English Stew: English 11

Thursday, September 6, 2018

English 11

Tonight, answer the seven questions at the end of "Hills Like White Elephants" to the best of your ability. Do not worry about being wrong. This is an exercise in understanding challenging, interpretive literature. Do not discuss your answers with anyone tonight, and do not look up answers online--doing either would be worse than answering the questions incorrectly. We'll discuss the story tomorrow.

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!

Thursday, September 6, 2018

English 11

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