|
|
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
- There are many dragon tales, myths and legends all over the world. But while in the west and Europe a dragon is a fire-breathing beast that hunts innocent people for dinner, the Chinese dragon is associated with quite the opposite - it repels the evil spirits and brings wealth and good luck.
-
- The Chinese Year of Dragon is here, so why not spend some class time on this mysterious creature and talk about its differences and similarities across the cultures? As ESL instructors, we can help clear up the confusion between the western and Oriental dragons and point out their different appearances and behaviors.
-
- Ask students to form small groups and talk about the following questions:
-
- 1. Do dragons have a positive or negative connotation in your culture?
2. How does a dragon look? Does it have wings/a tail/a mane/horns/whiskers/claws/fangs/scaly skin? How many heads/legs does it have?
3. Does it have features of other animals (e.g.: scales of fish)?
4. What color is it?
5. Where does it live (in the forest/caves/sea)?
6. Are dragons protectors or villains? What’s their nature (bad-tempered, evil, brutal, bloodthirsty; kind, wise, spiritual)
7. Are people afraid of dragons? Do they respect and worship them?
8. What supernatural powers does it possess? Can it change sizes? Form clouds? Change water into fire? Glow in the dark?
9. Is a dragon considered immortal?
10. What does a dragon stand for (violence, aggression, cruelty, destruction, greed; harmony, power, wealth, auspiciousness, benevolence, good fortune, controlling the forces of nature, abundance, leadership, long life)?
11. Dragons have long been a national emblem of China. Why might this image hurt the positive image of China?
12. Tell a fable/legend/story from your culture that involves a dragon.
Take notes on the board and have students summarize the differences. Wrap up with 2 opinion questions:-
- - With so many differences between the western and Asian dragons, should the Asian dragon be translated into English in a different way? (should it just keep its Chinese name)? Is it lost in translation?
- Why might a dragon be a monster of miscommunication?
POSTED BY Olga Galperin AT 10:56 PM
1 Comments
Add Comment
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Friday, December 09, 2011
- It’s this time of the year - winter holiday season - when many of us make New Year resolutions. We promise to get rid of the negative things affecting our lives (smoking, debts, etc.) and adopt positive lifestyle changes. Weight loss and commitment to changes in the diet and exercise habits are usually the most common on the list.
- While ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ (different people view beauty in different ways), many people agree that excessive weight and mature skin might be quite unflattering.
-
- Look at the expressions and their definitions below. Don’t you think these common problems have funny names? Why are they associated with these particular animals or objects?
-
- crow’s feet - wrinkles at the outer corner of the eyes
-
- spider veins - blood vessels that are visible at the surface of the skin
-
- bat wings - flabby arms
-
- raccoon eyes - dark circles around the eyes
-
- turkey neck - excess skin sagging and drooping down from the lower part of the neck
-
- love handles - layers of fat on each side of the stomach or lower back
-
- spare tire - layers of fat around the stomach (resembling a car tire)
muffin top - fat in the midsection that spills over the waistline when wearing pants
-
- Do you have any nicknames for these problematic body zones in your language?
POSTED BY Olga Galperin AT 11:36 PM
1 Comments
Add Comment
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vocabulary Learning Tips for ESL students
Words are the first priority in learning a second language. Make a grammar mistake – people may still understand you, choose a wrong word...
read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sound Natural 
Words, quite literally say it all.
They are the core elements of any language – the basic units of conversation, communication and connection with others.
read more...
|
|
|
|