Armin's blog

  Estimates suggest that inaequate eating habits amount for a number of chronic diseases among children. Markets are filled with low-cost, chemical-packed foods that offer a quick solution to quell hunger and raise mood, compromising children’s well-being. But parents and schools could help children eat healthy. One solution is for parents to set examples and control their children's diet. Because parents are usually role models for their young, not only would their correct eating behaviour remind of eating norms, but it would also compel children to follow suit. Also, parents could ensure availability of diverse home-cooked foods, so that children would always have something nutritious to snack on instead of resorting to a packet of potato chips or a candy stick. And with some discipline, parents could effectively instil healthy habits in children, because the latter are, for the most part of the day, under parents' constant supervision. But family is not the only influence....

 English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centered approach  by  Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters Summary of Insights Since I mainly teach one-to-one classes, I try to adapt them to my students’ individual needs. While most of the learners I deal with are English teachers (such a blessing, isn’t it?), some have different jobs: medical workers, IT specialists, etc. To address the language needs of this latter category, I became curious about teaching English for specific purposes, ESP. My task was to effectively combine a conventional course book with specialized materials. So the book I studied is called English for Specific Purposes: A learning-centered approach by Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters. Below I give a summary of my findings.   The book advocates a learning-centered approach. This means that an ESP syllabus has its main target to enhance eagerness to learn. Refrain from using too specialized texts in case a student finds them boring. On the other hand, us...

 CAE Writing Task Choose two points to discuss. State which one out of the two is better. In your class you discussed how children learn best: doing things listening or reading seeing and looking at things. For the past decades experts on pedagogy have been trying to find better and more effective ways of teaching youngsters. Through trial and error we have reached the stage where we have a more or less clear picture of what works best. While the implications of modern teaching are not clear-cut, I believe that doing and seeing things produce best results. It is true that children can be easily triggered by visual stimuli.  Dynamic animations draw their attention to fictional imagery, giving rise to the abundance of educational cartoons. Books with fancy illustrations make maths and history more comprehensible than plain, black and white drawings scantily insterted on  every -teenth page. Visual materials are so much fun they set brains in motion. But this exp...

We are all unique in our ways. While our ancestors might have employed primitive behaviour, today we have the luxury to make choices from a myriad of options in all aspects of life. Thanks to this, we now have more complex personality traits. Flexibility Have you ever had difficulty persuading someone to consider an option? If yes, you might have dealt with a rigid person. Sticklers for dated beliefs, they frown upon new ideas and possibilities. Open-minded people, in contrast, tend to explore new ideas and rise to challenges. They make tremendous business people, ready to address issues instantaneously and change their paradigms if needed. At the extreme end are those who go overboard with making changes. No matter how engaged they are in an activity, they quickly lose interest and get sidetracked. This raises the issue of mental health. Mental Balance You are sure to recognize them. They never seem to lose their temper. ‘How on earth do you ever manage to keep a cool head when things...

  Friends, I am taking a speed-learning course which has significantly transformed my perception of memorizing things. And I am so eager to share some of my insights with you. The point is that by using mnemonics you can really gauge your memory and learn faster and more effectively. According to Google, 𝗺𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Employing imagery is a pivotal part in remembering words and concepts. Unfortunately, modern teaching methods fail to give this due importance. However, once you come to grips with this method, you will learn things faster and better. Say, you want to learn some phrases, for example, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 - to learn something in order to be able to repeat it from memory, rather than in order to understand it; ‘зубрить’ in Russian (www.dictionary.cambridge.org) So, ‘rote’ so...

Speaking Questions Learning Languages H: stands for a higher-level answer and L: means a lower-level answer. What is the most interesting aspect of learning English? H: As I see it, both learning the systems of a language and honing your skills are compelling. However, with this in mind, it is the tangible sense of advancement in English that I take most pleasure in. L: For me, learning the English vocabulary is the most exciting part. It’s amazing, for example, to learn the origins of words and idioms and find out that some words collocate while others don’t. Why is English important? H: The first reason is that across-the-board global communication and business transactions are carried out in English. Besides, English is used in areas frequented by tourists. Therefore, a great number of people are eager to acquire the necessary language skills in order to familiarize themselves with other cultures. L: In my opinion that’s because you usually need to know English in orde...

 Cambridge Tests B1 and above   Speaking Part 1 Sample Answers In Cambridge tests: speaking and writing parts, you are asked to perform several communicative functions. Below I have typed sample answers to speaking part 1 questions. The functional language is typed in bold. H: stands for a higher-level answer, whereas L: means lower lever. Talking about likes and dislikes Do you like your job? Why? H: Absolutely. I work as an English tutor and I get satisfaction from helping others to achieve their study goals. Also, my work entails lifelong learning and self-development from my part, which I find particularly beneficial. L: Yes. I work as a shop assistant in a clothes shop and I really enjoy talking to people and helping them to buy things. What was your favourite subject at school? What did you like most about it? H: I remember being keen on music. Our teacher was talented and gave us an insight into the complexity of subtle tunes in the classical genr...