Word Fun

Word Games

5-Step Transformation

Here's a great word game that makes you think!

Change only one letter per line to get from the first to the final word. 

Note that every line must be a valid word.

e.g.         1. TASK

               2. TALK

               3. TALL

               4. WALL

               5. WILL

Ready?

Now try these:

1. FACE

2. ____

3. ____

4. ____

5. MIST

1. WENT

2. ____

3. ____

4. ____

5. TOSS

1. EAST

2. ____

3. ____

4. ____

5. COPE

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers: 1. face-fact-fast-fist-mist, 2. went-tent-tens-tons-toss, 3. east-cast-case-cape-cope

Speech and visual distractions!

So here's a tricky one!
Look at the the words below. All the words are colors BUT have font colors of other colors!
Already confused? :)

Try reading the words below, NOT the color of their letters.
e.g.     YELLOW         -you're supposed to read 'yellow', not 'green' which is the color of the font!

After successfully reading the words, try it the other way around.
This time, read the color of the word, NOT the word!!
e.g.     YELLOW         -you're supposed to read 'green' which is the color, not 'yellow' which is the word!

And the trickiness begins!! Have fun! :)

Junior Games

Aren't Juniors sweet?? :) 

The most liked game/activity has to be "Head and Shoulders"! Yes, Head and shoulders, knees and toes! Kids love it! Whenever they can't settle down or they are a little sluggish, get them out of their chair and have a 'Head and shoulders, knees and toes' moment! It works, trust me, especially if you do it four times -with each time going faster and faster! :) :)

So here we go: Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, knees and toes,

   Head and shoulders, knees and toes, 

eyes, ears, mouth and nose!

Another game is Eye Spy. 

'Eye spy with my little eye, something beginning with ....' and then state a letter. The item has to be something visible in the room. Practice vocabulary (colors, classroom items, room, clothes, etc) and have fun at guessing the item that needs to be spotted. If  kids start to cheat (and thus keep changing their item as the game progresses), you can make them write down what they've chosen on a piece of paper before their turn, so they stick to what they had initially picked!

I've also played a variation of the game saying 'Eye Spy with my little eye, something that is ....' and state the color.

Have fun!

Canadian Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving Canada!!

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, a holiday celebrated since 1763! But wasn't until 1879 that it was observed as a civic holiday and then in 1957 it was officially set to be celebrated every second Monday in October.

It is a celebration to give thanks at the close of the harvest season for the produce harvested.

It is a beautiful time of year in Canada and is usually celebrated with a stuffed turkey dinner with vegetables like pumpkin and corn.

British English VS American English

Ever said something and then thought: Is that how you say it? Well here are a few words that differ in British and American English.

British English            --         American English

pocket money             =          allowance

rucksack                      =          backpack

notice board                =          Bulletin Board

mobile phone              =          cellphone

motorway                    =          freeway

rubbish                        =          garbage/trash

petrol                           =          gas

post                              =          mail

pavement                    =          sidewalk

timetable                     =          schedule

pushchair                     =         stroller

dustbin                         =         trash can

boot (of a car)             =          trunk (of a car)

car park                       =          parking lot

city centre                   =          downtown

queue                           =          line (cut in line)

trousers                       =          pants

pants                            =          men's underwear

knickers                       =          panties (women's underwear)

lorry                             =          truck

postcode                      =          zipcode

biscuit                          =          cookie

sweets                         =          candy

crisps                           =          chips

chips                            =          (french) fries

cooker                         =          stove

clever                          =          smart

flat                               =          apartment

wardrobe                    =          closet

garden                         =          yard

single ticket                =          one-way ticket

return ticket               =          round trip

fizzy drink/pop          =          soda drink

Functions in the Kitchen

Explain as well as you can:

What do these things DO in the kitchen?

Refrigerator / Fridge

Freezer

Stove

Oven

Sink

Cupboard / Cabinet

Counter

Dish rack

Tea towel

Oven glove

Cutting / chopping board

Washing-up liquid / dish-washing liquid

Kettle

Clock

Toaster

Rolling-pin

Questionairre

So here's a questionnaire I've developed and used with teenage students of mine, at the beginning of our course. Whether they are intermediate students or preparing for an exam, this form gives them a kick-start to start speaking and get the motivation needed for a focused academic year. 

Questionnaire

General Information: Name:  _____________________________________ Age:      ____________________________________ Class:   _____________________________________ Hobbies: ____________________________________ Favourite Music: ______________________________ Favourite TV show: ____________________________ Foreign travel: ________________________________

Language Learning Experience: Previous studies and opinions on learning English: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

Knowledge of other foreign languages and how well: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

English Language Strengths and Weaknesses: Strengths: ___________________________________ ___________________________________________ Weaknesses: ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________