Your homework: Cambridge Latin Course online activities. Your defence against Lingua Latina, and your guard against that withering stare.
Anyway, you don't have to look far for a heckload of resources.
Ladies, I want you to make your own animations. In Latin.
Really, it's endless out there. Non sum pisces.
Saturday 6 October 2012
Monday 12 March 2012
English
This week you'll be surrounded by native speakers of your mother tongue, and your first language, English.
You may hear subtle difference between those people who speak English as a first language or a second language. Two speakers who converse with English as a second language might not pick up as many.
Listen carefully to the varieties of sound you hear spoken to you and around you. What differences can you hear? Accent? Pronunciation of particular words? The choice of words? Grammar? Do you hear people switch, as they talk, between English and another language?
It's useful for us to have the language so widely spoken, but does that contribute to us being monolingual? Most people in the world are multilingual.
What are your thoughts on English as a global language?
You may hear subtle difference between those people who speak English as a first language or a second language. Two speakers who converse with English as a second language might not pick up as many.
Listen carefully to the varieties of sound you hear spoken to you and around you. What differences can you hear? Accent? Pronunciation of particular words? The choice of words? Grammar? Do you hear people switch, as they talk, between English and another language?
It's useful for us to have the language so widely spoken, but does that contribute to us being monolingual? Most people in the world are multilingual.
What are your thoughts on English as a global language?
Monday 5 March 2012
Girl/boy talk
Listen around you this week. Listen to boy-boy talk; girl-boy talk; girl-girl talk.
Listen not for the content, but for the following: interruptions (accepted or declined?); back channel noises (supportive or not?); voice pitch (sounds high or low?).
After listening, would you say that males and females talk in the same ways, or different?
Listen not for the content, but for the following: interruptions (accepted or declined?); back channel noises (supportive or not?); voice pitch (sounds high or low?).
After listening, would you say that males and females talk in the same ways, or different?
Monday 27 February 2012
Shona
Find out where the Shona language is spoken. Look on a map to check the location of countries in Africa.
So, learn some words in Shona! Can you find poshi, piri, tatu, na, shanu, tanhatu... zana?
Zimbabwe Kid has put out many videos to help you speak Shona. He'd like to teach you some basic courtesies. Can you say thank you?
And the Shona language in song.
So, learn some words in Shona! Can you find poshi, piri, tatu, na, shanu, tanhatu... zana?
Zimbabwe Kid has put out many videos to help you speak Shona. He'd like to teach you some basic courtesies. Can you say thank you?
And the Shona language in song.
Monday 20 February 2012
Afrikaans
Find out something about Afrikaans.
Listen to a few words here.
And listen to Steve Hofmeyr, popular singer in Afrikaans.
Feel the shape your lips and tongue have to make to form some Afrikaans sounds. Then ask papa about fricative, plosives, and nasal stops.
Some words sound familiar, as if they share a history with English. What do you think? And what about the spread of Afrikaans around the world? Would you consider it a worldwide language?
Listen to a few words here.
And listen to Steve Hofmeyr, popular singer in Afrikaans.
Feel the shape your lips and tongue have to make to form some Afrikaans sounds. Then ask papa about fricative, plosives, and nasal stops.
Some words sound familiar, as if they share a history with English. What do you think? And what about the spread of Afrikaans around the world? Would you consider it a worldwide language?
Monday 13 February 2012
Idioms
Who asked, What's an idiom?
It's a commonly used expression that you shouldn't take literally; it's usually short, but the speaker may expect it to convey a great deal. A person can use this quick way to suggest circumstance, emotion, reaction, or indicate their attitude to another person or event.
People who are learning English as a Second Language probably find idiomatic expressions great fun. Go to Learn English Idioms on Youtube and see what sense you can make from them!
Invent one too. Then see if you can introduce it into your home ed group.
It's a commonly used expression that you shouldn't take literally; it's usually short, but the speaker may expect it to convey a great deal. A person can use this quick way to suggest circumstance, emotion, reaction, or indicate their attitude to another person or event.
People who are learning English as a Second Language probably find idiomatic expressions great fun. Go to Learn English Idioms on Youtube and see what sense you can make from them!
Invent one too. Then see if you can introduce it into your home ed group.
Saturday 4 February 2012
Tagalog
Tagalog is one of many languages spoken in the Philippines. Learn one or two phrases before you go!
I don't speak Tagalog: Hindi ako nag-sas-alita ng Tagalog
Find out how to say:
Please repeat
Excuse me
I'm sorry
Thank you
Watch these videos to help: Tagalog 101 and Be polite in Tagalog.
I don't speak Tagalog: Hindi ako nag-sas-alita ng Tagalog
Find out how to say:
Please repeat
Excuse me
I'm sorry
Thank you
Watch these videos to help: Tagalog 101 and Be polite in Tagalog.
Monday 30 January 2012
Romansch
Visit Peas in a Pod this week for an excellent guided tour around Switzerland, Austria and Liechenstein.
Learn some Romansch by clicking on the video. (Shall we count yodelling, too?)
Thank you Peas in a Pod!
Learn some Romansch by clicking on the video. (Shall we count yodelling, too?)
Thank you Peas in a Pod!
Monday 23 January 2012
Accent and dialect
Visit this British Library site and click around to read information on accents and dialects. Let's talk about the variations we hear.
I grew up in a community that encouraged me to think of local accents as socially inferior, and that the best thing to do with a Nott'mshire way of talking was to drop it, as quick as possible. If you wanted to impress anyone out of your clan you should never greet them with ey up me duck.
RP, on the other hand, was presented as the most desirable or aspirational sound that automatically was associated with higher social class, prestige, power, and the right to rule.
I think the social hold RP might have had in our culture has declined over the last decades. Now I hear people readily refer to local accents as if they are precious and lovely sounds to hear.
What do you think?
(I laughed, but he misses out East Anglia.)
I grew up in a community that encouraged me to think of local accents as socially inferior, and that the best thing to do with a Nott'mshire way of talking was to drop it, as quick as possible. If you wanted to impress anyone out of your clan you should never greet them with ey up me duck.
RP, on the other hand, was presented as the most desirable or aspirational sound that automatically was associated with higher social class, prestige, power, and the right to rule.
I think the social hold RP might have had in our culture has declined over the last decades. Now I hear people readily refer to local accents as if they are precious and lovely sounds to hear.
What do you think?
(I laughed, but he misses out East Anglia.)
Monday 16 January 2012
British Sign Language
Learn basic phrases here on Youtube; question words; the alphabet.
Can you learn how to say hello and sign your name?
Can you learn how to say hello and sign your name?
Monday 9 January 2012
Hindi
Interesting findings...
1. Hindi is related to English.
2. Proto Indo European was an 'ancestral language group' devised in the 18thC to try and explain the similarities found between English and Hindi.
3. Words in English from Hindi origin listed on Wiki. Which ones do you already know?
4. Find out where the 'Hindi belt' is. Ask your father.
5. It's political. Modern Hindi was created as a national language after Indian independence (1947). But many people in India don't speak it, and there have been active campaigns in the South against its imposition.
6. The mixing of English and Hindi has given rise to Hinglish. (Linguists seem to like naming those.)
Listen to the Hindi alphabet on Youtube.
Visit this site and scroll around; it has some interesting links. I particularly liked this reminder of how absurd can be reality.
Find something from the site that helps you find out about Hindi or India, and share it with me.
Has anyone found out how to say hello?
1. Hindi is related to English.
2. Proto Indo European was an 'ancestral language group' devised in the 18thC to try and explain the similarities found between English and Hindi.
3. Words in English from Hindi origin listed on Wiki. Which ones do you already know?
4. Find out where the 'Hindi belt' is. Ask your father.
5. It's political. Modern Hindi was created as a national language after Indian independence (1947). But many people in India don't speak it, and there have been active campaigns in the South against its imposition.
6. The mixing of English and Hindi has given rise to Hinglish. (Linguists seem to like naming those.)
Listen to the Hindi alphabet on Youtube.
Visit this site and scroll around; it has some interesting links. I particularly liked this reminder of how absurd can be reality.
Find something from the site that helps you find out about Hindi or India, and share it with me.
Has anyone found out how to say hello?
Monday 2 January 2012
Latvian
A great excuse to find out about Latvia. Like we brave home educators need any excuse to find out about anything.
Okay, the recipes didn't wow me, apart from fruit and cream on rye bread.
But you can still find out where it is, discover something to tell papa about the Latvian language, and learn how to say hello. Download the BBC Quick fix language files, listen, and have a go.
Okay, the recipes didn't wow me, apart from fruit and cream on rye bread.
But you can still find out where it is, discover something to tell papa about the Latvian language, and learn how to say hello. Download the BBC Quick fix language files, listen, and have a go.
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