A short farewell message to my 3BA and 2MA students

You may have seen a lot of David Tennant in my classes, and here is another opportunity. David has a positive message to all of us, though it's not without some reservations. So, take care, and don't just trust your luck. It needs some help from YOU!

Study tips!

Hello to newcomers, hello to those of you who have survived the exam session and are back with us for more! ;)

I would like to begin this semester by wishing you a lot of success and satisfaction on your journey through the language studies you have undertaken. To get you safely on the way, I would like to remind you of a few important things you need to do to make the most of your studies.

So here it is, The Complete Study Guide Infographic!

(It's too big to fit into the blog post, so just click above to open the whole thing, and navigate from top to bottom.)

What do you think? Is this good advice? Would you like to add some more? Would you mind sharing your thoughts in the comments? Thanks! :)

Tuesday, June 20 World Refugee Day 2017

Food for thought:

The New York Times's 15-Second Vocabulary Video Contest

I've come across this very creative educational project run by the NYT today. The idea is for students to make 15-second videos which present/explain/define meanings of words listed in the NYT's Word of the Day archive. Students submit their videos and once a year winners are announced. Unfortunately IFRom students cannot take part in the official contest because of the age limit (16-19), but why not make your own videos just for fun? Instead of the NYT word bank you could use some words which have come up in our course and have caught your attention for some reason. Give it a try! :)

Here are the NYT's rules for the original contest.

And here are this year's winners. Some of them are really impressive!

Writing to be read

A very useful piece of advice on how to make your writing more attractive for your readers. It applies to any language, so don't forget it when writing your theses, essays and other academic assignments.

"This sentence has five words."

I love coming back to this every so often. It somehow forces my neurons to connect with fiercer flare. pic.twitter.com/FkTQxSL8d6

— Stuart Rutherford (@doodlewhale) 20 lutego 2017

I hate goodbyes!

Dear 2MA and 3BA students,

Thank you for your blogs, your hard work, and your good vibes. Best of luck! :) 

I've decided to send you off with a song. It is performed by Joseph, a very young band of three sisters from Portland, Oregon. I love the way their voices sound together in harmony, their high energy and authenticity. I have chosen this song for you because of its message: "Burn the White Flag" - meaning: gather your strength and don't give up, don't let anybody tell you what to do. I think it's a pretty good message to take with you. I hope you like the song, too :) (Here is the Spotify link for their latest album)

And here is another one, just a beautiful, sweet song:

My favourite Christmas song (not a carol though) ;)

I hope your Christmas is as sweet as Tim wants it to be, though I don't expect "the white wine in the sun" to be part of it. To make sense of this line you need to know that Tim Minchin, one of the most brilliant and witty people on the planet, is from Australia, where it's the middle of summer now. Do you fancy Christmas in summer? Then Australia IS the place for you! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!