English Stew: English 11/12

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

English 11/12

On Friday, we will have a vocabulary quiz with these words: lather (n,v), mutilated (v), feigned (v), faction (n), obliged (adj,v), astray (adv), conscientious (adj), excursion (n), rejuvenate (v), glistening (adj), ineradicable (adj), scarlet (adj), and avenger (n). Please start reading Water for Elephants. You should average 15 pages a day. We will have our first literature circle next Thursday.

Why English Stew?

Why call this blog English Stew? Well, I've always thought that the English language is very much like a stew - thick, hearty, and satisfying! Its ingredients are a mixture of all the other languages and cultures with which it has come into contact over the past 1500 years: from the invading Germanic and Scandinavian tribes to the Norman French conquerors to more far-flung groups met during the age of exploration and colonization. Used by over a billion people every day, it is the international language of commerce. English is also vast - a truly global dish with one of the most extensive vocabularies of all the world's languages. It is estimated that over 25,000 new words are added each year (that's about 70 a day). The power and popularity of our language stems from this dynamism and flexibility. No bite is ever the same!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

English 11/12

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