16:56:00.002-03:002013-02-24T16:58:05.114-03:00Hints for parents raising a child bilinguallyThis is an interesting site I found on a friend's page. The tips the mothers came up with are nice and empirical. Definitely worth reading it.<br />
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<a href="http://filhos-bilingues.blogspot.com.br/2011/03/23-dicas-sobre-bilinguismo.html" target="_blank">Filhos bilíngues</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-64793007155250142332013-02-18T09:16:00.000-03:002013-02-18T09:22:07.249-03:00Do bilingual children NECESSARILY start speaking later?Recently I have been to congresses and conferences in which the well-established view that bilingual children ALWAYS start speaking late might constitute a fallacy. No one has presented a paper on it, but I came across this article by a researcher interested in the matter. I highly recommend reading it. I also found out through observation of bilingual children that there are SOME (yes, some!) processes of language development. Some kids will start babbling, producing sounds, syllables and then words, others will start humming and will bring in words later.The process is not so cut-and-dry... Click on the link to the article:<br />
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<a href="http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/05/31/does-bilingualism-multilingualism-cause-language-delay/" target="_blank">bilingualism and language delay</a><br />
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I also recommend reading this Q-A between a specialist in bilingualism and a concerned teacher. The context is that the language delay might be connected to bilingualism and the concern seems to be: "is it language delay or autism?"<br />
Before reading the article, it is important to make it clear to all: there is NO EVIDENCE whatsoever that bilingualism or multilingualism CAUSE language disorders such as autism (which is genetically driven). I have not yet come across any studies which show such evidence. Any "opinions" by professionals connecting language disorders to bilingualism results from sheer lack of information. ALWAYS look for a second opinion, preferably from a professional who understands the context of bilingualism/multilingualism.<br />
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<a href="http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/05/25/help-child-have-language-delay-autism-neither/" target="_blank">Bilingualism and language disorders</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-71922931756929583592013-02-16T00:25:00.002-02:002013-02-16T00:32:28.290-02:00Pesquisas em Bilinguismo e Aquisição de L2 - UNIFESPAos alunos e interessados que escreveram no blog perguntando sobre cursos e grupos de estudo, informo que iniciarei um grupo de estudos "<b>Pesquisas em Bilinguismo e Aquisição de Língua Dois</b>" (PeBALD) na Universidade Federal de São Paulo em 01 de março de 2013. Os encontros devem ocorrer sempre na 1a sexta de todo mês às 18h. Os interessados em participar, por favor escrevam para mim no email <b>marcello.unifesp@gmail.com</b>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-89230885922575420742013-01-23T15:42:00.000-02:002013-02-15T23:41:46.714-02:00Phonemic SoundsHere is a nice site to listen to the sounds of both British and American English. The symbols used are those of the IPA.
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<a href="http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm" target="_blank">http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-70886682254876571832012-11-02T22:59:00.000-02:002013-02-15T23:42:45.545-02:00Changing a First Language PermanentlyIs it possible to change one's first language? What are the implications? In order to approach such a question, one needs to have a clear definition of mother tongue, first language, second language, stronger language, dominant language, etc.
If you feel interested, see what Grosjean has to say about it.<br />
<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201210/changing-first-language-permanently" target="_blank">http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201210/changing-first-language-permanently</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-70933244264294708872012-11-02T22:54:00.000-02:002013-02-15T23:43:18.731-02:00The Psycholinguistics of BilingualismHere's the link to an excellent blog with very relevant issues on bilinguals and language acquisition from a psycholinguistic point of view. François Grosjean, a most renowned researcher in the area, addresses questions that we all have asked ourselves, as either bilinguals or researchers.<br />
<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201210/the-psycholinguistics-bilingualism" target="_blank">http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201210/the-psycholinguistics-bilingualism</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-42850463081295532562012-10-24T23:31:00.001-02:002013-02-15T23:44:15.164-02:00Bilingualism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)Para quem se interessa por questões de aquisição bilíngue e disturbios da fala:
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<blockquote>
<i>"Parents also reported concerns around choosing bilingualism for their children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders), such as lack of services and supports and concerns about whether their children would be able to learn two languages. Children with ASD exposed to two languages were often reported to be acquiring their languages of exposure, albeit to varying degrees."</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00071.x/pdf" target="_blank">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-6984.2011.00071.x/pdf</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-37830909639264273812012-10-24T23:11:00.000-02:002013-02-15T23:55:32.176-02:00Lingua Inglesa II - UNIFESPFor my Lingua Inglesa II students:
here are some interesting sites to help you with the learning of phonetics and phonology.<br />
1) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnjGNJ5JL8w" target="_blank">How to do a Cockney accent</a><br />
2) <a href="http://www.soundcomparisons.com/" target="_blank">Comparing sounds</a><br />
3) <a href="http://www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/AmDialLnx.html" target="_blank">Listen to different accents</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-6378019826318742012-06-26T13:08:00.000-03:002013-02-15T23:46:48.399-02:00Bilingual children and literacy"O estudo, publicado na revista Child Development, comparou o desenvolvimento cognitivo verbal e não-verbal de 100 crianças de seis anos, monolíngues em inglês e bilíngues em Inglês-Chinês, Francês-Inglês e Espanhol-Inglês. [...] não importa qual a outra língua escolhida - todas as crianças bilíngues têm vantagem sobre as monolíngues em termos de controle cognitivo não-verbal."
O link com a matéria completa publicada na revista Child Development é o<a href="http://news.yorku.ca/2012/02/%E2%80%8B08/%E2%80%8Bbilingual-children-gain-better-%E2%80%8Bfocus-literacy-skills-york-u-s%E2%80%8Btudy/" target="_blank"> http://news.yorku.ca/2012/02/08/bilingual-children-gain-better-focus-literacy-skills-york-u-study/</a><b> e </b> <a href="http://www.ensinobilingue.com.br/2012/06/criancas-bilingues-se-alfabetizam-mais.html" target="_blank">http://www.ensinobilingue.com.br/2012/06/criancas-bilingues-se-alfabetizam-mais.html</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-77412981303756657822012-04-24T14:58:00.000-03:002013-02-15T23:50:17.124-02:00Book recommendations for undergraduate students:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Pronunciation-Paperback-Audio-CDs/dp/0521729769" target="_blank">Book 1</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-American-Pronunciation-Handbooks-Language/dp/0194328155/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335290230&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Book 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manual-American-English-Pronunciation-Clifford/dp/0030007038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335290277&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Book 3</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-12051393717522439662012-03-22T11:50:00.002-03:002013-02-15T23:59:51.302-02:00Why Bilinguals are smarter - NYTimesAn interesting article about the advantages of bilingualism, quite comprehensive, correct and down-to-earth, considering how small it is. I highly reacommend reading it. <br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-benefits-of-bilingualism.html" target="_blank">bilinguals are smarter</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-66827444375401522562012-03-22T11:48:00.002-03:002013-02-15T23:58:54.588-02:00The Bilingual Advantage NYTimesHere's an interesting interview with a rewnowned researcher in the area. Worth reading if you are into bilingualism.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/science/31conversation.html?_r=2&WT.mc_id=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0608-L17" target="_blank">Interview</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-67573196387611359672011-09-26T14:02:00.003-03:002013-02-16T00:11:05.648-02:00Bilingualism and Language AcquisitionGetting acquainted with bilingualism and language acquisition<br />
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1) <a href="http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/books/tli/index.html" target="_blank">Book recommendation: The language instinct: how the mind creates language by Steven Pinker. There's a site about the book.</a><br />
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2) <a href="http://www.pucsp.br/pos/lael/intercambio/pdf/1_Marcello_Bilinguismo%20no%20Brasil.pdf" target="_blank">Article: Bilinguismo no Brasil: significado e expectativas by Marcello Marcelino.</a><br />
<br />Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-16384451268481948952011-08-18T11:42:00.002-03:002011-09-26T14:00:03.652-03:00the -ED ending strikes back<strong>When the –ed breaks the rules</strong><br /><br />Some adjectives end in <em>–ed</em> and are pronounced as having an extra syllable. In other words, they do not follow the general rule for pronouncing the <em>–ed</em> ending. <br />Below are some adjectives that are derived from verbs and whose <em>–ed </em>endings are pronounced as an extra syllable:<br /><br />accursed (sometimes)<br />blessed<br />beloved<br />learned<br />dogged (a dogged persistence)<br />legged (one-legged; three-legged)<br />Sometimes, only the context can help you determine which one should be used, compare :<br /><br />a) He blessed /t/ the kid vs. The blessed /id/ virgin.<br />b) This is learned /d/ behavior vs. He is a learned /id/ man. <br /><br />The following list is a more extensive one and is meant to help you remember which words are pronounced with the extra /id/ syllable:<br /><br />naked, wicked, wretched (a wretched beggar), rugged (a rugged country), crooked, sacred, aged (an aged person), jagged, ragged (a ragged beggar), <br /><br />The same happens when –ed is used in the formation of adverbs:<br /><br />Allegedly, arruredly, supposedly, resignedly, resolvedly.Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-54218332930037040732011-05-24T00:53:00.004-03:002013-02-16T00:00:42.864-02:00livro didático "condenado": Por Uma Vida melhor - entrevista com Ataliba Castilho<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DROHTF4iaiQ&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">Entrevista com Ataliba Castilho</a><br />
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vale a pena assistir à entrevista.<br />
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O jornalista parece meio tímido em suas colocações... Está tão evidente o alarde negativo equivocado e VERGONHOSO feito pela mídia a respeito do tal livro didático. Uma coisa que não está faltando ao livro agora é publicidade gratuita. No final, acredito que o resultado será positivo. Espero que a ignorância e preconceito linguístico que imperam nos meios de comunicação e contribuem com a "lavagem cerebral" dos leigos seja finalmente enfraquecida.Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-46835551243631003452011-05-21T20:05:00.002-03:002013-02-16T00:01:07.429-02:00Preconceito GramaticalAos defensores do "conjunto de regras de etiqueta opressor" e aos entendedores do papel das diferentes variedades linguisticas: o pronunciamento oficial da ABRALIN sobre a polêmica dos livros didáticos. Deixemos quem <strong>entende </strong>de linguagem falar sobre linguagem. <br />
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<a href="http://www.alab.org.br/noticias/outras-noticias/83-leia-tambem-posionamento-da-abralin-em-relacao-a-polemica-do-livro-didatico" target="_blank">http://www.alab.org.br/noticias/outras-noticias/83-leia-tambem-posionamento-da-abralin-em-relacao-a-polemica-do-livro-didatico</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-51143436797268245352011-05-18T15:26:00.002-03:002013-02-16T00:02:10.186-02:00Ensino de inglês para criançasSegue o link para uma matéria comigo feita pela Pais e Filhos sobre desenvolvimento de linguagem na infância. <br />
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<a href="http://bbel.uol.com.br/filhos/post/ensino-de-lingua-estrangeira-para-criancas.aspx" target="_blank">Ensino de inglês para crianças</a>Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-64876852884324424822011-05-03T15:41:00.004-03:002011-05-03T15:48:56.672-03:00Language tips 3: Language Input in Bilingual EducationI am often asked about the type of input kids receive at a bilingual school. I understand that the type of input they receive is extremely important and how we model the language is crucial when it comes to the little ones building their grammar. More often than not, teachers and school programs are focused on the pedagogy of doing things while the language part is neglected or erroneously believed to develop on its own. I am a firm believer that our Brazilian teachers are amazing teachers and they do not have to be native speakers to model the language for our children; nevertheless, they should receive guidance from the school coordinator as to how their input can be profitably enhanced during classroom time and interaction.<br /><br />Next, we will see what we can do to make this environment even more effective and real.<br /><br />When a community (such as ourselves – we are an English speaking community at the school) comes together, they are bound to create language references and jokes that are “internal” to the community, in the sense that only the people involved fully understand what is going on. When this happens, the main body of the language at hand is open to adjustments or expressions that come up as a result of the interaction of the participants in a given context/situation. In linguistics we may explain that in terms of an idiolect, as defined below:<br /><br /><strong>Idiolect</strong> – <em>a term used in linguistics to refer to the linguistic system of an individual speaker – one’s personal dialect. A dialect can be seen as an abstraction deriving from the analysis of a large number of idiolects. Some linguists give the term a more restricted definition, referring to the speech habits of a person as displayed in a particular variety at a given time. <br />(Crystal, D. (1997) A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Blackwell. p. 189) </em><br /><br />Applied to our reality: the individual characteristics that everybody brings to the English we speak at the school can significantly affect the general characteristics of the English language AS it is used at the school, and by extension, the type of English we expose our kids to. <br /><br />To set up an example, I bring into focus a few discourse markers that I have constantly seen teachers using:<br /><br />Ai ai ai<br />(sentence), né?<br />Ó, (sentence)<br />Vixe...<br />Nossa, nossa...<br />Então...<br /><br />I understand that this use of L1 at school is kept to a minimum. Nonetheless, I invite you to consider the acquisitional impact this may have on your kids developing English as an L2. The language above qualifies as language markers, which are linguistic units used to keep the conversation going and demarcate sentences and their relations to one another or interjections, which are meant to be “natural” reactions to something that happens or is said to us, and are thus emotive. <br /><br />The use of these devices in your everyday production is increasing and ends up spreading to some teachers who didn’t use it before. It is only a matter of time until our kids start producing these (some may even be at the brink of sprouting).<br /> <br />I urge you to understand that by using this language consistently you are sending our kids the incorrect message that this is part of the English language. They are learning it and there is no way for them to know whether this is appropriate language use or not. It is up to us to make that clear by using the appropriate English equivalent. <br /><br />The negative effects that this may have on their language development in the long run are beyond present analysis. It is not common knowledge to you what language data you are depriving your students of by not using the English equivalent. For instance, by constantly using “né?” you are most certainly depriving them of the exposure to question tags and what this represents in terms of structure.<br /> <br />“Né?” in English, in the form of a tag comprehends the manifestation of grammatical elements that are expressed in Portuguese in a completely different fashion. In English, the verb combines with the past morpheme “-ed” to form the past. If you wish to make a question in English you have to disconnect the “-ed” from the verb and move it to the beginning of the sentence, landing before the subject. In Portuguese, you simply change the intonation. So the question for “você andou” is “você andou?”. We do not move the disconnected “-ou” to the beginning of the sentence, producing the incorrect Portuguese question form “-ou você and-?”<br /><br />Notice that this is exactly what we do in English:<br /><br />“You walked”<br />( you walk -ed + move “-ed” to the beginning of the sentence to make a question)<br />( -ed you walk? + turn “-ed” into “did” ), resulting in:<br />“Did you walk?” <br /><br />In other words, by using “né?” you are choosing not to expose your students to this IMPORTANT algorithm in the development of the English language. This is surely going to affect the quality of our students grammar substantially. Since we do not know how many other structures this algorithm governs, we have no idea to what extent we are damaging the structures that depend on their fully understanding this “simple” rule of question formation.<br /><br />I could go on and on about the effects of the other elements cited above, but I believe you got the point. I invite you to NOT use those words anymore. I understand that it may be hard at first, but we need to start kicking that habit. Meanwhile, I would invite you to think of English equivalents for:<br /><br />Ai ai ai<br />(sentence), né?<br />Ó, (sentence)<br />Vixe...<br />Nossa, nossa...<br />Então...<br /><br />Some may just have to be totally replaced with something else. Think first, what does “ai ai ai” mean?<br /><br />That’s the food for thought for today. Roll up the sleeves and let’s monitor!!<br /><br />Thanks<br />MarcelloMarcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-49704438544304746592011-04-19T14:21:00.002-03:002011-04-19T14:24:36.190-03:00Language Tips 2: pronunciationThe word “climb” is pronounced with a silent ‘b,’ which makes its pronunciation ‘klime.’ <br />Its -ing form form is pronounced ‘kly-ming’ totally b-less. The person who climbs (‘klimes’) is a ‘kly-mer.’<br /> <br />In the spirit of silent “b’s,” I put together a few words that have silent b’s in spelling but which are NOT pronounced:<br /> <br />climb, climber, lamb, numb, dumb, thumb, bomb, plumber, plumbing, tomb, debt, comb, crumb <br /><br />Also, just out of curiosity, notice that the combination "-omb" can have different realizations. Next to some of the words below, I've placed one word that rhymes with it so you know what vowel value the combination "-omb" may have:<br /><br />"-omb"<br />bomb - Tom<br />tomb - boom<br />comb - foam<br /><br />Still in the spirit of silent sounds, Notice that the "Ls" in the following words are NOT pronounced:<br /> <br />half - calf<br />talk - walk - chalk<br />would - should - could<br />balm - palm - calm<br />salmon - lincoln - almond<br /> <br />Monitor these words whenever you can.Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-3150986068076409162011-04-11T15:01:00.002-03:002011-04-11T15:04:50.141-03:00Language tipsIt's important that you remember that "let's" is an imperative form directed to everybody in the situation, therefore it is NOT a question. It proposes an action that includes the speaker and the listener. The meaning of (1a), therefore, is shown in (1b):<br /> <br />(1) a. Let's eat breakfast.<br /> b. I propose that you and I eat breakfast.<br /><br />This way, the form *<em>Let's eat breakfast</em>? sounds incorrect, since it would be equivalent to saying "<em>Do I propose that you and I eat breakfast</em>?"<br /> <br /><em>Let's</em> is also used in a meaning that is closer to an order or an instruction:<br /> <br />(2) a. Let's bow our heads and be silent to show respect.<br /> b. Let's have a look at your tongue (a medical doctor)<br /> c. OK. It looks like we may have gone too far, so let's take the next exit and and turn around.<br /> d. You all have to draw your superhero. Let's do it, please.<br /> <br />In (2d), the teacher instructs his/her group of children to draw. This use is the one you use a lot in the classroom with your students. It is not meant to be "vamos...?" as used in Portuguese, which is also an order/instruction but made less authoritarian by the use of the rising intonation. "Vamos fazer um desenho?" - clearly, in the classroom context refers to the teacher instructing/giving a command, but the rising intonation used makes it more polite or more inviting. This CANNOT be transfered into English. In English, the simple use of <em>let's</em> (with falling intonation) already constitutes a polite way to frame a command.<br /> <br />In order to make it more inviting or tentative, one can use a tag and rising intonation with <em>let's</em>. This is done by adding ", OK?" after a sentence with <em>let's</em>. An alternative tag form, recognizedly more formal or British sounding can be made with <em>shall </em>at the end. <br /> <br />(3) a. So, let's keep that on, shall we?<br /> b. Let's take turns, ok?<br /> c. Let's not talk about this anymore, shall we/OK?<br /> <br />One can also start the sentence with <em>shall</em>.<br /> <br />(4) a. Shall we go outside now, kids?<br /> b. Shall we talk about this later?<br /> <br />Even though the form with shall sounds a little more formal or slightly British, depending on the context, I still recommend using it in the classroom with our kids to make sure they are exposed to that form in English. Otherwise, the "vamos...? use" will be automatically and incorrectly transfered to English. We should expose our kids to this type of language too.<br /> <br />source consulted: Cowan, R. (2008) <strong>The Teacher's Grammar of English</strong>. Cambridge.Marcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-10469022458706132122011-03-20T23:05:00.003-03:002011-03-22T10:57:12.569-03:00Courses for teachers who wish to specialize in young learnersIf you have CELTA and wish to specialize in young learners, take a look at the following course:<br /><br /><br /><br />Young Learner´s Extension to CELTA<br /><br /> <br /><br />This course was designed for candidates who have finished the CELTA and want to specialize in teaching children. It certifies you in three week to teach children from 8 to 11 years of age. Like the CELTA, there is a practical part where candidates teach children at two different levels: one more basic and the other a little more advanced. Candidates also need to write two papers and do 6 hours of peer observation at the SEVEN branch where the course takes place. Like the CELTA, the candidate has to complete an application and a Language Awareness Task related to teaching children. <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />Dates: from July 11 to 29, 2011<br /><br />Cost: R$2.025,00 + Cambridge Fee US$185,00 <br /><br /> <br /><br /> Venue: SEVEN Unidade Aclimação<br /><br />Rua Castro Alves, 520<br />(11) 3207-9566 <br /><br />Tutor: <br /><br />Daniella S. H. You – Daniella has worked in ELT since 1995. She has a degree in Economics from USP and has studied Psychopedagogy at PUC. She took the CELTA ad the DELTA at International House London. Daniella has lived and worked in Switzerland, Poland and England where she was involved with language teaching. In England, where she lived for 4 years, Daniella developed pioneer projects in French and German teaching for children aged 3 to 9. When she returned to Brazil in 2001, she got involved with bilingual education. She started working as a teacher trainer in 2005. Currently, she is a coordinator at a bilingual school in Sao Paulo as well as being a CELTA and Young Learner´s Extension to CELTA trainer at Seven. <br /><br />Monica Stein Gramola- Monica has been working in ELT since 1987. She started her studies in Economics, but ended up specializing in English Language teaching and Literature. She has the COTE (Certificate for Overseas Teacher´s of English), and is a Cambridge University oral examiner. She has been a teacher trainer for Dickens Institute Montevideo, moderated by Trinity College since 2008, and a CELTYL (Certificate of English Language Teachers for Young Learners – Cambridge) teacher trainer since 2003. Today she teaches at Queen Victoria Institute and is a consultant for the Research and Development Department at the ICAU ( Instituto Cultural Anglo Uruguayo). <br /><br /><br />Want to know about CELTA? Check the link http://www.sevenidiomas.com.br/site/cursoCelta.asp?cursos=descricaoMarcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-78238024287671820402011-03-17T08:17:00.002-03:002011-03-17T08:19:20.604-03:00PUC-SP - Teoria Linguística 5a feiraReferência para os alunos de Teoria Linguística:<br /><br />Bechara, Evanildo (1985) Ensino de Gramática. Opressão? Liberdade? Editora ÁticaMarcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5211963333483056020.post-29289074189186673252010-12-13T16:12:00.001-02:002010-12-13T16:15:39.552-02:00RSA Animate - Changing Educational ParadigmsThis is really worth seeing. Ken Robinson talks about the history of education in light of what we have today... A little scary, actually. Take a look.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4UMarcello Marcelinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08180430322900531666noreply@blogger.com0