'An Opportunity, Not A Problem', Says School With Only 26 English-Speaking Students

This article by Lucy Sherriff of the Huffington Post is about a school providing a flourishing learning environment despite the obstacle of having many students of different linguistic backgrounds. Here is an excerpt:

A primary school has 26 out of 700 pupils who speak English as their native language but this has not stopped the school from receiving positive feedback from inspections body Ofsted and ranking high in league tables.

The rest of the pupils, who amount to 96.3% of the Bradford school's population, use another language, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed.

According to the FOI response, primary school children in Bradford speak 140 languages, ranging from Polish to Punjabi.

Despite the difficulties the school may face with communication and language barriers, the school ranks in the top 25% in the country based on its exam results. Nearly 80% of Year 6 pupils gaining the required English and maths standards, the Telegraph reported, a figure higher than the national average.

ESL Lesson: Asterisk

This blog entry is all about the asterisk (pronounced as aste-risk). What is the asterisk? The asterisk is a unique symbol used in writing. It is sometimes called star or the star sign since it looks like a star. The asterisk is shaped like this:

                                     *

So, when and why do we use the asterisk?

1. An asterisk is used to indicate a footnote*. This tells readers that the writer has additional or more information for readers regarding what the asterisk (*) is next to... 
2. Asterisks are used to represent *emphasis* or special attention when bold text is not available. This is especially true online, with texting and other electronic writing. 
3. Asterisks are used in situations where the writer wants to censor or leave out information, either because of foul language or making a name anonymous (either unknown or generic). An example of this: "Our customer, James S********, complained that his computer was malfunctioning."

An asterisk can be made while typing by either pressing the eight button or holding the "FN" or "CTRL" buttons, and then pressing eight (8). I hope this helps you understand the asterisk better. Have you seen or used the asterisk in writing before? 

Do you have any other questions or comments about this or any other ESL subject? Leave them in the comment section and we will answer them. Stay tuned for more free advice on this and other subjects as well as promotions and news!

If you want individual tutoring and help in learning English, contact Kingston University USA today!!

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*This is an example of a footnote. Footnotes are special messages with extra information on a topic at the bottom or foot of a page.

ESL Lesson: Contractions

Contractions

This blog entry is all about contractions! 
What are contractions? 
Contractions are a part of informal English frequently used in conversation and in casual or creative writing such as an email to a friend, an anecdote (or a true story someone tells) or a fictional story. 

Don't is a contraction of the words do not.

Contractions are the shorthand way of writing or saying two words as just one word. Very often contractions use the apostrophe (‘) and the removal of letters to make a new word. Contractions should not be used in formal writing such as business letters. In business letters, you should write out words instead of using shorthand like contractions. Here are some examples of contractions.

Can't

Can’t is a contraction of the words can not or the word cannot. The second “o” is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I can not meet you this Friday as I am very busy.
I can’t meet you this Friday as I am very busy.


Don’t

Don’t is a contraction of the words do not. The second “o” is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I do not have any appointments next Monday.
I don’t have any appointments next Monday.


Doesn't

Doesn’t is a contraction of the words does not. The “o” in not is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
She does not like to drink coffee.
She doesn't like to drink coffee.


Didn't 

Didn’t is a contraction of the words did not. The “o” in not is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I did not talk to Mr. Jones last week.
I didn't talk to Mr. Jones last week.


Couldn't 

Couldn’t is a contraction of the words could not. The “o” in not is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I could not reach Mr. Jones last week through phone calls or email.
I couldn’t reach Mr. Jones last week through phone calls or email.


Wouldn't 

Wouldn’t is a contraction of the words would not. The “o” in not is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I would not spend too much money on office supplies. I wish to stay within my budget.
I wouldn't spend too much money on office supplies. I wish to stay within my budget.


Haven’t

Haven’t is a contraction of the words have not. The second “o” is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I have not reviewed your paperwork yet.
I haven’t reviewed your paperwork yet.


Won’t

Won’t is a contraction of the words will not. The second “o” is replaced by an apostrophe (‘), and the space in between the two words is eliminated. Consider the following two sentences.
I will not be able to attend the meeting this Thursday.
I won’t be able to attend the meeting this Thursday.


I hope these explanations help you understand the concept of contractions better. Remember that contractions are informal and that these are general contractions. We’ll post more on other contractions in the future. Do you have any other questions or comments about this or any other ESL subject? Leave them in the comment section and we will answer them. Stay tuned for more free advice on this and other subjects as well as promotions and news! If you want individual tutoring and help in learning English, contact Kingston University USA today!!

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ESL Lesson: Possessive Adjectives

This blog entry is all about possessive adjectives. What are possessive adjectives? They are a type of adjective that describe nouns by showing that they possess something. Here are the seven different possessive adjectives:

My

My is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to the speaker/writer or the pronoun “I.”

Examples:

I looked at her and said, “My book is on the table next to yours.”

My uncle is visiting me next week.

She said, “I cannot drive today, because my car is being repaired.”

Your

Your is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to the pronoun “you.” Remember that “you” can be either singular or plural.

Examples:

Your pet parrot is so pretty and talkative.

I told the students, “The cleanliness of the classroom is your responsibility.”

We are throwing you a party with cake for your birthday tomorrow!

We are throwing you a party with cake for your birthday tomorrow!

His

His is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to a male noun.

Examples:

His shirt was dirty after he fell down in the mud at the park today.

I visited his house to welcome him to the neighborhood.

He shared some apples he picked from his apple tree.

Her

Her is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to a female noun.

Examples:

She looked very similar to her mother.

Laura purchased new boots for her upcoming hiking trip.

Ling printed off copies of her business proposal to share with her co-workers.

Its

Its is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to things, animals, places, ideas, events or the pronoun it.

Examples:

The rabbit scratches its ears with its hind legs.

The house is white but its porch is dark brown.

The ethical life is its own reward.

Our

Our is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to the pronoun we or a group that includes the speaker/writer.

Examples:

My sister told me, “Our parents’ wedding anniversary is next week.”

The coach told his team, “Our fate is in our hands!”

Our responsibilities are shared at times.

Their

Their is a possessive adjective that describes that something belongs to a group, multiple persons, animals or things, or the pronoun they.

Examples:

The wolf cubs played in their den.

The children shared and played with their toys.

The businessmen shined their shoes before going into the meeting.

Do you have any questions or comments about this or any other ESL subject? Leave them in the comment section and we will answer them. Stay tuned for more free advice on this and other subjects as well as promotions and news! If you want individual tutoring and help in learning English, contact Kingston University USA today!!

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ESL Lesson: Symbols w/ Pictures

Symbols can be figures in writing and typing, but they can also be everyday objects. Remember, symbols are things that stand for, represent* or signify* something else. Sometimes symbols represent situations, ideas, places such as countries or people among other things. Here are some examples of symbols in everyday life. Perhaps you have seen some of these symbols.

Apple

The apple is a fruit that is often a symbol for a teacher, school or a classroom, because students often give apples to their teachers as a gesture* of gratitude* in some places.

Flag

A flag is a piece of cloth that is a symbol. A flag can represent a nation, country, state, province, territory, city, team or organization. Here is a flag flown on a pole. This flag represents Sweden.

Animals

The swan is a bird considered to be very graceful and lovely. It is often used as a symbol of gracefulness. 

The owl is a nocturnal* bird that is often called wise due to an old legend about the owl warning other birds of the danger of birdlime.* The owl is a symbol of wisdom.

The butterfly is an insect known for transforming from a caterpillar to a beautiful flying creature. It is a symbol of beauty and transformation or change.

Ring

This is a ring. Rings are a symbol for unions, membership and weddings.

Clock

This is a clock. Clocks are a symbol for time.

Rose

This is a rose. Roses are flowers and a symbol for love and passion.

Fireworks

These lights and explosions in the sky are called fireworks. Fireworks are a symbol of celebration, New Year's and Chinese New Year's. 

Pumpkin

This is a pumpkin. A pumpkin is a large, tough orange fruit. The pumpkin is a symbol for autumn (or Fall)in much of the world as well as Halloween.

This is just a sample of the many symbols seen in every day life. What are some symbol you see in your life?

Do you have any questions or comments about this or any other ESL subject? Leave them in the comment section and we will answer them. Stay tuned for more free advice on this and other subjects as well as promotions and news! If you want individual tutoring and help in learning English, contact Kingston University USA today!!

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*Vocabulary Terms:
Represent (rep-ree-sent): To stand in the place of; to act the part of another thing.
Signify (sig-na-fi): To be a sign or symbol of something. It can also mean to make important.
Gesture (jest-ur): A sign or signal of feelings through action or the movement of hands.
Gratitude (grat-it-tude): The feeling of appreciating (liking or be glad about something)
Nocturnal (nok-turn-ul): An animal that is awake during the night instead of the day.
Birdlime (bird-lym): A natural substance that traps and threatens birds in the wild.

ESL: Singular and Plural

This blog post is about helping you better understand singular and plural nouns in the English language. 


What is a singular noun? A singular noun is a noun that refers to one person, one animal, one thing, one place, one event or one idea.
Here are some examples where the singular nouns are underlined:
The woman goes to the cafe to have a drink.
A runner races through the park.
The puppy wags his tail.
The bird sings a song.
Sarah picked up her backpack and her books.
The apples are in the fruit bowl.
What day is today?
Happiness is an exciting feeling to have.


A plural noun is a noun that refers to a number besides one. 
This could be anything more than one, zero or negative numbers.


Most plural nouns are made by adding -s or -es to the singular noun.
Singular - Plural:
room - rooms
hat - hats
house - houses
river - rivers
day - days

minute - minutes

student - students 

gas - gases

box - boxes

A noun ending in -y preceded by a consonant makes the plural with -ies.
Singular - Plural
fly - flies
puppy - puppies

city - cities

baby - babies

lady - ladies

There are some irregular formations for noun plurals. Some of the most common ones are listed below.
Singular - Plural:
person - people
woman - women
man - men
child - children
tooth - teeth
foot - feet
mouse - mice
leaf - leaves
fungus - fungi
nucleus - nuclei 

goose - geese
half - halves
knife - knives
wife - wives
life - lives
loaf - loaves
cactus - cacti
focus - foci
syllabus - syllabi/syllabuses
analysis - analyses
thesis -  theses
crisis - crises

Some nouns have the same form in the singular and the plural.
Singular - Plural:

sheep - sheep

fish - fish

deer - deer

shorts -shorts

moose - moose

you - you

species - species

aircraft - aircraft

Some singular nouns group more than one person, place, or thing together. Even though the group contains more than one, the noun is still considered as singular because there is one group. These types of nouns are called collective nouns.
Examples:
Corps
Team
Neighborhood
Litter
Pride
Group

Remember, singular means one. It could be one person, one place, one idea, or one thing, as well as a single group of multiple people, things, ideas or places.

Nothing can improve ESL and general language skills more than practice with specialized instructors. Contact Kingston University USA to find out more about enrolling in an English language course or receiving ESL tutoring. You will discover that you can live locally and learn globally no matter what your current English abilities are!

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ESL Practice: The Basics of English Words

Here are some pictures that can help demonstrate some of the fundamentals of English. You will see the pictures, followed by a sentence that describe them, and then we will explain to you what category each word fits in English.

"She is using the computer at her desk."

She is a pronoun  in this sentence.

Using is a verb in this sentence.

Computer is a noun  in this sentence.

At is a preposition  in this sentence.

Desk is a noun  in this sentence.

"Ling is drinking coffee while listening to her co-worker."

Ling is a proper noun in this sentence.

Is is a verb in this sentence.

Drinking is a verb in this sentence.

Coffee is a noun in this sentence.

While is a conjunction in this sentence.

Listening is a verb in this sentence.

To is a preposition in this sentence.

Co-worker is a noun in this sentence.

"The workers discuss business ethics in the office."

Workers is a noun in this sentence.

Discuss is a verb in this sentence.

Business ethics is a noun  in this sentence.

In is a preposition in this sentence.

Office is a noun in this sentence.

"Ling answers the telephone call and she listens to her boss' instructions."

Ling is a proper noun in this sentence.

Answers is a verb in this sentence.

Telephone call is a noun in this sentence.

And is a conjuction in this sentence.

She is a pronoun in this sentence.

Listens is a verb in this sentence.

To is a preposition in this sentence.

Instructions is a noun in this sentence.

"Michelle is typing an email to send on her computer."

Michelle is a proper noun in this sentence.

Is is a verb in this sentence.

Typing is a verb in this sentence.

Email is a noun in this sentence.

To is a preposition in this sentence.

Send is a verb in this sentence.

On is a preposition in this sentence.

Computer is a noun in this sentence.

I hope these examples show ESL learners how English vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure works in practice. Can you form different sentences that describe the actions and images in these pictures? Do you have any questions? What are some things you wish to learn about the English language and how to write, speak and understand it? Stay tuned for more blog entries on advice and opportunities to learn through Kingston University USA.

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