“I think it's so foolish for people to want to be happy. Happy is so momentary--you're happy for an instant and then you start thinking again. Interest is the most important thing in life; happiness is temporary, but interest is continuous.” ― Georgia O'Keeffe
Hace mucho tiempo no nos escribimos
Blog updates succumbed to summer ennui this year, but there's nothing like refreshing time away from the U.S. to get the words flowing again. It's remarkable what a reliable metro system with occupants who know how to act in public will do for my overall humor. I'm writing this from the patio of my hotel... Continue Reading →
The trouble with books …
The next time your students ask if they can rely on books for their research, you can tell them this: Book publishers don’t normally fact-check books. They’ll run sensitive material by lawyers, but otherwise it’s on authors to make sure their work is accurate. Generally, this works out fine. Sometimes, it does not. When books... Continue Reading →
Duolingo Announces its French Podcast
I love the Spanish language podcast, so this should be a welcome addition for French students. https://instagram.com/p/By2wsb7Bc9l/
Looks like I'll be adding some additions to my Mexican handicraft collection after all this year.
Shift the onus to them
This is a great article on classroom management: Why shouldn’t students feel entitled? You’ve relieved them of responsibility. Think about it. You assess by legislative fiat, document attendance, lord over technology, interact with students 24-7 via email or text, keep students on track via Blackboard or Canvas, treat students as customers, are blamed for grade... Continue Reading →
Some people have bad hair days; I have bad technology days. This morning, the OneNote app on my phone stopped syncing with my work account (most likely due to the hyper-vigilant Internet security protocols at my workplace--a problem our IT department perennialy insists on deflecting to faculty). Otherwise, I'm still recuperating from TESOL proposals, which... Continue Reading →
An informal introduction to American allophonic variation
This makes for a narrative introduction to the North American pronunciation of the intervocalic /ɾ/. she also touches on the difference between the Spanish and English varieties. As I began hearing Beto's name said by a variety of acquaintances and the national media, I noticed that often the pronunciation sounded just slightly off.Read more: What's... Continue Reading →
There’s a reason the English call it a “full stop”
I made this observation at a writing-group session a couple of years ago, so I was happy to find my linguistic intuition supported with research. I used to have friends I texted several times a day, and I noticed that subtle changes such as this communicate even more with someone you text on a daily... Continue Reading →
Is anything more glorious than blossoming Jacaranda and roses bathed in the warm hues of magic hour?
