What is English Profile?

"English Profile" is for teachers of English but some students may be interested, too.

The Impact of Climate Change on Australia

The ABC has produced an excellent five-part series on the expected impact of climate change on different parts of Australia.

The first topic in the series is rising seas: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-14/how-will-rising-seas-impact-australia/4460688

The next topics are:

Part 2: What effect will climate change have on agriculture and food production? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-15/climate-change-will-force-farmers-to-adapt-csiro-says/4464506

Part 3: What effect will climate change have on health in the Pacific? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-16/humans-to-feel-heat-of-warmer-future/4466276

Part 4: How will climate change affect biodiversity and ecosystems? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-17/global-warming-to-threaten-australian-wildlife/4468026

Part 5: How will climate change affect Australia's oceans and reefs? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-18/warming-to-put-oceans-and-reefs-in-hot-water/4470104

Following the series is highly recommended for learning about the important issue of climate change and the language needed for spoken or written discussion of this very "hot" (!!) topic.

Announcement: Short Introductory Video Added to EnglishTeachingLive Website

My website, http://www.englishteachinglive.com, now has a short introductory video. Please go to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ge_HGDS3ib0

for a few words about learning with me online.

Extraordinary Dust Storm Hits Coast of Australia

Many people have been noticing strange and unusual weather patterns around the word.

Earlier this week a massive dust storm called a "haboob" collided with the Australian coast.

"The storm stemmed from a surge of high winds over the ocean that stirred up dust and carried it huge distances." (globalpost.com)

"A haboob (Arabic: هَبوب‎ "blasting/drafting") is a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current. Haboobs occur regularly in arid regions throughout the world." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haboob

More amazing photographs and information here:

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/science/130110/australia-dust-storm-smashes-small-town-near-coast

Free Tool: Make a Website "Speak"

"Select & Speak" is a free extension for Google Chrome. You can select text on a website and the tool will convert it to speech.

There's a choice of 43 different voices and accents and you can change the speed of the speaking.

Give it a try!

Learn English with Australian Radio and Television

All of us should maximise our ability to understand English of many varieties and spoken in a range of different accents.

If you're preparing for the IELTS test or planning to study or live in Australia, exposure to Australian English is particularly important.

ABC Australia Radio and Television offer great resources for language learners.

Please check these pages and explore:

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/tv

Also recommended are:

http://australianetwork.com/learningenglish/

http://www.sbs.com.au/radio/

Avaguddaaaaay! (That's Australian for "Have a good day!")

Is virtual travel the way of the future?

"According to the UN World Tourism Organization, a record one billion people will have travelled abroad for leisure by the end of this year. While Europe remains the most visited region, Asia's tourism industry is the fastest growing.

But the human traffic can cause extensive damage to fragile sites, increasing wear and tear through erosion and light exposure."

For this reason, in future years more of us may make virtual visits to sites of historic, cultural or natural importance.

One example of the success of such 3D technology is the recreation of the Mogau Grottoes of Dunhuang, an oasis on the ancient Silk Road in China's Gobi Desert.

"A flickering torch offers a tantalising glimpse of the exquisite murals painted by Buddhist monks some 1,400 years ago. And then suddenly, the cavern is ablaze with light, its beauty fully revealed in dazzling colour and extraordinary detail."

These virtual recreations not only help preserve the original sites but also offer visitors the opportunity to see and experience far more.

" "You wouldn't be able to see any of this in the real cave because light exposure is so damaging," says Jeffrey Shaw, director of Alive, the Applied Laboratory for Interactive Visualization and Embodiment at the City University of Hong Kong."

Read more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20802947

What's your opinion?

Can visits to digitised representations replace travel to "the real thing"? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Learning Suggestion:

Re-read the article and underline/highlight useful words related to (1) Travel and (2) Technology.

Add these words to your vocabulary notebook.

How important are spelling and grammar mistakes?

Here's an amusing cartoon about writing a blog from Grammarly.com:

Most of us will have noticed that, especially on the internet, even very minor errors in spelling or grammar can attract a great deal of criticism! At times, this criticism seems greatly out of proportion to the "sin" committed by the writer.

So, what's your view on the importance of spelling and grammar mistakes in writing? Are they important or not? Why or why not?

Fun Game for Apostrophe Practice

Do you have difficulty with correct use of apostrophes?

(An apostrophe is the punctuation mark we use in "isn't", "you're", "the student's pen" and so on).

I recommend this really fun and challenging game from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en29punc-game-beat-the-clock-apostrophes

Enjoy!

Top Twenty Literary Quote Tattoos

Do you like tattoos? Do you have one or would you consider getting one?

Why do you think some people like to get tattooed?

Here are some interesting tattoos using quotations from English literature:


http://www.flavorwire.com/354261/the-best-literary-quotes-ever-tattooed

The quotation in the image below is from the "Harry Potter" series.

Image from flavorwire.com

What will schools of the future look like?

What does the school of the future look like?

"Teachers seem to agree that "the school of the future will have no walls, be highly tech-infused, and available to more people than ever before".

http://edudemic.com/2012/12/what-schools-will-look-like-in-the-year-2020/


Do you agree? What would the advantages and disadvantages of these developments be?

Christmas Grammar Joke: What do you call Santa's elves?

Get it :) ?

Image from grammarly.com

Experience of Italian Exchange Student in USA: Reading with Questions and Answers

Have you ever lived or studied in another country? Are you hoping or planning to do so?

Luisa, an Italian student, spent one semester studying in the USA.

Read the interesting account of her experience at:

http://nineronline.com/2012/italian-exchange-student-makes-a-queen-city-comeback/


Now see if you can answer these questions (answers below):

1. What did Luisa find different about her classes in the USA (three main points)?

2. How did Luisa cope with being far from her family and friends?

3. What are three lifestyle differences Luisa observed?

4. What main difference between American and Italian food did Luisa note?

Answers:

1. The classes were smaller (about 30 students), the relationship between teachers and students was more personal and participation in class is important.

2. Luisa used technology (such as Skype and Facebook) to communicate with family and friends.

3. Italian students usually live with their families, Italians have fewer house parties than Americans, Italians like to walk around the streets and go to bars, Italians appreciate the "small things" in life, Italians don't like to rush, Italians like to spend time with family, Italians like to dress stylishly. (Any three answers).

4. Americans have much frozen food while Italians eat more fresh foods.