English in Spain

MyProfe YouTube Channel

2010-06-21T07:06:00.004+01:00

I'm very excited about my new video channel in YouTube where learning English will be fun and where you will discover many things about the life of MyProfe. Each episode will include a lesson video where I will explain and give you ways to practice the vocabulary, structures, grammar etc. contained in the episode. Enjoy the videos!

Profesora de inglés no habla inglés en clase

2009-11-08T10:56:00.001+01:00

Ayer me encontré con Daniel, de ocho años, y su padre en el parque donde suelen practicar skate los fines de semana. El padre me saludó con un "Hello" y le contesté con "English class in the park". Nos pusimos a hablar en inglés del fracaso del sistema educativo en España en cuanto a la enseñanza de idomas. En ese momento pregunté a Daniel, do you have English class in school? Y me contestó, yes, pero la profesora no nos habla en inglés. Solo nos pregunta, cómo se dice en inglés esto o cómo se dice ventana, cosas así. Lo único que dice en inglés es page 32.

Resulta que Daniel está en tercero y el año pasado tuvo la suerte de tener una profesora que les hablaba en inglés. Por eso le extrañaba mucho que la profesora de este curso no les hablara en inglés. Después de varios días de clase Daniel no podía aguantar más y le preguntó por qué no les hablaba en inglés y ella le contestó que ya hablaría en inglés.

La Niña de Ayer

2009-10-05T16:57:00.001+01:00

Muy de vez en cuando me encuentro con una oportunidad como la de "la niña de ayer". Puedo hacer mil fotos en "West Park" cada domingo y como mucho me quedo con un 5%. Y eso sí, después de recortarlas y editarlas. Y, con mucha suerte, entre esas mil fotos hay una muy buena, "a winner". Ayer, cuando esa niña venía hacia mí rodando tumbada encima de la tabla, chocando con el borde y muerta de sueño de tanto jugar, y se paró a unos metros de mí, ya sabía que me acababa de regalar la oportunidad que siempre estoy buscando. La foto estaba hecha. Solo tenía que disparar.

English Class in English - Teaching Second Languages in the Spanish Education System

2009-10-02T08:58:00.000+01:00

A few days ago I went to the home of a 10-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister to give them a 90 minute English class. In the end, the class lasted almost 2 hours and we all enjoyed it.

A few days later the mother of the children told me that her son was very surprised by the fact that I had conducted the entire class in English.

It's unbelievable that so many children in Spain are still being taught English in Spanish, which is the primary reason why very few Spaniards finish their education and begin their professional careers with a decent level of English.

Spanish people don't understand English but they think they do!!

2009-10-01T10:14:00.003+01:00

According to Richard Vaughan, Spanish people have a big problem. They don't understand English but they think they do. Spaniards only understand 30% of what they hear. Listen as Mr. Vaughan reprimands Sara, a girl from Venezuela, on his radio program.

Correction is not Enough

2009-09-21T15:57:00.001+01:00

Correcting students' mistakes is perhaps the most important responsibility of a language teacher. Getting students to stop making mistakes should be every language teacher's ultimate goal. That's why I've written and continue to write these audio exercises.

http://www.myprofe.com/wiki/index.php?title=Audio_Exercises

Posterous

2009-06-18T10:51:00.001+01:00

I've started using Posterous.com to post messages in various social networks by sending a single email. This is convenient and time saving. With a simple email from my Blackberry I can post to a variety of social networks without having to install those applications on my phone.

Posted via email from myprofe's posterous

Linking Sounds

2009-03-11T13:27:00.000+01:00

Native English speakers link words together by connecting sounds. The more words you manage to group together the more natural your English will sound and the harder it will be for people to detect your mother tongue. When a word ends in a consonant sound and is followed by a word beginning with a vowel sound, the consonant moves to the beginning of the second word. If we have two similar sounding consonants we pronounce them as a single consonant. Adjacent vowel sounds are joined with a 'y', as in 'I am', or a 'w', as in 'you are'. Recognizing these linked words will help you understand native speakers more easily. And, conversely, if you link words when you talk, native speakers will understand you better. Finally, dividing whole sentences into phrases or thought groups will make it easier to understand those who we repeatedly accuse of speaking too fast.

Connecting the Classroom

2009-01-18T09:13:00.003+01:00

Computers and the internet are connecting classrooms to the real world at an ever accelerating pace, eliminating books and fundamentally changing the role of the teacher. Learning is no longer limited to the content of your books, the knowledge of your teacher or the size of the local library, but to your own imagination and desire to learn. After 25 years as an ESL teacher I can't imagine now, giving class without my laptop. Working with video and audio of current events, aside from being entertaining, exposes students to words, expressions and accents that they would most likely never hear from me. Recording students and letting them listen to themselves provide an opportunity to work on pronunciation while improving confidence in public speaking. As for the business world, the fact that your teacher is available 24/7 means that you can get that document or email proofread before sending it off.

Logical

2008-11-09T17:14:00.002+01:00

For a long time, I had falsely assumed that the common mistakes that every Spanish speaker makes when speaking English resulted from their inability to disconnect from their mother tongue when learning and communicating in the second language. But I've recently discovered another type of mistake, which has nothing to do with one's first language. It comes from trying to apply logic to the English language. If the opposite of popular is unpopular and pleasant changes to unpleasant , why can't we say that someone is unpolite? The past of peak is peaked and the past of leak is leaked. So what's the problem with saying speaked? If we say yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon and yesterday evening then why don't we say yesterday night? If I like to play then I enjoy to play, right? If what I'm saying makes sense to you then I can conclude that you're understanding, right?

Announcing WikiProfe!

2008-10-07T12:39:00.002+01:00

The latest addition to MyProfe is WikiProfe! Now, it will be easier and faster to get the information you're looking for no matter where it is located on MyProfe website. Don't take my word for it. Go and take a look for yourself.
http://www.myprofe.com/wiki

I can't live without my....

2008-04-12T06:36:00.001+01:00

During the last few years, accept for my cell phone and mp3 player, I have been pretty much on the fence with respect to all those portable computer and communications gadgets. I never got a laptop, a PDA, a pocket PC or a GPS navigator. So when I started giving classes to my new client, Research in Motion, it was pretty obvious what was gonna happen next. These are the people who make the Blackberry cell phones. It took them less than two weeks to convince me that I needed one of their phones to organise my life and, I have to admit, they were right! Now I don't have to look for a computer to check my email. It comes directly to my phone. I can store all my music, audio and text files. It has a nice camera for those unexpected photo opportunities. It has voice recognition and hands free so that I can talk while I'm driving and GPS for when I get lost. As far as I can tell, I have everything I could possibly need, from my calendar and agenda to my flickr pictures, all in my pocket!

Basics

2008-04-11T19:41:00.001+01:00

Language teaching, more than any other subject, provides an unlimited choice of subject matter, methods and materials. It is perhaps the only classroom where a discussion of the weather or the latest news would not be considered unprofessional or irresponsible. And therein lies the danger, both on the part of the student and of the teacher, of losing sight of the objectives of the class. The teacher, first and foremost, has to make sure that the students are called upon to use all four language skills at some point during each class. The teacher must take to the class on a regular basis a variety of reading and listening materials to avoid that the students become accustomed to and therefore limited to the teacher's voice and way of speaking. The students, on the other hand, must filter what is presented in each class and take what is useful for them.

Video Language Class

2008-01-27T14:36:00.000+01:00

The portable cassette player had an important impact on the traditional language class back in the early 70’s. This invention made it possible, for the first time, to bring voices other than that of the teacher into the classroom. Exposure to a wide variety of accents is the best way to prepare students for the real world of English speakers. Not long after the introduction of the cassette player, came the videocassette recorder or VCR, which was also incorporated into the language class but to a lesser degree and, some would argue, with less success. Over the years, the quality and capacity of these recording devices have improved greatly and are now considered an integral part of any language class. However, the challenge of how best to use these devices is the same today as it was in the days of the cassette player. Simply watching the film is not enough.

Less Bad

2007-12-10T19:30:00.000+01:00

People feel good when they smoke fewer cigarettes, eat less junk food and drive cars that release fewer toxic fumes into our atmosphere. Everywhere you go you see people, companies, factories, governments and entire countries trying to live, act and conduct business in supposedly better ways.

But what are we so happy about? Since when is less of a bad thing good? Less bad is not a double negative. Killing fewer whales is not good. Building a factory that releases less toxic waste into the environment is not good. Making bombs that kill fewer people is not good. All of these things are bad. Instead of doing bad things less often we should be looking for ways to do good things.

So, let’s stop fooling ourselves into thinking that less selfish is generous, less fat is thin and less violence on children’s TV is good. Less bad is still bad.

The Ultimate Challenge

2007-11-25T23:25:00.000+01:00

Conducting business in a foreign language that you are not fluent in is challenging to say the least. Nevertheless, the benefits of doing business on an international scale far outweigh the occasional problems caused by inaccurate and confusing communication. Some will argue that these communications go better in face-to-face meetings while others prefer written correspondence. However, everyone agrees that the most difficult form of communication is the phone, with the poor sound quality of hands free devices making things considerably worse. If, on top of that, you add more people to the same call you end up with the most difficult challenge facing workers nowadays, the conference call. Conference calls are vital in today’s fast-paced global market place in which the difference between success and failure often depends on how quickly we can gather information and make decisions. Obviously, it’s time to bone up on our listening and speaking skills.

LAD

2007-10-25T19:26:00.000+01:00

LAD stands for Language Acquisition Device. This is an area, present at birth in the human brain, which makes the process of learning languages possible. This innate facility provides children with the capacity to learn up to three languages simultaneously. Of course, if you have tried or are trying to learn a second language as an adult, you are well aware of the fact that this area of your brain has long since shut down. This window of opportunity, to acquire second and third languages naturally, closes by the age of twelve or around puberty. In fact, it closes much sooner in schools where the second language is taught in the student’s first language. The message is very clear. In today’s multilingual world, we must expose our children to second and third languages as early as possible.

SLOW LEARNERS

2007-10-23T09:52:00.000+01:00

I have long been of the opinion that there is no such thing as a stupid child. Children who consistently do poorly in school are, in my opinion, the victims of a bad education system. It’s not that the students can’t learn but rather that the teachers don’t know how to teach.

We all learn in different ways. All of us are born with eight different types of intelligence that we use to understand the world we live in. However, by the time we start school many of us develop some of these intelligences more than others. Consequently, it is the responsibility of the instructors to identify the more highly developed intelligences of their pupils and adapt their teaching methods accordingly.

While the majority of the class may be able to understand a simple verbal explanation, others may be lost if not provided with a visual representation of the concept.

On The Lake

2007-10-19T18:30:00.000+01:00

It was very peaceful at the lake in the Casa de Campo the other day.

Spain's July 4th

2007-10-13T09:43:00.000+01:00

Yesterday Spain celebrated its national holiday with a military parade down the main streets of the capital accompanied by an assortment of aircraft flying overhead. Since there are a number of vantage points in the Casa de Campo with unobstructed views of the city I decided to take the camera with me on my morning bike ride.

The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that the angle of light was really bad. I knew the pictures wouldn't be very good but I stayed just in case. In the end I was able to get a couple of decent pictures. You can see all of them at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myprofe.

Company Language Classes - The Truth

2007-10-08T12:20:00.000+01:00

About this time last year, I enquired at a local language academy to see if they were looking for teachers. At the time, I was free in the middle of the day. Somewhat to my surprise, they set me up with a couple of midday classes in a company, that works for the government, to start that very same week. The pay was very low but I was free to conduct the class as I please.

As my relationship with the students developed, I discovered that I had been their first “real” teacher – someone with experience. Not only that but they had never even had the “luxury” of having the same teacher for an entire course. One of them confessed that it was the first time that he had arranged his appointments in such a way so as not to miss the class.

At the end of the course, we all thought that it would be interesting if we could continue together the following year but without having to go through the language academy. We agreed to keep in touch and they promised to bring the matter to the attention of Human Resources. We were quite optimistic that something could be worked out.

I called Human Resources last week and they confessed that their hands were tied. Since the language academy in question, having made the lowest offer for the umpteenth consecutive year, had won the contract for the classes, only their teachers would be allowed in the company.

El Popo

2007-09-20T19:35:00.000+01:00

I spent most of the month of August near a town called Atlixco, in the state of Puebla to the south east of Mexico City. I had a wonderful time and took lots of pictures. I was most fascinated with this volcano, which everyone refers to as "El Popo". You can see the rest of my Popo pictures on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/myprofe/sets/72157601635260839/

Lucky Duck

2007-07-29T19:13:00.000+01:00

This morning I made one final attempt to get a decent picture of the ducks in the pond along the bike trail in the Casa de Campo but even with my 75 - 300 mm zoom lens, it was impossible.

On my way out of the park, I decided to pass by the boating lake. I saw some birds in the water quite close to the bank and decided to try my luck. When I approached the water’s edge, they swam out a short distance from the shore but stayed close enough for me to take pictures.

You can see the rest of the pictures at: www.flickr.com/photos/myprofe

Elusive Duck

2007-07-24T07:15:00.000+01:00

There is a small river running through the Casa de Campo. Many times when I ride through the park I notice some ducks in a small pond along this river. Several times I had tried to get a picture of them but they would always swim away or hide when I approached. Last Sunday I decided to insist. I found several spots around the pond where I could sit and hide. It was a beautiful day and I was prepared to wait as long as necessary to get a nice picture. I chose my spot put my camera in silent mode and sat down to wait. It was not long before I realized that the ducks were totally aware of my presence and refused to parade in front of me. The best I could do was the picture you see above. This guy was the lookout.

flickr

2007-05-28T11:43:00.000+01:00

I've decided to open a flickr account to share my pictures with friends and family and to display my best pictures with everybody. For me, one of the best ways to get ideas and improve the quality of your pictures is to look at other peoples' photos.

Here's one of my latest pictures. You can see the rest at: www.flickr.com/photos/myprofe

It's Not The Camera!

2007-04-05T18:37:00.000+01:00

As an avid photographer I really like my Sony DSC-R1 10.3 megapixel digital camera. It combines all the features of my old reflex cameras with the advances in digital technology. But it doesn't take better pictures than my film cameras, not yet.

What it does do is make it cheaper and easier. But the quality of the picture depends on the photographer not the camera.

We have 3 tulips in a pot on the window sill. I can't get a good picture from the street.

It doesn't look like there's any way to get a good picture from inside the house either.

But if I move the pot to the left and shoot from a low angle I can get a decent picture with the sky in the background.

It's not the camera!

My Weekend

2007-03-11T23:41:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I took the camera with me to the Casa de Campo and I'm glad I did. You never know when you're going to have a photo opportunity. This is the wall along the northeastern limit of the park. This is as close as you can get to the mountains. Click on the pictures to see a larger version.

After taking a few pictures I continued my ride. At one point I heard a siren off in the distance which I thought might be an ambulance. It's not unusual. Some of the biking trails are dangerous. It wasn't long before I discovered what that there was race in progress.

I realized that the circuit or a large part of the race was being held inside the park and that there were still many laps to go. It was a great photo opportunity. So, I got off my bike, sat on the ground and started shooting away. I like taking action shots. There are a lot more things to calculate.

This was a lot of fun!

I wonder how old he is!

This guy doesn't need snow!

I checked out the flowers on the way home.

In the afternoon I went to a demonstration. We were protesting against the way the government is dealing with the terrorists.

It was nice to see so many young people and families. The government claims that only the right wing extemists and members of the opposition party participate in these events. So what does that make me?

As you can see there was a festive atmosphere. The government says that we shouldn't display the flag at these events. I don't understand this.

Sunday was an unusually clear day so I got some nice pictures in the park. This was the most difficult picture of all mainly because I took it myself. I must have spent a good hour here before I got what I wanted.

There's still some snow in the mountains.

I love these trails!

See you in the Casa de Campo!!

Memory Dignity Justice

2007-02-26T16:38:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I went to a demonstration in support of the families and friends of the 25 people that were killed over an 18 month period by a single ETA terrorist whom the government is preparing to set free after spending 19 years in prison. This man has never apologized for his crimes and has written threatening letters to judges and elected officials from his cell that have been published in newspapers sympathetic to the separatist terrorist group. Ever since the government initiated its so-called peace process the victims have become the criminals and the criminals the victims.

I took the camera with me just in case there were some photo opportunities and also to have something to entertain myself with during the long wait before the event got underway. I always prefer to carry the camera and take no pictures than to not have it and miss a great shot.

As it happens I was in a pretty good spot and the light was good. I had no idea that during the event one of the volunteers was going to approach me to suggest that I go up onto one of the TV platforms that had been set up for the event but was not being used. When I climbed up the ladder and stepped out onto the platform and gazed out at the sea of faces below me I couldn’t believe my eyes.

The courageous relatives who volunteered to tell their stories, many addressing the terrorists and political officials by name, pleaded for memory, dignity and justice.

Forum Etiquette

2007-02-24T12:50:00.000+01:00

There was a post in my forum asking about the difference between the words small and little. This type of question is very common in foreign language forums where native speakers of a language help learners. If you put yourself in the position of the teacher you will see the problem with this question. Imagine that someone asks you what they should wear but they don’t tell you why they are asking. You’re certainly not going to waste your time explaining what clothes to wear in every possible situation. Not knowing how much information will be necessary to satisfy the learner, there is a good chance that the teacher will skip the issue all together. However, if the student writes a few sentences using the words in question then the teacher will be much more inclined to make corrections and can, at his or her discretion, add an appropriate explanation.

I Get Paid For Doing This

2007-01-18T08:19:00.000+01:00

The other day a new student joined one of my group classes. Fortunately, for both of us, we were alone for this first encounter which gave us an opportunity to get to know each other. At one point in the conversation she said to me that I loved what I did. This reminded me once again that I was among the privileged few that get paid for doing what they enjoy. Had I not become a self-employed language teacher/consultant/coach five years ago I would most likely be facing forced retirement or unemployment with little or no way of earning an income. I consider myself very fortunate.

To Flash or not to Flash

2007-01-05T19:04:00.000+01:00

As a general rule I make every effort to avoid using a flash as the main source of light in my pictures. If the light is low and my subject is not moving then all I have to do is secure the camera and, for more precision, use a shutter release cable or the internal timer. When there is movement and I don’t have enough light I use some remote flash units, positioned at different angles from the subject. In the house it’s sufficient to place a couple of these flash units around the room and point them at the ceiling. The effect is amazing. Before I discovered this simple trick, all my indoor Christmas pictures had too much contrast between the bright and dark areas.

In order to take a picture of this fast moving fish I had to use three flash units; one on the camera and two remote units. I positioned one above the tank and the other one to my left, being careful not to pick up any reflection off the glass. The most difficult part was determining the exact area inside the tank where I would take the picture, manually focus on that point and then shoot every time one of the fish passed by.

It turned out to be much more difficult than I had expected.

3D Printer

2007-01-01T16:53:00.000+01:00

One of the companies that I work for, which sells, leases, installs and services office printing equipment, recently added a 3D printer to its portfolio. The machine is located in the same room where we have English class which gave me an opportunity to see it in operation. It wasn't long before I volunteered to take some pictures of the different models. The design and manufacturing applications of this device are limitless.

We have a Winner!

2006-12-13T21:14:00.000+01:00

The other day I was browsing through the featured pictures section in Wikipedia when I saw this incredible picture of a match igniting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Streichholz.jpg
My first thought was that I could surely take a similar picture.

When I got home that evening I got out my camera, a tripod, a box of matches and a lighter and took everything into the kitchen. After inventing a system to hold each match, I set the timer on the camera and started taking pictures.

The idea was to light the match just before the camera took the picture. I figured it was going to be just a question of practice and luck. In the first 20 or so pictures you could see either an unlit match or a burning match, nothing to write home about. But eventually I managed to synchronize everything and after getting 4 or 5 “winners” I decided to call it a day.

When I compared my “winners” with the original Wikipedia picture I realized that I was doing something wrong. I had forgotten to use a flash and for that reason there was no visible smoke in my pictures.

The following day I made another attempt and this time, after adjusting the position of the external flash, I got the definitive pictures!

Winter

2006-12-12T23:33:00.000+01:00

The winters in Madrid are nothing like the winters in Boston. I've been living here since 1980 and I still can't get over the fact that in the month of December I can enjoy the flowers on the outside window sills of my flat.

Mud & Stuff

2006-12-08T20:46:00.001+01:00

The first thing I came across today were these mushrooms. They looked like they were covered with some kind of thick substance.

From there I headed straight for my favorite spot to see if I could get myself in the picture.

There were leaves everywhere. The tires of the bike don't make a sound when they roll over this bed of leaves.

There was a bright blue sky which contrasted nicely with the colors of this tree.

For the first time in my life I actually got stuck in the mud. The bike literally came to a halt and I couldn't move it at all. Finally I managed to lift it out of the mud and carry it to dry ground.

I had to use a stick to remove enough of the mud to be able to push the bike to the nearest puddle. I couldn't believe how thick and hard the mud was. Now I understand how they can build houses with it.

This picture was taken at 1.10 pm and I got home at 3 pm so I had to have spent a good hour there with the water and the stick before I could ride the bike again. On the way home I rode through every puddle I could find.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep

2006-12-01T22:15:00.000+01:00

To avoid the dangers of being a weekend athlete I always try to get in some physical exercise during the week. This year I’m lucky because four days a week I have a midday class which I can walk to, 30 minutes each way.

I managed to squeeze in another bike ride to the Casa de Campo yesterday morning. I took my camera with me but since I didn’t have much time nor was I particularly inspired by what I saw I only took a few pictures. I spent most of the time practicing taking pictures of myself. The camera has a semi-detachable display screen.

I was heading back when I heard the sounds of a flock of sheep that are allowed to graze in certain areas of the park and I decided to check it out. There were quite a few sheep but they wouldn’t let me get close enough for a good picture so I had to zoom in from a distance.

Then I noticed a lamb that was all alone and apparently oblivious to my presence. I approached to what I considered the minimum distance to obtain a decent picture. I then proceeded to take successive pictures getting closer and closer for each shot.

For the last couple of pictures I was now on my knees. Well, you guessed it. After all this effort not to disturb this little guy I was now an arm’s length away waiting for him to open his eyes, turn his head and pose for the picture. I started making noises until finally he reacted. The minute he realized I was there he jumped up and ran off.

Here’s a cropped area of the previous picture.

Unseen Beauty

2006-11-26T18:48:00.000+01:00

There is so much around us that goes unseen, unnoticed; like the drops of water on these blades of grass.

On my way to the Casa de Campo on this cold, foggy, late November morning I decided that my goal would be to find a lonely tree with brightly colored leaves that nobody would otherwise have noticed and display it here for all to see.

I was taking pictures of this horse path when this rider appeared. It completes the picture and my entry for today.

Casa de Campo

2006-11-24T17:36:00.000+01:00

A few kilometers from my house is the “Casa de Campo”, an enormous park just on the edge of the city. There you can find all kinds of people practicing sports or simply enjoying nature. There are people riding bikes, others walking or running. Sometimes I’ve even seen people in roller-blades. One day I happened to see a group of painters with their easels gathered out in a field. Another day I heard a musician playing the bagpipes. It was neat! There are also people on horseback. And what about me? I’m one of the cyclists.

Dictations - Audio - Forums

2006-11-19T19:41:00.000+01:00

Listen to this post: http://www.myprofe.com/audio/blog.mp3

I’ve been busy with my webpage lately. For one thing, I’m adding audio and I plan to continue because I think that this is one of the things that was missing. It’s difficult to learn a language if you can’t hear it.

I’ve added a job interview practice section with typical interview questions that you can listen to and practice answering. http://www.myprofe.com/job.htm

I’ve added a dictation section where you can hear and do the same dictations I do in class with my students. http://www.myprofe.com/dictation.htm

And whenever possible I’m linking the topics in the forum to related sections in the webpage, all of which should make the visit more complete and instructive. http://www.myprofe.com/tandem/viewtopic.php?t=110&highlight

I’ve also started participating in a number of other language forums, answering questions and correcting mistakes. This has been both rewarding and frustrating. It’s a question of finding a place where you are welcome. http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/student/viewtopic.php?p=84110&highlight=#84110

One thing that really bothers me is that the majority of these forums allow anonymous posts. Now that’s fine if you’re just going to read what others have written but if you’re going to post a message and request help the least you can do is identify yourself. I don’t even know the first language of the person I’m correcting.

The Concert

2006-09-16T18:18:00.000+01:00

I love my new digital camera. I took this picture of Carlos Jean at an outdoor concert last night. Even though I used a monopod to help keep the camera still I had to take most of the pictures at iso-800 because the performers were moving constantly. My only complaint with the camera is the processing time between exposures even in manual mode.

exposure: 1/200s
iso: 800
f/4.8
focal length: 71.5 mm
original image dimensions: 3888 x 2592

How not to Translate

2006-08-14T15:25:00.000+01:00

You should never use a translating program or a bilingual dictionary to convert a text from one language to another. One reason why this doesn’t work, especially when translating into your first language, is that words often have many different meanings. Your back is a part of your body. You are back means that you have returned. If you back the proposal then you support it. And a back is a large container used in making beer. If you don’t know which of the definitions of back is being used then you can’t translate it.

When translating to a second language you have to deal with synonyms which are not interchangeable. You drink whole milk. There was a total eclipse of the sun. And you have a complete set of dishes. Unless you are fluent in the second language it is unlikely that you will know which word to use.

A translation is a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language.

A translator is a person who speaks two or more languages and can easily convert from one to the other.

An interpreter is someone who mediates between speakers of different languages. Without the help of an interpreter simple, basic communication can be achieved with the help of foreign language phrase books and dictionaries.

Machines have long been used to convert weights and measurements where one kilogram is always 2.205 pounds, one mile is 1.609 kilometres and 100 degrees Celsius is 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The language we use to communicate with each other is not an exact science and that is why it is impossible to build a machine capable of extracting meaning from our words.

Translating programs, a misnomer, are inherently bad because they are incapable of understanding.

Rediscovering Photography

2006-06-27T23:02:00.000+01:00

I consider myself a decent photographer. But even though I’ve had some pictures published and I spent a year doing weddings I’m not a professional photographer.

Four years ago this month I bought a very nice compact digital camera which I was very happy with. Instead of taking a couple hundred pictures that summer I took several thousand. However, after the novelty of the digital format wore off I began to miss the creative part of taking pictures that I had with my old SLR cameras.

Now, four years later and a little poorer, I’m about to go on vacation with my new professional digital camera that combines the best of both worlds. I’ve rediscovered photography and it’s even better than I remember!

Spanish Democracy

2006-06-11T11:36:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I participated in a demonstration in Madrid in support of the victims of terrorism. They demand to know the whole story behind the March 11th terrorist attacks and they reject the government’s rendition to ETA.

Killing may be justified in a war or if you are living under a repressive dictatorship but it is my understanding that Spain is a democracy. In a democracy you elect your political representatives and you express your opinion at the voting booth.

The easiest way to resolve an important decision like going to war, getting out of a war or allowing a section of the country to become independent is to hold a referendum.

But if you kill someone in a democracy, for whatever reason, you will be captured, tried, convicted and sentenced to pay for your crime.

On The Radio

2006-05-28T20:52:00.000+01:00

I’m enjoying my moment of fame. On Tuesday and again on Saturday I heard someone mention my name on the radio. Yesterday I was at home and managed to record it. You can listen to it at: http://www.myprofe.com/los40.m3u

Good English

2006-05-22T20:12:00.000+01:00

I don't know about you but I am fed up with those who claim to know English but then are incapable of carrying on a conversation with a native speaker. Just the day before yesterday I asked a man who supposedly knows a great deal of English what his wife was like and he answered that she enjoyed going to the cinema. In no way was I going to correct him in front of his peers. Had we been alone, I would most likely have said something. It's no wonder so many job applicants are turned down because of poor language skills. Hardly anybody is truly fluent in English nowadays. It seems the more we invest in language studies the less we learn. Could it be that the business of learning has actually turned into a business? If that were the case then learning would indeed be bad for business.

Authentic English

2006-05-15T08:34:00.000+01:00

In the past it was only those privileged few who could afford to study abroad or at elite bilingual schools in their home countries that had access to authentic spoken English. Nowadays, thanks to the internet and communications technologies, even the non native English teachers con provide their students with authentic English audiovisual materials to better prepare them for the real world of English speakers.

Such things as regional accents, word stress, pronunciation and the rhythm of the language in addition to phrasal verbs, idioms and common expressions which were next to impossible and boring to teach in a traditional language class have suddenly become easier and more interesting. Having access to material by famous people all but guarantees, with a minimum of preparation, that you will have a successful class.

It is safe to say that the days when students only understood the English spoken by their teachers are long gone.

Foreigner in Madrid

2006-05-13T13:01:00.000+01:00

I’ve been hearing my song on the radio more and more lately and it finally dawned on me what this fleeting moment of fame means to me. When you move to a new neighbourhood, or city, or country it takes time to be or to feel accepted. But it’s not only a factor of time. It’s also necessary to take steps to become integrated into the society.

So I’ve come to realize that this song is another one of those events or moments, like when my first child was born or when I became self employed, that makes me feel that I’m really a part of this society and not just another foreigner living away from home.

Carlos Jean

2006-04-23T19:58:00.000+01:00

One day a few years ago I got a call on my cell phone from this guy named Carlos Jean. He wanted to know if I could help him with his English. We arranged to meet the next day and we’ve been in contact off and on ever since. I had no idea who this guy was until I mentioned his name to my son who filled me in on the extensive music career of Mr. Jean.

Working with Carlos gave me the opportunity to take my family to his performances, concerts and film premiers. The year that Jean had a weekly radio program on Maxima FM in Madrid my son, under the name of Zeon, was a regular participant.

The English classes with Carlos were almost as varied as his professional career. The last classes we had were dedicated to writing lyrics to some of the songs of his new CD Mr Miracle, which will be released tomorrow, 24th April.

There’s one “class” that I will never forget. We were working in his recording studio on the lyrics to a song called “Have a Nice Day”. There was one spoken part that corresponded to a radio DJ. At one point he asked me to read this section and then, without any explanation, stuck the microphone in my face and told me to read it again. After recording it twice he turned to me and said he would use it in the song. Frankly I thought he was pulling my leg. That was a year and a half ago.

I had all but forgotten about my 30 second recording session when, a month ago, my daughter came running into my room and turned on the radio. She told me they were playing the new single from Carlos Jean’s new CD. I recognised the music immediately but didn’t realise what it was. Just then we heard the “spoken part” and I turned to her and said, “That’s me!”
http://www.carlosjean.com
http://www.los40.com

You can't TEACH a language!

2006-04-09T08:15:00.000+01:00

The education system in Spain has gotten worse and worse over the years with the biggest failure by far being in the area of second languages. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with the fact that most of the teachers are native Spanish speakers. A good teacher, which I will define in a future post, will always be a good teacher!

The problem is the method, how the class is conducted. If, as children, we all learned our native language years before being taught to read and write then why do Spanish students spend the majority of their class time reading and writing? From the moment they enter the language classroom they should be interacting orally in that second language.

A language is something you do, not something you study. Memorizing a vocabulary list is useless if you can't function in a language. You can't learn to swim, ride a bike, play a sport or a musical instrument from a book.

It's no surprise that the biggest impediment for the Spanish university graduate applying for his/her first job is their lack of proficiency in English.

Why Blog?

2006-04-08T20:33:00.000+01:00

I've spent the last couple of days wondering why I've started a blog and what I should be writing here. Having had a webpage and forum for years I've ample opportunity to express my opinions. So, why blog? ...

Getting Started

2006-04-06T20:57:00.000+01:00

Victor suggested that I start a blog. We will soon see if he was right or not.