English Stew: English 11

Here are links to the videos we saw in class today:

Benjamin Zander TedTalk video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LCwI5iErE

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot (this is not the exact video, but it's good)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgI8bta-7aw

Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOW1gVW2S5w

Northwest Passage by Stan's son, Nathan Rogers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnjyaWcti3U

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!

English Stew

Thursday, June 6, 2013

English 11

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