enjoyingenglish

2007-9-30 17:25:40 阅读86 评论0 302007/09 Sept30

Our aim is to make comprehensive and varied learning experiences

free and accessible to young people and teachers of English as a

second language, throughout China and around the world, in a way

that is interesting, vibrant and entertaining; that it may enhance their

educational and career opportunities.

Alan Cooper

1st October, 2007

About Me

I was born in January, 1949 on the eve of the Chinese Spring Festival, in Hastings, England. It is a small seaside fishing town and holiday resort on the south coast of England.

Brought up with my sister in a small village 80km south-east of London, my mother looked after our home, and my father was a primary school teacher. Life in the countryside provided rich and varied experiences, which have influenced me to this day.

In Bexhill-on-sea, a neighbouring seaside resort, I was educated at a Technical and Grammar school, I moved to Newton Park College, Bath and Bristol University from 1968 - 1972, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Education and Teaching Diploma, with distinction. I also obtained qualifications in Secondary School Management and a Diploma in Special Education, amongst other things.

My early career was concentrated in the West of England, mostly in Comprehensive education, (the equivalent of middle school education in China). However, I also taught adult students at The City of Bath Technical College, which is now part of Bath University.

Between 1974 - 1978, I was an examiner for the South West Examinations Board. At the same time, I was asked to set up and present courses for a nation-wide Adult Literacy Programme, in co-operation with the Government and BBC, as there were, and probably still are, a significant number of adults in England & Wales who were unable to read and write properly.

Throughout my career, I have worked on a number of projects for radio and television, both in the UK and China. My one outstanding ambition is to produce a VCD in China to help young people with English, that they may achieve their future dreams.

The purpose of this blog , and future website , is to help and encourage Chinese students and Chinese Teachers of English (CTE's) cope with the problems of learning to speak or teach natural English.

The information it contains has been selected by an experienced team of people, and relates to the difficulties students and CTE's face, dealing with English as a second language. There are also other related topics which, I hope, will be of general interest. I hope that you find it useful and enjoy browsing it's pages.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome through the help-line contact address; e-mail enjoyingenglishinchina@yahoo.co.uk

Answers will appear on the blog . Your . Confidentiality is assured. Nothing which identifies you as an individual will be published.

The Game of Life is a great and rewarding experience, through good times and bad. So, who knows what lies ahead? For me, working with students and teachers in China is...

'always a pleasure, never a chore'.

Alan Cooper.

Name: Wang Bo

Position: Manager Enjoying English Group

Wang Bo: b.1983 Henan Province, graduated from a college in Shijiazhuang with qualifications in Business, Economics and Trade. As well as being a partner in Red Dragon International Partnership, he is continuing full-time education through to June 2009.

Don't be fooled by his apparent youthfulness; like his predecessors, he is multi-talented, extremely hard-working and a visionary. His primary responsibility is the management of the Enjoying English Group.

I am immensely proud that we will be working together with the 2008 Olympic Volunteers Programme during the forth-coming Olympics and Paralympics.

作者 | 2007-9-30 17:25:40 | 阅读(86) |评论(0) | 阅读全文>>

[置顶] Great News!

2008-8-24 19:07:36 阅读36 评论1 242008/08 Aug24

NEWS UPDATE:

News Update: 14.09.08. A great deal of work has been achieved over the summer months both in the UK and China.

This Blog is now an Archive for material removed from our new website:

www.enjoyingenglish2008.org

Sponsorship

We are inviting sponsorship from international companies, corporations and organisations who have an interest in making information available and free to students, and who may be connected in any way with students everyday lives.

For information - e-mail: eeaction@rocketmail.com or visit www.enjoyingenglish2008.org , particularly the pages ABOUT US and RED DRAGON

Invitations to potential sponsors in Media & News groups worldwide, have already been sent. This will be followed with approaches to the Banking sector, manufacturers of Sportswear, and specialists in electrical goods such as Mobile phones and Computers. About 250 companies will be targeted. We expect a positive response from between 13% and 20% during 2008 - 2009.

If all goes well with sponsorship, and negotiations with the Ministry of Education of the Chinese Government, we hope to be able to make our first awards, outlined on the Red Dragon page, before the Spring Festival early in 2009. That would be a tremendous achievement and a satisfying reward to all involved.

We would like to thank those who have supported us over the past two years, and hope that you will continue to visit us at the new site. We hope that it will be bigger and better than ever.

Alan Cooper & Wang Bo.

Enjoying English Limited.

2008.08.25.

Great News! Our new website is up and running!!

www.enjoyingenglish2008.org

We are pleased to announce that our new website is now operative, although there is still a great deal of material relevant to students and teachers which is prepared, being checked and will be inserted shortly.

At present, we have more than 30 pages of information, which we hope will appeal and be of interest to visitors to our site. As well as features about Education, Job Hunting, writing letters of application and the preparation of resumes / c.v.'s, etc., you will find other items.

English topics, of course - as that is what this website is all about, but others of cultural historical and general interest. Of particular interest are two pages of websites, which have been checked for their suitability and content. They are; 'WWW' - World Wide Webs, containing websites of a general nature, and 'EdWebs' - an expansive selection of addresses specifically related to Education, The Internet and Search Engines.

In time, the number of pages will increase to 70, covering an enormous range of topics of interest and relevance to students and teachers. Please take your time to look at it, and get in touch with us by e-mail, because it is feedback from you which helps us to develop the site.

http://enjoyingenglish.blog.163,com The Blogs will carry on, but their function will change.

Information relevant to students and other things will be published on the website in the future.

Enjoying English Limited is now a registered company in the UK. You will be able to find additional information of our activities, intentions and ways to support us, on the 'Red Dragon' and 'Contact Us' pages.

Thank yopu for your support and patience over recent months. We hope to hear from you soon.

Regards

Alan Cooper & Wang Bo

作者 | 2008-8-24 19:07:36 | 阅读(36) |评论(1) | 阅读全文>>

[置顶] Good News-New Blog & Website

2008-7-19 2:32:43 阅读43 评论0 192008/07 July19

Good News Update: 2008.07.06.

We promised last time to give information about strategies after graduation or moving from senior middle school to college or university. There are also important new developments with the Enjoying English Blog.

I am still in England and will remain so until at least the end of August. It is possible that I will be in other parts of Europe for some of the time during the summer. Updates will still appear on the blog, but new features will be limited.

Moving on: there is little that I can add to things already discussed under 'Jobs' and other related headings already on the Blog.

Take particular notice of information in the press, particularly, '21st Century'. Search information using websites under our own 'World Wide Webs' section, and on the Internet.

Important New Developments.

We are establishing a new blog: http://internationdragon.blog.163.com

The new Blog is primarily of interest to sponsors, people wishing to make donations and companies who wish to advertise. It will enable us to continue with our intention of promoting the largest source of, and access to information for students, in the world.

New website: www.enjoyingenglish.org

We hope to have a new website: www.enjoyingenglish.org in place and fully updated by 1st September, 2008, in time for students returning for the new school year. It will contain information which is currently available on the Blog and regularly up-dated features, articles and information relevant to students everyday lives.

The Helpline: e-mail - eehelpline@yahoo.com will still be in operation and expanded. We hope to have representatives and contributors from Provinces and SAR's throughout China. That can only be achieved with your help and co-operation.

The Blog, http://enjoyingenglishinfo.blog.163.com will become an Archive of stored material from the website. More about developments shortly.

New on the Blog this week. - London Terminal 5 under Environment

- Rings On Her Fingers see Funny Old World

- The Real Indiana Jones - Arts & Music

- Nell Gynn - English History

- Strange Stories from English History Pt 4

- Enjoying English - Problems Solved Pt 4 (Final)

- Children In Poverty - new section UK Today

- Superfoods Pt 1

- Pictures Roger Hill - Arts & Music

Alan Cooper & Wang Bo.

作者 | 2008-7-19 2:32:43 | 阅读(43) |评论(0) | 阅读全文>>

[置顶] ee Logo & Trade Mark

2008-7-19 2:26:23 阅读40 评论0 192008/07 July19

enjoying english

作者 | 2008-7-19 2:26:23 | 阅读(40) |评论(0) | 阅读全文>>

[置顶] News!

2007-9-30 17:24:52 阅读50 评论0 302007/09 Sept30

Environment

2008-7-19 2:19:14 阅读23 评论0 192008/07 July19

London Heathrow Terminal 5.

from BAA - British Aviation Authority. London. 2008.06.17.

No one can have escaped news of the chaos earlier this year when London Airport's Terminal 5 opened. Fortunately, things have sorted themselves out now.

Students have asked, 'How much energy is generated by solar panels on the roof of Terminal 5?' A spokesperson from the British Aviation Authority has given the following information.

'There are no solar panels on the roof of Terminal 5, but there is an array of energy saving mechanisms. Low energy lights are used throughout Terminal 5, and the amount of artificial lighting used can be altered in relation to available daylight.'

'Light sensors, movement detectors and timers automatically dim or switch off lighting.'

'Terminal 5 has the largest rain-water harvesting scheme in Europe, and this supplies Terminal 5 with 70% of its non-drinkable water requirements.

Waste heat from a combined heat and power unit provide Terminal 5 with its prime source of heat, reducing gas consumption by 85%, and reducing carbon emissions by 11,000 tonnes per annum. Low flush toilets throughout the terminal use as little as 4 litres of water. And 30,000 square metres of glazing (windows) has reduced the terminal's dependency on artificial lighting.

作者 | 2008-7-19 2:19:14 | 阅读(23) |评论(0) | 阅读全文>>

Indiana Jones is Back

2008-7-19 2:16:36 阅读28 评论0 192008/07 July19

The Real Indiana Jones - Frederick Mitchell-Hedges. (1882 - 1959)

Frederick Mitchell-Hedges was a wealthy, traveler and explorer whose character and appearance are remarkably similar to that of Harrison Ford's portrayal of Indiana Jones. He is central to legends surrounding the mysteries of the crystal skull, discovered in the 1920's by his adopted daughter, Anna who died in 2007 aged 100.

The man was renown for discoveries and excavations in central America during his lifetime, although there are doubts as to whether his accounts are actually accurate, or have been enhanced with more than a little imagination. In English, we call it 'poetic license', which really means that writers are permitted to ignore or alter facts to make their stories more interesting and exciting.

Nevertheless, his life was an interesting and exciting real-life adventure. When she was celebrating her 17th birthday, Anna is said to have 'discovered' the Crystal Skull, reputed to be 3,000 years old, hidden beneath some earthworks in what is now Belize in Central America.

Between 730 - 860AD the city of Lubaantun, whose meaning is 'place of falling stones', was part of the Mayan Empire of the Aztecs, and part of Mexico. It is one of 13 life-sized similar skulls carved from pure quartz and smokey quartz, which are found around the world. Another is in the British Museum in London.

The Mayan Indians of central and south America, including the Aztecs and Incas, both of whom were conquered and more or less wiped out by the Spanish Conquerors in the 15th century, were well known for their art, pottery and sculptures, many of which had important religious significance. They worshiped the Sun, to which they made human sacrifice.

Many of their remaining artifacts are similar crystal skulls, but much smaller, only a few centimetres high. Others are tiny, like beads which we associate with necklaces today. Anna's discovery, although unearthed in the 1920's, was not mentioned in her father's writings until more than 20 years later. There is speculation that the skull was actually bought at an auction at Sotherbys in London in 1943.

Scientists believe the larger skulls to be forgeries made in the 19th century by German craftsmen. It is known that they are carved from Brazilian quartz, the type of which is unknown in central America. They cannot be dated by radio-carbon methods as they don't contain material or elements which which can be dated by such means.

The region has been excavated and researched over many years. In 1903 an American named Thomas Gann used dynamite to excavate Mayan ruins, rather than the more gentle processes of scraping away at remains using a trowel and brush. He discovered the corner-stones of an ancient court where a game was played, similar to basketball, where two players played against each other to score points by putting the ball through a hoop. Sadly but gloriously, the loser was sacrificed to the Gods. He was spread-eagled and held down over a sacrificial stone. His heart was ripped out and still pumping, held high towards the Sun. His head was hacked off; the skull stored in temple vaults and the remains of his body, buried. Gripping stuff!

Frederick Mitchell-Hedges named his daughters find, 'The Skull of Doom'. How much of his discoveries is still a matter of raging debate, but no-one can say that he wasn't an adventurous and interesting man.

You'll find more on his official website: www.mitchell-hedges,com or search Google under 'Frederick Mitchell-Hedges' , for related articles and information.

2008.06.25.

作者 | 2008-7-19 2:16:36 | 阅读(28) |评论(0) | 阅读全文>>

Enjoying English - Problems Solved.

2008-6-19 10:13:38 阅读30 评论0 192008/06 June19

Enjoying English - Problems Solved.

Part 3 Confusing Words.

Extracts from 'Enjoying English - Problems Solved by Alan Cooper.

People teaching or studying English as a foreign language face a number of difficulties relating to words, their spelling and matters relating to pronunciation. They are often not only confusing, but downright baffling, which means that they make absolutely no logical sense at all. There is, however, a perfectly logical reason for the differences. It is a direct result of our history and the evolution of English as a language over 3 - 5,000 years. That in itself is a problem because we don't have records of how the early English of the Celts was spoken, although Welsh is a direct descendant of the Celtish languages, as is Cornish in south west England and Gaelic in Scotland and the north western Isles.

The Celts inhabited the islands which are now the UK, three to five thousand years ago. The Orkney and Shetland Islands in the far north of the British Isles, contain some of the most complete iron age settlements in the world.

About 2,500 years ago, the Romans from Italy invaded, driving the Celts westward into Wales and north to Scotland. The Romans brought them Latin. Other later invaders from what is Germany, Denmark and Holland, brought Germanic languages with them during the 5th 9th centuries. They were followed by the Normans from northern France in 1066. Later, other languages, parts of languages, phrases and words were absorbed into English during the period of the Great British Empire from the 16th - 19th. This included Asiatic languages from India, South East Asia and China.

The result was the development of English as an enigmatic and complex language made up from a mixture of other languages. The Empire has long since vanished, but the legacy of language remains in regional differences and dialects This is not unlike the situation in China.

Mandarin is the official language in China's press and media. In parts of the south, Cantonese is commonly used, which is often not understood by people in the north. Even 50km west of the city where I live, in villages in the foothills of the mountains, people speak local dialects which I cannot understand. Even the way Numbers are spoken is completely different.

Like time itself, languages evolve, constantly undergoing change. The 'f***' word for example, now considered a bad or offensive expletive, has it's origins 1,500 years in Europe. It meant, 'to make love'. Similarly, but much more recently, 'to be gay' meant to be happy. Now it refers to intimate relations between members of the same sex.

There are differences too, in the way English is spoken in different parts of the world. I am often asked, 'What is the difference between British and American English?' For example, the luggage space in the rear of a car is called 'a boot' It is written and pronounced the same as the word 'boot' which is a strong type of shoe. In the US it is called 'a trunk'.

In the United States, trousers are called 'pants'. In British English 'pants' refer to underwear or shorts, which in the US are called 'trunks'. Only experience and practice becoming familiar with the language will help you overcome such problems.

Now consider this; what is the difference between British English and English as it is spoken in Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean or South Africa? They all have their own accents, dialects, pronunciations and specialized words.

In England we have 'pavements' - the area beside a street where people walk. In the USA they are called 'side-walks'. In Roman times, 'pavements' were the areas between courtyards; recreational areas which were closed to traffic. Roads and streets were also called pavements if they were paved, i.e., covered with stone slabs or bricks.

The dictionary definition of 'slab' is 'chunk' or 'hunk', - a slab of cake in the UK is referred to a 'piece of cake', however, the idiom 'a piece of cake' means a job or task which is easy. E.g., the examination was a piece of cake.' A slice or lump is sometimes called 'a brick', but the expression,'You're a brick!' means that you are a good bloke, or a dependable man.

An excellent example of word usage is found if you look at the root word 'court'. Look it up in a good dictionary and see how many different meanings the word has depending on it's usage.

A good example to summarise the things I have been discussing can be found in language differences between northern England and Scotland, which is only 250 kilometers or so farther north. In Yorkshire, northern England, the word 'bairn' means a small child. In Scotland the word looks the same and is pronounced the same, but the meaning is completely different - a bairn is a small stream.

I have discussed words which look the same, but their pronunciation and meaning are different depending on the way they are used. One of my favourite examples is:

There is no time like the present to present the present.

The word in question is 'present'. It means: There is no time like now to give the gift.

Got it? Good!

English is a wonderful, if not confusing language, due to it's diversity. We have seen that, unlike many languages, we have words which mean more or less the same thing. Take; road, street, crescent, cul-de-sac (from French meaning a road which is blocked at one end), track and so on.

We have words with similar pronunciation but different meanings; and words which look the same and have different pronunciations. Adding pre-fixes to the beginning of words can also alter the meaning of a word - national means of the nation or relating to one country. If you add 'inter' at the beginning of the word, making 'international' , the subject relates to many countries. You will find lists of prefixes and suffixes, with examples, in a good dictionary.

So, there is a great deal of diversity and many complications in the English language. Simply 'learning the differences' is a long and tedious process, but there are ways to lighten the task and make it easier. They are often inexpensive and things which you can do in your spare time.

Next time - Solving Problems.

作者 | 2008-6-19 10:13:38 | 阅读(30) |评论(0) | 阅读全文>>