Halloween 2017

Labor School Students,

Halloween is approaching and to celebrate it at LaborEnglishZone we give you again a very interesting post on the origins of this holiday.

Have a nice Halloween and enjoy the post!

Daylight Saving Time Autumn 2017

Daylight saving time (DST)—also summer time in several countries, in British English, and European official terminology—is the practice of advancing clocks so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn.

How many English speakers use the twelve tenses when speaking daily?

How many English speakers use the twelve tenses when speaking daily?

(Reblogged from Quora)

Pamila Jo Florea, psychotherapist, university ESL professor, answers:

Yes we really do. I'll explain how I became an ESL Professor. By the time I am done, you will have experienced all 12 tenses. Plus, I have always enjoyed a challenge. Here goes! Btw, I am using my phone, so forgive me if I make a typo.

Anyway, I've been teaching English for a lot of years. I was between jobs in 2006 and took a class on how to teach English. I hadn't thought about teaching before that class. I just liked it and stayed with it… In fact, by the time I finish this semester, I will have been teaching for about 10 years.

During the course, I had some doubts. I was wondering if I was up to it because I was older than the other students. Now ten years later, I will be getting a second masters (in education) here in Korea! Originally, I had been thinking of going back to the USA and back into psych, but I decided to stay in this field.

Yes we really do (simple present). I'll explain (simple future) how I became (simple past) an ESL Professor. By the time I am done, you will have experienced(future perfect) all 12 tenses. Plus, I have always (pres perf) enjoyed a challenge. Here goes! Btw, I am using (present progressive) my phone, so forgive me if I make a typo.

Anyway, I've been teaching (pres perf prog) English for a lot of years. I was between jobs and took a class on how to teach English. I hadn't thought (past perfect) about teaching before that class. I just stayed with it… In fact, by the time I finish this semester, I will have been teaching (future perf prog) for 10 years I think.

During the course, I had some doubts. I was wondering (past prog) if I was up to it because I was older han the other students. Now ten years later, I will be getting (future prog) a second masters (in education) here in Korea! Originally, I had been thinking (past perf prog) of going back to the USA and back into psych, but I have decided to stay in this field.

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.

Autumn 2017

Picture by Cuchuflette

(Reblogged from La Letra 15)

Autumn (or Fall in American English) is traditionally the third season of the year. It is time for leaves to fall and time for ocher, sienna, orange and reddish colours to flood the landscape. Autumn also means we are back to school and for many, just as at New Year's time, it is the beginning of new cycle, new plans and new resolutions:quit smoking, trying to study a foreign language, start working out in a gym...

Sky turns orange across UK

(Reblogged from CNN)

Sky turns orange across UK

(by Judith Vonberg and Brandon Miller)

The sky turned orange across parts of the UK on Monday as dust and smoke from fires in southern Europe swept north.

The reddish tint was a side effect of the remnants of Hurricane Ophelia and the wildfires that have been raging across Portugal and northwest Spain since Friday.

The Privilege Walk

The typical classroom version of this activity involves between 10-40 participants. Throughout the privilege walk, some statements are read by the facilitator and the participants are asked to take a step forward or backward based on their responses. This activity forces participants to confront the ways in which society privileges some individuals over others. It is designed to get participants to reflect on the different areas in their lives where they have privilege as well as the areas where they don't.

(Full video transcription at the end of this post)

«Un palo tártaro», por Herminio Huerta

Hace unas semanas, en un restaurante de cierto postín, el maître me sugirió como especialidad muy recomendable de la casa el "estik tartar" (así lo pronunció). Al responder yo que se trataría de un "esteik", pues estik significa palo, insistió con gesto contrariado espetándome que, para mi información por si yo no estaba familiarizado con el término, se trataba de carne cruda con variados aliños. Lo dejé por imposible -como dicen los gauchos: hay caballo que nunca coge trote- y pedí el famoso steak, que, por cierto, no estaba nada mal a pesar de que la carne había sido picada con una máquina y no cortada finamente a cuchillo como mandan los cánones y como lo hacen en The Forge en Miami, probablemente donde se come el mejor steak tartare del mundo.

How Spanish got its ñ - the story behind that "n with a tilde"

The history of an ordinary Latin mark that turned into an extraordinary Spanish letter. This is how espannol became español!

Back in medieval Spain, scribes were putting the Latin alphabet on parchment to hand stories and information down to us in their manuscripts. One of their unique, rare manuscripts tells the story of El Cid. But if you look at this manuscript, you'll see that the script is a bit... strange.

Get close enough to the pergamino (parchment) to see all the little squiggles. In Latin, that squiggle is a "titulus". In Spanish, the word "titulus" evolved into "tilde".

Let's follow just one of those squiggles to learn its story. It's the story of a routine little mark that became one of the world's most recognizable letters.

~ CREDITS & SOURCES ~

Art, narration and animation by Josh from NativLang. Some of the music, too (intro piano, ending, light guitar in the middle, Thoth's Pill bit and "Upbeat Thoughts").

Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Arid Foothills, Path of the Goblin King v2, Angevin B, The Show Must Be Go

Sneaky Snooper by Jason Shaw (audionautix.com).

Upbeat Thoughts (soundcloud.com/Botmasher).

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.