Borrowed to Teach Grammar

Time: 7:30pm~8:50pm

Place: MOS Burger, Wende MRT station

After an exhausting day, I went to the appointment with Che-wei (范哲瑋), an NHSH student who graduated in 2011 and who I never taught but got acquainted with just because he was a friend of a student of mine. Late yesterday evening he contacted me via FB Messenger, asking if he could ask me grammar questions on some TOEIC practice tests he'd done by Sunday, when he's going to take the big exam. Surely, I said yes. I once thought to myself, if I were a "book" in a human library, what could I be borrowed for? English grammar, of course.

Monkey Phrases

This year is the year of monkey. This afternoon, while driving, I heard on the radio the host talk about English "monkey phrases." He mentioned three: monkey business, a monkey on one's back, and monkey around.

Curious about more monkey phrases, I checked online and find nine at Oxford Dictionaries:

http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2014/12/monkey-business-and-other-phrases/

Guesss what phrases are listed here?

"The best love songs of this millennium"--from CNN

Being a music lover, I used to teach my students many English songs. Surely, the title of this CNN news story caught my eye.

This webpage presents not only the 16 best love songs since 2000, each with a video and a brief description, but also the 15 most romantic singers of the 20th century, each with a photo and a short introduction. At the end of the article, readers are invited to vote for their favorite. Click on the song, and you can see the percentage of voters for each song.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/12/entertainment/best-love-songs-2000s-valentines-day-feat/index.html

The best love songs of this millennium

By Brandon Griggs, CNN

Updated 1659 GMT (0059 HKT) February 14, 2016

(CNN)What makes a great love song?

Moral Licensing--"洪蘭／道德執照：有運動，大口吃甜品？"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/1496004

洪蘭／道德執照：有運動，大口吃甜品？

2016-02-12 01:17 聯合報 洪蘭

歲末家族聚餐時，有糖尿病的堂妹大口的吃我們福州最有名的芋泥，我正在猶豫要不要勸阻她時，她媽媽開口了，「甜的不可吃那麼多。」堂妹說：「媽，不要緊的，我今天有運動。」小嬸狐疑的說：「今天有運動跟你吃甜品有什麼關係？」

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Storyline Online--a Good Reading Resource

http://www.storylineonline.net/

This website offers 30 stories, with the shortest story running 5 minutes and the longest one 16.5. Each story is read aloud, with illustrations and the subtitiles option.

 

Trip to Yehliu with the Lee Family

With my mom.

Time: 10:30am~3:15pm, Feb. 13, 2016

Place: Yehliu

Last year when I took a four-day trip in the States with my sister, on the tour bus, two ladies from mainland China who sat next to us told us the Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan did not quite attract them. Then I asked them to name their favorite scenic spot(s) in Taiwan. Not to my surprise, they answered, "Yehliu and Taroko Gorge."

Today George and I took my mom, my brother, and my niece to Yehliu.

Family Trip

Have Fun During the Chinese New Year Vacation_"舒國治／過年與過癮"--from UDN

Today is the fourth day of the Chinese New Year, or the fifth day of the Chinese New Year vacation. There are still four days to go before students go back to school and people from all walks of life get back to work next Monday. This UDN article offers good advice on how to spend the vacation. It can also be applied to students' summer and winter vacation.

http://udn.com/news/story/7340/1495172

舒國治／過年與過癮

2016-02-09 12:08 聯合報 名人堂／舒國治

過年，是一段長假期，不少人都想過：到底該怎麼利用它？

一般言，越是期待用這段長假來做自己想了很久的一件願望，越是透露你的生活過得相當不錯。

A Short Stay at the Northeastern Coast

Today is the third day of the Chinese New Year. After paying a visit to my sister-in-law in the hospital at noon, George and I took my mom-in-law to the northeastern coast. I suggested going to Yehliu, but when we got near there, it was already around 4:30. Afraid we were too late to get in, we decided to just stayed at the coast for a while, watching the sea, before heading to a seafood restaurant.

All-English Class--"1周1全英語課 國際志工大家搶"--from UDN

http://udn.com/news/story/6885/1490773

1周1全英語課 國際志工大家搶

2016-02-06 14:10 聯合報 記者鄭惠仁／台南報導

市長賴清德要求下學期起國中小每周要有1堂全英文課程，許多學校都為此傷腦筋。不過，安平國中因引入國際志工，每周1節自修課，都是全英語的國際文化課程，羨煞許多學校，也想申請國際志工到校。

My comments: When I taught at NHSH, I used to invite my American friend Konraad to each of my classes when they were in their second or third year. Students really enjoyed having conversation with a native speaker of English.

擺脫無聊課文，五個有趣英文閱讀網站推薦

An English learning resource recommended by an FB group. The website provides not only the link to the five reading websites but also a brief description of each.

http://blog.blink.com.tw/2016/02/01/%e6%93%ba%e8%84%ab%e7%84%a1%e8%81%8a%e8%aa%b2%e6%96%87%ef%bc%8c%e4%ba%94%e5%80%8b%e6%9c%89%e8%b6%a3%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e9%96%b1%e8%ae%80%e7%b6%b2%e7%ab%99%e6%8e%a8%e8%96%a6/

擺脫無聊課文，五個有趣英文閱讀網站推薦

Great Soul, Heroic Deeds--"熬過921 70歲特搜嬤想救所有人"--from UDN

A touching true story.

http://udn.com/news/story/9450/1494354-%E7%86%AC%E9%81%8E921-70%E6%AD%B2%E7%89%B9%E6%90%9C%E5%AC%A4%E6%83%B3%E6%95%91%E6%89%80%E6%9C%89%E4%BA%BA

熬過921 70歲特搜嬤想救所有人

2016-02-08 07:48 聯合報 記者鄭宏斌／台南報導

抱著救出的三歲女童，來自南投特搜隊的「阿嬤」隊員林美霞一路狂奔，只為爭取時間挽救這條小生命；七十歲的她是九二一受災戶，「因為走過，更知道痛」。

要救到不能救為止

林美霞是全台最高齡的女性特搜隊員；十七年前的九二一大地震，家住埔里的她，家園全毀，讓她一心想成為特搜隊員，「要救人救到不能救為止」。

Happy Chinese New Year!

Taiwan earthquake_News Report by BBC & CNN

This morning, when checking my LINE messages after getting up, I was shocked by the news that a disastrous earthquake hit Taiwan around 3:57 this early morning. I was so deep in sleep that I didn't feel anything. Knowing many people in Tainan are suffering from the impact of the earthquake right before the Chinese New Year's Eve, I prayed for them and would like to help.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35511884

Taiwan earthquake: Rescuers in frantic search for missing

Rescuers are searching the rubble of a high-rise residential building in southern Taiwan after an earthquake that killed at least 14 people.

Some 30 people are still missing from the 17-storey block, one of several buildings that collapsed in Tainan city when the magnitude 6.4 quake struck.

Greenpeace

The lady's name is Tze-hui Lee. We were strangers until I stopped to listen to her this morning. It was a coincidence that we both were wearing something green.

This morning, on my way to Nanmen Market to do food shopping, a lady came up to me and asked if I could spare three minutes for her. Since I'm not in a rush, I stopped. That choice led me to an understanding of what Greenpeace is doing for our environment. In fact, I knew at the first minute that Ms. Lee was going to convince me to help with some campaign. And I was convinced and agreed to donate money to Greenpeace every month because I agree with its cause.

Do Not Let the Cellphone Cell You--"別讓手機毀了春節"

In the title, I use the word "cell" as a verb, which means putting someone in a cell like a prisoner. Though this usage of the word cannot be found in the dictionary now, I believe one day it will be listed as an entry.

http://udn.com/news/story/7339/1486553-%E5%88%A5%E8%AE%93%E6%89%8B%E6%A9%9F%E6%AF%80%E4%BA%86%E6%98%A5%E7%AF%80

別讓手機毀了春節

2016-02-04 01:22 聯合報 黃丙喜／台灣科技大學管研所教授（台北市）

近日遊戲電玩展人潮擠爆，預期春節期間，許多人將沉迷於手機、電玩、臉書等互聯網路的情況。大家不能忽視春節期間這種病態症候群，約制一下自己過度使用互聯網的習性。

My comments: What about putting your cellphone away for a whole day during the Chinese New Year and embracing nature?

The Road Taken--My Essay for TFG Online Publication

Late last year, my sister in San Jose invited me to write an essay for TFGHAA-NC, for which she is an editor. In a sense, she forced me to because she didn't give me a chance to decline her request.

In the essay, I recalled the six crossroads in my life and how I made the decisions. An idea coming from Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken.

Good Website: English Grammar & Vocabulary from British Council

http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary

English Grammar & Vocabulary

"In this section you can watch videos and do exercises to help you improve your English grammar and vocabulary."

Nice Gathering

Time: 12:30pm~2:40pm

Place: Waffogato (瓦法奇朵), Neihu, Taipei

Last Friday via LINE, Hao-tang, a student who graduated from NHSH in 2012, suggested a gathering. It seems to have become a ritual for us to meet every half a year. In fact, when proposing the get-together, he said today would be the only day during winter vacation when he was available. He asked if he could bring his girlfriend. Surely, I answered. I'm happy to meet my students' friends. This was the second time I saw his girlfriend.

At today's meet-up, each of them told me what they are planning to do in the coming year. Looking at their young face and listening to them talk about what courses they are going to take, I missed all those days when I went to school. What fun it is to learn!