English-at-home.com members – help save the planet!
December 8th, 2009Climate change experts are warning us that time is running out. The world is getting hotter, and more and more people are at risk of extreme weather conditions, and losing their homes and livelihoods. What can we all do to cut our energy use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help save the planet? Every little counts, so here are my "resolutions" to become more energy-efficient and reduce my carbon footprint.
I promise to
- replace all the lightbulbs in my house with the new low-energy ones
- use saucepan lids when I cook to save gas
- walk or cycle to the local shop rather than driving (this is a hard one for me – the shop is a good 20 min uphill cycle away!)
What can you promise to do?
(PS: If you need ideas, click this link to the 10:10 climate change campaign.
Let's learn English together
December 2nd, 2009Help Behnam and friends reach the magic target of 5000 posts in the penpals forum. Click here to join this thread and take part in their discussions. You can read the entire thread from start to finish, or just join it from the last page. Scroll down to the bottom of the first page and click on the latest page – which is currently page 448.
So, get yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee, and settle down to some great reading. We've had everything in this thread: jokes, virtual world travel, the differences between men and women, west and east, the importance of love and friendship…
Happy reading!
How important is English to you?
November 21st, 2009Do you need English for your job, or because you live in an English-speaking country, for example? Do you use English to stay in touch with friends around the world on Facebook or Twitter, or do you only use English at school or at work?
An English ghost story
October 30th, 2009How do you feel about helping me to write a scary ghost story? I can start it off, but then anyone can join in and write the next few sentences. All you need to do is to read what was written before, then carry on the story!
Here's the beginning.
… It was a dark and stormy night. Outside the wind was blowing through the branches of the old oak tree, making a "whoo.hoo" sound. Inside I was drinking a cup of hot chocolate in front of a warm, log fire. I was just about to get up to close the curtains when I heard a loud knock on the door…
Do you use an English coursebook?
October 22nd, 2009Are you studying English with a coursebook? Which one do you use, and what do you think about it?
What are your favourite English songs?
October 12th, 2009Is there an English song you like listening to? Do you know all the words to it, and can you sing along, or do you have to replace some parts with "la-la-la-la"?
Do you dream in English?
October 4th, 2009Experts say that dreaming is our brain's way of ordering the day's events. So if you've been studying English during the day, do you ever dream at night in English? Can you have conversations in your dreams where you / others speak English confidently or without mistakes? Are your conversations simple or complex?
Develop your English vocabulary – describe your country
September 28th, 2009There are many things I love about England. People are generally kind, thoughtful and polite; London is exciting. multi-cultural and great for shopping; and the countryside is beautiful – occasionally dramatic but often soothing.
If you had to describe your country in three words or phrases, how would you do it? Feel free to use any combination of adjectives, nouns or verbs – unleash your English vocabulary here!
Checking words in English
September 20th, 2009I think reading iin English is a great way to improve vocabulary and writing skills. But it can be very frustrating to have to keep looking in a dictionary because you don't understand all the words. Of course, you don't always need to know every word, and often you can guess the meaning of the word from the context, but it's sometimes difficult to know what word you need to look up, and what word you can "ignore".
What do you do when you read? Do you look up every word, or only those you're sure are important to understand?
Learning English in five minutes a day
September 10th, 2009There's a lot you can do to learn English, even if you only have a few minutes a day.
Here are five ideas to get you started:
- watch TV or a youtube video for five minutes a day
- listen to a podcast, internet radio, or a new song in English
- read a page (or two) of a book you particularly like. Make a note of three new words / phrases and find out their meaning from a good dictionary
- review the vocabulary you learnt last week. Do you still remember the words? Have you heard or seen them used in the last week?
- post a message on the HelpMe! forum (if you have a question) or on the Penpals forum, if you want to make contact with someone else learning English.
What else can you do to learn or use English in five minutes a day?
