Make a PBwiki as easily as a peanut butter sandwich



What is a wiki? It is a collaborative web site, where many people can submit and edit ideas.
Who can use a wiki? Anyone! It is an especially helpful tool for students and teachers. CEC teachers use a wiki to share ideas for class. Students can create a class wiki, use a wiki to post comments about a class or to upload and share writing assignments. Anyone who has the password to the wiki can edit it or add new material to it, including photos, files, and links.

Check out the PBwiki tour! It takes seconds to set up and is easy to use.

English Readers: A Good Way to Get Started Reading in English!

Cambridge English Readers is a series of books intended for a diverse range of levels and English students. The titles below are the ones we have available at the CEC library.

Cambridge English Readers
The Double Bass Mystery by Jeremey Harmer, Level 2
The Ironing Man by Colin Campbell, Level 3
Nothing But the Truth by George Kershaw, Level 4
Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremy Harmer, Level 6

If you are unsure what level you should read, take the online placement test. You can also download a worksheet to check your comprehension.

Other readers we have:
The Man With No Name by Evelyn Davies, Elementary
The Cleverest Person in the World by Norman Whitney, Elementary
A Marriage of Convenience and Other Stories by W. Somerset Maugham, Intermediate
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Intermediate

You can check out these books at the CEC library Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and 15:00 to 17:30. The library is located at Veintimilla y 6 de diciembre, next to the Tienda Rossa. You can also call the librarian, Isabel, at 254-4666. You must have a picture ID and be a currently enrolled student to check books out.

Do You Like Crosswords?

There are a number of crossword puzzles on the internet that you can use to learn new vocabulary and test your knowledge.

The BBC has a crossword puzzle for English language learners. Be warned, however, that it is a bit difficult!

Another one using VOA special English words. Some include picture hints, also.

Or - our favorite - check out the list of crossword puzzles at this web site. This one includes puzzles for all levels, including Beginners!

Keep a journal of the new words you learn. Practice using one new word a day.

Web site review

Look at esldepot's extensive collection of activities for practicing and improving your English. Post a comment about your favorite activity!

Starting an English Club

Practice your English in a real-life setting!
Make new friends!
Start an English club!

The setting can be casual, the frequency determined by the members. Having an English club should be stress-free, so meet when you can.

Englishclub.com has some great suggestions about how to start an English club. It includes advice on where the club should meet, who should join, how often the club should get together, and even ideas of things to do! It suggests ways to get native English speaker involved in your club, and has links to games to play or topics to discuss.

Have fun with English! Start a club!

(Visit Englishclub.com for more fun ways to practice your English, from improving your skills (like listening and reading), to seeing cartoons in English.

Become Better at Listening

Practice your listening skills at Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab. You can find listening activities for all levels here, on a variety of topics. Each dialog also has activities to check your comprehension!

Letter Writing - A Vanishing Art Form

Do you use e-mail or "snail mail"? The last time I wrote a "real" letter was... well, a long time ago.
Does anyone write letters anymore?

Sometimes it is unavoidable, especially when corresponding formally to a university, job, or authority. But while e-mail is often informal and immediate, "snail mail" must be written a bit more formally. Before you go to the post office, look at the phrases below to be sure that you are using the correct degree of formality (or informality) in your next letter.

Formal
Thank you for your letter of (date) concerning...
I am writing to inquire about...
I am writing to inform you that...
I am pleased to inform you that...
I regret to inform you that...
I hope this information has been of use.
Please give my regards to (name of person).
Thank you for all you have done.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Informal
Thank you for your letter about...
I'm writing to ask about...
I'm writing to say that...
I'm pleased to say...
I'm sorry to tell you that...
I hope this has been useful. / I hope this helps.
Regards to (name of person).
Thanks for all your help.
Hope to hear from you soon.

Note that formality often depends on the verbs used, and that more formal language does not use contractions.

Taken from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, study pages.

Spring Soup: Fanesca

The Easter holiday is upon us here in Ecuador, and we wouldn't be celebrating the holiday correctly if we didn't include a recipe for the traditional Fanesca dish Ecuadorians enjoy at this time of the year.

The dish is rich but delicious. It is made of twelve grains (representing the twelve disciples) and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, small empanadas, and fried sweet plantains. Dried cod (bacalao) is added, due to the tradition of not eating red meat during the week preceding Easter Sunday (Semana Santa, or Holy Week). The soup stock is made of squash and milk, which gives it a creamy consistency. For some, it is an aquired taste, and recipes may vary from house to house and city to city. (Some families add cabbage, for instance, while others say that "true" Fanesca doens't contain cabbage.) After eating the dish (and seconds or thirds), Ecuadorians will often eat molo (mashed potatoes on a bed of lettuce leaves) and arroz con leche (rice pudding) or dulce de higos (sweet figs in heavy syrup) for dessert. Due to the amount of food, it is reminiscent of U.S. Thanksgiving.

Interested in trying some? Here are a few recipes to try: recipehound's version (contains rice!), epicurean.com's recipe (rice and peanuts), and a recipe in Spanish (closest to the Fanesca I've tried). Post your comments and tell us what you thought!

Funny Signs

Private school:
NO TRESPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Cocktail lounge, Norway:
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

Zoo, Hungary:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Resaurant, Nairobi:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

River highway:
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

Poster:
ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO, WE CAN HELP.

Restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, AND WEEKENDS TOO.

Automatic hand dryer in public lavatory:
DO NOT ACTIVATE WITH WET HANDS.

Maternity ward:
NO CHILDREN ALLOWED.

Hotel brochure, Italy:
THIS HOTEL IS RENOWNED FOR ITS PEACE AND SOLITUDE. IN FACT, CROWDS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FLOCK HERE TO ENJOY ITS SOLITUDE.

Airline, Copenhagen:
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

Post a comment! Which sign did you like best? Which one didn't you understand? Have you seen any funny signs in English in your country?

Listen or Hear?

Listen up! I have something important to say.
Can you hear me? Should I speak louder?
Are you listening to the teacher or working on something else?

What exactly is the difference between listen and hear? Why can’t you say “Can you listen me?” or “Are you hearing the teacher?” Unfortunately, in English these two verbs are not the same.

listen – If you deliberately try to hear something, use listen.

Listen! There’s that strange noise again.
I was listening to music when the phone rang.
I love listening to my teacher – he is an amazing speaker.

hear – If you receive or become aware of a sound, use hear.

Do you hear that noise?
Suddenly, I heard a scream come from inside the room.

Practice:

Complete the sentences below with hear or listen.

1. Do you _____________ that? The baby’s crying again.

2. _____________! Can you _____________ a car engine?

3. Yesterday I _____________ that you are moving to Beijing next month. Is it true?

4. She _____________ to what the doctor said, but didn’t take his advice.

5. A. “Are you _____________? I’m speaking to you!”

B: “I’m trying to, but I can’t _____________ you! Talk louder.”

Note: You listen to something or someone.

Now check your answers:

1. hear

2. Listen / hear

3. heard

4. listened

5. listening / hear